RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: JJ Justman, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,500'
Coffee and Quesadillas is what rest days are all about! This is team #1 here on Aconcagua at Camp 1 (16,500’). After our carry yesterday the team definitely earned a day to acclimatize, rest, and recover after a good long day’s work. Everyone is doing just fantastic. We’re continually eating up quesadillas, drinking coffee, telling stories, and just having a good time.
The weather is pretty decent a little bit of wind. It looks like there might be a bit of a change, but overall not too bad. So tomorrow our plan is to wake up early, break camp, and then move to Camp 2 at 18,000’.
Everyone wants to say hello to friends and family back home and thanks for following along. We will touch base with you again and let you know how our move to a new altitude at Camp 2 on Aconcagua goes. Take care everyone!
Ciao from Argentina,
RMI Guide JJ Justman & Team
Rest Day at Camp 1
Posted by:
Categories: Guide News
From Expedition Dispatches, to interviews, to new records set by RMI Guides, see what the this year's top 10 most popular posts on the RMI Blog!
10. RMI GUIDE SETH WATERFALL RECEIVES VALUABLE AVY 3 TRAINING
I’ve just returned to Washington after taking part in a six day Avalanche Level 3 course in Jackson, WY. ‘Avy 3’ is the highest level of formal avalanche training in the US. It is a professional level course designed for Guides, Ski Patrollers and other avalanche forecasters. Read more...
9. MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING | NUTRITION FOR MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING
Mountain Climbing has a high requirement for energy. Quality nutrition is a key component of training success. In this conversation with Registered Dietician Sally Hara of Kirkland, Washington, I had a chance to ask some of the questions which often come up in training for mountaineering. Read More...
8. MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION: RMI TEAM REACHES SUMMIT!
On Saturday, May 26th at 9:31 a.m. Nepali time the RMI 2012 Mt. Everest Expedition reached the summit! RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot led the team of climbers to the summit of Mt. Everest at 29,035’. Read More...
7. MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION: REST DAY AT ABC
Our team enjoyed a rest day at Camp 2 (ABC) today. Their plan is to head for Camp 3 tomorrow.
This really is the start of the Mt. Everest summit push in my eyes. How the next two days go, can have real impact on the summit day. Read More...
6. MT EVEREST EXPEDITION: DAVE HAHN AND TEAM AT CAMP 3 ON LHOTSE FACE
Hello from Everest Base Camp,
I spoke with Dave and Melissa at Camp 3 and WOW did they sound great!
The climbing team left Camp 2 early this morning under perfect conditions. Read More...
5. RMI GUIDE KATIE BONO RECOUNTS MT. RAINIER SPEED ASCENT
I first thought of doing a speed ascent on Rainier late in the summer of 2011. I started guiding with RMI that summer and spent plenty of time that year carrying heavy loads up the Muir snowfield as quickly as possible. I come from a cross-country ski racing background and I raced professionally for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, the Rossignol Factory Team, and Dartmouth College before that. Read More...
4. MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING | SETTING A BASELINE: EVALUATING YOUR CURRENT FITNESS
To begin a conditioning plan for mountaineering, first establish the baseline of your current fitness level. This baseline allows you to compare your current strengths to what you’ll need on the climb. With this, we can compose a training plan that builds steady improvement between now and the day you set off for the mountains. Read More...
3. LOU WHITTAKER INTERVIEW
RMI Founder Lou Whittaker was interviewed last month by the Magic Valley Newspaper in Twin Falls, ID. Lou took some time off from skiing in Sun Valley to sit down and talk about his lifetime of climbing. Read More...
2. MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING | INTERVAL TRAINING
Interval Training is a training technique employed in many endurance sports. It refers to a training session where periods of high intensity effort, followed by rest, are repeated during a training session. Read More...
1. RMI GUIDE KATIE BONO MAKES SPEED ASCENT
Katie Bono climbs Mount Rainier in 4 hours, 58 minutes on July 24, 2012.
RMI Guide Katie Bono completed a car-to-car speed ascent of the classic Disappointment Cleaver route. Her effort is significant not only because it sets the female speed record but also because it adds a female presence to a list which had been exclusively male dominated. Read More...
Hola from Quito!
We started the day with another wonderful breakfast here at the hotel full of fruits, eggs, fresh baked breads and plenty of coffee. We then took a short cab ride to the Teleferico and rode the gondola up to around 13,500'. From here we hiked for about 3 hours to the top of Rucu Pichincha (15,696'). It was mostly cloudy on our acclimatization hike until we nearly reached the summit. The clouds broke up a bit and allowed us a few views of the surrounding valley. The team did great on the hike and a few team members reached new altitude records. We spent the rest of the day doing a little shopping, sightseeing and a few of us took siestas.
All is well here in Ecuador and we are looking forward to tomorrow's adventure.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
On The Map
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif
Elevation: 16,067'
If at first you don't succeed... The forecast really wasn't all that good for today, but when Seth Waterfall and I looked out of the tent at 7:30 AM, we couldn't find too much wrong with the day. We started stoves, woke the team and geared up once again for a summit bid. We got out of camp at around 10 AM and made steady progress in bright sunshine. Eventually the sky clouded up (as we'd been told it might) but we kept a careful watch out for wind on the heights... and didn't see any. The team moved well, with many commenting that they actually felt stronger today than they had in yesterday's bid. We reached the old high point and then seemed to be getting above the clouds as we worked our way onto Vinson's summit ridge. We all thought it was going to be cold and windy on the final ridge but instead it was delightfully calm, sunny and even warm (it certainly didn't feel like the forecasted -28 C...although it might have with any wind whatsoever). The team loved the big blocky rocks and delicate traverses of the summit ridge. We got on top at 5:00 PM and stayed there for thirty minutes, shooting pictures and shaking hands. The clouds took a way a good chunk of the view possibilities, but we had glimpses enough through the mist to know we were way up in the air over Antarctica. The descent took a mere 2.5 hours and we were back in camp by 8:00 PM. Tired and happy. Our plan is for the majority of the team to rest at high camp tomorrow while I make one more try at the top with a climber who sat out today's bid.
Weather permitting.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
[Transcribed audio] Hey this is Seth checking from the summit of Vinson Massif, highest point in Antarctica. Had a great day of climbing. Started out in sun, ended up in the clouds, but we were on top in almost zero wind and light snow flurries. We are up pretty high. We are going to take a couple of photos and head on back to high camp and we'll check in then.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall from the Vinson Massif summit
On The Map
THREE CHEERS!!! So excited for everyone!!!! Can’t wait to hear all about it. Continued Blessings.
Steph and Jane
Posted by: Steph and Jane on 12/14/2012 at 9:26 pm
FELICIDADES CAMPEONA, gracias por este hermoso regalo, si se pudo, tu espíritu inquebrantable, fortaleza, y Dios lo hicieron posible, FELICIDADES PRIMERA TICA EN ANTÁRTICA, te esperamos sana y salva ,, si se pudo la num. 6, Bravoooo, mami te manda felicitaciones de corazón, pensando que siempre sales adelante eres una pequeña gran mujer.
Posted by: Graciela Carmona Soto on 12/14/2012 at 3:37 pm
Posted by:
Categories: Guide News
From videos shot by RMI Climbers to interviews with RMI Guides and clips from the world's greatest peaks, see 2012's top ten most viewed videos from the RMI Video Collection!
10: CONGRATULATIONS SETH WATERFALL, 100 RAINIER SUMMITS
9: MELISSA ARNOT TRAINS TO CLIMB MAKALU
8: MEET JJ JUSTMAN
7: DAVE HAHN: 14TH EVEREST SUMMIT
6: MT. McKINLEY WEATHER WITH DAVE HAHN
5. RMI CLIMBER VIDEO: PANORAMIC ECUADOR
4. MELISSA ARNOT INTERVIEW
3. CLIMBING MEXICO'S VOLCANOES: VIDEO BY JJ JUSTMAN
2. EXTREME ECUADOR: CULTURE AND CLIMB
1. ACONCAGUA SUMMIT DAY: VIDEO BY JJ JUSTMAN
Thanks for the inspiring videos. Awesome to see people doing what I have wanted to do my entire life.
Posted by: Joe Winter on 12/17/2012 at 6:42 pm
Nice videos. I watched them all, although I have seen a few of them before. Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Dan on 12/14/2012 at 12:53 pm
Posted by: JJ Justman, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,500'
Hello everyone this is Team #1 on Aconcagua,
Today we went from Camp 1 to Camp 2. We carried some of the gear we will need higher on the mountain making a cache of gear. Everyone did a great job getting up to 18,100’ we hung out for a little bit and then we enjoyed a beautiful walk back down here to Camp 1 at 16,500’. Everything is going very well a little bit of a breeze, but that is not too bad. We are just resting and recovering now. We will be taking a full rest day tomorrow which has been well deserved. We have a few surprises for the team tomorrow a smorgasbord of food, but we will get into that tomorrow when we get in touch with the RMI Blog and let you know what we do to hang out at 16,500’ having just a great time.
Things are going very well here; it is really nice to be higher in the mountain. Great views! We will talk again very soon. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide JJ Justman & Team
Justman and Team check in after Carry to Camp 2
I enjoy the posts and am glad everyone is doing well.
Wish I was there. Next one?
I will keep Ballard in check for you Mike, until you get back!
Climb on buddy,
Mike
Posted by: Mike on 12/13/2012 at 2:59 pm
Hello everyone. After a day of long flights, our team arrived in Quito last night and moved into the Hotel Mercure Alameda to rest and recover.
This morning the team indulged in a great breakfast including various local fruits and dishes. After a quick orientation meeting, we headed out for a city tour and visit to the Equator. Warm weather and a sunny day made our time walking around the city enjoyable. We were able to visit Independence Plaza, the Jesuit church La Compania, and the Virgin of Quito - a 100+ foot statue with gorgeous views overlooking the city.
Seated at 9,350 feet, the air in Quito is thin, especially for those of us coming from sea level. The city tour, in addition to exposing us to some of the best sights in Quito, gave us a chance to stretch our legs and aid in the acclimatization process. The time that we spend here is building the base to increase our chances of success later in the trip.
We spent the afternoon exploring the Equatorial line and phenomenon associated with it. We watched basins of water, only a dozen feet apart, swirl opposite directions on each side of the line and learned when the indigenous people first discovered their location.
After taking a few hour siesta, the team met for our first dinner to round out the day. The conversation and laughter at our table made it feel like a group of old friends, who will only grow closer in the coming days.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif
Elevation: 12,400'
Hard day of mountain climbing. We got up at five minutes to six this morning, excited that the sun was shining and the wind wasn't blowing. As we ate breakfast, we could see cloud moving in from the Northeast, but our hope was that we could climb before anything serious moved in. We set out from high camp at 8:15 and made good and steady progress. It was a tough day to dress for as everyone continually cycled from too hot to too cold and rarely spent any time being just right. We watched cloud caps forming and dissipating on the peaks as we gained altitude, but eventually the clouds just kept building on Vinson. We'd reached 15,340' with 700' to go... roughly two more hours to the top. But we couldn't do it. The winds had picked up and snow was flying and people were tired, so it was a lousy combination for tackling the exposed summit ridge in cold conditions. Down we went and into a cold headwind. As expected, life was a lot easier when we got out from under the cloud cap, and by the time we'd reached high camp we were back in blue skies and sunshine. Hard to come so close and come away without the summit... But we'll keep trying. We have more food, more fuel, more muscles and more ambition.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Sterling, Tough Luck! But then that’s what all that training was about. You could probably do this a few more times. Hopefully the second try will be successful.
Good Luck!
Posted by: Dave & Shirley on 12/13/2012 at 3:21 pm
Hi, Jules!
Good luck on summit bid #2 and Seven Summits #7! You rock!
Lily
Posted by: Lily Lo on 12/13/2012 at 3:00 pm
Posted by: JJ Justman, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,500'
Audio 1: Hello everyone at the RMI bloggers following Team One on Aconcagua. We are happy to report that we are up at Camp One. We actually had to make our camp a little higher. It was a little busy lower down at Camp One, but we have the upper camp at 16,500' all to ourselves. As a matter of fact this camp is so nice, we have a sit down toilet. So, the entire team is doing real well. It's a little bit of work to get up here, but everyone's feeling great. The agenda right now is to make sure that tents are buttoned down for heavy winds. However, right now we have very light winds... We're going to get a hot breakfast... (satellite connection lost)
Audio 2: Hey, this is J.J. again with Team One on Aconcagua. Just to let everyone out there know. We have a lot of gear so we kind of thinned our communications down. We just have a SAT phone up here so we are going to be giving our blog via voice with Google voice and it'll be transcribed. So it may cut out, we'll try to do our best to give you some entertaining updates but everyone is just doing fantastic up here at 16,500'. We'll talk with you guys tomorrow. Everyone says hello to family and friends, and please follow along. We'll touch base tomorrow. Ciao from Argentina Camp One.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
JJ Justman from Aconcagua Camp 1.
JJ continued from Aconcagua Camp 1.
On The Map
Robert make sure you say hi to God when you reach the top for me. Can’t wait to celebrate upon your return. Hang in there!
Posted by: pat ward on 12/12/2012 at 4:03 pm
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif
Elevation: 12,400'
The clouds fled Low Camp around 1:30 this morning and we woke to sparkling skies about ten hours later. Moving day! Breakfast got us set for a flurry of gearing up, knocking tents down, and roping up for the big climb to high camp. We are old hands at climbing the steep fixed rope sections now, but most were startled at the scenery (which eluded us on our cloudy climb the other day). We had unimpaired views of hundreds of square miles of the Antarctic interior today, including the big jagged, crazy peaks just north of Vinson (Shinn and Epperly). As we worked our way higher, our "Low" Camp began to seem low indeed, reduced to a collection of specks on the big Branscomb Glacier. We pulled into high camp six hours after setting out, at a quarter to Eight PM. As usual, it was a fair amount of work getting tents up and stoves burning and snow melting for dinner, but the entire team is well practiced now at such chores and it went quickly. One by one our climbers wandered over to the edge of camp to peer out over the edge of the world. At least the big drop-off back down to the Branscomb seems that way now. Precipitous to the tune of more than three thousand vertical feet. A physical cliff, as it were. Tell congress we've found it.
Tomorrow, relatively bright and early, we'll get up and see if the weather will work for a summit day. It is forecast to be -28 degrees Celsius on top tomorrow. Which is normal. By the way, that converts to minus brrrrrrrr degrees Fahrenheit.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Bruce, been enjoying reading the blogs. Good luck, be safe and stay warm!
Posted by: Tara Zier on 12/12/2012 at 7:24 pm
Wow…the photos are incredible and reading the blog brings chills. You guys are amazing! Sending good wishes for an awesome day tomorrow.
Paula Selland
Posted by: Paula Selland on 12/12/2012 at 5:54 pm
Sounds like the climb is going great & the food fantastic.
Robert, Lillypoo keeps looking out the window for you, You better bring her back a big Argentina steak bone!
Miss you,
Jo
Posted by: Jo on 12/14/2012 at 4:12 pm
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