RMI Expeditions Blog
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Categories: 50 Years of Climbing
RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Dave Hanning with Mark Icuss at Camp Protection on Mt. Rainier. Photo: Courtesy Mark Icuss.
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In honor of our 50th Anniversary, we are featuring stories of first climbs. Stories from guides and stories from climbers. Today we are excited to share Mark Icuss' story of his first climb: Mt. Rainier. Twenty-one years ago, Mark's life changed forever when a friend asked him to climb Mt. Rainier. Would you like to have the story of your first climb featured on our blog? Find out more!
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Twenty-one years ago a friend posed a question to me after a session at the rock gym. "Dude, you want to climb Mt. Rainier?"
Without thinking twice, I immediately said “YES!”
Up until this point I had zero mountain experience, I had never winter camped, never carried a heavy pack, and never walked in crampons. I did however, read “Into Thin Air” and was infatuated with the adventures these climbers were having.
Being a kid from Chicago, climbing anything, let alone a big mountain like Rainier, or Everest for that matter, was a ridiculous thought. "City people don't climb mountains," “You have no idea what you’re doing," and “You can get hurt or killed" were some of the things I was told by friends and family.
All I knew was I wanted to experience what it felt like to go on a grand adventure in the "big mountains."
We booked the 5-day expedition seminar with RMI and commenced "training" which in Chicago meant walking on a stair machine with a weighted pack for a couple hours at time a couple days per week.
Flash forward a few months and our departure date of June 1st was a few days away. My buddy who arranged the trip called in a panic and said his "medical condition" had flared up and he was going to have to bail! We were devastated, he was the only guy with any experience and the defacto "leader" of the group.
Myself and my other buddy had a decision to make...bail with him or just do it. We chose the latter.
A couple days later we landed in Seattle as wide eyed 24-year olds with ridiculously heavy packs not knowing what we were in for. Upon arriving at Paradise, surrounded by seasoned guides who looked way stronger and much tougher than us we realized we were possibly in waaay over our heads.
We met our guides (Dave Hanning and Adam Knoff, who was just starting out his guide career) along with the rest of the team for a quick meeting and instructions on what was expected of us and what to pack. We were leaving the next morning.
Shouldering a poorly fitted 60 lb. pack felt like absolute hell and we hadn't taken a step! We started moving up hill, learning this technique called "pressure breathing," guides pace, and the "French step."
A couple hours into the hump and we were all wasted and questioning what we had gotten ourselves into. After a quick break we continued upward and Dave stopped us and said to turn around. We all did and realized we were above the clouds; I had never been in such awe in my life and at that point knew the mountains would be a part of my life forever.
We arrived at a camp below Muir and set up our tents in a snowstorm, it was crazy, scary, and incredible all at the same time.
Summit day came after the typical crevasse rescue training a couple days later. We lost a few team members along the way due to fatigue and altitude issues, I kept going with four other guys on my rope team. We climbed through the bitter cold but clear night up to the "point of no return" at 13,000’ just as the sun was rising...I had never seen anything so beautiful.
Mark Icuss on the summit of Mt. Rainier.
We pushed ahead and before I knew it Dave said, "Congrats team, you've just climbed Mt Rainier! I've never been happier in my life and once again knew that the mountains would be a part of my life forever.
Flash forward to today, 46 years old and I've been on a trip every year since. Aconcagua, 14'ers in Colorado, all of the Tetons multiple times from multiple routes, multi-pitch routes, ice climbing, two trips to the Himalayas, and so many more.
2018: Moving up to Camp 1 on Ama Dablam.
My life was so deeply shaped by that first climb of Rainier; I have no idea what would have happened if I would have bailed. Being forced to stay in "alpine shape” for 25 years, the friendships, the epics, the close calls, and the successes have all shaped my life for the better.
None of it would have been possible if I hadn’t said “YES” to that original question of..."Dude, you want to climb Mt. Rainier?"
I owe my life of adventure to you guys, thank you for doing what you do.
Mark Icuss on the summit of Mt. Rainier.
We pushed ahead and before I knew it Dave said, "Congrats team, you've just climbed Mt Rainier! I've never been happier in my life and once again knew that the mountains would be a part of my life forever.
Flash forward to today, 46 years old and I've been on a trip every year since. Aconcagua, 14'ers in Colorado, all of the Tetons multiple times from multiple routes, multi-pitch routes, ice climbing, two trips to the Himalayas, and so many more.
2018: Moving up to Camp 1 on Ama Dablam.
My life was so deeply shaped by that first climb of Rainier; I have no idea what would have happened if I would have bailed. Being forced to stay in "alpine shape” for 25 years, the friendships, the epics, the close calls, and the successes have all shaped my life for the better.
None of it would have been possible if I hadn’t said “YES” to that original question of..."Dude, you want to climb Mt. Rainier?"
I owe my life of adventure to you guys, thank you for doing what you do.
What a day and what a team. Our luck held out with an evening that was clear, windless and fairly warm. At 12:30am we were walking after being fed by our great kitchen staff. Our slow pace was key to not overheating the engines when climbing in the rarefied air above 15,000'.
We got to Stella Point just after dawn then on to Uhuru Peak, the summit, shortly thereafter.
Did I mentioned that EVERYONE SUMMITED! Yeah, the team rocked it today, enjoying sunshine and warm temps while taking summit photos at 19,340'.
Our descent back to camp went smoothly and we were treated to another wonderful meal before packing up and hitting the trail for the thicker air of Mweka Camp at 10,000'. Dropping down from 15,000' does amazing things for the body, and so worth the effort to get here after a hard summit day.
And now, dinner awaits before a well deserved sleep.
Goodnight from Kilimanjaro on our last night on the mountain.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Congrats, Mary!!! I am so proud of you. Way to be amazing!
Posted by: Jen C on 7/28/2019 at 3:59 pm
Mary, You did it congratulations! And congratulations to the team. Mary, I can’t express the joy I have for you right now. I will tell you when I see you. And I can’t wait to hear of your adventures, May I say you are truly a bad ass woman with a purpose!Again team well done ,My hat comes off to all of you and everybody who walked that mountain.
Posted by: David Workman on 7/28/2019 at 9:38 am
The RMI Summit Climb team, led by Tyler Reid, is currently on the top of Mt. Rainier. A beautiful day with hardly any wind on the highest point of Washington. The team will spend some time on top before they begin their descent.
Congratulations to today's summit climb team!
Congratulations! You made it to the top. Enjoy the rest of your trip, you are awesome!
Posted by: Rochelle on 7/28/2019 at 7:33 pm
Posted by: Robby Young
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Hello world,
We woke up to crystal clear skies last night, which hasn’t been the norm this season here in the Cordillera Blanca. But this beautiful night so happened to coincide with our climb of Pisco...just our luck! It was a really long day to say the least. It’s a tricky walk for the first several hours just to reach the glacier; up and over the moraine, across a boulder covered rock glacier, and up steep trail and slabs, all done in the dark. The stars were out which made for some wonderful views at breaks. A few more hours of dark while ascending snow and ice and the we finally saw some sun...which proved to be one of those classic Cordillera Blanca sunrises that are hard to describe. Just spectacular! A few more hours and we found ourselves just under 19,000’, on the summit of Pisco. We were above a thick cloud deck and the highest peaks of the Range were penetrating the clouds all around us. It was a special moment for this team who put in a lot of hard work and dedication into their climbing adventure in Peru. We stayed on top and soaked it all in for almost an hour before we walked down into the clouds for a long retreat back to Base Camp. All in all, 12.5 hours, Base Camp to Summit to Base Camp. We took the afternoon to get super tranquilo, as tomorrow, our journey back to civilization begins.
RMI Guide Robby Young, Alfie, William and Team ‘Fuerte’
What a wonderful read = can see the stars in the clear mountain air and the calm of the then broken by first light = so well written thank you for sharing God Bless
Posted by: Bobby Brown on 7/28/2019 at 8:12 pm
Congratulations to the whole team for an amazing climb! And thanks to Robby, William and Alfie for getting the team out and back successfully and safely!
Posted by: Barbara W on 7/27/2019 at 12:57 pm
Posted by: Taylor Bickford, Joe Hoch
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,300'
The Four Day Climb Teams led by Taylor Bickford and Joe Hoch radioed down this morning to let us know that they turned at 12,300' due to high winds and deteriorating conditions on the upper mountain. The team was safely back in Camp Muir by 7:45 AM PT. After drying out a little and resting, the team will descend from Camp Muir and be back in town this afternoon.
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Very comfortable night out in the bush. Not until sunrise when the bird alarms went off did anything but a lullaby come from our surroundings. A couple hours of game driving brought us out of the park but not before some lions, elephant, giraffe to name just a few bid us farewell. Fpur of the team stayed for one more night at Balloon Camp while the rest of us are back at Arumeru Lodge getting ready for a transfer to the airport. Another fine expedition is now in the books.
Thanks for following!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Greetings from 15,200'. We were rewarded today with a short three hour hike to Barafu Camp, last stop before the summit. This is it! Tonight we go for the top.
Everyone is excited, and perhaps a wee bit nervous. Climbing to 19,340' is no small feat. But with all the preparation and great acclimatization we've taken advantage of we're more than ready.
Our wonderful camp staff has been spoiling us rotten, greeting us with bowls of hot water once we got settled in camp and a lunch that couldn't be better. It's amazing what they do here, considering that it takes over two hours for a porter to get a five-gallon bucket of water from the nearest stream.
We've discussed the details of the climb tonight and have been preparing our gear so we're all ready for tonight's departure. We'll try to get to bed around 6:00pm and awaken at 11:30pm. Breakfast at midnight and walking shortly thereafter.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Brent Okita
On The Map
Mary,
Sending you all my love and positive vibes! You are a true inspiration! Iava, iava, iava! The all is in one and the one is in all! Way to go for it! Xoxo
Posted by: Chantel Nielsen on 7/27/2019 at 7:01 pm
Mary, Poli Poli all the way to the summit tonight!!! It will be a beautiful sunrise for you. Martin
Posted by: Martin on 7/27/2019 at 5:49 pm
RMI Guide Robby Young checked in with us after their Pisco Oeste summit bid. They were able to summit and had a good day on the mountain. They are back at their camp for the night and will continue on to Huaraz tomorrow.
Congratulations and well done to all!!!
Posted by: Michelle on 7/26/2019 at 6:39 pm
Wonderful pics! Looks like an incredibly arduous accomplishment. Congratulations to all the team; proud of you and looking forward to hearing the stories!
Posted by: Barbara w on 7/26/2019 at 6:34 pm
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
It was a little tough leaving the Plantation Lodge this morning, but it was time to Safari on! We made our way to Tarangire National Park making a couple of short stops along the way. Treasures from a far off land were acquired and a stop at a local tribal village made for an interesting cultural experience for the day. We enjoyed singing and dancing and a demo of how rubbing sticks together to make a fire. A quick tour of the mud hay and cow dung hut they call home then off to the park for more game viewing. The park is a series of parallel rivers, shallow valleys and broad savanna. Also boasting that it has more elephants per square kilometer than any place on earth. It didn't disappoint us with plenty of other animals as usual. We are tucked into our new lodge inside the park call Balloon Camp. The camp has screened-in rooms out deep in the bush allowing Africa to envelope your every fiber.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Summit! RMI Guide Steve Gately and his Mt. Shuksan team reached the summit via the Fisher Chimneys Route. They will descend to Upper Curtis Camp and then possibly to Lake Ann this afternoon because of rain moving in this evening. Tomorrow the team will then complete their descent back to the trailhead.
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Marc,
Congratulations on your successes! You have big shoes to fill following Jim and Lou. I love all climbing videos and books. One of my favorites was the American team when they made the summit of Everest in 1963 on both the regular route and the west ridge. Maybe I’ll read or watch a video about you some day.
I’m extremely impressed with RMI’s safety record. Have fun!
Susan
Posted by: Susan Moore on 7/29/2019 at 11:12 pm
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