Entries By jess wedel

We woke up this morning fully intending to move. Bags were packed, boots were on, breakfast was happening. And then we looked at the sky, looked at each other, and made the call: one more day in Namche.

The morning had given us just enough to keep us guessing — clouds rolling in and out, the peaks beyond Namche appearing and disappearing like they couldn’t quite commit. By afternoon, the snow settled in for real, steady and cold, and it became clear the weather had already made this decision for us.

Here’s the thing about an extra acclimatization day that’s easy to forget in the moment: it’s not a setback. It’s one of the best things that could have happened to us. At altitude, your body is doing serious background work — building red blood cells, adjusting to thinner air, recalibrating systems that have worked perfectly at sea level your whole life. That process doesn’t care about your itinerary. It runs on its own clock, and what it needs most is time.

So today we gave it time. Some of us explored a Sherpa museum, some walked to a monastery at the top of town, we ate a lot, drank more tea than any of us thought possible, and checked out all the bakeries in town.

Tonight we’re making it a proper snow day game night — salad bowl, cards, and Farkle around the table. Somewhere out there the route to Tengboche is getting a fresh coat of white. We’ll be ready for it tomorrow.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

A jam-packed rest day in Namche. (Classic.)

Namche is such a sparkling little town, and with a hike to the Everest View Hotel on the menu, most of us were in. The forecast was calling for rain and snow, but we woke up to mostly blue skies — so we loaded our daypacks and headed uphill before the clouds could change their minds.

They sure tried. By the time we crested the top of Namche, they were already building again, and I’ll admit I started mentally composing a very sad “no mountain views today” dispatch. But plot twist — the clouds blew through, and suddenly there they all were: Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cholatse, and more, taking turns peeking out between the grey. We stood there completely awestruck and took approximately one thousand photos.

By the time we reached the hotel itself, the curtain was drawing back closed. Perfect timing —nothing left to do but sit down for tea and hot chocolate.

The hike down came with bonuses: our first yak sightings of the trip, roaming the hillside like they owned it (they do), and a stop at Sagarmatha Next, the recycling hub for this whole region. What they’ve done with the trash up here — turning it into legitimate art — is genuinely impressive.

Back in Namche, lunch at Eat Smart was a near-unanimous barbecue chicken sandwich situation. The afternoon went in several directions at once: shopping, massages, and — yes — the salon, where more than one team member got a hair wash and blow dry. We are absolutely roughing it out here.

It’s snowing now, with some thunder and lightning thrown in for funsies. Tomorrow’s forecast is looking like more of the same, so we’re crossing fingers for a clear enough window to make our move to Tengboche. Whatever the mountains give us, we’ll adapt — that’s kind of the whole job.

Rested, ready, and still a little giddy about those views.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team

Hello from Namche Bazaar!

Today we made our way up from Phakding, following the Dudh Koshi River and crossing a series of suspension bridges — including the iconic Hillary Bridge. High, swaying, and for one teammate, an instant rollercoaster moment. Hands up and everything.

From there, the trail turned upward. The climb into Namche is steady and steep — the kind that reminds you to settle into your breath and just keep moving. We shared the trail with zopkio and mule trains along the way. Shared is a loose term. You learn quickly who has the right of way out here.

We stopped for lunch and swapped favorite moments from the trip so far — including last night’s newly invented card game (Sploot, a masterpiece) and the simple joy of these trails and bridges.

We pulled into Namche this afternoon, greeted by colorful buildings, rolling clouds, and the satisfying feeling of a solid day in the mountains. The team is strong and stoked, and we’re looking forward to a couple nights here acclimatizing.

— RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team

P.S. Good luck to Ben on his hockey tournament! Forecheck, backcheck.

Hello from Phakding — a little village hugging the Dudh Koshi river at 8,700 feet and our first stop on the trek.

We made it to the trail.

But not before being genuinely humbled on the helicopter ride from Kathmandu to Lukla. The mountains don’t ease you in — they just appear, enormous and right. there.

The humbling continued when our pilot Priya mentioned, casually, that in Nepal they don’t consider anything below 7,000 meters a real mountain. We nodded along like we knew that. Then we looked at each other, because by that definition, basically none of us have ever climbed a mountain.

Good to know where we stand.

Getting on the trail this morning involved a lot of hurrying up to wait, then hurrying again — obscure checkpoints, duffels flying in every direction, the usual chaos of travel through the domestic terminal of the Kathmandu airport.

Eventually we were walking, on a trail made of stones, trending gently downhill, which felt like a dream.

We also got to meet our local guide team: Dawa Nuru, Nawang, and Melan — all born and raised in these mountains. They know this terrain the way most people know their own neighborhood.

The afternoon was spent at a bakery next to our teahouse, laughing and talking with no particular agenda.

It’s a good feeling. All of it.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team

We had a full day in Kathmandu today.

After breakfast, we gathered in the garden for a team meeting — a little pocket of calm before the city fully woke up. We talked through the plan for the days ahead and shared what brought everyone here: a curiosity about the Himalaya and those who call them home, a desire to honor loved ones, a chance to step away from the everyday and even a little geology enthusiasm in the mix. Good people, good reasons.

The rest of the morning was dedicated to gear checks. Lots of gear checks. Layers sorted, boots inspected, stuff sacks ripped (iykyk… purely accidental). Not glamorous, but essential.

Then — Kathmandu.

If you’ve never visited this city, nothing quite prepares you for it. The traffic alone is a cultural experience. Crossing the street requires a mix of calm confidence, a light jog, and a willingness to trust the universe just a little. We did fine.

Our first stop was Boudhanath, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world. We walked beneath prayer flags and wandered into a thangka painting school, where artists can spend years on a single piece. One painting we saw had taken over seven years and was valued at $1.6 million. We took that in, nodded, and collectively agreed we will not be bringing that one home.

Next up: Swayambhunath — the Monkey Temple — perched on a hilltop with sweeping views of the city. The vistas are incredible, but the monkeys absolutely stole the show. No filter, no personal space, full commitment to whatever they’re doing at any given moment. Honestly… goals.

We wrapped the afternoon with a stroll through the chaotic, colorful streets of Thamel — Kathmandu’s adventure-gear-meets-tourist-bazaar neighborhood — before heading to an early dinner.

Now we’re back at the hotel, packing and repacking for an early start. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we’ll fly to Lukla and officially begin the trek.

We’re ready to get moving.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

Namaste, everyone!

We’re here. We actually made it.

If you’ve been following the news out of this region lately, you know those three words are doing a lot of heavy lifting. Getting to Kathmandu this season took rerouting, rebooking, and a particular brand of stubbornness that — good news — also happens to be useful when we head to 19,000 feet. Before a single boot has hit the trail, this team has already proven something about themselves.

And what a team it is. Nine strangers and one very lucky guide — no old friends, no familiar faces, just nine individuals who each made the same slightly audacious decision and ended up (most of us) in the same Kathmandu hotel lobby.

Six arrived in time for dinner — some fresh-faced and buzzing, others with the thousand-yard stare of someone who hasn’t slept horizontally in 40+ hours. (Maybe that was just me).

Three more are still in transit (they should be landing any minute!) and honestly, after the travel week we’ve all had, we’re just glad everyone is on their way.

Kathmandu greets you at full volume whether you’re ready or not and after the journey it took to get here, that felt about right.

There’s always a spark when a group like this first meets and realizes they’re all cut from the same weird, wonderful cloth. Tonight, there was plenty of it.

Nine strangers, not for long.

Tomorrow brings our team meeting, gear checks, and a proper introduction to this chaotic, beautiful city. Then we fly to Lukla — and the real adventure begins.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team

One final hola from Argentina,

We’ve had a lovely couple days recuperating in Mendoza. Enjoying the calm pace of life, being tourists in a town of sunshine, and yes — exploring a gorgeous winery, Casa Vigil.

While enjoying one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time, a quote showed up on the wine bottle:“Final del camino sólo recuerdas una batalla, la que libraste contigo mismo, el verdadero enemigo; la que te hizo único.”

“At the end of the road you only remember one battle — the one you fought with yourself, the true enemy; the one that made you unique.”

It stuck with all of us. Because after a trip like this, you realize pretty quickly it’s not about the summit, the altitude reached, or proving anything to anyone else.

It’s the quiet negotiations you had with yourself.

Getting out of the sleeping bag.

Turning around when you needed to.

Trying again the next day anyway.

And now, learning how much gelato counts as recovery.

Those are the moments that stay.

Most of us are heading home now, and I think we’ll all keep chewing on this experience for a long time.

Thank you, team (heeeeeyyyy you!) for trusting Leandro and me, for showing up every day, and for making this such a good chapter to be part of.

Would happily walk into (or against) the wind with you again.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

I’m typing this from the back of the sprinter van that’s hauling us and all our dusty duffels from Penitentes, the tiny old ski town just outside Aconcagua National Park. I’m watching the southern stars one last time out the window as Carlos (you may remember him from the beginning of the trip for sending us off with AC/DC) sails down the highway back to Mendoza.

We woke up this morning after a lovely night at Plaza de Mulas base camp - warm showers, wifi, a hot meal, and a gorgeous sunset. It gave us all the energy we needed for the ~16 mile walk out. We round it up to 20 miles so feel free to do the same when you ask us how it was.

We walked and walked down from over 14,300ft to the entrance at 9,500ft. You won’t be surprised to hear that the wind carried us out. Just as it carried us in and up and back down. Our faithful friend. Or something.

We mostly walked in silence, some with music, some with only the windsong but all of us reflecting on the adventure.

Most teams spread out throughout the day on the hike but we stayed together in our faithful formation, one in front of the other, moving as a team one last time.

We stopped to stare up at the south face of Aconcagua. We hadn’t seen it yet — fierce and gorgeous with its hanging seracs and vertical rock and ice.

You may wonder, why are you just now driving back to Mendoza in the dark? Well, sometimes things don’t go according to plan and today the mulas carrying all our gear were a little behind. So we waited for a few years, err hours, at the Grajales warehouse with all the other teams that hiked out today.

We stayed positive, mostly, and passed the time by learning the intricacies of Mate (the local beverage of choice) (pronounced Maaaa-Te) from Leandro. What to do — look your friend in the eye when you pass the cup. What not to do — never, ever ever touch the straw.

And finally just as we were finishing our last bag of Honey Nut Cheerios that went up and over the whole mountain with us — the duffels arrived.

Or most of them. But don’t worry, the rest will come tomorrow.

Soon we’ll be in Mendoza and back to a soft bed and hot water on demand and all the comforts we now appreciate a lot more than 2 weeks ago when we left.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the A-team

Hola friends,

As we watched the winds continue to move across the upper mountain, we kept doing what we’ve done this entire expedition — gathering information, having honest conversations, and making thoughtful decisions with the reality in front of us.

The truth is this: we can prepare perfectly and still not be promised the summit.

Over the past weeks, this team has done everything within their control. We carried heavy loads when it would have been easier not to. We rested when rest felt unnatural. We ate when we weren’t hungry. We drank water when it was freezing. We managed headaches, wind, and the slow grind of altitude. We adapted when the forecast changed. We showed up for each other.

We put ourselves in position.

And that’s not a small thing.

Many other teams descended but we kept hope and we kept trying.

But Aconcagua does not negotiate. She doesn’t bend to training plans, travel schedules, or how badly we want it. The winds remained strong enough that continuing higher would have crossed the line from determined into unsafe.

So at 21,400 feet on the Grand Traverse, we made the call.

Turning around is never dramatic in the moment. It’s measured. It’s a look at each other and a nod of the head.  It’s built on experience and trust. And on big mountains, it’s often the decision that defines a team more than a summit photo ever could.

No one here failed. No one fell short. This team did the work. They earned the chance. And sometimes earning the chance — and having the wisdom to step back when the mountain says no — is the deeper success.

We walk down proud.

And grateful.

And ready for a shower and warmth.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the A-team

Hello again from Colera,

Surprise! We’re still here. The cold and the winds kept us from attempting a summit run early this morning. Instead we slept in and had breakfast “in bed” but it was actually just our sleeping bags because that was the only place warm enough. We decided as a team to stick around one more night — the forecast doesn’t look great but there’s always a chance. It could surprise to the upside. We press on here at nearly 20,000 feet — we’ve come this far, what’s one more night of frozen boots and wind lullabies?

Come on atmosphere simmer down now,

--RMI GuideJess Wedel and the A-team