Entries By eric frank

A three hour walk brought us to the toe of the glacier where we spent several hours training on snow and ice in anticipation of our first summit attempt tomorrow. We’ve made a new camp at roughly 15,400’ which sits in the beautiful Condoriri Valley, where we are surrounded by beautiful peaks. We had an early dinner, and we find ourselves trying to get some rest before an early wake up and a long day tomorrow as we look to climb Pequeno Alpamayo. RMI Guide Eric Frank

Sunday, May 19, 2019 Isla del Sol or Island of the Sun is a remote island with no cars located close to the Peruvian border on Lake Titicaca. It feels weird to be on a mountain climbing trip, yet enjoying the luxuries of home cooked meals, showers and a setting that would remind you of the Mediterranean. At 13,500’ this is an ideal location for us to acclimatize for the higher peaks of Bolivia. Meandering through pre Incan terraced gardens allowed us to stretch the legs, breath the thin air and enjoy panoramic vistas. The day included a traditional Bolivian meal and an amazing sunset. Tomorrow we leave the comforts of Isla del Sol and head into the mountains. RMI Guide Andy Bond

The team let a out a collective sigh of relief today as we left the big city of La Paz for the quiet Bolivian country side. A few hours of driving, a ferry ride and five miles of scenic hiking brought us to a harbor on the Bolivian/Peruvian border. The views in all directions are incredible here. The contrast of the terraced golden field with the deep blue hue of the lake make a gorgeous contrast. After trekking uphill we arrived at our eco lodge and settled into our rooms. A dinner of quinoa soup and trout next to a crackling fire closed out our night. We all look forward to exploring the island tomorrow. RMI Guide Eric Frank

After a long travel day and an early morning arrival, we took a leisurely morning before heading out on a tour of the city of La Paz. In the last several years Bolivia has invested nearly $800 million into a cable car system, allowing people to move around the city, high above the buildings. It gave us amazing views of the surrounding mountains, some of which we will be climbing later in the trip, as well as adjust to 13,500’ altitude. A highlight was walking through the witches market, where people would burn offerings in the hopes that the smoke would reach the gods in the sky, and there wishes would come true. The night ended with a great dinner and some packing as we head to Lake Titicaca tomorrow for some more acclimatization and sightseeing before we head into the mountains. RMI Guide Eric Frank, Andy Bond & Team

Hello, this is Eric Frank calling from the summit of Orizaba. I'm up here with the team and this completes three of three summits for us this week. It's been a pretty incredible time of climbing. We summitted La Malinche, then we summited Ixta and now we are standing on top of Orizaba. Everyone is stoked. We are going to spend a few more minutes enjoying the thin air and then we're going to start heading down. So we'll call to check-in once we are down. We look forward to seeing everyone soon. RMI Guide Eric Frank

On The Map

RMI Guide Eric Frank checked in from 14,000, High Camp, on Pico de Orizaba. The team arrived at the hut today and will try to get a few hours of sleep tonight before their early alpine start. If weather and conditions allow they will check in tomorrow from the summit of Pico de Orizaba. We wish them luck and a safe climb!

On The Map

After our summit of Ixta, the team made the journey to the quaint Mexican town of Puebla. We spent today relaxing and soaking up the amenities of the city. The activities ranged from visiting the local artist quarter, seeing the town's oldest library, buying hand made pottery from local artists and catching an afternoon siesta to dodge the heat. We reconvened for dinner at one of the town's favorite restaurants and followed up our meal with some of the best ice cream Mexico has to offer. Currently the team is tucked in for the night, ready for another good night of sleep and looking forward to the final climb of the trip. RMI Guide Eric Frank

What a jam packed 24 hours it has been! After a fitful night of rest at the Altzomoni Hut, the team packed up and made the climb up to our high camp at 15,300ft. Our packs weighed between 35-40 lbs and that always makes the terrain much more challenging. Regardless, the team climbed well and we were lounging in our tents by mid afternoon. Around 4 pm we roused everyone from their siestas and gathered together in the "Refugio Los Cien" to have some soup and quesadillas. Not long after we finished eating, the first ping began. It sounded like a child was throwing small handfuls of gravel at the side of the refugio, but then the sound intensified. In a few minutes we were engulfed in a hail storm that lasted an hour. Pellets of ice, ranging from the size of a pencil eraser to a grape, covered the ground. Slowly the hail turned into snow and we all hustled out to our tents. Over the next three hours the storm turned into an epic thunder and lighting event, making us wonder if the climb would even be possible. At 2 am this morning when the first alarm went off, everything had changed. The skies were clear, the weather warm, the wind was gone and only a few inches of snow on the ground remained to remind us of the previous evening. The climb was flawless. I would say textbook, but it was better then textbook. We summited at 7:45 am under blue skies with small puffs of smoke from a local volcano to keep us company. RMI Guide Eric Frank

On The Map

The stoves are whistling and the Mexican Volcanoes team is enjoying a well deserved rest in our new home for the night: the Altzomoni Hut. Today was partially a rest day and partially logistics day to get ourselves in position for the next climb. We woke this morning up slightly sore, but proud of yesterday's accomplishment. After a few hours on the bus, we made a pit stop in the small city of AmecaMeca to grab lunch and some last minute groceries. From there we drove a winding mountain road back into the clouds. RMI Guide Eric Frank

Greetings! Yesterday, the March Mexico Volcanoes team arrived in the heart of Mexico City, after catching flights from various parts of the country. It is always a long day of travel, but we all managed to arrive without excessive delay or loss of bags. That is a big first victory that puts us in position to get out in the mountains as soon as possible. The team met for a short chat last night before going to dinner. There is a lot of experience represented in the group and with a good weather forecast, we expect to have a fun and successful trip. After an early departure this morning from Mexico City, the team arrived at La Malintzi around 11am. We did a quick gear sort, then headed uphill. The skies were clear and the air warm as we made our way up towards the summit. After about five hours of hiking, the team reached the summit of Malinche and was rewarded with sweeping views of the surrounding areas. A quick descent led us back to hot showers and a delicious dinner of grilled meats, fresh chips, and guacamole. We're all headed off to bed after a great day, looking forward to tomorrow's adventures. RMI Guide Eric Frank