Entries By andy bond

Our Five Day Climb May 28 - 1 June, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today led by RMI Guides Andy Bond and Bryan Mazaika.  Andy reported a beautiful climb this morning without any winds.  The route is very direct and the teams training over the last few days set them up well for the climb.

The photo was taken by Andy on their ascent at around 13,300'.  The teams will return to Camp Muir and repack then continue their descent to Paradise.

They will conclude their program this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Hello world, it’s us the Camp Muir Seminar!

Yesterday, we awoke early, donned our technical gear and launched towards the Ingraham flats to train before the next storm system hit in the mid afternoon. Sadly the storm had other plans and hit Camp Muir around 9am. We retreated in a white out with winds averaging 58mph during our time on the Cowlitz glacier. The storm has been impressive in its power and consistency. It is not snowing so much as it is launching ice pellets at us with high velocity. Moral stayed high as we continued to practice various technical skills in the bunkhouse. The team took brief forays into the violent snow globe that was the outside world to shovel out the bathroom. We were highly motivated to maintain our access to the facilities.

We are excited to find a lull in the weather to head down hill, dry out and enjoy some pizza and beer at the Basecamp Bar and Grill. 

All is well - The Muir Seminar Team

There we were, finished up with our day of training, enjoying the amenities of the Gombu Hut. A screeching howl ripped across Camp Muir - the wind was here. We spent the rest of the evening discussing altitude illness and taking bets on the high score for strongest gust. Ends up we were all wrong, so so wrong. The darkness fell and our winds averaged 70mph with gusts in the 90mph. Things were knocking, shelters were rocking, and we hunkered down. This morning we awoke to thick solid ice rime covering the surface of our world. We affixed Everest style hand lines to the bathroom. Full battle gear mandatory. Today we will practice the most important mountain skill, entertaining ourselves while the storm rages.

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the Muir Seminar signing off, till tomorrow...

Early season weather kept the Mt. Rainier Five Day Climb from ascending above Camp Muir. The teams, led by RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Andy Bond reported windy and snowy conditions at Camp Muir. The climbers will make their descent to Paradise this morning and will be back in Ashford later day.

The Expedition Skills Seminar, led by RMI Guide Andy Bond, spent six days in the North Cascades.  They had a tremendous time learning mountaineering skills and to top it off, reached the summits of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker!  The team is currently on their descent to the trailhead where they will celebrate together before departing for home.

Our Mt. Baker - Easton Glacier team led by RMI Guide Andy Bond reached the summit early today. Due to a forecast of clouds and rain, the team decided to make their summit attempt a day early. Lucky them, this worked, and they reached the 10.781' summit!  The rains hit when they got back to camp, so they will do their best to stay dry, and hike out early tomorrow.

Congratulations team! 

The Four Day Climb team August 9 - 12 led by RMI Guides Andy Bond and Matias Francis reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning.  The team enjoyed a spectacular meteor shower as they left Camp Muir on their alpine start and climbed toward the summit.  Andy reported a beautiful day with calm winds and warm temperatures once the sun came up.  The team was starting their descent from the crater rim just after 6:30 am PT.  Once back at Camp Muir they will refuel and repack for the remaining 4.5 miles back down to Paradise.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

RMI Guide Andy Bond and the Kautz Seminar July 30 - 4 August team reached Point Success today!  The second highest of Mt. Rainier's three named summits, Point Success at 14,158'.  The Kautz route was challenging for the team today with large penitentes and route finding, but they reached the summit with all of their team members, 100% success!  The team will return to camp for their final night on the mountain.  Tomorrow they will return to the trailhead and celebrate their week of training and climbing accomplishment.

Way to go team!  Congratulations!

The American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air team attempted their Mt. Rainier summit bid this morning. With an overcrowded route and standstill foot traffic, which would have made continuing on unsafe due to the time of day, the guides turned at 12,500'.  The team is at Camp Muir and will begin their descent around 10:00 a.m.

Today's Mt. Rainier teams reached the summit at 6:00 a.m.  They reported windy conditions with clear skies.  The teams began their descent back to Camp Muir at 7:08 a.m. where they will pack up the rest of their gear and continue down to Paradise.

Congratulations to the summit teams!