Entries from Expedition Dispatches
RMI Guide Steve Gately just called from the Mt. Shuksan summit. The wildfire smoke is not too bad today, which is a nice shift. The team is happily snacking and will call us later from camp.
Congratulations to today's summit climb team!
Posted by: Brent Okita, Andy Bond
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb August 19 - 22 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Andy Bond reached the summit of Mt. Rainier right around 7 AM today. Brent reported a nice day overall with 5-10 mph winds but very smokey skies. The teams will spend a bit of time on the summit before starting their descent. Once back at Camp Muir they will repack and then continue down to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nick Scott
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
RMI Guide Mike Walter reported in this afternoon that the team made it to the summit of Mt. Baker with 100% success! Mike reported that conditions were smoke free starting at 8,700' and were clear and calm on the summit. The team had a long day on a long route with a late season West Ridge variation. They will spend some time on top and begin their descent back to camp.
Congratulations!
Posted by: Robby Young, Hannah Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb teams are standing in the summit crater of Mt. Rainier as of 7AM PT this morning. RMI Guides Robby Young and Hannah Smith led their teams to Camp Muir yesterday and awoke them around midnight to start their summit climb. Robby reported a light breeze and a very nice day above the top of Disappointment Cleaver where they were happy to find clear air. After enjoying some time on top, the teams will return to Camp Muir and continue down to Paradise. This afternoon they will enjoy some beverages and a celebration to end their Four Day Summit Climb program.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Great job everyone! Love you, Fab Four!
Posted by: Jana on 8/21/2018 at 5:21 pm
Congratulations! Have a great time celebrating this accomplishment!
Posted by: Beth Jensen on 8/21/2018 at 11:31 am
RMI Guide Eric Frank & Team decided to swap the smoky air of the North Cascades for the cleaner ocean air of Mt. Erie. The downside to the change is less significant peak objectives, but still quality rock climbing and rock movement training grounds. The team ended the program on a high note and under blue skies. Forecasts for the coming days in the North Cascades are predicting that the smoke will clear out and should provide ideal climbing conditions for climbs on Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, and in the Boston Basin.
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb teams reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer and Jess Matthews. The teams spent time in the crater before starting their descent. Once back at Camp Muir they will repack and continue to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Congratulations to today's climbers.
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Up before dawn, just one more time. Balloon Camp was kind to us... such a quiet night and such an easy morning -until just after breakfast when we had to split up with Emily and Phillip who were off to the Serengeti. We loaded up again with Ibrahim and Edson to see what we could see. We saw tracks in the road. We saw the vastness of a marsh, stretching to the horizon, dotted here and there with big animals, we saw a very pretty morning. And after an hour, we saw an amazing and beautiful leopard close up. We scared him and he scared us. Ibrahim looked up to find him on a branch as we passed nearly underneath. We skidded to a halt and he hopped up on his feet. We fumbled for cameras and he showed his teeth. He growled in a low and ominous rumble and we each wondered if he was considering jumping through the open top of our Toyota. Instead he climbed quickly and gracefully down the tree trunk, bared his teeth at us again and went hunting in the marsh. We followed his progress by watching his tail above the tall grass for a bit and then drove on, stunned and excited by our quick and awesome encounter. We were still talking to each other about our good luck twenty minutes later when we saw another beautiful leopard up another tree. This one from a relaxing distance of 100 meters, which took away the pressure to photograph and record. We just watched and appreciated for a time before moving on. We had a few more hours in the park... hours of trees and rivers and eagles and vultures, elephants, zebra, gnu and impala, giraffes and Cape buffalo. We even saw kudus, which is a rare thing (don’t try it at home).
By late morning we’d left the park and were cruising back toward Arusha. We made a stop for more shopping and a little culture at the cultural heritage center and then pressed on to the hotel. Saying goodbye and thanks to Ibrahim and Edson for a big five experience and a wonderful four days, we set to repacking and prepping to fly. We had one last dinner together, while watching the Dik Diks and monkeys play in the garden and we practiced our Swahili while saying goodbye to the staff at Arumeru River Lodge. Said then drove us out to the airport as the sun set on our great adventure. Lots of flying awaits and there are lots of pictures to go through now. We haven’t said much in the way of goodbyes, it will be easier to just say “see you all on the next mountain.”
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
August 19, 2018 7:09 am PST
We are currently on top of Mt Baker. The climb was warm with lots of smoke in the air until we climbed above 90000 feet. With so much smoke, there were no view of the Puget Sound or North Cascades. The Team is doing well and we’ll began our descent soon. After returning to Camp we will rest and then pack up for the hike down to the cars.
RMI Guide Mike King
Great job!!! Mike, Mario and Justin!!
Posted by: Natalie on 8/19/2018 at 3:18 pm
Posted by: Christina Dale, Bryan Mazaika
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Christina Dale & Bryan Mazaika led their Four Day Summit Climb Teams (August 16 - 19) to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Teams were reaching the crater rim around 7:30 AM PT. Christina reported a beautiful and warm day. The teams will return to Camp Muir and continue down to Paradise. They will end their program with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
Shoutout to all the Montreal climbers from a Kansas prairie flatlander! Way to go Molls!
Posted by: Beth on 8/19/2018 at 11:27 am
Congratulations! I’m very glad for all of you and I’m particularly proud of my daughter Marie-Laure.
Posted by: Louise Côté on 8/19/2018 at 9:58 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
The Plantation Lodge was just too comfortable... we couldn’t leave at the crack of dawn. A leisurely 9 AM departure sufficed. Before leaving the Karatu area, we stopped for some souvenir/gift shopping and a try at negotiating prices. Then we dropped back down the escarpment into the Rift Valley and cruised through the bustling town of Mosquito River. Out in the dry country beyond town, we pulled off the highway to tour a small Maasai village. The residents danced for (and with) us, showed us how to make fire without modernity, and then took us two-by-two into their small houses -built of sticks, mud and dung- to describe the basics of being Maasai. Tanzania has over 120 different tribes, but the Maasai stand out because they are attempting to hold on to their traditional methods. Thus educated and enlightened, we lit out for Tarangire National Park. This park has very different ecosystems compared to Manyara and Ngorongoro. It is made up of arid and expansive forests and savannas cut by three wandering river courses. Impala, gnu and zebra are seemingly everywhere. We began seeing extended families of elephants, including some little fellas less than a year old. We learned to distinguish between male and female giraffes by the shape of their horns. We stopped to look at giant baobab trees and termite mounds and mongoose. We were getting spoiled... the team began demanding to see grizzly bears and tigers too. Actually, just when it seemed we’d go catless for the day, we came upon nine very alert and animated lions, close up. They wandered down to the river giving every impression that they were starting a hunt. In early evening we came to Balloon Camp deep within the park. The friendly staff oriented us to our bush hotel, which included advising us not to walk around without a guardian after dark. There are no fences between us and the critters of Tarangire. We watched the sun go down on our last full day in Africa and then sat for some “bush TV” as they call the campfire. A crew of cheerful and colorful Maasai came to sing, chant, jump and dance as it got fully dark and starry. We then enjoyed a barbecue buffet under those same stars.
In the morning, we’ll start to diverge, as Emily and Phil head off to the Serengeti and the rest of us explore a bit more of Tarangire. Seems a shame to break up the team, but our trip is winding down.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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Good luck everyone! Especially my awesome brother Mickey!! ⛰
Posted by: Corie Gordon on 8/24/2018 at 4:20 pm
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