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RMI Climber Chuck Knauff climbed Mt. Rainier on a 5 Day Summit Climb this August and with RMI Guides Leon Davis, Eric Frank, and Dave Walter. Chuck recently told the story of his climb in the newspaper the Sun Gazette. AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE City man climbs Mount Rainier Sun Gazette October 23, 2011 By Julie Reppert "It's one of those things that, it bit me and now I'm pretty well hooked on it," Charles "Chuck" Knauff said of his climb to the top of Mount Rainier in Ashford, Wash. Knauff, 48, a Williamsport resident and project manager for a construction management firm based out of Harrisburg, completed the climb alongside six others in August. He spent five days at Mount Rainier, training and climbing, with the ascent to the summit and back down to the base camp taking just under four hours. "When you're standing there looking at it (the mountain), it looks fake," Knauff said. "You never get tired of looking at it." Two years ago, Knauff came across a documentary on ESPN depicting the mountaineering experiences of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other NFL dignitaries, who climbed Mount Rainier as a fundraiser to benefit charities. Their challenges sparked his interest in making the climb himself. Read More...

We had an early wake up this morning at Winay Wayna so our Porters could catch an early train home after their impressive work the last 3 days. We let camp clear of the other trekking groups and began our hike to the Sun Gate at the top of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary around 5:45 am. Overcast skies kept the early day cool and as the team descended into Machu Picchu  taking in the stellar vantage point. Since the pandemic, the way people are routed through the site has allowed for less crowding and more time in the different points of interest. We got some sun to make the pictures pop and provide context to the intricate terracing that makes this site so unique. Our Peruvian guides Marco & Jaime gave a nice 2 hour tour and history lesson. We are at the hotel in Aquas Calientes for some R&R. Tomorrow we'll return to Machu Picchu for some more wandering around and possibly a hike up Huyna Picchu depending on the weather and how people's leg/feet are feeling. Regardless, it will be a nice morning to wrap up this trek before catching a train back to Cusco.

Thanks for checking in. 

RMI Guide Mike King

The Four Day Climb July 16 - 19 led by RMI Guides Nikki Champion, Michael Murray and Bo Torrey reached the crater rim around 7 am today.  They took six hours to climb from Camp Muir to the summit and reported calm winds and clear skies.  As of 8 am they were on their descent returning to Camp Muir and then continuing the remaining 4,500' to Paradise.  They will conclude their program this afternoon with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Four Day and Five Day Summit Climbs reached Ingraham Flats this morning on their summit attempt. The weather has been unsettled, which resulted in unfavorable route conditions. Both teams are safely off the mountain enjoying their program wrap up with their guides.

Warm temperatures and overhead hazards on the climbing route prevented today's Four Day Climb from reaching the summit safely.  RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier and team walked to Ingraham Flats to enjoy the sunrise and make the most of their time on the Mountian. They had and early departure from Camp Muir and will be back at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon.

Buenas tardes from Refugio Huascarán. We are back on the move, and we left town again this morning fully psyched for our last objective. Huascarán was in view all day from the early morning drive to our 4-hour hike, and it never got any smaller! We are perched at 4,675m, on a beautiful rocky terrace next to the refugio on the edge of the glacial moraine. Our porters are currently helping out with dinner, and we're all hoping to go to bed pretty soon here. Stay tuned for more, RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

The climb of Mount Everest has begun. Our team came together in these past few days, flying by various routes and trajectories around the world to Kathmandu, lugging all manner of electronics, insulation and enthusiasm. Good meals and nights of uninterrupted slumber have repaired some of the jet-lag grogginess and disorientation. We've met as a team several times now and have gone over preliminary plans and strategies. Tomorrow we fly into Lukla and begin walking. It is no stretch to suggest that all are looking forward to simply walking. That will be a welcome change from months of planning and packing and wondering about the future. Personally, I can't wait to be walking. Katmandu is always an exciting place for a climber to visit... but most of us wouldn't want that visit to be any longer than is necessary when Everest is the goal. There is too much chance for getting sick either from taking in smoggy air or dodgy food. There is still charm to this huge city, but it isn't wise to go hunting extensively for that charm just now. Katmandu is struggling these days; the electricity is only on a third of the time and so there is a nearly constant background noise of hotel diesel generators throbbing away. People are nervously recounting a winter devoid of moisture and the resultant severe water shortages they are now dealing with. As usual there is uncertainty over Nepali central government effectiveness and concern for how worldwide financial troubles will impact the country. Walking in the countryside will be perfect. We won't think just yet of the dangers of the Khumbu Icefall or the winds that might scour the Lhotse Face. We'll put off worrying over Hillary Step traffic jams and jet-stream meanderings. Instead we'll set off walking through lush forests and fertile farmland through the villages our Sherpa teams live in. We'll get talking some and walking more and we'll get away from cell phones and email. We'll try not to trip or step in goo... we'll take pictures of distant mountainsides and close-up flowers and our lives will get simpler than they have been for some time. I'll speak with Erica and Ed Dohring; my clients, and will explain how this ten-day trek can be the perfect way to prepare for a big climb. I'll try to tell them what I can of the Sherpa culture and the mountain history. Perhaps I'll get to introduce them to a few famous climbers along the trail. I'll mug for the cameras, as our team tries to capture our First Ascent gear being rolled out on its maiden voyage in the great mountain range. I'll try to stay healthy, warm and dry... simple.

Saturday, July 2, 2022 - 8:56 pm PT

It was a rest day, although slightly less restful for taking place at 17,200'.  Everything is a little harder up here.  We were lucky to have a nice sunny day (again) which made it easier to relax.  It was breezy from time to time, which was forecast.  We’re hoping the winds quiet down, in keeping with those forecasts, for our summit day tomorrow.  We ate and drank water and stared out at the amazing views.  We made last minute adjustments to our packs and the gear we’ll rely on tomorrow.  We talked strategy.  We looked up at the “autobahn” -the route from 17,000' to Denali Pass and tried to judge its difficulty.  After weeks of hard work to get in position, we are ready. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The weather here at Everest Base Camp at 4:30 a.m. was snowing hard, so Dawa and Kaji decided not to carry loads to Camp 2. Up at Camp 2 the snow was not so heavy, so Dave, Sara, Linden and Bill left toward the Lhotse Face at 7:15 a.m. After four hours and twenty-five minutes of uphill climbing Sara and Dave crossed over the 23,000-foot mark. Dave reports a great day of training, getting used to the steep terrain, and working with other teams on the face. This sort of familiarity will help them get to Camp 3 in good shape. The knowledge and technical expertise gained on these practice runs is invaluable. Linden and Bill turned around a bit before, and supported our two high altitude mountaineers back at C2. While they were all together early that day, we had support from Lam Babu and Yubarj listening in on radio transmissions from Camp 2. One more night at Camp 2, then back to EBC for another rotation of rest. Looking forward to seeing the team tomorrow. Till next time, RMI Guide Mark Tucker

Sunday, May 28, 2023 - 10:20 pm PT

It was a mellow rest day in our neck of the woods at 14,000ft. What started as a clear warm morning turned into a stormy, snowy whiteout by early afternoon. We began the day with another round of breakfast burritos, and finished the day off with mac and cheese. The weather doesn't look too favorable, so now we just sit and wait to see what we get.

RMI Guide Nikki Champion