RMI Expeditions Blog

Ok, so what we got when the alarms went off was more rain. It wasn't a downpour, but certainly any amount of rain (and also wind in this case) is not the way to start a long day on Cayambe. As we sat staring at our coffee mugs, the sound of raindrops against the window broke the silence. The guide team made the decision to delay our start and took routine trips outside to see if the situation was improving. By 1:00 am, it really hadn't gotten much better, but given the current afternoon temps and weather patterns it seemed like to have any chance we needed to just gamble and get started. 

To our astonishment and excitement, we quickly moved out of the cloud and stayed mostly dry to start the day! The stars came out and climbing on Cayambe gives quite a show. The highest point on the equator crosses over the slopes of Cayambe and there is very little light pollution, it really is spectacular. However, that feeling of excitement quickly dwindled as clouds set back in. There were still intermittent views of the stars and town of Cayambe below, but the weather was changing. As we moved higher, it began to snow lightly, getting heavier as we got closer to the summit. It was clear that to make the summit, we would need to move quickly and this team was able to pull it off! We took a short break on the summit, anticipating more precipitation. The surface conditions were rapidly changing on us, so we just kept the train rolling downhill. Eventually, we reached the lower part of the glacier, emerged from the storm cloud and breathed a sigh of relief and satisfaction. 

Luck was certainly on our side today as we were able to safely ascend Cayambe on what turned out to be a marginal day. Now we are resting at Casa Ilayaku and with a late start to head to Antisana Basecamp tomorrow morning. We will spend two nights at basecamp and plan to cover a variety of mountaineering skills while enjoying the scenery of the high grasslands. Our summit attempt on Antisana will start on Wednesday night!

-- RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

After a shorter day the team headed from Paine Grande into the French Valley. Clouds and wind set the tone for what would be a partially sunny day where the clouds stayed high above. The glaciated Paine Grande massif dominates the valley to the left. Then as you get up higher, the largest of the alpine cirque comes into view with granite towers and walls everywhere you look. The remaining trail to Refugio Los Cuernos goes along a massive turquoise lake and is situated under the Cuernos (Horns) rock formation. Tomorrow we’ll be back in the Central area for the night and a hike to the Torres Wednesday morning concludes our trek. 

RMI Guide Mike King

After two successful summits of La Malinche and Ixta, team Mexico Volcanoes took our show back on the road to the small town of Tlachachuca to prepare for our climb of 18,500' Pico de Orizaba. 

Our perfect sunny weather continued as we gear exploded and sorted on the lawn of our Mexican outfitter Servimont. After a quick lunch we loaded into the 4x4 trucks and 1964 Dodge Powerwagon that take us to our basecamp. A couple bouncy hours later, we unloaded, dusted off and set up the tents for a quick sleep. 

11:30pm dawned calm and star-lit, and we made quick work of the lower part of Orizaba. As we neared 17,000 feet, the sun came up and gave us the spectacular and classic pyramidal mountain shadow that Orizaba is famous for. 

As we climbed higher, it became clear that rumors of a very icy summit section were true. We watched as multiple teams above us on the steep summit headwall found more of the bullet-hard ice we’d found lower on the glacier, and winds strong enough to put them down on that ice multiple times. 

We had a chat as a group and concluded that our 18,000 foot high point (highest for all but the guides!) was certainly the best spot to turn around. It was a hard decision as Orizaba was our biggest goal. But ultimately we all agreed that safety on this huge exotic mountain was number one. 

We descended into a hot sunny afternoon and enjoyed our final evening with a delicious dinner, then made our way to the airport in the morning to some fond farewells. 

Until next time Orizaba!

Thanks to the team for a great trip and way too many memories to list here! 

RMI Guides Joe Hoch & Sam Hoffman

We are settled in at the Cayambe hut and planning to climb tonight. It has been off and on rain and wind throughout the day, but is currently nice. We will see what we get in a few hours when my alarm goes off!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

The high pressure system ended abruptly with rain and wind this morning. The team got up earlier than they’d like after the long day over the pass. There was a glacier hike to get up for. After a short briefing they zipped out on a RHIB for a four hour walk on the Grey glacier, the consensus was it was very picturesque and the glacier water tasted good. 

We still had to hike four hours to Paine Grande. This section of trail is rocky and when raining can be slick in some places. The area between Grey and Paine also reflects the wildfires that have swept through the park. Barren landscape at first glance, but upon closer inspection there’s wild flowers, nice rock formations and a lot of blue ice floating in Lago Grey. We got soak, 4 times and the Patagonian winds blew out the squalls and dried us out. We are at the Refugio eating dinner, enjoying the many views out the windows. Will likely get to watch some of the Super Bowl and we have 26km tomorrow if our side hike into the French Valley goes the distance. 

Thanks for following along,

RMI Guide Mike King

We had a calm night at Perros with a 5am wake up. Quick coffee and breakfast and we headed up towards John Gardner Pass at 3,812’. The air was warm, high pressure moved in over the last 24 hours. The views of the Grey glacier and southern Patagonia ice field were outstanding. As we dropped into the trees the real fun begins….steep trail, contorted 2.5” plumbers pipe handrails and lots of sore toes. There might not be a more accessible trail that takes you from a dense forest to a large valley glacier at such low attitude in only 2.5 miles, this is what the “O” circuit  provides. It’s all worth the views and cold beverages once at Grey. The team is doing well, hanging out, showers and clean clothes with a buffet dinner to wrap up the biggest day thus far.

Thanks for following along,

RMI Guide Mike King

After a leisurely three course breakfast at 8:30am (read, one final relaxing morning), we're ready to do big mountain things in earnest. We left the lovely confines of the Intiyaya Residences and enjoyed a couple hours in the Otavalo market. Souvenirs were haggled for while Jaime and I enjoyed multiple ice creams, in the form of both affogatos and soft serve. It was our way of celebrating Carnival, which is happening right now through much of the world. I have no plans of fasting for Lent, but a little bit of Carnival indulgence seemed appealing.

This afternoon we made our way to the lower hut on Cayambe and are settled in for the night. We spent some time practicing anchor building skills for those who hope to use this skills seminar as a jumping off point for personal climbs or bigger guided climbs. Things to this point have moved a bit slowly, the acclimatization process is not fast-paced, instead it is methodical and does not pay to be rushed. However, we now are beginning the three-day cycle of big climbs. Tomorrow, we go to high camp, the next day is our summit attempt and the following is a rest day. We will repeat this cycle on Antisana and Chimborazo, making three big summit attempts over the following nine calendar days. And as soon as we know it, it will all be over, so for now we are all just trying to live in the moment and focus on the task at hand!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Today we left Quito and the city life is in our rear view. Yeah, the hotel is nice. Yeah, the coffee shop across the street knows my name and order. Yeah, the eucalyptus steam room is great. But we are here to climb, experience culture, be a little uncomfortable. All those other things are available everywhere else!

So, we turn our sights towards Cayambe. Today, we did one more acclimatization hike to Cerro Fuya Fuya and were once again fortunate to stay dry. Walking around in the high grasslands gave us a chance to breathe some fresh air and continue to work towards the physiological adaptations that will be advantageous for us on higher mountains. Tonight, we are enjoying a lovely rest in a classic Andean highlands hacienda before we head to the lower Cayambe hut tomorrow.

The team is in good spirits after reaching the summits of both acclimatization peaks. I seem to be the only person who is a bit chapped about missing the Super Bowl (once again) because we will be out of cell range. Oh well, I don’t actually care who wins, just as long as all the players have fun.

Anyways, it’s time to call it a night, keep us in your thoughts as we venture higher the next few days. Hopefully to 18,996’ by Monday morning!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

A little over 7 miles of hiking brought us to the Perros glacier overlook and nearby camp. The wind, forest and rivers make for a soothing ambient soundtrack as the trail winds through the lenga trees. We are at the base of the Pass, fed & rested for the longest day to join the "W" circuit in the Grey Glacier Valley. The laughs continue as we get to know each other.

RMI Guide Mike King

A needed rest, headed to Orizaba!

After our success on Ixta, Team Mexico Volcanoes settled into a very well deserved couple of nights and a day of rest in beautiful Puebla, Mexico. 

Everyone got some sleep, washed off the mountain, and checked out the colonial buildings and many cathedrals and artisan markets. 

After a great team dinner and another night of rest we got up early and hit the road to Tlachichuca, and our final and largest mountain, 18,500’ Pico de Orizaba. 

Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Joe Hoch