Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Justin and I had a great trip in Boston Basin. We summited shark fin tower via se ridge then traversed the Boston Glacier to the North Ridge of Forbidden, camped there and ascended forbidden via North West face. We descended the West Ridge, camped at the high bivy, then climbed the South Ridge of Aguille De. Awesome adventure!
RMI Guide Zeb Blais
Posted by: Steve Gately, Gloria Roe, Taylor Bickford
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,127'
RMI Guide Steve Gately called in from the Summit of Mt. Shuksan. The team reached the summit via the Fisher Chimneys route. The team climb strong and efficiently making it possible climb the summit pyramid in 45 minutes. The weather was clear, but smoke from wildfires did fill the air. The team is on their descent and headed back to their high camp where they will spend the evening, tomorrow they will trek out returning to Glacier, WA.
Congratulations to today's team!
Posted by: Mike King, Hannah McGowan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Mike King and Hannah McGowan reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team started their climb in the clouds, but these quickly subsided to provide clear skies and a beautiful views from the top. The team has started their descent and will be returning to Rainier Basecamp early this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's team!
Congratualtions! So happy you all made it. I’m sure you had the most amazing view this morning. I’m so proud of you, Adam!
Posted by: Sarah May on 7/28/2018 at 9:05 am
Congrats on the memorial climb and summit! I’m really proud of the team and guides. Mike King is a certified badass! Adam and Garth, another notch. Booya!
Posted by: Parker Ayers on 7/28/2018 at 8:37 am
The clouds stayed with us through much of the night at Machame Camp, but it was a treat to wake to clearing skies and our first views of Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s central peak- rising to impossible heights in the distance. We set out at 8 AM on a steeper and rockier track than yesterday’s trail. It was as if we were on an endless staircase through a forest of giant heather. We could see a layer of cloud a thousand feet below us, stretching to the horizons, and there was some cloud up near the top of Kibo, but we were in the clear for big chunks of our journey. Our climb ended up being along the spine of a ridge radiating out -like a spoke in a wheel- from the central peak. We began a leftward traverse toward the Shira Plateau when the clouds caught up with us, making things a bit murky, but not as damp as our cloud-walking yesterday. At 12,000 feet, we began to pick out the giant senecios and lobelias endemic to Kilimanjaro and we got used to the large white-necked ravens performing crazy aerial maneuvers and waddling around on the ground to scavenge for food. By 1 PM we walked into our new camp at Shira at 12,500 ft and quickly got settled. Most enjoyed a good afternoon nap following lunch, but we all came out to watch the sunset and moonrise before dinner. Luckily the clouds faded away again and we could easily pick out Venus, Jupiter and Mars in the brilliant sky. Kibo was lit up magically by the moonlight. Word is that a lunar eclipse will occur between 2AM and 4AM tonight and several of the team vowed to take advantage of their lingering jet lag to get up and witness such a thing in this memorable setting.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Keeping my daughter and her husband (Heather & Brian) as all the team and guide in my thoughts and prayers daily! Safe journey as you continue in your assent !
Posted by: Jean (Mom) Lebo on 7/27/2018 at 2:33 pm
Sounds pretty fabulous!!
Be safe !❤️
Love Aunt Vicki and Nana
Posted by: Aunt Vicki on 7/27/2018 at 1:04 pm
The Four Day Summit Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Andy Bond reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Casey reported clear skies with very light winds and a fantastic climbing route. The team has started their descent and are en-route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team!
Big congrats to the team and Colin, Hunter , Russell and Brian !
Posted by: Tom Fraser on 7/27/2018 at 3:05 pm
Congratulations!! So excited that weather was good and you all made it! Beer waiting for you in Hawaii
Posted by: Gabi on 7/27/2018 at 10:40 am
The clouds were right down on top of us again as we started the day at the Arumeru River Lodge. We were ready to go soon after breakfast and so we set sail at 8:15 in the bus with a collection of duffel bags strapped to the roof.
The hustle and bustle out on the highway was continually interesting to us as a window into Tanzanian life. We studied the crops in the fields, the shops at roadside, the signs and vehicles and the people. This partially compensated for our inability to see Kilimanjaro in the distance. After nearly two hours we reached the busy Machame Gate to the National Park at 6000 feet. After an hour in a chaotic mix of climbers, porters, buses, trucks, monkeys and backpacks, we set out walking with our local guides. John, Eric, Philip and Philbret led us up a path in the thick rainforest. By this point we were in the clouds and things were just barely drizzly enough to justify wearing rain jackets. The trail was a little greasy, but nobody slipped or tripped as we steadily gained elevation. We marveled at the giant camphor trees, decorated with vines and hanging moss. In six hours, we saw a few birds, but no other animals as we transitioned to a different type of forest in the “heather and mooreland zone”. At 10,000 feet we came into camp and were happy to see that our incredible staff had tents in place and all ready for us to move into. We retired to the dining tent for delicious food, some adventure stories and a little bragging about past trips... and of course some scheming as to a plan for the present trip. We look forward to a well-earned rest tonight.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The Mt. Rainier Kautz Seminar, led by Kel Rossiter, reached the summit with his entire team in tow! They will stay one more night on the mountain before continuing their descent back to Paradise tomorrow.
I’m so proud of y’all!! Well done
Posted by: Austin Savoy on 7/27/2018 at 4:34 am
Posted by: Christina Dale, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,700'
The Four Day Summit Climb July 23 - 26 led by RMI Guides Christina Dale and JM Gorum, were turned around today at 12,700' due to route conditions. The teams are currently en route to Camp Muir. They will continue their descent and arrive at Paradise this afternoon.
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
The team met after breakfast for an introduction and strategy session. We discussed short and long term plans for climbing the mountain, gear and clothing needs, timing and itineraries and finally, the staffing by our outfitter, Barking Zebra Tours. The climbers then endured a rigorous, detailed and demanding equipment check by their lead guide before a lunch out on the covered patio of our dining room. Clouds were right down low and drizzly for most of the day, obscuring any views of Kilimanjaro and Meru -the two big and prominent volcanoes in the neighborhood. We focused on the scenery closer at hand -the immaculate and lush gardens of the hotel grounds. We watched and listened to exotic birds, monkeys and a small herd of Dik Diks roaming the grass and chewing the shrubs. The afternoon plan was a bit easier once things were packed and duffel bags were labeled and weighed. We simply relaxed and tried to recover from so much travel and the many time zones crossed in the process. We got together for dinner outside again, with most opting for a sweater or two since things were a little chilly (it being mid-winter, naturally). We’ve got plans for setting out early tomorrow and for getting started on the mountain of our dreams.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
The Five Day Summit Climb July 21 - 25 enjoyed two nights on the mountain before making their summit attempt today. RMI Guide Jess Matthews and team reached the summit this morning under clear skies and warm temperatures. The team will return to Camp Muir, pack up their camp and continue their descent to Paradise.
Congratulations Climbers!
Congrats Kent, your climbing team and the guides. Awesome pics. Enjoy your birthday on the.mountain as this is a once in a lifetime way to spend it.
Posted by: Kent's Dad on 8/1/2018 at 7:53 pm
Sounds like a dream climb. Hi Glo of my life!
Mom
Posted by: Michelle on 7/29/2018 at 10:57 am
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