I'm not too big of a man to admit...our adventure is officially over...and I'm actually sad. Our team took off early this morning after a grand finale here in St Petersburg. We had a tour of all the historical sites and finished with a great canal tour. I want to thank every team member who I now consider friends. And ask my 3rd grade school teacher Ms. Buchanan, I have a tough time making friends! Yes, we climbed Elbrus. Yes, we all made the summit. And yes, we all had a safe climbing experience...always number one on the list. But for some reason this team was pretty much the same as all my RMI teams from the past. They were AWESOME!! I can't wait to climb with all of them again. Plans are already being made for Vinson and Aconcagua. In the meantime, here is a short video of how we ended our time on this incredible adventure... RMI Guide JJ Justman

July 12, 2014 - 1:15 am PT Hey - This is JJ. Well, this morning we did not play Eye of the Tiger. We did not play T-N-T. But let me give you a few of the lyrics we played this morning: I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast. I do like jelly on my breakfast toast. And do you know what else I like? Not one, not two but every single climber on top of Europe's highest mountain. What do you say gang? (cheers in back ground) It's an urgent news message, we are on the summit of Mt. Elbrus. Everyone did a great job. Strong as can be. And we are enjoying a beautiful day, a few puffy, happy clouds out in the distance, but that is about it Stay tuned for some photos and videos. We are going to head back down. I do believe we have a well deserved dinner and maybe a little bit of a celebration back at camp. Take care and thanks for following along. We will touch base again soon. Sayonara from the summit of Elbrus. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

July 11, 2014 - 4:31 pm PT Hey Everyone – This is JJ Justman with team #1 here on Mt. Elbrus. It’s about 3 am in the morning. We have the crampons on, it’s a breathless night here for climbing. We are about to jump on the snow-cat, which will give us a little lift higher up on the mountain. It’s a gorgeous evening, it’s going to be a gorgeous day tomorrow. We will touch base again. And I am pretty darn positive we will be doing that from the highest mountain here in Europe. Take care everyone, talk to you soon. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

July 11, 2014 - 4:00 am PT Good day RMI followers. The news today is sun, sun and more sun! We spent the morning reviewing mountaineering techniques in preparation for The Big Day on Mt. Elbrus! And speaking of the big day, rumor is it is going to be gorgeous! Keep your fingers crossed for us. We are all doing great and having a blast. It's nice when a team that is diverse in age can all joke around, have fun and enjoy the mountains together. The big item on my plate is deciding what song to wake the team up with. It's either Eye of the Tiger or TNT. If you have any other suggestions let me know. Stay tuned for a call on the summit! RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

First and foremost, please tell me Argentina won. Please. This morning our team awoke to beautiful clear skies. The twin summits of Europe's highest peak were shining and in the faint distance several climbers could be seen on the upper slopes. Lower down we prepared our packs and after a hearty breakfast we laced up our boots and pulled up our knickers for a good day of acclimatization. The entire team did fabulous as we made it above Pastukhova Rocks with an end altitude of 15,500 feet. I swear some of the team wanted to just keep climbing to the top! Now, we are back at camp recovering from a great day in the Russian mountains. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Today we had an early morning as we finished packing all our gear in preparation for heading to the upper mountain. We rode two trams up to the Mir station and then we jumped on the final chairlift to Garabashi Hut at 12,000 feet. We used to stay at the Barrels but we were in for a real treat. We are staying in a brand new facility exclusive to our in-country outfitter. They have brand new huts which really resemble shipping containers with windows. The hickory flooring and coat racks are a nice touch. Our head chef is Albina and let me tell you, I almost forgot how incredible her home-cooked food is. Fresh cucumber and tomato salad is my favorite! The team just returned from a good acclimatization hike that took us to 13,200 feet. A blanket has covered the upper mountain giving us zero views other than a tipsy feeling of being surrounded in a constant shield of white. It didn't stop us from having fun and doing our bodies some good. We are back in our huts relaxing and getting settled in. Stay tuned for some more adventure! RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Hi RMI Blog Enthusiasts! It was really nice to finally get in the mountains and breathe some fresh air! We had a gorgeous day as you'll see in the video. The team had a relaxing day as we strolled up to 11,000 feet topping out on Peak Cheget. Tomorrow we will continue the adventure and head to the hut on the lower flanks of the mighty Elbrus. Sad news...or maybe you'll be glad...I don't think I'll be able to post anymore videos until we get down in a few days. If you have any questions please contact my agent... RMI Guide JJ Justman

The RMI Mount Elbrus Southside team departed Moscow. We jumped on a plane and wound up in the ski town of Cheget. Let the climb begin! Check out the video below. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Hi everyone! Today our team enjoyed a beautiful day sightseeing in Moscow. We had a phenomenal city tour focusing on the intense history of The Red Square, the many gorgeous cathedrals and of course The Kremlin. Every time I visit I learn more and more about this fascinating country! Enjoy the slide show of some of the highlights of today's adventure! RMI Guide JJ Justman

Okay! First off...ARGENTINA...ARGENTINA...ARGENTINA!!! Yes, yes, the first 2014 RMI Mount Elbrus expedition is underway. Everyone arrived, everyone is cool, everyone's bags arrived, we are all going on a gorgeous city tour tomorrow of the Red Square and The Kremlin...but C'mon man! Argentina beat Belgium to enter the semi finals! I can't wait to produce a video of tomorrow's city tour. Moscow is a beautiful place with beautiful people rich in history and culture. Stay tuned! But for now...for all my brothers and sisters in Argentina...Te Amo!!! RMI Guide JJ Justman