Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Enjoy Fresh Snow and a Rest Day

June 30, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

June 30, 2015 5:46pm PST Today's wake-up call was a quiet and windless fall of about six inches of light powder snow. It was our planned rest day, after five busy days getting on and up the approaches to Denali, so there wasn't any early morning angst as to whether the snow would keep us from our goals for the day. Today, those goals included a breakfast of bagels and smoked salmon in the POSH tent and a session of digging out camp as the snow continued to fall. We eventually climbed back in the tents for naps and reading. A few teams came down the mountain today, resting near our camp as they prepared to march on toward the airstrip in the snowstorm. We'll hope to move uphill tomorrow and we'll be ready for that, but of course we'll pay attention to the weather and see what it allows. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn and Team

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doing a great job HAHN team, pulling for all of you. glad you reached 14,000. I want to say Hello to my grandson Jm

Posted by: Floyd Tirey on 7/7/2015 at 10:51 am

Finally I am learning to use this computer. We are praying every inch of the way for you and your team mates and guide. Remember the story, Foot Prints in the Sand. Well, It’s Foot Prints in the Snow, for each one of you. We are sending our hugs and lots of love to you, our son, GLR.

Posted by: Dad & Mom Ross on 7/2/2015 at 2:47 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Cache Gear at 13,500’

June 30, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Monday June 29th 10:20 pm PT We had a short break from the cloud and snow this morning. When we got out of the tents, there were actually views to be had in most directions and blue skies above. Being at 11,000 ft, it was slightly colder than what we've experienced so far, but a hot breakfast took care of the chills and got us ready for our carry. We set out for "Motorcycle Hill" at 9:30. It was good to be in crampons and carrying ice axes after days of snowshoes and ski poles. An hour put us in the middle of "Squirrel Hill" with great views of Denali's Northwest Buttress and the Peter's Glacier. It began to cloud up as we reached the "Polo Field" off the end of the giant granite towers of the West Buttress. By Windy Corner we were in light snow, but close to our destination. We dug a deep and raven-proof pit in the snow at 13,500 ft in which to cache the food and fuel we were carrying. It was an easy climb down with light packs and we walked out of the snow showers and into sunny and warm camp at 11K again by 4:30 PM. We'll hope for a comfortable night of sleep tonight as we've followed the "climb high, sleep low" rule of acclimatization to altitude. Tomorrow will be a rest day, as part of that same plan. Kryz wishes his dad a happy birthday from Mount McKinley. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Go Rhonda!!! Looks like fun. keep up the good work, you and the team are truly an inspiration.
Sue Mamer

Posted by: Sue Mamer on 6/30/2015 at 10:39 am

All is well in CT! Enjoy the rest day!

Posted by: Sharon on 6/30/2015 at 9:58 am

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Peru Seminar: Team Acclimates on Hills Surrounding Huaraz

June 30, 2015

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Robby Young

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar

Elevation: 11,500'

Greetings all, Today was one of those beautiful bluebird days in Huaraz where the views of the surrounding 20,000ft peaks are especially stunning. Our team took advantage of the perfect weather and made an acclimatization hike up into the hills above our hotel, to about 11,500', in preparation of our move to 14,000' base camp in the Ishinca Valley tomorrow. Views from the top gave us a great birds eye view of the city of Huaraz and the surrounding peaks. After the hike, we treated ourselves to a pizza lunch at El Horno, a local favorite located near the Casa de Guias, in the climbing center of Huaraz. After a packing session and a casual dinner, we're prepped and ready for our move into the Ishinca Valley first thing tomorrow. Thanks for following and we'll be in touch from base camp tomorrow! Best, RMI Guides Robby Young, Elias de Andres Martos, and Team

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Summit Climb Teams on the Summit!

June 30, 2015

Posted by: Seth Waterfall, Walter Hailes

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guides Seth Waterfall and Walter Hailes led their Four Day Summit Climb Teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Both teams began their descent from the crater rim shortly after 7 am. Seth reported clear skies, very little wind and warm temperatures. Climbers will return to Camp Muir to rest and repack before continuing their descent down the Muir Snowfield and to Paradise later this afternoon. Congratulations to today's Summit Climbs team!

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A summit of Rainier, a mountain that seems to taunt me almost daily living in Seattle, has always been a goal. Thanks so much for safely guiding us to the top, Walter, Megan and Nick! You all are an impressive crew.

-Josh

Posted by: Joshua Trujillo on 7/2/2015 at 5:05 pm

Thank you, Walter, Megan, and Nick for helping me complete my fatherly goal of riding the Seattle to Portland bike ride and climbing Mt. Rainier with each of my three kids, Brendan, Patrick, and Brigit!

Posted by: Allen Miller on 7/1/2015 at 6:59 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 17,000’

June 29, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,200'

June 29, 2015 5:20 pm PST Hey there, it's Billy checking in from Camp 5 on Denali at over 17,000 ft. Our crew made the move today. We got up super early this morning and made great time moving up the West Buttress. We're settled in now at High Camp. We spent some time, improving one of the campsites and building some walls. And now everybody's snug up in their sleeping bag hanging out in their tents. We're sort of chilling and filling with food and water. We are hoping for a good patch of weather in the next few days so we can maybe take a crack at the summit. Yeah, that's all for now. Everyone is psyched and doing extremely well. We will check in again tomorrow and let you know what happens. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

RMI Guide Billy Nugent calls in from Camp 5 on Denali.

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Hope you summited today. You’ve been in my thoughts all day

Posted by: Stacey on 6/30/2015 at 12:39 pm

Incredible progress - keep it up!!! Hopefully the “Jim jokes” (ask him to tell you the joke about the bell ringer) aren’t ruining everyone’s time up there. Looking forward to updates from the summit…

Posted by: Jessica LaTorre on 6/30/2015 at 12:10 pm

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Peru Seminar: Elias, Robby and the Team Arrive in Huaraz

June 29, 2015

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Robby Young

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar

Greetings from Huaraz! We have arrived to the Andean capital of climbing after our standard eight-hour bus ride from Lima. Everyone is doing great and growing in excitement to get into the range soon. The highlight of the day was to see the Cordillera Blanca as clear as it could be from about two hours out, on a strategic bus stop; a few gasps of amazement were audible. Tomorrow we'll start our acclimatization process with a morning hike on the surrounding hills, to be continued by a packing session before hitting the trails for good the next morning. That's it for now from Huaraz, RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Settled into 11K Camp for an Extended Stay

June 29, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Sunday June 28th 10:22 pm PT Once again, the weather was a little sloppy in the early hours, so we didn't get out of the tents until the civilized hour of 7AM. It was still pretty well socked in at 9,500 ft as we ate breakfast, but things seemed workable for moving up. We were on the go by 10:00 and in our new camp at 11,000 ft by 1PM. The clouds cleared from time to time, giving us some great views of the end of the West Buttress. Luckily, clouds hung in there enough to keep the sun off the final steeper hills into camp. We dug in and got settled in our new home. It is a relief, after building four camps in four days, to know that we'll get to stay in this one for a few days. The afternoon and evening were spent resting and sorting food and gear. If possible, we'll do a carry to 13,500 ft tomorrow. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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It sure is refreshing to think of snow in the heat and humidity of DC. If you get chilly along the way just think of us to warm up. What do you folks do for fun while chilling at 11,000 after the day’s work is done? Peter, if you forget to plant that Swiss flag at the top and take a picture of it, plant it in an olive in a martini when you’re down safe. Cheers to all, Charlie

Posted by: Charlie Thomas on 6/30/2015 at 7:14 am

Kenny Cornett- good luck! Get to the top and be safe! Love ya- Rhonda, John, Meriden, and Morgan

Posted by: Rhonda roberts on 6/29/2015 at 8:31 pm

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Mt. Rainier: Four & Five Day Teams Unable to Summit

June 29, 2015

Posted by: JJ Justman, Tyler Jones

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 10,060'

The lightning storm prevented the Four and Five Day Summit Climb teams from reaching the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. RMI Guide JJ Justman reported that the teams turned at 11,400' to seek shelter at Camp Muir. Their plan is to descend from Camp Muir around 8:30 am PST. We look forward to seeing the teams at Rainier BaseCamp later this morning.

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I was watching the blinking light up on the mountain hoping every one would make it back to climb another day. I had gone to the mountain in hopes to capture lightning on film, but it was touching down very close and chickened out. I was at the snow lake trailhead and I think the car parked 40 feet away got hit. What a show!

Posted by: Brian on 6/29/2015 at 8:42 pm

Hey guys, I woke up about 12:30 to the sound of thunder at the Bunkhouse. I sat on the picnic table and watched the light show while hoping you would still make it and that you were all safe. Sorry you had to turn back.

Posted by: kelly gaddis on 6/29/2015 at 1:26 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Take a Rest Day

June 28, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

June 28, 2015 5:18pm PST Resting here at 14 after a big day yesterday. Clouds and sunshine are in and out along with the occasional bout of flurries. Nothing major to report. Now that we are poised and ready we are just playing a chess match against the weather. Hoping to get that window that will take us to the summit... RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team

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I love you! You got this, Uncle Yeti. :)

Posted by: Morgan Deanenne on 6/29/2015 at 7:11 pm

Thoughts are with you as you push for High Camp…go team.

Doug - “A world without dragons is a world not worth living in.” ― R.A. Salvatore, Streams of Silver

Stay safe - move with grace.
~Belladonna

Posted by: Belladonna on 6/29/2015 at 2:04 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Back In Talkeetna

June 28, 2015

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Pepper Dee

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Sunday, June 28, 2015 - 10:15 am PT It was touch and go at base camp. We woke up to clouds and some very wet snow. As expected, as soon as we started to fire up the stoves to make breakfast and hot drinks, the skies started to open just a bit. I still didn't think that the weather was flight worthy, but I was glad that the pilots did. We were told that we had 20 minutes to be packed and ready because the planes were already approaching. We were ready in 10! We got the first half of our team onto a plane and off the glacier before the weather started to sock back in. We had to wait for the first plane to go back to Talkeetna, drop off our first group of climbers, and then return. Luckily the weather cleared back up a bit and we squeaked out the rest of the climbers for the amazing flight back to the world of great food and pillows. After a couple of great meals and a series of showers, the now legendary "El Siete" crew is fresh, semi-recovered, and ready to be reintroduced into society. Thank you to the group for being such a great team and for all of the families and friends that have supported us. RMI 7 "El Siete"

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I want to say, once again, to Mike Haugen about these daily posts and pictures: it has meant so much to the families of these fine climbers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Posted by: Chris on 6/28/2015 at 6:06 pm

Whoopee! So glad to have you off the mountain safe and secure at last. Doug is that you standing to the left? I can see everyone is proud and delighted to have had this grand adventure.

Posted by: Chris on 6/28/2015 at 6:03 pm

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Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Enjoy Fresh Snow and a Rest Day

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Cache Gear at 13,500’

On The Map

Peru Seminar: Team Acclimates on Hills Surrounding Huaraz

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Summit Climb Teams on the Summit!

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 17,000’

On The Map

Peru Seminar: Elias, Robby and the Team Arrive in Huaraz

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Settled into 11K Camp for an Extended Stay

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: Four & Five Day Teams Unable to Summit

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Take a Rest Day

Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Back In Talkeetna

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