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On The Map
Posted by: Jake Beren, Leon Davis, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
On The Map
CV & TP, merry christmas and good luck (don’t look down)... our thoughts are with you the whole lavado family…
Posted by: Lavado's on 12/26/2012 at 7:26 am
Kim and Scata families wish Dawn and the entire team an exciting climb. Keep warm and happy heart! —Mom—
Posted by: Hye Kim on 12/25/2012 at 5:00 pm
Posted by: Alex Van Steen, Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Carstensz Pyramid
Elevation: 11'000'
Mark Tucker checks in from Putigapa
On The Map
When your on that mountain, all you gotta do is give ahundred puhcent. You know me and my boyz dwade and chris all we do is get the rings. If you ever make a big desicion call me up (1-800-got-ring)
Posted by: Lebron (The King Who Got His Ring) James on 6/30/2012 at 8:54 pm
Hey Team!!!! Hope you all are not too worn out so far! You are in our prayers! Keep having fun p.s. Katie I hope you are not using as much chapstick as you did on kili or else you will be out by now….
Posted by: Billy (Bmeister) Mcgahan on 6/30/2012 at 8:49 pm
Posted by: Avery Parrinello, Jack Delaney, Liam Weed
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'
Monday, June 20, 2022 - 8:39 a.m. PDT
So we did it, well almost. We’re right back where we began our journey but this time we are stuck here. I’m of course talking about Kahiltna International Airport. How did this happen? Let’s start at the beginning of our day.
BEEP BEEP BEEP. The 1:00 a.mm alarm goes off, the guides rub the sleep / snow out of their eyes. Oh wait, did you say snow? Yes, yes I did because the guides decided to roll the dice and open bivy instead of set up a tent for our “last” night out. Anyways not a big deal, snow brushes off and sleeping bags dry eventually.
The rest of the team quickly rallied and broke down camp and we headed out on the mushy trail. Slightly less mushy though thanks to a slight refreeze from the night. Thank goodness for that because we crossed a lot of snow bridges over crevasses. The walking was easy and the team was traveling well, until Heartbreak Hill, the final slope up to the airstrip. It’s just steep enough to be terrible and just shallow enough grade to last for what feels like forever.
Finally, finally we made it to the airstrip. Our time to get back to civilization was here! Except not, because we didn’t fly out. Now here’s how we got stuck. Clouds. Clouds everywhere. First clouds at the airstrip prevented them from flying, then clouds in Talkeetna, then more clouds at the airstrip, then clouds both places.
So as I write this we’ve missed our window for flying out today and await patiently for a break in the weather tomorrow. Let’s hope the next dispatch is a picture of us clinking glasses and celebrating in Talkeetna!
To be continued….
RMI Guides Avery Parrinello, Jack Delaney, Liam Weed and the team
” Everyone wants to reach the top of the mountain. But all the success and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.”
-Andy Rooney
Posted by: Ellis Richman on 6/20/2022 at 7:15 pm
I know you all can do it. You’ve come this far and the glasses will clink!
Weather can be a problem whether cold or hot - it was close to 98 degrees today in
Wayzata, MN - high humidity too so not a day to be outside!
Safe travels for the rest of the trip - look forward to a photo of the team!
You all have accomplished what you set out to do and should be proud of that!
Thank you for sharing your adventure with us.
M.
Posted by: mary pagnucco on 6/20/2022 at 7:02 pm
Posted by: Andy Bond, Jack Delaney, Joey Manship
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
June 25, 2023 10:00am PT
It seems surreal that just 24 hours ago we were sitting on the East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier with our fingers crossed for flyable weather. Kahiltna International Airport (KIA) could have just as easily been our home for the next week but instead we slept easily and comfortably on real mattresses for the first time in nearly 3 weeks. Today and only today the weather cooperated for us to make our escape. How did we get here? Let me tell you...
24 hours prior to the 24 hours that we just experienced...
We woke up to a mix of clouds and sunshine at 14k Camp and casually dismantled camp and packed up all our things. The weather and clouds mostly stayed below us with an occasional surge of precip and wind at camp. The walk down to 11k Camp was uneventful other than a quick reunion with Dominic Cifelli and Dave Hahn's respective RMI climbing teams. High fives were had but we kept moving, we had a timeline to meet.
Once at a 11k Camp again we located our cache, set up tents, made water and ate dinner. The clouds rolled in and out of 11 Camp like the tide on the shore. Like the tide, what was in the clouds was wet and gross. After "napping" for around 3 hours, we "woke up" at 9:30pm to get moving again to catch the lower glacier in its most stable and frozen condition.
Sadly, the cloud we walked into below 11 Camp was hovering around 33 degrees and raining. The team was quickly covered in a layer of ice and rime. Everything - backpacks, trekking poles, goggles, jackets, pants, were incased in a 1/4 cm of ice. We trudged for several hours through this freezing rain. Eventually we got below the cloud, and everyone shed their icy armor that had accumulated. After a break at the bottom of Ski Hill to recover our cache (and thaw out), we resumed trudging on the lower Kahiltna.
A simple 3 more hours of trudging in what ended up being a fairly direct path across the Kahiltna glacier, we arrived at Heart Break Hill. It was time for the final hour of uphill that must be ascended to return to the airstrip. The team's morale stayed high, and hearts stayed unbroken. We made quick work of Heart Break Hill. Shortly after 5am, we were back at the airstrip; 19 days had elapsed since we were last here. It seemed surreal to be back. Even more surreal the weather continued to cooperate, the cloud ceiling stayed high, the sun showed itself briefly! Around 8:45am the drone of a K2 Turbo Otter was heard. 24 hours after leaving 14k Camp, we were picked up in the most wonderful red plane you've ever seen and whisked back to civilization, Talkeetna.
Everyone has been awake for 24-36 hours at the time of writing this. There is still much clean up and packing to do before we can sleep.
The trip is over, but our memories and experiences will last a lifetime. This is the final blog from The Bond Girls. If you want to know more, contact your loved ones, they have service now! Even if they're pretending they don't...
Cheers,
Reading the first sentence, the unplugged acoustic version of the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” started playing in my head as soundtrack and accompaniment. Reading what the Bond Girls had to do to get to the plane from 14k, I would say they are the real rockstars.
Posted by: Mike Forsyth on 6/25/2023 at 11:55 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif
On The Map
It’s wonderful to hear that things are going so smoothly! Hopefuly this trend will continue. Oz’s Holiday Play was a huge success—he was excited and did an awesome job. Your mom and I taped parts of it on our phones… Staying in Raleigh this weekend—he has choir commitments and I think we’ll do a Tacky Christmas light tour this weekend too! Miss you!
Stephanie
Posted by: Stephanie on 12/7/2012 at 10:55 am
Christopher: Remember, Amundsen not Scott. I’ll see you when you get back. julia.
Posted by: Julia Havlovic on 12/6/2012 at 7:19 pm
On The Map
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Mike Uchal, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'
On The Map
Singin MJ??? Has Gords schooled you all in the finer moves of the Thriller choreography?? When you run put of MJ Gords may treat you to some spot on GnR! Could make for a loooong rest day! Cheers everyone. The Reisers in N.Conway, NH
Posted by: Petah Reisah on 6/28/2012 at 6:54 am
Hi Michael, Hope you guys all enjoyed your day of rest. I am sure it was well deserved. Just wanted to tell you that your Dad is very jealous that you are surrounded by all that snow and cold :) Stay strong and safe. Love you. P.S. Jess says “HI”
Posted by: Dad & Lynne on 6/28/2012 at 4:54 am
Posted by: Mike Haugen, Bryan Mazaika
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Big Congratulations to Dave & Chris and all the Climbers!!!
look forward to hearing more about the climb!!!!!
Posted by: Stephen Zink on 7/25/2019 at 4:06 am
Woohoooo! So excited and happy for you Brent and Marvin :) and ALL climbers!! Thanks so much for the update.
Posted by: Christine on 7/24/2019 at 1:07 pm
Congratulations to Ben Liken, Pepper Dee and Team! Major accomplishment!
Posted by: David Clemmons on 2/14/2017 at 7:30 am
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