Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,000'
Hello everyone,
This is Team Mexico calling in from the hut at Orizaba. We had a great day yesterday in Puebla, a day of rest and relaxation. We've all recovered and recuperated after our big day on Ixta. But we're here now setting up tents. There is a hut here, as I mentioned, but it's a little nicer to stay outside. We've got some great Mountain Hardware tents that we're setting up right now for the team. The weather was beautiful coming in, we were able to see Orizaba all day long. But, now we're actually in a cloud but it's one of those happy clouds that surrounded the mountain, real calm winds really non existent winds right now, and we're having some good high hopes for tomorrow. Our plan is to wake up around midnight, and start climbing right around 1:30 - 2 o'clock in the morning, and if all goes well will be getting to the top of Orizaba right around 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning, so thanks for following along. Stay tuned, because hopefully tomorrow will have some great news for you.
Take care everyone, adios from Mexico.
RMI Guide JJ Justman, Elias deAndres Martos & Team
JJ Justman and Team Calling in from High Camp on Orizaba
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
RMI Guide JJ Justman created a video of the team's Ixta summit day. Please see link below.
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 17,340'
Hey everyone, this is Team Mexico, and believe it or not! Well, you should believe because I tell what this team is you rocking and rollin'! Hey team on the summit of Ixta what do you say? "Whaoo!" Yeah, I tell you what, that says it all. The team did just a fantastic job. We are on top of Ixta 17,300+ feet! It's a beautiful day, the sun us shining, there are some low lying clouds out in the distance. You can see Orizaba which is our next objective, but the team had a good a good day to get here on top, they did a great job. We are doing a little hydrating, and taking some hero shots on the summit by the crosses here on top, and that is about it! So, Elias, myself and Ulises, our guide here in Mexico all say hello to everyone back home. Hey gang, just give a big shout out to anyone and everyone you want to say hi to back home. (Shouts & Cheers from team)
RMI Guide JJ Justman
JJ and Team checking in from the Summit of Ixta
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,400'
Hey everyone, this is Team Mexico calling in from high camp on Ixta. We are at 15,000 plus feet, about 15,400', so we have oh about a couple more thousand to go. The team here is doing really, really well. We're kinda finishing putting up the tents and guiding out the guidelines. And we're gonna start in on some hot drinks and some dinner for this evening. The weather was beautiful this morning as we climbed up here to high camp with heavy packs. Right now we're in a little bit of a cloud but there's light winds and just a little bit of precipitation. We are thinking it's gonna be one heck of a day. I don't wanna jinx us so my fingers are crossed and hopefully your fingers are crossed too for us. Because if all goes well we'll be waking up early in the morning and heading on out to the summit of Ixta at 17,300 plus feet. Again, everyone's doing really, really well and having a lot of fun. Hopefully we'll some great news, one way or another will have some great news for you, but hopefully will be giving you a call on the summit of Ixta tomorrow. Thanks for following along and look forward to another call from us tomorrow.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
On The Map
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 12,000'
Buenas tardes from refugio "Altzomoni" at the feet of Ixtaccihuatl.
We are pre-packing as we speak for our move to high camp tomorrow. After our hike up "la Malinche" yesterday, we had an easy day today; on our drive to Amecameca, (Where we bought food for Ixta climb with the highlight being fresh handmade corn tortillas.) We were able to see our objective between the clouds from the road. The skies closed up and fog reigns now at our hut.
We'll keep you posted tomorrow of our progress. Best regards from 12,000'!!!
RMI Guides JJ Justman & Elias de Andres Martos
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,636'
Hi everyone! Team Mexico finally checking in. Yesterday we had an epic day! The weather did not cooperate at all as it rained cats and dogs. However, our team toughed it out and we made the summit of La Malinche.
Today we are currently having a great breakfast and then we are off to our next objective, Ixta. Stay tuned to our progress. But for now we gotta go and dry out a few soggy boots!
RMI Guides JJ Justman & Elias de Andres Martos
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
OK! Here we go! The photo may be a bit fuzzy and who is that guy holding his hand up in the mirror? Well folks, the fall season in Mexico is under way.
The team is all here and we have all the typical characters...those individuals who love to travel internationally seeking a little bit of culture and a few high places.
Stay tuned to the blog because I can already tell with this team...we are going to have a lot of fun and a few stories to tell!!
RMI Guides JJ Justman and Elias de Andres Martos
Alex called from the summit of Manaslu on October 1st 10:50 a.m. Nepali time (September 30th 10:32 pm PT)
"It was a really chilly morning. Keeping moving on the summit to keep my fingers and toes warm. There are some clouds starting to come in and it's starting to snow. Hoping to go all the way down to Basecamp today. Looking forward to some good food and a decent mattress. The pace was pretty grueling: Base to Camp 2 in 8 hours, Camp 3 to Camp 4 in 3 hours and 45 minutes, and Camp 4 to summit in just over 4 hours. I have the summit almost entirely to himself. Just one other climber up here. Pretty cool. Going to start making my way down. I'll check in when I hit base. Ciao."Email from Alex received October 1st 8:25 pm Nepali time (7:40 a.m. PT) I stood on the peak of Manaslu at 11am on October 1st! Funny thing is that exactly one year ago to the day I was at the summit of Cho Oyu. Tired and cold, I just arrived back at Camp 3. I'm going to have something warm to drink and bundle up here for the night. I'll post something more descriptive tomorrow from Basecamp. To those who have been following my trek, thanks for all your thoughts (and words) of encouragement. RMI Guide Alex Barber
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Chile Ski
We launched for the north side of Volcan Llaima with overnight gear, optimism, and our fuel tanks filled to the brim with carne. Our send off from Malalcahuello was the asado of all asados: Chilean grass fed beef, homemade sausages, and lamb slow cooked over a wood fired grill masterfully by Sergio (our Chilean outfitter and owner of the lodge in Malalcahuello).
The wind was steady and the views nonexistent as we toured up an expansive lava field that just five years ago was flowing red. Above the monkey puzzle trees the wind was whipping, and feeling energetic we opted for the storm camping experience. We carved tent platforms into the leeward side of a small rock outcrop and proceeded to build Alaska style wind walls around our camp.
The next morning was frigid. The sun came out and as we packed up our gear for the summit ascent, we had the feeling that everything was lining up. Almost. The nice springlike snow surface we'd skinned up the day before was now a skating rink. Our ski crampons, even under full body weight, were not biting into the ice. This was not the type of frozen snow that softens throughout the day.
About 600 vertical feet above camp it became apparent that the snow wasn't getting any better. Getting on the face above us - which Katy and I had learned the year before is deceptively enormous and quite steep at the top, was out of the question. Just climbing the 3,700' would require pitching out full rope lengths and building 40+ anchors.
We ripped our skins and skied east coast style "packed powder" (very loud turns) 1,000' down to a small sub peak to the east. Views across the way of Sierra Nevada rising above the beautiful Lago Conguillio (a huge lake) began to the open up. We cramponed to the summit of our mini peak, skied down, and as we contoured back to camp, the decision not to go higher on Llaima was further reinforced. The winds ramped up, and visibility dropped to ping-pong ball status. We packed up camp and skied down out of the clouds.
El Niño has had some influence on every one of our ski outings on this trip, whether providing powder turns in September, a deep snowpack and fantastic coverage... or a moist wind that turns a big beautiful face into a sheet of ice. We've had a blast every day of this trip, whether standing on summits, or touring in stormy weather.
Overused statement of the trip, uttered multiple times at the end of every ski day: "Well that was an adventure."
This is a truly amazing place to have skis on your feet.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Hey, This is Tyler with the Chilean Volcanoes crew. We are calling from the base of Volcán Llaima. We have had an interesting couple of days on the mountain, yesterday we camped above treeline. It was pretty windy and getting up there, but we were able to build a bomb proof camp. We woke up this morning to sunshine and potentially clearing skies which was a little bit of a tease. We got up the big face that we wanted to ski from the summit and it was pretty much a sheet of ice, which made it a no-go, and then the weather also closed in to sort of seal the deal that it wasn’t happening. We were able to ski nearby sub peak on the north peak, and now we are almost back to the trailhead.
We will head back to Temuco tonight and have our final night of the trip. We look forward to seeing everyone back home and we will send one more dispatch before the trip is over.
We will talk to you all soon, best from all of us.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid & Team.
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Alex B - CONGRATS!!!! My son Eric and I climbed Rainier with you in July, 2012. We’ve been excited and inspired to follow (and root you on, telepathically?) on your Himalayan adventure. Eric (without father) will climb Denali in May ‘15 with RMI. Hoping our mountain paths cross again. Best - Alex A
Posted by: Alex Alimanestianu on 10/2/2014 at 9:44 am
Alex. Congratulations getting to the summit. Particularly after having to retreat at first. And then to get it all together to try again. Lots of determination.
Posted by: Wally Young on 10/2/2014 at 5:17 am
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