The summit climb teams reported 100% to the top today! They climbed into a cap with 25 – 30 mph winds, but otherwise conditions were not too bad according to Lead Guide Mike Haugen. The teams will spend a bit of time on the summit today and head back down to Camp Muir shortly.
Congratulations to today’s teams!
Today the team awoke to a gorgeous sunrise in the mountains. Typically the weather can be sunny in the morning and then the clouds engulf the surrounding mountains including Elbrus. However, today the mountain has been out in all its glory.
After an early breakfast we threw the rucksacks over our shoulders, strapped crampons to our boots and we went for a four-hour acclimatization hike. We made it to 15,000 feet and enjoyed the views as they only got prettier the higher we went.
We are back at camp, after a nice lunch (Albina makes the tastiest soups) we are resting in our hut. As a matter of fact, I hear the movie Dumb & Dumber playing on someone's iPad. Gotta go...
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Hello All,
We have just finished a fun dinner after returning to Timika late this afternoon. Admittedly though, the dinner, as delicious as it was, paled in comparison to a shower after all these days in the humid & muddy jungle!
This trip has been demanding in so many ways that the whole adventure is just that much sweeter now that it has ended. Mark Tucker and I are off to Bali for a day of body surfing (oh how I hate my job!) and then back to the U.S.
Thanks for following along.
All the best,
RMI Guide Alex Van Steen
Mark Tucker, good to hear that you’ve completed the summit list! I can recall hearing you talk about Aconcagua and my daughter, Erin, still has the small chip from the biggest “hill”, from when we lived next to you on Dagny Circle. Congrats! I’ll complete my seventh continent, and 110th country, in March 2013! Les.
Posted by: Leslie Kelly on 7/13/2012 at 7:19 pm
McGahan clan… congrats to all of you! Sooo proud! I can’t wait to hear all about it! Love y’al, Coach/Mrs. Eubanks
P.S. Katie… Are you keeping your backpack as neat as your PE Locker???? :)
Our first night at 14 camp went well. Not that folks didn't notice the altitude and the cold here in Genet Basin, but everybody showed up for bacon and bagels breakfast in a reasonably cheerful state. We didn't get up early, since it takes the sun until about 9:30 AM to get far enough around Denali's South Peak to shine on us. And we took our sweet time getting geared up for our "back carry" -the mission to retrieve our cache below Windy Corner from three days ago.
We left 14K at 10 minutes past noon and made fine time getting down around the corner. It was another windless day where we were, but we could see that the gang at 17 camp was catching it in the teeth. The cache was right where we'd left it and it didn't look like the ravens had even bothered trying to dig into it. We loaded up and began the slow walk back uphill over the now familiar terrain. We were back a little before 5 PM. Job done and the approach finished. Now we can focus on the climb. Via the radio, we knew that Adam Knoff and his crew were quitting high camp and descending ahead of a multi-day storm. They had our sympathy, obviously, but we looked forward to seeing them at 14. They didn't stay too long as they wanted to get down around the end of the West Buttress before the snow started falling. The evening was the calm before whatever storm we'll get though. We still had good views of Mount Foraker, across the way, but it and every other peak, was stacked high with lenticular clouds... something is coming. But we've got everything we need to deal with such things, and we are dug into our fortress at fourteen.
Best,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Sounds like you guys might be getting a nice cool breeze up there !
Hunker down & good luck on the stroll up.
Posted by: Blackie on 7/7/2012 at 3:47 pm
May the storm pass quickly and uneventfully so that you can make your way to the top soon. We miss you Cathy. Looking forward to your triumphant return :)
This is Adam calling in from 17,000’ on Denali. We woke this morning to continued snow and wind, with a major low pressure system forecast to dominate the region over the next several days. We have endured this weather at high camp since Monday and have decided to descend back to 14K camp. Even the approach route, between 14,000’ and basecamp, can be a bear to navigate in foul weather, and we need to stay strong and focused. We’ll begin our descent of the West Buttress and the infamous fixed lines to reach Advanced Base at 14,200’ where Dave Hahn’s RMI party is encamped. We’ll check in tomorrow and advise everyone of our plans and progress.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
John and crew, Stay strong! I am pulling for the weather to begin to work in your favor. You have been so patient ....hang in there! love, dee
Posted by: Deann on 7/7/2012 at 12:46 pm
Nelson, sympathy for Mother Nature at 17,000 camp. I know you toughed out cold and wind, and I hope you can recharge and warm a bit at 14,000 camp. I know you may be disappointed, but few have ever been to 17,000 on Denali. Hang in there and maybe the weather will break and reward perseverance. Love you, stay safe. Dad
The team made great time descending in near perfect snow conditions and watched the weather close in after summiting in what had been the most pleasant weather I have seen on the mountain. We lost one teammate before our summit attempt due to illness but everybody else's summit success is indebted to his superhuman cloud-bending abilities. After bailing out of the Refugio we hustled down to the van where Victor was waiting to whisk us away to Hosteria La Cienega. Cienega was apparently built sometime in the 1700's but for us it simply means a warm bed in a beautiful historic hotel with delicious meals. As far as mountaineering goes the Jose Ribas Hut is luxury but now that we are off the hill the team is really enjoying true luxury. After a fat meal, most of the gang has hit the hay trying to recuperate for a BIG celebratory dinner with the entire team tomorrow night in Quito.
Buenos nachos,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Congrats to my twin and one of my fave nephews - from 88 degree Vermont! Bet it feels good with the snow, after the 100s of Colorado. Safe Travels! (Cathy Chamberlin Foutz)
Hello from the Garabashi Hut on Mt. Elbrus (also known as the Barrels Hut).
It was an exhausting day getting up here. First we took a gondola and when we got off we had to walk 175 feet to the next gondola. After our second ride we took a single chair chairlift and that dropped us off at the hut. It was a grueling effort to finally walk up to our private barrel but we are now situated all comfy and cozy.
We had a great lunch and met our Executive Chef Albina who served up seafood salad, hot soup with crackers, cheese and salami. A surprise for me was to see Mariana, who cooked for us back in 2002. That year I brought some Peet's Coffee and a giant smile was on her face when I pulled out another bag of cafe goodness.
The team went for a short but pleasant walk uphill to get our lungs working. Now it's time to relax, drink tea and eat more good food as life at 12,000 feet couldn't be any better.
RMI Guide J.J. Justman
Hi Larry! You bet! Watch our summit video, it was a great day with a lot of fun climbing.Its nice not having to lug a giant pack around all the time. Maybe I will see you in Russia some day.
Keep Climbin’
Posted by: JJ on 7/11/2012 at 10:57 am
Do you do any climbing on this trip? This appears to be much different than Denali.
It wasn't a flawless day. There were plenty of clouds about, and it looked mean and nasty up high on the mountain, but it was certainly nice enough where we were. We left 11 camp at ten minutes past ten, ground on up motorcycle and squirrel hills in low gear and came out into the polo fields below the end of the West Buttress. Another good uphill walk took us past our cache point from the other day and into definitely-not-windy-corner. We went around the corner in perfect conditions, but all agreed it was pretty tough traversing the snowy side hill with a sled threatening to pull one off the track. It began to snow on us a bit, but by this point it was welcome as it kept us from overheating as we wound around, between and over the top of giant crevasses on the final hour into our destination. We pulled into camp at 14,200 ft at a few minutes past five, completing our biggest day yet. Temps were noticeably cooler up so high and there was a light breeze blowing through 14 camp, so we couldn't pause long enough to pat ourselves on the back or to gaze up in wonder at the West Buttress and the South Peak of Denali... we needed to get tents up and anchored down. We simultaneously got that done, a kitchen up and running to melt large quantities of snow (we were all parched), a dining area dug in and covered and a latrine in place. We are getting well practiced at high altitude, cold-camp construction.
Just as we sat down for dinner at 8 PM, it was time to turn on a radio to catch the nightly forecast for mountain weather. It isn't a terribly stable outlook, but we do hope Adam Knoff's RMI team at 17,200 ft can hang in there and get lucky.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hi Brian and team - hope everyone is feeling healthy and energized. Sounds like the days are definitely getting tougher and colder. Connor wakes up every morning and wants to look at the pictures on the blog, I think you may have a climbing partner for your next adventure. We love you and miss you.
Posted by: Robin, Tristan & Connor on 7/7/2012 at 5:30 am
Sounds like you had a long day and all did well. Continued patience and success. Inch by inch.
Enjoy and be safe.
Hey!
It’s Billy giving you a call from the summit of Cotopaxi. We are on top in beautiful weather, sunny skies and calm winds and a very happy crew. Not much else to report. We are gearing up, getting some sunscreen on, getting some food and water and preparing for our descent back to the hut. We will give you a call when we are back to the hut safe and sound.
Until then… chao,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
RMI Guide Billy Nugent calls from the summit of Cotopaxi!
Congratulations, Gail and team!! We are looking forward to seeing lots of pictures to go with your stories of this adventure! Stay safe and have fun!
Posted by: Laurie and Mark on 7/8/2012 at 5:30 pm
Congrats to the team on a successful trip! Kevin—I hope you had fantastic time!!! Please say hello to Victor and Freddie (if he’s along on this trip) for me. Safe travels back to Texas!
RMI Guides Jake Beren and Elias de Andres Martos led the Four Day Summit Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.
The team was reaching the crater rim just before 8 a.m. PT. It is a beautiful, sunny day with light to moderate winds.
The team will spend some time on top before starting their descent to Camp Muir. They will continue down to Paradise later this afternoon.
We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb!
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Mark Tucker, good to hear that you’ve completed the summit list! I can recall hearing you talk about Aconcagua and my daughter, Erin, still has the small chip from the biggest “hill”, from when we lived next to you on Dagny Circle. Congrats! I’ll complete my seventh continent, and 110th country, in March 2013! Les.
Posted by: Leslie Kelly on 7/13/2012 at 7:19 pm
McGahan clan… congrats to all of you! Sooo proud! I can’t wait to hear all about it! Love y’al, Coach/Mrs. Eubanks
P.S. Katie… Are you keeping your backpack as neat as your PE Locker???? :)
Posted by: Amy Eubanks on 7/8/2012 at 7:48 pm
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