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Weather moved in overnight and we hunkered down and enjoyed a mellow breakfast this morning. After the storm lifted and precipitation slowed to a halt, we went for a walk towards 747 pass to put in a track and check out conditions. The trail breaking was deep and after a few miles we turned back and had a restful afternoon in camp.

 We enjoyed a wonderful evening filled with ramen and card games. Now, we patiently wait for an opportunity to begin climbing on Mount Dickey in the coming days!

RMI Guide Sam Marjerison & Team

At 5:15 am the Four Day Climb led by RMI Guide Calvin Jiricko were standing on the summit of Mt. Rainer 14,410'! Calvin reported a beautiful day and a great climb. The team is on their descent in route to Camp Muir.

Congratulations Team! 

Monday, June 15, 2026 - 10:43 pm PT

Denali Dispatch June 15, 2026

After five days on the mountain much of our routine feels familiar: toilets with mountain views, wet hands and bums, and frosted breath near the purring cook stove. What’s not yet normal is the ever-present daylight. We’re each testing novel approaches to elusive sleep, mostly struggling, and yet still waking up strong and in good cheer. That’s why today’s 5am wake-up seemed routine. After coffee and breakfast bars we bundled up for our last snowshoe day to fetch our cache 1,000 feet below. The thirty-minute walk down was brisk, made notable when we moved into a windy cloud. Our clothes turned white, visibility fell to three ahead, and glasses fogged as we debated whether visibility or covered noses was our priority. It was cold. It felt like the real start of the trip. At the cache we bundled up as the guides dug out gear and we loaded sleds while laughing about the conditions.

The slow walk up started with frigid hands and winds from our right, turning to clear skies again by our first break. It’s a good reminder, the discomfort on this mountain doesn’t last. Then, by 9a we were back to camp and settling in for a breakfast sandwich brunch. From there we broke into our usual patterns - some reading, some napping, and some building property empires.

In the afternoon we dusted off our crampons for a refresher on climbing steps, bumped into three friends of Devon, and were given a bounty of candy, bone broth, and ramen from a group who just summited. There's a growing familiarity with one another and shared embrace of focus on each day as it comes. That’s what’s hard to describe about these trips - we come for the summit, yes, but also for the invitation into discomfort, for the long hours with new friends, and for remembering how little we need.

Family, friends, and loved ones - you’re often on our mind as we walk on our ropes. Know we think and speak of you often.

From 11, RMI Climber Hudson

P.S. We thought a glossary of key terms might help as you follow along.

Cache. A six foot hole dug in minutes by guides to hold food you wish you had, lost socks, and dinner options besides burritos.

Toilet. A snow burrow with ice bricks for privacy, his and her urinals, and two green buckets for sitting and paper waste. Visible when standing, you either have brilliant views or piercing wind.

Kitchen Tent. Two facing bench seats with touching knees dug hip height below the snow. Icy steps mark the entrance, chef cooks on the far end, tent pads serve as cushions, and talk often returns to trash and hot sauce.

Snowshoes. Like children in their parent’s shoes, sometimes on the wrong feet and much improved when equipped with risers.

 Rope Team. A guide plus three tent mates who occasionally step on the rope and yell encouragement from 20 feet away at rest breaks.

 Tent. A sauna that smells like a locker room, sounds like a zipper, and insists on hiding your spoon.

Written by Climber Hudson 

Friday, June 5th - 12:15AM PST

Guest dispatcher Joe reporting in from Denali.

The DDM Expedition (Daniel/Drew/Mac) departed Talkeetna this morning in good order. Blue skies and calm  air made for an easy flight for our daredevil K2 Aviation bush pilots so everyone enjoyed a little extra sightseeing swooping through the peaks along with a couple barrel rolls just for a little spice. Deposited safely on Kahiltna Glacier early, the group repacked yet again for foot travel and proceeded directly to Skill Hill Camp. The exceptional weather persisted throughout the day, with just a few chill winds interleaved with atypically hot sections. Arriving with plenty of energy, the team stomped out a camp area and got down to the real business of the day: Mac's Mac & Cheese.

On a more tragic note though, departing Talkeetna also meant departing Zach's lunch meats and cheeses abandoned in the hangar fridge. Although he'll survive just fine having apparently packed at least 50lbs of other snacks, this was an emotional blow for his and your reporter's Rope Team Hoarding Marmots, and honestly an affront to our venerable mascots. Tomoki also left a few things in that refrigerator but him and his companions Chris and Paxton on Rope Team World Best #1 Rope Team weren't as loud about it so our guides still don't know and they villainously avoided their fair share of judgement and demerits.

Meanwhile under Sarah's strong leadership and Erik's silent execution, Rope Team Erik and the Squatters continues to be all Rope Team We're So Perfect We Show Up Two Minutes Before Every Meetup And Had All the Gear We Were Supposed To Have And Didn't Leave Anything In The Refrigerator. Some people your faithful chronicler just doesn't understand. Tomorrow the expedition will make an outing to cache supplies and gear uphill in preparation for a hoped-for move to 11 Camp ahead of an expected downturn in the weather.

-RMI Climber Joe
 

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - 7:24 pm PM

Today we rested! Tomorrow we climb!

Send us well wishes and good vibes!

Stoke is high!

RMI Guide Seth Burns

Rain rain 
go away
K2 said not today

Today is not looking like our day. Grey skies and on and off rain is the theme so far. We spent the morning enjoying a slow breakfast and hot cups of coffee.   With our extra time we went over sled set up and rigging as well as fixed line climbing. We hope things change for us tomorrow. 

Best

RMI Guide Seth Burns and Team

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - 9:28 pm PT

Tonight’s dispatch starts with a Haiku from Oliver:

Trango home on snow 

Vented, sturdy and solid 

Palace of solace

Today we woke up to a low cloud, light snow and calm winds. It was our chance to go back and grab our cache. As we let the morning slow roll, we enjoyed the the second smoked salmon meal of the trip and then geared up with empty packs and sleds and started back downhill to be reunited with our snacks and group meals we have been missing. After a quick 30 minutes of down we were digging. 

We then loaded everything up, and headed back up hill for a short hour. As we finally made it back into camp, weather mellowed out and we enjoyed a solid afternoon of building a kitchen, good burritos, and snapping a quick team photo. 

Weather might be a bit tough tomorrow, but when things allow we will gear up to carry to 13,500'

RMI Guide Nikki Champion

Well, the walls we built last night turned out to be the right call. Throughout the night, the winds ramped up and snowfall continued. By the time the morning rolled around, our fate was obvious. It was going to be a weather day. With the strong winds and constant snowfall, we all snoozed our alarms and settled into our sleeping bags for a few more hours before a slow morning of scrambled eggs, ham, and English muffins. The day didn't improve much, and being outside was less than desirable, so every one settled into their homes for the day, and moved through a steady rotation of sleep, sport eating, and the occasional tv show. During any lulls, or when we all got a bit stir crazy some shoveling would partake, but most hours were spent in the tent. 

We are going to wrap the night up with some Thai curry and rice noodles before heading to bed with the hope to back carry tomorrow!

RMI Guide Nikki Champion

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 - 10:58 pm PT

6/16 after a long, hard, and heavy day the team arrived to 17,000' Camp. Despite the arduous day, the team got to work making camp and prepping for our summit push tomorrow! Stay tuned!

RMI Guide Dan May

Antisana was a challenging, but rewarding experience for the entire team. In contrast to multiple other parties of the previous peaks, we had the mountain to ourselves. A midnight start allowed us to climb the route in only six hours, summitting right at sunrise. The route on Antisana is a great mixture of rocky moraines, glacial ice, big crevasses and steep pitches. We felt fortunate to have it on the itinerary for this trip. 

Today, we are at an eco lodge several hours from Antisana recovering from our efforts and preparing for the next mountain. We had a lazy breakfast with lots of coffee and group yoga. This afternoon we plan to nap, read books, check email and catch up with friends and family. 

RMI Guide Eric Frank & Team