Entries By leif bergstrom
Posted by: Casey Grom, Leif Bergstrom, Hannah Blum, Jack Ritterson, Brendan Oates, Kayanna Hopkins, Kat Porter, Oliver Shapiro
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Casey Grom & Leif Bergstrom led their Five Day Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Leif reported great conditions, not too hot and not too windy. The teams will return to Camp Muir to rest and relax this afternoon. They will spend their second night on the mountain tonight, and descend the remaining 4,500' to Paradise tomorrow.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Posted by: Leif Bergstrom, Ben Luedtke, Will Ambler, Mac Nolde, Fitz Elder, Kat Porter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,800'
The Four Day Climb August 16 - 19 led by RMI Guides Leif Bergstrom and Ben Luedtke reached 12,800' today before high winds and a descending cloud cap forced them to turn around. The teams returned safely to Camp Muir around 8 am. They will repack and continue the remaining 4,500' to Paradise later this morning.
Posted by: Brent Okita, Leif Bergstrom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,900'
On August 7, 2025, the RMI Expeditions Four Day Climb, led by guides Brent Okita and Leif Bergstrom, made the difficult but wise decision to turn around at 12,900 feet due to challenging route conditions. The team was greeted with sunny skies and stunning views above a thick marine layer, a reminder of the mountain’s ever-changing beauty and unpredictability.
While the summit remained out of reach this time, the climb was far from a disappointment. Every step taken on Mount Rainier is a testament to preparation, teamwork, and respect for nature’s power.
The decision to turn back is never easy, especially when the weather above is clear and inviting. But it’s precisely in these moments that true mountaineering wisdom shines.
The team’s effort, spirit, and camaraderie made this climb a success in its own right.
RMI Guide Leif Bergstrom and team reached the summit of Mt. Shuksan today via the Fisher Chimneys route. Leif reported that they were enjoying a really nice day. They will return to camp for a final night on the mountain and descend to the traillhead tomorrow.
Nice work team!
PC: Leif Bergstrom
Posted by: Jack Delaney, Leif Bergstrom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Five Day Climb, led by RMI Guides Jack Delaney and Leif Bergstrom, reached the summit of Mount Rainier this morning, marking a successful ascent despite the cloud cover below. The weather was favorable, with clear skies overhead, and the team made the most of the opportunity, choosing today for their summit attempt as forecasts predict rising winds and rain tonight. After celebrating their success, they began their descent from the crater rim just after 10 am. The team will return to Camp Muir for a well-deserved rest before tackling the final 4,500-foot descent to Paradise tomorrow.
Congratulations climbers!
Congratulations to Leland and the entire team!!! Have a safe trip down to Paradise!
Posted by: Emily Hardcastle on 7/20/2025 at 7:32 pm
Posted by: Avery Stolte, Mike Bennett, Dominic Cifelli, Dylan Anderson, Nina Bridges, Leif Bergstrom, David Rathbun, Ben Porter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
This morning at 5:30 AM PDT, the Four Day Climbs led by RMI Guides Avery Stolte and Mike Bennett reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. Avery reported beautiful weather with no wind. With the early morning summit, the teams are currently descending back to Camp Muir where they will pack their bags before descending the Muir Snowfield to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them in Ashford later this afternoon.
Congratulations climbers!
Posted by: Leif Bergstrom, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guides Leif Bergstrom & Ben Thorneycroft have been training and climbing via the Emmons Glacier. Yesterday they moved to Camp Schurman and this morning launched their alpine start. Their team was in the summit crater around 7 am and is now making their way back to camp. They will spend a second night at Camp Schurman and then continue down to the trailhead near White River Campground tomorrow. The team will conclude their adventure tomorrow afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp in Ashford.
Nice work team!
Posted by: Jack Delaney, Sam Marjerison, Leif Bergstrom, Hannah Billings, Arianna Drechsler, Layne Peters, Imogen Von Mertens, Brendan Oates
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
The Five Day Climb June 28 - 2 July led by RMI Guides Jack Delaney and Sam Marjerison reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning on a beautiful day. The teams enjoyed some time on the summit before beginning their descent from the crater rim around 9 am. The climbers will return to Camp Muir for their second night on the mountain and enjoy the views and their accomplishment. Tomorrow the teams will descend the remaining 4,500' to Paradise.
Nice work today team!
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Hannah Blum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Elevation: 348'
Wednesday, June 17, 2025 - 10:20 am PT
Well, like all good things, this too must come to an end. Sorry we’ve been a bit MIA since summit day—those final days all start to blur together. You don’t get much downtime until you're either sitting at the airstrip waiting out the weather or lucky enough to fly straight to Talkeetna.
Three days ago, on June 14th, we stood on top. The following morning, June 15th, the team packed up camp and began the long, challenging descent. We dropped down the West Buttress around noon, descended the fixed lines, and stopped at 14,000' Camp for a brief six-hour nap.
After our rest, we had a quick dinner at midnight, then loaded up all of our gear from the last two weeks and began the march back to basecamp. We made our way around Windy Corner, down Squirrel and Motorcycle Hill, and finally back to 11,000' Camp. There, we whispered hellos to Dom’s team—who were sound asleep—grabbed our cache, transitioned back to snowshoes, and continued past Camp One to basecamp.
By around 9 a.m. on the morning of June 16th, we arrived at basecamp to good weather and the chance to fly straight off the glacier. By noon, we were back in Talkeetna wearing flip-flops, and by 2 p.m., we were sharing beers and laughter, wrapping up our expedition at the Brew Pub.
It’s all been a bit of a haze—amazing, exhausting, unforgettable. In the moment, it felt like it moved slowly, but now that we’re back on dry land, it’s hard to believe how fast it all went by.
If you've been following me for years, you know I'm a fan of Hiakus...
Fresh socks, frozen boots
Glacier sunburn, summit views
Fly me to a beer
RMI Guide Nikki Champion
New Post Alerts:
Mt. McKinley Expedition May 27, 2025
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Hannah Blum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Elevation: 20,310'
June 14th
The teams made it to the top! We've got a lot to say, but for now it's a late night and we are trying to eat dinner and get some sleep. Everyone pushed hard, and it was a beautiful summit day! About 11-12 hours round trip, primarily filled with sunshine.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion
New Post Alerts:
Mt. McKinley Expedition May 27, 2025
Job well done Mila and team! Glad to see everyone made it safe and sound. Welcome back to “civilization”. Can’t wait to hear all about your adventure and experience.
Kim
Posted by: Kim on 6/17/2025 at 11:57 am
Congratulations all, you did it - what an accomplishment!!! Jarmila, I agree with Tanya’s message - we can’t wait to hear about about the expedition, see all of your photos and celebrate with you upon your safe return back to the bay! WOW!
Posted by: Sarah on 6/16/2025 at 4:34 pm
Thank you for your caution and professional decision. You had my beautiful daughter among your team.
Posted by: Nancy Till on 8/8/2025 at 3:42 pm
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