Entries By dominic cifelli

Yet another day for the books on our trek. After a long day yesterday we were all sore, sleepy, and appreciative that the big day was behind us. The unfortunate part is the the back end of this trip tends to feel like a bit of a whirlwind due to the shear amount of things at our disposal to see. So another early morning it is with the breakfast bell ringing at 6:30 AM. 

After our delicious meal at Refugio Grey we walked about 10 minutes down to the waters of Lago Grey and onto the catamaran to buzz past the icebergs and towards the long Grey glacier we ogled yesterday. We rappelled into a couple of ice caves and spent the morning traversing the glacier and taking in the unbelievable weather and views. 

We still had to get to the next Refugio though so after lunch, we hit the trail and enjoyed the vistas along the ridges that our morning glacier had carved years and years ago. 

We are now at Paine Grande, the biggest Refugio on the trek and a taste of civilization in this vast vast wilderness. Tomorrow we’re hoping for the weather to cooperate for our trip up the French Valley, but it’s supposed to rain. We can’t complain too much though. It’s been unbelievable so far. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

We have arrived at Refugio Grey!! 

Today is one of the hardest days of the trek, certainly the hardest of the “O” portion of the trek. That meant that getting up before the sun, scarfing down our warm breakfast that was mostly coffee, and heading out and up up up. We ascend right out of the gate up a muddy and thin trail as we navigate the last bits of the forest before the tree line. The bitter Patagonian wind woke up before the sun too and was there to greet us as soon as the trees left us. 

Wind, cold, rain, snow, but never too much of any. We persevered up the John Gardner pass and over to the other side of the circuit. And my goodness was a view. People are often asking if the glaciers they are looking at are part of the Patagonian Icefield but one good look at the Grey glacier from the pass and it’s clear to all. As dark as the eye can see right and left is rugged, broken, beautiful glacier. 

7 more hours of a big descent plus the traverse along the glacier brought us to the Refugio we’re at tonight and although there were no games tonight, there will be plenty of good sleeps. 

Tomorrow we continue to Paine Grande, the biggest Refugio in the park and the perfect spot to maybe catch a Super Bowl moment or two! 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

After a very relaxed morning drinking coffee, walking along the shores of the lake, and enjoying the views Refugio Dickson had to offer. We were off at the bright and early time of 10 am. Uphill was the first task of the day as we ascend out of the peninsula and up a ridge leading toward our next camp. For the first hour we climb about 1000 ft up to a viewpoint people salivate over. The southern Patagonian Icefield and the Dickson Glacier to our North. The first good glimpse of John Gardner pass (our day tomorrow) to the west. The shield (a granite face towering over the valley) to the south. And a teeny tiny Pygmy Owl above us in the tree to watch us gawk at it, and the views. Unreal.

We travel through so many different forests on this day as we weave and bob through the valley and eventually up toward our final destination. Perros camp. A more rustic camp than the rest, but with all the charm of any. We had a great day.

Right now, the forecast is calling for our best day yet to come on the day we need it the most. Stormy weather makes ascending and especially descending John Gardner’s Pass tricky, but if those models are right, which we know they always are, it’s going to be one hell of a day! For those keeping track, thank you for following along. The Farkle winner tonight was Dolittle (an Appalachian trail Trail Name, not someone’s actual name) it was her first time playing.

Wish us luck tomorrow! It’s a looooong day of trekking!

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli & Team

Oh boy what a day. 

Another day on the trail and today, is one of the longest distances. 

What started as a light drizzle transformed into moody cloudy overlooking the vast scenery that Torres Del Paine offers. Baby blue glacial lakes, jagged ridges, and jurassic valleys were the theme of the day as we walked the Patagonian flat trail. To top it off? The Paso de Vientas showed us what it was made of. Just enough wind to make it fun, not quite enough to lift us off our feet like a kite. 

Lago Dickson was the destination of the day, and it's like a mirage here. A small peninsula surrounded by the lake that feeds the Paine River. We walked the beach, played farkle (of course) and tried out a new (Alex and Jackie created) card game. 

The team goes to Camp Pedro's tomorrow, our most rustic of the trip. We'll get ready for the big climb and descent over John Gardner pass. Wish us good weather and safe travels! So far, the weather has been just our luck, Patagonian perfect. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli & Team

Hello Hello,
Checking in for our Torres trek. It's been a whirlwind couple of days, but we arrived safely, are somewhat rested, and are packed and headed for our first hike of the circuit. 

Though the trip started with a slight snafu with the penguin tour. We pushed our departure back and were rewarded with dolphins, whales, seals, penguins, you name it. An unbelievable ride across the Magellan strait. A day spent in Puerto Natales, a port town at the edge of fjord, had us rearranging gear, catching up on some much-needed rest, packing our backpacks, and shopping for some souvenirs. Situated in this valley, we get sweeping views of the mountains across the way. 

Now we are at Camp Serón, our first camp and a relatively gentle hike to warm up our legs and take in the view that Torres Del Paine National Park has to offer.  Today was international flat not just what is called “ Patagonia Flat” it was a joy to start walking after the few days of hotels and the cherry on top? Condors and a Puma. Just our luck.

We’re excited for tomorrow and we’re each hoping to not lose in farrow or get skunked in our now daily cribbage tournament. Till tomorrow

Thanks for following along,

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

Today was a bitter sweet day for all of us.  Post decent day after celebrating a successful summit push, descending 4500’ from Camp 3 to thicker air with post celebrations at base camp, and waking up in the dome tent with the team sprawled out on the floor catching up on some much need rest as well as a reset for the journey back down through the Relinchos Valley and Vacas Valley and into the comforts at Pampas de Leñas at 9582’ in total a 19 mile hike.  Along the way, we saw a heard of Guanacos, a quick glimpse of the infamous poisonous tailed mouse, stopped by this mysterious spring coming out from the side of the mountain, and was able to cool down at the Fountain of Youth.  A much needed reset and  everyone, seems to have knocked off a couple years as the youth came out in everyone with lots of laughter and a nice reset!  After the 7.5 hour trek, we as a team celebrated with cervesas, fresh fruit, juices, and a delicious BBQ to replenish the calories we consumed during the grind through group suffering.  The group ended the night discussing how to properly eat hotdogs, the origins of a sandwich, and many other important topics that makes the world turn. 

Time for more Andes Origen Rubia cervesas and celebrating the successful trip as well as reminiscing on what this journey meant to each one of use. It sure has been memorable and one for the books! One more four hour leg back to Los Penitentes and our expedition will come to and end when we arrive back to Mendoza, Argentina.

Back to a mad game of Farkle and hopefully a first win for me.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli & Team

After a beautiful day on the mountain  yesterday bookended with exhaustion and adrenaline, we awoke to the reality that Aconcagua can be an incredibly uninviting environment.  The 25 feet of snow that feel the previous night was being drifted by intense winds into every corner of our tents, packs, boots and any other unfortunate item we had left out. Any hint of moisture inside our tents had turned to ice and snow making the inside of our tents look like a winter wonderland.  

After staying in our sleeping bags as long as possible, we all eventually summoned the courage to peel ourselves out, put on our cold boots, break camp and get out of Cholera as quickly as possible.  As soon as we descended over the ridge,conditions improved.  The winds calmed some and the fresh snow made for a relatively quick decent to Camp 2.  

When we reached Camp 2 we were welcomed by a group of climbers headed up the mountain.  After some R & R and good conversation we grabbed our bags and proceeded down to the mountain.  We took in the last, beautiful views and bid farewell to the mountains before we cruised down the scree to Camp 1.  There the oxygen was more plentiful and our spirits were high. We enjoyed a few laughs in the shade of the Grajales dome, shed some unnecessary layers, ditched our boots and welcomed our sneakers as we readied for the final push to base camp. 

Boy was Basecamp a welcome site! We were greeted with the same enthusiasm we had parted with, hugs and congrats all around!  We quickly shed our packs and were treated with what may be one of the best meals in recent memory.  As we sat in our warm dome, indulging in empanadas, meats and cheeses, cerveza, and a variety of other goodies we reminisced about the adventure we had just experienced.  We talked about how a challenge such as Aconcagua is as much mental as it is physical.  

This conversation made me think about what brings five people from varying backgrounds together,  thousands of miles from home for this common, incredibly challenging goal.  We all have our individual reasons, but it’s undeniable we are all individuals that enjoy type 2 fun.  

Type 2 fun climbing Aconcagua means embracing an experience that is challenging, uncomfortable, and even miserable in the moment, but immensely rewarding in hindsight. It’s about pushing through biting winds, freezing temperatures, and altitudes none of us are accustomed to that left us feeling breathless and our legs aching. Each step up the mountain tested our  physical limits and mental resilience, forcing us to dig deeper than we thought possible. The grueling ascent, from the trek all the way to the summit, with its long days and unpredictable conditions, made us each question why we chose this journey. Yet, it’s the camaraderie with each other, our fellow climbers, the breathtaking views of the Andes, and the profound sense of accomplishment upon reaching the summit (or close to) that make it all worthwhile. Type 2 fun transforms suffering into triumph, and while some of us may swear off such adventures mid-climb (as I do everytime), we’ll likely find ourselves  craving the next challenge as soon as it’s over. 

So to all of you like minded, type 2 loving, crazy souls who have shared this adventure: thank you for an unforgettable experience.  

Now let’s play some Farkle!  

RMI Climber Erica Kim 

Whenever someone would ask me what my favorite mountain to climb was. I’d beat around the bush, answering in vague “it depends” that guides often use to avoid concrete answers in an ever changing arena. Nowadays, it’s Aconcagua. Something about the amalgamation of the people, the food, wine, expedition demands, and luxurious accompaniment makes me come down every year. It’s hard to describe, but in the theme of our early Gen Z style posts, it’s a vibe. You just have to come see it for yourself before you believe me. 

We set out today to summit said peak. “The Stone Sentinel” it’s commonly referred to. It was a breathtaking morning, altitude pun? Still, crisp air, the Milky Way painting the sky with a dull hint of moonlight. Excitement, nerves, anxiousness fill these summit mornings too as you watch fellow tents and teams gearing up to face the same hardships you will. A certain sense of camaraderie is palpable, even if that climber was yelling to their tent mate 2 ft away from them about juice or something.  

Our climb starts at 19,600ft and it certainly feels it as we switchback up toward Piedras Blancas, Independencia, and then onto the grand traverse. A bitter cold wind trap that chills me just typing about it. But we chose today for the lack of wind, and it didn’t disappoint. The usually windy traverse was calm and snowy, making for easy foot placements even if the climbing itself was anything but. Just our Luck. As we ascended and climbed we then reached the cave, the canaleta, and the shoulder of Aconcagua. All daunting and hard features in their own right,  but combine to make one hell of a final push. 

I am happy to say that we did summit today, right before the clouds rolled in. And even though we couldn’t share the summit with all of our teammates, we expect them to be back and we can’t wait to hear about their version of summit day. 

We’re safely back at Colera (High Camp) in our bags listening to the heavy snow fall from above. We’ll head down to see our friends at Basecamp tomorrow and we can’t wait. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli 

January 22, 2025 - 7:24 am PT

Good news!  RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli along with climbers Eric, Brian, and Ethan reached the top of Aconcagua at 12:15 local time. Reporting light winds and sunny. Beautiful day.

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke

Hello darkness my only friend. 

Today I woke up feeling it the hardest. Tossed and turned all night, couldn’t breathe through my nose, and headaches was part of the nightly routine. Our modern motivation to obtain charging stations was first of the list. Battling all of the other climbers only to find out that there wasn’t any electricity. Soon after, Ben arrived with spam and bread.. the only way to start your day proper.

After breakfast, we decommissioned our camp with high hopes for Camp 3 at 19,600.’  It was a slow and steady pace to the top with breathing techniques that would only be found in a yoga class. We arrived to our new home around 2 pm and were greeted with stunning views all around. Our group quickly got to work to stake our claim and raise our tents.

After some nice R&R, we ate our mountain house meals to fuel ourselves for our biggest and main objective of the trip… an Aconcagua summit. So sleep tight everyone our job is not done yet. We hope to have dreams of celebrations back at base camp and home with family and friends. In the words of Lion King, “can you feel the love tonight.”

RMI Climber Ethan Pickett