RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today we woke to African birds singing in the trees and dik diks and monkeys roaming the garden-like grounds of our hotel. We got down to the business of preparing for tomorrow’s departure. But it was a leisurely business, to be sure. A morning meeting gave us the chance to get to know one another and to understand how we’ll tackle a 19,340 ft mountain together. A round of gear checks followed and the team then got into packing, sorting and organizing. We checked the weight of our bags after lunch and a bit of free time followed. Kilimanjaro broke through the clouds in early afternoon and many of the team climbed the observation tower on the hotel grounds to get a view. Some walked into the nearby village of Usa River to stretch their legs and some napped away the jet lag. We gathered for a fine dinner together and laughed through a few shared stories and misadventures. We’ve got the morning planned out -departure at eight, Kilimanjaro awaits.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Mike Walter and his team are on the summit of Mt. Shuksan. They climbed the Fisher Chimneys and then the southeast ridge to the summit. The team will descend back to their high camp to stay for the night.
Congratulations to the team!
Our Five-Day Mt. Rainier Climb reached the summit this morning. RMI Guide Alan Davis called in from the crater rim and reported clear skies and a beautiful day of climbing. The team will descend back to Paradise this afternoon.
Summit! RMI Guide Jake Beren and his team reached the top of Mt. Rainier, the highest point in Washington! The team enjoyed blue skies and warm mountain temperatures. After spending time on the summit, the team is currently on their descent to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to all. Quite an achievement.
Posted by: Jim Price on 8/5/2019 at 12:32 pm
Congrats to the P-burgh/Carnegie climbers. The second time is the charm! Safe travels down , and a good rest tonight.
Posted by: Jo Ann on 8/5/2019 at 11:09 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
The trip has just begun, but we’re already declaring success! Each and every climber -and that would be eleven of us- made it from the far flung corners of the United States of America to the outskirts of Arusha, in the heart of Tanzania, without missing a flight or losing any luggage.
A fair percentage of the team goes by the name Mike, or Robert or Dave -which made introductions pretty easy. Since all are sleepy after such extensive travel, we haven’t gone much beyond introductions yet. Tomorrow we’ll get to the nuts and bolts of prepping to climb Kilimanjaro. Tonight it was all about getting settled at the Arumeru River Lodge and getting some rest.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
The team assembled in Moscow yesterday evening for the start to our Elbrus Northside adventure. We kept things brief, as many of us were working off the affects of many hours of transatlantic flights, and headed out for a nice dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Moscow River. This morning it was time to kick it into tourist gear and explore some of the historical architecture in and around the Kremlin. We met our tour guide Victoria in a bustling Red Square and joined the queue to file through Lenin’s Tomb to see his body. We emerged from the darkness to cross Red Square and enter St. Basil's Cathedral. The building is actually made up of 11 individual churches, all connected, that were built and dedicated to a variety of saints; some local heroes of Moscow, and some of the Eastern Orthodox religion. After a quick swing through the GUM department store, we swung around the walls of the Kremlin to the entrance and filtered through the main gate. Inside, buildings from a variety of time periods, some dating back to the Czars and emperors, some built during communism, house a variety of museums, assembly and concert venues, and current Russian government offices. Of interest to us were the five cathedrals towards the back of the Kremlin. Cathedrals that were used for the coronation of emperors, to hold the remains of royalty, to be the head of the Eastern Orthodox religion, and to be the location for royal baptisms, weddings, and other major events.
Our whirlwind tour of cathedrals concluded, and we wandered into the old city for lunch, before making our way back across the Moscow River to our hotel for a little free time. We got together this evening for another delicious meal atop yet another Moscow building, this one themed around mushrooms and all of their unique flavors. We’ve only just gotten off the planes it feels like, but early tomorrow, we’ll be back on the road to the airport, headed for Kislovodsk, our departure point for the mountain and our objective. It will feel good to be closer to the hills, and to the rhythms of climbing that we're accustomed. We'll check in tomorrow from Kislovodsk.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
I hope you all have a safe and fun climb! What an adventure! I looking forward to following you on this amazing journey
Posted by: Kelly Nyquist on 8/7/2019 at 3:17 pm
Looks amazing have a safe climb!! We’re following along
Posted by: Sean on 8/6/2019 at 7:49 pm
RMI Guide Eric Frank and the Mt. Rainier Summit Climb team reached the summit just after 7:00 a.m. The weather is nice with blue skies and winds between 15 - 20 mph. The team is currently on top enjoying the views before they begin their descent back down the mountain.
Hurray team! And now for the decent..stay sharp & alert.. it’s not over til it’s over.. can’t wait to hear about the expedition!
Posted by: Donna Greenwall on 8/5/2019 at 11:02 am
Awaiting to board our planes that will eventually bring us home and to the loved ones we've been away from for two weeks we're all excited yet sad to see our big adventure come to an end. That our team is breaking apart is even sadder. We've come to know and appreciate one another to no small degree. Sharing life as closely as we have, and with such warm, generous souls, is a special experience. Plans to climb together again are thrown up and we'll see if they stick. I know right now we'd all like to get back together.
As I reflect back on this trip I'm reminded why I've chosen this career and am thankful for the opportunities that have come my way. This trip has been extra special because of the people on it. They are the reason I continue pursuing my craft and livelihood. Thanks team, and thanks to everyone following us on the blog.
Until next time!
RMI Guide Brent Okita
PS As for our last safari, our morning revealed only a few hundred animals, not the thousands we saw yesterday. But, it was a short day to allow some shopping and relaxing before our flights. A nice way to end
Posted by: Mike King, Alex Halliday
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Mike King and Alex Halliday reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team reported clear, calm and beautiful Skies. The team just departed from the crater rim and are en route back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations team!
Posted by: Casey Grom, Jenny Konway
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,060'
The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams, led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Jenny Konway, were unable to summit this morning. They stayed at Camp Muir due to high winds and rain. The teams will begin their descent to Paradise later this morning.
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Congratulations to the entire team! I’m so glad the weather cooperated and you had a beautiful day of climbing. Steve, we can’t wait to hear about the entire adventure when you get back!
-H, A & K
Posted by: Heidi on 8/5/2019 at 11:52 am
Congratulations to our teammate, Mark Pengelly, for making his Mt. Rainier summit this morning. This was Mark’s second summit bid this summer since our July 18th summit bid was cut short due to extreme weather. Mark is the first Tideworks Mountaineers to summit Mt. Rainier. We have Hugh Gallagher summiting tomorrow morning and Steve Albert summiting Aug. 23. This is an exciting summer for our team.
Congratulations to the entire team this morning!!!
Posted by: Tideworks Mountaineers on 8/5/2019 at 11:33 am
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