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We all really enjoyed our rest day yesterday in Puembo at our very nice ministry-turned-hotel. After a morning of crevasses rescue training we scattered. Some lounged around the hotel, others went shopping and a few walked to town to see the local sights.

Fully rested, we drove to the trailhead and hiked in the rain to the Cotopaxi hut. Luckily, the hike was short so we didn't get completely soaked. Everyone moved well uphill to the warmth and comfort of the classic high mountain hut.

If the weather improves we will try for the summit of Cotopaxi tomorrow.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes

RMI Guide Jess Wedel checked in a with a quick message to let us know that the team reach Everest Base Camp just before the snow began to fall.  

Walking back from dinner tonight, we were talking about the daily dispatch and I asked, “so… what should we include?”

Unanimously, everyone said: “the tornado hurricane lightning downpour.”

This was said as we stepped over fallen tree branches and ducked under hanging power lines. So yes today was eventful.

Was that the worst weather of the trip? We sincerely hope so. Ideally, we’re getting it all out of our system now while we’re still in Mendoza.

Picture this: it’s mid-afternoon. We’ve just wrapped our big orientation meeting (what to expect, how to pack, what’s the mountain actually like…) and finished gear checks. Everyone is scattered around town doing last-minute shopping, soaking up the city. I’d just gotten back to the hotel and noticed the sky turning that color. You know the one. As the wind started picking up, I crossed my fingers that everyone had already made it back. 

Spoiler alert: they had not.

Cardboard was flying through the air. Tiny birds were fighting for their lives. Water was pouring through elevators and doorways. Hail, graupel, and torrential rain come down all at once. Streets flooded. Ancient trees went down. One of us got stuck at a gear shop for over an hour and eventually just… swam home. Another tried to wait it out under the awning of a music store (with guitars in the window, for added drama), but eventually gave up and sprinted through the flash floods back to the hotel.

It was truly wild.

So while today was supposed to be a calm, uneventful Mendoza day, it turned into something a little more chaotic. But the skies eventually cleared, we walked past town clean up crews to a delicious dinner, and now we’re all back, dry(ish), and ready to hit the trail tomorrow.

Hopefully it will be a sunny bluebird day. 

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Aconcagua team 

P.S. Yes, of course we had more gelato. I think amongst the team we’ve tried at least 15 flavors since arriving. The great debate about the best one will continue until we’re back off the mountain for more. 

What was a big day yesterday turned into a restful night. The wind returned and the rained showed up, but we didn't mind. We were in our tents on the right side of John Gardner Pass. 

We began the day by heading down to the lake for a catamaran across the lake to the toe of the glacier. We donned helmets and crampons and were able to experience the views of yesterday first hand. Water bottles were filled by the flowing streams of fresh glacial water and we were able to see carved arches as holes in the ice. Amazing. 

That just meant a late day on the trail, but it's an easier day today with one big uphill and one big downhill. With the rain at our backs we were extra motivated to get to the warm Refugio for some wine and banter. Paine Grande, our Refugio tonight, is the biggest on the circuit and certainly stunning. Time to rest up for our day tomorrow. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli 

Casey Grom here checking in with RMI's 1st 2026 Climb of Kilimanjaro!

All is well here in Tanzania and most of the team arrived late last night after some very long flights (roughly 24+ hrs.).

It’s a pretty short and uneventful drive to our Lodge that is nestled in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of Kilimanjaro.

The team had a quick dinner and headed for bed as the time change has us all feeling just a little off and pretty tired after all the traveling.

Today we had a relatively leisurely morning with our official team meeting at 8am, where we did a round of introductions and then discussed the upcoming program for the days ahead. We spent the remainder of the day getting our gear packed up, exploring the grounds of our peaceful Lodge and dodging the gaggle of monkeys that roam the neighborhood.

We wrapped up the evening with another delicious meal and plenty of friendly conversations. Everyone is doing well and excited to hit the trail tomorrow and get a little bit of exercise.

RMI Guide Casey and the Kili crew!

Mexico dispatch 2.27.26

Today we woke way too early, with way too little coffee, to leave our
quaint spot in Puebla to head out for Tlachichuca (or as I  call it "T+10,"
that saves everyone from my terrible spelling and even worse pronunciation)...it's time for the main event, Pico de Orizaba.

We got a great tour of the soap factory turned climbers' hut that's 100+ years old. It was good little history lesson of the Industrial Revolution as well. Who knew climbing was so educational?!

We got one last quick & delicious lunch and fingers crossed we've got all our needed gear for the next ~24 hours. Then 2 hours of hot, bumpy, dusty and smoky fun up to our campsite.

It's been an amazing journey so far with great people and many memories made. From bumpy roads, unique baños, dusty hikes, delicious dinners and everything in between. This trip is definitely one for the books and it's not over yet!

High  camp is a beautiful rocky spot where the clouds envelop us. It's quite nice minus the wildfire smoke. The Refugio was a nice little place to have our dinner after a quick avalanche briefing and hike to get the blood flowing. Next step is up.

I want to take a moment to give a big thank you to all our families and friends back home who are supporting us chasing our dreams in
the mountains.  We couldn't do this without y'all. I hope y'all have enjoyed following us along on this adventure. (And a special hug to my Scoops! I miss you buddy.)

iMuchas Gracias!

RMI Climber Anna Hern

P.S. - I just lost the game ;)
#IYKYK

What a day we had here in Chile! 

While technically there isn’t a “summit” day on this trek, today was officially our big day. 

The forecast had us slightly concerned we were going to be hiking all day in rain, but the weather gods were very good to us. We left camp in the dark at 5:40am and made relatively good time up to John Gardner Pass, our high point. Then descend slowly and steeply back down to the elevation of the surrounding lakes. All in all it took the team just under 11hr with breaks to finally arrive in camp for the night. 

To say the views were amazing would be an understatement, and it’s difficult to put into words how truly beautiful this part of the world is with all the mountains, huge glaciers, turquoise lakes, and peaceful forest that we’ve experienced thus far. 

We have just wrapped up another delicious meal and I’m happy to say the whole team is freshly showered too! 

RMI Guide Casey and Team

Shadows and light in pairs that cling, 10 climbers made it to the top of Iztaccíhuatl- Mexico's third highest peak at 17,160'. We spent a chilly night in warm tents at 14,500' before continuing the chilly night with a 1:40 wakeup. Taking the low (and now dry) route to gain the main ridge we wandered over bouldery moraines, dusty ridges, freshly ground pumice, striated and marred rock all under the looming, dark, dozing distaff walls of the ancient overlapping cones. After much plodding we gained the summit ridge just in time for a much welcomed, warming sunrise. Scratching our way to the summit we took in views of a deep but diminishing hanging glacier in the mountain's highest crater. Surrounded by glacial erosion, to see one of the old ones hanging on begs the question how long until there's no ice left at all? Popocatépetl, Itza's neighbor (and mythical lover) has recently shed his in an extended period of eruption. Thankfully, these peaks have enjoyed a chilly start to the winter. That said, we had excellent climbing conditions which enhanced an already wonderful day in the high above, as well as a clean return. But our legs feel inconsequential in the current state they're in. Now it is time to look for leisure and recovery in Puebla before heading to Orizaba. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler

Our Cotopaxi summit day came highly anticipated after being run off of Cayambe earlier in the week. We awoke to high overcast at 11pm and decided it looked good for a run at the summit. The night began with the customary bread rolls, slab of butter and huge plate of jelly that is put out every night at the same time. While it would be nice to stagger our starts a little, we are at the mercy of when the hot water and aforementioned breakfast will be served.

One team made it out of the gates ahead of us, but it took very little time before they were peeling jackets and we were passing them in the unseasonably warm night. That put us in front for breaking trail for most of the climb, a task that Felipe took on energetically. There had been some question as to what snow conditions we might encounter up high, but at the very worst we dealt with a few inches of graupel that made for difficult footing as it had filled in slightly deeper where the track previously existed.

This team was well-rested and ready to go, as evidenced by our 8 hour roundtrip summit day. The conditions were excellent for our descent, but that still doesn't diminish the fact that we got up and down in 2-3 hours less than normal. A big thanks to this team for being so well-prepared to climb that we could have a safe climb and spend much of it chatting with one another. Tonight we will dine together as a group, one final time, and recap the trip before returning home.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Namaste, everyone!

We’re here. We actually made it.

If you’ve been following the news out of this region lately, you know those three words are doing a lot of heavy lifting. Getting to Kathmandu this season took rerouting, rebooking, and a particular brand of stubbornness that — good news — also happens to be useful when we head to 19,000 feet. Before a single boot has hit the trail, this team has already proven something about themselves.

And what a team it is. Nine strangers and one very lucky guide — no old friends, no familiar faces, just nine individuals who each made the same slightly audacious decision and ended up (most of us) in the same Kathmandu hotel lobby.

Six arrived in time for dinner — some fresh-faced and buzzing, others with the thousand-yard stare of someone who hasn’t slept horizontally in 40+ hours. (Maybe that was just me).

Three more are still in transit (they should be landing any minute!) and honestly, after the travel week we’ve all had, we’re just glad everyone is on their way.

Kathmandu greets you at full volume whether you’re ready or not and after the journey it took to get here, that felt about right.

There’s always a spark when a group like this first meets and realizes they’re all cut from the same weird, wonderful cloth. Tonight, there was plenty of it.

Nine strangers, not for long.

Tomorrow brings our team meeting, gear checks, and a proper introduction to this chaotic, beautiful city. Then we fly to Lukla — and the real adventure begins.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team