Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Friday, June 15, 2018 - 6:00 PM PT
And it is a wrap up!
The
Alaska Alpine Climbing program came to an end. After 7 days of straight climbing with no rest or weather days, we flew out on time to beat the bad weather without risking getting stuck on the glacier. All in all, success all around! A changing weather morning made us pack up quick and the word was out from our pilots at K2 Aviation that heavy winds might delay our pick up; other areas were shut down for flying! In a record time we dismantled our camp and we were pulling our last load into the Pika Glacier Runway as the plane showed above us. A bumpy ride to Talkeetna brought us to the land of beer and pizza (and showers!) and after unpacking and cleaning our gear, the team enjoyed a nice meal as we shared the best moments of the trip. We already made it to Anchorage, and everyone is off to home. As for the guides, we're already looking forward to our next expedition in 2019!
RMI Guide Elías de Andrés Martos
On The Map
Friday, June 15, 2018 - 5:50 PM PT
Today was a prime lesson in the Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. We got some comments and stares yesterday while building 7 foot walls around our
Camp with such blue skies and warm temps. This morning we got even more remarks from people as we continued to build. By 4 pm the winds had picked up to 30+ mph gusts and the Pigs who had built their homes from straw were in full scramble mode while our Pigs rested in their tents surrounded by snow bricks. We practiced some skills for climbing the fixed lines, they gets us higher on the West Buttress and will hang out while Denali does what Denali wants to. Currently it's demanding that we, "respect it's authority".
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
The
Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guide Mike Walter and Ben Liken reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Mike reported clear skies and calm winds. The team will spend some time on the summit celebrating and enjoying the views before starting their descent.
Congratulations to today's Teams!
Thursday, June 14, 2018 - 8:01 PM PT
We had a super early start this morning. We were very proud of Super Crew 6 this morning for getting up and packing up with style so we could get on the trail quickly. I gave them a C+ to their face but it was really an A+ effort. I didn't want them getting too cocky right off the bat!
We had a great walk up the
Kahiltna Glacier through light snow and medium visibility. As we approached camp, the sky started to clear and bit and we have been able to see Denali on and off since then.
We are dug in safely and 7,800' and will make an on the fly decision whether to move up to our next camp based on what the weather looks like when we get up at 2 a.m. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the Super Crew
On The Map
Thursday, June 14, 2018 - 7:42 PM PT
After yesterday's grueling day the team slept in until the sun hit our tents, 9ish. We had a slow start with salmon and cream cheese bagels and coffee. The goal for today was to build walls around our tents and get our kitchen/dining tent dug out and reinforced. The walls are built by digging through the loose snow into the firm layers below. Then we take snow saws and begin to quarry large blocks to be the foundational row. Each successive layer gets smaller so the wall isn't top heavy. The walls help keep wind from destroying our tents. The team rallied through their wall building then helped the guides finish reinforcing the kitchen tent or Posh as we call it. The Posh is a five sided tent without a floor. We dig a hole in the snow and have benches for people to sit and cooking counters for the guides. Out of the wind and sun we enjoy our meals, today's dinner is hand rolled chicken burritos. With the menacing forecast on the horizon we will put the finishing touches on camp and hunker down for the remnants of a tropical cyclone that is headed for Alaska. People are happy for the sunshine and tired from the 'light exercise' of camp craft. This helps us acclimate in preparation for heading to
17,000' Camp, High Camp, for our cache day and ultimately our summit day when the weather and mountain tell us it's time to go up. Until then we will be at 14,000' continuing to get comfortable being uncomfortable and focusing on the tasks that our in our control and leaving the conditions that our out of our control to Denali.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Thursday, June 14th - 4:36 pm PT
We aren’t getting restless yet! We had a beautiful but gusty morning at camp that allowed us to improve our storm walls and batten down the hatches. The summit has been displaying quite the cap over it with long tails indicating the strong winds up high on top of the frigid temperatures. The forecast has finally confirmed that beginning tomorrow and through the weekend will bring heavy snow. We are going to catch the tail of a tropical surge coming off the Pacific, some words to describe it have been a cyclone or Pineapple Express. We will keep you updated on the snowfall amounts! Yesterday, we had a greeting party to welcome Mike King’s team at
14 Camp. We are glad to have some additional company as we wait out this storm. Thanks for the blog comments from our family and friends, keep them coming!
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
At 12:36 pm
RMI Guide Christina Dale radioed from the Mt. Rainier summit. Her team reached the summit via the
Kautz Glacier during their six-day seminar. The team will check in from their high camp and descend the rest of the way off the mountain tomorrow.
On a calm and cold morning,
RMI Guides Eric Frank and Andy Bond led their teams to the summit of
Mt. Rainier. They are above the clouds enjoying the sun on their descent.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Thursday, June 14, 2018 - 12:04 AM PT
Good evening again from the little Swiss! Another day, another summit! Or summits I should say... the group split and the 2 rope teams headed in opposite directions, towards the east and west ends of the upper
Pika Glacier. On one side, a team surmounted the Munchkin. On the other, the South Face of the Middle Troll, a towering rock formation that, with its splitter granite cracks and balancing boulders, provides delicate yet rewarding climbing and the most radical of the views. The weather has been perfect, and we're now going to bed tired, but accomplished and with a full stomach after a quite good pesto pasta dinner!
RMI Guides Elias de Andres Martos & Chase Nelson
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - 10:53 PM PT
With a forecast that hasn't been stellar, the guides woke at 2:30 AM only to see strong winds above. We continued to check for high winds until 6 am, needing to make a decision on whether to move camp or burn another weather day, we opted to pack up. Hoping for the sun to calm the wind we started out at 9 am through boot high snow, calf high snow, knee high snow and you guessed it thigh high snow. We made good time without any congestion on the route, but it was not an easy day. Once we picked up our cache at 12,500' we slogged up towards Windy Corner. Packs were heavy, sleds didn't help and the loose drifted in snow made for a tired team. We got chased around
Windy Corner by a storm then promptly walked into a basin where the wind had stopped and we were quickly to hot. Today's lesson was, "learn to be comfortable, being uncomfortable". Freeze or fry is all you can expect up here, ideal doesn't exist. We will take a well deserved rest day tomorrow and maybe for the next week if the projected Pineapple Express weather front dumps 9 feet of snow.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
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Hey Scott! Totally echo what Julie said (except for the “babe” part). Good luck with the weather—pretty much rounds out everything you can possibly come across on the mountain, doesn’t it? Hang in there bud. Hope you brought a good book.
~Chris
Hi Scott. Perseverance - the secret of all triumphs. Kick some booty. Wishing you safe steps and glorious sunrises. - Judy
Posted by: Chris Beaudette on 6/16/2018 at 1:52 pm
Scott-looks like you and team my be stuck at 14,000 for a while due to weather! Not as cold as last time! Maybe guys can get caught up with all the amazing comments people have been sending! You’ve got this babe! Keep warm, hang tight, and then just HOP up to the summit in time! Love you!
Julie
Posted by: Julie Faulkenburg on 6/16/2018 at 9:28 am
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