Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Today we practiced the art of chill and sought a much needed day of R&R at lower elevation in the lively, colonial city of Puebla. From visits to the pyramid in Choulula, to various mole covered samples, and viewing historic buildings, our goals were fulfilled. Tomorrow, we head to our final objective of the trip, Pico de Orizaba (18,491’). The weather is looking a bit wet in the morning, however improving through into tomorrow evening. According to our local staff and some weather models, we may even be lucky enough for some fresh snow on the upper portion of the route. But for now, we will worry about enjoying some creature comforts throughout our final evening in this quaint and polished hamlet that is Puebla!

RMI Guide Alan Davis

Today our Ecuador Volcanoes team set out on the first of many uphill travels planned for the next ten days.  We like to think that our strategic planning plays a big role in our future success, which is why I ordered up some nice weather and arranged for a cable car to whisk us from 10,000 feet to 13,000 as to not over stress many sea level lungs.  

Our goal today was to ascend the 15,400 foot Pichincha Rucu volcano, a stone's throw outside the city in order acclimate for bigger objectives down the road.  With a starting zone of 13,000 feet, this hike is usually very manageable from the top of the cable car in five hours, give or take.  Upon arriving at the upper station the weather, unsettled for the last two days, showed signs of grumpiness but played nice as we prepared go.  A wild hitchhiker latched onto Jerome’s shirt and hand, quietly calling daddy, daddy, but after five minutes of hiking changed his mind, flying to Willie thinking his orange pack looked more suiting than Jerome’s yellow shirt.  Both would make fine fathers.  

Once on the trail we could not have asked for better walking conditions.  Thick clouds kept the temps down which was nice but obscured our view of the upper mountain.  The steep parts weren’t too slick so the entire team made good and steady progress upwards until there was no more up to be had.  After a cloudy 20 minutes on top we descended down with no issues and still no rain which landed us back at the hotel around 4:00.  

We ate a great meal and then prepared for the upcoming climb tomorrow.  Stay tuned for more sports action.  

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

The second day of the trek took us ever higher into the desert valley on our way to Aconcagua Basecamp. The trail wound it’s way through the high desert of the Andes, past scrub brush, and the occasional Guanaco. Today also provided us with the first views of the mountain. It was a beautiful bluebird day and the upper reaches of Aconcagua were in full view as they towered over the surrounding peaks, including Amighino, a mountain that tops out at the same elevation as Kilimanjaro. Tomorrow we make the final push to basecamp at 13,800 feet and start acclimatizing for the upper mountain.

RMI Guide Nick Scott

On The Map

Just keep walking, walking, walking. We said goodbye to basecamp today. We would begin our walk down through the Relinchos Valley to the Vacas Valley. As we walked, we took in the last views of Aconcagua. Taking in those last views naturally makes you reflect on your journey. What a journey it has been. Our walk down was full of Guanacos sighting. Everyone loves a wildlife sighting. We weaved our way across many stream crossings. The cool water felt magnificent on the feet. It was a long day covering two days worth of walking. The end result was worth it. We were greeted with fresh cut melon and pineapple at Lenas. The dinner was the grand finale, carne asada BBQ. Beef and chicken cooked over a fire by the arreyeros makes all the walking worth it. Instead of pitching a tent, like we have done so many times, we chose to sleep under the stars like the Argentinean cowboys do. Its always a surreal moment, having been so high on a mountain then two days later sleeping in a desert valley floor under the stars. Tomorrow we will finish our walk. Our feet are tired. Our bodies are tired. The incentive though is big to keep walking...a shower in Mendoza. The excitment is high for what tomorrow brings, a shower and a bed. So it is off to bed for us.

Our last night out,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

Today we woke to sound of rain on our tents and hoped it would fade before hitting the trail. Sadly it didn’t, and we left camp clad in waterproof clothing. We hiked for a few hours before we got our break in the weather.

We hit the trail once again around 8:30am and hiked for an hour before taking our usual 15-minute break, then back on the trail for another hour and so on. All total today we hiked for just over 6 hours before reaching camp which is set up and ready for us.

Along the way we passed around the famous Lava Tower reaching just over 15,000ft setting new altitude records for most of the team. Everyone had a great attitude and managed staying dry thankfully.

Hopefully tomorrow brings some sunshine!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew

On The Map

Today the entire team was assembled for the first time.  With a couple last minute emergencies, the group is now down to eight.  We are disappointed some folks had to cancel, however we are happy to report that all who planned to make it here are in country with luggage in tow.

After a quick orientation we were shuffled onto the bus for a tour of Quito and a trip to La Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World).  This is not a reference to Middle Earth, but instead is a museum at the Equatorial Line.  We were treated to a variety of scientific representations of the Coriolis Effect.  Two members of the team were able to balance an egg on a nail.  In reality, this is possible anywhere in the world but Dustin keeps a close eye on this activity for when it comes time to assign rope teams.

Our tour then proceeded to El Panecillo and old town Quito.  It rained for most of the day, but we made the most of it and it cleared up just enough on top of El Panecillo to have a great view of the city.

By the time we returned to the hotel most of us were pretty exhausted.  Many team members' flights arrived late last night so people were given the choice to run around town or just relax in the rooms.  I think most chose sleep!

We are all in good spirits, healthy and ready for our first acclimation hike tomorrow up Rucu Pichincha.

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

We fired stoves to a clear and crisp morning at 15,000’. As we took our final sips of instant coffee and Nescafé we gleamed with anticipation for the day ahead....
The team reached the summit of Ixta at 0630 and styled the climb in just over four hours. After enjoying a brilliant sunrise on an nearly windless morning, we made our way back down where we were met by Rogelio with delicious avocado sandwiches and cold beverages. I don’t think many of us stayed awake on the bus ride to the beautiful hamlet of Puebla this evening, but we arrived a couple hours ago and spirits were high to say the least. We were greeted by the wonderful staff at the Colonial Hotel where much desired hot showers, food, and well deserved rest awaited us. Looking forward to the next 24 hours in this alluring city of fine cuisine and architecture!

RMI Guide Alan Davis

What goes up, must go down! Our uphill travel is over and it is now time for us to make our way downhill. What took us 12 days to get up to, would only take us a handful of hours to get back down. We broke down our camp at 19,600' and began our walk down to the much thicker air at 13,800'. It was a fantastic sight to see the Grajales staff welcome us back to basecamp. They greeted us with yummy snacks and a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate our achievement. We could not ask for a more friendly group of people. After enjoying sitting in chairs and filling our bellies with fruit and various snacks, we had some chores to do. We sorted our gear and packed our duffles for the mules tomorrow. Our journey and long days are not over yet. Tomorrow we have a long hike to Pampa de Lenas. The promise of a carne asada BBQ will keep the team going and a promise of showers will keep us going the following day. The end is near where we can wash off all the dirt.

Just two more nights in sleeping bags,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

 

Today we left behind the comforts of civilization and began our trek to Aconcagua Basecamp. The first day turned out to be a hot and dusty one, with only the occasional breeze to cool us down. After several hours of walking through the desert we reached Pampa de Lenas, our camp for the night. Our outfitter Grajales was waiting for us with pitchers of lemonade to relieve our parched mouths and a spread of orange slices and snacks to replenish our energy. While our accommodation for the night may be modest, our dinner certainly won’t be. Tonight is the night of the famous Lenas Asado! A traditional Argentine BBQ cooked over an open fire under the stars. After such a long walk today, you can be sure our appetites are primed and ready for the meal to come.

All the climbers did well today, but another long day is in store for us tomorrow as we make our way closer to basecamp and deeper into the mountains.

RMI Guide Nick Scott

On The Map

Hello again everyone

The team had a really nice day here on Kilimanjaro today, waking to mostly clear skies with a nice view of the upper mountain and hiking in just a light cloud layer which help keep us cool.

We started the day waking at 6:30 to start packing up before moving into our dinning tent for a nice breakfast with porridge, fried eggs, toast, avocado and even some fresh fruit, and most importantly plenty of hot chocolate and coffee. 

We hit the trail shortly after 7:30am to get a jump on some of the traffic and slowly made our way up the rocky trail with good views of Kilimanjaro above. The trail climbs up a ridge and eventually out of the trees and allows for some truly spectacular views of the valley below. The team hiked for a little more than 4 hours before reaching out next camp that sits on Shira Plateau, which is an ancient lava flow littered with obsidian.

The afternoon was spent relaxing around camp and enjoying nice conversation with the team.

Everyone is doing very well and looking forward to another good nights rest.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew

On The Map