Entries By michael murray

Well there ain't no rest for the wicked but thankfully we aren't wicked and we had ourselves a wonderful day of rest at the scenic Casa Ilayaku today. Gear was dried out while birds were watched and various animals visited during a stop at a local bird sanctuary and petting zoo, and fun was had by all. We will be checking out of the Hacienda tomorrow morning before making our way to Antisana basecamp where we will stage for another summit attempt tomorrow night. I didn't think it possible but morale has soared to unprecedented levels and we are looking forward to wrapping this trip up in good style with another strong push in the mountains. Friends and family you are certainly all missed at home and we look forward to seeing you soon.

RMI Guide Michael Murray

Friday, December 8, 2023

"I don't know where I'm a gonna go when the volcano blow"

-The Late Great Jimmy Buffett

Well thankfully the volcano known as Cayambe did now blow today but it was in fact summitted by members of Team Cuy Frito! We rose early (11pm if you can call that early) to put the final touches on our gear organization and scarf down a little "breakfast" before heading out onto the mountain to make our summit attempt. Skies were cloudy with some light wind but spirits were high as we started our ascent via headlamp. As we continued to climb, the wind increased and as we climbed up into the clouds we found ourselves covered in ice but the team remained strong and continued all the way up to the top at 18,996 feet. I could not be more proud of how the team battled some less than ideal conditions to end up on the summit. We returned back to the high hut for a more traditional breakfast and treated ourselves to celebratory lunch before ending our day at the Casa Ilayaku Hacienda, where we will be relaxing and recovering before our final objective of the trip, the volcano Antisana. Something tells me we will all be sleeping well tonight, we have certainly earned it. Hope all is well back at home and we appreciate your support!

RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier & Michael Murray

Hello! We arrived at the high camp at Cayambe and walked up to the glacier for a quick snow school followed by a relaxing afternoon. The weather seems to be cooperating and we will make our summit attempt tonight, wish us luck!

RMI Guide Michael Murray

Hola amigos! Team Cuy Frito woke up a little earlier than yesterday to load up the bus and make our way to Cerro Fuya Fuya at 14,000 feet for another acclimatization hike. We walked through some clouds but stayed dry and had ourselves a swell time. We finished our day with a team dinner at the quaint hacienda Intiyaya and are now organizing gear to head to the climbing hut on Cayambe tomorrow. The search for Cheetos was fruitless today but hopes are high that we will track some of that orange goodness down as we visit the Otavalo market tomorrow for some souvenir shopping and to pick up some last minute snacks before heading to the mountain. Morale is as high as the Andes and we are all looking forward to the adventures to come. Hope all is well back at home and hasta luego!

RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier & Michael Murray

Hello friends, all is well here in sunny Ecuador! Yesterday we kicked off our adventure with a trip to the Equator to learn some science and balance eggs on a nail (difficult, but not impossible), followed by a cultural tour of the city. After a delicious Ecuadorian dinner and some spa time, the team hit the hay to rest up before our first acclimatization hike.

We awoke to blue skies and after a nice breakfast we headed to the teleférico where we took a ride up to 13,000 feet and were able to stretch our legs on a wonderful hike to the summit of Rucu Pichincha 15,354 feet. We saw some splendid flowers along the way and even some friendly birds at the summit.

Tomorrow we will check out of our hotel and make our way to Cero Fuya Fuya for another acclimatization hike before ending our day at a lovely hacienda in Otavalo (don't worry friends and family we are certainly not roughing it on this trip). Morale is high and at dinner tonight we will be finalizing our new team name so stay tuned.

Hope all is well back at home and hasta mañana.

RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier, Michael Murray & Team

After a few days of unsettled weather on the mountain, the Four Day Climb August 5 - 8 was able to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier led by RMI Guides Alan Davis and Jack Delaney.  The teams reached the crater rim around 6:30 am PT and enjoyed an hour in the crater.  They will return to Camp Muir for a quick stop before continuing down to Paradise this afternoon.  We look forward to seeing the teams back at BaseCamp later today.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

After some long days of walking and training, the Emmon's seminar led by RMI guide Jack Delaney reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The team will enjoy their descent to Camp Schurman and a nice dinner before resting up for their walk out of the backcountry and drive back to Ashford tomorrow afternoon. Nice work team!

The Five Day Climb July 22 - 26 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita & Henry Coppolillo were standing on Columbia Crest just before 7 am today.  Brent reported a gorgeous day on the mountain with very light winds.  The teams began their descent from the crater rim around 7:20 am.  They will return to Camp Muir for a short break to pack up their gear. They will then descend to Paradise and transfer back to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Yesterday winds were high so the team did some additional glacier travel skills and explored Ingraham Flats.  These photos are from their adventure yesterday courtesy of Brent.

8:09 am PDT - July 19, 2023

Team is at the summit of glacier. Beautiful day out here with great views!

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team

The Four-Day climb led by Casey Grom and Joe Hoch reached the summit this morning. RMI Guide, Joe Hoch, reported a cold and clear morning on the summit. They were headed off the crater rim around 6:50am this morning and will be back in Basecamp this afternoon.

Nice work team!