Entries By ben luedtke
Posted by: Alex Halliday, Ben Luedtke, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Seminar
Elevation: 7,300'
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 - 6:36 pm PT
On Monday, we awoke to scattered clouds and cooler temps around Base Camp. As the sun rose above the clouds we left camp to refresh some of our climbing skills. After taking naps during the heat of the day we learned about knots for climbing and prepared for our attempt on Radio Tower.
The mountains are calm today. The clouds are fickle and we are now sitting back in camp surrounded by a fog that has moved up the Kahiltna Glacier. We reached the top of Radio Tower today, the small prominence that sits above camp. We were met with impressive views of the north side of Mt. Hunter and the Moonflower Buttress.
Posted by: Avery Parrinello, Grayson Swingle, Leif Bergstrom, James Bealer, Ben Luedtke, Seth Burns
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,080
The Five Day Climb April 26 - 30 led by RMI Guides Avery Parrinello and James Bealer completed their Mountaineering School on April 27 and made the ascent to Camp Muir on April 28. The teams spent the last two nights at 10,080' Camp Muir. Climbers were able to ascend to Ingraham Flats but due to adverse weather conditions were unable to climb any higher. Today the team is descending from Camp Muir to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Bummer guys! Sorry about the weather! It’s all about the journey and not the destination though! I hope you learned a lot, met some cool people, and are excited for the next one.
Posted by: Constantine V on 5/1/2022 at 4:16 pm
Posted by: James Bealer, Kiira Antenucci, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
RMI Guide James Bealer led his team to the summit of Mt. Baker this morning! The route was steep and icy making for a challenging day but everyone was up to the task. They are four days into their six-day program where they are also receiving their credentials for the Leave No Trace Master Educator Course.
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, David Price, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
At 7:50 a.m. RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer radioed from the highest point in Washington, Columbia Crest on Mt. Rainier! It’s a clear day, light winds and a good route. After the the team walked back across the crater, they began their descent at 8:30 a.m.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Posted by: Casey Grom, Ben Luedtke, Jess Wedel
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb August 1 - 4, led by RMI Guide Casey Grom reached the summit of Mt. Rainier just before 6 am today. The team reported a beautiful, sunny day with a light breeze. The team began their descent from the crater rim just after 7 am. Once back at Camp Muir they will continue down to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp for a little celebration before concluding their adventure.
Congratulations to all the climbers!
Congratulations to all. What an amazing achievement & experience!
Posted by: Anne on 8/7/2021 at 4:31 am
Wow,....Bravo!!! Great achievement team members!!
CONGRATULATIONS
Posted by: Jyoti kulkarni on 8/4/2021 at 10:23 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Alex Halliday, Ben Luedtke, Chase Halbert, Connor Mullady, Nathan Delmar
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
This morning RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Alex Halliday led their teams to the top of Mt. Rainier! The weather is cloudy and smoky from some wildfires up north. The team began their descent from the crater rim at 9:25 a.m.
Congrats! I heard the ladder crossing was out the day before..assuming it has been repaired now? Gaining the cleaver is not too difficult now? Im planning a climb tomorrow.
Posted by: Isaiah R on 8/1/2021 at 10:40 pm
I’m so thankful for experienced guides who monitored conditions diligently and kept in communication about the bridge status. Congrats to all!!
Posted by: Jill Follett on 8/1/2021 at 2:58 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom, Devin Guffey, Ben Luedtke, Connor Mullady, Stephen Inman, Tatum Whatford
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Congratulations to the Four Day Climb July 22 - 25 on reaching the summit of Mt. Rainier today! Clear skies accompanied these teams led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Devin Wilkinson, to the summit early this morning. After enjoying some time on top they begain their descent from the crater rim aroun 6:15 am. These climbers will continue their descent to Paradise today and conclude their adventure with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.
Nice work team!
We fairly flew up the mountain, thanks to expert leadership by our guides. We topped out on the rim of the summit crater in darkness, crossed it in first light, and arrived at the Columbia Crest into the new day. Was the sensation delight, madness, glee, relief, or some combination, to watch our great ball of fire emerge out of the noblest peak in the ring of fire? Rainier’s perfect trapezoid shadow formed in the morning haze to the west, just north of a nearly perfect lunar orb, while summiteers snapped selfies. Casey had brought a new register book, which we had the honor to be among the first to sign (the full one he brought down to return to the NPS rangers). At “Register Rock” we huddled to inscribe our names, though really it was the mountain inscribing itself on us!
Posted by: Lisa Fernandez on 7/26/2021 at 9:37 pm
Congratulations! I cannot wait to hear about the awesome effort and adventure.
Posted by: Joy Moretti on 7/25/2021 at 8:46 am
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,200'
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 - 3:24 pm PT
The winds are calm and it's snowing lightly at Denali 14K Camp. Our plan is to pack up camp this afternoon and journey down into the thicker clouds, hopefully making it to Basecamp sometime in the middle of the night. We're not overly optimistic that we'll be able to fly tomorrow...the pilots at K2 Aviation tell us that this weather is supposed to stick around until Saturday. If all goes well we'll at least be in position to fly off the glacier if a clearing presents itself.
We'll let you know how it goes.
Brad,
Looking forward to you getting back and hearing about your adventure.
Your friends at Modern.
Posted by: Dave Brown on 7/8/2021 at 11:14 am
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,000'
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 - 1:00 pm PT
There's not much new to report today. We're still at 14,000' Camp, waiting for an opportunity to head downhill to the airstrip. Unfortunately we're also still in a snow globe. Apparently it's totally socked in all the way to Talkeetna, with rain in town, so all of the planes are grounded a well. We've got plenty of food and fuel, and we're warm and dry in our camp. The forecast is grim, but we're not desperate, and we'll patiently await a change in the weather.
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,000'
Monday, July 5, 2021 - 1:05 pm PT
We're still hanging at 14,000' Camp, amid snow, wind, and very limited visibility. We're hoping for a little break in the weather so that we can pack up camp and head down around Windy Corner and start our descent. The weather isn't having any of that, though. At this point we're comfy and safe at camp and there's no reason to force a descent into terrible weather. As eager as we are to get to Kahiltna Base Camp, it is not a pressing matter because planes cannot fly (much less land on the glacier) in this weather.
We'll keep you posted on our predicament.
Thinking about you Aaron!!! I love you! Love, sissy
Posted by: Emilee on 7/6/2021 at 2:44 pm
Hey Tim! It’s your grandma wishing you safe and happy travels! Love you.
Posted by: Susan Cote on 5/28/2022 at 10:31 am
Great to hear the update. Hopefully the weather will be perfect.
Posted by: Mary & Mike Macklin on 5/25/2022 at 5:42 pm
View All Comments