Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Our Ecuador Volcanoes team is pleased to announce that we reached the summit of Cayambe, Ecuador’s third highest peak, this morning at 9:30 am.  

Unfortunately we were dealt a messy hand fist thing when an electrical storm descended onto our team at 15,800 feet.  With axes, ski poles and any other metal object literally glowing from the static electricity, we had no choice but to retrace our hour long start and return to the hut. With hopes almost dashed, I suggested a second round but the caveat was we needed to move fast and efficiently putting high demands on those willing. With a long stretch already under our belts, only three climbers opted to try again. Through a full white out, many crevasses,  tired legs and burning lungs, all three made it to the top!  No matter who went and who didn’t, everyone made the right call.  

After a long drive back to town and a great late lunch we are all headed towards a rest day. We are all healthy and in good spirits. stay tuned for tomorrow’s rest day excitement.   

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier, Adam Knoff and Team.

On The Map

Today we started our day at 6:30 feeling good and refreshed after a much needed night's sleep. We had breakfast, then enjoyed some goodbye songs and dance from our amazing African crew of porters, cooks, and local guides numbering 37 to our team of seven. We finished the little celebration by handing out their well deserved tips and then hit the trail one last time.

It took just under three hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge.

Finally we are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting seven-day journey up and down Kilimanjaro.

Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kilimanjaro crew

Hello friends, family and all other followers!  The team is currently at Refugio Ruales Oleas Bergé, situated at 15,100’ on the SW flank of Volcán Cayambe.  We arrived yesterday afternoon in good spirits after pushing through a few downpours on the 4x4 truck ride to the hut.  A late dinner was accompanied by tales of past climbs and some impromptu mountain trivia.  Other teams in the hut were prepping for a summit bid, we headed to bed early and wished them good luck.

This morning we woke up to some fresh snow and in and out of a cloud.  No big deal, our primary goal was to get to the toe of the glacier and do some skills training.  Our review of climbing skills was a success, the guides looked at each other in astonishment as literally every team member performed a textbook team arrest position on the first try!

Weather-wise it has been a pretty good day, giving us high hopes for tonight’s climb.  The team is fit and seems to be acclimating well, tonight will be the true test!

RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Dustin Wittmier

On The Map

We came, we carried, and we crushed it! Today the entire team performed the incredible task of carrying half of our food and gear to Camp 1 at 16,400 feet. Every climber carried the weight up steep and loose terrain without faltering and made it safely back to Basecamp with plenty of energy leftover. We have one more rest day at Plaza Argentina Basecamp before we leave all the comforts behind and begin our slow ascent from camp to camp over the next week in an effort to make the summit.

RMI Guide Nick Scott

On The Map

100% on top in 100% humidity!

The team got up at 11pm as I mentioned yesterday and were all ready by 11:30 for the ascent. We then had a quick midnight breakfast of porridge, tea and coffee before hitting the trail.

It was pretty cloudy when we left camp and soon enough there was light snow falling which continued with us all the way to the summit. The snow keep the breaks to a minimum and the pace steady. The team did an amazing job staying dry and positive despite the less than ideal climbing conditions and I’m very proud of them.
We did get just a slight reprieve from the snow at the summit, just enough to allow summit photos and a few phone calls to loved ones back home.

The team safely descended back to high camp, where we had a quick lunch, repacked and then continued further down the mountain to our final camp in the thick warm air at 10,000ft, where we just finished another fine meal prepared by our gracious staff. Now it’s off to bed for some well deserved sleep.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and a happy Kilimanjaro summit crew

On The Map

Despite going to bed socked in at 14,000ft, we woke to clear skies and put on our boots in the early, cold and dark hours just after midnight. Fortunately for us, the freeze line was low the night prior, so we walked into snow just out of Piedra Grande up into the the rocky maze known as the  Labyrinth portion of the route. This made the approach to the glacier much easier than the usual condition or ball-bearing like rocks. At the toe of the glacier we were greeted with howling winds out of the west.  Based off of the plums of snow rocketing off the upper mountain, any snow that had fallen the day before was surely sublimating in the atmosphere. Nonetheless we pushed upward, armed with our crampons, ice axes, and goggles.

After a few more hours of getting blasted by the veracious winds, the team dug deep and hit the summit crater just before 8:00 am.

The team made light work of the descent and got back to high camp in good style. We quickly loaded camp into the 4X4s and hit the dusty road back to Tlachichuca where we were greeted by the friendly staff at the Reyes’ climbers hostel. We enjoyed our final delicious Mexican dinner together and toasted to stories and laughs over well deserved beverages. Tomorrow we will head back to Mexico City, homebound with new friends and memories to share!

RMI Guide Alan Davis

 

On The Map

We had a great kick off meeting last night and everyone is excited to be together and starting a fun week long mountain adventure to Pico de Orizaba.  After quick introductions for Merrick and me (Alden, Brett, Jeff and John have climbed together in the past) we enjoyed a beautiful view from a roof top lounge looking over Mexico City. We then moved to Historico Azul a unique open air restaurant beneath a perfectly manicured canopy of trees for dinner. In each trees hung hundreds of small oil lamps giving the room a warm glow, and the food was delicious. Today we are driving to La Malinche, a small mountain resort, to begin our acclimation process with a promising weather forecast. 

Thanks again,

RMI Guide Walt Hailes

It’s day four of our Aconcagua expedition. Our first rest day for those at home following along. We all got a good sleep in and enjoyed an extended breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and lots of coffee this morning while discussing the itinerary of the next few days. Even though we call it a rest day, there is never a day on a mountaineering expedition when we are doing nothing. While the group enjoyed plenty of down time a good portion of the day was spent packing for our carry tomorrow, sorting group food, going on a short hike to stretch the legs and the lungs, and getting in our park-mandated doctor visit to make sure all climbers are adjusting to the new altitude appropriately. Spoiler alert! Everyone in the group passed their physical and the doctor gave us all the thumbs up to keep cruising up hill. Tomorrow will be the toughest day for the group so far as we shoulder packs and climb to Camp 1 at 16,400ft to cache some of our gear before descending back to basecamp to continue the acclimatization process. I have no doubt this determined group of climbers will perform their task without trouble. Everyone is feeling great and ready for more!

RMI Guide Nick Scott

Today we left the manicured streets of Puebla for the road to the Piedra Grande (Orizaba high camp). After a quick stop in Tlachichuca to do the duffel shuffle and get yet another tasty lunch, we downed our climbing clothes and loaded the 4x4s. The trail to high camp took two hours up a very primitive wash. We were greeted with hail and much cloud cover on the giant of a mountain that laid in front of us.

Nonetheless, spirits remained high as we did a little skills practice before the fiesta consisting of pollo, frijoles, rice, veggies, and of course, guacamole! Hope that the forecast will hold true and we will get clearing in the night before we dawn patrol our way up the mighty Pico de Orizaba! 

RMI Guide Alan Davis & Team

Hello again everyone

The team had a good nights rest last night and today just a short 2.5hr hike up to 15’000ft to our high camp. It started out looking like we might have some sun, then luickly clouded up. Thankfully we arrived at camp right before a little squall blew through bring snow/hail.

The team has just wrapped up lunch and discussed in great detail the plan for tomorrow’s climb. Everyone knows what we’ll be wearing, what will be in the pack, as well as the schedule.
Our game plan will be to wake at 11pm and have a quick breakfast at 11:30, then hopefully hit the trail right at midnight. The team has been doing great thus far and I’m expecting us to reach the summit in 7 to 8hrs if things go according to plan.

I’m also going to bring our Satellite phone to hopefully make a few calls from the summit. One lucky trivia winner will get 2. This winner is a big fan of gymnastics!
So everyone back home please keep your phones handy and if you receive a call from a strange number please answer. We are 8+hrs ahead of the east coast time zone.

Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili Crew