Sunday, May 27th - 11:00 pm PST
What a day of rope work we had under the most amazing back drop of Mount Hunter. We went through different knots and how to build a variety of equalized snow anchors. Then we put it to practice and had everyone take turns going into a deep crevasse and the team would build a pulley system to bring them out. This was an Alaska style crevasse which means it appears bottomless and cold. We had so much fun exploring the glacier up close and personal. The team's rope skills are great but we hope to avoid using the rescue skills as we head out tomorrow to move camp up the Kahiltna Glacier. After such a big day of playing on and in the glaciers, we all treated ourselves to two hot chocolates after a delicious dinner of tortellini with sun-dried tomatoes.
Goodnight from the glacier!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
Monday, May 28th - 12:20 am PST
It was a perfect day to cruise up to 11K Camp and find a new home. Where most of yesterday was dead calm and pretty warm with strong sun, we had a light but really cold breeze running through camp in the morning. It died right before we started walking and suddenly we were cooking in the solar oven. Just as we were about to explode into flames, the breeze came back, from straight ahead, and we went the direction of ice cubes. We dug quickly into our mountains of clothing and were back in comfort land. Having previewed the terrain yesterday, today was a breeze, and we cruised into camp like a hot egg salad. Now we are nicely installed in our new home for the next few days. It's snowing lightly, and beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Everyone is healthy and psyched. Tomorrow, we chill, then we will keep looking upward.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
Seriously took me a minute to find the right blog!
You guys are all smiling and climbing - I know you must be excited for the climb ahead.
Have fun and enjoy every minute!
Love you Rich
Posted by: Susie and the Kids on 5/31/2018 at 5:25 pm
Checking in again. So happy to see the progress. It’s time for Steve to come home… the bachelorette season has started and I know how much he loves the show !! ;)
I’m loving all of the pictures.
Sending my love and best wishes to everyone.
Stay safe,
Misty
Monday, May 28th - 12:20 am PST
Perfect is not common in the mountains, but we had it today. The skies were clear and calm for the flight into the Alaska range. The snow was firm which makes the climbing easier and we had warm sunshine with a cool breeze to keep us all just right, not too hot-not too cold. Everyone moved well with their heavy pack and full sleds into our first camp around 7800 ft and enjoyed our first mountain dinner before sliding into our sleeping bags. All in all a great first day on Denali.
RMI Guide Walter Hailes
RMI Guides Geoff Schellens and Zeb Blais called down this morning at 7:30 am from the summit of Mt. Rainier. They reported 10 - 15 mph winds, cold conditions, and high team morale. Their plan is to spend about 30 minutes on the summit before beginning their descent back to Camp Muir.
Our time in La Paz was short, as we awoke to another beautiful day here in Bolivia and made the three-hour drive to Lake Titicaca to take in the scenery and get acclimated to the 13,000’ altitude.
We walked amongst old Incan ruins and small farming villages surrounding the lake. The Bolivian Andes mountains on one side and Perú off in the distance across the lake to the north.
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. We took the opportunity to take a couple of ferry rides across the lake to different islands including driving through Copacabana. To get to our final destination for the night on Isla del Sol “Island of the Sun” we took a short boat shuttle to our eco lodge overlooking the lake and surrounding mountains.
The views are incredible as we got to watch the sunset light up the mountains across the lake. As we head to bed the near full moon is glistening on the water. We look forward to another day tomorrow walking around the island and all that it has to offer.
RMI Guide Andy Bond
Last night was chilly once again, but today the sun is out in full and has warmed us up. It's a beautiful day on Denali today, with barely a breath of wind at 14,200' (there is some visible wind up higher on the West Buttress), and partly cloudy skies.
We're taking a "rest" day today, although it will be somewhat active. After a leisurely breakfast that rolled into brunch, we headed out to the Edge of the World, a dramatic rock outcrop at the far eastern edge of Genet Basin that looks down to the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier, some 5,000' below.
Next we will be reviewing and practicing fixed rope travel in preparation for moving above our camp. And finally, before dinner, we will work on building snow walls to protect our tents and our kitchen from strong winds. All in all, a good day of active rest.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we plan to establish a cache high on the West Buttress in order to have enough supplies available to us for our move to high camp. We'll keep you posted.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Way to go Riemer!! Lots of good thoughts and vibes from us all :) Good luck from the boys and we’ll see you soon!
Posted by: Layla on 5/28/2018 at 3:02 pm
Hi Alex and Tom, Hope you are well and not too cold. All that snow makes me go brrr. Lots of rain here. And more to come(the remains of a tropical storm due from Wednesday on). Not much going on. Love you and miss you
RMI Guide Kel Rossiter and team just called from the summit of Mt. Baker after a successful climb. They reported good weather and softening snow conditions. After a celebration on the summit, the team will begin their over 5,000' of vertical ski descent off the top. Once back in camp, the team will rest, pack, and hike off of the mountain for a well deserved meal in town.
RMI Guide Kel Rossiter calls in after the team wraps up their Mt. Baker Summit and Ski Descent
We had another great day on the lower Kahiltna. Our goal was to carry a load of food and fuel to around 10,200', just shy of 11K Camp. We had a sneaking hope that we might move well enough and everyone would feel good enough to carry the load all the way to 11,000', eliminating the need for a back carry. After 3 good stretches of walking, we were just below the usual cache site with plenty of time to spare and everyone in good spirits, so we decided to push on. It was a great effort by the whole group, and now most of our food is waiting for us at our next camp. Tomorrow we'll pack up camp at the bottom of Ski Hill and make the move to 11, where the cycle will continue.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb team led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Jenny Konway walked into the summit crater at 8:00 am this morning. The team reported wind speeds of about 5 mph, excellent weather, and excellent route conditions. They have begun their descent from the summit and will be back at Camp Muir.
Our first day in Talkeetna was packed with mountain prep fun. After breakfast we listened to Pat, a Denali climbing ranger, introduce climbing safely and keeping Denali clean during our climb. Then we hustled to the airplane hangar to sort and pack gear. The hardest part of the day was trying to decide what food to bring and what items to leave behind. Twenty pounds of food is a lot but it seems to pile up quickly. We are ready to fly into the glacier tomorrow at 9am, so now we are working hard on relaxing and enjoying the beautiful Alaska weather.
RMI Guide Walter Hailes
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Seriously took me a minute to find the right blog!
You guys are all smiling and climbing - I know you must be excited for the climb ahead.
Have fun and enjoy every minute!
Love you Rich
Posted by: Susie and the Kids on 5/31/2018 at 5:25 pm
Checking in again. So happy to see the progress. It’s time for Steve to come home… the bachelorette season has started and I know how much he loves the show !! ;)
I’m loving all of the pictures.
Sending my love and best wishes to everyone.
Stay safe,
Misty
Posted by: Misty on 5/28/2018 at 11:08 pm
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