RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Greetings from Tanzania! Our group is getting excited for the start of our trek. All of us arrived yesterday evening and spent today sorting through gear and recovering from the long flights. We also spent some time chatting with the folks from Mark Tucker's Kilimanjaro Climb and they all reported a great experience on the mountain. Tomorrow we'll get an early start and make our way to Kilimanjaro National Park. It should be good times!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall & Team.
The Four Day Summit Climb led by Billy Nugent and The Five Day Summit Climb led by Lindsay Fixmer reach the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. RMI Guide Billy Nugent reported beautiful weather and great climbing. The team spend some time on the summit enjoying the views and are now en route back to Camp Muir.
RMI Guide Mike Walter and team Checked in from the Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz. The team had a great day today. We hoisted heavy packs and left the parking lot at Paradise this morning. After about 15 minutes of hiking we left the well beaten path and descended on to the Nisqually Glacier. With crampons on and ice axes in hand, we traversed the Nisqually and gained the Wilson Glacier. The climbing involved some moving over steep rocks with heavy packs, as well as ascending some steep snow slopes. Everyone is doing well and we're nestled in at our camp at 7600' at the Sharkfin. It's a beautiful night, and it's a real treat to leave the crowds behind and have this wild place to ourselves.
Congratulations to the our Summit Climb Teams!
Summit! RMI Guide Dave Hahn reached the Mount Rainier summit at 7:45 this morning. With beautiful blue skies and 10-15 mph winds, the team enjoyed the summit views for over an hour before beginning their descent at 9:00 a.m.
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Yet another stellar Safari. Some clouds made for very pleasant temperatures all day. Tarangire National Park was the place to be. A bit of a terrain contrast from the crater, neither one better than the other, just different. Wide open big sky country out here. Mammals galore, in a very natural setting, as you can imagine. We ended up here at the luxury tent camp called Kikoti. The team has injured their stomachs by over indulgence. We are now sitting around a nice wood fire digesting our pains away. Very peaceful spot, the perfect setting to finish off this adventure.
We will make tracks back through the park in the morning on our way to the Dik Dik Hotel to pick up some gear, than off to the airport.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Posted by: Jeff Martin, Pete Van Deventer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Hi,
Today we fully immersed ourselves in the culture and history of St. Petersburg. After an incredible breakfast at our hotel, we hit the streets to begin our city tour. Our city guide, Olga, led us through the maze of streets and canals to all the best churches, museums and cathedrals in the city. We tried our best to keep up with all the dates and facts that she knew by heart, but after several hours, we had to concede that it was a losing proposition. There is simply just way too much to see and learn.
By the time we toured Saint Isaac's Cathedral, the fourth largest cathedral in the world, we were ready to take a break. We met up for an early dinner and then with a second wind, we finished the day with a boat tour of the canals and Neva River. The city is even more beautiful from the water and the perfect view in which to remember this city.
Sadly, this adventure comes to an end tomorrow as we go our separate ways and travel back home. We have had a great time and hope you have enjoyed following along as we traveled and climbed our way through Russia.
Best regards,
RMI Guides Jeff Martin, Pete Van Deventer, and team
Posted by: Ben Liken, Brent Okita, Leon Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
With the freezing level at 13,500', the Mount Rainier summit climb teams reached the top just after 6:00 a.m. RMI Guide Ben Liken reported light winds and sunny with a cloud deck below Camp Muir. They spent over an hour on the summit taking in the views and crossing through the crater to Columbia Crest, the highest point in Washington. By 7:45 a.m. both teams had crested back over the crater rim and began their descent to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
That was the strongest experience of my life. I was overflown by emotions of so many kinds. Special and the hugest THANK YOU go to Brent, Ben, and Pepper - our guides who kept planting confidence and motivation in the team along all of these 4 days. It’s inspiring and uplifting to work with so passionate and professional people, I took quite a few learnings from you guys back to my normal life. Another thank you goes to the whole team – it’s amazing to experience how completely strangers become a tag team and overcome difficulties with the right leadership.
Posted by: Alik Levin on 8/17/2014 at 9:38 am
Just a note to express a heartfelt “THANK YOU!” to our awesome guides: Ben, Brent and Pepper. What an amazing climb! Ben, Brent, Pepper, you were so dedicated, patient and professional throughout our experience, I have no words to express how much I learned and how much I admire you.
Thank you so much!
Christian.
Posted by: Christian Molnar on 8/16/2014 at 9:40 pm
Posted by: Jeff Martin, Pete Van Deventer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Hi,
We are in St. Petersburg! This morning we headed out of the hotel and drove to Mineralnye Vody for our flight. Even though it is just about a three hour flight, it took most of the day to reach our final destination.
St. Petersburg is very different from what we have seen the last two weeks. It is best described as the cultural center of Russia, while Moscow is the center of government and administration. The architecture is stunning and the monuments truly impressive. The harder "edge" found in Kislovodsk is definitely softer and the curiosity surrounding foreign visitors is almost non-existent. It is also much easier to find a dinner menu with a little English.
We headed out for an early dinner at a nearby restaurant and to get a little preview of the city before we get the grand tour tomorrow.
All the best,
RMI Guides Jeff Martin, Pete Van Deventer, and the North Side Team
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Our good fortune continues. It must be a residual charm left over from the time spent on the mountain during the super moon. Cold and cloudy to start the day up on the Ngorongoro Crater Rim. That is not unusual, this typically being the coldest time of year. We paid a visit to a Maasai Village. Warmed up in one of their huts, while a nice gentleman told us fascinating facts and rich history of this unique group of people. I think you would be surprised at the insulation R-value of the walls of their thatch, cow dung and ash mixture construction. Since the funding goes to children education and the offerings were nice souvenirs, we were happy to invest in some of the village wares. We made the descent into the crater floor and spent a magical day with the other natives of the land, wild animals. So much fun and more to come. We move to Tarangire National Park tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Hi Mark!
What a fantastic experience. We’ll hear more from you when you return.
Love, Mother & Daddy
Posted by: Maury & Evie on 8/16/2014 at 4:08 am
Posted by: Lindsay Mann
Categories: Guide News Guide Grant
With support from the Eddie Bauer - RMI Guide Grant, RMI Guide Lindsay Mann took part in an American Avalanche Institute Level 3 Avalanche Course this winter in Jackson, Wyoming. Afterward, Lindsay sat down to reflect on the course.
This past January I participated in an American Avalanche Institute Level 3 Course in Jackson, Wyoming. A Level 3 Avi Course entails a great deal of prep work as participants need to complete snow observations, make numerous snow pit profiles, and spend ample experience traveling and making decisions in avalanche terrain before the course even begins. After several days of classroom and field learning, the course concluded with several testing components. These test involved completing a full data snow pit in under an hour, finding three buried avalanche beacons in less than seven minutes, and completing a written test.
The conditions for our course were ideal for learning. Midway through the course a major storm cycle came through the area, resulting in rapidly changing conditions within the snowpack that had a wide array of implications on avalanche risk. While the class focused on the technical aspects of snow crystal identification and anticipating the array of components that contribute to avalanche forecasting, we were also able to enjoy some great skiing between the times we spent observing and forecasting the rapidly changing snowpack.
I walked away from the course with a sense of accomplishment, as this is the highest-level avalanche education course available in the U.S., and a greater understanding for mechanics of avalanches and and avalanche forecasting. The complexities of avalanches are remarkable and this course was invaluable in contributing to the toolbox of skills upon which I rely for decision making in the mountains and in avalanche terrain.
________
Lindsay Mann is a Senior Guide at RMI Expeditions and a NCAA D1 Skiing Champion. She has climbed and guided around the world, from Peru to Alaska. Learn more about Lindsay and see her upcoming trips here…
This past January I participated in an American Avalanche Institute Level 3 Course in Jackson, Wyoming. A Level 3 Avi Course entails a great deal of prep work as participants need to complete snow observations, make numerous snow pit profiles, and spend ample experience traveling and making decisions in avalanche terrain before the course even begins. After several days of classroom and field learning, the course concluded with several testing components. These test involved completing a full data snow pit in under an hour, finding three buried avalanche beacons in less than seven minutes, and completing a written test.
The conditions for our course were ideal for learning. Midway through the course a major storm cycle came through the area, resulting in rapidly changing conditions within the snowpack that had a wide array of implications on avalanche risk. While the class focused on the technical aspects of snow crystal identification and anticipating the array of components that contribute to avalanche forecasting, we were also able to enjoy some great skiing between the times we spent observing and forecasting the rapidly changing snowpack.
I walked away from the course with a sense of accomplishment, as this is the highest-level avalanche education course available in the U.S., and a greater understanding for mechanics of avalanches and and avalanche forecasting. The complexities of avalanches are remarkable and this course was invaluable in contributing to the toolbox of skills upon which I rely for decision making in the mountains and in avalanche terrain.
________
Lindsay Mann is a Senior Guide at RMI Expeditions and a NCAA D1 Skiing Champion. She has climbed and guided around the world, from Peru to Alaska. Learn more about Lindsay and see her upcoming trips here…
Posted by: JJ Justman, Lindsay Mann
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb team led by RMI Guide JJ Justman along with the All Women's Team led by Lindsay Mann reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams delayed their departure from Camp Muir due to rain but once the rain dissipated they began their summit attempt. They were rewarded with great route conditions, light winds and clear skies above. The teams will spend some time on the summit before starting their descent to Camp Muir and then continuing down to Paradise later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
Woo Hoo, Jenny!!! Love ya, Mags
Posted by: Maggie Vail on 8/15/2014 at 9:08 pm
Way to go Colette!! What a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday! Love you!
Jackie
Posted by: Jackie Camerlinck on 8/15/2014 at 5:46 pm
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Prayers for a safe and fantastic trip for the team!
Posted by: dotti cummins on 8/19/2014 at 7:38 am
So excited to hear about the first day of the climb!! Good luck to everyone! Liz, thomas, kit and Mary
Posted by: Liz Blaney on 8/19/2014 at 4:58 am
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