Entries from Alaska Seminar
Good morning from little Swiss,
We came to an end, but not without reward...Yesterday we had, after a patient wait for blue skies, the most amazing of the climbing days we could hope for.
the Middle Troll, reigning over the Pika, towered for hours above us, as its splitter granite cracks discerned a feasible access to its airy summit. The team climbed seamlessly, and all the training of the last week payed for an incredibly well oiled "uphilling" engine. We climbed into the evening, as the morning and early afternoon were still foggy; climbing into the evening light of Alaska's summer was very special.
We're now cooking our breakfast and soon we'll fly back to civilization... wait to see our pictures!
RMI Guide Elias deAndres Martos & Team
Good morning from the
Pika Glacier. The weather and visibility yesterday were not exactly what we hoped for. But we made the most out of our day with more valuable training near camp; crevasse and rock rescue systems took the bigger part of the day, finishing with a few laps of vertical ice climbing out of a big crack, Alaska size. Dinner didn't disappoint and made up for the lack of the climb we hoped to do, and a veggie-cheese omelette and steak fajitas were on the menu.
This morning we're in a holding pattern as well, as a super dense fog is reducing our visibility to 30ft.
Stay tuned for more,
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team.
Hello from the
Pika Glacier! We had a terrific day on the "munchkin" a rock formation 20 minutes west of our camp, where we spent the day training. This team is really talented and motivated to learn, and with the best classroom as our domain, we had a very productive day; short roping, rock anchors, belay escapes, transitions... We lost the concept of time getting techie with our ropes and gear, and we realized we had to come back to camp when our stomachs told us dinner time was due. We are hoping for good weather tomorrow to climb another objective. Best regards from Alaska, Elias, Chase and team.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
June 10, 2017
Good evening from Alaska. It shouldn't be raining on the glaciers of this Range. But it is. We've been confined today to our tents and kitchen tarp to stay dry, as a wet cloud and on and off rain took over most of the day. No climbing or outside training we could do, but for the hour or so that we got a break, we moved camp, as our tent platforms became 1 foot tall pedestals due to the high temps. We're all looking forward to an improvement on the forecast, and continue to climb on this sanctuary of alpine dreams that
Little Swiss is!
Elias, Chase and team.
June 10, 2017 12:02 am PST
Good eve from camp! We just got back from a stellar day on
The Throne, one of the dominant peaks around Little Swiss. We ventured up the "Lost Marsupial" Route, and these folks climbed it (up and down) in a record time for this guide's third year coming here! A bit of rain threatened us and we considered bailing, but soon it ceased and we finished our objective. The cloudy skies provided an incredible light tone that made our pictures sure look surreal. Upon arrival to camp, steak dinner was prepared, and a good night's sleep awaits.
Stay tuned for more,
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team
Good evening from the
Pika Glacier! We flew in yesterday on schedule, and continued with a busy afternoon of camp building for what's going to be home for the next week. We woke to warm temperatures that made the forecasted precipitation fall in the shape of rain, which kept us tent grounded for the morning. A beautiful afternoon provided a good review of skills, and the motivation is high for our first venture into the nearby formations tomorrow.
Stay tuned for more!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Groundhog day again. We woke to better weather but there was still enough weather in Talkeetna to keep the plane grounded. Some of us were in the tent sleeping when we got the word that K2 planes were inbound. The team rallied quickly and moved gear to the runway and by early afternoon we were back in town. Typical Alaska weather for us but a great introduction to the team. What a great group of people to share time with in the Alaska range. One of a kind collection of personalities and memories to carry with us forever. Thanks for following!
RMI Guides Leon Davis, Mike King and Jessie Poquerusse
May 26, 2017
So this dispatch is not coming from the green grass of town but the expansive white glacier of the Kahiltna. We thought the weather might break long enough for a flight in but alas the clouds remain limiting visibility. The team kept busy in the morning though. After breakfast we stomped down a foot of new snow on the runway so planes could land and then we waited for that faint din of turbine engines. Now it is evening and we are turning in as new snow falls. Tomorrow is another day so we will wait and see what it brings.
RMI Guide Leon Davis
This mornings skies were a welcome sight after a few days of white. Clear skies also brought colder temps for us at
Kahiltna Base Camp. It was not long before the clouds rolled back in but that did not stop the team from having some fun. We ventured to a crevasse field and gave folks a chance to see the inside of a the icy maw and climb out. Lots of laughs and pictures today around those cracks. Later in the afternoon we received word from K2 that they were launching the fleet to drop a team off and that we should be ready within the hour. That was a frantic hour indeed but the team got it done in short order. As soon as the dust settled we found out that the planes turned back so we set up a new camp downtown on the airstrip. Forecast is calling for more snow the next few days so we will see what the future holds.
RMI Guide Leon Davis
May 24, 2017
Today began the exercise in storm living. The low pressure south of us arrived and brought with it a foot of new snow. The team entertained themselves with funny stories over a few rounds of hot drinks and a long breakfast. In the afternoon we stretched our legs with a four mile walk on the main
Kahiltna Glacier before blowing snow and a disappearing track turned us back. Thankfully a little bit of stormy weather is not enough to lower the morale of this great group of strangers become friends. Tomorrow we anticipate more snow and winds but that will not be a problem for this team. Hope everyone at home is warm and dry.
RMI Guide Leon Davis
Previous Page
Next Page
Have fun Elias and Chase!
Posted by: Meredith on 6/8/2017 at 11:05 pm
View All Comments