Entries By jess wedel

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Ben Luedtke reached the summit of Mt. Rainier and were greeted with Snow!  A summer storm with clouds, snow, and low visability kept the team from spending too much time on the summit. The team is on the descent, and in route to Camp Muir where the weather is currently a mix of rain and sleet.

Congratulations Team!

Hi! This is Jess on Glacier Peak. We are on the summit! Perfect weather and conditions. We'll let you know when we're back to camp.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Alan Davis and Jess Wedel reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The route from Camp Muir to the 14,410' summit took the team 6 1/2 hours to climb. It was a windy morning, but otherwise clear.  

Congratulations Team! 

The Five Day Climb July 13 - 17 led by RMI Guides Nikki Champion and Jess Wedel chose today as their summit day.  The teams reached the crater rim this morning with clear skies but windy conditions.  The teams will return to Camp Muir for a well deserved rest and enjoy another night on the mountain. They will descend tomorrow to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

RMI Guides Casey Grom and Jess Wedel called from the crater rim this morning after their successful climb of Mt. Rainier. The teams enjoyed some light winds and a bit of precipitation as they bagan their descent back to Camp Muir.

The teams will be back in Ashford this afternoon to celebrate their accomplishments! Nice work team!

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Joe Hoch and Jess Wedel reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7 am this morning. Jess reported clear crisp skies, and a great route. The team will enjoy time on the summit snapping photos and taking in the breathtaking views before starting their descent. 

Congratulations Team! 

The Four Day Climb teams June 13 - 16 led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Jess Wedel reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Casey reported a windy day with a great route. The teams were able to spend a bit of time in the crater before starting their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 am PT. Once back at Camp Muir the teams will take a short break before continuing the remaining 4,500' to Paradise. 

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Last night we celebrated our return to Basecamp with an incredible meal of salad, eggplant, meat with chimichurri sauce and of course, wine. Most of us connected to Wifi and let family and friends know we were well and they were missed. The mood was celebratory and the conversations light and airy. We chatted, laughed and played Farckle late into the night knowing our task was not complete. We woke early and hiked for a total of 17.5 miles, spending the day processing the experience we are completing and what lessons it has taught us. But, how do you incorporate the lessons of the mountains to make yourself a better person? A better partner? A better parent? A better friend? Can you remember to enjoy the simple and minute moments in your day? Can you filter out the sounds of the wind, the background noise, and focus on what matters? Can you remember to take a break, take care of yourself and take care of your “team”? By the time we rolled into Leñas we were reminded that we have only a short walk out to civilization and all the pressures of the real world will be back but tonight we feasted again and laughed again and enjoyed the moment.  Whether that was petting a mule, watching the light fade on the mountain tops, feeling the cool breeze sweep through the valley or catch the stars brighten in the sky. Maybe that is the lesson of the mountain, being present and immersed in the moment, maybe that’s what keeps bringing us back to the mountains. 

PS: I love you Mama, Teddy and Everett. Can’t wait to give you big hugs and kisses soon.

Climber David Scordino

As the clouds dissipated and the grapple settled,  we awoke in our tents and decided to hit snooze. We waited for the warm kiss of the sun to dry our tents and only then, did we creak our sore muscles and joints into working.  Our walk down was a welcome change from the cold, damp weather of our night spent at Camp 3. The cool breeze, sunny skies, and grand vistas made our travel easy as we descended to Basecamp into open arms and champagne showers. 

We’re settled into Basecamp after a delicious asado and will sleep soundly tonight. Tomorrow, we start the walk out of the Vacas valley. It will be our final full day on the mountain. As pretty and rewarding as it’s been out here, we’re excited for the creature comforts that Mendoza has to offer.  

Tomorrow is a long day, but we’re excited to see the views and experience the valley without the nerves and trepidation that the beginning offers. 

Thanks for following along! 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli 

Why do we climb mountains? It’s a pretty common question anybody in the mountain community gets asked. The beauty of the answer is that for each of us, it’s different. There is a common thread though. Being in the mountains, for all its tropes about toughness, grit, and partial insanity,  is uniquely vulnerable. Among the towering peaks and grand vistas it’s easy to feel small and that’s what we like about it. When you step out the door for an expedition you don’t know if you’ll come back successful, but the unknown and discomfort in each step is the allure that draws us back again and again. We find truths  about ourselves in the discomfort and vulnerability of mountain life that we can’t tap into in our everyday lives. The real truth is,  that being comfortable is overrated, and being vulnerable, the opposite. We summitted Aconcagua today. It was the best summit day I’ve ever had on the mountain. Windy, shaded traverses, that usually get my toes numb just thinking about them, were calm and warm (ish). Instead of hiding behind a buff or neoprene face mask to save skin, it was swapped with sun screen and lip balm. We made our way up the Stone Sentinel slowly, but surely, and stood atop at around 2:30pm local time. We were likely the highest people touching earth at the time. As we descended the clouds came in and by the time we were back in the safety of our tent we were happy to not hold that title any longer. Thunder, lightning, grapple the size of marbles started as soon as the last zipper zipped. We had timed the day perfectly. We will sleep well tonight, or as well as you can at 19,600 ft. Tomorrow we will descend to Basecamp and enjoy the food, warmth, and company.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli