Entries from Locations

The Four Day Climbing Teams led by RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Dustin Wittmier reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team has clear skies and calm winds for their climb. A blue bird day!  The team is back at Camp Muir and will begin their descent to Paradise shortly.

Congratulations Team! 

We woke up to low clouds over Rivertrees Inn… but that has been an everyday kind of thing, so it wasn’t much of a concern.  We had our breakfast and did our last-minute packing and gear sorting and then boarded the team bus at 8 AM. 

It took about two hours to get to the Machame Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park.  We did a lot of people watching on the way, seeing how Tanzanians go about day-to-day life.  And we watched the plants and vegetation change as the bus climbed up to the 6000 ft gate.   As expected, there was a little time to kill at the park entrance as the permitting process was completed.  We used the time to review efficient walking strategies and to discuss the terrain that lay ahead.  Finally, at about 10:30, we got walking with our staff of local guides.  Tom, Naiman, Phillibet, and John set the perfect pace, as usual.  We had about four thousand vertical feet to climb in about six miles.  Before long we were climbing in the clouds rather than under them.  It was easy to understand why the thick forest had moss on every surface.  The cool conditions made for the perfect walking temperature. The trail was a little muddy and slimy underfoot, but not to the point that you’d sink into the muck.  We didn’t have much trouble with traction or with maintaining a steady pace.  We took a few breaks for snacks and water, but by mid-afternoon the forest was changing to smaller trees, and it was clear that we were getting somewhere.  We came out above the clouds and the trail dried out.  The last hour or so into camp was in fine, blue sky and sunshine weather.  We rolled in at 3:30. Such a pleasure then to see that our staff already had camp built and ready for us.  We just had to move in and enjoy life at 10,000 ft.  That got easier when the last clouds above fell away and Kibo (Kilimanjaro’s central peak) came out for sunset. 

We spent the time before dinner staring at the giant rock walls and impossibly steep ice fields and glaciers. In our dining tent, we had a great feast and a little story time as John -our lead guide- explained his progression into becoming a full climbing guide, 255 Kili summits ago. The team checked out a few Southern Hemisphere stars before crawling into tents and calling it a day.  A good day. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

After a week of Denali Prep Training on the Paradise Glacier RMI Guide Tatum Whatford and the Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise Team made their way to Camp Muir for their summit attempt of Mt. Rainier. The team climbed under clear skies and a light breeze to successfully reach the Summit of Mt. Rainer at 7:30 am Today!  The team has started their descent and are looking forward to cold drinks and a celebration at the Basecamp Bar and Grill. 

Congratulations Team! 

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:15 am today. Pete reported beautiful clear crisp skies, with light winds. Once the team reached the crater rim, they made their way across to Register Rock at Columbia Crest at 14,410' the highest point in Washington State. The team has started their descent and are in route to Camp Muir. 

Congratulations Team! 

We had an early wake up this morning at Winay Wayna so our Porters could catch an early train home after their impressive work the last 3 days. We let camp clear of the other trekking groups and began our hike to the Sun Gate at the top of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary around 5:45 am. Overcast skies kept the early day cool and as the team descended into Machu Picchu  taking in the stellar vantage point. Since the pandemic, the way people are routed through the site has allowed for less crowding and more time in the different points of interest. We got some sun to make the pictures pop and provide context to the intricate terracing that makes this site so unique. Our Peruvian guides Marco & Jaime gave a nice 2 hour tour and history lesson. We are at the hotel in Aquas Calientes for some R&R. Tomorrow we'll return to Machu Picchu for some more wandering around and possibly a hike up Huyna Picchu depending on the weather and how people's leg/feet are feeling. Regardless, it will be a nice morning to wrap up this trek before catching a train back to Cusco.

Thanks for checking in. 

RMI Guide Mike King

Today was an easy day of getting packed and ready for the mountain.  We began with an after breakfast meeting outside under the big trees while monkeys jumped from branch to branch above us.  We discussed the plan for our climb and talked about how the gear needed to be ordered and arranged for starting out.  Then we conducted equipment checks back in the rooms to help folks decide what to leave in and what to take out.  There was then plenty of time in the afternoon for packing, napping away the jet lag, walking the peaceful grounds of the hotel, and eating.  We got together for a team dinner at 7 PM to cap things off.  Everything is set to go now, we’ll head for Mount Kilimanjaro in the morning. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

RMI Guide Henry Coppolillo checked in from camp around 11:45 am today.  The team reached the summit of Mt. Shuksan via the Fisher Chimney's route.  The entire team stood on top around 8 am.  The team was going to continue down to a lower elevation.

Nice work team!

Monday, August 15, 2022 - 3:25 am PT

Up, up and away! Right out of camp we immediately climbed several sections of steep Inca steps. Layers were quickly shed at our first stop of the day, Runkurakay, about half way up to the 13,000 foot pass. This site was a beautiful outpost thought to be a check point for pilgrims along the Inca trail. After a brief history lesson here we continued to climb until we hit the top of the pass. Here we were rewarded with world class views of tall glaciated peaks, soaring granite towers and deep rainforest river valleys. Then it was down, down, down. The rest of the day was spent descending from our high point. Our transition from the dry alpine zone into the cloud forest was equally impressive. We passed through lush jungle and dozens of orchids, admiring the stunning colors. We also had several stops at historic Inca sites on our descent. Each one becoming more elaborate and impressive as we got closer to Machu Picchu. The two biggest sites were right next to camp, Intipata and Wiñaywayna. These sites had numerous large terraces, complex drainage systems, and housing complexes. Our excitement was growing knowing the greatest of the Inca sites was yet to come, Machu Picchu! Tonight we go to bed extra early since we’re planning to get an alpine start to beat the crowds.

Goodnight,

RMI Guides Mike King, Jack Delaney and the team

After several days of training on Mt. Erie and in the lower alpine of Mt. Baker, our Mt. Baker seminar teams have successfully summited Mt. Baker. They were on top this morning around 8:45 am. Completion of this program is one step on many mountaineers' journey to accomplishing other peaks like climbing Denali or Aconcagua.

The team will take the rest of the day today to rest and continue their training before walking out to the trailhead tomorrow.

Congrats team!

Buenas noches señors y señoritas! 

We awoke early to begin our first day on the official Inca trail! We had 4,000 feet to climb and the majority of it was on 600+ year old Inca stone steps.

The day started out along a babbling stream wandering up through a lush and wild jungle. We were even lucky enough to spot a sapphire hummingbird along our trek. Halfway through our grueling climb, we popped out above the tree line to enjoy a tasty lunch and beautiful views of the valley below. The final climb uphill was done slowly, since the top of Warmiwañusca pass was at 13,779 feet! Here, we enjoyed a well-deserved break before beginning our 2,000’ descent to camp at Pacaymayo. Thankfully, the views were spectacular and there were many colorful wildflowers along the trail to help distract us from the large and steep steps. We slowly and safely made our way down to camp where we enjoyed popcorn, chips, and guacamole for our afternoon snack! The guides claim dinner was “puma meat” but no matter what it was, it was delicious!

We’re headed to bed early tonight because we have another big day full of Inca stone steps ahead of us tomorrow!

Mike, Jack and the team