Entries By ben liken
September 26, 2016
Posted by: Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,127'
The final Mount Shuksan climb of the year ushered in the autumn season with some winter weather last week. The occasional storm brought us fresh snow and great training conditions. The whole team was able to learn a ton of mountaineering skills and summit the classic peak via the Southeast Ridge. Great team. Great trip.
The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams reached the top at 8:00 a.m. With clear skies, calm winds, and a bit on the chilly side, the team began their descent at 9:30. High fives and cheers will commence at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today’s teams!
August 30, 2016
Posted by: Leon Davis, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Leon Davis & Ben Liken led their Four Day Summit Climb Teams for August 27 - 30, 2016 to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams experienced cloudy and windy conditions on their ascent. Both teams reached the crater rim around 8 am PT and were able to spend some time on top before starting their descent.
We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Congratulations to today’s climbers!
Did the Merz brothers all make it.
Posted by: Suzi Merz on 8/30/2016 at 1:15 pm
Congratulations on your achievement Maahi! Can’t wait to see you and all the pics. Miss you…. Susmita
Posted by: Susmita Jasti on 8/30/2016 at 10:13 am
August 24, 2016
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Billy Nugent and Ben Like led their Four Day Summit Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Billy radioed at 7:30 am as the teams were approaching the crater rim. The report was clear skies and winds 15 mph from the North.
Congratulations to today’s Summit Climb teams!
Awsome Climb!
Posted by: Ron on 8/24/2016 at 4:56 pm
The Four Day Summit Climb August 15 - 18, 2016 enjoyed an alpine start from Camp Muir under a beautiful full moon. RMI Guides Jake Beren and Ben Liken reported great climbing with warm temperatures and calm winds. After spending time on the summit both teams left the crater rim on their descent just before 7:30 am PT. We look forward to meeting the groups back at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today’s Summit Climb teams!
One year from a septuagenarian and never having participated in snow activities probably is not the most propitious period to start mountaineering, especially on Mt. Rainier. It was Theodore Roosevelt, though, who said, “... Far better is it to dare mighty things, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
Being in good physical conditioning and active all my life I decided to follow Teddy’s advice. I made it to Ingraham Flats and realized appropriately that my slower pace was a deterrent to team members’ having a successful climb. No regrets from me, though. I met wonderful professional guides who were patient and indulgent with me throughout the climb.
I am proud of those individuals who summited. I also take particular pride in cultivating a friendship with young 18 year old Kyle who impressed me deeply with his poise, maturity beyond his years, self-discipline, physical ability and love of his family of whom he spoke proudly. Go through life Kyle, spreading your wings and soaring as high as you dare to achieve mighty things as Teddy most assuredly would say to you.
RMI is a professionally run company. Its professional staffs are highly skilled mountaineers who place a premium on customer safety. While safety is their number one priority the professional guides establish prudent parameters for customers to maximize available opportunities to apply their skills for a truly memorable and amazing experience.
With Kindest of Regards,
Jerry W Doyle
Posted by: Jerry W Doyle on 8/20/2016 at 2:58 pm
August 15, 2016
Posted by: Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 8,680'
Over the past four days the Sahale summit team enjoyed perfect weather and excellent climbing in the North Cascades National Park. As we ascended out of the forest on day one the views kept getting better and better until we stopped to set up our base camp at 5,300 feet. Looking up at the spectacular Boston Basin the team was excited to go up high over the next few days. Day 2 was a training day at the toe of the Quien Sabe Glacier; filled with efficiency techniques, crevasse safety, and rock climbing. After a full day of training we went to bed early to rest up for a summit attempt on the classic peak. Summit day went flawlessly and we found ourselves on top at 10:30 am after some really fun glacier and rock climbing sections. Here are a few shots from the trip. Enjoy!
Ben - fix the links under the photos! I click on them and they take me to a Mt. Denali expedition.
Posted by: Malcolm Butler on 8/17/2016 at 9:23 pm
August 4, 2016
Posted by: Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. RMI Guide Ben Liken Reported that the team was 100% to the summit today with a total round trip climb time of 11 hours. They plan to practice some crevasse rescue this afternoon back at Camp Schurman and then do a bit of training tomorrow morning before returning to Ashford Basecamp.
Congratulations to the Emmons Team!
This was pretty much the most fun I’ve ever had doing anything. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, and I am happy I got to share this experience with such a great group of people. To the guides: I am thoroughly impressed by your professionalism, knowledge and patience. If I could have you guys on every climb I do going forward, I would.
Posted by: Michael Tamburello on 8/16/2016 at 8:56 am
Way to go, team. Thanks to everyone for making last week’s trip such a success.
I enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of you. Please look me up if you are ever in San Jose or Silicon Valley more generally.
Hats off to our guides for their professionalism, patience, sense of humor and motivational skills! You guys are a class act.
Posted by: Scott Henderson on 8/9/2016 at 6:36 pm
July 28, 2016
Posted by: Tyler Reid, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Tyler Reid and Ben Liken reached to summit of Mt. Rainier at 5:20 am this morning. Tyler reported clear skies, calm winds and warm temperatures on the top. The team has started their descent and are en route back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today’s team!
Congratulations to everyone, especially Mario P. I can’t wait to hear about the trek and see some beautiful photos. What a great accomplishment.
Posted by: D Zabel on 7/28/2016 at 1:11 pm
Well done ... Can’t wait to hear about the trip.
Posted by: Jeff and Karen on 7/28/2016 at 9:42 am
July 22, 2016
Posted by: Seth Waterfall, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams, led by Seth Waterfall and Ben Liken, reached the summit at 6:45 a.m. With some wind and snow falling, the teams began their descent shortly after tagging the top. As of 7:50 a.m. they had descended to 12,500’ and are moving well back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today’s summit climbers!
I threw out my back hours after snow school and had to withdraw from the expedition. So happy for the teams summit!
Posted by: Alex on 7/22/2016 at 8:35 pm
Way to go Christy and Brian! So happy the weather was good. Have a safe trip home :)
Posted by: Krissy on 7/22/2016 at 3:49 pm
July 11, 2016
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Ben Liken, Bridget Belliveau, Hannah Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
The longest day is finished. We “woke” at 10 PM at 11,000 ft, broke camp and hit the trail by midnight, bound for basecamp. Heavy packs and sleds and miles of glacier later, we pulled in to what had been basecamp three weeks ago. That is all gone now though with the finish of the climbing season. We saddled up one last time to go thirty minutes more for the “upper strip” -a better stretch of late-season glacier, and then two beautiful K2 Aviation Otters came in to fetch us. We were back in Talkeetna by 10 AM and eating drinking drying sorting and celebrating for the next 24 hours… Oh yeah, and showering and sleeping too. It was a fine finish to an excellent climb. Thanks for following.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
Sign Up For Denali 2016 Emails
{/exp:mailinglist:form}My son Trevor climbed w/him years. He said last night that he had been notified that David died. Is this true
Posted by: Ruthie Bohnert on 7/29/2016 at 12:25 pm
Congratulations once more, Dave. This was a tough one I bet. Great following you from a distance.
Posted by: Chuck Roberts on 7/11/2016 at 10:11 pm
Congrats team!!! You did it! Looking forward to hearing from you once you make it down! You are all Rock Stars!!!
Love,
Nick and Lisa
Posted by: Nick and Lisa Fohl on 9/4/2016 at 7:11 pm
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