Entries By dominic cifelli

Our first Expedition Skills Seminar – Muir of the season wrapped up a productive and rewarding week on Mt. Rainier.  Led by RMI Guides Henry Coppolillo and Dominic Cifelli, the team came together on Saturday for a comprehensive gear check and began their foundational skills training at Rainier Base Camp.

With full packs and high spirits, they made the ascent to Camp Muir the following day. Throughout the week, the group focused on essential mountaineering techniques, including glacier travel, ice axe arrest, and cramponing. They also practiced crevasse rescue skills, learned how to set up tents in alpine conditions, and took a windy acclimatization hike to Ingraham Flats.

Today, the team set out for their summit attempt and reached an elevation of 12,500 feet before making the decision to turn back due to potential avalanche hazards. They returned safely to Camp Muir and will continue their final 4,500-foot descent to Paradise.

It’s been a great start to the seminar season, with valuable experience gained and strong teamwork throughout.

Ahh the end of a trip like this is always so bittersweet. Tired, sore, hungry we leave the trail happy and satiated with the journey, and yet we have to leave this breathtaking landscape and national park. Us, and everyone around us, will be very happy with a shower when we get back into Puerto Natales tonight. 

Our last day is one of the hardest. A long, steep ascent up the valley to see the namesake of the park, Las Torres (The Towers of Paine). It’s about 11km each way with almost 3000 ft of ascent and our ached bodies felt every bit of it. Up up up until we were treated with yet another beautiful fricken day. Just our luck. 

Waking up at 430 to pack, eat breakfast, and head up to avoid the crowds. And boy are we glad we did. I call the descent the Disney world descent due to the crowds that come into the park in order to complete the relatively accesible hike. And so we weaved in an out of folks fresh from town and worked our way toward the promised land ( the van) 

We’re showered, sore, and now heading toward dinner for our last night together. This trip has been incredible not only because of the views, but because of the strangers turned friends we met 10 days ago in Punta Arenas. We all can’t wait to fill you in with the stories we have and the pictures we took. See you soon. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

The last day with our turtle shells came and went. In our lucky nature, of course it was a gorgeous day completing the last bit of the full circle around Torres del Paine National park. We walked along beaches of crystal blue water, saw condors that got so close I questioned how bad I really smell, and gawked at the peaks like we always do. 

Luckily we have one more hike left on the amazing journey on the circuit. The Towers or Torres. The namesake of the park and the dessert we've been waiting for for quite some time now. Breakfast will be at 5 to avoid the crowds that come to the park to day hike the route but we'll be looong ahead. 

I would say wish us luck, but we're all full. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

The good news, there is a TV at Paine Grande that has the ability to give us some creature comforts like the Super Bowl! 

The bad news, it was broken. 

After some much needed rest the team got up early for what can be a long day. From Refugio to Refugio, it's not too long, but this is our first of two side hikes on the trip. Today, was up the French Valley. What can only be described as Alpine Jurassic Park is up there awaiting. Grand vistas, hanging glaciers, dozens of waterfalls pouring down the cliff side. Breathtaking views of Fortaleza, a towering peak to the east. Unfortunately though, today was the rainiest one yet. And so we battled the deluge, and waterfall on top of the trail to get to those views that were then only teased.  We at least got some glimpses and how could we complain. The historically rainy mountains down here had been good to us so far. 

We took what we could get, scarfed down a quick bite to eat and headed back down to where we took the fork up the French Valley and headed off to our second to last Refugio of the trip. Frances Camp. 

We warmed up our hands and bodies with some tea and cards and are now tucked in the sleeping bags we dreamt about in the downpour. 

RMI Guide 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