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Denali Expedition: Schmitt and Team Enjoy a Rest Day

May 28, 2022

Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Friday May 27, 2022 10:37pm PT

It was a beautiful day today at 14,000' camp. We slept in, ate breakfast burritos, then napped, read and ate some more.

After reviewing some more mountaineering skills, we ate more burritos for dinner. With the sunny skies, warm temperatures and the menu today, it almost felt like we were in Mexico.

Stay tuned for what we get up to tomorrow!

RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the Denali Team

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Great progress so far! Hope you enjoy some well deserved R&R!

Posted by: Ramsay Bader on 5/29/2022 at 6:56 am

Go Team RMI - sending positive thoughts and wishes from Mount Washington NH!

Posted by: Jennifer Huntington on 5/29/2022 at 3:47 am

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Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Set up 14,000’ Camp

May 19, 2012

Posted by: Mike Walter, Pete Van Deventer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Hey all! Greetings from 14,000 ft. Yesterday was a busy day as several teams including ourselves, packed up camp at 11k and headed for our advanced basecamp at 14k. Temperatures were cool and the sky was bluebird, making ideal conditions for climbing. Windy Corner gave us a little taste with a chilly breeze blowing as we approached. As soon as we rounded it, however, the breeze died and the sun turned on the microwave. Move days are hard work. Not only do you have a long day with heavy packs, but at the end of it you have to spend several hours reestablishing camp. The team did great and we moved into a quite comfortable camp; important because this is where we will stage from and wait for our weather window to head for the summit. Today we will head down to retrieve our cache at 13k, and spend the rest of the day fortifying camp with large snow walls so that we are prepared for a storm. We want to wish Maile a super happy birthday, and we're glad she's up here celebrating it with us! Hasta luego, RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and team

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Happy Birthday Mai!!! We had a cold beer in your honor! Glad you guys made it to 14 camp—looks incredible! Safe climbing! xo

Posted by: Jenny on 5/20/2012 at 7:10 am

Glad you’re having great weather and time. Not so great here (weather wise). Missed Mike at Torch Run today. I ran with CJ this year and Officer Umbs beat us. Furry kids up to their same old tricks and more…

Posted by: Kym on 5/20/2012 at 1:07 am

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Elbrus Northside Team at Camp 1

September 2, 2010

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside

Elevation: 12,300'

Around midnight last night the winds began to pick up here at Camp 1. Sweeping down off of the mountain's scoured glaciers, they would come barreling through camp, howling as they relentlessly shook the tents. Needless to say, sleep was intermittent as the tents shook and flapped throughout the night. Although the winds had yet to abate by morning it was clear and the sun soon found us, warming us quickly. Because of the wind we dragged our feet a bit during breakfast before departing, escaping the gusts by retreating to a nearby hut used by our outfitter where we could enjoy our hot drinks with a little more protection. Thankfully, the deterioration in the weather didn't affect us much since we descended back below camp to our cache where the morraine deflected most of the winds coming down off of the mountain. We made a quick descent to our cache carrying only light packs, reloading them with all of the gear we stashed there on Tuesday. Our improving acclimatization and growing comfort with the trail was evidenced by how efficiently we climbed back up to Camp 1 through the loose rock and scree, everyone clearly showing their strength as we made good time through the difficult terrain. Back at camp the winds had lessened but continued to blow as clouds began to settle in. As we traded stories over lunch a wet groppel began to come down, lightly at first and then in sheets, covering the rocks around us in an uneven dusting of white. We retreated back to the tents in the afternoon to relax and rest and escape the weather outside. The groppel has since stopped and the storm seems to be lessening at the moment. As we head off for dinner the occasional sun beam breaks through the clouds and illuminates the tent walls. Our plan tomorrow is to make an acclimatization climb towards Camp 2, hopefully leaving another small cache up there in preparation for our summit bid. We will check in tomorrow and let you know if the weather cooperates.

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Sherpa And The Culture Of Nepal

April 17, 2009

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,500 ft.

Sherpa. It's a name that we hear with increasing frequency in popular diction worldwide. But who are the Sherpa, and the sherpa, for that matter? The answer to this is as complex as the country in which they reside. Let's begin with a bit of context. The nation of Nepal, one of the poorest in the world in terms of per capita GDP, is arguably one of the richest in terms of geographic and ethnic diversity. A mere 54,000 square kilometers (about the size of Illinois), it ranges geographically from the tropical Indo-Gangetic plains (Terai) in the south to the crest of the Great Himalaya, the highest mountains on earth, in the north. So short is the span from low to high that one can literally sit on the back of an elephant in the Terai, gazing at endangered rhinos, and see, some 90 miles distant, the snowy crest of the Himalaya rising above the haze of the tropical plains. Not to be outdone by its geography, Nepal's human diversity is rich and complex as well. In its small footprint reside some 25 million people from 36 different ethnic groups speaking 36 (or more) different languages and dialects. From the Indian ethnicities of the Terai to the Tibetan peoples of the mountains, the Gurkhas of the center to the Lepchas of the east and the Thakurs of the far west, the countryside of Nepal rings with diversity. The Sherpa, so often discussed if not totally understood, are one of these many ethnic groups in Nepal. Crossing over the high Nangpa La (Pass) some 700 years ago from Tibet, the early Sherpa nomads found in the Khumbu Valley a rich region with lush vegetation, flowing rivers, and the possibility of a life far easier than their nomadic one in Tibet. They settled in, making the valley which drains the slopes of Everest their home. When asked who they were, the early Sherpa would reply, as is common in Tibet, with the region from which they came. Their answer: Shar pa, or "east people." Nomads originally, the Sherpa had come with their yak across the plains of Tibet from the eastern edge of the Plateau, perhaps near Kham. Over time, shar pa turned into Sherpa, their tribal name, and also last name. Centuries later, when the first Western explorers began their attempts on the high Himalayan peaks, they employed Sherpa as porters to help move equipment on the mountains. From George Mallory to Sir Edmund Hillary to our First Ascent Team, the Sherpa - strong, hard-working, ever-friendly, impeccably kind and loyal - have been a mainstay of Himalayan climbing, with only a small handful of teams getting anywhere in the high peaks without the hard work, diligence, and dedication of these remarkable mountain people. So deep has been their connection to mountain climbing in the Himalaya that the ethnic name Sherpa has come to mean any Nepali who works in the mountains. However, not every sherpa is, in fact, a Sherpa. Confused? Our team of Nepalis, our sherpa, hail from no less than 4 different ethnic groups: Rai, Gurung, Tamang, and, of course, Sherpa. All have vast experience: Maila Tamang, Camp 2 cook, with several expeditions and one summit of Everest under his belt Nima Dorje Tamang, hoping for his 4th summit of Everest on this trip Kumar Gurung, a veteran expedition cook since 1994, on his 15th Everest expedition Damber Rai, a seasoned mountain man, on his 7th Everest expedition All these men, Tamang and Rai, Gurung and Sherpa, work hard, day in and day out, and all are contributing deeply to our efforts on the mountain, just as they are for the 30-some-odd other expeditions on Everest this spring. Simply put, we couldn't do it without them, and our thanks are beyond words. Dhanyabhad.

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Mt. Rainier: Five Day Team led by McDowell Reaches Summit

July 16, 2019

Posted by: Josh McDowell, Dominic Cifelli, Kiira Antenucci

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

The Five Day Climb July 13 - 17 opted to make their summit attempt today. RMI Guide Josh McDowell led their team to the summit of Mt. Rainier on a "fantastic day". Josh reported a light breeze, sunny and warm temps this morning. The team will return to Camp Muir for their final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will descend to Paradise and conclude their trip with a celebration ceremony. Congratulations to the Five Day Climb team!

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Denanli Expedition: Schmitt & Team Make the Move to 14,000ft Camp

May 26, 2022

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.

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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

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Mt. Rainier: June 21st Summit!

June 21, 2012

Posted by: JJ Justman, Kel Rossiter

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: Summit

The Four Day Summit Climb teams led by JJ Justman and Kel Rossiter reached the Summit of Mt. Rainier today. JJ reported good, but cold weather with calm winds. The teams are enjoying the views from the top and will make their way back to Camp Muir shortly. Congratulations to today's teams.

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A most excellent trip! We gelled as a team early and JJ, Josh and Gilbert were awesome. Look forward to climbing with you guys again. No one legged midgets though, please.

Posted by: MIKE PROBSTFELD on 6/25/2012 at 8:38 am

Thanks to JJ, Josh and Gilbert for a great & fun trip and JP for getting the whole shootin match organized! Great way to start the summer of 2012

TVH

Posted by: Thomas Harmon on 6/24/2012 at 9:15 pm

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Vinson Massif: Hiking in Torres Del Paine National Park

November 17, 2011

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif

Fine days are known to be rare in Torres Del Paine National Park. We enjoyed one today, start to finish. It was an agreed upon "free day" in which our team members were advised to use the time as they wished. Most team members went hiking since the weather was so beautiful and since we´d done so much travel by airplane and automobile in the last week. The hike of the day was around 10 kilometers, one way, gaining over 700 meters in altitude. This brought many of the team to a viewpoint looking straight onto the Torres -giant granite towers, looming over a picturesque alpine glacier and lake. The path led through wonderful forests and ultimately up through big jumbles of rock. Plenty of Andean Condors could be seen circling on thermals, waiting for hikers to stumble. The gang will meet up in the Hotel Torres bar and restaurant this evening to compare notes on the day and to begin to refocus on Antarctica. We´ll use tomorrow to return to Punta Arenas and will resume gearing up for the Ice. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Living Large at 14,000’ Camp

June 28, 2022

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dominic Cifelli, Tatum Whatford, Seth Burns

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Monday, June 27, 2022 - 10:52 pm PT

This was a fine day of climbing. We were up at 5 AM and eating, packing and getting ready for almost three hours. We pulled out of 11,000 at 7:50 AM. There were steady breezes but it wasn’t particularly cold as we went up Motorcycle and Squirrel Hills in the shadows. It was blue sky overhead today, so it was definitely one of the nicer days we’ve had (though none have been bad). Sitting in the sunshine at Windy Corner, we could clearly see the Tordrillo Mountains anchoring the Alaska Range to the Southwest. Most eyes were on Mount Foraker though as it seems to get bigger every time we see it. We were around the corner without any difficulties and then out of the wind as we made our way up into Genet Basin. We pulled into the camp at 14,200 ft to join Andy Bond’s RMI team (who are several days ahead of us) and practically all the other teams on the mountain. We’d made it up in five and a half not too hard hours. Despite the fact that we were working at altitude to build a camp, conditions were quite calm and easy, so the work wasn’t too bad. We climbed into tents to hide from the sun and took our customary afternoon naps. The team finished dinner (mac and cheese) which is always a good sign. Tomorrow is an easier day -by design- just a short walk down to pick up our food and fuel above Windy Corner.

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Denali Expedition: Smith and Team Cache Gear Just Below 14,000’ Camp

June 17, 2022

Posted by: Hannah Smith, Kiira Antenucci, Daniel May

Categories:

Elevation: 11,200'

Thursday, June 16, 2022 8:42 pm PT

Hello all,

The team made quick work getting ready this morning so we were the first out of camp. A quick warmup of mellow, flattish terrain gives way to a steep slope called motorcycle hill. And what did we do on this hill? We motored on up it. After a quick break we then encountered squirrel hill. Some of the sleds got a little squirrelly but pulled through. The polo fields give a break from so much uphill but still require us to bring our best game. A not so windy windy corner gave way to a holey section that might be a little sporty crossing at the end of the trip. After a few hours of walking we made it to our cache site. Once some snacks were consumed we reversed our steps and headed back to camp. The team, once again, showed they came prepared to climb Denali and are crushing. Tomorrow we will enjoy a rest before we make our move to 14k camp. Everyone is ready for a new home and to be closer to our goal. For tonight, it's time to catch up on Stranger Things.

Goodnight,

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team

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Most Popular Entries

Denali Expedition: Schmitt and Team Enjoy a Rest Day

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Set up 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Elbrus Northside Team at Camp 1

Sherpa And The Culture Of Nepal

Mt. Rainier: Five Day Team led by McDowell Reaches Summit

Denanli Expedition: Schmitt & Team Make the Move to 14,000ft Camp

Mt. Rainier: June 21st Summit!

Vinson Massif: Hiking in Torres Del Paine National Park

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Living Large at 14,000’ Camp

Denali Expedition: Smith and Team Cache Gear Just Below 14,000’ Camp

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