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Posted by: Mike Haugen, Alex Halliday
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
On The Map
RMI Guide Gilbert Chase checks in after a successful summit day on Denali.
Elizabeth and the Nugent team.
That’s just fantastic. So happy to hear you got a weather window to summit. Congratulations.
Posted by: james rozzelle, ann shepherd, Josie on 6/5/2012 at 10:38 am
Congrats Stuart!!! You did it! Can’t wait to hear al abut it.
Stay safe! Love Patti
Posted by: Patti Emmert on 6/4/2012 at 11:02 pm
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,000'
Saturday, May 21, 2022 - 9:49 pm PT
Today we poked our heads out of our bags just as the sun was doing the same above the eastern horizon. Believe it or not it can be incredibly hot on Denali, and today was one of those days.
We got out and up to 11,000' Camp in great form, just as the inferno hit. We set up camp while the glaciers around us reflected the long wave radiation, making it feel as if we were in a microwave. But regardless we got camp set up and got some time to relax.
It’s been a grueling few days and now we get to enjoy the relative comfort of 11,000' Camp.
That’s all for now.
RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the RMI team
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leif Bergstrom, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'
Friday May 20 - 11:42pm
We made full value out of our rest day today. We woke late, had a brunch of blueberry pancakes and maple syrup, lounged for the better part of the day, and capped it with burritos for dinner. We have had no problem eating well.
Our main entertainment has been a very large team made up of members of the British military. We are all on a similar schedule, and subsets of their team have been filtering into camp the last couple days. As of today, our camp is encircled on three sides. The main constant in the wide variety of British accents constantly around us is the abundance of the F bomb. That word cuts through all accents and after our informal survey today shows up on average as every third word. There has been general hilarity listening to their banter through our tent walls and it was a main topic of discussion over dinner tonight.
We plan to move up to 14 tomorrow. Rested and refreshed after today, it should be done enjoyable climbing.
If anyone sees the “BRIT” soldiers can you tell a certain ADAM OCONNOR that his mum and dad are rooting for him and the rest of the group that fingers crossed they get to the top…
Posted by: David on 5/23/2022 at 2:21 pm
Is Roy Kent climbing with the British group? :) Hello to Chris, Steve and Stu! Good luck on the next stage! Be a goldfish!
Posted by: Kimmy Romine on 5/21/2022 at 12:03 pm
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,000'
Thursday, May 26, 2022 - 1:09 am PT
Today started with a classic case of the Denali waiting game due to another snowy morning at 11,000' Camp. After breakfast we waited (mostly packed) in our tents to see what the weather was going to do.
As we waited in nervous anticipation, the only sounds you could hear was the flit, flit, flit of snow falling against the tent, the occasional clang of a pot from somewhere in camp, and the ziiiiiip of a tent opening just enough for a restless head to peek out and look up the mountain.
At around 930 the clouds broke enough for us to see that the winds were not blowing around the newly fallen snow, so in organized chaos we finished packing up and departed camp.
We then spent the day in and out of the clouds which saved us from the heat we have become quite accustomed to trying to avoid.
And now we are all set up at 14,000' Camp and looking forward to some rest after a hard week!
RMI Guides JT, Matias, Jackson and the rest of the RMI team.
Enjoy your R&R at 14, and good luck when it’s time to move higher! Great following your excellent progress upwards!
Posted by: Henry & Kathy Huntington on 5/26/2022 at 9:11 am
AMAZING! Keep the post coming. They are a highlight of our day. :)
Posted by: Pat & Amy Breen on 5/26/2022 at 8:08 am
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leif Bergstrom, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,000'
Monday, May 24, 2022 - 10:39 pm PT
We woke up hopeful to take a jaunt up the fixed lines this morning. The sky was clear above and it was nice in camp. As we fired the stoves and the sun got nearer to rounding the ridge though, we started seeing large plumes of snow jetting of the summit plateau, then 17,000' Camp, then the whole ridge and the top of the fixed line. It was really nice in camp but we made the decision it wasn't a day to go up into the wind and pivoted instead to walking across the basin to The Edge of the World (our British friends call it The End of the World). From there the basin plummets to the Northeast fork of the Kahiltna, some 6000' feet below. We got glimpses of those views but a cliff was rising up from the Glacier obscuring the full magnitude of the place. We were back by early afternoon and took a siesta. Some built a card table out of snow blocks and played eucher until they couldn't feel their backsides. We'll look again in the morning hopeful to make the trip up the fixed lines if conditions allow.
RMI Guides Pete, Leif, Erika, and team
We really appreciate your everyday news.
Here’s some advice I got from my granddaughter as she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro:
You climb and go for the summit for your ego.
You climb and take every step for your soul.
Much love, John and the team, Mom
Posted by: Barbara J Corona on 5/25/2022 at 11:12 am
Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well on the mountain. Ask Carl if he packed his magic cards. Wish you all a great weather window on your ascent to 17 camp! Best of luck to all. Ron
Posted by: Ron Jackson on 5/25/2022 at 7:41 am
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,200'
May 27, 2023 10:29PM PT
Today we woke up to brutal cold, and clear skies. We blasted the stoves and rolled into a late morning of granola.
After watching Mike and Pete's teams roll out of camp, we followed suite and began our way up the steep corridor to the base of the fixed lines. We shortened up the rope internals, set up our ascenders, and made our way up the final 700' vertical feet of blue ice to the saddle on the west buttress. Right around 16,100, we crested the buttress and made our way up to our cache site near 16,300'.
After digging a cache hole in the world’s firmest snow, we turned around and made our way back to 14 camp for a late dinner of ramen.
Everyone worked hard and is looking forward to a well-deserved rest day tomorrow.
Nikki, Leif, Lauren and Team
Onward and upward! You’ve got this Kevin!
Posted by: Karie Seubert on 5/29/2023 at 5:37 am
WOW!!! Way to go Kevin and Team! The fixed lines that I have heard so much about and you got to experience it. I know it is tough work but it has to be an incredible reward and experience!!! Climb Strong!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/29/2023 at 3:18 am
Posted by: Win Whittaker, Leon Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
I don’t know if I have the right team. Saying hello to Joi and everyone else.
Posted by: Jette roberts on 7/15/2016 at 3:26 am
Great work, Team! What an amazing achievement after a year of training. Congrats to everyone of you and I look forward to future climbs with you.
-Jason
Posted by: Jason Lathrop on 7/14/2016 at 10:09 am
Posted by: Mike Walter, Leif Bergstrom, Ben Luedtke, Sam Marjerison
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz July 22 - 27 led by RMI Guide Mike Walter reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team reached the crater rim at 6 am and tagged Point Success. They will return to their high camp for their final night on the mountain and descend tomorrow to the trailhead.
Nice work team!
Merry Christmas Kim! It’s really warm here and feels more like fall than winter. Have a great day, even if your just sitting a tent ;)
Posted by: Shaun on 12/25/2011 at 9:31 am
Hi Geoff
May your days be merry and bright.
Always thinking of you,
love Stephanie
Posted by: Stephanie Hampton on 12/25/2011 at 9:30 am
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