Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Elevation: 11,200'

Monday, May 21, 2018 - 11:51 PM PT Our upward progress on Denali continues, this time moving camp up to 11,200'. Snow and weather conditions were near perfect with scattered clouds, a few snow flakes, and a light breeze to keep us cool. Now that we've established a nice camp here, our plan is to go back to 10,000' tomorrow to pick up our cache of supplies; this will set us up for moving up onto the upper mountain. Everyone is doing well and we're hoping the good weather continues. RMI Guide Mike Walter

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Dave and Shane….. you guys are so close now. Great progress and great weather is seems.

May the Sun shine for you each day and the winds blow gentle.

Love,

Dad

Posted by: George Head on 5/31/2018 at 11:33 am

Alex and Tom we are so proud of you. Keep up the incredible work and wishing you all the best :-)
Love Amy & Phil

Posted by: Amy and Phil on 5/24/2018 at 12:17 pm

Denali Expedition: Walter and Team Carry Supplies to 10,200

May 21, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter

Elevation: 7,800'

Sunday, May 20, 2018 - 11:56 PM PT The weather forecast for today was for 70% chance of snow. And, while I guess they got it right, we only saw light flurries for about an hour. The rest of the day was scattered clouds with great views of the Alaska Range. At times the sun was so strong that the heat was stifling. That didn't stop our team from having a successful carry day, bringing supplies up to ~10,200'. Now we have returned to our camp at the base of Ski Hill (7800') for the night. Tomorrow, if the weather allows we plan to move camp higher, to 11,200. We'll keep you posted. RMI Guide Mike Walter

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Joseph, it has become my morning routine to look at the updates and it’s so exciting to see the pictures and read about the progress you guys are making. I hope you’re having a blast. Be safe!

p.s. Hope you didn’t forget the matches :)

Posted by: Attila Incze on 5/21/2018 at 7:45 pm

Hey Alex and Tom-

Glad to hear you are on the mountain!! I’ve been riding Tom’s new bike every day…. just kidding! On a serious note, I plan to take your recycling out tonight…. so you can sleep well knowing that its taken care of!

Good luck… safe journey!

Neil

Posted by: Neil on 5/21/2018 at 3:50 pm

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Summit Climbs Reach The Summit

May 21, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Christina Dale

Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Christina Dale led their teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Dave reported a perfect day on the mountain. Both teams saw 100% of their climbers reach the top today. They will spend some time enjoying the views then begin their descent to Camp Muir and continue down to Paradise. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!

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Esooooooo!!!!!! Felicidades Kenji, Ronald y Tony!!!!
Mi esposo superheroe, sumamente orgullosa de ti! Mientras mas grande el reto, mas grande te haces!!! TE AMAMOS!! - Gaby, Kensuke y Seina

Posted by: Gabriela on 5/21/2018 at 5:00 pm

Wooohoo!!!! Congrats Maria and Joyce!

Posted by: Robin on 5/21/2018 at 11:22 am

Denali: Walter & Team Set Up Camp at the Base of Ski Hill

May 20, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Elevation: 7,800'

Sunday, May 20, 2018 - 1:12 a.m. PDT The squirrely weather persists on Denali. It snowed all night last night, but fortunately we only picked up 4 inches or so. We woke up to more snow, wind, and very limited visibility. After breakfast we slowly started to pack up camp, hoping the weather would improve. Around noon the weather finally improved so we packed up our tents and rigged up our ropes. By the time we were ready to walk, the weather was back its former, stormy self. We decided to give it a try and if conditions worsened we would make camp down on the Kahiltna Glacier and at least make some progress on the mountain. It was a good call because we made it all the way to Camp 2, at the base of Ski Hill (7,800'). We were in a ping pong ball most of the day -- navigating using the wands marking the route, faint traces of other parties' tracks, GPS, and a little Braille (well, maybe not Braille). Our navigation techniques worked and we cruised into camp in 5 hours flat! Tomorrow the plan is to carry and cache supplies higher on the route and then return to our current camp. This will make for lighter loads when we move camp later this week and will help our acclimatization process. RMI Guide Mike Walter and team

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Thinking about you Alex, Tom, and team. So happy to hear you are safe and making progress, thx for the updates!

Posted by: Sarah Flynn on 5/21/2018 at 7:22 am

Nice action photo, Thank you! Glad to learn that Team Water is now underway. My best wishes to the entire team, and a special Hello to Tom M -you’re all in my thoughts.
Stay safe, stay strong & thrive.

Posted by: Jacquie on 5/21/2018 at 12:26 am

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Climb reaches the top!

May 20, 2018

Posted by: Brent Okita, Bryan Mazaika

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Bryan Mazaika reached the summit just before 7:30 am. Brent reported 10-15 mph winds and partly sunny conditions on the summit. The teams spent an hour on the summit before starting their descent. We look forward to seeing them back in Ashford this afternoon. Congratulations climbers!

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Proud of the entire team for making it to the summit! One of the hardest physical and mental challenges but had a blast! Thanks, Bryan, for successfully leading us to the top!

Posted by: Matt Keller on 5/25/2018 at 12:05 pm

Way to climb , Justin, so glad you had this amazing experience! Can hardly wait to see your photos and see you on level ground. Love, grandpa and grandpa

Posted by: John and jeri simonson on 5/24/2018 at 10:39 am

Mt. Rainier: May 19th Teams on the Summit!

May 19, 2018

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Andy Bond

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climb Team led by RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Andy Bond reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Andy reported clear skies, cold temperatures and great route conditions. The team will spend some time on the Summit before starting their descent. Congratulations to today's team!

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So proud of you babe! Can’t wait to hear about it and see the pictures! Love you Logan!

Posted by: Kaitlyn Hugmeyer on 5/20/2018 at 8:45 am

Congratulations Kevin! Well done! Can’t wait to hear the story

Posted by: Jan and brian on 5/20/2018 at 7:14 am

Denali: Walter & Team have landed at Base Camp!

May 19, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Elevation: 7,300'

The weather cleared up just long enough for K2 Aviation to fly our team to Base Camp in two de Haviland Otter airplanes. The window didn't last long and soon it socked in and began to lightly snow. We set up camp and lounged around for the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow the plan is to pack up and move camp to the base of Ski Hill. Cheers, RMI Guide Mike Walter & Team

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That is one Helluva “Ski Hill” . My wife JoAnn and I overnighted in Talkeetna with K2 Aviation and took a flight up to Denali over the dramatically crevassed glaciers in 1993. JoAnn then went back as a Cruise ship excursion in 2000 with her three sisters. Looking up is as close to climbing in Ice and snow as I want to be, although I summitted Mt Whitney in 1986 on Father’s Day ant took a photo with a banner I had made saying “Happy Fathers Day” to give to my father. I piloted a Cessna 172 from Torrence, CA with two other “Climbers” for that “Attempt”. We had tried in May, a month before, but were chased off the mountain after one night in a tent by a major snowstorm. Hopefully you get good weather so you can have views up there. We all look forward to more from you.

Posted by: Paul Claeyssens on 5/20/2018 at 6:02 am

Go for it and be safe.

Posted by: Garland Dobson (PAPPY) on 5/19/2018 at 3:44 pm

Denali: Walter & Team Partake in a Trial Run

May 17, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska

Elevation: 348'

The weather in Alaska is still unsettled, and our team remains on standby for clearing skies and a chance to fly into the Alaska Range. The weather improved for a bit this morning and we packed up the planes, two de Havilland Otters, donned our climbing clothes and boots, and loaded up the planes. But before we even got going, we received word that the weather shut down and snow had returned to Base Camp. So now we are back to the Talkeetna hang as we wait for conditions to improve. We are all eager to start this expedition, but we realize that patience is imperative, as the weather is out of our control. This patience with the weather will be important to maintain throughout this entire trip; I'll bet we see more of it over the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted if we get to fly this afternoon and, if not, then we'll play the game again tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Walter

Mt. Rainier: Expeditions Skill Seminar Reaches the Summit

May 17, 2018

Posted by: Eric Frank, Jenny Konway

Elevation: 14,410'

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir May 13 - 18 led by RMI Guides Eric Frank and Jenny Konway reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team reported beautiful clear skies and great climbing conditions on their summit attempt this morning. The team ascended to Camp Muir on Monday and has spent the week with training and instruction near Camp Muir. They will return to Camp Muir for their final night on the mountain. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp tomorrow. Congratulations to all the climbers!

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Sammy sends all her love and wants to be there with you.

Posted by: alice on 5/17/2018 at 10:34 am

WooHoo! Congratulations Jay! Enjoy that view and never forget it!

Posted by: Cory Prykull on 5/17/2018 at 8:27 am

Mike Walter & Team Kick Off the RMI Denali Season!

May 16, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska

Elevation: 348'

We are kicking off RMI’s 2018 Denali climbing season. Our team met in Anchorage on Monday afternoon and traveled north to the small town of Talkeetna. Yesterday was a busy day of packing gear and preparing for our expedition, including a trip to the National Park Service to register our group and have a pre-trip orientation. With our bags packed and weighed for loading onto the glacier planes, we’re all set for our adventure. Currently there is some stormy weather that is not allowing airplanes to access the Alaska Range, so we’re in a holding pattern until we get a clearing. We will keep you up to speed with the team’s status. RMI Guide Mike Walter

On The Map

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Wishing Dave, Shane, and the rest of the team a fun and safe trip!

Josh and Chance

Posted by: Josh and Chance on 5/19/2018 at 4:46 pm

David and Shane…We wish you all an amazing and safe venture!! Stay safe. We can’t wait to hear all about it!! Love you to pieces.. Ken and Dean

Posted by: Dean and Ken on 5/18/2018 at 7:30 pm