RMI Expeditions Blog
Today was just right for moving. We were up and getting ready shortly after the ten thirty sun hit the tents. Launch time was 12:50 PM and with perfect conditions, we made steady and excellent progress. Certainly the 2,000 vertical feet of the fixed lines were still difficult with heavy packs, but we had the benefit of being on familiar ground. We cruised into High Camp at 6 PM, still feeling strong, but also noticing just how much colder it is up around 12,300 ft. We dressed up and built camp, got stoves going and sat down out in the sunshine for dinner. The views from here are other-worldly, with ice stretching beyond the visible horizon in any direction and mountains rising to ridiculously sharp summits all around. The teams we waited with at Union Glacier all hit the summit today and we greeted them each with a “congratulations” and a fist bump when they rolled into camp on their return.
Perhaps we’ll get as lucky tomorrow. We will be ready.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Despite some menacing afternoon clouds we woke up again to clear beautiful skies. A late breakfast and a short drive brought us to the Otovalo Market, a huge local market full of a wide variety of textiles and food. The team spent an hour and a half exploring the markets many corners, buying gifts for loved ones before meeting for lunch at Buena Vista. From there we headed back towards the town of Cayambe to meet our transfer vehicles that would carry us and our belongings to the Cayambe Climbers Hut at 15,300ft. An hour or so of exciting driving down primitive roads perched on the side of a volcano brought us to our final destination. The team is doing a great job getting readjusted to life without so much oxygen and are patiently awaiting what will no doubt be a wonderful dinner served by the huts cook staff. Thanks for following. Tune in tomorrow for more!
RMI Guide Steve Gately
On The Map
Still just a bit breezy up high. The teams at High Camp reported steady 15 knot winds but thing looked a lot better from Low Camp today, the giant airwave lenticular cloud to the west of the mountains was gone and we had high hopes for going high if the snow streamers off the ridge died down. They did, a little later than we would have liked but we decided to break camp and make the move. We only got to the base of the fixed ropes before deciding to give it one more day. The team wasn’t firing on all cylinders and the continuing cold winds above the fixed ropes could make the last hours into High Camp quite difficult. We set up Low Camp again and set our sights on tomorrow.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hang tough Sue and team. You will pull this off and if memory serves me this will be number 3 of the big 7!
Posted by: Russ Frederrickson on 12/9/2017 at 5:45 am
Hi Sue & crew! Praying for a break in the wind so you guys can make it all the way! Best of luck for tomorrow!! God Bless!
Your So Cal crew!!
Posted by: Laura on 12/8/2017 at 10:13 pm
The team performed well today on our second acclimatization hike up Fuya Fuya. The beginning of the trail starts at a beautiful caldera which is now Laguna de Mojanda. With the view of the lake behind us we began ascending through knee high vegetation and in two hours we were standing on the summit! Although we were in the clouds, we were happy it stayed dry otherwise the soil would have had us sliding all the way back to the van. A short van ride brought us to Otovalo and our haciendas for the evening. The rest of the afternoon provided some time for us to organize our gear in preparation for our transfer up to the Cayambe Hut tomorrow!
RMI Guide Bryan Mazaika & Team
Today was a lot like yesterday. We were up at the crack of 10:30, and despite fine conditions where we were it was windy where we wanted to go. Again, we ate breakfast and watched for some sign of calming. We talked via radio to the three teams holding on at High Camp who confirmed that they were holding on. We bided our time, buffed out our snow camp and chatted with the guides and climbers of the only other group at Low Camp. We read, drank water, watched TV, napped, cut snow blocks and watched the sun collide with the stationary lenticular cloud in the western sky. Just like yesterday, it made for a chilly afternoon and evening. But a pretty one. Each time we came out of the cook tent or one of the sleeping tents, there was the temptation to just stare, slack-jawed, at Vinson’s immense rock wall, or Shinn’s delicate summit, or Epperly’s rarely traveled vertical gullies.
We’ll get our chance to go upstairs soon enough and we’ll be ready to make the most of it.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Following along! This is fascinating! Hi to Lindsay Z! You’re amazing, Woman! What an adventure!
Posted by: Jeanne Vrabel on 12/8/2017 at 6:26 am
Hang in there team! Your day is coming. As the old man said to his little girl, we didn’t come this far and work this hard to not climb the mountain. Rock on!
Posted by: Les Z on 12/8/2017 at 5:25 am
A good nights rest brought us yet to another unseasonably sunny Ecuadorian morning and our first acclimatization hike up Rucu Pinchincha (15,700ft). The day started with a taxi ride from our hotel to the Teleferique de Quito, a gondola ride that would take us to 13,500ft on the eastern flanks of the active volcano. The hike starts by following a rolling ridge through high alpine meadows until we traverse to the peaks northern side where a different character is shown. We leave behind mild grassy slopes for volcanic rock and loose scree. The climb finishes with a challenging but fun Cass 3 scramble past several ledges to the mountains summit. The crew did great with the new altitude and the weather held clear and gave us panoramic views of the Ecuadorian Andes, including Cayambe (18,996ft) our first objective of the trip. We spent a few moments on top taking photos and hydrating before descending back to the Teleferique and the thicker air of Quito! Off to dinner in a short while to enjoy the traditional dishes of Ecuador. Tomorrow takes us to Fuya Fuya for more acclimatizing and the city of Otovalo! Thanks for following.
RMI Guide Steve Gately
On The Map
We thought we were moving up to High Camp today. No dice. It was too windy up high. Although it was sunny and calm where we stood at Low Camp, we could see big streamers of snow jetting out from the ridge we wanted to be on. We packed up about halfway anyway and ate breakfast watching to see if things eased. Radio communications with the teams already at High Camp confirmed that it was miserable and cold up there and that they were just in hunker-down-and-wait mode. We did the same, without the misery. If anything, the wind got a little worse in the early afternoon, chasing snowy dust devils all the way to the base of the fixed ropes. We thought for a time that the wind might work on over to Low Camp, but we were spared. The afternoon did get a bit cold though when the sun ran into a high stationary cloud sitting west of the mountains. My team took it all in stride, retreating to books and sleeping bags for a second rest day. In other places, such winds wouldn’t be a big deal and you could push on through, but with the colder temperatures we deal with down here, there’d be too much chance of frostbite and hypothermia. We’ll wait for a better day.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The team is all here in Quito! We began our day by enjoying our breakfast along side an abundant spread of fresh fruit and overloading on coffee while we made some group introductions. We had a number of stops during our city tour, some of the highlights include visiting the Equator monument, a panoramic view of Quito from the top of Panecillo Hill, the colonial Center and touring some of the historical churches. Today in Quito is the celebration of the capital’s foundation so many shops were closed and the plazas were busier than normal with locals celebrating the holiday. We are back at the hotel for a quick siesta before we head out together for dinner. This evening we will prepare our day packs for our first acclimatization hike up to Rucu Pichincha and we are hoping for the clear, sunny skies we had this morning so we can get our first view of Cotopaxi and Cayambe!
RMI Guides Steve Gately & Bryan Mazaika
Today was perfect from start to finish. Perfect for resting and catching up on our acclimatization and hydration. It was another cloudless and windless day, at Low Camp -that is- our radio check-in with basecamp revealed that they were in fog down below. But we had fine weather and a forecast for more of the same. We had a leisurely breakfast followed by prolonged snacking and napping. The troops were instructed to down a few liters each of water as their primary chore for the day. After a couple of longer, tougher days, this was a welcome change and we hope the rest sets us up well for the move to higher altitude tomorrow.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
As expected, when the sun went behind the mountain at Low Camp last night around 3 AM, the temperature took a dive.,. probably down around zero F. It made it past the mountain again at 10:30 this morning, making it just about ten times easier to get out of our sleeping bags and unzip the tents to begin the day. We went for a carry up the fixed lines to 11,500 ft today. Shifting gears a bit, yesterday it was dragging sleds and using ski poles, today it was crampons and ice axes and no sleds. We got going at about 1:40 and hit the top of the ropes at 7PM. It was a fine day for climbing with nothing but blue skies and calm and still conditions, which made it a little easier to concentrate on good techniques for climbing continuously steep snow. We carried food and supplies for our summit push and cached at the top of the lines, basically at the beginning of the long, tilted summit plateau. Descent back to Low Camp took us two hours. It was nice, after the last few days, to come into an existing camp. It didn’t take too long to get dinner and a bunch of water for drinking. We’ll rest tomorrow, which also makes it easier to relax tonight.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Thanks Dave for the everyday updates, reading what all you guys doing in that amazing place inspired me to do one trip with you in the future, Sue enjoy every minute there and if can take lots of pictures.
Good luck to all and be safe.
Posted by: Sandra E Sanchez on 12/5/2017 at 5:23 pm
Best wishes to the entire group. Thanks for this blog so we can follow the groups progess and keep some peace knowing Sue is in good hands.
Posted by: Rosalee Lustig on 12/5/2017 at 12:56 pm
Hi Steve,
How cool is this that I get to write you a little note. I have been thinking about you and what an amazing experience you must be having. I’m looking forward to hearing about it when you get home. Be Safe!!! I’ll tell mom about this web sight. We love you!!! Joke: What do you call a cold ghost?
A: casp-burr!
Stay Warm!!!
Posted by: Allison Gibbons on 12/10/2017 at 9:08 pm
Steve,
We are praying for you and your team. We hope that today will be the day. Be safe and enjoy this special time. We will be anxious to see you upon your return.
Best to you. Jack and Camille
Posted by: Jack and Camille on 12/10/2017 at 5:32 am
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