RMI Expeditions Blog

Denali Expedition: Hailes and Team Summit!

June 9, 2018

Posted by: Walter Hailes, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 20,310'

Friday, June 8, 2018 9:18 PM Hello friends and family from the summit of Denali! This is Walter Hailes and the climbing team with Alden, Chip, Brett and Tyler had a successful summit day today and we are enjoying a beautiful, sunny, almost windless summit. Couldn't get any better. We got to climb with Pete Van Deventer and team and had a good time switching leads with them. We got to enjoy lots of fun summit photos and beautiful blue skies with Pete and Team. We are back at camp now, we're going to have a late dinner. We are probably going to wake up pretty late in the morning and head back to 14,000' Camp. We will keep you informed with our dispatches until we talk to you again. A lot of love and safe travels. We'll talk to you soon. Bye. RMI Guide Walter Hailes & Team!

Walter Hailes on the Summit of Denali June 8, 2018

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Congratulation fellas! A great accomplishment for a worthy cause! All the best. D.

Posted by: Dirk Gilliard on 6/18/2018 at 2:27 pm

Way to go Chippy and Alden! So proud of you guys! Be safe heading down and can’t wait to hear all about it over a nice cold beer on our patio! xxoo Stacey (& Sean)

Posted by: Stacey Wieland on 6/10/2018 at 9:13 am

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Summit!

June 9, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 20,310'

Saturday, June 9, 2018 1:04 AM The couple weeks of hauling massive loads, sitting through snow storms, sunburns, and eating way too much bacon culminated in that fleeting joy of standing on the summit of Denali this afternoon! Our forecasts have been a bit vague, and sometimes less than confidence inspiring, but we woke up this morning to stellar conditions. It was clear, calm as a koala with a full belly of eucalyptus, and the sun promised to warm things from the forecasted overnight temp of -25. We made our way across the autobahn, glad to see the sun part way across. We ticked off the stretches: zebra rocks, arch deacons tower, the football field, pig hill, and the iconic summit ridge. After 8.5 hours of climbing, we were standing on the summit! It was a warm, beautiful day, with an intense sky of clouds that had built at all levels, making surrounding Alaska incredibly dramatic. After our photos and some time, it was time to head home. We are safely back in camp working on a late dinner. Tomorrow we hope to descend to the land of oxygen and warmer temps, hopefully 11,000' or 7600' camp. RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and Team

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Way to go Henry and Caleb! Awesome achievement. Look forward to hearing details when you get back.

Posted by: Charles Platt on 6/11/2018 at 1:53 pm

MANY congratulations to the whole TEAM!! That’s an awesome effort by one and all - look forward to hearing details from Henry and Caleb and seeing lots of pictures. Thank you to the guides!!
Gran/Mom

Posted by: Jennifer Huntington on 6/11/2018 at 1:30 pm

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Denali Expedition: King and Team Cache at 9,700’

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,700'

Friday, June 8, 2018 - 3:15 PM PT The clouds cleared after dinner last night with expansive views of the lower Kahiltna Glacier. We were able to see the descending RMI Group after their successful summit and glean some route info. With the surrounding peaks providing the backdrop, we set off at 5:30 AM for 9700' on the glacier. The route ascends Ski Hill, think fun blue run at a resort. Our goal was to cache food and fuel to make the move to Camp 2 lighter. We took a lot of breaks to take pictures and not over do it after yesterday's heavy day. We are all back in camp at 7800' drying our boots and enjoying the heat on the tents. The plan is to eat, sleep then move to 11,200' tomorrow. We'll take advantage of the cooler temps and leave before 5 AM. The route is in incredible shape with lots of snow and a well traveled route. The climb doesn't get easier but these first 5 days of getting in position to climb above 11,200' are tough on the hips, feet and shoulders. Still keeping our fingers crossed while we listen to bush planes fly overhead. RMI Guide Mike King

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Following your climb as Scott’s mom is a life long friend. Scott I hear my son tell her baseball players “you have the best equipment money can by, you have the talent and are physically fit, s just .....hit the f——-g ball. I think you have all those things and more so jus climb the mountain. May your God be with each of you and keep you safe.

Glenda Bemis

Posted by: Glenda Bemis on 6/10/2018 at 4:38 pm

Climb on Scott!

Posted by: Chris Beaudette on 6/9/2018 at 10:56 am

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Bolivia Expedition: Frank and Team Spend One Last Day in La Paz

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Eric Frank, Andy Bond

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Bolivia

Elevation: 11,942'

Friday, June 8, 2018 - 1:00 PM PT Hard rain overnight added to our adventure this morning as we loaded up in our land cruisers and navigated the Bolivian country side. At one point a bridge had washed out and we were forced to navigate a river bed. Much like scouting a rapid on a river, we were forced to send scouts with radios ahead to find our way. But don’t worry we’re all safely in La Paz enjoying the comforts of a shower, internet and even street side shoe cleaners to clean off our dirty shoes. We’ll enjoy one last group dinner tonight with the whole group. This trip would not have been possible without the help our amazing Bolivian staff. They’ve become like family to us and it’ll be our honor to treat them tonight for one final celebration! RMI Guide Andy Bond

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Move to High Camp, 17,000’

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,000'

Friday, June 8, 2018 - 9:27 AM PT It's been a long day so this will be short, but we woke up to calm conditions above and decided to pull the trigger on our move to High Camp at 17,000'. As we got out of camp, it started to snow and had us a bit nervous about conditions on the Buttress, but as we crested the fixed lines, winds were calm. We walked through snow for the whole day, but it stayed warm and calm, and we rolled into 17,000ft, set up camp, and are ready to go for the summit tomorrow should the opportunity present! RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and team

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Raj, did you get any summit pics? Hope you didn’t forget to snap a few. -E.

Posted by: erik dietz on 6/9/2018 at 11:53 am

Can’t believe you are so close to the Summit. Scott, here’s to great success, joy beyond belief when you get there and a safe journey down. Congrats to you and all the other climbers and guides.

Glenda Bemis

Posted by: Glenda Bemis on 6/9/2018 at 5:23 am

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Mt. Rainier: Four Day Summit Climbs Reach Summit!

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Hannah McGowan

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guides Mike Haugen and Hannah McGowan led today's Four Day Summit Climb to the summit of Mt. Rainier. They reported cold and windy conditions today but not enough to turn them around. They will return to Camp Muir for a quick rest and repack and then will continue down to Paradise. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!

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A great experience climbing Mount Rainier with RMI. A great group of mountain climbers and our guides were amazing. Can’t wait to return to the Pacific North West for some more climbing in the future.

Posted by: Paul Dobrzynski on 6/12/2018 at 6:41 pm

Thomas Merrill, Cannot wait to have word of your experience!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: denise wooden on 6/8/2018 at 12:59 pm

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Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Move to High Camp

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Walter Hailes, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,000'

Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 11:27 PM PT Well, we left our cozy home at 14,000 ft on Denali this morning. When we woke, we had clear views of the route, and could see that winds were calm. As we packed up and started moving, visibility decreased and snow started to fall. We slowly poked our noses a little further, halfway expecting the weather to turn us around, but it never did. It snowed most of the day, but it was relatively warm, and winds were very light. It was almost perfect, we just missed out on the views. Regardless, we have settled in to our new neighborhood, and are enjoying the warm 10 PM sun. We just finished dinner, and are tucking into our sleeping bags to stay nice and toasty. If the weather allows, we'll go for the summit tomorrow morning. Wish us luck! RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Go get em! Enjoy the views from the summit ridge on top of North America. Check out Mt Huntington and then read “Mountain of my fear” in the plane ride home.

Posted by: Tom Romary on 6/9/2018 at 7:37 am

Tyler and team, we hope you reached all of your goals today. We are looking forward to having you home soon to share all of your stories and pictures! Love and miss you! Praying for all of you, mom and dad

Posted by: donna shearburn on 6/9/2018 at 6:23 am

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Denali Expedition: King and Team Break Trail to 7,800’

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

We all turned in early last night with an anticipated 2 AM wake up call. The guides woke at 2 only to see snow, wet tents and zero visibility. Ear plugs back in and snooze until 4:30 AM. The clouds had thinned out, snow was drier and still falling but the saving grace was we could see the lower skies of Mt Francis and the airstrip markers. The Team got ready to go after a quick breakfast and hot drink. The walk down heartbreak hill with big sleds and breaking trail through new snow went surprisingly well. No one broke down and asked to return to Talkeetna so we walked into the thick clouds, think if you were trapped inside of a ping pong ball. There was a faint trail from the teams who arrived late in the night and all of a sudden there was nothing. We plodded through the snow and up the main fork of the Kahiltna Glacier navigating by GPS and the occasional bamboo pole that is placed for just these conditions. Wet snow was falling but not a trace of wind. Sweaty with sore hips we rolled into camp as the cloud bank lifted just enough to see camp at the base of Ski Hill. We are all tucked in our tents and resting up for our carry day to 9600' tomorrow. Our hope is to travel early when the temperatures are cooler and place our cache of food and fuel. Everyone is dry, warm and re-hydrating after a tough day. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

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Hi all, letting you know we are following along on your trail. Doesn’t seem as cold here in California as it is there though. (insert smiley face). You are on for the summit, I feel it in my warm bones. Stay focused and bring me some new jokes. Hang in, hang on, hang out, and head for the summit!
Love to Scott, Hi to Team, and Luck to All!
Mom Selgrath

Posted by: Connie Selgrath on 6/9/2018 at 9:39 am

From all here on Vashon-following you—!

Posted by: Carol Jensen-Scanny on 6/8/2018 at 3:16 pm

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Denali Expedition: Jones and Team Wait Out the Weather with a Quesadilla Extravaganza

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Bryan Mazaika, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Today was another rest day with a top notch breakfast donated from our fellow RMI team Mike Walter who is currently on the way down to the airstrip. The breakfast quesadilla extravaganza started with snow and ended with heavy snow. We said good bye to Walter team and are looking forward to some training in the next few hours to dial in our technique for the next stage of our climb to carry supplies for our high camp. This will set the stage for our summit push when the weather allows. For now we will out chill the snow and let you know how our carry turns out tomorrow! We are wishing good luck to the Van Deventer and Hailes teams as they are pushing to high camp today for their summit bid! RMI Guide Tyler Jones

On The Map

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Dave and Team! Keep it up! Thinking of you and praying for clear blue skies!

Posted by: Paul on 6/9/2018 at 5:56 am

Dave and team, thinking of you guys and hoping the weather clears and you get some clear, calm skies. Couldn’t quite see the mountain from the office, but had a great view of the sleeping lady this afternoon. Pray for us as we embark a hike to Thunderbird Falls with the kids on Sunday - 2 miles/100 feet elevation gain round trip.
Much love,
B

Posted by: Beth on 6/8/2018 at 9:03 pm

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Bolivia Expedition: Frank & Team Descend from High Camp, Enjoy the Views

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Eric Frank, Andy Bond

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Bolivia

Elevation: 8,000'

Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 2:21 PM PT We awoke to a little bit of new snow at Illimani Base Camp, which further reinforced our decision to make our high point yesterday. We quickly packed our gear and headed out to our land cruisers in which an adventure ensued. Driving around the high country side we enjoyed splendid views as well as picking up dinner from road side vegetable farmers. Ultimately we find ourselves camping at a low elevation of 8000’ on the side of river at a retired police officers house. Surrounded by tropical fruit trees we’re looking forward to having a fire, sipping on some beers and reminiscing about the last two weeks! RMI Guide Eric Frank

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Great Job and congrats to team Eric and Andy
Enjoy your beautiful night in Bolivia
Safe trip home to all
Stephen and Julie - love to you both
Hope to see you soon

Posted by: Tina and John Zabinski on 6/7/2018 at 6:33 pm

Sounds like a perfect way to end the trip! Hope you all have safe travels home.
Dani

Posted by: Dani Munzing on 6/7/2018 at 4:47 pm

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RMI Expeditions Blog

Denali Expedition: Hailes and Team Summit!

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Summit!

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King and Team Cache at 9,700’

On The Map

Bolivia Expedition: Frank and Team Spend One Last Day in La Paz

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Move to High Camp, 17,000’

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Summit Climbs Reach Summit!

Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Move to High Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King and Team Break Trail to 7,800’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Jones and Team Wait Out the Weather with a Quesadilla Extravaganza

On The Map

Bolivia Expedition: Frank & Team Descend from High Camp, Enjoy the Views

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