RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: Casey Grom, Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Hello from Quito everyone!
After some very long flights the team has arrived safe and sound here in Ecuador. We started our day with a group meeting where we shared a little about each other and discussed the plans for our expedition. We then headed out on a city tour which was mostly spent visiting the colonial old town and it's many churches built in the 17th century. We also visited the Virgin de Quito, which is a statue that overlooks the entire city and is similar in importance to our Statue of Liberty.
After our tour we headed back to our hotel to allow the team some time to rest before meeting and discussing the gear needed for our upcoming climbs. After making sure everyone was well equipped with the essentials we took a short walk to a nearby restaurant and patiently waited for all of our food to arrive. The food was delicious and everyone left with smiles on their faces.
It looks like a great group of people and everyone is looking forward to stretching their legs tomorrow.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
We are back to great weather on Vinson. There was still a little wind apparent up high during the morning, and a few fog banks forming and dissipating down below, but by mid-day one could only describe it as "splitter". Perfect blue sky, big bright sun and no wind... splitter. Team 2 had a fine breakfast at Vinson Base and then we settled into a light training and review session. Bill, Sara, Fatima and Larry each have fine climbing resumes, so it was only necessary to run through some quick examples of crevasse rescue and anchoring systems to refresh memories. In the afternoon we went for our shakedown cruise: a carry of food and gear to half camp. It was great to stretch legs and get some views of the surrounding humongous peaks. We were back to Base by around 7 PM, in time for dinner in the strong evening sun. We turned in for bed confident that the sunshine would keep tents warm well into the night. Sometime after one or two AM the sun will go behind the mountain and life will get cool, but by then we'll be sleeping... Dreaming of the move to low camp tomorrow.
Word is that the Ilyushin is flying to Union tonight, so Team 1 (Kara, Juan, Piotr, and Spencer) should have breakfast in South America. Bon Voyage.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Larry and the gang: Glad to know the weather is cooperating and hope it continues. What tales you can tell us when you return. Best wishes to all! Gerri S.
Posted by: Gerri Seaton on 12/12/2013 at 5:18 pm
Larry and Crew
Great to hear how your expedition is progressing so well! Hope the weather continues to be good. Excited to hear how your safely and successful move up the mountain!! Keep each other warm and best of success!!!
Fred K
Posted by: Fred Klingbeil on 12/12/2013 at 6:35 am
The RMI Vinson teams traded places this evening. It was a day of wait-and-see as far as flying was concerned. High winds at Union Glacier, high winds in the intended flight path through the Ellsworth Mountains, and big winds that we could see on the upper slopes of Vinson. But things began to calm as the day went on and there was continued hope that the flight would happen before the day was out. I'd just sat down to dinner with group one at Vinson Base when news came that group two was in the air headed our way. Kara, Juan, Piotr, and Spencer packed fast and watched the ski equipped twin otter make a perfect uphill landing on the Branscomb. It was great to see Bill, Sarah, Fatima, and Larry emerge from the plane. The two teams mingled and compared notes as the plane was unloaded and reloaded. We were all happy to hear that team 2 was treated to such a fine time during their several days stay at Union. And I believe team 2 was relieved to see that team 1 had managed to come through a Vinson climb appearing happy and no worse for the wear.
Then it was load up time and I said goodbye to team 1. We shared some wonderful times together. Rumor has it that there are Ilyushin flights scheduled as early as tomorrow, so perhaps they'll be luckier on their Antarctic exit than they were on their entrance. Team 2 bedded down for the night at VBC... Ready to climb.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
It’s great to hear that team 2 had an exciting plane trip and is now at Vinson Base. Have a great climb Larry.
Posted by: Mark on 12/11/2013 at 6:38 am
Enjoy Vinson! Hope the team has a great experience down there!
Love to Fatima,
Peter
Posted by: Peter Williamson on 12/11/2013 at 4:51 am
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The storm finally hit. Crazy clouds were forming over the upper mountain as we went to bed last night. The morning at Vinson Base was devoid of sunshine and chock full of newly falling snow. It is actually a rare thing to get five inches of powder snow in this place, like rain in the desert, but that is what we got. Flying -either to get the successful summiteers out or to bring in our next team of climbers from Union Glacier- was not happening. It was a hunker down day. The word was that the teams up the mountain were doing the same. Rest and relaxation wasn't exactly an unwelcome plan for the day for my team. Most had sore feet and tired knees after the last few big days of up and down walking. Each climber is ready to be moving on when conditions permit, of course. Juan wanted to be sure that Eva Maria knew he was wishing her a very happy 21st birthday from Antarctica.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Five inches of powder snow? Is it time for skiing? Be safe and hunker down! Thinking of you.
Posted by: Mom/Grandma on 12/10/2013 at 8:16 am
Larry: Your climbing report card is full of A’s - Antarctica and Alaska and Aconcagua…Congratulation…Post pics please…Waltero
Posted by: waltero glover on 12/10/2013 at 7:03 am
The day went pretty well on schedule. We were up at around 8 AM at high camp, thankful that the winds had not yet found our tents. It was obviously kicking a bit higher, with streamers of snow blowing off ridges and frozen dust devils dancing across our ascent route of the day before. But we were granted calm and sunny conditions in which to eat breakfast and pack for the descent. We bailed out of high camp at 11:20 and carefully picked our way down the fixed lines. Coming into Low Camp was a bit of a shock as there were dozens of climbers there and we'd gotten so used to having the mountain to ourselves. Folks were hanging there rather than ascending since forecasts say that the winds will build and dominate the upper mountain for several days. We shuffled our loads, repacked and headed down to Vinson Base, arriving by 5:30 PM. No flights back to Union today as the winds have the pilots hunkering down, so we set tents and enjoyed a victory dinner together at 7000 ft on the Branscomb Glacier.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Congratulations, Larry. It looks really cold in the photos, but I could not tell how technical the climb was. Barbara in Dallas
Posted by: Barbara gunnin on 12/9/2013 at 11:04 am
Juan
Otro éxito mas y un ciclo cerrado por fin.
Recibe un fuerte abrazo de Mary,Beatriz y Alejandra
Nos vemos para festejar!!!
Posted by: alejandro on 12/9/2013 at 9:13 am
Safe and sound at high camp, once again. It was such a nice day that we spent an hour on the Vinson summit. The trip back down took three hours and so we arrived back at high camp around 8:30 PM, making for 11 hours round trip on the day. Almost as soon as we reached camp, the weather began to change, with glacier fog down below and patches of cumulus forming around the upper slopes of the big peaks. Light winds have begun to stir the tents. We'll now hope they don't turn into heavy winds until after we've gotten down the fixed ropes in the morning. We are all feeling pretty fortunate to have had the day we had on the Roof of Antarctica.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn from the Vinson summit!
On The Map
Muchas felicidades padre mío, que bueno que ya lograste uno mas de tus objetivos te mandó un fuerte abrazo!!!
Juan, tu hijo preferido
Posted by: Juan on 12/9/2013 at 3:09 pm
Muchas felicidades padre mío, que bueno que ya lograste uno mas de tus objetivos te mandó un fuerte abrazo!!!
Posted by: Juan Glenn on 12/9/2013 at 2:57 pm
Our string of good days continues. We made good use of this one as well, climbing in good style to our 12,300 ft high camp. We were up at the crack of 11:15 AM as usual for low camp... waiting for the sun. But then it was a big flurry of activity for us as we ate brunch, knocked down the tents and packed up our packs. Spikes were on and we hit the trail at 1:30 PM. We made great progress today, with everybody feeling strong and enjoying the limitless scenery. Likely we are getting the benefit of having already climbed most of the way on our carry two days back, and certainly yesterday's rest didn't hurt. As we got higher on the fixed lines, it did seem like we were able to see for hundreds of miles... the horizon couldn't actually have been that far, but when it is ice as far as the eye can see, it does start to feel global in scale.
We were lucky to have calm conditions as we exited the ropes and made our way up the last 500 vertical feet to camp. We managed it all in a respectable six hours, pulling in at 7:30 PM. Everybody was in a pretty good and optimistic mood, as they should be. If the good weather continues we could be on the summit tomorrow afternoon.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Posted by: Jeff Martin
Categories:
We had an early wake up call this morning and were down in the hotel lobby by 4:30 am. The word was that the weather was cooperating and the flight would go as scheduled. We loaded up into the bus and headed out. We had a few more climbers to pickup on the way to the airport and then we went into the terminal for the standard boarding process. As we mentioned yesterday, there was going to be a stop en route to Union Glacier to re-fuel. This was the first time that this was done by our outfitter and it went very smoothly, only adding a little more time the flight. The group landed at Union Glacier around 2:00 pm local time. Now they are settled in and are enjoying their first night on the ice.
The plan now is for the team to spend a day or two at Union Glacier and then fly to Vinson Basecamp where they will meet up with Dave Hahn.
We might not get a dispatch out while the team is at Union Glacier, but will definitely dispatch once they start their climb.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
Again it was bitterly cold in the hours before the sun hit low camp, but then the rest of the day was calm sunny and perfect. We took full advantage by resting the day away. We ate, we drank, we napped and we repeated ourselves. The teams that went for the top (some with success, some without) came by on their descent and we traded notes and wished each other well. It is certainly our hope that tomorrow we will go for high camp feeling stronger and more ready as a result of today's rest. But as usual, we need continued good luck in the weather department.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Larry and Crew
So god to hear things are progressing smoothly. It sure is fun tracking your adventure! Stay safe and united!!!
Fred K
Posted by: Fred Klingbeil on 12/7/2013 at 9:30 am
Posted by: Robby Young, Sean Collon, Steve Gately
Categories: Guide News
October marks the end of the guiding season on Rainier, and the beginning of some of the best rock climbing weather and conditions throughout the Rocky Mountain West. RMI guides Steve Gately, Robby Young and Sean Collon celebrated "Rocktober" this year by spending their time down in Indian Creek near Moab, Utah. “The Creek” is home to some of the best pure crack climbing in the world, with fissures ranging from too small for fingers up to chimneys large enough for your entire body; running a hundred feet up otherwise featureless sandstone walls. It attracts climbers from around the world and is a popular hangout for guides in the October off-season. Sean, Steve and Robby documented their time in The Creek through film, and recount their experiences:
Robby Young: There is no place like Indian Creek. The abundance of stunning cracks splitting through vertical sandstone walls appear otherworldly amongst the beautiful desert landscape of Southern Utah, located just a few hours from my home in Park City, UT. I was very excited to have the opportunity to spend some time in this wonderful place with some good friends, and fellow RMI guides. The vibrancy of the red rock offers a dramatic contrast to the snow and glacier covered landscape of Mt. Rainier in which we spend much of our summer. I was also lucky to be able shoot photographs and capture film of some of friends as they pushed their climbing skills in the never-ending pursuit to become better climbers and alpinists.
Sean Collon: Rock climbing and mountaineering have a large number of common skills, techniques and physical requirements. Approaching rock climbs with heavy packs full of gear builds stamina, and the climbing itself requires total body strength; all of which contributes to success in the big mountains. When guiding, or on personal mountaineering trips, I rely heavily on the rope skills I have developed largely in the vertical world of rock climbing. But more than all of this, rock climbing, in and of itself, is fun. Like any type of climbing, it is physically and mentally demanding. It can be pure enjoyment, often scary and painful, but always tremendously rewarding.
Steve Gately: After a busy Rainier season, trips like this provide us with some welcomed vacation time, while also allowing us a great opportunity for continued training. With back-to-back trips to Aconcagua coming up this winter, keeping my skills sharp is important to me. One aspect that goes consistently overlooked is not only the mental capacity but also the situational awareness needed for such long expeditions. For me, rock climbing is a way to keep my assessment skills sharp. There is some inherent risk in rock climbing, similarly to anytime that we step out into the mountains. This requires you to be constantly assessing situations, risk, hazards, terrain etc. This level of awareness is invaluable. You can be as strong as the best climbers out there, but without that ability to constantly assess your surroundings and problem solve when needed, well, you won't last very long in the mountains. For me, as a guide, this is one of the most important contributions I can bring to my trips and rock climbing provides an excellent way to stay strong, keep my skills sharp, and have a ton of fun while doing it!
______
Robby Young is as talented on rock as he is on glaciers and skis. He is spending the winter ski patrolling and teaching several avalanche courses in Utah and planning on a ski trip to Iceland this spring before his Denali expedition. See more of Robby's photography at www.robbyyoungphotography.com.
Sean Collon is an RMI guide, originally from Michigan, spending this winter season in Utah ski instructing at Canyons Resort and training for the AMGA Rock and Ski Instructor Courses. He has climbed rock and alpine routes all around the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country, and guiding with Dave Hahn next summer on Mt. McKinley.
Steve Gately is heading to the southern hemisphere this winter to guide on Aconcagua. Returning to Park City, UT, he will be found skiing, ice climbing and working on another short film about backcountry skiing in Utah's Wasatch Range before heading north to Alaska next summer.
Sean Collon: Rock climbing and mountaineering have a large number of common skills, techniques and physical requirements. Approaching rock climbs with heavy packs full of gear builds stamina, and the climbing itself requires total body strength; all of which contributes to success in the big mountains. When guiding, or on personal mountaineering trips, I rely heavily on the rope skills I have developed largely in the vertical world of rock climbing. But more than all of this, rock climbing, in and of itself, is fun. Like any type of climbing, it is physically and mentally demanding. It can be pure enjoyment, often scary and painful, but always tremendously rewarding.
Steve Gately: After a busy Rainier season, trips like this provide us with some welcomed vacation time, while also allowing us a great opportunity for continued training. With back-to-back trips to Aconcagua coming up this winter, keeping my skills sharp is important to me. One aspect that goes consistently overlooked is not only the mental capacity but also the situational awareness needed for such long expeditions. For me, rock climbing is a way to keep my assessment skills sharp. There is some inherent risk in rock climbing, similarly to anytime that we step out into the mountains. This requires you to be constantly assessing situations, risk, hazards, terrain etc. This level of awareness is invaluable. You can be as strong as the best climbers out there, but without that ability to constantly assess your surroundings and problem solve when needed, well, you won't last very long in the mountains. For me, as a guide, this is one of the most important contributions I can bring to my trips and rock climbing provides an excellent way to stay strong, keep my skills sharp, and have a ton of fun while doing it!
______
Robby Young is as talented on rock as he is on glaciers and skis. He is spending the winter ski patrolling and teaching several avalanche courses in Utah and planning on a ski trip to Iceland this spring before his Denali expedition. See more of Robby's photography at www.robbyyoungphotography.com.
Sean Collon is an RMI guide, originally from Michigan, spending this winter season in Utah ski instructing at Canyons Resort and training for the AMGA Rock and Ski Instructor Courses. He has climbed rock and alpine routes all around the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country, and guiding with Dave Hahn next summer on Mt. McKinley.
Steve Gately is heading to the southern hemisphere this winter to guide on Aconcagua. Returning to Park City, UT, he will be found skiing, ice climbing and working on another short film about backcountry skiing in Utah's Wasatch Range before heading north to Alaska next summer.
Great clip! I had the honor of attending a fundraiser last night (Golden,CO) for Jeff Lowe’s “Metanoia” movie. One of the items they were auctioning off was a 3 day climb at “The Creek” with Jim Donini! Jim was there and personally offered the trip. As you can imagine, it went for a nice high bid!!
Posted by: Lori Stewart on 12/18/2013 at 7:30 pm
Brian,
Safe travels my friend and I wish I was with you! Enjoy the views for me!
Klay
Posted by: Klay on 12/16/2013 at 11:43 am
HI Brian
have a safe and fun time! We missed you at the Easterday family Christmas gathering!
Marcia and Dave send their best!
xo
Posted by: Kim on 12/14/2013 at 7:50 pm
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