Friday, June 29, 2018 - 1:09 AM PT
RMI Super Crew got to the summit of Denali around 6 pm today. The weather was amazing all day and we all walked to the top in just base layers, which you would imagine is rare when climbing big mountains in Alaska.
Mountaineers don't cry... everybody knows that. However, all of our eyes were awfully sweaty when we reached the top and saw the spectacular scenery below!
We had a very safe climb back to high camp and a are currently working on getting into our sleeping bags for some well earned sleep.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Super Crew
Congratulations ! ! ! The song “I can only imagine” comes to mind…... Another dream has come true, achieving this is such an accomplishment.. Cudo’s to a strong team, that overcame and conquered ! Love to you all ....Have a safe trip descending.. Wish I could be there to greet you and to celebrate with you…..
Grams
Posted by: Barbara Jones on 6/30/2018 at 5:40 am
Congratulations Josh, Rusty, Craig and the entire crew! Can’t wait to hear all about your amazing adventure!
Thursday, June 28, 2018 - 10:32 PM PT
Our first night at 14,000' Camp was quiet and calm. The tent fabric didn’t stir even once with breeze. We were up at around 8AM even though things are still a little shadowy and cold here then. After breakfast, Avery Parrinello led the day’s carry, or more accurately the back carry, since we were going back down to 13,500 ft to bring home the cache we walked past yesterday. It only took about 20 minutes to walk down, but perhaps 90 minutes to come back up with heavy packs. As usual, it clouded up and began snowing on us before we’d gone too far, but that wasn’t much of a problem. The snow continued through the afternoon, but by then we were lounging in our tents. Just before dinner we did a little training session to discuss techniques we’ll employ to climb the “fixed ropes” that lead to the crest of the West Buttress. Throughout the day we touched base with the only other RMI group on the hill, Mike Haugen’s team who were going for the top. It all made our preparations a bit more meaningful to know we’ll be up there knocking on the door soon ourselves.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Thinking of you guys often from sunny/hot Wisconsin. While we soak up the lake views we imagine the mountain scapes before you. (We also think about getting some fresh turns in that powder.)
Enjoy the challenge and the sounds of nature. Wish you the best.
The Merkleins
Posted by: Merklein family on 6/30/2018 at 5:59 am
Hey Tom! Awesome job so far! I’m torked up to hear about the fixed lines when you get to the next camp. I wish I was on your team brother!
Thursday, June 28, 2018 - 7:11 PM PT
Hi - this is Mike Haugen with RMI Super Crew. We just summited Denali! We are standing at over 20,000 feet with zero wind, 0 miles per hour, 5 degreess Fahrenheit. Every single one of us is up here in our base layer. Views are incredible. Wish you were here! We love all of you and thanks for your support. We are going to have a fun trip down and we will be back in camp at 17,000'.
Congratulations to Mike Haugen & the RMI Team!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen calls from the summit of Denali.
Good evening from Alpamayo Base Camp. We had a good rest day, where we ate, slept and socialized, all while getting excited for tomorrow's move to Camp 1. We're also excited to see many teams come down, and know it's not going to be too crowded up high... Fingers crossed!
Stay tuned for updates on our progress up high.
RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team.
Hi Kimmer!! Your trip sounds fabulous so far and your guide Elias needs to become a novelist with his colorful blog descriptions!! We will be following your every move as you continue on your journey
Xoxoxo Sophia, Lora, Michael & Lucky
Posted by: Lucky Superstar on 6/29/2018 at 1:54 am
Hi Erik. We’ve been following your team’s progress and it looks good. Looks like you are all eating well. We hope you all make great progress to Camp 1 tomorrow.
Posted by: Tim and Carol Smith on 6/28/2018 at 10:09 pm
Last night we enjoyed a delicious fresh, local trout dinner—served at the 16,000’ Cotopaxi Climbers’ Hut!...and then we went to bed early, in preparation for an alpine start wake-up for our summit bid on Cotopaxi. I woke before midnight to check the weather. It wasn’t perfect—we were in thick clouds, but there wasn’t any wind. We got the ball rolling at midnight, coffee-ed up and got ready to climb. As we prepared the weather kept fluctuating: a little snow here, a little wind there, clouds that we could see the moon through…
At just after one a.m. we headed out of the Jose Ribas Refugio on Cotopaxi. Winds increased during our first hour of climbing, which brought us to the glacier where we donned crampons and roped up. The winds continued above, coupled with Viento Blanco (White Wind, ~30 mph wind inside a 100% humidity cloud) that iced up everything—our clothes, our packs, our ice axes, and even our eyes—as we climbed. We persevered through the Viento Blanco as it increased in strength until we conceded to it due to safety; at less than 800 feet from the summit we turned around and headed back to the Climbers’ Hut. Even the descent was challenging; Viento Blanco was relentless, trying to blow us off of our feet, limit our visibility to near zero, and continue to dominate everything it could think its icy teeth into. Arriving safely back at the Climbers’ Hut we were a spectacle, pasted in white ice from head to toe.
It’s bittersweet to return from fierce weather unscathed but without a summit. We all know which one is more important. I am confident that had we had decent weather for our summit day 100% of our climbers would have made the top. Everyone performed well on our preparatory climbs, and everyone was acclimatizing to the extreme altitude well. But such is mountain climbing. Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
RMI Guides Win Whittaker and Andy Bond led their ALA Climbing Teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Win reported cold and windy conditions which means the teams won't stay on the summit for long. They will be returning to Camp Muir for a quick stop before continuing their descent to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's ALA Climbers!
Wednesday, June 27, 2018 - 10:11 PM PT
Hey from 14K. We got an excellent day for moving up. When the 6 AM alarm went off down at 11,000', we peered out to see clear skies and no signs of wind. We pounced on the opportunity, hitting the trail at 9 AM. Hannah Smith led the charge today, bringing the team expeditiously up Motorcycle Hill, The Squirrel Hills and then the Polo Field. Just like when we carried, it began to cloud up as we approached Windy Corner and to snow as we went around. We moved right on past our cache site, which appears to be resisting the ravages of the ravens (we buried it deep in the snow). Hannah got us into camp at 14,000' in a very respectable 5 hours and 45 minutes. The tents went up fast and easy and about the time we’d completed setup, the snow quit. As we ate dinner, the clouds melted away and when we emerged from our deluxe dining shelter, we were treated to new and spectacular views in every direction. Foraker and Hunter, the other two giants of the Alaska Range were visible -for the first time- in all their glory. But it was the view of Denali, rising straight up in front of us for a vertical mile and more that took our breath away. Our world is now bound on the left by the West Buttress and on the right by the West Rib... which covers a lot of fascinating and historic... and slightly intimidating terrain. Just before bedtime, we listened to the weather outlook, broadcast via radio from Basecamp and more importantly to the trivia question for the night. Did you know that there are 21 bears for every human in Alaska?
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
‘Enjoying the updates, wishing you continued safe travel and good weather! ‘Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in person when you return to WI!
Posted by: Terri Ellis on 6/29/2018 at 4:24 am
Your Swiss genes are showing in this hike and Fritz would be so proud! Stay safe and enjoy!
Wednesday, June 27, 2018 - 8:39 pm PT
As mountaineers, we tend to take things one day at a time. It just so happens that this was one of the best climbing days ever.
After an early start, we climbed into the gorgeous sunshine that we have not had enough of this trip. The views of the glaciers below and the rocky ridge we were ascending made for stunning photos and memories we will not soon forget! We are pretty sure that Joe Horiskey scheduled a fly-by and wing wave from a F-35 fighter jet just as we topped out on the fixed line! Spectacular!!!
We are currently residing at 17k Camp in the late evening sunshine. This camp stays particularly sunny since there is not much above us to block the Alaskan midnight sun.
Our plan is to go to the summit tomorrow if the mountain allows us! I think the mountain may owe us a good weather summit day after all the Super Crew has been through so far. We will see if Denali agrees!?
RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Super Crew 6
Hope all the hard work and preparation paid off today with a successful “visit” to the summit.
Congrats to all for what you have accomplished.
Posted by: Molly Frishmuth on 6/28/2018 at 6:35 pm
Josh, rooting for you and the team for a great summit day. Very proud of you. Love following the team’s progress. Will talk soon. Much love from Mom and Dad
Good evening from "infinite skies land"!
It is quite amazing to enjoy the deepness of the night we're having right now. The clouds have moved away and moon lit ridges reign above us, giving us a sense of smallness amongst these Andean fluted snow walls. All of it wouldn't be as overwhelmingly haunting, if it wasn't because of the task we have in store for us. But having carried to our first camp today, and witnessed those very walls get smaller with our progress uphill, makes us feel that the power of the mountains is on our side. And so, we had a great day reaching the 5,000m mark and dropping half of the equipment we'll use to venture even higher, and eventually, to climb to the top.
It's now been four days of activity, and we're ready to go to bed and welcome a well earned rest day at dawn. Although, it is worth mentioning that, we sure could keep going as there is no challenge that can't be fueled by our cook Emilio's food; tonight, meat and carrot soup, followed by breaded chicken breast filled with cheese and ham, accompanied by french fries... Yes, we're here right now climbing Alpamayo!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
This morning the Mt. Rainier Five Day Summit Climb teams, led by Pete Van Deventer and JM Gorum, reached the summit. They reported 10 mph winds and a thin cap, but otherwise a nice day. They are currently descending back to Camp Muir and will return to Ashford Base Camp this afternoon.
.jpg)
Congratulations ! ! ! The song “I can only imagine” comes to mind…... Another dream has come true, achieving this is such an accomplishment.. Cudo’s to a strong team, that overcame and conquered ! Love to you all ....Have a safe trip descending.. Wish I could be there to greet you and to celebrate with you…..
Grams
Posted by: Barbara Jones on 6/30/2018 at 5:40 am
Congratulations Josh, Rusty, Craig and the entire crew! Can’t wait to hear all about your amazing adventure!
Josh, love you and can’t wait to see you!
Posted by: Sarah Levy on 6/29/2018 at 3:38 pm
View All Comments