Entries from Expedition Dispatches
RMI Guide
Leon Davis and the
Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams checked in at 7:00 a.m. They were at 13,000' on their descent and Leon reported that it was really nice day on the mountain.
And we are at Base Camp! The second day of the approach was incredible, as the scenery went from beautiful to dramatic... The climb up to Punta Union pass at 4750m greeted us with the views of Taulliraju, one of the most radical peaks in the range, with a sheer west face that made our jaws drop just thinking of how could it be even possible to climb. On the other side,
Artesonraju, our objective reigned over the valley with its top amongst the clouds. Now it is time to spend some time acclimating, all while enjoying the comforts and gourmet food of camp.
Best regards,
RMI Guide ElÃas de Andres Martos and team
P.S. Rich wishes happy B-day to his wife Christina.
Last night's sleep was refreshing for all, and everyone looked chipper as they sidled in to breakfast. That was good because we had a whirlwind day ahead of us. We headed over to the Resurrection Gate of Red Square to Victoria, our tour guide. After a slow start waiting in the queue to see a national treasure, Lenin's entombed body, things got going with a tour through St Basil's Cathedral, abyssal made up of 10 churches, all in the same foundation, and to the GUM, the large Soviet era department store that now carries the biggest brands (Prada, Gucci, Armani, etc.). We made a stop for ice cream, then cruised around the Kremlin wall to see the changing of the guards, and on in to the Kremlin, and more cathedrals. We closed the tour down with lunch at a delicious Ukrainian restaurant, and then into the afternoon to sort details and nap. Dinner at a restaurant in the nearby design and architecture school went long, but was delicious, and no one minded given the good company we are in. All in all, we had a stellar day, and are excited to take steps towards the mountain early tomorrow morning. By tomorrow evening, we will be in Kislovodsk, ready to launch to
Elbrus Northside Base Camp, where the mountain adventure begins, and we leave the city life behind for a bit.
We are very much looking forward to it!
Best,
RMI Guides
Pete Van Deventer,
JM Gorum, and team
Wow, what a day! After waking at 3:30 am to leave the hotel we drove for a few hours only to wake to the sunrise and
Salkantay Peak, 20,500 ft dominating the horizon.
After getting our gear rigged for the horses and porters the team started up a dusty road passing through small settlements above the Rio Blanco. 'Mountain Plush' is how I'll describe our living and eating arrangements due to our hard working local crew. Upon retiring from our dining tent during lunch, members of the team napped in the sun and gentle breeze before ascending the final stretch into camp.
We are currently camped beneath Salkantay at 14,500 ft with tent doors open and our feet hanging out enjoying beautiful views of the glaciers, seracs and fluted snow couloirs.
The team is doing great and sends their love to friends and family who are following along. Tomorrow we ascend to our high point of Incachiriasca pass, 16,010.
RMI Guide Mike King
Wonderful day of game viewing.
Ngorongoro Crater was the place to be. We did fine work of observing and filming all day. Perfect weather had to be dealt with and thousands of animals needed to be filmed. We made you all proud back home with our drive and our drivers. Eric and Joseph maneuvered us around the crater rim to floor with ease and grace. Not to mention Michele presented us with yet another tasty lunch in the bush. A hippo downwind made a move in our direction getting out of the pond to check out the bill o' fare but please observe do not approach and or feed the wildlife.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
The
Five Day Summit Climb team turned at Ingraham Flats this morning due to high winds with strong gusts up to 50 MPH. RMI Guide
Sid Pattison and team have spend two days on Mt. Rainier, during that time they have experienced some light snow fall and windy conditions. The team will be starting their descent from Camp Muir at around 9 am this morning and arrive here at RMI Basecamp early this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's team!
The
Mt. Rainier Summit Climb, led by JJ Justman, made the decision to turn early this morning. With winds gusts reaching 50 mph and new snow, the team spun at Ingraham Flats (11,200'). Safe and sound back at Camp Muir, they will eat some breakfast before the begin their descent back to Paradise.
Well we had a really nice last day in Russia yesterday. We began the day meeting with our tour guide, Galina, and headed out on a quick tour of St. Petersburg. We stopped off at St. Nicholas Church, stopped by the grand St. Isaac's Cathedral and made our way to the famous Heritage Museum. Not having a ton of time to see the thousands of exhibits so we did and express trip to see the highlights, which included a few paintings and sculptures by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, and other great artist. It was pretty amazing to see so much art in one place and everyone enjoyed the brief visit.
We took a short break before meeting back up with our tour guide for a evening canal tour via boat of this historical city, which was a great way to wrap up a wonderful trip.
That's all for this trip! The team heads home tomorrow. Thanks for following us.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Today the group toured the Urubamba River Valley that was and continues to be a fertile farming area for the local people of Cusco. With large varieties of corn and potatoes being grown, we could see terraces that the Inca used reaching well above 12,000 ft.
We had several stops on our way to Ollantaytambo, a wonderful Incan site featuring farming terraces, ceremonial stone work and intact buildings used for storing food. Our impromptu stop to sample chicha, a fermented corn drink that locals enjoy while playing a fun coin toss style yard game also yielded two cute puppies sleeping by a fire and a guinea pig farm. Cuy, or guinea pig, is a common form of protein consumed by locals and tourists alike.
We wrapped the day finalizing our packs for an early departure. Tomorrow morning we begin our Salkantay trek to
Machu Picchu, the entire group is excited to leave Cusco.
RMI Guide Mike King
Good evening from Huaripampa, our camp on our way to Artesonraju Base. For the writer here, starting the Santa Cruz trek from this side has been a revelation of yet undiscovered beauty. We're currently enjoying an incredible dinner of fresh trout, zucchini soup and fried banana, fueling for tomorrow's hike. We're all enjoying social time and laughter inside or pyramidal dining tent.
Stay tuned on our progress,
RMI Guides ElÃas de Andres Martos, Eric Frank, Peter and team
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Hi Kim, WOW….Can’t wait to see the amazing photos! This climb sounds wonderful! We will be heading back home this evening from our terrific trip out West. We will continue to follow your progress. Love, Dad
Posted by: SHEL on 8/4/2016 at 8:10 am
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