Monday, June 17, 2013
Hello, this is Jake with RMI #5 standing on top of Denali with an awesome crew on an absolutely beautiful day. We'll give a shout when we get down but it doesn't get too much better than this. Thanks everybody for the support, and will be checking in from down low. Over and out.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
RMI Guide Jake Beren calls from the Mt. McKinley summit!
Monday, June 17, 2013
We are on the mountain! After walking up the glacier on our long approach, this camp feels like we are actually starting to make some headway towards the top. We will be at this 11,000' camp for a minimum of three nights, so we are dug in pretty solidly.
The plan for tomorrow is to do a back carry. This means we will walk back down to our cache at 10,000', dig it up, and then bring it back up to our new camp at 11,000 ft. It shouldn't be too hard of a day, but it is very important in our acclimatization scheme.
Although there are no bad views in this place, we have an amazing view from this camp. From a safe distance, we get to watch some giant ice cliffs calving off some large chunks. The heat of the nice weather days has made for some dynamic snow and ice conditions.
Summit Team 6! Led by RMI Guide Mike Haugen
Please tell Cindee she’s a bad-a$$ and that Zoot and Ruby miss her and that we don’t know the internet passcode! Hahaha. The whole team is an inspiration. Keep it up guys! Climb it like a BOSS!! Maija
Posted by: Maija Markul on 6/20/2013 at 2:21 pm
Wow, what amazing pictures and updates!
Hey Steve! We’re cheering you on and can’t wait to see you guys when you get back. Have an amazing time on the adventure. Heading up Snowmass this weekend and will take a moment for you!
The Expedition Skills Seminar – Emmons has reached Camp Schurman. JJ reports that the team is doing well. The weather is currently sunny with some clouds above and below. The team is planning on making their summit attempt tonight. Wish them well!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
The Five Day Summit Climb led by Robert Montague and the Four Day Summit Climb led by Jason Thompson reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Conditions on the summit were windy (40mph) and clear. The teams are currently resting at Camp Muir before beginning their descent to Paradise; they will be back in Ashford this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Climbers commonly joke that it’s either “freeze or fry” in the mountains. Some moments of a climb can feel like a winter ascent of Denali while others are more like the afternoon heat of a safari in Tanzania. Rarely do the temperatures in the mountains stay at a comfortable level. Even though we are often traveling on glaciers and permanent snowfields in the summer, the days can be hot - especially on the approaches to climbs. Yet, at higher elevations and in the dark hours of the night when we begin our ascents the temperature drops. Throw in a light breeze at 13,000’ and it’s downright cold.
While the temperature does indeed vary between bone chilling cold and bewildering heat, our goal as climbers is to manage those swings in temperature to keep ourselves at a comfortable, even level. Our bodies are pretty good at managing heat and most of us know how to do so well. Protecting ourselves from the intense sun of higher elevations and staying hydrated and replacing lost fluids is critical. It can be a challenge to carry enough water for an all-day climb and a good trick many climbers and guides use is to “pre-hydrate” beforehand by drinking lots of water while it is readily available and then rationing the water you have at your disposal throughout the day so that it will last. For example, climbing to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier typically takes about 5 hours with 4 breaks on the way. If you’re carrying 2 litres of water then aim to drink a ½ litre at each stop so that you are still hydrated on your last stretch of the day. Afterwards, re-fill your bottle and drink plenty of water to rehydrate and recover for the climb the next day.
The cold temperatures can have a negative effect on our performance as well by diverting the energy we have for the climb to keeping our bodies warm. Careful, conscious clothing choice is the best strategy to keeping your body at an even temperature level. It’s not uncommon to feel chilly around camp and add an extra layer when you begin climbing only to find yourself overheated in minutes. Then, when you stop for a water break all that perspiration cools and you find yourself shivering. Be strategic in your clothing choices when climbing, wearing the right amount of layers that you need to stay comfortable while climbing and adding layers at breaks to preserve that heat. A hat is great temperature regulator as it is easy to take on and off as needed without having to stop to take off your pack. The cold, dry air of high altitude also dehydrates you, making the need to stay hydrated all the more important.
As you head into the mountains, whether climbing or training, keep these strategies in mind. Begin hydrating before you hit the trail and keep an eye on how much water you have so that it will last throughout the day. Also, try to use the gear you plan to climb with in your training to experiment with different clothing layers and get a feel for the layers that work for you to maintain an even body temperature despite the changes in environment.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Congratulations! A safe, healthy and successful climb! Let me leave you clients with a quote from my favorite guide.
“It’s not so much where you’ve been in the mountains that makes you successful, but what you find in yourself in the mountains that brings you success.” TNJ
All the best to all who climb!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
We woke this morning to another unbelievable day at 17,200' camp on Mt. McKinley. The sun was shining, there was no wind blowing, and folks were comfortable in soft shell coats eating their grits and Pop Tarts. If you don't have a frame of reference for how unbelievable that kind of weather is, it's more typical for people to be wrapped in every puffy coat and pant that they brought to the high camp, while the wind threatens to blow you right off the mountain. Needless to say, we were psyched.
We started walking down the buttress route soon after breakfast, and make excellent time across the knife-edge, exposed walking from camp to the top of the fixed lines. A short, technical descent down the lines had us all sweating by the time we reached the bottom, and we stripped down to base layers for the moderate descent back to our cache at 14,200'.
After we grabbed all the group food and gear, we loaded heavy packs and headed down in the scorching sun towards our old stomping grounds at 11,000'. We arrived in calm, clear skies, and we quickly got up tents and got out of the sun. We're drinking a ton of water, looking forward to the group food fry of leftover cheeses, meats, and breads this evening, and getting ready for the 3am launch down the glacier tomorrow morning. Hopefully we'll have the weather to fly back to showers, greasy burgers, and cold beer tomorrow.
Until then, stay tuned for the latest and greatest from the team!
Hasta luego,
RMI Guides Tyler Jones, Garrett Stevens and the sore but happy team
Sunday, June 16th, 2013
Holy cow we made it up! Leaving early, we passed RMI 4 at the base of the fixed lines, high fiving as we continued our climb. The team did a remarkable job making it to high camp in fine time. The West Buttress proper is the most fun part of the route and earns the namesake title. We cruised up to our cache at the base of Washburn's Thumb and barely slowed down with the extra weight. Arriving at camp didn't even require a coat once we stopped. The weather is perfect now and all we need is one more day and I'm sure the team will make it to the top. We are ready to outchill weather if it comes, but hopefully we can get one more day of this fantastic weather. Send us all good weather vibes if you please and we will check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Sunday, June 16th, 2013
Happy Father's Day to all of our dads from Summit Team 6!
We bit off another chunk of the mountain this morning ascending to 9,600 feet. Only 10,600 feet to go! We arrived at our new camp around mid morning. Our team is quickly becoming McKinley camp experts, so it did not take us very long to dig in camp. We had some extra daylight (oh yeah, it is always daylight), so we decided to dig a monster posh house. A posh house is our version of a cook tent. It is like a snow cave where the cooking and seating area is dug into the snow below ground level. The roof is a big top-like tent that is held up by a pole that goes from the apex to the floor of the snow pit. Now we have room for company.
The weather forecast looks stellar so we should be able to move up to 11k Camp tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Summit Team 6
P.S. Lance says thank you to his wife and girls for the Father's Day card!
Wow!I am speechless! What a great experience! I am so proud of my friend Cindee Teer! I hope all goes well, and everyone is safe! The Turner Family
Posted by: Ingrid on 6/17/2013 at 7:01 pm
It sounds like things are going so well! Steve, we are thinking of you constantly. Tania went home today and we miss her, but we had fun this weekend talking about how WE are not on a glacier, but enjoying summer in the mountains. Just so you know, Tania did awesome this weekend.
The Expedition Skills Seminar – Emmons is soaking up the sun and setting up camp in Glacier Basin. The team is doing really well and everyone is excited to be on the mountain. There are clouds building so taking advantage of the sun is the number one priority for training this afternoon.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
The Four Day Summit Climb led by Dan Windham reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning! The team took advantage of the firm snow conditions offered by climbing in the wee morning hours and are making their way back through the clouds to sunny Camp Muir. The team will descend to Paradise and return to Ashford later today.
We have a Five Day Summit Climb at Camp Muir, an Expedition Skills Seminar – Emmons beginning their time on the mountain.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Wow!!! So totally impressive and so happy for the whole team. Congratulations on a great trip up and have a safe trip down!
Posted by: Nina Baj on 6/19/2013 at 10:14 am
We woke up on the East Coast to your most welcome audio clip from on high. How sweet the sound!
Posted by: Bill and Kathleen on 6/18/2013 at 5:30 am
View All Comments