RMI Expeditions Blog

Aconcagua: King & Team Move to High Camp

February 4, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, Jenny Konway, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 19,600'

The Team packed up and moved the bear necessities to Cholera, located at 19,600'. Camp is built and we are enjoying a calm and warm day, which is a plus since this camp is named after the fierce winds that plague this part of the mountain. Tomorrow is our summit day and there is some nervous energy and excitement to be finally nearing the objective of the climb. Everyone sends their best back home. Not much else to do but eat, pack, try to sleep and enjoy the thin air. We'll call in from the summit should Aconcagua bless us with calm winds and a wicked cramponable route. RMI Guide Mike King

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Praying for good weather and a strong climb to the TOP!! Go team Go! XO Coeli

Posted by: Coeli Scott on 2/5/2018 at 5:02 am

Good Luck to you all! Enjoy the day and the final push to the top!

Posted by: Tania on 2/4/2018 at 6:52 pm

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Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Enjoy Time on the Trail to Barranco Camp

February 3, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories:

Elevation: 13,000'

Another sparkling and clear start to the day. Mt. Meru, our 15,000 ft volcanic neighbor to the West seemed close enough to touch in the early morning air at Shira Camp. Kibo stood out in all its glory with bunches of recent snow on her flanks. We got walking at around 8:30 AM heading directly toward the central peak. The trail was a good deal easier than yesterday’s rock hopping. We gained altitude steadily, but without getting on any steep terrain. It took a few hours to work up the broad plateau through juniper and low sage-like shrubs. Clouds had begun to form and by the time we reached our highpoint for the day, the 15,200 ft “Lava Tower” we were robbed of any views by fog and murk. Even so, we sat for a pleasant half hour eating lunch in the clouds, having broken altitude records for about three quarters of our group. Just as we began our descent toward camp in the Barranco Valley, it started raining and so we quickly covered up. The storm lasted about an hour, but didn’t give us much real trouble in our descent. Just before we reached camp, as we came into a fabulous garden of Lobelias and Giant Senecios, the rain quit and things dried out a bit. We rolled into camp at 13,000 ft at precisely 3:30... just ahead of tea time. Chef Tosha dazzled us with another fine dinner in our dome tent to finish this big day. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Looks awesome! You guys are sooooo amazing! Keep it going. I love the updates.

Posted by: Brandi Gerdes on 2/5/2018 at 9:27 am

Keep it going, Sue & Todd! We hope that your feet are staying strong and that you’re sleeping well to take on that mountain.

Posted by: Jeff & Jen Drutman on 2/3/2018 at 3:53 pm

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Aconcagua: King & Team Rest at Camp 2

February 3, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, Jenny Konway, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 18,000'

We heard the groundhog said it would be six more weeks of summer down here in the Southern Hemisphere. The Team is taking a rest day at 18,000' to prepare for our last four big days of our Aconcagua expedition. Tomorrow we will move camp to 19,000'. Our summit day should be the 5th followed by two big days getting off the mountain and out to the road. The Team is feeling well acclimated and is in good spirits. Today all we need to do is sleep, eat and embrace the down time, a quality that a few in the group mastered while on Denali. We continue to enjoy the grand vistas of the Andes and warm tents. RMI Guide Mike King

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hey Grassy, The Kiwis are rooting for you. Best wishes and good weather, Chris Kate, Trish, John, Tone, Jesse, Alissa, Zephyr

Posted by: Chris Jones on 2/4/2018 at 12:21 pm

Dawn & Tom and Team, I miss you all ! I’m sending warm Oxygen filled thoughts your way. Be Strong, Be Positive and Climb High!!!

Posted by: Dave on 2/4/2018 at 6:32 am

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Aconcagua: King & Team Carry to Camp 3 and Chill the Afternoon Away

February 2, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, Jenny Konway, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 18,000'

It's starting to feel a bit like Groundhog Day here on Aconcagua. All we needed to accomplish today was a carry of food and fuel to High Camp at 19,600'. Aside from that the group's only other task is to out chill the other groups in Camp. The weather has been getting better each day and this morning we decided to take advantage of a cool wind to aid us in our carry. By the time we descended the wind had died and the temperatures were getting hot on the snow slopes we traversed. We are all back in Camp now and while eager to move up and summit the Stone Sentinel, we'll take a rest day tomorrow to give us another two nights acclimating. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

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Dawn you are doing great. Have a great climb and be safe. We love You and are following very closely. We are with you and the whole team. To the top team. :-)

Posted by: Jerry & Lori Golding on 2/3/2018 at 4:13 pm

Climb Team Climb!!!!!!

Posted by: Dave on 2/3/2018 at 11:18 am

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Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Crest the Shira Plateau

February 2, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 12,200'

We woke to crystal clear skies and a view of Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s central peak. After breakfast, we were walking by 8:30 AM. Our trail today was more difficult, right from the start, with steeper grades and bigger steps through volcanic rock. We labored uphill through the “heather and mooreland zone” a very different type of vegetation than yesterday’s near jungle of big trees. In general, we were coming into the open, with bigger views in all directions. Eventually we worked along a ridge crest enjoying glimpses of hawks and eagles soaring below our vantage point. After several hours and several thousand feet of vertical gain, we began a traverse to the left out toward the Shira Plateau. By afternoon, clouds had overtaken us and we walked in swirling mists. A few steeper rock features required sharper concentration and the use of handholds and balancing, but eventually we turned the corner onto the plateau and walked down a couple hundred feet on easy ground to reach Shira Camp at 12,600 ft. The day’s March had taken us just over five hours. We’d earned a restful afternoon going back and forth between our sleeping tents and the dining tent. Rain showers caught up to us in the early evening, but only for 15 minutes or so. By the time we finished dinner we had largely clear skies and a million stars. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Yahoo! Thinking about you guys every day. Onward and upward!

Posted by: Lynne Elliott (FA) on 2/3/2018 at 6:44 am

Dilly Dilly! Press forward! Great photos!

Posted by: Lee and Susie on 2/2/2018 at 1:34 pm

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Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Continue Their Safari at Tarangire National Park

February 1, 2018

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Hello everyone, Today we headed to Tarangire National Park known for its abundant elephants, and it didn’t disappoint. Not sure how many we saw, probably several hundred at the least. It wouldn’t seem like we could get tired of seeing elephants, but there were so many that eventually we had to keep driving so we could see other animals. There were lots of giraffes, impalas, monkeys, ostriches, and many others. One of the highlights was seeing a male Cheetah up close, only about 20 feet away. He was just relaxing under a big tree overlooking a small pond and hardly seemed to notice us. We are spending our last night here in Africa at Tarangire Balloon Camp, which has beautiful tented rooms with screen windows to allow the sounds of the African bush in. Everyone is doing great and hoping to see a few more big cats on our way out tomorrow. Then it will be back to our main lodge near Arusha for a brief stop before catching our evening flights home. Thanks for following. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Start Out of the Machame Gate

February 1, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 9,900'

Sitting down to our 7AM breakfast on the patio at Arumeru River Lodge, we had a great view of Kilimanjaro this morning. We loaded up the bus and rolled out of the lodge just a few minutes after 8 AM. Traffic was light on the main road and we made good time cruising through the farmland and small villages. Kilimanjaro got bigger and more magnificent as we turned from the highway and began walking uphill toward the 6,000 ft Machame Gate to the national park. As usual, it took a little time to get the team registered and the staffing sorted, but by 10:50, we set out walking in warm, and sunny conditions. Filibert, one of our local guide staff, set the slow and steady pace up through the tall and lush forest. Freddie, our chief guide, along with guides Venance and Happyson brought up the rear. Things clouded up as the day progressed, the high humidity and exertion had everybody sweating before too long. We saw blue monkeys in the trees, a few good birds, and even a small chameleon on the trail. The track itself was in good condition, not too muddy, which certainly helped. We came into Machame Camp (at 9,900 ft) in just over five hours. The Utah gang was delighted to find camp already built and ready for moving into. We met in the mess tent for afternoon tea and then finished the day a few hours later with one of chef Tosha’s excellent dinners. Everybody did great with this big day of work, but most were also plenty happy with turning in early for bed at 8 PM. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Yea, Caspers!!! You got this. Fun to follow your treck. Looks like quite a different route than we took.

Posted by: Laurie on 2/2/2018 at 5:55 pm

Looking good there! Hello to Lynn and Joanna!! Excited to watch the progress of your trip! So jealous!

Posted by: Troy Christensen on 2/2/2018 at 7:59 am

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Aconcagua: King & Team Settle Into Camp 2

February 1, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, Jenny Konway, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 18,000'

The team awoke from a restful night of sleep ready to pack up and make our move to Aconcagua Camp 2. We enjoyed a warm breakfast and coffee in the sun, then packed our things and headed uphill. After three stretches of moderate uphill walking, surrounded by wonderful views of the Central Andes, the team pulled into camp with spirits high and feeling strong. We set up camp in time for an afternoon siesta and snack that everyone enjoyed. We're looking forward to a restful evening here at Camp 2 to prepare for our carry to high camp tomorrow. The weather is looking good, the team is feeling strong and we're all excited to keep moving up the mountain. Thanks for following along! RMI Guide Mike King

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Nice work. I assume Justin has been eaten by now.

Posted by: Peter on 2/2/2018 at 8:47 am

Go Team Go!!!! Wishing you all the Best! Happy Birthday Tom!!

Posted by: Dave on 2/2/2018 at 2:57 am

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Aconcagua: Tucker & Team End Trek, Return to Mendoza

January 31, 2018

Posted by: Mark Tucker, Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

The team did great on the mountain one last time. We started the stoves at 6:30 am and by 8 am we headed down valley and out of Aconcagua National Park. Our vehicle transfers went well thanks to our fantastic support on and off the mountain by Fernando Grajales Expeditions they were spot on with support throughout this expedition thank you so much, we could not have had such success without you. Our team just finished a nice celebration dinner here in Mendoza. We are cleaned up, well fed and now looking forward to a nice bed for rest. Tomorrow some will start the journey home, others a meat cooking tour, wine tour, golfing or just some time by the pool. I will enjoy the little bit of rest and recharging getting ready for big Sunday in support of my tribes' alliance to Foxboro, go Pats! RMI Guide Mark Tucker

Aconcagua: King & Team Enjoy Rest Day at Camp 1

January 31, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, Jenny Konway, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 16,200'

Today our team is continuing to acclimate by enjoying a rest day at Camp 1. We had lighter wind last night when combined with the carry day made for a better night's sleep for everyone. The forecast is looking good for a summit attempt on the 5th. The team is doing great, feeling well rested and excited to continue moving up the mountain tomorrow. Until then, we continue to enjoy the amazing scenery and calm weather. RMI Guide Mike King

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Good morning team.
You guys and gals set the bar very high on this climb. Keep up the good work and enjoy all ,
Love you Dawn, To the top. :}

Posted by: Jerry & Lori Golding on 2/1/2018 at 6:54 am

Hey Team! Wishing you all the best. Dawn and Tom and team. I’m sending all my strength to you!!! Climb High my friends!!!

Posted by: Dave Kestek on 2/1/2018 at 3:34 am

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RMI Expeditions Blog

Aconcagua: King & Team Move to High Camp

On The Map

Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Enjoy Time on the Trail to Barranco Camp

On The Map

Aconcagua: King & Team Rest at Camp 2

On The Map

Aconcagua: King & Team Carry to Camp 3 and Chill the Afternoon Away

On The Map

Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Crest the Shira Plateau

On The Map

Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Continue Their Safari at Tarangire National Park

Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Start Out of the Machame Gate

On The Map

Aconcagua: King & Team Settle Into Camp 2

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Aconcagua: Tucker & Team End Trek, Return to Mendoza

Aconcagua: King & Team Enjoy Rest Day at Camp 1

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