Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Elevation: 10,800'

The Four Day Summit Climb September 13 - 16 led by RMI Guides Christina Dale and Chris Ebeling were unable to reach the summit today. The teams left Camp Muir around 1 AM but poor visibility along with increasing winds and precipitation forced them to turn around at 10,800'. They returned safely to Camp Muir and will begin their descent to Paradise this morning. Their climb with conclude this after once they return to Rainier BaseCamp.

Mt. Rainier: September 15th Team Summits!

September 15, 2018

Posted by: Brent Okita, JM Gorum

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and JM Gorum reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. Brent reported a cold morning, and the team climbed into the a cap, so their time on the summit was brief. The are on the descent and en route to Camp Muir. Congratulations to today's teams!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

You guys are awesome,
your advice and firm suggestions where spot on!
Thanks for getting us to the top.

Posted by: Jeff Piccinini on 9/16/2018 at 10:52 pm

Yahoo thanks for a great experience.

Posted by: Adam Kaplan on 9/16/2018 at 7:02 pm

Mt. Rainier: Muir Seminar Teams Reaches Summit

September 13, 2018

Posted by: Robby Young, Andy Bond

Elevation: 14,410'

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir September 9 - 14 made their summit attempt today. The teams led by RMI Guides Robby Young and Andy Bond reached the summit around 9:30 AM PT. The teams spent almost an hour in the crater and enjoying the views. Andy reported cold temperatures and new snow on the route. The team arrived at Camp Muir on Monday and has been training and preparing for the climb. Tonight will be their final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will return to Paradise and continue to Rainier BaseCamp. Congratulations to today's climbers!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Melissa fantastic accomplishment. We look forward to your return.

Posted by: Christopher on 9/13/2018 at 8:45 pm

Go KATE!!!

Posted by: Cindy Arbogast on 9/13/2018 at 2:04 pm

Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Visit Tarangire National Park

September 13, 2018

Posted by: Casey Grom

Hello everyone, Today we headed to Tarangire National Park know for its abundant elephants, and it didn’t disappoint. There were plenty of elephants around, and we parked on an overlook to watch a large group of them play in the river. There were lots of giraffes, impalas, monkeys, ostriches, and many others. One of the highlights was seeing three cheetah not too far off just relaxing under a tree. We are spending our last night here in Africa at Tarangire Balloon Camp, which has beautiful tented rooms with screened windows to allow the sounds of the wild African night in. Everyone is doing great and we are hoping to see a few more big cats on our way out tomorrow. Then it will be back to our main lodge near Arusha for a brief stop before catching our evening flights home. Thanks for following, RMI Casey Grom and the Safari crew

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

I hope this is not a duplicate comment, I thought I responded to this last blog post. Thank you again, Casey, RMI and the entire crew!! This last few days, so happy for the continued amazing, enriching experiences…and the w a r m t h :-). Emily and Alysia…you took care of all 3 “summit, safari, and shangri- la”. Way to go. Much love, see you soon xo :-)

Posted by: Shelby Schneider on 9/14/2018 at 1:41 pm

All we can say is “Incredible!” What an incredible guide and team leading an incredible group to a lifetime of memories!! We are grateful to to RMI for such a wonderful blog to share in the experience with our children B&G!! What an adventure it has been! Thank you and wishes to everyone for safe travels back to their home and loved ones!

Posted by: Shelly & Greg Meador on 9/13/2018 at 1:49 pm

Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Visit Ngorongoro Crater and Maasai Village

September 12, 2018

Posted by: Casey Grom

Jambo everyone, Today we visited Ngorongoro Crater, considered by some to be the eighth wonder of the world. The crater is roughly 100 square miles and is home for more than 25’000 animals that have taken up residence. We hit the road early with hopes of catching a few more animals before the heat of the day sent them in search of shade. There were many sightings today of hyenas, jackles, ostrich, and countless other birds. We manage to see a ton of Lions, 24 to be exact. They seemed to be everywhere and we got really close to a large group of 11 of them. The also managed to see 1 Black Rhino, although not as close as we would have hoped for. We wrapped up the day with a visit to a Maasai village not far from the craters rim. The Maasai people are a semi-nomadic tribe that exist almost entirely off of their cattle. The team spent time asking questions and enjoyed being shown around their small and simple village. We have just finished another wonderful meal here at the plantation lodge and the team is off to bed after a long, but very rewarding day on safari. RMI Guide Casey Grom and the safari crew

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Sounds like you really had a great time at the crater, and the pictures tell it too! Lovely post! Thanks for sharing. The Ngorongoro really is a must-visit destination when heading to Tanzania. Just looking at the photos make me want to head to the country at once. Did you seek help from a tour operator for your trip? Would love to hear about it. Anyways! Keep safe and looking forward to reading more of your adventures!

Posted by: Krisan Sablaon on 4/15/2019 at 1:08 am

You guys look you had a blast visiting the crater and the village! I can’t wait to do the same during my trip. I heard visiting the Maasai village is a must if you’re in the area. I am honestly excited to get to know the Maasai people and their way of life which seems so different from what I am used to. I also read that the Maasai people welcome visitors to their village warmly with a song and dance. They even do this traditional dance known as the “adumu” or mostly commonly known as the jumping dance. Did you guys to experience this too when you went for a visit?

Posted by: Ana Katrina Lopez on 3/15/2019 at 7:35 am

Kilimanjaro:Grom & Team Enjoy Great First Day on Safari

September 11, 2018

Posted by: Casey Grom

Today was our first day of safari and we headed west to visit the beautiful Lake Manyara. The lake is a brief stopping ground for many migratory animals, beautiful and exotic birds and even tree climbing lions. We manage to see a few wildebeest, zebras, Cape buffalo, baboons, impalas a few distance hippos, and elephants so close you could almost touch them. We also even managed to see two of those tree climbing lions. It was a pretty nice introduction to the incredible wildlife that Africa has and the team is looking forward to seeing more tomorrow. Everyone enjoyed the day cruising around in our safari vehicles with cold beverages in hand while seeing the animals. We wrapped up the evening relaxing at the beautiful Plantation Lodge. RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew

Kilimanjaro: Grom and Team Finish Climb and Celebrate

September 10, 2018

Posted by: Casey Grom

Today we started at 7 a.m. feeling good and refreshed after a much needed night of sleep. We had breakfast and then enjoyed some goodbye songs and dances from our amazing African crew of porters, cooks, and local guides (numbering 50 in total). We finished the little celebration by handing out their well deserved tips before hitting the trail one last time. It took a little over three hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch before hopping aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge. We are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting seven day journey up and down Kilimanjaro. Stayed tuned, our safari starts tomorrow! RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kilimanjaro crew

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congratulations to the team, especially Grant and Bridget! Can’t wait to hear from you and see your pictures from the climb. Have a great time on the Safari! Love, Mom

Posted by: Shelly Thomas on 9/11/2018 at 7:09 am

I love the pictures so much!!!! Thanks to the whole crew, for guiding this awesome bunch of people, and for feeding them and bringing them back safe! Love the smiles!!!! Have a blast on the safari!!! xoxo

Posted by: Shelby Schneider on 9/10/2018 at 3:05 pm

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Unable to Climb due to Weather

September 10, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum

Elevation: 10,060'

The Four Day Summit Climb September 7 - 10, 2018 led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer and JM Gorum were unable to make a summit attempt. High winds and precipitation kept the groups from making their summit attempt. They will be descending from Camp Muir to Paradise this morning and will return to Rainier BaseCamp in the early afternoon.

Mt. Baker: Mazaika & Team Summit with 100%!

September 9, 2018

Posted by: Bryan Mazaika, Ben Ammon, Grayson Swingle

Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades

Elevation: 10,781'

Sunday, September 9, 2018 - 1:20 PM PT RMI Guide Bryan Mazaika called from the summit of Mt. Baker this afternoon. The team attempted the climb a day early to take advantage of a forecasted lull in the rainy weather. The decision proved wise as the team was able to summit 100% in dry weather! They will make their way downhill to camp where they will pack up and exit the program a day early to beat the coming rain and snow. Congratulations team!

Bryan Mazaika checking from Mt. Bakers Coleman Deming Route. September 9, 2018.

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

September 9, 2018

Posted by: Steve Gately, Hannah Smith

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climb September 6 - 9 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. RMI Guide Steve Gately and team were 100% to the summit. Steve reported clouds and winds to the top of Disappointment Cleaver with winds 10-20 mph. The climbers left the crater rim just before 8 AM en route to Camp Muir. Once back at camp they will repack and continue down to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon. Congratulations to today's climbers!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congratulations to all of you. What an accomplishment!

Posted by: Jan Charter on 9/9/2018 at 1:22 pm

WAY TO GO….Tara & group !! I can’t imagine how hard it was but also how majestic. I’m SO PROUD of you Tara & what you accomplished. Mt Ranier has been conquered !!! Can’t wait to hear ALL about it !! Love Mom

Posted by: Cathy Frantz on 9/9/2018 at 9:55 am