We got a casual start on our day knowing that the storm was raging on Villarica. That summiting was not going to be an option for today was glaringly obvious in the forecast, but the skiers mind is slightly different from the climbers mind: stormy conditions yield a bunch of new snow, and a bunch of new snow equals powder skiing. Powder skiing equals the polar opposite of defeat. So like yesterday, we set off into the storm, the only skiers on this mountain crazy enough to go touring (the ski areas on these Chilean volcanoes are above treeline, thus relying on good visibility and not too much wind to stay open).
Yesterday was Volcano Storm Skiing. Today was just plain storm skiing. We stuck below treeline for most of the day and found some great tree shots. With over a foot of new, dense, fast, springy pow, we put in a skin track, and one lap turned into two laps, then three laps, four laps, five laps... To be skiing in an early succession forest with a cauldron of lava bubbling 5,000' above your head feels exotic.
At the end of the day we toured up into the storm to get a sense of how windy it really was in the alpine (and to line ourselves up for a nice glide back to the parking lot). It was windy. Really windy.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Volcan Villarica warm up day...
Our goal for today was to have skis on our feet, and driving through the lush lowlands in the rain, there was a sense of disbelief circulating through the van that we would soon see snow, let alone be skiing. Next thing we knew, with Sergio at the helm (our Chilean outfitter) we were fully utilizing the Mitsubishi's 4-wheel drive capabilities to precision glide past stuck vehicles on the steep access road. High snowfall intensity from the sky, high psych intensity from our crew.
We spent the afternoon Volcano Storm Skiing. Not to be confused with below treeline storm skiing, where the forest provides terrain definition and the ability to see; Volcano Storm Skiing involves using rocks, closed chairlifts, other skiers, and/or their tracks for definition. When in doubt, have someone else go first. If your hat says 'Guide' on it, that means you are the sacrificial lamb.
Get blasted by the wind on the way up, seek refuge in a closed lift station high on the mountain, look up at your teammates and see huge smiles, transition to ski mode. Random outbursts of laughter. Volcano Storm Skiing is awesome. Especially the part about skiing in September.
Ski bag = reunited with Jonathan. Sergio was invaluable in solving the logistics of getting it to Pucon. He lent Jon his gear for today and we never missed a beat. Tomorrow looks even stormier...
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
The Four Day Summit Climb Teams for September 19 - 22 led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Geoff Schellens reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning just before 7 am PT. Casey reported a change in the weather with increasing winds as the teams approached the crater rim. Both teams will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing down to Paradise later today.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
Greetings,
So far so good in Chile. Everyone is here and in good spirits and we had a great welcome dinner in the center of Temuco.
Powder skiing in the forecast! We'll keep you posted as things progress.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Seth Waterfall and the Five Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer reached the summit of Mt. Rainier shortly after 7 a.m. The team spent about 90 minutes on the summit enjoying light winds and clear skies before beginning their descent to Camp Muir. Once back at Camp Muir, the team will rest and re-fuel before continuing their descent. We look forward to greeting them in Ashford this afternoon.
Congratulation's Climbers!
Summit! The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb, led by RMI Guide Billy Nugent, reached the top with crystal-blue skies all around. The team began their descent at 8:20 a.m. from the crater rim.
Congratulations!
Today, RMI Guides Brent Okita and JJ Justman led their teams to the summit of Mount Rainier! With a looming forecast of a change in our glorious weather, the guides decided today was the day! They crested the crater rim around 7:40 a.m. and spent an hour on the summit before a cloud cap started to form and they began their descent. The team is currently on the last stretch between Ingraham Flats (11,200') and Camp Muir (10,000') where they will celebrate and rest for the night. The seminar has two more days to gain additional training before they end their week on Mount Rainier.
Congratulations to the teams!!!
RMI Guides Tyler Reid and Geoff Schellens led their teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Both teams reported great route conditions and a beautiful day. The teams began their descent from Mt. Rainier's crater rim shortly before 8 am. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue down to Paradise this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Four & Five Day Summit Climb teams!
RMI Guide Jake Beren and the Four Day Summit Climb team reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team enjoyed warm, calm weather while on the summit. They are currently descending back to Camp Muir where they will pack up and refuel before continuing their descent to Paradise. We look forward to seeing the team in Ashford this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's team.
4:50 pm PT Update: Billy called in after the team returned safely to camp. A bit breezy but beautiful views on the summit. Billy's photos below.
Call from the summit:
Hey it's Billy here. I'm checking in from the summit of Mount Shuksan!. We are on top with seven climbers and three guides, enjoying perfect weather. Not a cloud in the sky. Views all the way down to Mount Rainier, out to the Olympic Range and the Puget Sound. We can see Vancouver, up into the Coast Range and over into the thickets of the deep North Cascades. Just spectacular today. We'll give you guys a shout when we are back in camp, safe-and-sound. All for now.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
RMI Guide Billy Nugent calls from the Mt. Shuksan summit!
AWESOME! So proud Patrick, John and Joseph!
Posted by: Darlene Halloran on 9/22/2014 at 12:46 pm
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