The Alaska Mountaineering Seminar - Alpine led by RMI Guides Elias de Andres Martos and Chase Nelson were able to fly off the Pika Glacier yesterday evening during a break in the weather. Despite the weather, the team had several great days of climbing including successful climbs of Lost Marsupial and the Middle Troll. Congratulations climbers!

Just got back out of the Alaska Range after a stellar trip to the Pika Glacier! One of the best alpine rock climbing venues I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. Here Greg and Will follow the splitter hand crack that leads right to the top, with the airstrip and camp visible 1,300 feet below. @rmiexpeditions @elias.the.spaniard #alpineclimbing #climbing #alaska #ak #climbmemories #rmiexpeditions

A photo posted by Chase Nelson (@chase__nelson) on Jun 12, 2016 at 8:33pm PDT

June 11, 2016 - 10:29 am PT WOW!!! What a day we had yesterday. Indescribable fun and challenge on "The Middle Troll", the main of the rock spires towering above the Pika. The weather held, just as it did for "The Throne" two days prior, we were able to sneak a super classic climb in.Splitter crack climbing 1200 feet straight above camp, while wearing only a base layer and seeing the ski-equipped planes land on the glacier beneath us, are only some of the surreal experiences the team had. Everyone faced an individual technical crux at some point on the route (the Middle Troll's South Face), but everyone was up for the task and the reward of the most radical view from the summit was attained. Today we're waking up, yet again, to another snow storm that is presumably going to limit our activity. We'll make the most of it. Hoping to fly out tomorrow as scheduled, our next post will be greeting you all from Talkeetna. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team.

June 10, 2016 - 12:12 am PT And back to the tents... Rain kept us at camp today, with the exception of a few hours in the afternoon. We spent that time learning and reviewing more rope skills, and talking about staying motivated for a climb tomorrow. Our hopes are on the South face of the Middle Troll, the main formation that reigns over the Pika glacier. Stay tuned. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

June 9, 2016 - 1:28 am PT And... we climbed the "Lost Marsupial", on The Throne. Stellar route, stellar scenery and stellar crowd. It is hard to describe what it is to be atop one of these formations, surrounded by the longest glaciers in North America, the tallest peaks in the Alaska Range, and the best views in the world. Nobody around for miles, and a sense of insignificance directly proportional to the size of our accomplishment. Our two rope teams climbed and descended synchronized, like a well oiled machine, and pitch after pitch, rock, ropes, snow and gear were one with our climbers. Magic enough? More tomorrow. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

June 8, 2016 - 12:12 am PDT And...The sun shined upon us! What a day we had. Full session on the Munchkin Formation practicing alpine climbing transitions, lasted from morning to evening. Another gourmet dinner brought us to bed time with the sun still on the horizon. We're ready to tackle our first objective here in Little Swiss. Tune in tomorrow to see how it went. RMI Guide Elías deAndres Martos and Team.

June 7, 2016 - 12:10 am PT Yep, patience is an inherent component of alpine climbing. Patience for weather, patience for conditions. Little could we do today with about 1 foot of snow in the last 24 hours. We spent the morning digging camp out, and then made the most of the afternoon with a thorough session of rope skills at camp. A break in the weather motivated a tour of the Pika later, which for about 1 1/2 hours, kept us around its eastern perimeter, below the formations of "The Trolls", which we aspire to climb soon. A hearty dinner of pasta and steak (that's how we roll on the Alpine Seminar) brought us back to warmth, while the laughter was a constant because of the funny music played out of Chase's phone (Will promises to do the Michael Jackson's moves of Thriller after our first summit). Expectant to see what the weather will bring us tomorrow, RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

Greetings from the Pika! Our trip started yesterday with a true alpine lesson; learning about weather Windows. Heavy rain in Talkeetna meant snow on the Range. Patience and trust in what's beyond our control (that being our K2 Aviation staff) delivered a landing opportunity in the only feasible hour of time frame possible all day. Close to dinner time, we found ourselves digging our campsite for the week. The day today came with plenty of snow, so we have been trying our best to remain dry. The now timid features around us, soon will come into full view, and we'll be able to tell you more. In the meantime, we're not in a bad place to enjoy good food, review some skills, and feel the magic of the Alaska Range. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team.