RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
We are back at Senior Reyes' historic soap factory turned climbers hostel. The Mexican music and loud fireworks are going off like we had some remote control. The roosters and dogs are going berserk. But all the local acoustic entertainment is just part of climbing and traveling in Mexico. We are wrapping up a great 10 days with a fun group of guys. We climbed and stood on top of three volcanoes, ate amazing food, sampled many of the local libations and enjoyed some of the clearest views of this area anyone in recent past has ever seen. This trip isn’t so much of an expedition as it’s a fun Mexican vacation where we climb high altitude volcanoes instead of sitting on the beach. If you need to test your mind, body and spirit at altitude this is a good choice. We will be getting an early start towards the airport tomorrow. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Couldn’t have asked for a nicer day to climb the 3rd highest peak in North America! The entire Team is here, feeling a little worked but with smiles on their faces. Warm, clear night to start and a slight breeze once up in the glacier. We have a lot of smoke obscuring the views to the East and clear skies our to the West with Ixta, Popo and La Malinche. We have a long descent ahead of us and we will check in once back at Sr. Reye’s hostel. Drew, we missed you up here, hope the flight went well!
RMI Guide Mike King
Wow! Amazing pictures! Glad you all made it safe and sound.
Posted by: Jean Wittmier on 2/24/2019 at 6:49 pm
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
The last two days have been a whirlwind. We had a long drive to Puebla after climbing Ixta. The team rallied out that night for a much needed meal and then hit the racks for some well deserved sleep. The Hotel Colonial in Puebla was built in 1865 and is located on the historic square among several massive cathedrals.
We spent the day off exploring historic Puebla. Some of the group got massages while others wandered the various markets and narrow streets lined with colorful buildings. We are recharged and ready to head towards Orizaba this morning. The ride to Senior Reye’s climbing hostel takes us hours hours East towards the Gulf of Mexico. From there we will pack our mountain gear and head up in 4x4 trucks through the dry grassy slopes and dense pine forests that cover the lower flanks of Orizaba. Once at the Piedra Grande hut we’ll get a walk in to stretch our legs and get some rest for the main objective, Orizaba’s 18,400’ summit.
The group is doing well and surprised how fast the trip has gone.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
This is Mike, we topped out on Ixtaccihuatl around 7:50 am with a stiff wind for the entire climb. The air temperature was warm and we had a beautiful full moon. The combination of moon light and wind made for a crystal clear climb and amazing sunrise. We are in our descent now and will check in once we are back down at the bus.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
This is Mike checking in from 15,300’ on Ixta. We got a casual start to the day with a big breakfast and final packing of our equipment. It’s always a bummer to have 40ish pounds of stuff for just one night out. The trail ascends a ridge with a series of weaknesses that allow for a moderate elevation gain. We enjoyed clear views of Orizaba and La Malinche. From camp you could even pick out the glimmer of glass on the high rise building of Mexico City.
The traditional high camp where the Refugio sits is currently occupied by a 50+ member unit of the Mexican Army. We opted for the camp that is slightly lower to have a quiet evening. The wind is currently shaking the tents and depositing grit on our teeth. We’ll have some dinner and get our packs ready for tomorrow’s summit bid. The weather looks good, so fingers crossed for clear skies and no electrics storms.
RMI Guide Mike King
It took six attempts but finally the weather cooperated for a successful acclimatization hike to the top of La Malinche, 14,501’. A new high point for some of our Team. The ‘day hike’ is the equivalent of a Rainier summit day from Camp Muir in elevation gain. The Team did well despite having just arrived sea level more or less.
This morning we are in route to Ixta, a quick stop for breakfast and coffee then a travel day to the Altzomani Hut. There, we will pack for our hike to high camp and enjoy a nice dinner and spectacular sunset. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
This is Mike checking in for the Mexico Volcanoes team. Everyone arrived with bags in tow yesterday. We will head out in a few minutes for a day hike on La Malinche. The goal today is to stretch the legs and lungs a bit and sleep at 10,000’ tonight. Our drive today takes us out of Mexico City and into the surrounding countryside for three scenic hours before climbing the lower slopes of the mountain. we’ll spend the night in little cabanas after our acclimatization hike. We’ll check in each day, thanks for following along.
RMI Guides Mike King & Dustin Wittmier
Have a safe journey
Posted by: Dick and Kay Seubert on 2/18/2019 at 1:12 pm
Have a great climb, and post lots of pictures!!
Posted by: Ray Wittmier on 2/17/2019 at 7:14 pm
Posted by: Christina Dale
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine
We connected the circuit today. Made it full circle around the Torres del Paine Massive! It was fun to see where we started, not fully knowing what was ahead and now how far we've come. The group has really hit their stride in terms of packing up in the mornings, falling in their favorite order on the trail, and even taking siestas at lunch time. It's always fun for me to see a group start wide-eyed and overwhelmed get so comfortable with trail life. This group has definitely done that. Most people on this trip, had not spent nine days out and carried their gear but now they make it look natural.
The scenery did not disappoint today. We spent all morning watching lenticular clouds form and move off in the distance. We walked around Lake Nordensjold all day appreciating the color contrasts around us. Tomorrow some of the group is going to walk up to the towers, others will go halfway and enjoy the views, and others will treat themselves to a massage--very deserving. Then we will head back to town. It always feels bittersweet leaving the trail. Yes, we are looking forward to pizza and home but we will miss the peace and simplicity that Patagonia has shared with us.
RMI Guide Christina Dale
Awesome job Christina!! :)
Posted by: Kim Lowe on 2/18/2019 at 8:30 pm
How you go Nini,
Sounds like a great trip. Happy Valentines.
Safe trip back
Love Dad
Posted by: peter von Mertens on 2/14/2019 at 9:43 am
Posted by: Christina Dale
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine
Here in Patagonia, you drink the water right out of the streams. It is sourced in the glaciers that hang off the towering granite above us. We hike all day with an empty water bottle and just fill up at breaks. They say it makes you strong enough to complete the circuit and it's definitely worked for this group. Tomorrow we will connect the dots and walk back to where we started, covering over 100 miles. It's hard to describe what we've seen because the landscape is awe inspiring around every corner.
Today's team member shout-out is to a super fun loving couple from Wisconsin that love to laugh. They inspire us all with a passion for adventure and travel.
RMI Guide Christina Dale
Posted by: Christina Dale
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine
What a day?! The sun glistened off the blue icebergs and the breeze kept us cool on the trail. This group has really found their stride. Breakfast of eggs and freshly baked bread, walking with lots of photo breaks, lunch time, and more walking. What more could we want? We all support one another by reaching people's water bottles for them or offering around sunscreen. But the couple from Nashville truly steal the show when it comes to generosity. This couple is the first to share their favorite trail snacks (honey stinger gummies) and even offer to take more weight. They are the kindest badasses around and have many more trails to hike and mountains to climb in their future!
Other than this great group of people, some trail highlights have been watching the condors soar, seeing the granite towers, and being surrounded by turquoise waters. The food is also worth mentioning; grilled salmon, stuffed chicken, pork on chili mashed potatoes...it's a treat. But I'm sure we'll all return home looking like svelte explorers. ;) Now I'm off for another amazing dinner with a view.
RMI Guide Christina Dale and team
Sounds like an amazing trip! Glad we are able to keep up with your journey. Love and Hugs!
Posted by: Dad and Cindy on 2/10/2019 at 7:07 pm
Proud of those Nashville badasses for living their dream !
Posted by: Rita Christodoulou on 2/10/2019 at 6:15 pm
Thanks for the updates and fantastic pictures. Looks like everyone had a good and safe
Climb.
Posted by: Karen Knight on 2/24/2019 at 9:14 am
Awesome Mike!! Thank you for your posts. I am super torked up for next week with Eric and Jenny.
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 2/24/2019 at 2:17 am
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