Entries By julian kral

The Expedition Skills Seminar summited Mt Rainier yesterday, July 16th, via the Emmons Glacier. They descend back to Camp Schurman and will continue their descent to the trailhead today. THey will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Nice work team!

The four-day climb led by RMI guides Joe Hoch and Jackson Breen reached the summit of Mt Rainier this morning around 6:30am. They reported cold temperatures and moderate winds. They are currently on their descent back to Camp Muir and will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work everyone!

RMI's four-day climb led by guides Henry Coppolillo and Sam Hoffman reached this summit of Mt Rainier this morning around 5:15am. They reported cold temperatures and moderate winds. They are currently on their descent back to Camp Muir and will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

RMI Guides Jess Wedel and Joe Crawford led their teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning, reaching the crater rim just after 7 am.  Jess said it was a perfect day on the mountain with a slight breeze.  Once they enjoy a bit of time on the summit, they will descend to Camp Muir, take a short break and then continue down to Paradise.  Their program will conclude this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers! 

The Four Day Climb teams led by Seth Burns and Jackson Breen reached a high point of 12,300 feet on Disappointment Cleaver before making the decision to turn around. Despite the clear skies above, recent storm snow, challenging route conditions, and difficult travel all contributed to the call to stop their ascent short of the summit.

Well done to the team for their hard work!

Mount Baker season is here! We met at Bingham Park and got right into it. We framed our climb around team work and risk management, so we spent our morning setting that up with a thorough gear check and packing lesson. We laid out our plans and previewed how each segment plays into our team risk management strategy. The first day would be all about learning the pace and self-care we would need on the upper mountain. We quickly found a pace that could only be described as relentlessly moderate. After a couple hours of hiking in the cool temps we got to our rock outcrop at Sandy Camp. After a brief break to take in the views of the Sisters Range and the Puget Sound, we made a robust snow camp. Snow camping, we determined, is a craft best learned in the warm temps and long days near the Solstice. 

The following day we used our Snow School to fill out our risk management plan by learning the skills to handle moving through snow and ice. Our morning hours were cool enough to provide the firm snow that makes school most rewarding. We learned to walk like French mountain guides (upright with a baguette in hand) and to climb in the heavy metal style of German technique. In the afternoon we roped up and learned to stop each other from falling down the mountain. A small, steep roll in the terrain provided the perfect place to develop trust in our teammates by flinging ourselves down the slope.  

In the wee hours, we awoke and prepared for the climb ahead. We put our plan into play and began the climb uphill with the same group pace we learned on the way to camp. Our team was at the front of a line of 50 or so climbers. While some would pass us for a moment here and there, we managed to keep astride of all comers with our diligent, steady pace. After two of our comrades ended their climb at the crater rim, we carried on up the Roman Headwall. This final steep step tested our new cramponing skills as the boot track was crawling with people. We decided to step out of the track and were rewarded with perfect Styrofoam conditions for cramponing. At the summit, which we had to ourselves, we had a group dance party and took all the pictures. 

Motivated by thoughts of Steak Fajitas and Margaritas, we descended swiftly through punchy snow, and down sandy trail to our cars at Park Butte TH. A short hour later, we shared a final meal at the ever-classic end-of-trip spot Lorenzo's. 

- RMI Guide Joe Crawford

The Fuhrer Finger climb led by RMI guide James Bealer pivoted to climbing the Kautz route due to unstable snow conditions in The Finger. On their summit attempt, they turned around at 12,100' due to extreme winds and unstable snow. They are on their descent from the Wilson Bench this morning and will return to Ashford later this morning.

Nice work team!

The Four-Day Climb (June 5 - 8) led by Dave Hahn and George Hedreen turned at 13,300' today due to deteriorating weather. They will be back in Ashford this afternoon.

The Four Day Climb June 1 - 4 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier & Tom Skoog.  Dustin reported moderate winds but blue skies above as they were approaching 13,500' just after 7 am today. The team reached the summit and is currently on their descent to Camp Muir. Once back at Camp, they will take a short break before continuing down to Paradise. Their program will conclude this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to the team!

RMI Guides Mike King and Avery Stolte and the Five Day Climb Teams reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:50am this morning. Mike reported a chilly morning with light winds. Both teams are on their descent back to Camp Muir and will head back to Paradise tomorrow. 

Congratulations!