With a pre-midnight alpine start from the Cayambe climbing hut, we woke to a starry sky and light winds; all systems were go. We had a quick breakfast, got geared up in the hut, and were walking by midnight. The weather was perfect for our climb and so were the mountain conditions, with firm (but not icy) snow for efficient cramponing. The climbing was varied: rock scrambling to reach the glacier, gentle glaciated slopes, a steep 200’, 45° headwall, and a narrow summit ridge. Six hours later we were all standing on top of Cayambe, at 19,000’ that lies directly on the equator. We enjoyed great views of Cotopaxi, the Ilinizas and Antisana to the south, and Cotacachi and Imbabura to the north. We spent a half hour on top, high-fiving, hugging, taking pictures, and even singing.
As we descended, winds increased and clouds were rising from the rain forest to the east. Soon a nasty-looking lenticular cloud formed over the summit. But our timing was perfect; we were well below this by now and smoothly descending back to the climbing hut. In less than an hour after arriving at the hut we were packed up and loaded into four-wheel drive vehicles and headed back to the hacienda Guachala for hot showers, delicious food, and comfy beds. Tomorrow we’ll head back to Quito for the night.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
June 30, 2017 2:13 am PST
After a thirteen-hour summit day, the crew is back at high camp safe and sound. The conditions were variable all day from sunny and calm to windy and snowing. We had to break trail both to and from Denali Pass. I am proud of the whole crew and the effort that they put in for a successful summit day!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
P.S. Gloria says Happy Birthday to her dad!
Congratulations Mike and team for a successful summit!!! It must feet amazing! Glad you made it back safely to High Camp. Praying for a continued safe trip down and some much needed rest! God Bless.
This is RMI Team 6, standing on the summit of Denali at 6:10 p.m.. A little bit of a cloud, not much wind. Everybody is super happy and super healthy, we are looking forward to a good descent. Thank you everybody for your support.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
RMI Guide Mike Haugen calls from the summit of Denali, Alaska.
The "moving up" picture wasn't all that clear this morning at 5 AM. Nor was it at 6 or 7 or 8 or 9. There was plenty of cloud about and some signs of wind on the ridges where we wanted to be. By the time the weather had improved, it was our judgement that we'd be getting into high camp at a later hour than we'd prefer. We traded the physical difficulty of moving up for the mental difficulty of sitting tight for one more day at 14 K.
One more day of rest, one more day of acclimatization, one more day of anticipation.
We managed it just fine. Ultimately the clouds closed in on 14,000' Camp and took away our views. We had sporadic radio contact with Mike Haugen's RMI team as they felt their way up through higher clouds toward Denali's summit.
Tomorrow is our day to move!
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Buenas tardes from Artesonraju Base Camp! We enjoyed a good rest day today. We fiddled with our gear, re-fitted crampons and practiced climbing anchor transitions. Good conversations were had at the dining tent too, all while enjoying the tea selection that our cook Emilio has brought, which we sweeten with the super natural honey from the bees of his next door neighbor. Rain has made a short appearance in the afternoon, but we look forward to start hiking up Paria North soon, our acclimatization peak, under sunny skies.
That's it for now!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team
RMI Guide Mike Walter sent a brief note to let us know the team has reached the summit of Cayambe, 18,997'. They will send a full report after their climb.
Congratulations to the team!
June 28, 2017 9:41 pm PST
Today our team practiced arguably the most important skill in all of mountaineering: patience. After a blustery, snowy night up here at 17K, the mountain finally came out this morning, but the upper reaches were cloaked in spindrift, lenticular clouds, and all the hallmarks of high wind. So, we decided to opt for a rest day at high camp to wait for the weather to clear up. The signs are looking more promising for tomorrow, and we're all hoping Denali will give us a shot. Keep your fingers crossed for us for clear skies in the morning!
Hugs from 17,000',
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
June 28, 2017
We waited until the sun came around today to get out of the tents. That made breakfast a little more like brunch, but everybody was happy to wait for Avery's legendary blueberry pancakes. Weather high on Denali was unsettled, making us a little concerned for our friends at 17,000 who'd hoped to summit today, By midday things stabilized a little and we had a relaxing afternoon in mostly sunny and calm conditions. Hannah McGowan led a well attended high altitude yoga session for the restless. The rest of us rested and read. We're hoping for climbing weather tomorrow.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guides Win Whittaker and Paul Rachele lead their teams of ALA Climbers to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Win reported light winds, mild temperatures and an overall beautiful day. The teams began their descent from the crater rim shortly before 7 am. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue to Paradise.
We look forward to celebrating with them at Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Good evening from Taullipampa, the meadows where our Base Camp sits. We had a beautiful hike up Punta Union Pass, 4,700m, and then down to Artesonraju Base Camp at 4,000m. The journey, while long, will sure help with acclimatizing. Upon arrival, we enjoyed another incredible meal from our cook and had time to relax, listen to some music at the dining tent and share some stories of High School prom. We are looking forward to a full day at BC tomorrow before the action starts.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team
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Congratulations Mike and team for a successful summit!!! It must feet amazing! Glad you made it back safely to High Camp. Praying for a continued safe trip down and some much needed rest! God Bless.
Posted by: Vicki Brown on 7/1/2017 at 6:01 am
my heart is beating for you all. Glo’s mom
Posted by: michelle on 6/30/2017 at 10:18 pm
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