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We awoke this morning early again, trying to take advantage of another windless day. With blue skies overhead we were optimistic of our chances of getting to camp at 14,100'
The crew had breakfast and struck camp as quickly and well as I've seen. Obviously they were some pretty motivated climbers.
A slight breeze kept us wrapped up in most of our layers, and we even put on face protection climbing through Windy Corner. But the team climbed even better today than yesterday. However, leaving our high point of yesterday and ascending the final 700' to camp reminded us all of the big jump in elevation we were making. Although everyone climbed really well, even the strongest of the team struggled a bit with the last bit of elevation gain.
But all this is expected and a normal part of the acclimatization process. An easy day tomorrow will find the team feeling better as our bodies adjust to the altitude. We're looking forward to it.
Getting into camp early today allowed us to establish a nice camp, dry out sleeping bags packed in haste this morning, and settle in to our new home before the sun disappeared behind the ridge. Our bags will be especially welcome tonight.
Talk with you again tomorrow.
RMI Guide
Brent,
Leon and
Lindsay
On The Map
It's been a great day for viewing big cats in Ngorongoro Crater. This huge caldera is home to thousands of animals and usually the cats will rest in the heat of the day. But today the weather is cool enough for the cats to be mobile. We had a young male lion walk right in front of our cars as soon a we pulled into the crater this morning. We've also seen a cheetah and caught a rare sighting of a serval, a smaller, spotted cat that hunts in the grassy plains.
Tonight we are staying at the Plantation Lodge again before heading to Tarangire National Park tomorrow.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall & the Safari Crew
Another important milestone, easily achieved. We woke at Union Glacier in perfect weather, ate our breakfast and boarded two ski equipped Twin Otter airplanes bound for
Vinson Basecamp. Our flight through the Ellsworth Mountains was memorable as we passed hundreds of sharp and dramatic glaciated peaks. A big right turn brought us into the valley of the Branscomb Glacier at the foot of Mount Vinson. We landed while flying up a hill at a little over 7000 ft elevation. The entire team set to work dragging duffels and building Basecamp. We spent this perfect weather day reviewing roped climbing techniques and getting settled in. An afternoon hike served to stretch legs and jog memories of mountaineering difficulties and pleasures. We ate dinner in our newly built dining tent under the blazing evening sun, forgetting that the air temperature was likely hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit. We enjoyed seeing the climbers from the previous round on Vinson come into camp pleased with their summit of the mountain just yesterday and relieved to find airplanes waiting to take them away today.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air team reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:00 am today. RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier reported warm temperatures, clear skies, and calm winds.
The ALA Climb for Clean Air has been available to people of all levels who are ready to take on the challenge of summiting a mountain since 1987. Funds raised by participants support the mission of the American Lung Association to saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. Over the last 30 year there have been 1,500 ALA Climbers. They have dedicated their time not only to training to climb Mt. Rainier and other peaks in the Pacific Northwest, but these teams have also raised over $5 Million for the American Lung Association!
Congratulations team for your success and efforts climbing for this great cause!
The American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air, led by RMI Guides
Win Whittaker and
Mike Uchal, reached the
Mt. Rainier summit early this morning. They experienced nice weather and 25 mph winds. After spending some time on the summit, they began their descent back to Camp Muir at 6:30 a.m.
Congratulations ALA Climbers!
The Four Day Climb June 6 - 9 spent a windy night at Camp Muir last night. High winds and deteriorating weather kept the group at Camp Muir and unable to make a summit attempt. RMI Guides Seth Burns and Grayson Swingle reported consistant winds 30-40 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. The teams started their descent from Camp Muir around 8 am and will be returning to Rainier Basecamp later this morning.
RMI Guide Ben Ammon and his team were 100% on the
Mt. Shuksan summit! The team is currently working their way back to high camp.
Congratulations to the Mt. Shuksan team!
And boom. We went to over 14,000' today. To be honest, gondola-assisted, but we still logged a few thousand human-powered vert. Warm sun, mild temps, and a calm, steady breeze from the east kept things comfortable. Clouds slowly built throughout the day as we ascended, but never threatened anything more than the occasional chilly gust. The bright orange Chuquiragua flowers, also known as the “the flower of the climber” that grows at over 9,000 feet, were in bloom along the trail and grew thicker as we ascended. We’ll take it as a good omen! Satisfied with our solid effort, we snacked and took in the panoramic views of Quito over 5,000’ below us from our perch on the flanks of Pichincha before heading back downhill.
Our team is strong and deposited valuable funds into the
Cotopaxi acclimatization account today. More to come tomorrow as we venture further south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes!
RMI Guides
Peter Whittaker,
Jess Matthews and Team
Hello from Khumjung.
We did retraced our steps from the mountain and we are back in this guide's favorite Sherpa village of the Khumbu. We're going to earn some good rest before starting our approach to
Ama Dablam.
The climb of Kyajo Ri remains now as an incredible challenge that we overcame with determination, and we know that while an objective worth a trip to the Himalaya on its own, it has been the best preparation for Ama Dablam.
Now it's time to sleep, eat & repeat!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Our Mt. Shuksan team is on the summit! We are taking in the beautiful weather and views as we relax before the descent. Couldn't ask for a better day to be on a mountain top.
Great job team!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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Phil, Just checking in on you….looks like the weather gods are on your side! Enjoy the climb
Posted by: Susan and Kris on 5/30/2012 at 8:09 pm
Kristen…I can’t believe you are almost there!!!! Your perseverance and determination is inspiring. To think you only have a few thousand feet more after all these years. It sounds like everything is going so well. Savor this moment. I love you.
-Mamma Joe.
Posted by: Joe McClearn on 5/30/2012 at 2:34 pm
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