Most Popular Entries

RMI Guides Mike Walter & Mike King led their Four Day Summit Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning, reaching the crater rim around 8:30 am. The team will return to Camp Muir and continue their descent to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!

Good evening, the Alpamayo teams had a great day today starting with coffee in our tents and then an outstanding breakfast of eggs toast and oat meal. We then casually packed up some gear to carry up to Moraine Camp and began hiking just after 10am. The light breeze kept the hike comfortable as the team made good time to 16,000' where we cached our climbing gear and supplies for our climb. We relaxed here for a bit and soaked in the amazing views of the Cordillera Blanca before descending back to BC. We were greeted back in camp by tea, soup and a great lunch followed by a siesta. Then this evening we ate another incredible dinner of soup, potatoes and chicken and a beautifully presented cake. Our cook, Hilario, is truly a master in his element. After our three-course meal we relaxed and watched a movie on the iPad before retiring to our tents for bed. Everyone is doing very well and spirits are high. Tomorrow we take a well deserved rest day after three days of solid effort. That's all for now. RMI Guide Geoff Schellens

The team enjoyed a nice night at the Chuquiragua Lodge where we were able to dry out, get a good night's sleep, and even practice some anchor equalization and crevasse rescue in the courtyard. Victor, our driver, showed up around noon to join us for lunch and we'll be heading out soon for a night at Estrella de Chimborazo before starting up on the mountain in earnest tomorrow... All for now, RMI Guide Billy Nugent

The Four Day Summit Climb July 28 - 31 led by RMI Guide Casey Grom reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team enjoyed some time on the crater before beginning their descent shortly before 7 AM PT. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team!

July 18, 2017 Most of the team flew in last night, weathering the long flights and time changes admirably. Our hotel, the Arumera River Lodge here in Arusha, Tanzania, is great. They held the restaurant open for us so we could have dinner and decompress from our travels some. This is unlike any hotel I've stayed at. Africa at it's best, with the diminutive antelope called the Dikdik and Blue monkeys running around the grounds filled with tropical trees and vegetation and insects I've never seen before. Kansas it ain't! The drive in from the airport earlier was a forty five minute exercise in restraint as I tried to concentrate on my conversation with the manager of our outfitting company here for Kilimanjaro, while still watching the people and goings on around me. Bikes piled high with crops from the fields, women in beautifully colored saris and everything else that makes Tanzania such a wonderful place to visit. I must confess, this is not my normal expedition. This is a family affair triggered by my sister in laws big birthday and my brother's pulling the strings to make it all happen. Plus, my wife is part of the team too. Thanks Brad! Ahead of us is breaks, our official team meeting and orientation and subsequent equipment check readying us to begin our climb tomorrow of one of the 'Seven Summits,' family style. Now if I can just get over my jet lag. RMI Guide Brent Okita

Logistics, logistics logistics! Today was an action packed day in the Andes as our crew assembled and packed gear in preparation for our trek tomorrow. We started the day in Mendoza, gathering our climbing permits and stuffing a van full of duffel bags. In the afternoon we headed for the hills, and unpacked and resorted our loads in the ski town of Penitentes, our launching point for the climb. It's been a long day, and the team is itching to hit the trail tomorrow. Looking forward to checking in from the Vacas Valley! RMI Guides Mark Tucker & Pepper Dee

Hello from our last camp on Kilimanjaro. I just wanted to send a quick note to say this all the climbers have descended safely from High Camp. Our climb was warm with partly clear skies but clouds built up on our descent. As we left high camp our old friend the rain returned and stayed with us most of the way to 10,000'. We're all getting ready for our last dinner on the mountain right now. Tomorrow we will walk to the Mweka Gate and then transfer back to the Dik Dik Hotel for celebrations! RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

On The Map

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz led by RMI Guide Casey Grom reached the summit of Mt. Rainier via the Kautz route early this morning. Casey reported that the Kautz route is in great shape and it was a beautiful day of climbing for the team. They will spend another night on the mountain training before returning to Ashford. Congratulations to today's team!

Learning from the leopards. The climb part of this trip had so much to do with conserving energy. How to rest at our relatively short breaks en route to Uhuru, the name for the summit of Kilimanjaro, was a learned skill for some. I should make a print of the resting position taken by our leopard sighting today. Although we will not be able to mimic the tail hanging down from the tree limb, which for spotting purposes is a very helpful silhouette for finding this elusive creature in the bush. They are the best at figuring out the most perfect lounge chair that Mother Nature provides in a cranny or a nook of a tree. Such a beautiful solitary cat that made an appearance for the team to round out the infamous big-five list for this safari. Unfortunately a few too many biting flies were in the mix, guess you have to pay to play. Beautiful sunset here at or home for the night the Kikoti tent camp. Remote and quiet for a final night on safari. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Four Day Summit Climb August 23 - 26 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7 am today. It's a beautiful day with clear skies. The team enjoyed some time in the crater before starting their descent. After a brief stop at Camp Muir they will continue down to Paradise. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb Team!