Entries By dave hahn

Saturday, June 15, 2024 - 10:02 pm PT

Another beautiful day on Denali, which started at 2:30 AM for our team. We were snowshoed up and moving uphill by 5 AM. Conditions were excellent for travel. The surface was frozen up just right and the day was cool enough to keep us from sweating as we got on "Ski Hill".  We moved well for four hours to reach 10,000' There at the head of the 49 mile Kahiltna Glacier, we dug a cache and buried our supplies to prevent attack by ravens. It took just under two hours to get back down to camp, by which time we were ready to get in the tents and out of the hot sun. We napped away the afternoon and rehydrated. Tomorrow we'll climb to 11,000' Camp.

Best Regards,

RMI Guides Dave Hahn, Sam Hoffman, Sam Marjerison and Nick Sinapius

The skies were clear early this morning, and so it was the perfect time to leave basecamp as the snow surface was nicely frozen and travel was "easy". We were roped up and on our way by 4 AM, watching the sunlight play on the upper slopes of Mts Foraker and Hunter.  Glacier conditions were excellent. There were few open crevasses, and the route was fairly direct.  We pulled into our destination -the base of "ski hill" - in just four and a half hours. 

Camp then went up relatively quickly and we got in out of the intense midday sun for some quality naps.  A breeze came up in the evening, but by then we'd built a dining tent and were able to enjoy dinner in peace. 

We intend to make a carry tomorrow, to 10,000 ft if possible. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guides Dave Hahn, Sam Hoffman, Sam Marjerison, Nick Sinapius

Thursday June 13, 2024, 10:55pm PDT

And just like that, we are in a new world... a planet of ice and snow and rock and gigantic mountains.  We flew on just before midday.  It had been a little manky before that, with low cloud in both Talkeetna and Kahiltna Base camp, so we got to eat a last big breakfast in town as we waited for improvements.  It was a thrill to get some views of Denali, way up above the remaining clouds, as we flew in, and a thrill to step out of the planes at basecamp. 

We built camp, trained and prepared for departure in the intense high-altitude sunshine. We talked over what to expect and how to deal with expected challenges. We made it to bed by 9 PM. Our intention is to get up in the middle of the night to travel in the early morning shadows. 

Best Regards, 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team 

Dave Hahn & Team are Flying onto the Kahiltna Glacier! Follow along with us as they begin their climb of Denali.

Wednesday June 12, 2024 11:29pm PDT

A big day in Talkeetna.  It was cloudy and rainy, but that didn’t prevent us from starting out with a breakfast meeting at the Swiss Alaska Inn, introducing the team and discussing expectations and strategies for the climb.  We carried on by regrouping over at the airplane hangar to sort equipment and get packed.  We broke things up with an excellent briefing from the National Park Service.  Denali climbing ranger, Alan Davis spoke to us about current conditions and the need to prioritize safety on the mountain.  K2 Aviation - our flight service- then let us know what to expect in regards to getting on and off the mountain via ski plane in variable weather conditions.  We then buckled down and put in a few serious hours getting organized for the climb.  This was capped off with a formal weigh-in, a prelude to loading up the airplanes -which we hope will take place tomorrow morning.  The team then relaxed at Mile High Pizza Pie in the heart of Talkeetna.  Enjoying dinner and the drizzle from low clouds.  We are set and excited to get on the mountain. 
 

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 - 10:17 pm PT

Our climbing team came together today.  After years of planning and anticipation and training… twelve of us got together in the Anchorage airport and got started on RMI’s final Denali Expedition for 2024.   We made it with all of our gear and without flight cancellations… it all worked out.   We boarded the Denali Overland van for the big drive up to Talkeetna.  The windshield wipers were on for much of the journey and the spectacular mountain vistas were… shrouded, for the most part.  We broke up the trip with a stop at the last big supermarkets -in Wasilla- where we rounded out the trip menu with some fresh food for down low on the mountain.  We got back in the van then and made it up to Talkeetna by 5:30 PM.  Having settled our gear in the airplane hangar, we checked in to the comfortable Swiss Alaska Inn and then made the short hike over the railroad tracks and into downtown Talkeetna.  The rain seemed to be keeping the tourists in check so we had a quiet dinner at the brewery and then walked down to the mighty Susitna River to gaze at the water and the clouds (where there might normally be mountains).   The team then walked past a few perfectly good bars and watering holes to turn in early and be ready for what promises to be a big day of packing and prepping for the climb tomorrow. 

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The Five Day Climb May 25 -29 led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Ben Ammon reached 13,200ft on Mt. Rainier today before high winds forced them to turn back. The teams have safely returned to Camp Muir where they may do some additional training and enjoy a final night on the mountain. The team will descend the remaining 4,500' to Paradise tomorrow and conclude their program.

PC: Dave Hahn

The Mt. Rainier Four-Day climb led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Sam Hoffman turned around at 11,500 this morning due to deteriorating weather. They are currently enjoying a sunny Camp Muir morning. They will recollect themselves at Camp Muir before their descent back to Basecamp in Ashford this afternoon. Nice work team!

Everything went like clockwork this morning, smooth and easy.  We ate a last trek breakfast and walked toward the Lukla heliport at 7 AM.  There were clouds, but there were also plenty of aircraft coming and going already.  After a short wait and weigh-in session, we were ushered out and into a running A-Star B3.  The pilot went right to work and we cruised out over farms, ridges, rivers and terraces.  He took us around clouds but there were always plenty of open avenues.  After 45 minutes we’d reached the busy Kathmandu airport.  Within minutes we went from being a famous and well above average trekking team to just another van full of tourists in a big city.  We checked back into the comfy Yak and Yeti and headed for the showers.  It was a day for catching up, for mingling with other trekkers and climbers and for getting ready for the next phase… the big travel chore.  But first, we went over to Thamel, the busy tourist and trekker Mecca for a last relaxed dinner together at the New Orleans Cafe.  We toasted a fine journey… one that wasn’t always easy, but one that seemed very much worth the trouble. 

Thanks for following along.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

We walked for seven hours today… of course we did take a leisurely lunch break in Phakding, so it was less.  But it felt like a big day.  We lost about 2,000 vertical feet in the first hour, coming down the Namche hill.  That was significant, since it meant we were then working at low altitude (around 9,000 ft) which was easier than so much of what we’ve done in the last week.  It was a cloudy day, but there was an amazing amount of helicopter traffic overhead.  And there were plenty of trekkers, porters and pack animals on the trail.  It is prime time in the Khumbu.  Still, we had some fine peaceful moments gazing at waterfalls and flowers and children playing on small farms.  We bounced across a bunch of cable bridges and finally we climbed uphill for the final 90 minutes to reach Lukla.  We’ll spend the night and see if we get lucky with clear weather for flying in the morning. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn