RMI Expeditions Blog

Avery's team made it to the summit this morning around 11 am after a rainy day yesterday we woke to clear and beautiful night and perfect climbing conditions. We cruised to the top and walked all the way out to the trailhead today. 

The RMI team led by guides Will Ambler, Miles Watson, and Oliver Sperin had a sunset ascent of Mt Baker via the Easton Glacier. The team went 100% to the top! They are currently on their descent back to the trailhead. 

Great work everyone!

The Four Day climb led by RMI guides Eric Frank and Sam Hoffman made it to the summit of Mt Rainier around 6:15am 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 up there!

After dinner I asked the team what some of their highlights were from the day:

• One had fun learning and playing Scum (Scum is the chosen card game of this group — we’ve been playing every night and I’m happy to report we saw our first female president who served two terms, iykyk.)
   
• Some said they enjoyed waking up at 5:00am to the symphony of dogs barking and someone else chimed in “or not sleeping to dog’s barking” and then I reminded them I asked for highlights…
   
• There was consensus that the lasagna dinner served with deep fried cauliflower was a top notch moment.
   
• One mentioned that passing every other group on the trail was their highlight. Now before you think we were zooming, dear readers, we weren’t. We were moving in our uphill formation slow and steady. You know what they say, smooth is fast and fast is slow. That was definitely proven true today.
   
• Many mentioned that skipping and/or running down the many rocky stairs was the highlight. With caution! No injuries! But it was fun.
   
• But the top highlight was climbing the 430 flights of stairs (more than 4,000 vertical feet) to Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest point on the whole Inca trail, named because the ridgeline lays out like a woman on her back against the sky. And seeing down into the valley below — the views were 10/10.

 - RMI Guide Jess and the Machu Picchu team

Wedel and team send pictures before they start the Inca Trail and lose service. 

We took off from the trailhead last night around 11 pm - the smoke had cleared up North and the stars were incredible! We walked in the darkness for around 5 hours until the light hit us about halfway up the glacier. It was a beautiful morning to summit Mount Baker and now many hours of walking and snacks later we are back at the cars and on our way home with tired but happy legs.

-RMI Guide Avery Stolte

The Four Day climb led by RMI guides Joe Hoch and Mac Nolde made it to the summit of Mt Rainier this morning. They reported nice weather and a busy route. They were leaving the crater starting their descent back to Camp Muir around 7am. They will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work up there! 

We woke up with a little pep in our step after a good night’s rest at lower altitudes.

Today was our shortest day on the trail, and it came at exactly the right time after two big days and more ahead. After a leisurely breakfast — oat bread (a crowd favorite), quinoa porridge, breakfast sandwiches, and as much hot cocoa and coffee as we could physically put down — we hit the trail.

Descending for a couple hours, we took our time and stopped to learn about the plants, herbs, and flowers along the way. We stopped by the river and sat in silence for some minutes, everyone on their own rock, listening to what Edgar called “the music of Pachamama.” Peaceful, and a good reminder that you can do this anywhere, just sit and listen to birds and moving water, you don’t need to be at 12,000 feet in Peru to remember that. Though it helps.

We visited our first archaeological site on trail, then said goodbye to our horses and wranglers. From here on, we’re on the official Inca Trail, porter team and all.

The afternoon was ours. Rest, laundry, lying in the sun. A campsite chess match. Meanwhile the local chickens and roosters strutted through camp like they owned the place (they might.)

Well-earned, all of it, before tomorrow’s big climb up to Dead Woman’s Pass.

Everyone is doing well. Chess champions, laundry doers, chicken diplomats, the whole crew.

- RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Machu Picchu team

We had just arrived at Incachiriaska pass — over 16,000 ft. Everyone was sitting on the rocky ridge, breathing deeply after a big climb to get there. The guides were constantly reminding people to be careful and thoughtful with movement since both sides of the pass opened up into expansive views (and big falls lines.)

Edgar was just beginning to tell us about how the Andean people believe the mountains are holy. We had all picked up a rock on the way up. The bigger the rock for the bigger the sinner, Edgar joked. (Some of us even carried multiple rocks. Are we overachievers or perhaps have much to atone for? Who’s to say.)

But just as Edgar started to speak, a soaring condor flew, I kid you not, 20 feet above us through the pass. As if he was looking right at us, as if he was saying some important message to each of us that we needed to hear.

You could tell it was special because Edgar, who has lived his whole life in these mountains and been guiding for more than 20 years, stood in awe. His eyes wide as he whispered, “stay quiet.”

We watched as the massive bird sailed through the air, we watched as he in both an instant and an eternity soared away.

The feeling of awe is ever-present here but in that moment it was felt deeply. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. We just stood there, sixteen thousand feet up, watching.

We stayed a little longer at the pass, creating a stack of all our carried rocks as an offering to Pachamama. The condor continued to circle back a time or two but never as close as the first time.

Soon, we packed our bags, lengthened our trekking poles for the steep scree below and started our long descent to camp. We moved down and down nearly 4,000 vertical feet, back into soft grasses and birds chirping and the water rushing next to us. After many miles and hours, we arrived at our camp at 12,000ft.

The air is thicker, the temps are warmer and with full bellies from another delicious dinner, we tucked into our tents for the night. But not without the seared memory in our minds of the condor so close it felt like we were friends.

What a world.

- RMI Guide Jess and the Machu Picchu team

The Four Day climb led by RMI guides Dave Hahn and Mike Bennett reached the summit of Mt Rainier this morning! They reported a beautiful morning, and were starting their descent from the crater at 7am on their way back to Camp Muir. They will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work up there, everyone!