Mark Tucker checking in from High Camp, Kilimanjaro. It is very breezy but hopefully that will change. We are in clear skies. We have a sea of clouds below us. The route looks like it's in pretty good shape. May need a little bit of luck with the weather. The team is all together up here. And you know, we're doing okay. There is the typical this, that and the other thing, but so far so good. So we got our fingers crossed and we have a great group of support team with our local staffing and an early, early dinner. The sun is just setting or we're gonna crawl into the tents for a 5-hour nap and then we're gonna hop on up and get goin'. Hopefully the next call will be from the summit, if I get the chance. So we will be checking in sooner than later. Thanks for checking in with us as well.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Mitch/Dad and Dion: We knew you would go great things!! We are very happy for you both. Can’t wait to hear stories and see photos. Woots & Dubs!! Connie, Kirby & Mac, Blaire, Scott
Posted by: Connie Barnhart on 7/29/2012 at 5:57 pm
Love You All Very Much Glad you made it this far with hopfully minor things Be safe going down Can’t wait for your safe trip home Mom & Dad I know your all in Gods hands
I'd intended to wake the climbing team at 2 AM for their final day on Denali, but folks were snoring so hard at that hour that it seemed kinder to wait until three. Besides, our camp at 7,800' on the Kahiltna Glacier was blanketed with cloud and I didn't figure the snow surface had frozen up. But at three, the clouds began to flee and the snow got crusty, making sled-pulling and crevasse-crossing vastly easier and safer. We ate a hot breakfast, knocked down the tents and hit the trail at 5:15. There actually was a trail since a West Rib team had gone out the evening before, plowing an easy-to-follow groove in what had then been soft snow. After weeks of telling the team how tricky it could be to get through the lower glacier in mid-July, I was almost embarrassed that our task had become so simple. As we cruised along in the early morning shadows it was something of a surprise to realize that we were finding better bridges and fewer open crevasses than on our way in. The constant snowstorms that kept us from climbing high had greatly improved conditions down low. We made it to the Southeast Fork in just a couple of hours and began a slow walk up "Heartbreak Hill". The last of the clouds seemed to evaporate, leaving us in bright sunshine and giving us excellent views of Mount Hunter and Mount Foraker. By 9:30 AM we were unclipping our carabiners and shaking hands at the "upper strip". Since it was the first clear day over the Alaska Range in some time and there was a lot of flying to be done, we had to wait our turn for a pickup. But waiting was pretty easy in such wonderful conditions... we rolled out sleeping pads and napped, threw snowballs, and nibbled at the last delicacies in what -until then- had been our carefully rationed lunch food. K2 Aviation landed two beautiful DeHaviland Otters at precisely 4 PM. Fifteen minutes later we slid down the runway and off the mountain that had been our home for 19 days.
The flight out in perfect summer weather -our first of the trip- was spectacular. A million shades of green dazzled our eyes as we left the mountains and neared Talkeetna. Then it was a few frenzied hours of drying and sorting gear in the hot sunshine. With the chores done, we got to the pleasant and easy hours of celebrating over a fine dinner at the West Rib Pub. And finally there was the obligatory visit to The Fairview where open mike night was already in progress. Our Norwegian teammate, Frode, took the stage and had the big stuffed animal heads rocking off the walls with his thundering rendition of Hootchie Cootchie Man. And that was how our Denali climb ended... Without a summit, but with a lot of laughter and twelve new friends.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Dave Hahn, thank you for the wonderful updates! I could almost hear the “peft, peft, peft” of the team’s steps in the snow. But thank you most of all for guiding the team home safely!
Posted by: Monica on 7/19/2012 at 2:41 pm
Hmmm…
Safe journey, safe homecoming.
Thank you for your posts. This last one
was pretty as a painting.
SOUL, Denise:.
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Seth Waterfall reached the summit of Mt. Rainier just after 7 am PT with 100% of their team! They reported light winds from the south and blue skies.
The Five Day Kautz Glacier Climb led by Jason Thompson also reached the summit this morning. They started their descent from the crater rim just after 7 a.m. The team will return to their High Camp for their final night on the mountain.
Congratulations to today's teams!
Hello from the Kahiltna Glacier! We woke to frigid temperatures on our first morning, with the temperatures reaching negative 25 F. Thankfully the sun came out to play and things quickly warmed up for us. We enjoyed our first day exploring the SE fork of the Kahiltna Glacier.
Everyone is doing great. We'll check in soon.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson
Brandi and Gilbert!! I can’t wait to get up there with you! Ill bring some CA sunshine and see you in just a few days!! I got all of us girls coordinated pee bottles! Cheers! Xoxo
Posted by: elizabeth on 5/6/2012 at 10:43 am
Hi Daddy (Brady) just read Rosie’s visitors (book) now. Making a habitat out of a tree branch I will show u my habitat. Hope u r having a good time miss u love u bye COME HOME SOON
Mom & Dylan want PREZZIES mine is optional.
No. I'm afraid there were no royal celebrations of summit success for us today as we began the morning getting up with guarded optimism that the clouds and wind above us would dissipate just enough to allow us to get in a summit bid. But that did not happen, and instead we retreated back to our tents after prolonging our time over breakfast in the Posh.
Unfortunately the clouds descended and eventually we were enveloped in wind and snow that just took some of the energy and motivation we needed to work on camp. So, instead we spent a restful morning in our tents, snug and warm from the elements just beyond the thin nylon fabric we rely so vitally on for our comfort and survival.
What do we actually do during these times while waiting for the weather to improve? Of course, reading, listening to music, playing games all come to mind, but simply catching up on sleep is huge. With winds buffeting our tents during the night, coupled with the excitement and anxiety that affects us all before a possible summit day, we can all use the downtime. In fact, it's the climber that deals with this forced inactivity well that tends to be the better climber. A capacity for patience is a hallmark of good expedition climbers.
But, I never thought that spending an entire day in the old fart sack helped you out much in terms of adjusting to the altitude, so when we got a nice break in the weather we went out and built the nicest bathroom on the mountain, walled and roofed, and ready for whatever the mountain throws at us. At least we'll take comfort knowing that, when that inevitable time comes, we'll be able to answer that call without sheets of wind blown snow covering our clothes and all too vulnerably exposed parts of our anatomy.
As for tomorrow, though the forecast calls for high winds what I'm seeing right now makes me think we have a chance. The winds have calmed and it's sunny and beautiful, with simply gorgeous views of the Alaska Range from our perch here just below the summit of the tallest peak in North America.
And now, some closing words from the poet laureate of the arctic, our own Lindsay Mann:
At 17 we stay
Wishing the wind away
Cutting blocks and sawing snow
People see out camp and say wow!
A ceiling for our bathroom was done
To give us privacy from everyone
Stories over dinner we share
cause team morale is still there
Hoping to get the summit
As soon as these winds plummet
But for now we sit tight
And wish for a beautiful night
Good night from Brent Okita, Leon and Lindsay
Please ensure this marvelous structure remains intact for the next two weeks. I hope to get the chance to witness such a fine piece of engineering with my own eyes.
Today was the day! The day we would move from Basecamp straight to Camp 2, or Nido de Condores as it is officially called here. Unfortunately, the wind still did not want to cooperate and the mountain was still going to make us work for every foot of elevation gain. We walked up hill through snow, sleet, grapple, and wind gusts that made us wobble. When the wind came, we put our heads down and persevered making great time to our gear cache at Camp 1. After adding some “training weight” to our packs we turned towards Camp 2, walking into more and more wind and snow. Aconcagua really didn’t want this trip to be an easy one, not that any of them are ever easy. After 5 1/2 hours and 4000 feet of elevation gain we strolled into camp feeling accomplished, but tired and of course very hungry. By the time we put up our tents the wind was giving us a break, but the snow how now doubled its efforts and dropping 6-7 inches of fluffy powder on us in a couple hours. We were all happy to be warm and cozy in our tents watching the snow fall and waiting for dinner to help warm our bellies. Once again, everyone on this team absolutely styled an incredibly difficult day. Arriving in camp smiling and feeling well despite the thin air here at 18,500 feet. Tomorrow is a rest day and hopefully a sunny one at that!
Beautiful Lines in a Sea of White
We had another stellar day today in the peaks off the Branscomb Glacier a couple of miles from Vinson Basecamp. There seems to be endless ski opportunities in this area - not surprising since we're on a continent almost entirely covered in snow and ice. But, what has been surprising is the quality of the snow we've found.
Often, we've heard, the conditions for skiing here in the interior are marginal, with variable crust and massive patches of rock-hard, blue ice covered by a thin veil of snow. Hit one of those with some speed and you're down for a home plate slide. Fortunately, some wind events recently, combined with the uncommon snowfall of early season, have created great conditions around Vinson Basecamp.
Today, we moved again to the beautiful ribs outside of camp in the late afternoon when the sun gets low and backlights the whole area. Peter, Seth, and Caroline skinned up to a great location below a terrifyingly big cornice; fortunately, their position was well-protected by a hug bergschrund just below the cornice, and gave safe access to good terrain below.
We all had a great 4 hours shooting under the low-Antarctic sun with perfect snow conditions. We skinned back to camp by 9:00 PM, had a stellar dinner, and started organizing gear again. Tomorrow, our Twin Otter arrives midday. We'll fly around Vinson for a bit, and then go off scouting for an unclimbed and unskied peak. With luck, the 16th will find us in new territory on an untouched peak in the Antarctic.
-Jake Norton
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall checks in after a ski day in Antarctica
The Four Day Summit Climb led by Jason Thompson reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team reported a beautiful day with clear views and winds at about 25 – 30 mph. They also reported that the route work recently done made for great climbing.
The Kautz seminar led by Mike Haugen also checked in this morning. The team topped out via the Kautz Route and began their descent at 9:15 a.m. Mike and team will stay on the mountain one more night and be back to Ashford tomorrow.
The Paradise Glacier Seminar led by Garrett Stevens is on day 3 of their 6-day seminar. They will spend two more days lower on the mountain before moving up to Camp Muir for their summit bid.
Beautiful day on the mountain!
Hey there, this is Adam Knoff and JJ Justman- Team Mexico. We're happy to say that we had a successful climb of Pico de Orizaba today with beautiful weather. But we did it the old-fashioned way, we earned it. It was not an easy climb. Seven hours just climbing up the mountain and four hours coming down so eleven hours round trip of constant movement. We're all very relieved to be back at Senor Reyes' compound where we will be having dinner and relaxing for the evening before flying out tomorrow. All is well and we're happy to be coming home to our loved ones. This is Adam and JJ signing off. Adios.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
RMI Guide Adam Knoff checks in after the team's Orizaba summit.
With fresh sheets and comfortable beds we slept soundly last night, enjoying the luxuries of town after being in the mountains for so long. After breakfast we headed out to explore Kislovodsk, walking through its broad pedestrian area and wandering in the large parks that cover town. Kislovodsk is known throughout Russia for its many mineral baths and is experiencing a rebirth in domestic tourism. The grand old buildings are being renovated and small touristy shops built of shiny glass and decorated with all sorts of neon lights line the streets of downtown. The parks and plazas were busy with sightseers, browsing the stalls of goods or getting their photo taken with eagles and owls now domesticated by enterprising locals. The contrast of Russia's past and present continues to show itself in this town and is a fascinating occurrence to be watching unfold.
We were all much in need of a mellow day to rest a bit after Elbrus and most of us took advantage of the rainy afternoon to sort our gear and sneak in a nap. Tomorrow morning we head back to Mineralnye Vody to catch our flight to St. Petersburg to visit the city before ending our adventures in Russia. We will check in tomorrow evening from the banks of the Neva River.
Mitch/Dad and Dion: We knew you would go great things!! We are very happy for you both. Can’t wait to hear stories and see photos. Woots & Dubs!! Connie, Kirby & Mac, Blaire, Scott
Posted by: Connie Barnhart on 7/29/2012 at 5:57 pm
Love You All Very Much Glad you made it this far with hopfully minor things Be safe going down Can’t wait for your safe trip home Mom & Dad I know your all in Gods hands
Posted by: mom & dad on 7/29/2012 at 4:11 pm
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