Entries By jack delaney

RMI Guide Dave Hahn radioed from the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning to let us know the Four Day Climb July 23 - 26 teams had reached the summit and were starting their descent.  Dave reported sunny skies and light winds and a perfect day.  The teams were beginning their descent from the crater rim around 7:20 am.  Once back at Camp Muir they will rest, re-hydrate, repack and continue their descent, another 4.5 miles and 4,500', to Paradise.

Nice work today team and congratulations!

RMI Guide Mike Haugen checked in via radio at 7:40 am as the Kautz Seminar July 18 - 23 team was just reaching the crater rim.  The team did well and climbed strong from their camp at the top of the Wapowety Cleaver.  After enjoying the views from the summit the team will descend via the Disappointment Cleaver route.  This group met at Rainier BaseCamp on Sunday, July 18 and after two days of off mountain training began their ascent via the Kautz Glacier Route.  Their time on the mountain included glacier travel training as well as focusing on techniques required for the current conditions on the upper mountain.  The team will conclude their program with a celebration in Ashford later today.

Congratulations to the Kautz Seminar climbers!

RMI Guides Casey Grom & Alex Halliday led their Four Day Climb Teams July 10 - 13, 2021 to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The teams reached the crater rim at 5:10 am.  Skies were clear and winds were calm as the teams enjoyed some time on the summit.   They began their descent from the crater rim at 6:30 am.  Once back at Camp Muir they will repack and continue the remaining 4,500' to Paradise. 

Congratulations to today's climbers!

RMI Guide Mike King and the Four Day Climb July 7 - 10 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning at 5:20 am.  Mike reported really good route conditions and clear skies.  There are many climbers on the mountain today and the team made good time.  After spending about an hour in the crater the team began their descent.  Once back at Camp Muir they will take a short rest before descending the final 4,500' to Paradise.

Good work today team!

The Five Day Climb teams for June 24 - 28, 2021 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier led by RMI Guides Mike King and Andy Bond.  The teams reached the crater rim at 5 am, happily reporting cooler than expected temperatures for today.  Blue skies and beautiful views were enjoyed from the summit before the teams began their descent.  They are making their way back to Camp Muir where they will stop for a quick break and to repack their gear before continuing their descent to Paradise this afternoon.

Congratulations to today's Five Day Climb teams!

Thursday, June 3, 2021 - 6:15 pm PT

Good afternoon! This is RMI Guide Eric Frank calling on June 3rd from the summit of Denali, the highest point in North America. We are up here on a beautiful afternoon, in-and-out of the clouds. Sometimes we can see 100 miles; sometimes we can only see our climbing boots. We had an awesome climb today. Started off a little chilly in the shade, but all-in-all it has been a wonderful day of climbing.  We are enjoying 15 minutes on top right now. It is about 5:15 local time. We are going to pack up and head downhill where we should be back between 9 and 10 pm tonight.  Thanks everyone for following along.  Friends and family- I am sure you’ll be happy to hear from your respective individuals in a few days.  Our hope is to move down to a lower elevation, thicker air and catch a plane to the land of burgers and beer within a couple of days.  Thanks for following along. Bye.

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 - 11:47 pm PT

The team moved to Denali's 17K Camp today through tough winds.  We left camp early to blue skies and cold air as we headed up the fixed lines.  The top of the fixed lines yielded increased wind, and we quickly donned our hard shells.  As we climbed further up the West Buttress, we pushed through more ferocious wind and scattered clouds.   Thankfully, as we rolled into camp the clouds abated and we are left hoping the weather holds for our summit push tomorrow.

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Monday, May 31, 2021 - 11:09 pm PT

Sunday, May 30th, started out clear and cold but quickly warmed up as the sun hit our camp. The good weather meant moral was high in 14,000' Camp as everyone who was acclimated and ready to go started to climb towards High Camp at 17,200'. We, of course, being new to this high elevation stayed in camp and watched the conga line turn into a log jam at the base of the fixed lines. We made good use of our day by brushing up on our fixed line and running belay techniques. At the end of the day a well worn trail was stomped in by the uphill traffic and left us feeling optimistic about our own plans to cache at 16,200'.

Today (May 31) the team braved a cold morning in order to get a head start out of camp.  We climbed up the fixed lines and cached at 16,250' on the West Buttress.   The afternoon turned into a scorcher on the way down as the solar energy made it feel like 90 degrees outside.  We returned to camp and had delicious burritos for dinner. 

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Saturday, May 29, 2021 - 11:35 pm PT

Sleeping in was mandatory this morning as we waited for the sun to hit camp.  Rest was the name of the game today as a storm laid siege on the mountain.  Wind battered the tents with occasional snow as we all practiced the art of not getting bored.   We had a delicious and grand dinner which devolved into (surprisingly well informed) debates on which Disney characters were best.  The weather will hopefully improve tomorrow and we’ll be able to get up and stretch our legs. 

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Saturday, May 29, 2021 - 11:00am PT

After tucking in last night to blowing winds and less than optimal conditions, we awoke this morning to bluebird skies and generally improved weather. The team wasted no time digging out our camp and getting settled in to 14k life. Most of the day was spent making a quick lap to pick up our cache by Windy Corner and building snow block walls around the tents.The day ended shortly after 8pm.

Here in Genet Basin the temps drop quickly once the sun falls behind the nearest ridgeline and we all retreated to our tents to climb into our sleeping bags. 

Thanks for following along with us!

RMI Guide Eric Frank & Team