Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Why we come to the mountains? I believe we find challenges here that make us feel alive. I feel alive in the mountains. This is my first season on Aconcagua, and I feel very much alive and ready to accept new challenges. Now a new challenge begins for me: try the summit while guiding and speaking English. Speaking English has always been a big challenge for me. The little English I know I learned on the mountain, talking with people from other countries.

This expedition definitely has everything I come to the mountains to find. I'm very happy to share this experience with this team.

I know it's just beginning, but I'm sure that in the worst-case, it will be a beautiful challenge and that's why I'm in the mountains.

Grajales Guide Batti (Tomas Battistin)

Sorry for a few missed dispatches, service isn't great on Cotopaxi 

We set our alarms for an early wake up this morning and our summit attempt on Cotopaxi. However, when we woke up around 11pm to check the weather we didn’t even need to get out of bed, the noise on the roof of the climbers hut was enough to tell us it was raining. Our team along with around 30 other climbers waited in the hut for the storm to break but it never did.

At around 3am we used a lull in the weather to give it go, but after an hour of climbing uphill through the rain, the rime ice and wind became too much to handle. We descended back to the hut with a high point of around 17,000 ft. Other climbers trickled back into the hut with up to a centimeter of ice built up on their backpacks and similar stories.

We left the Cotopaxi hut this morning and are now at our hotel drying out and prepping to travel to Chimborazo tomorrow. Hopefully we can get some better weather for our last and biggest climb of the trip. 

RMI Guide Nick Sinapius and Team

We all really enjoyed our rest day yesterday in Puembo at our very nice ministry-turned-hotel. After a morning of crevasses rescue training we scattered. Some lounged around the hotel, others went shopping and a few walked to town to see the local sights.

Fully rested, we drove to the trailhead and hiked in the rain to the Cotopaxi hut. Luckily, the hike was short so we didn't get completely soaked. Everyone moved well uphill to the warmth and comfort of the classic high mountain hut.

If the weather improves we will try for the summit of Cotopaxi tomorrow.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes

It’s rest day here. The last day at Plaza Argentina Basecamp before we assail the defenses of the Sentinel of Stone, Aconcagua. Little left to do. Everything in our possession either comes with us or goes to Mulas. Eat, rest, see the doc, stretch our legs. Wait. As I sit here in anticipation, I am struck by a simple fact: There is no control on the mountain.  

I’d love to tell you that there is control on the mountain, but there are only degrees of influence and occasionally getting what we intended. But control? El no existe. 

I’d love to say we control our actions, but if we had control of our actions we’d simply sprint up the mountain to the summit. If we had control we’d never bend or slacken to lack of oxygen, muscular fatigue, or the dangerous effects of high altitude sickness. 

I’d love to say we control our thoughts on the mountain, but if we had control of our thoughts on the mountain we’d never doubt ourselves, never experience the effects of low oxygen on our thinking skills, never need checklists, never need an encouraging word from another to keep us focused on the task at hand.

I’d love to tell you we control our emotions on the mountain, but if we controlled our emotions we’d never fear failure. It wouldn’t hurt to miss our mark. We wouldn’t experience angst watching a fellow climber getting airlifted off the mountain via helicopter. Our confidence would never falter no matter how much snow, ice, wind, or elevation Aconcagua throws at us. 

Control is not a concept that exists on the mountain. There is only influence. And our lack of control is not a problem. In fact, our lack of control is an essential part of the challenge. The unknown, the lack of control, the formidable defenses of the mountain, are precisely why the challenge of Aconcagua is so tantalizing and coveted. 

Aconcagua, sacred mountain, Sentinel of Stone, Centinela de Piedra, what defenses will you throw at us? What toll will you ask? What price will you require us to pay? 

Ask what you will, Aconcagua, despite our lack of control, we are prepared to do what we can. 

We are ready to climb with a great plan, the best damn guides a crew could hope for, and tremendous support staff.

We have trained our asses off to make your summit, and we will fight fatigue with a tenacious spirit and love for the challenge you present. 

We will find a way to replace momentary doubt with the confidence that we have an indomitable will to put one foot in front of the other again and again and again. 

Most of all, we will climb with joy in our hearts from all the support we share in this group, and the tremendous sum of support we have from home. We are ready to pick each other up and find a way no matter what defenses you present to us. 

Are you ready, Centinela? Here we come.

RMI Climber Jared Wood

Ben, Ray and team carry to Camp 1. 

In a way, today was the official start of the climb portion of this adventure. Each of us has different motivation and reason for being here. Each of us, a different climbing background. Each of us, a different training regimen. However, today more than ever it was apparent that we are in total unison in moving toward our shared goal of standing atop South America. 

Teamwork was on full display with the fist bumps, high fives, and words of encouragement throughout our entire 4 hour ascent to cache gear and food at Camp 1. Walking up the last section of very loose scree and dirt is indescribable. Every step you took, the ground gave way beneath your feet. With my seriously heavy pack, I struggled to get footing. The frustration was high inside my head as I felt like a hamster in a wheel. Before I knew what was happening, Big Scree cut in front of me and kicked the most glorious steps I have ever seen as he turned his head and said “I got you”. Team work made the dream work. 

As we rolled into Camp 1 we all eagerly emptied our packs into the cache sacks and took a seat on the camp chairs inside the Grajales dome tent. When all were seated around the table, we were presented with a challenge to move as quickly but as controlled as possible down the scree fields. We were told it was a test and we were all down to take it. With a little bit of excitement in the air at the challenge at hand we took off for base camp. Scree skiing was just the fun we needed after our heavy push uphill. There was giggling, laughing, more encouragement and a feeling of freedom I can’t really explain. With the test behind us and A’s all around, we got the afternoon to relax and celebrate our own little personal victories today. 

You never know what the mountain is going to give you on any given day, or what Mother Nature is going to present you with. Heck, you don’t even know what your own body is going to throw at you. We have learned this firsthand as a group. Every day we get to spend on this mountain is a gift, including the hard and heavy days like today. We are all so grateful to be here and to be with two amazing, positive and encouraging guides- Ben and Ray. 

Jojo, CMan and IzBiz- I want you to know that what I did today was hard, but I did it. And I’ll do it again and again and again because there is no better feeling than not giving up on your goals. They’re worth it! Shoot for the moon and see where you land. BPerk- thanks for ALWAYS encouraging me, you are the best thing.

RMI Climber Christine Perkinson

Monday, January 12, 2026 - 5:30 pm PT

Our 6th day in Ecuador actually started on day 5, as we “woke up” at 11 pm for an alpine start and our first summit day of the trip. We left the hut at 12:10 am and climbed through clouds until we reached the toe of the glacier at around 16,000 feet. From then on, the clouds steadily cleared leading to great summit weather and incredible views of the sunrise. The entire team reached the summit of Cayambe around 7am, once again setting new high points for many in the group. A highlight of the day was having the hut, mountain, and summit all to ourselves as we were the only group climbing Cayambe today. We’re now back in Quito and looking forward to a well earned rest day before heading to Cotopaxi.

RMI Guide Nick Sinapius

Plaza Argentina Basecamp rest day number one. 

We had a relaxing morning, waking up to a thin layer of frost covering our tents and gear. Schaffe and 1/2 calf proudly entered the dining tent for breakfast knowing they were the evening winners of Farkle. This meant the rest of us schemed of personal strategies that would give us the honor of being a future Farkle champion.

Even without the prestige of a Farkle win, I woke up with an extra bounce in my step knowing that the 49ers won last night.

After breakfast we divided the group gear that will be used on the upper mountain. Ben and Ray weighed our packs, and then we individually decided if using porters was right for us. At this time we made personal choices on how much snack weight is too much snack wait or how much chub rub was too much chub rub.

With a delicious lunch meal in our stomachs we made a short group hike above Basecamp to 14,300’ to see the spectacular view of Plaza Argentina.

Games of hacky sack and cribbage with some others enjoying books and naps were used to pass the time until we tackle the upper mountain.

Spirits are high, we are anxiously awaiting the unknown challenges in our immediate future. This desire to explore the unknown to see if our bodies and minds are capable of adapting is nothing short of addiction.

RMI Climber Shane Francis

Hello friends and family from the Summit of Cayambe!

We all made it up and down safely. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes

The Early Gaunaco catches the Mula.

It was an early start, but an exciting start for the team. Today, we made our trek to Base Camp to start our next phase of our expedition.

We said goodbye to our amazing Grajales Stone House hosts at Casa de Piedra and started our pilgrimage to the base of this awe inspiring mountain.

Nothing wakes you up quite like your trip’s first frigid river crossing. Switching our crocs in 4x4 mode, we quickly made the crossing. It was a refreshing way to continue our journey through this mystical country. From the beautiful valley scenes, the curious Guancos, to the Arrieros wishing us a safe journey while passing us on their way down from delivering our gear to base camp; these are only a few highlights of what we experienced leading up to BC.

Spirits were high as we made the 6 to 7 hour trek (that’s for you Wells) to accomplish today’s Plaza de Argentina. We are now settled in at 13,800’ preparing our minds and bodies for the climb ahead. It’s time to strap up, clip in, and go full send.

Thank you to our amazing RMI guides and our local Grajales crew for making this a special experience. But more importantly, thank you to all our families and friends at home who are taking up the slack while we are on this amazing expedition. (Particularly Lauren, Winn, & Wells)

Till tomorrow.

RMI Climber Andrew Hall

We’re just hours away from attempting our first Ecuador volcano. Today we drove to our high camp, unloaded our gear and then climbed about an hour above our hut to the edge of the glacier. The upper mountain peeked out from the clouds a couple times today but lower clouds blocked the views for most of the afternoon. We double checked our boot and crampon fit and practiced our ice axe technique. We’re looking forward, and a little anxious, for our attempt to summit Cayambe.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes