Entries from Expedition Dispatches
The Four Day Summit Climb Team led by RMI Guide JM Gorum reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team climbed well above the heavy marine layer, and reported clear skies with summit temperatures of 25 degrees and winds from the southwest of about 25 mph. The team has started their descent and are en route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team!
RMI Guide Peter Whittaker and his entire climbing team stood on the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Peter reported an excellent climbing route and great conditions on the mountain. The team has started their descent and will be celebrating here at Ashford Basecamp this afternoon.
Congratulations Team!
I cant wait to climb with you guys!
Posted by: Brooks Muchenberger on 9/6/2018 at 6:49 pm
We had a gorgeous walk into the Easton on Mt. Baker today. Perfect weather, incredible views, wildflowers, and great company. We're at camp at 6400' at the toe of the Easton glacier, getting ready to enjoy dinner. After a good size day and heavy packs, we are looking forward to our sleeping bags!
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
Today we started early and climbed fast to the summit of Mt. Baker. We are back in Glacier enjoying some food and celebrating. What a great day in the mountains!
RMI Guide Zeb Blais
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
It started to seem like we’d get fog and rain for the rest of the trip just to pay for the sweet summit weather we’d been granted. But when we woke today at Mweka Camp, we were under blue skies and high above the white clouds. After breakfast, we enjoyed a gathering of the entire staff for the traditional tipping ceremony. We expressed our great thanks and the guys serenaded us with a few more memorable sing-alongs in the bright sunshine. Then we shouldered packs and hit the muddy trail downward at about 8:30 AM. It was just a few more hours of careful walking in slippery conditions to get down through the rain forest. We stopped at one point to see a couple of colobus monkeys high in the tree canopy, but mostly we paid attention to the treacherous track and to where we were putting our feet. At the Mweka Gate we were down in the clouds again and had a brief rain shower just after signing out of the park. A short walk in the deep dirt of a road construction project took us to our lunch venue and the bus parking lot. We enjoyed a fine picnic and a round of Kilimanjaro and Serengeti beers along with Savanna ciders. Two hours on the bus through the Tanzanian countryside got us back “home” to the Arumeru River Lodge. Showers and a few shaves made the team presentable by evening. We finished with a delightful victory dinner out on the veranda and discussed just how much the climb and our interactions with each other and with the staff have come to mean for us. We are excited to begin the safari tomorrow but we will miss our climbing buddy Tim who will begin flying toward the States and home.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Congratulations to the team! Thanks for everything DAVE! I feel like I was there in spirit! Enjoy your next journey!
Aunt Vicki
Posted by: Aunt Vicki on 8/1/2018 at 4:07 pm
Hello from camp at 12,570' high on the Shira Plateau. It's wonderful being here in this large, open camp. The sun is shining and providing a nice contrast to our cloudy, wet and somewhat cramped camp of yesterday.
Walking at 8:00 we climbed steeply and steadily for most of the way to camp, taking advantage of key spots to break and enjoy the incredible views of this most interesting world around us. Everyone has adopted the mountain mindset of 'pole pole,' or ' slowly, slowly. ' This allows us to patiently step off to the side whenever another group of the hundreds of porters here need to get past us. We know which side of our bread is buttered. If the porters don't get to camp, we have no camp. More importantly it keeps us from walking too fast and needlessly stressing our bodies, letting us acclimatize to the altitude better.
Everyone is doing well. How can they not be when Tosha, our chef, is spoiling us rotten. Today's lunch: fried chicken, French fries, vegetables and watermelon for dessert. Tomorrow brings us our biggest day yet getting to Barranco via the Lava Tower. Bring it on!
Until tomorrow,
RMI Guide Brent Okita
On The Map
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Jenny Konway reached the summit of Mt. Rainier via the Emmons Route. Jenny reported a great climb with a strong team! This expedition team has spent the last few days on the mountain learning crevasse rescue, anchors and running belays, fixed line travel, and many other alpine mountaineering skills that will prepare them for future endeavors into the mountains. The team is making their way back to Camp Schurman where they will spend the night before descending tomorrow.
Congratulations to the Emmons Team!
It’s a great timing to reach the new heights Kent!!! Proud of you!! Happy birthday and stay safe always!!
Tatiana
Posted by: Tatiana Trofimova on 8/1/2018 at 5:37 pm
Posted by: Kel Rossiter, Bryan Mazaika
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Kel Rossiter and Bryan Mazaika reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Kel reported that the team climbed for about 6 hours and 15 minutes to get to the summit. Today they had cooler temperatures and winds from the Northwest as they were climbing. The team has started their descent and are en route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations Team!
Congratulations Kent. What a great birthday present for yourself. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Ye Shaw
Posted by: Ye Shaw Chee on 8/1/2018 at 5:37 pm
Congratulations to you Kent and to your entire team - I couldn’t be more proud of you! This is definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
Will be thinking of you on your birthday tomorrow - celebrate when you arrive at the bottom! Happy Happy Birthday Wishes! Love, Aunt Lynda
Posted by: Aunt Lynda on 8/1/2018 at 3:23 pm
RMI Guide Mike Walter and team are standing on top of Mt. Baker! They had beautiful weather and a great route for climbing via the classic and technical North Ridge. They will descend on the Coleman-Deming Route and spend one more night on the mountain before descending back to the trailhead tomorrow.
Congratulations to Mike and team!
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. T.S. Eliot
Keep on trekking!
Lynn
Posted by: Lynn Adams on 8/1/2018 at 4:46 am
The stars were unlike anything most of us have ever seen. The North star was, of course, nowhere to be seen amongst the constellations of the southern hemisphere. Exclamations from folks more accustomed to seeing city lights than the Milky Way were shared by all. The stars tonight reminded us all of the incredible universe out there.
But, the skies today were not always so clear. In fact, the light drizzle through which we drove up had become a significant rain when we started off. Full Gore-tex was in order as we set off. But luckily, the rain tapered off in the first hour allowing us to lose the rain gear. Temperatures were actually pleasant, letting us walk without sweating too much.
Five hours later we were at our first camp. Typical of these trips, our tents were all set up for us and the duffels brought up by the porters ready to be dispersed. This is the luxurious nature of climbing in Africa where a staff of 51 folks support our efforts to climb this beautiful, big mountain.
The team walked well today, making camp in five hours and looking good doing it. We were rewarded with an incredible dinner prepared by our chef Tosha. And now for some well deserved down time. Sleep will come easy as we hope that the clear skies of tonight bring us sunny skies tomorrow.
Goodnight from 9,890' on Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
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Congratulations on this GREAT accomplishment to be so proud of ! Happy that you are all safe, hoping the return trip is just as good for all of you. Way to go Bob !!!!
Posted by: Barbara waugh on 8/4/2018 at 10:16 am
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