Entries from Locations

Greetings from Peru everyone.

Today the team started our day with a nice hearty breakfast full of fresh baked bread, local jams, fresh fruit, eggs and an assortment of cheese. Happily washed down with more coffee than most of us needed.

We then boarded our awaiting bus and headed into the surrounding mountains and made our way the beautiful Sacred Valley to visit several massive Inca archeological sites. The first stop was to Ollantaytambo, an ancient Fortress with massive stonework, cobblestone roads and massive terraces used for farming. It was incredibly impressive learning about the area and that all the of massive stones were only moved by hand. We then continued up the Sacred Valley to visit Pisac which is another large and beautiful Incan archaeological site that was equally as impressive. After exploring for a while we made our way back to a nearby local market for some lunch and a little shopping.

It was long but wonderful experience and we wrapped up the evening with another delicious Peruvian meal not far from our hotel. Everyone is doing great and excited for what tomorrow will bring.

RMI Guides Casey, Jess and the Machu Picchu crew!

PC: Jess Wedel

Monday, August 5, 2024 - 7:47 PM PT

After a slippery walk down from Mweka Camp we made it to the Mweka Gate in good shape. Legs were feeling the 13,000' descent of the past two days but smiles were broad as we knew we had done it.

A celebratory lunch and fun farewell festivities with our mountain crew closed out this wonderful climb. Riding back to the hotel thought of a shower was not the only thing on the team's mind as I know I wasn't the only one thinking back on our time on the mountain. 

After we exhausted the hotel of all its hot water washing off layers of dust from our bodies, we enjoyed a dinner celebration to recognize our huge accomplishment. Yes, we climbed a big mountain but more, we had an incredible experience where we made new friends, shared time with folks from a very different culture and maybe even learned a little something about ourselves too.

Then we headed to the soft, cushy bed our tired bodies craved after a week of sleeping on a 1" pad. What luxury!

And now... another beginning: the safari!

RMI Guide Brent Okita

Monday, August 5, 2024 - 5:25 pm PT

It was an early start but not an early exit as we left La Paz this morning.  A gasoline shortage in Bolivia left us scrambling to find a spot to fill up our van as we headed to Isla del Sol.  After several hours of navigating La Paz and El Alto traffic we finally made it to the highlands with views of the Condoriri mountains and Huayna Potosi.  A quick ferry and a failed short cut down a dirt road eventually led us back to the standard route through the town of Copacabana which sits right on Lake Titicaca. Yet another curve ball was thrown our way as a fiesta in the town for the Bolivian independence day shut down our route to the boat that was awaiting us to bring us to the island.  After several detours and side roads we finally made it to our private boat that would bring us to the Island of the Sun. 

Isle del Sol is a special island for the Andean people as it is the center of creation for them.  On our walk from the boat to the Eco Lodge we passed by a pre-Incan Temple, and terraces built in the 1300's for farming.  The island itself does not have cars and provides spectacular views of 6,000m peaks that we'll be heading to shortly.  It is also a perfect place for us to acclimatize at 13,000' and enjoy the laid back island life compared to the hustle and bustle of La Paz. After an excellent dinner of fresh caught trout from the lake and local beef we are settling in for bed. As I write this we are being treated to views of a massive lightning storm over the mountains, feeling thankful to be here in our comfortable casitas and headed towards the high peaks in a few days when the weather is forecasted to improve. 

RMI Guide Andy Bond

PC: Andy Bond

The Four Day Climb August 2 - 5 led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Josh Geiser reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The teams enjoyed a bit of time in the crater before starting their descent from the crater rim aroun 7 am.  Dave reported sunny skies and a steady SW wind of 30 mph. The teams are on their descent to Camp Muir.  Once back at camp, they will pack up and continue another 4,500' down to Paradise.  There program concludes this afternoon with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Hello everybody back home!

You’ll be glad to know all of your loved ones have safely arrived in Cusco.

We spent the day getting settled in at 11,152 feet. Yes, you read that correctly, 11,000 feet! Cusco is located high in the Peruvian Andes. We were welcomed to town by a parade of people — dancing through the streets in vibrant costumes to the beat of drums, trombones, flutes and more.

Everyone has remarked on how colorful and alive this city is and we are all looking forward to learning more of the culture and history in the next couple days before we begin our trek. After a team meeting, we headed out for our first team dinner. Peru is known for their food and so far it hasn’t disappointed. 

We’re all back at the hotel now, ready for a good night’s sleep after long travel days. Tomorrow we head to the Sacred Valley.

RMI Guides Jess, Casey and team

RMI guides Sam Hoffman, Will Ambler, and Hannah Billings led the team to a successful summit of Mount Baker yesterday evening for the sunset. The team enjoyed smooth route conditions, pleasant weather as well as solitude on the beautiful Easton glacier. 

For most of us, its been quite a journey to make it to Bolivia, as many of us had to deal with cancelled and delayed flights.  Most of us arrived early this morning into El Alto at 13,500' with the airport sitting on the plateau above the city of La Paz.  Due to the high elevation, (La Paz is the highest capital city in the world!) planes need to land at night with colder air temperatures in order to be able to take off. 

After a little bit of sleep and some breakfast at our hotel Mitru Sur, our group went for a ride on the teleferico (cable car) system that travels all over the city of La Paz and El Alto.  This allowed us to see some sights without having to put in too much effort as we start to acclimatize to the high altitude we start at here in Bolivia.  

We're beginning to pack as we head out tomorrow on Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca (2nd highest freshwater lake in the world) where we will continue to acclimatize at the famous La Estancia Ecolodge before heading into the mountains.  

RMI Guides Andy Bond & Henry Coppolillo

PC: Andy Bond

Sunday, August 4, 2024 - 1:13 AM PT

The team reached the summit of Kilimanjaro this morning at around 7:00am in sunny but cold and windy conditions. We reached Point Stella as the sun was rising above the horizon, offering us a much needed lift from the toil of climbing in the dark since midnight. 

We just got back to camp and will be treated to a celebratory lunch before packing up and descending another 5,000' to the thick air of Mweka Camp. Then, finally, we'll be able to enjoy a much needed rest. 

Jambo from Barafu Camp, 15,200'

RMI Guide Brent Okita

PC: Brent Okita

The Four Day Climb August 1 - 4 led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer & Joey Manship reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 4:30 am today. The teams are currently working their way back to Camp Muir with sunshine and blue skies. They will continue their descent to Paradise later this morning.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

RMI Guides Alan Davis and Seth Burns led their teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier in the wee hours of the morning. The team was on Columbia Crest at 3:45am. They reported good route conditions and are currently on their descent. 

Nice work team!