Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Posted by: Zeb Blais, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 18,143'
After a couple rainy nights, we weren't sure what hand the weather gods would deal us this morning for our Ishinca summit push. When the alarm rang, we zipped open the tent door. We were elated to see blackness punctuated only with gleaming stars - not a cloud in the sky!
Our team got ready after an incredible breakfast of pancakes with banana compote and started walking under a blanket of stars. As we approached the glacier, sunlight illuminated Ranrapalca, the biggest peak to our south.
We transitioned to crampons and tackled the Penitenteied glacier. After an hour of weaving through the rough surface, the snow smoothed out and got steeper on the summit pyramid. The climbing was great and our team navigated the steep final pitch and large crevasse to gain the summit.
The entire team made it in good style! The weather held out all the way back to camp too! Everyone is looking forward to a well deserved rest day tomorrow.
RMI Guides Zeb Blais, Chase Nelson and team
All agreed that it was a pleasure to wake this morning in the garden-like Barranco Valley. The clouds, which had overtaken camp yesterday evening, had dropped far below by daybreak. When the sun hit, mid-breakfast, and our dining tent began to rain down condensation, our alert and resourceful staff simply picked the whole tent up and moved it as we sat buttering toast. We were left at our table for an unexpected but quite pleasant picnic in the great outdoors. The team's eyeballs kept wandering over to the shadowy Barranco Wall and the stream of several hundred porters working up its ledges and paths. We joined the snakelike line and got our hands on the rock only to discover that the wall was pretty fun climbing. We went up about nine hundred vertical feet over a fairly short distance. At the top of the wall, we celebrated with a rest break, along with about a dozen other teams of happy trekkers. Then it was back to business as clouds had formed up again. We traversed a few valleys without great difficulty and then we could see Karanga Camp perched on the opposite side of one last steep-sided gorge. We dropped down through a forest of heather and rest-stepped right back up the other side, making it into camp in early afternoon with the march having taken just under four hours. Miraculously, our staff had once again managed to have a perfectly constructed camp up and ready for us. Within moments they invited us to lunch -spaghetti with red sauce- which all enjoyed. We spent a pleasant and quiet afternoon reading, napping, eating and drinking as clouds came and went. We occasionally got full and majestic views of Kibo's icy flanks hiding up in the cumulus. It is all starting to seem a bit more familiar and accessible. We'll be up there soon.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Jason & Jasna what a grand adventure. Have fun & b safe!!! Love, Dad & B
Posted by: Lee Pittman on 8/12/2016 at 4:45 pm
Wow. You guys are amazing!!! Have fun and come home safe!!! Love
Posted by: Jane zielinski on 8/12/2016 at 3:09 pm
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Elevation: 15,200'
We have settled in to high camp at Lenz Rocks after a beautiful day of climbing. Warm sun, and a cloudless sky at breakfast let us dally a bit longer than had been our want, and then we set to packing up camp, paring down our gear to the essentials, and getting ready to climb to 15,000'. The climbing is very smooth, mostly walking straight up a broad shoulder of the glacier, and everyone performed well. The scale here is pretty large, and difficult to get a grasp on, and it was quickly apparent that it was better to focus on one's steps than looking up, as things took much longer to approach than it seemed like they should.
With camp built, we're headed to bed early in anticipation of an earlyish start for the summit tomorrow. With any luck, we'll be calling in from the summit tomorrow!
Dobrye din,
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum, and team
On The Map
Congratulations all on reaching the summit! Wonderful news.
Gayle
Posted by: Gayle Hitton on 8/13/2016 at 6:06 pm
Posted by: Mike Walter, Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Summit! The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams, led by Mike Walter and Steve Gately, began their descent at 8:00 a.m. With such nice weather, the teams were able to spend over an hour on the summit, crossing the crater and enjoying the views with no clouds in sight. This afternoon we look forward to congratulating the teams this afternoon here in Ashford at Rainier Basecamp!
Congratulations Vanessa & Charity!
Posted by: Heather Kimling on 8/12/2016 at 5:06 pm
Vanessa and Charity - what amazing ladies! All the hard work pays off and you have memories for life. Congratulations!!!
Posted by: Barbara Libner on 8/12/2016 at 10:15 am
Seth Waterfall led his seminar team up the Kautz Route and is descending via the Disappointment Cleaver Route. At 7:05 a.m. the team was at 13,600' headed to Camp Muir. Seth reported totally clear skies and calm winds.
Congratulations to the Kautz Seminar!
Any navigation issues on the upper Kautz?
Posted by: Jared on 8/13/2016 at 11:29 am
We are back safely at the Barrels after 100% of our climbers reached the Mt. Elbrus summit! Three of us even summited both peaks. Perfect weather!
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
RMI Guide Billy Nugent calls in from the Mt. Elbrus summit.
Posted by: Zeb Blais, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 16,000'
Today we trained on the glacier at over 16,000ft below Ishinca Peak. The team enjoyed the day and it was great for our acclimatization and movement skills. The glaciers are very dry at the moment which made for excellent practice with our crampons.
We just got back to camp and were treated to cheese stuffed fried bread with fresh guacamole. Our cook, Helario, is earning his keep and then some! We're resting, digesting and hydrating before an early dinner. Tomorrow we're gunning for the summit of Ishinca .
We'll check back after we return.
RMI Guides Zeb Blais, Chase Nelson and team
I’ve loved reading the posts. Wishing you all the best as you make the climb to Ishinca’s summit. Can’t wait to hear how it went!
Posted by: Bonnie Bergey on 8/11/2016 at 6:22 pm
Hello all,
Just checking in from our camp at over 12,000ft in the barrels here on Elbrus. We had a mellow day resting up before our summit attempt tomorrow morning that we used to brush up on some crampon techniques and run through an ice axe arrest refresher. The weather has been funky for the last 24 hours with everything from snow and rain, thunder and lightning, to sunshine and blue sky. The forecast for tomorrow is good so our fingers are crossed. Not much else to report, headed to bed early for our early wake up.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
On The Map
Hi Sue & Team!
Hoping for good weather on your climb to the summit tomorrow! Have fun!
Laura & the gang back home!
Posted by: Laura Thompson on 8/11/2016 at 3:34 pm
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Elevation: 12,300'
Rain and wet snow pounding on the tent this morning told us all we needed to know about the wisdom of moving uphill today. With folks recovering from our united GI distress, another day to rest up and be ready for the move was in order. The clouds gave us a break finally, and most of the day was very pleasant, though the moving snow and lenticulars told a different story above. By this evening everyone was excited to be feeling good again, and we are well prepped for a move to our high camp at Lenz Rocks tomorrow.
We'll be in touch soon,
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum, and team
Go Go Pete + crew…GI distress ~ Hmm: Sounds familar!
Posted by: Walter Glover on 8/12/2016 at 5:49 am
Things were a little breezy at Shira Camp this morning and it looked like it was nuking up on the crater rim of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's main peak. Our team had enjoyed the sunset at Shira, and the stars in the clear night sky, so a little wind didn't keep anybody from loving the sunrise as well. Our packs were on and we were walking straight toward Kibo by 8:20. As compensation for the breezes, we were granted sparkly blue skies above and a bright white sea of clouds below.
We gained altitude steadily as today's walking was much easier than yesterday's rock hopping. In just a couple of hours we were up over 14,500 ft and breaking everybody's previous personal altitude records. We kept right at it, cresting at 15,200 ft beside the "Lava Tower" at noon. By this point we were right up under the glaciers and giant walls of Kibo. We'd climbed right out of the Moorland Zone of vegetation and into the Highland Desert Zone. The team had no troubles coming down the steep trails beyond the Lava Tower and so we got rid of about two thousand vertical feet on our voyage down into the exotic vegetation of the Barranco Valley. We checked out the Lobelias and the Giant Senecios as we went. It seemed the perfect afternoon for taking in a thousand new sights, from waterfalls to dark caves in the Lava and Basalt. Our new camp was already built and waiting for us just on the edge of the cloud sea and we were again amazed at the strength and speed of our loc al staff. Now we are settled in at 13,000 ft below the intimidating Barranco Wall... but the wall can wait until tomorrow. Tonight we'll watch the light change on Kibo's glaciers, rock walls, icicles and towers.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
I can’t imagine what beauty you are seeing! If the skies are clear I bet the stars are amazing! Look forward to hearing all about it!
Posted by: Pam Bethea on 8/11/2016 at 9:03 pm
Congrats on the safe summit! Looks like the weather cooperated and was a great view! Enjoy! Eli
Posted by: Eli Zygmuntowicz on 8/13/2016 at 7:54 pm
The starlit dome must have been amazing. Vicariously enjoying your expedition pictures.Love and strength to all…Phil and Laurie Brandau
Posted by: phil brandau on 8/13/2016 at 11:01 am
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