RMI Expeditions Blog

Hola!

We left Cusco long before sunrise, trading city lights for a winding, bumpy road that climbed steadily into the Andes. By the time we reached the trailhead, the sun was out and so were the mountains. The serac-laced slopes of Humantay and Salkantay both standing over 20,000 feet stopped us still. Today we met the rest of the team who will make this journey possible. Diego is joining us as a guide, and Pancho is our head chef (he's already far exceeded our expectations by serving up trucha, local trout, for lunch that we all deemed the best we’ve had this whole trip.) After days of travel, packing, reorganizing and checking gear, it was a relief to finally shoulder a pack and start hiking. We quickly settled into the simple rhythm of the trail: one step after another through mountains that people have called home and traveled across for generations. The highlight of the day was arriving at our camp at nearly 15,000 feet. We’re right at the foot of Salkantay — the mountain towers over our camp and we couldn’t stop looking up. Watching the clouds and the fading sunlight in a dance across the jagged slopes.

A pinch me moment for every single one of us.

We piled in the dining tent for an early dinner. One full of laughs & ease. After getting our hot water bottles (a necessity, it’s brrr cold up here) we headed for an early bedtime. But not before seeing the Milky Way and one million stars holding the sky.

What a dream.

Jess and the Machu Picchu team

RMI Guides Nick Sinapius and Hannah Blum checked in from camp on Mt. Shuksan with an update from an impressive Alpine Seminar week.

Over the course of the seminar, climbers developed essential skills in glacier travel, alpine rock, steep snow and ice, and multi-pitch systems. The team summited Mt. Baker via the Coleman Deming in stormy conditions, then climbed above the smoke on Mt. Shuksan, ascending the Fisher Chimneys to the Southeast Ridge and on to the summit.

With one more day remaining, the group will wrap up a memorable week of learning, challenge, and growth in the mountains. Congratulations to the climbers and guides on a fantastic seminar.

The Four Day Climb August 2 - 5 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today.  They were descending from the crater rim just after 7 am.  RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli reported a beautiful day with a little breeze and great route conditions.  The team is descending to Camp Muir where they will take a short break, repack their gear and continue the final 4,500' descent to Paradise. Their program will conclude this afternoon with a short celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.

Nice work team!

Hello from Cusco, on our last night before the trail!

Today started about as well as a day can start: alpacas, llamas, guanacos, and vicuñas, all of them looking slightly like cartoons come to life, all of them very willing to be fed by hand. Pure, uncomplicated joy.

We learned all about the fibers and the natural dyeing techniques from bugs to plants and had a chance to shop, of course.

From there, up to Sacsayhuamán, the massive stone fortress above the city, and then down on foot into Cusco itself for a walk through the old imperial center. “Stone with stone, no element in between,” Edgar told us, pointing out joints so tight you couldn’t slide a knife between the blocks. Limestone, interlocking, no mortar, nothing but precision holding it together. The Incas had a passion for perfectionism.

After a few more stops at the convent and the cathedral, we took some time to go through our gear and pare it down for the trail. We also have a passion for perfectionism, or something.

And then, the main dinner event — cuy. Guinea pig. A full plate and a genuinely brave showing from this group. Verdict, once everyone had worked up the nerve: chewy. Very chewy. Chewy cuy, we said. Would we order it again? Debatable. Do you have to try it once in Cusco? Also yes.

Bags are packed, boots are ready, and tomorrow we drive to the trailhead.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Machu Picchu team

The Six Day Expedition Skills Seminar – Paradise led by RMI Guide Will Ambler reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today after several days of training, learning, and putting their mountaineering skills to the test on the mountain.

The team made the most of their time on the mountain, building experience and confidence as they prepared for their summit attempt. After reaching the top today, they will make a complete descent from the mountain and return to RMI’s BaseCamp later this afternoon, concluding their program.

Congratulations to the team on a successful climb and a great week of learning and adventure on Mt. Rainier!

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Mac Nolde and Seth Burns reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning under calm and pleasant skies. The team was starting their descent from the crater rim just after 7 am. They will return to Camp Muir for a quick stop and then continue down to Paradise later this afternoon.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

PC: Seth Burns

Hello from the Sacred Valley! Today felt like someone hit a fast-forward button on wonder.

We started at the Maras salt mines, which are, visually, out of this world. Thousands of small terraced pools cut into the mountainside, all fed by a single underground spring. Salty because this land used to be ocean floor millions of years before it was mountains. The Andes basically pushed the sea up and out and left the salt behind. People have been harvesting it by hand the same way for centuries.

We also met Edgar, our local guide, who’s with us for the rest of the trip. He walked us through the history and the agriculture of it all with this quiet, easy authority. The kind of person you feel lucky to be learning from.

From there, Moray. An old agricultural site built in circular terraces. Each ring its own microclimate which the Incas apparently used to figure out what would grow where. Hot sun, curiosity and a lot of walking and talking.

Lunch was box lunches by a still lake, Urubamba mountains in front of us, two baby alpacas grazing about ten feet away. The cutest little faces you’ve ever seen. Genuinely one of the better lunch spots of my life.

After a little rest, we had dinner in Cusco square: Japanese-Peruvian fusion. Does it seem like we’re only eating the best food ever? Okay good. Because we are…

Big day but we’re all doing well adapting to life at nearly 11,000 feet and looking forward to more tomorrow!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Machu Picchu team

We had a nice sunny hot day for our approach to camp, and were able to get in a full snow school, even getting a walk in on the Easton Glacier. But as happens on Mt Baker sometimes, the forecasted few hours of rain turned into 18 hours in the tents. Still, the group was in high spirits and thankful for the beautiful views and training.

- RMI Guide Joe Hoch

The custom Four Day climb led by RMI guide Eric Frank made it to the summit this morning. They were leaving the crater around 7am on their descent back to Camp Muir. They will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work everyone!

The Five Day climb led by RMI guide Mike King made their summit attempt on their second night at Camp Muir, and found summit success! They were leaving the crater rim around 6:50am starting their decent back to Camp Muir. They will briefly break at Camp Muir before starting their descent back to Paradise.They will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work up there!