RMI Expeditions Blog
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Categories: Guide News
On the morning of Saturday, the 27th, I had been pined down at Camp 3 by high winds for two days. Camp 3 in is in a wind-exposed location, and for the previous 48 hours I’d had to go out and dig out every two to three hours from the wind-drifted snow that built up around my tent. In the morning the wind had finally died down, and I had decided to push on to Camp 4 and started packing up to make the move up to Camp 4 -- but then I got an updated forecast that predicted heavy snow later Saturday and through Sunday morning. With the delay at Camp 3, I was running low on provisions, so if I couldn't make the peak push by Sunday morning I would be forced to turn back. The forecast for the rest of the week, though, looked very promising... and I made the reluctant decision to retreat to base camp, with the plan to start back up again re-provisioned on Sunday morning.
So here I am Saturday evening, back at Manaslu Base Camp. The forecast is now for the winds to stay relatively calm and for clear skies for the rest of the week So my plan is start back up the mountain in the morning and make my summit push on Wednesday. I'm beginning to wonder how many times I'll have to climb this mountain before it allows me it's summit.
RMI Guide Alex Barber
The Four Day Summit Climb Team led by RMI Guide Casey Grom reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. The team was able to spend about an hour enjoying the views from the crater of Mt. Rainier. They began their descent around 8:30 am. The teams will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climbers!
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Chile Ski
We didn’t take Sergio seriously when he said “I have a snowcat”. We were discussing the approach to Sierra Nevada, which would typically involve four-wheel drive pickups to get to where the snow starts. As our Chilean outfitter and local guru, Sergio has been with us the whole trip, and here in Malalcahuello we are staying at his ideally positioned lodge, the SuizAndina.
It turns out Sergio has two mini snowcat-like vehicles he recently acquired, and he was psyched to give one of them a try in getting us to Sierra Nevada. If all went well, it seemed possible that we'd found a loophole in the “No Shortcuts to the Top” argument. The mini snowcat would deliver us to treeline, we could spend more time touring in the alpine, and maybe get a few bonus turns at the end of the day.
Apparently the universe is on Ed Viesturs’ side. Before we even hit the snow, the mini snowcat had lost one of its tracks. These are the moments where us skiers start to panic internally. Will we make it to the snow? Will we ski today?
With one track down and Sergio at the helm, the mini snowcat still performed amazingly well in getting us up the gnarly road. When we hit the snow, it was time to earn our turns.
We ascended through mysterious Araucaria forest (monkey puzzle trees) and out on to a long alpine ridge. Cornice on one side, rocks on the other. The terrain became particularly interesting on the upper mountain, with a series of intersecting ridges, alpine bowls, and mushroomy ice features. The weather was perfect, the views endless, and we were able to ski from the highest point beneath the summit (the last 50’ was steep rime ice).
Sierra Nevada is one of those descents that just goes on forever. Photos tell the story better than words.
Chilean ski adventure to the max.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Posted by: Brent Okita, Leon Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14, 410'
The Four Day Summit Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Leon Davis reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. The team climbed in fresh snow deposited by the most recent storm, and enjoyed clear skies and light winds. The team has started their descent and are en-route back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to Today's Team!
First summit of the trip! We may or may not have had a slight mechanical advantage on the approach this morning (chairlift) to Volcan Lonquimay. We were teased with beautiful views of the mountain, although the wind was clearly howling up high. The visibility started to deteriorate as we climbed high above the ski area. We transitioned from skins to boot crampons where the broad terrain gives way to a semi-sharp ridge, and we climbed up and up into the clouds. The wind came in waves with periods of eerie calm in between. We climbed until we could climb no further, enjoyed some nice celebratory summit time, and clicked into our skis.
The upper mountain required careful turns in the limited visibility, but 3,000’ lower we were able to finally open it up and just ski. The lifts were still spinning after our huge descent, so we snuck in a few extra laps at the ski area before heading for the lodge for chocolate caliente and cervezas. Lonquimay!
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
RMI Guide Tyler Reid calls from the Lonquimay summit!
Well it's the morning of the 25th and I'm at Camp 3 (22,500ft) sipping coffee as Manaslu bangs at my door. The forecasted higher winds have me a bit pinned down at the moment. The winds are moving a lot of snow, covering my tent over and over. I've got two options: 1) Move to Camp 4 today battling the winds or 2) attempt a summit from Camp 3 on the 26th. A day still forecasted to be decent. Now deep snow persists on the route, so it will take a big effort to move anywhere up or down. Ah the joys of high altitude mountaineering!
RMI Guide Alex Barber
As long as u hav enough food & fuel, sounds like heaven to me.
Posted by: Mary on 9/26/2014 at 3:20 pm
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Chile Ski
We got a casual start on our day knowing that the storm was raging on Villarica. That summiting was not going to be an option for today was glaringly obvious in the forecast, but the skiers mind is slightly different from the climbers mind: stormy conditions yield a bunch of new snow, and a bunch of new snow equals powder skiing. Powder skiing equals the polar opposite of defeat. So like yesterday, we set off into the storm, the only skiers on this mountain crazy enough to go touring (the ski areas on these Chilean volcanoes are above treeline, thus relying on good visibility and not too much wind to stay open).
Yesterday was Volcano Storm Skiing. Today was just plain storm skiing. We stuck below treeline for most of the day and found some great tree shots. With over a foot of new, dense, fast, springy pow, we put in a skin track, and one lap turned into two laps, then three laps, four laps, five laps... To be skiing in an early succession forest with a cauldron of lava bubbling 5,000' above your head feels exotic.
At the end of the day we toured up into the storm to get a sense of how windy it really was in the alpine (and to line ourselves up for a nice glide back to the parking lot). It was windy. Really windy.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Chile Ski
Volcan Villarica warm up day...
Our goal for today was to have skis on our feet, and driving through the lush lowlands in the rain, there was a sense of disbelief circulating through the van that we would soon see snow, let alone be skiing. Next thing we knew, with Sergio at the helm (our Chilean outfitter) we were fully utilizing the Mitsubishi's 4-wheel drive capabilities to precision glide past stuck vehicles on the steep access road. High snowfall intensity from the sky, high psych intensity from our crew.
We spent the afternoon Volcano Storm Skiing. Not to be confused with below treeline storm skiing, where the forest provides terrain definition and the ability to see; Volcano Storm Skiing involves using rocks, closed chairlifts, other skiers, and/or their tracks for definition. When in doubt, have someone else go first. If your hat says 'Guide' on it, that means you are the sacrificial lamb.
Get blasted by the wind on the way up, seek refuge in a closed lift station high on the mountain, look up at your teammates and see huge smiles, transition to ski mode. Random outbursts of laughter. Volcano Storm Skiing is awesome. Especially the part about skiing in September.
Ski bag = reunited with Jonathan. Sergio was invaluable in solving the logistics of getting it to Pucon. He lent Jon his gear for today and we never missed a beat. Tomorrow looks even stormier...
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Posted by: Casey Grom, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb Teams for September 19 - 22 led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Geoff Schellens reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning just before 7 am PT. Casey reported a change in the weather with increasing winds as the teams approached the crater rim. Both teams will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing down to Paradise later today.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
AWESOME! So proud Patrick, John and Joseph!
Posted by: Darlene Halloran on 9/22/2014 at 12:46 pm
Posted by:
Categories: Guide News Guide Grant
"Analysis paralysis" is an accurate summation of my last few days here at Manaslu Base Camp. I've been reviewing weather information for the coming week collected from different teams and sources, paid forecasts, free forecasts, second hand forecasts. Of course, they all project different weather conditions. There is a general trend though... starting Thursday the 25th to Sunday the 28th looks like it might be a decent window for my summit day. The 25th being the worst day with 30+mph winds at the peak. Saturday, the 27th, is forecast to have 5 to 10mph winds but possibly precipitation. That precipitation could just be the result of a few days of good weather causing afternoon snow showers or a larger deposit. In this part of the Himalaya it can be hard to predict - and this is too many days out for a mountain weather forecast to be highly reliable.
Decision time - It all comes down to this, the time, the money, and the mental dedication.
I will depart in the morning tomorrow, the 23rd, for Camp 1, the 24th I'll climb directly to Camp 3 then if the weather window looks decent the 25th I'll move Camp 3 to Camp 4 and push to the summit the morning of the 26th. I'll keep the 27th as a backup day as it is currently forecasted to be the best day. I do not plan to stop at camp 2 on purpose because the entire area around camp 2 is unstable and dangerous. The many seracs and ice cliffs higher up the mountain - with large slopes below to accumulate snow - is a bad day just waiting to happen. This site is not for me. I'll just push through to camp 3, which is in a much safer location - as I described in an earlier post.
I'll check back in from the upper mountain in the next couple of days with a weather update and my progress up the mountain. The photo below shows a view from base camp up towards the peak of Manaslu, my objective for this week.
RMI Guide Alex Barber
Alex,
Go hard and stay safe! You have a good plan, so stick to it and if it works, it works. If not, the mountain will be there next time.
Posted by: Tim Mason on 9/23/2014 at 6:37 am
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I’m so proud of you Ryan - going after and accomplishing your dreams and crossing an item off of your bucket list - can’t wait to give you a big hug when you get back to base camp!! Love always ... Dad
Posted by: Mark Polin on 9/27/2014 at 11:44 am
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