Last night was full of gigantic fireworks set to the tune of the Star Wars anthem…on YouTube…on my laptop! But heh, it was a great way to spend Fourth of July and with great company.
We spent today finally stretching our legs and getting into the high altitude zone. Our team had a beautiful day trekking up to 12,000' on Peak Cheget. Don’t take my word for it…check out the video!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Monday, July 4, 2016 - 10:35 p.m. PDT
Good evening from Huaraz,
We descended this morning from Ishinca Base Camp, and by early afternoon, we arrived at the trailhead of Pashpa. After unloading the donkeys and loading the bus, a one hour drive took us back to our hotel in Huaraz. Early tomorrow morning we'll depart for the trail head of Vicos, towards Copa Base Camp. The climbing team is doing well and motivated for the upcoming objective, a Denali sized mountain on a range with more than 100 peaks of that height! We'll be checking in from our camps in the upcoming days.
Regards,
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team
Monday, July 4, 2016 - 10:31 p.m. PDT
Seeing as how we got about 24 inches of snow in yesterday's 24 hours, chances were small that we'd get to move higher today. Sure enough, even though we had some calm and cloud-free skies overhead this morning, the decision was made to let the avalanche slopes settle for a day. We contented ourselves with a trail breaking journey over to the "Edge of the World." Clouds came in while we were out at the normally breathtaking vantage point, which lessened the thrill somewhat, but we all still enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs and mug for the cameras at the point where our plateau drops about a vertical mile down to the NE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier.
The rest of the day was spent lounging in camp under cloud and light snow at 14,000', reminiscing about all the Fourth of Julys when we hadn't been lucky enough to be halfway up America's greatest mountain.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn and Team
Beautiful pictures! I hope you’re having a great time Robin! Looks like you all are making steady progress. Keep up the great work! Julia, Charlotte, and I had a great July 4th weekend at the beach with mom and dad. It was very hot though, totally opposite from your environment! Mom wishes you well too. She can’t post because it gives her an error message she says. Best of luck in the days ahead! Let’s do this Cletus!
July 4, 2016 - 5:11 am PT
Here’s a quick update from the past two days:
Yesterday wet and windy conditions kept us in the climbers’ hut until after lunch, when the weather improved…slightly. We quickly packed our bags and headed up Iliniza Norte, scrambling up a steep rock ridge with fresh rime ice on it. Due to our late start and deteriorating weather, we turned around at Paso de la Muerte (Death Pass, ~5000m), a few hundred feet shy of the summit. Strong winds and very poor visibility accompanied us for the entire descent, but we safely arrived back at the hut with plenty of daylight. It was a fun day of climbing and great acclimatization.
Today we woke early to starry skies and light winds. After a light alpine breakfast we set out for Iliniza Sur. The good weather lasted all day and, after being challenged by steep snow and ice, rock climbing, and high altitude climbing, we arrived at the summit! Seven hours after leaving the hut this morning we strolled back in for a quick lunch and some coffee, before packing our bags and heading back down to the parking lot.
I am writing this dispatch on my phone (without service) as we drive north to our hacienda for the night. I’ll upload pictures tomorrow, when I can track down some more reliable Wi-Fi…be sure to check back, we got some great pics today! Priorities tonight are showers, dinner, and comfy beds!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
We had a successful day traveling by planes, trains and automobiles! After a long day we have arrived in the little ski town of Cheget. It is raining cats and dogs so our evening dinner is inside the warmth of our comfortable hotel. The team is having fun as we slowly ease into the adventure. Tomorrow we will get out and stretch the legs with a good acclimatization hike. Stay tuned for some action packed photos and videos.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Four Day Summit Climb July 1-4, 2016 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The cloud deck was at 8,800' and the windy conditions from last night had subsided enough for the team to make their attempt. They reported breezy conditions on the summit and everyone was doing well. They started their descent from the crater rim at 7:30 am PT.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team and Happy Independence Day!
July 3, 2016 - 10:35 pm PT
Hey all,
Today was a day of rest for our team as snow piled up and continues to pile up as I write this. We have received at least 18 inches of snow since last night and all we see is white, not a rock in sight. The team kept busy by reading, eating, and playing with electronics until they were surprised by some lunch time quesadillas; cooked up special by RMI guides Bridget and Hannah.
The snow flakes are still coming down but we are locked and loaded to move up to 17,200 camp when the weather breaks.
Stay tuned,
RMI Guide Ben Liken
Thinking of you Andrew and your Team. Sending warm 30 degree C wishes from hot and humid Cayman! You are all our heroes!
Posted by: Sue on 7/5/2016 at 7:13 am
Congrats on your hard work and fortune so far, team. Seattle and Merica are sending out positive vibes for good weather the rest of the way. Keep on steppin, Mike Waters!
And another summit came our way! Urus East proved to be a steep challenge today; bare glacier ramps of crystal clear ice preceded by long stretches of gnarly boulders and slabs and an engaging fourth class summit pyramid, sure squeezed our skills and endurance. But the views of our pinnacle objective coming up, Nevado Copa, across the valley to the north, reminded us that today was only another milestone in our journey to the 6,000-meter mark, and we descended in style, as guides like to say "keeping it together", (and perhaps also animated by the improvised karaoke that Dan improvised on top to the tunes of Phil Collins' "On a The Air Tonight" song.)
Tomorrow we finish our leg in the Ishinca Valley; we'll be heading back out to Huaraz for the evening, and to an earned shower before "getting dirty" again for the last leg of our trip. Check tomorrow for some pics as soon as we get internet again.
Good night, RMI Guide ElÃas de Andres and team.
-Spanish climbing word of the day: "mochila" (backpack)
Hello Everyone!! Happy 4th of July from Russia! Our team had a great first day in Moscow. We took in the sights and visited some of the great historical places of this great city. Have a glance at the video to see what you are missing! Tomorrow, we fly to get a little closer to Mount Elbrus…Stay Tuned!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Good morning. This is Elias and the team calling from the summit of Urus East, 5,380 meters. It's 9:30 am local time. We are having a good time. The weather is perfect, and we are about to start our descent. Check us out on the blog tonight for a full recap. We'll be heading out tomorrow for a rest day in Huaraz before heading out to Copa. That's all for now. Bye.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
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Way to go Ryan! Keep ‘em climbing!! I’ll be watching the team’s progress, looks like a fantastic trip!
Posted by: Shirley Tharp on 7/5/2016 at 10:08 am
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