Today was our second day of sleeping in on the trip; it proved to be just as enjoyable as the first. Here in Ganet Basin at 14k, the looming upper mountain of Denali blocks the sun from hitting camp until mid morning. Our group stayed in sleeping bags until the sun's first rays hit our tents. This place is like a desert, when the sun is behind the mountain it's freezing and when the sun is out, it's miserably hot. Once we were up, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast that lasted nearly until lunch.
Here at 14 camp, we are situated in the outskirts of a village of tents. While we are content resting in the shade, others are not. People can be seen and heard at nearly all hours of the day. We see snowball fights as well as people playing hacky-sack and making elaborate castles of snow blocks.
High winds and low visibility have plagued the upper mountain for the last few days, keeping many teams from moving uphill. The result is a large group of restless people around camp. While others sit crossing their fingers and rationing food, we are sitting pretty.
Because our team has moved efficiently thus far, we are simply enjoying the rest, acclimatizing and getting stronger every day. We are in a great position and look forward to carrying to 17k when we get a chance. We remain optimistic that the weather and wind on the upper mountain will subside.
The team says hello to all our friends and family following along on the blog.
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
Chris and friends I am sure you are enjoying the expiriance up there as always. Best wishes for good weather ahead and safe climbing, mean while enjoy the
rest. Good job with the updates Tyler.
Thank you
Posted by: voula likourgiotis on 6/8/2012 at 6:42 pm
Thank you so much for the updates Tyler!
Go Nicolas Go!
Hope you are all having a wonderful time.
Keep safe.
Seth here, checking in from inside my tent. We're currently dug in at 9,200 feet at a spot we call "The Castle." We've had a rough spell of weather on this trip with mostly white out conditions but the group is still having a good time. Yesterday we had good weather for a bit while we climbed up to our camp but over night a big storm came in and now we are just waiting it out in the safety of camp.
Tomorrow we will make our way back to civilization.
Way to Go John, We are sooo proud…hope you didn’t loose your hat in those white outs! It’s 84 and sunny here in MB..you’re next stomping ground..can’t wait to see you and hear all about it. Love you partner. Dr. Missy
Posted by: Melissa Patton on 6/9/2012 at 5:14 am
Hey Mr. Boicourt get tot he top already Rif meeting starts in an hour, plus George misses you!
By the looks of that weather you should have listened to me and done the Robert Trent Jone golf trail. we would be on about Bottle 10 of Goose and Juice…
Today we are training at Camp Muir. The weather is not cooperating with our training, but we are having fun teaching and using advanced techniques for our very advanced clientele. It is very winter like here at Camp Muir a lot of snow and a lot of wind. Our last session will be navigation, and that will come in handy tomorrow getting down the Muir Snowfield.
JJ, Dan & the Expedition Team
Guys had a great time, so much so I’m booking for Mexico. I want to make sure JJ brings the fat finger ascender just for me…
Posted by: Louis on 6/11/2012 at 2:31 pm
We had a fantastic time learning mountaineering skills and hanging out in the hut at Camp Muir. What a great group of clients and guides! Thanks to JJ, Dan, Tim, Katey, and Alex for teaching us so much. You took a newbie and got me well started on a great obsess,er,uh, hobby! Thanks to Nick for suggesting the trip, and every body for keeping it fun. I hope Zeek’s goose grows her feathers back in time for the next trip!
This morning we woke up to clear skies and beautiful views. Unfortunately, as we sipped on our morning coffee the clouds began to grow and the wind picked up. Today was not our summit day, instead we got the team moving around and doing more home improvements. I can positively say that RMI Okita has the best looking camp at 17.
Today's renovations included lowering the floor of the posh ( or cook tent) and revamping the kitchen scene. After these improvements were made everyone enjoyed some reading and napping before a delicious dinner of tortellini served with a cream garlic sauce and sun dried tomatoes. The conversation was flowing over dinner, with stories of bike racing, pets, hunting and books.
Again we are optimistic about tomorrow's weather, which is calling for a high pressure system to move in.
Wishing the wind away,
RMI Guides Lindsay, Leon, Brent and team
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir led by RMI Guides J.J. Justman and Dan Windham climbed to 11,500' feet this morning and spent several hours working on their crevasse rescue techniques. They will continue their training tomorrow and hope to make a summit attempt if conditions allow.
This morning we awoke to mostly clear skies, calm winds,and great climbing temps. Bagels and bacon filled our tanks for an early breakfast. We loaded our packs with our camp and started the 3,000 foot climb back to our cache at 14,000'. The team climbed in better style than ever, cutting 15 minutes off our previous time to the 14,000' Advanced Base Camp (ABC). The guides have some very tasty food in store for the next few meals as we rest, rehydrate, acclimate, and create tighter bonds with our new climbing partners.
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
Good breakfast good team and good guide, and your faith is an importand tool to get higher safely.
We are proud of you, go team go.
Thank you for the reports Tyler.God bless.
Posted by: voula likourgiotis on 6/7/2012 at 3:19 pm
Greetings from Talkeetna AK!
Our team made it in last night/early this morning with all gear accounted for and we enjoyed a good night's rest in Talkeetna. This morning it was business as usual, big breakfasts at the Roadhouse, a NPS orientation and a lot of sorting gear in the K2 hangar. Now we are checking tents, stoves and group gear before a big feast tonight. With any luck we will fly out tomorrow morning.
Til then,
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Ciao Eric, Thinking of you and praying for good weather and a safe trip. We are very proud of you and all the hard work it took to get you where you are today. Can’t wait to see you to share stories. Amore from Mom and Dad
Posted by: Tom and Kathy Schafer on 6/16/2012 at 11:15 pm
Wow- thats impressive progress. Also - potluck? I thought this was supposed to be hard! You should be relaying stories of extreme hardship and grit!
You guys are awesome.
All the best.
K - Uma came back Malaysia and we had a hurricane at home…till the home was in order and to her spec. :-)
No. I'm afraid there were no royal celebrations of summit success for us today as we began the morning getting up with guarded optimism that the clouds and wind above us would dissipate just enough to allow us to get in a summit bid. But that did not happen, and instead we retreated back to our tents after prolonging our time over breakfast in the Posh.
Unfortunately the clouds descended and eventually we were enveloped in wind and snow that just took some of the energy and motivation we needed to work on camp. So, instead we spent a restful morning in our tents, snug and warm from the elements just beyond the thin nylon fabric we rely so vitally on for our comfort and survival.
What do we actually do during these times while waiting for the weather to improve? Of course, reading, listening to music, playing games all come to mind, but simply catching up on sleep is huge. With winds buffeting our tents during the night, coupled with the excitement and anxiety that affects us all before a possible summit day, we can all use the downtime. In fact, it's the climber that deals with this forced inactivity well that tends to be the better climber. A capacity for patience is a hallmark of good expedition climbers.
But, I never thought that spending an entire day in the old fart sack helped you out much in terms of adjusting to the altitude, so when we got a nice break in the weather we went out and built the nicest bathroom on the mountain, walled and roofed, and ready for whatever the mountain throws at us. At least we'll take comfort knowing that, when that inevitable time comes, we'll be able to answer that call without sheets of wind blown snow covering our clothes and all too vulnerably exposed parts of our anatomy.
As for tomorrow, though the forecast calls for high winds what I'm seeing right now makes me think we have a chance. The winds have calmed and it's sunny and beautiful, with simply gorgeous views of the Alaska Range from our perch here just below the summit of the tallest peak in North America.
And now, some closing words from the poet laureate of the arctic, our own Lindsay Mann:
At 17 we stay
Wishing the wind away
Cutting blocks and sawing snow
People see out camp and say wow!
A ceiling for our bathroom was done
To give us privacy from everyone
Stories over dinner we share
cause team morale is still there
Hoping to get the summit
As soon as these winds plummet
But for now we sit tight
And wish for a beautiful night
Good night from Brent Okita, Leon and Lindsay
Please ensure this marvelous structure remains intact for the next two weeks. I hope to get the chance to witness such a fine piece of engineering with my own eyes.
On Sunday, June 3, the historic Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier National Park hosted a Tribute to Nawang Gombu. The much-anticipated event promised to be a memorable gathering and, despite the fickle weather, it definitely lived up to expectations!
By 4:00PM the grand lobby was overflowing with family and friends gathered to honor the memory of the man who, all agreed, was a remarkable individual in terms of physical strength, mental determination, and above everything else, humility. Several family members even journeyed from India to attend. Gombu’s daughter, Yangdu, received a plaque from Mt. Rainier National Park Superintendent Randy King, recognizing her father’s years of service at Mt. Rainier.
Needless to say, the climbing community was well represented, with Lou & Jim Whittaker (along with their families) topping the bill. Jim recounted a story when he and Gombu were on the summit of Mt Everest in 1963: He asked the soon-to-become-famous Sherpa what he was thinking; what was going through his mind in that historic moment; and received the succinct reply, “Getting down!”
In the crowd were numerous professional mountain guides who worked with Gombu on Mt Rainier, as well as past clients of RMI fortunate enough to rope up with him during their summit climbs. Phinjo Gombu, Gombu’s son and also a former RMI guide, accepted a special plaque from RMI’s Lou Whittaker, Peter Whittaker, and myself. Phinjo then delivered a moving account of his father’s life, from boyhood to becoming a mountaineering icon. Through it all, Phinjo recalled, Gombu remained humble and unassuming. As he put it, “He [Gombu] simply loved the mountains.” Everyone in the building related to that sentiment.
2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the 1982 American Everest Expedition, led by Lou Whittaker, of which Gombu was a member. Several former RMI guides and participants on the expedition were in attendance, including Larry Nielson, the first American to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen (1983). Gombu used to refer to Larry as “the Animal” and with good reason!
Near the great fireplace at the west end of the lobby easels displayed photos from numerous expeditions on which Gombu participated: Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, and Nanda Devi. He also guided an RMI Mt. McKinley Expedition in the late 1970’s, with his friend Phil Ershler. A silent auction was ongoing throughout the evening, bidding on famous photos and mountaineering books autographed by Lou Whittaker, Jim Whittaker, and Dee Molenaar among others.
Of course, nothing elicits memories more effectively than film and the medium was presented in abundance: Gombu as a young man on early expeditions; the electrifying final steps to the top of Everest on May 1, 1963 with Big Jim; the ’82 China-Everest North Wall and ’89 Kanchenjunga expeditions. These clips represented but a few snippets of a lifetime spent in the high mountains.
Then suddenly, shortly after 9:00PM, someone burst into Paradise Inn proclaiming, “The Mountain’s out! The Mountain’s out!” Talk about your mass exodus. The lobby all but emptied in a matter of moments as everyone grabbed cameras and cell phones or simply went outside to look for themselves. The summit of Rainier, hidden behind clouds throughout the day, was there in all its glory. The Tatoosh Range was bathed in shades of evening’s glow, while Rainier’s distant summit loomed stark and foreboding. It fit the occasion. Mt Rainier’s upper reaches are the realm of the mountaineer, of which Nawang Gombu represented the highest ideal. As guide and climber, husband and father and very special friend, his memory will be kept alive in the high mountains.
Special thanks to Ingrid & Lou Whittaker for all their efforts in organizing and promoting this truly memorable event.
- RMI Guide Joe Horiskey
Thanks for the fine recap, Joe. Wish I could have been there for the celebration of Gombu’s life. He was a giant. My hero and my friend.
Posted by: Dave Hahn on 6/7/2012 at 6:39 am
I have such great memories of climbing and travelling with Gombu. Whether on Rainier or on the way to Kanchenjunga and Chomolari, Gombu always had the right words to help the slower travelers and to deal with the task at hand. I especially remember his families kindness and generosity when they hosted a traditional Tibetan wedding for Heidi Pletz at Sita and Gombu’s home in Darjeeling. All the great work he did with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute will be long remembered along with all the climbs and guiding.
Today we experienced superb climbing conditions as we bumped equipment and food to our cache at 14,000' camp.
We began with a steep climb out of 11,000' camp, up "Motorcycle Hill" and "Squirrel Hill" then enjoyed a mellow walk across a part of the route called the "Polo Field." We stopped just shy of the infamous "Windy Corner" at 13,200'. Guides and clients prepared to battle the harsh winds by dawning wind layers and face protection. We even made sure to have goggles readily accessible. When we rounded the corner however, we were greeted with only a light breeze. As a team we are constantly preparing for the worst and hoping for the best; the wind today turned out to be the best.
With our cache stocked, we headed downhill back to our camp. Despite some clouds, we were still greeted with a view of the Peters Glacier, the Direct West Buttress and Father and Son Wall. We were reminded how truly huge this place is, and satisfied to see that we are making steady progress. The entire crew had their strongest day yet.
We are currently back in camp hold up in our tents. It seems that in this place we are either working our tails off, or comatose and resting. Now we are the latter.
We look forward to seeing what kind of weather greets us tomorrow. We hope to move up to 14,000' at some point in the next few days if the group feels strong and weather permits. Well keep you posted. For now, it's back to food and rest.
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
Chris and friends I am sure you are enjoying the expiriance up there as always. Best wishes for good weather ahead and safe climbing, mean while enjoy the
rest. Good job with the updates Tyler.
Thank you
Posted by: voula likourgiotis on 6/8/2012 at 6:42 pm
Thank you so much for the updates Tyler!
Go Nicolas Go!
Hope you are all having a wonderful time.
Keep safe.
Posted by: Louise on 6/8/2012 at 11:57 am
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