RMI Expeditions Blog

The Four-Day Climb (June 5 - 8) led by Dave Hahn and George Hedreen turned at 13,300' today due to deteriorating weather. They will be back in Ashford this afternoon.

Sun 6/7/2026 - 10:58 PM PST

Today’s haiku:

Heat panic in tent
White out on the back carry
Rest day tomorrow

- RMI Climbing Team

Sun 6/7/2026 6:45 PM PST

With all the prerequisite caching, acclimatization, and skills prep compete, we now hunker down at camp 14k to await a weather window. Things look optimistic for Tuesday, so between now and then we snack, rest, snack some more, get beaten by Matt at backgammon (sorry Dad, I’m in deep after losing a 64-point game), nap, chat, read while snacking, snack while reading, stretch the  legs, and repeat until dinner time. Pad Thai, let’s go! Make sure to leave room for dessert though.

We did take a break from snacking to learn how to do efficient running belays, which will become critical during our summit day. When temperatures are as low as negative 25, and wind chill potentially doubling that lower, every minute counts.

With conditions potentially deteriorating tonight, we also learned the fine art of digging a snow block quarry and constructing 4 foot high walls to block the wind from flapping our tents all night long. Good to know that if my career in proprietary trading ever stalls I can pivot to high altitiude masonry.

Ray lead construction of a magnificent new bathroom, complete with soaring white marble walls, ergonomically designed toilet platform, gender neutral urinal, and unobstructed views of the summit. If he could just rig up a heated bucket seat I might not poop anywhere else ever again.

After spending the last 11 days and nights together, chatting, laughing and snuggling in our tents (looking at you Alonso) you might think we know everything there is to know about each other. But as I’ve learned today, we all still have secrets.

What follow are blind secrets, one for each member of our team (including the guides). Only I know who wrote each one. After dinner, we will try to match each secret to its owner. For the 12 hundred readers of this blog, wager your own guesses in the comments! Answers will be provided in tomorrow’s post.

1. During college I worked in a sorority kitchen washing dishes in exchange for free food.

2. I once panicked inside a busy IKEA when I couldn’t find my way out and had to go home and sleep for three hours.

3. I once angrily told someone to shut up during a musical only to find out during the intermission that it was a disabled person and her guide, who was explaining the plot to her.

4. I have an MBA, two bachelors degrees and two associates degrees.

5. I listen to “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins before every major life task/event to get myself amped up and in the zone. It has worked time and time again.

6. I learned an instrument in 12 months, which lead to joining and training with the states symphony orchestra for young adults, and played one concert with the LA opera.

7. I used to ride bucking horses at the Friday night rodeo.

8. One of my favorite things to watch before bed is live ‘speed running’, events, which is essentially watching people watching people beat video games really fast.

9. I can touch my elbows behind my back.

10. My ancestors were the only family in the Donnor party to survive without losing a single family member.

- RMI Climber Peter

Sun 6/7/2026 11:40 AM

Dear reader, pardon the lateness of now-yesterday’s dispatch, but after our ascent to 14k camp, we awoke covered in frost yesterday, only to have our rest day cruelly ripped away from us. Please, sir, but a small helping of hot water for Lizzie’s single-origin Kenyan pour-over coffee? No. Instead, an unspecified group update.

Much to our dismay, our guide’s (*sigh*) relentlessly unimpeachable decision-making meant that in the face of oncoming weather, we would expedite a run to 16k feet to acclimatize and cache food for a later summit bid.

We therefore enjoyed a hasty but quite respectable breakfast of rehydrated eggs and hash browns. (What would it take for *you* to ingest a liter of uncooked egg slurry? Comment below!) As the sun rose from behind the mountain and conditions transitioned in the span of two minutes from bitter cold to oppressive heat, we roped up and set to work.

Everyone climbed admirably. With good communication and low-moderate lingering resentment, we ascended the fixed lines smoothly, cached our food, and enjoyed sweeping views of Mount Hunter (somehow now below us!) and Mount Foraker (watch out, you’re next).

In light of this progress, we now face one of the most strenuous and imposing segments of the climb: three to four rest days while the weather passes with no internet and long since exhausted even-passably-from-a-distance-clean-ish clothes.

But like ice to so many mountains, we cling to optimism. As long as we don’t lose essential gear to our guides in games of chess, and as long as Pattie has enough puzzles and Matt continues to summon answers like two six-letter countries that start with “r” and end with “a,” prospects for the next segment—like the subarctic sunlight at 2 AM—are bright.

To all 13,000 readers of this blog, we send our love and best wishes and eagerly await seeing you on the other side of the mountain.

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- Climber Ricky

6/7 - Given a questionable forecast, the team met at 5:30am this morning for a quick coffee and early launch for Rucu. It turned out to be a great decision as we were rewarded with spectacular views of the other Ecuadorian volcanoes and dry conditions for our climb. After traversing the grassy plains below the peak, we linked together sections of easy trail with some short rock scrambles until we arrived at the top in only 3 hours. 

Everyone performed well and felt strong despite the fact that we are only on our second day in country. After returning from the climb we gorged on pizza and look forward to an afternoon of relaxing before we pack up to head to our next peak - Illiniza Norte. 

- RMI Guide Eric Frank & Team

Saturday, June 6th

Burns & team make it back to Talkeetna.

Congratulations everyone!

Saturday, June 6th - 8PM PST

Late last night, the guide team received news of the passing of an NPS ranger in a tragic accident. The morning greeted us with crystal clear skies, sunshine and the mountain shining and glowing extra special. The day was spent reflecting and remembering the fallen Ranger. A mountain guide, Ski patroller, Nurse, and Denali NPS pro Ranger, she dedicated her life to selflessly serving others in the front country and in some of then most austere environments. She will be missed and celebrated. Also in our thoughts today are the RMI guides currently on NPS volunteer ranger patrols, all previous volunteers, the Pro rangers and pilots. These folks give their time, effort, and sometimes lives to make Denali the special and life changing place that it is.

The team had smooth move day to 11 camp.  We dug in Camp deep in anticipation of a short storm. Now at 11 we are looking forward to starting the acclimatization process and setting ourselves up to move further up the mountain.

-RMI Guide Team

RMI teams led by guides Will Ambler and Joe Crawford made their summit attempt this morning. As a result of recent snow accumulation and strong winds on the upper mountain, they found evidence of snow instability and decided to turn around at 12,450'. The teams had made their way back to Camp Muir and are doing additional training for the remainder of the morning. 

Nice work team! 

6/6 - After a long day of travel and a few overnight flights, our team is here in Quito! We spent today visiting many of the tourist hotspots and wandering around town. Our purpose was two-fold: experience a taste of Ecuadorian culture and begin the acclimatization process. Moving around town, even on flat ground, at 9,300' felt like a significant effort and we look forward to a good night of sleep before heading out into the mountains. 

- RMI Guide Eric Frank & Team

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli and Ben Luedtke reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. The teams were in and out of the clouds as they climbed into a cap to reach 14,410'. It was cold with a steady breeze, but the team pushed through to reach the top.

Congratulations Team!