Entries By ben luedtke
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and team reached High Camp on Ixta yesterday afternoon. It was a long day of travelling from La Malinche.
This morning with an alpine start the team reached the summit of Ixtaccihuatl.
Congratulations to the team!
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Monday, November 4, 2024 - 5:44 pm PT
Today was the bees knees!
After our rainy hike yesterday, we popped onto the same trail to attempt the summit of La Malinche. On the way up, we got more comfy with one another telling a plethora of jokes. We found that we all have a similar sense of humor. It was a steep climb of 4,500 feet in 4.3 miles, picking through screen and boulder fields, but we all made the summit and nobody threw up or passed out, so that's a win!
We rested on the summit and then started slowly making our way down the loose dirt and rocks. We finished out night with beer and a hot meal. Off to Ixta tomorrow!
RMI Climber Emily Bowling
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Sunday, November 3, 2024
Hola amigas y familias! Thank you all for tuning in to our blog; we are officially underway here in Mexico. After everyone arrived in Mexico City last night, we had an informative team meeting, savored a delicious dinner that included Nutella pizza, and enjoyed some of the local Dia de Muertos festivities.
This morning, we had an early breakfast and began our van quest towards the volcanoes. Arriving at La Malintzi, we got checked into our rooms and headed out promptly for a hike up Malinche towards the treeline. Just as we were enjoying the scenery, CRACK! BOOM! Lightning, thunder, rain, hail. It was enough to call it a day and head back down the slippery slopes. Hungry and ready for dinner, we plan to hike to the summit of Malinche tomorrow. Buenas noches!
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team
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August 30, 2024
Posted by: Ben Luedtke, George Hedreen, Margo Kerr
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guide Ben Luedtke reached the Summit of Mt. Rainier at 5am PDT. The team climbed six hours on the Route via Disappointment Cleaver to reach the top. Ben reported clear blue skies and beautiful views.
Congratulations Team!
July 23, 2024
Posted by: Ben Luedtke, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,541'
Today, we achieved what we sought after and more. Waking up to a pool of mist, we were happy to be carrying feather light packs, compared to the last 2 days. With a break in the clouds and the moon to help light the way, we set off. It was everything we could do to catch a view, but we finally caught a glimpse and climbed high above the clouds just past Glacier Gap. The morning brought views our eyes couldn't believe. Passing onto the Cool Glacier, we new we were close. We pushed on through the switchbacks and snow on the final ridge until 100% of our team stood on top. It was 5 for 5 volcanoes in WA for some, and a first for others. Huge congratulations to our team for pushing through! We are now back at camp resting before we load up our heavy packs again and descend back to White Pass for the evening.
RMI Guides Ben Luedtke, Erika Birkeland, and team.
July 23, 2024
Posted by: Ben Luedtke, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 7,300'
July 22, 2024 - 5:48 pm PT
We started the morning with riddles from Ben. We continued to make our way up steep terrain and sandy trails, seeing our first patches of snow. We shooed a brave marmot (Jerry) away at snack time. Rock hopping, we made our way to high camp. Setting up camp in a beautiful snowy basin, we spent the afternoon honing our snow travel skills.
-RMI Climber, Miranda Chisholm
PC: Ben Luedtke
July 22, 2024
Posted by: Ben Luedtke, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 5,900'
July 21, 2024 - 5:45 pm PT
Glacier peak. Aptly named for the features we climb, our team set out today for the long journey up. For some of us, it will be 5 of 5 for the Washington volcanoes if we are successful! But alas, it won't come without it's challenges. Off the start, we had a hint of wildfire smoke here and there as we lugged our heavy packs down the trail. It started off cool and calm as we admired the shady grove of old growth trees and picked salmon berries to keep ourselves satiated along the way. But then, we hit the switchbacks. With sweat dripping down our faces, we trudged along in and out of the sun and coolness of the trees. Now, we are set up at camp at White Pass for the evening fending off the swarms of mosquitos with our head nets as we prepare to make dinner, some of us trying to hide in our tents.
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke
It is great to hear day one went well for the team! Great job everyone!
Posted by: Chris Dennis on 7/22/2024 at 12:52 pm
July 16, 2024
Posted by: Ben Luedtke, Charlie Harrison, Joey Manship, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories:
Elevation: 14,410'
At 7:44 am today, we received word from RMI Guide Ben Luedtke that the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons July 12 - 17 team had reached the summit of Mt. Raineir with 100% of their climbers. They will return to Camp Schurman and spend a second night there. Tomorrow they will descend to the trailhead and return to Rainier BaseCamp.
Yesterday, the Emmons Seminar moved up to Camp Schurman for the night! After waking up to a nice warm sun on their faces and enjoying some breakfast, they practiced some fixed line ascending. Then, donned heavy packs for the journey over the rock step to Camp Schurman. After a little rest, they practiced crevasse rescue before making an early dinner and laying down to get some sleep before their climb tonight.
Beautiful weather, light winds, enjoying every moment.
Congratulations team!
PC: Ben Luedtke from their ascent to Inter Glacier on the first day of their climb.
UPDATE: Summit Photos from the Emmons team. 7/16/2024
July 8, 2024
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Ben Luedtke, Tatum Whatford, Felipe Guarderas, Celeste Wilson, Arianna Drechsler
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Five Day Climb July 4 - 8 led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer & Ben Luedtke reached the summit of Mt. Rainier with 100% of their teams. The teams enjoyed clear skies and warm temperatures and lots of great photo opportunities.
Nice work everyone and congratulations!
PC: Ben Luedtke & Pete Van Deventer
What an amazing experience! Fun, safe, encouraging. I couldn’t quit smiling. The team was great, and the guides brought out the best in everyone. A transformative experience, and one I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Training for this climb changed my life, and standing on top of the world for a few moments changed me forever. Truly grateful!
Posted by: Glory Dole on 7/15/2024 at 11:10 am
I could not thank enough to our RMI guides and team members who contributed and shared this lifelong memories. I really enjoyed the stores behind each climber on why dreamed the summit of Mt. Rainier and how to take efforts to make the dream become true.
I know I made a right choice to pick RMI as my guide service. I will definitely refer RMI to my friends for future mountaineering adventures.
Posted by: Shirley Zhang on 7/9/2024 at 7:51 pm
July 1, 2024
Posted by: Ben Luedtke, Robert Whyte, Hannah Billings, Drew O’Brien, Josh Geiser, Miles Watson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
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RMI Guides Ben Luedtke and Drew O'Brien led the Five Day Climb to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. They report chilly and breezy conditions on the summit. The teams began their descent from the summit around 9:45 am and are making their way back to Camp Muir where they will spend one more night on the mountain.
Way to climb!
PC: Ben Luedtke & Drew O'Brien
Congrats to everyone, great accomplishment, that beer will taste great. Our team hopes to summit on July 10th, hardly wait!
Posted by: Barry Milne on 7/4/2024 at 8:54 am
Congratulations to the team. Proud to be called Chandan’s family.
Posted by: Sougandh Mulini Golla on 7/3/2024 at 12:17 am
Congratulations to you all! You did it Bubba! We miss you!
Posted by: Tanya Benavidez on 7/24/2024 at 11:07 am
Great Job Miranda!!
(And everyone else)
Posted by: Jim Chisholm on 7/23/2024 at 2:06 pm
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