Entries By sam hoffman

The Four Day climb led by RMI guides Eric Frank and Sam Hoffman made it to the summit of Mt Rainier around 6:15am this morning. They were leaving the crater around 7am on their descent back to Camp Muir. They will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work up there!

Great news from the mountain!

The Expedition Skills Seminar Emmons Team, led by Sam Hoffman, successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team enjoyed favorable climbing conditions with clear skies, some gusty winds, and an excellent day on the mountain.

The climbers are currently descending and have reached approximately 13,800 feet as they make their way back to Camp Schurman. They will spend one more night on the mountain continuing their training before beginning their final descent.

Congratulations Team!

A thunder and lightning storm rolled through the area yesterday evening which kept the Four Day Climb July 20 - 23 from making their summit attempt.  The teams led by RMI Guides Mike Bennett and Sam Hoffman were able to ascend to Ingraham Flats around 8 am to see a bit of the route and use their glacier travel skills.  They will descend from Camp Muir later this morning.

Climbers on the Four Day Climb July 15 - 18 reached the summit around 6:30 am today led by RMI Guides Sam Hoffman and Jack Ritterson.  Jack reported a very nice day and a great route but quite windy.  The teams were descending from the crater rim around 7 am.  Once back at Camp Muir they will take a short break before continuing down to Paradise this afternoon.  Their program will conclude at Rainier BaseCamp later today.

Nice work team!

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. 

On the evening of May 31st, the Mount Baker Easton climb went 100% to the top! We enjoyed calm and clear conditions, with the route all to ourselves. The sunset was around 9:00pm, transitioning into a beautiful full-moon which illuminated the sky to the East. 

Thanks to the team for all the effort and hard work to make it happen. 

- RMI Guide Sam Hoffman and Kat Porter
 

The Private Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Sam Hoffman and Nina Bridges made the cautious decision to turn at 12,800' due to high winds and poor weather conditions. After taking a quick rest at Camp Muir, they continued their descent to Paradise and arrived safely at our Ashford Basecamp late this morning.

The Four Day Climb May 13  - 17 reached Camp Muir yesterday afternoon weathering the difficult conditions with smiles on their faces dispite the snow flakes whipping through the air.

Once the team reached Camp Muir, they were treated to clear skies above and a cloud deck below 9,900'.  The team was unable to make a summit attempt due to the weather including several feet of new snow causing unsafe conditions. They are descending from Camp Muir and will return to Rainier BaseCamp in the early afternoon.

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir May 2 - 7 led by RMI Guides Mike King and Sam Hoffman met for a day of training and gear checks at Rainier BaseCamp and then headed onto the mountain.  The team ascended to Camp Muir on Sunday and has enjoyed sunshine and blue skies during their training. Climbers practiced ice arrest, crevasse rescue and glacier travel before making their summit attempt.  Today the team launched from Camp Muir with an alpine start, reaching the summit of Mt. Rainier at sunrise via the Ingraham Direct route. RMI Guide Sam Hoffman reported sunshine and moderate winds during their summit climb. The team has returned to Camp Muir where they will spend their final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will descend to Paradise and return to BaseCamp to conclude their program.

Nice work team!

PC: Sam Hoffman and Layne Peters

UPDATE: Friday, October, 31, 2025

Cumbre! 

We all went to bed with a degree of anxiety about the weather. For days prior, and even the day we went to Cotopaxi Refugio, there were intense periods of rain. However, luck was on our side and our guide Sam woke us up around 11pm with the best news ever - it was a clear starry night. We finalized our packs, put on our crampons, and set out for the summit.

The climb began on rocky terrain, a steady but manageable approach. We soon got to the soft snow level and the intensity started to pick up. It was a constant uphill ascent without any switchbacks. For many of us, this was the steepest continuous climb we’ve ever done and also the highest altitude ever achieved. This led to some challenges, but we pushed through with our resilience and amazing support from our guides. Before we knew it, the summit was in sight. The entire group showed their grit and determination and we all made it! What an incredible sight that we were rewarded with at the top of Cotopaxi. After taking it all in, we began the descent. We weren’t able to appreciate the beauty of the mountain on the ascent as it was mostly dark, but the descent revealed Cotopaxi’s splendor from various angles. We enjoyed a light breakfast at the Refugio and then descended to the parking lot where a bus took us to our cozy hacienda. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the hacienda that the rain and hail storms began. It’s still a mystery on how we had such a perfect weather window for our climb, but we are grateful! And all excited about our accomplishment!

RMI Climber, Madhur Nayan

Friday, October 31, 2025 - 11:00 am PT

RMI Guide Mike Bennett sent a quick update to let us know that 100% of the team reached the summit of Cotopaxi today! They will return to the climbers hut, repack and meet their drivers and vehicles for the short transfer to Chilcabamba Lodge where they will spend the night.  Tomorrow the team will return to Quito for their final night in Ecuador.

Congratulations team!