RMI Expeditions Blog

Started today before sunrise with a 6:00 a.m. departure from the hotel. We drove along scenic roads high into the hills around Quito and were rewarded with beautiful views of the city and some of the surrounding volcanoes, including our future objectives: Cayambe and Cotopaxi! When the road ended and we reached the trailhead, we began hiking toward Rucu Pichincha. We walked through gorgeous grasslands and scrambled over rocks, moving in and out of the clouds all day. A few hours and a few thousand feet later, we reached the summit (15,407 ft). After a quick descent back into warmer weather, we arrived at the top of the TelefériQo just before some afternoon thunder. We waited out a brief storm while enjoying coffee in the restaurant before taking the gondola back into town. Most of the team spent some time at the spa, testing their mental fortitude in the cold plunge before dinner. Another great day enjoying Ecuador and acclimating to the altitude!

Thanks for following along—we’re all looking forward to tomorrow’s adventures!

RMI Guide Jackson Breen & Team

Hola from Ecuador!

The team arrived late last night after some long and late arriving flights. Today we started our day with a team meeting where we did our usual round of introductions to get to know each other and then discussed the game plan for our upcoming 11 day adventure here in Ecuador.

After the meeting we headed out on the town to explore this beautiful historical city with our local and very knowledgeable tour guide Gloria and trusty drive Angel. We first headed to the southern part of Quito to a big hill called La Panacia that over looks this beautiful city. Then made our way on foot to the oldest parts of Quito, to take in the sights, admire the colonial Spanish architecture, and visit one of the many old churches found here Quito.

We finished our tour with of course a visit to the Equator from which Ecuador derivesits name, stopping by a museum that had a pretty interesting collection as well as some unique test that attempt to prove it’s the actual middle of the world.

We wrapped up the day with a quick gear check to make sure everyone has all the gear needed for our climbs. Then it was off to dinner at a nice restaurant where we were enjoyed getting to know each other better.

RMI Guides Casey Grom, Jackson Breen and the the Quito Crew!

Ama Dablam doesn’t need an introduction — it’s the mountain that makes everyone stop mid-trek, pull out their phone, and say “what mountain is that?” It looks impossible, like a granite shark fin dropped into the Khumbu. And we got to climb it. After a few weeks of hiking, acclimatizing, and a lot of time perfecting our tea-to-oxygen ratio, our team made a summit push. We climbed to Camp 1 at 19,000 ft followed by Camp 3, then up to the summit. We skipped the infamous, and smelly, Camp 2 to avoid the cramped "sleeping" and opted to climb the Grey Tower in the daylight with No Crowds!! 

We left Camp 3 in the wee hours of the morning due to the wind whipping across the seemingly near vertical wall facing you. We needed the sun to start making the air warmer, though the face doesn't get sun for quite some time in the mornings.  The fixed lines started right out of camp, and we got into a rhythm quickly — one step, one jumar, a deep breath, repeat. The climbing from Camp 3 is the kind of terrain that keeps you smiling even while your legs burn. It’s steep, exposed, and wildly scenic — you look down and realize how much of the world is way below you. A few hours later, we were standing on the summit — some wind, blue skies, and the type of view that doesn’t feel real until you’re back at basecamp scrolling through your photos thinking, “oh yeah, that actually happened.”

We had opted to head all the way back down to basecamp after our climb, which made for a long day, but a worthwhile endeavor, nonetheless. A hot meal, a mattress, a warm dome, all after summitting one of the most iconic peaks on earth. We got back in the dark, but damn was it worth it. 

Ama Dablam always lives up to the hype, a mix of gritty weather, unreal scenery, and the kind of that technical climbing that makes you grateful for strong ropes and stronger people.

Huge thanks to our Sherpa team, the staff at basecamp, and everyone back home following along. 

Until next time,

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

UPDATE: Friday, October, 31, 2025

Cumbre! 

We all went to bed with a degree of anxiety about the weather. For days prior, and even the day we went to Cotopaxi Refugio, there were intense periods of rain. However, luck was on our side and our guide Sam woke us up around 11pm with the best news ever - it was a clear starry night. We finalized our packs, put on our crampons, and set out for the summit.

The climb began on rocky terrain, a steady but manageable approach. We soon got to the soft snow level and the intensity started to pick up. It was a constant uphill ascent without any switchbacks. For many of us, this was the steepest continuous climb we’ve ever done and also the highest altitude ever achieved. This led to some challenges, but we pushed through with our resilience and amazing support from our guides. Before we knew it, the summit was in sight. The entire group showed their grit and determination and we all made it! What an incredible sight that we were rewarded with at the top of Cotopaxi. After taking it all in, we began the descent. We weren’t able to appreciate the beauty of the mountain on the ascent as it was mostly dark, but the descent revealed Cotopaxi’s splendor from various angles. We enjoyed a light breakfast at the Refugio and then descended to the parking lot where a bus took us to our cozy hacienda. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the hacienda that the rain and hail storms began. It’s still a mystery on how we had such a perfect weather window for our climb, but we are grateful! And all excited about our accomplishment!

RMI Climber, Madhur Nayan

Friday, October 31, 2025 - 11:00 am PT

RMI Guide Mike Bennett sent a quick update to let us know that 100% of the team reached the summit of Cotopaxi today! They will return to the climbers hut, repack and meet their drivers and vehicles for the short transfer to Chilcabamba Lodge where they will spend the night.  Tomorrow the team will return to Quito for their final night in Ecuador.

Congratulations team!

Cotopaxi Express Daily Blog 

The team woke up this morning in a packed climbers hut at the ripe hour of 4am to climb Illiniza. Snow and sleet covered the ground and word came from the top to go back to bed. After a brief breakfast The team set off at 7 am towards Illiniza Norte with a windy snow still coming down but daylight on our side. Teams split into smaller groups to tackle the snowy scramble up the knife edge ridge of the mountain. Conditions remained poor, and we turned around 16,300’ to head down to the familiarity of the climbers hut. Repacked and trekking down to the bus, snow turned to rain and the bus was a warm bumpy welcome down the cobblestone roads. Lunch at a VERY FAMOUS pizza dive. Now the team is relaxing in front of wood stove fires, gazing over pastures towards the cloudy abyss—looking to catch a glimpse of the pinnacle objective hidden in the mist.

RMI Climbers, Dan and Joe Hayden 

Today the team left the comfort of Quito to begin our journey south to Illiniza Norte (because Illiniza Sur is apparently hard so we’re going to skip it). Unfortunately, we had to make an early morning start to get from our rooms to the hotel lobby by 9am.

With everyone safely on the bus we began the drive south to a famous gas station to buy critical snacks, meet our local guides Gustavo, Felipe (one of RMI’s finest) and Jaime, and sign paperwork. After saying goodbye to the gas station (and the last real toilet) we continued our drive to the trail head where we met horses and mules to carry our gear to the refuge.

We are now furiously chomping down popcorn and hoping for a good climb tomorrow.

- RMI Climber, Joe Maguire & Team

Elevation - 15,413 feet

Team Summits Ruca Pinchinca! 

This morning we started early for our first acclimatization hike of the trip. We opted to skip the Teleferico (Gondola) ride in order to get ahead of some afternoon thunderstorms. Thanks to Hector for driving us up to 12,800’ feet! 

It took us 5 hours to reach the summit and return. The hike gradually picks up with grade and we were feeling it towards the top. Today was hard work and the team did great. We got a glimpse of our main goal - Cotopaxi - which built excitement for the days to come. 

We will rest for the afternoon and enjoy a team dinner in Quito before moving to Illiniza Norte tomorrow! Wish us luck. 

RMI Guide, 

Sam Hoffman & Team

Sunday, October 26, 2026 - 6:05 pm PT

Welcome to Ecuador! 

The team made their arrival and assembled this morning for their first time as an expedition. After morning introductions, the team talked through trip details before heading out to explore the lovely city of Quito. The team explored the city and visited the equator, getting our first taste of the beautiful South American culture that is Ecuador. 

The afternoon lead into a team gear check before heading off to dinner and resting for the evening. Tomorrow's day will be an early start for our first acclimatization hike, Rucu Pichincha. 

RMI Guide,

Mike Bennett 

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and making our steady way up the Khumbu Valley over the past several days, we’ve arrived at Basecamp, perched at 15,000 ft. Ama Dablam towers above us, its iconic ridges stretching around camp. Ama Dablam is named for its resemblance to a mother cradling and protecting her child. 

What a place. We’re surrounded by 360-degree views of the Khumbu’s giants, some of the tallest and most breathtaking peaks on Earth. It’s inspiring, humbling, breathtaking. A fresh blanket of snow last week has transformed the landscape into a pristine white canvas, the air crisp as the last whispers of monsoon give way to winter here in the Himalayas.

Tomorrow, we head higher for acclimatization, up to Yak Camp, the intermediate point between Basecamp and Camp 1. We’ll tag 17,000 ft and return to BC for the night, where our routine involves as much ginger, lemon, and honey tea legally possible.

After that, we begin our rotation schedule in preparation for the big show: our summit push. For now, it’s still quiet up here, let’s hope it stays that way.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

10/2

With inclement weather including high winds forecasted for the coming days, we pivoted and rallied over to the Nevados de Vilcun Refugio to ski off of Volcan Llaima, the second most active volcano in Chile. 

After a great to-go breakfast at Casa Esquina, we hopped in the van and said goodbye to Malalcahuello. We zigzagged south along dirt roads and dense forests to Nevados de Vilcun, where we donned ski boots and climbing skins on the porch of the refugio. 

With just over 5,000 ft of elevation gain, today would be our biggest ski day of the trip. We skinned over the expansive plateaus formed by the last volcanic eruption in 2008 and our shadows danced behind us from the rising sun as we climbed. 

After a few hours the angle increased and we donned ski crampons to combat the firm slopes that make up the west shoulder of Volcan Llaima. The wind began to pick up and after another 1500 feet of climbing we switched to boot crampons and ice axes before cresting onto the rime covered summit ridge line. The winds were strong and we fought our way to the summit, finding refuge in a large fumerol “pot.”

We snapped a few selfies, took in the view and clicked into our skis just below the summit. Our descent was cold, chalky and downright fun. We arced turns down the expansive rolling terrain left behind from previous volcanic eruptions and back down to Nevados de Vilcun for a celebratory kombucha and a relaxing night.

10/3 

A rest day was on the initial plan, but with stormy weather forecasted for our next two volcanoes (Villarica and Osorno) we pivoted to Volcan Sollipulli to take advantage of the last day of sunny weather. 

We left Nevados de Vilcun bright and early and circumnavigated Volcan Llaima to the south and over to Nevados de Sollipulli Lodge. There we were met with friendly faces and a large buggy ready to transport us up through a natural Arunacia forest to the snowline where we’d put on skis and skin to the top of Volcan Sollipulli. 

The virgin forest of Aranucia rose high above us as we creeped our way up the steep dirt road and up towards the snow. We passed tall cascading waterfalls and an abandoned locomotive. Finally we reached the snow and continued skiing above tree line and up past snow covered lagoons. 

Volcan Sollipulli was once active and the result of its activity is a 9km wide crater with an actively growing glacier inside. Our goal today was to climb to the rim before skiing back down the snowline. 

The winds began to increase as we climbed higher and by the time we began to crest onto the crater rim we leaned and fought against the 40km winds.

Our time on the rim was short lived and we snapped a few photos before gingerly ripping skins in the high winds and skiing beautiful fall line terrain back to our stashed shoes. We returned to Nevados de Sollipuli for a celebratory lunch and pisco sours before loading up the van and driving back to Nevados de Vilcun for our second and final night.

10/4

We awoke to fresh snow and cold temps this morning. After a great breakfast we loaded up the van and drove south towards Pucon. 

There we’ll spend two nights resting and enjoying the town before an attempt on Volcan Villarica.

Food was eaten, shops were explored and naps were taken. Following an afternoon of exploring the city, we sat down for an awesome dinner at Trawen in the heart of Pucon. We plan to explore some natural hot springs and take a second rest day as we wait out stormy weather.

10/5

Today we explored the natural hot springs of Termas Geometricas and let our muscles relax. With over 15 pools ranging in temperatures of 35 to 45 degrees celsius there was much to explore. 

The lush jungle created the perfect backdrop for a day of rest and we left with our cups full and muscles relaxed. 

After an afternoon of napping we enjoyed another lovely evening of dinner at Trawen. Tomorrow we head to Volcan Villarica for another day of climbing and skiing!

10/6

Today we got an early start at 6:30am and headed up towards Volcan Villarica. With new snow and cold temps today would be interesting! We packed up our bags for the day and began skinning up the lower flanks of Ski Pucon (the local ski resort) and up towards Villarica. 

After about 2500 ft of climbing we encountered heavy snow and white out conditions. With no points of reference and zero visibility, we decided to call 7120’ our high point and ski back down to the van.

The skiing was engaging and dizzying as we tictaced our way down the steep slopes of Villarica. Eventually we made it back to the closed lifts of Ski Pucon and enjoyed dense, surfy skiing back down to the car. 

From there, we continued 4 hours south to Refugio Teski where we enjoyed the misty evening and prepared for a ski descent of Volcan Osorno in the morning.

10/7

With lots of precipitation overnight and low visibility, we slept in and waited for the clouds to burn off before we headed out for a ski attempt on Volcan Osorno. 

With a below average snow pack and the previous night's rain, some snow had melted which forced us to walk the initial 1000 ft of our climb to reach the snowline. From there, we began skinning up through the mist and onto the glacial plateau that marks the beginning of the glacier and steeper terrain ahead.

We zigzagged up the increasingly steep terrain and finally the clouds parted to reveal the summit and upper mountain! We took a break, attached our skis to our packs and put on our crampons. From here we only had about 1200 ft left! As we transitioned we were greeted and subsequently passed by a group of three Argentine climbers and ten Italian skiers! After a morning of solitude in the mist, Volcan Osorno suddenly felt more like the Alps than rural Chile. 

We boot packed up the rimed summit ridgeline and made one more traverse across the summit plateau to the tippy top. There we high fived, snapped photos and began preparing for our 5,000 foot ski descent back down to the refuge. 

After negotiating some rime mushrooms off of the summit, we enjoyed some of the best skiing of the trip! With the expansive lake region below our ski tips we party skied all the way back down to the valley to cold beers and pisco sours at Refugio Teski! Tonight we plan to pack up and transfer just over an hour to Puerto Varas where we’ll spend one more night together before we have flights to catch in the morning. 

10/8

Today we enjoyed one last breakfast and slow morning here in Puerto Varas before we said goodbye and headed to the airport. I can confidently say for everyone that this trip was such a joy to be on and in 11 days we enjoyed a lifetime of Chilean volcano skiing! Thanks to everyone involved and soon we will be back in the US enjoying fall and dreaming of future ski days for this upcoming winter!

RMI Guide Sam Marjerison