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The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Bryan Mazaika reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:15 am today. Dave reported excellent conditions and the Ingraham Direct route is in great shape. The teams spent about an hour on the summit celebrating and enjoying the views. They are on the descent and will reach Paradise later this afternoon.

Congratulations Team! 

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Mike King and Avery Parrinello reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 4:30 am today. Mike reported 40 mph winds, clear skies, and a good climbing route. The team is in route to Camp Muir where they will take a well-deserved rest break, pack up and descend to Paradise. Then its back to Rainier Basecamp in Ashford, WA for burgers, cold drinks, and a little team celebration. 

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

Sunday May 22, 2022 – 3:21pm PT

We're enjoying another rest day in Genet Basin at 14,200'. The weather is pretty agreeable down here: light cloud cover and calm wind. Lenticular cloud caps have formed over Denali and Foraker, indicating higher winds aloft.

Our team is in a good position, rested, acclimated, and with a cache established up high. Now we're on standby for a favorable weather window to allow us to move to high camp and have a shot at the summit. The forecast is not terrible, but there are a series of disorganized low-pressure systems moving in from the NW. We're optimistic that there will be a break between systems and well get some good climbing weather.

Until then, we're comfortably enjoying the views, the rest, the snacking, and the comradery. We'll keep you posted on our status as we monitor the weather trends and receive forecast updates. We'll be in touch again tomorrow.

RMI Guide Mike Walter

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - 11:11 pm PT

All present and accounted for in Talkeetna, Alaska.  Most of us came together in the Anchorage airport this afternoon.  Some traveled today, others in the proceeding days. We joined forces for the van ride up to Talkeetna under overcast and sometimes rainy skies.  We busted up the three hour drive with a pause in Wasilla to round out provisions.  All of this got us in to Talkeetna by about 7 PM.  We did an easy evening of pizza downtown and came back for a rest at the Swiss Alaska Inn.  The real business of the expedition starts tomorrow morning. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Update 3:44 pm ART time, 10:44 am Pacific time The team woke up this morning at 4:30 am to clear skies and no wind, so it was time to head to the upper mountain. The weather remained on our side all the way up and down, giving us excellent views from the top. Also fresh snow from the night before meant we were breaking trail through shin-deep powder up high. As soon as we got back to camp, a thunder storm had us hiding in the tent. We will stay here at high camp one more night before we descend back to Base Camp. RMI Guide Ben Liken RMI Guide Ben Liken called with great news this morning. His team reached the Aconcagua summit this morning at 11:45 a.m. local time! They climbed strong and were one of the first teams on top. They really lucked out as the winds were starting to increase. The plan is to head down to Base Camp shortly. Congratulations!

On The Map

Today the team left Nepal and flew to Lhasa the capitol of Tibet. It was an amazing flight that gave us some great views of the mountains. The cloud layer was pretty high, maybe around 25,000', but we were able to see Cho Oyu, Mt Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. Pretty remarkable to see 4 of the 6 highest mountains in the world on one flight. We had a smooth transition through customs and headed straight to our hotel. It was a big jump in altitude today, leaving the 6,000' of Kathmandu for the 12,000' of Lhasa. We will be spending the next few days here taking it easy while our bodies adjust to the new altitude. Lhasa is a big city with a diverse mix of ancient and modern lifestyles. There are many Buddhist monks here and it seems strange to see them in such a modern landscape. After getting settled into our hotel, we headed out for dinner and had some real Chinese food (I had mixed fried rice). Everyone is happy to be here and we are excited for this adventure. We are planning to stretch our legs tomorrow while we explore this beautiful city.

Why do we climb mountains? It’s a pretty common question anybody in the mountain community gets asked. The beauty of the answer is that for each of us, it’s different. There is a common thread though. Being in the mountains, for all its tropes about toughness, grit, and partial insanity,  is uniquely vulnerable. Among the towering peaks and grand vistas it’s easy to feel small and that’s what we like about it. When you step out the door for an expedition you don’t know if you’ll come back successful, but the unknown and discomfort in each step is the allure that draws us back again and again. We find truths  about ourselves in the discomfort and vulnerability of mountain life that we can’t tap into in our everyday lives. The real truth is,  that being comfortable is overrated, and being vulnerable, the opposite. We summitted Aconcagua today. It was the best summit day I’ve ever had on the mountain. Windy, shaded traverses, that usually get my toes numb just thinking about them, were calm and warm (ish). Instead of hiding behind a buff or neoprene face mask to save skin, it was swapped with sun screen and lip balm. We made our way up the Stone Sentinel slowly, but surely, and stood atop at around 2:30pm local time. We were likely the highest people touching earth at the time. As we descended the clouds came in and by the time we were back in the safety of our tent we were happy to not hold that title any longer. Thunder, lightning, grapple the size of marbles started as soon as the last zipper zipped. We had timed the day perfectly. We will sleep well tonight, or as well as you can at 19,600 ft. Tomorrow we will descend to Basecamp and enjoy the food, warmth, and company.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

After a much need night of sleep in sheets and a good shower, we woke to the sultry sounds of automobiles, street vendors, university students, and music in the colorful city of Puebla. It always feels like going back in time walking up to buildings and streets built by skilled hands several millennia ago. We grubbed on a good breakfast of mole poblano and cafe con leche, then dispersed to make the most of our day out of synthetic apparel and climbing boots and proudly donned our flip flops with cotton. Some of us toured a world renown ceramic factory while others wandered the bright Zocola after getting a massage to work out the kinks from the previous climb. As usual the colonial hamlet of Puebla did not disappoint, and we found ourselves basking in the glow of a rest day earned. 

RMI Guide Alan Davis

Hello, We are back in the big city of Namche Bazaar. What a great shower! The feet are a bit tired but here in Namche life is sweet. In fact we just finished our lunch at the bakery topped off with some apple strudel. What a whirl wind it has been since we left Everest Base Camp. Seems to me that once you get above 15,000' time goes by a bit quicker. We had a grand time at Base Camp. So fun to show the team my office for the weeks to come. We had great training at the base of the Khumbu Ice Fall, such a historic setting and perfect location for technical ice climbing training and team dynamics for the Island Peak climb. Our travel from one amazing valley to another went without a hitch, once in the Imja Khola Valley with views of Island Peak, the excitement level rose. The storm we had to deal with at Island Peak Base camp was felt throughout the region. Although the conditions on the route were less than perfect, the night we went for the summit was pretty nice. The moon was so bright I didn't need my headlight till we were higher up into the tight rocky area. It is such a unique experience to climb at heights like these in the middle of the night surrounded by bitter cold, working hard and breathing hard with every step. Why do I call this fun? Tough to express what a special time we had looking out at the high Himalaya watching the sunrise at over 19,000'. With so much earth below but amazed at how much still loomed above was hard to take in. It's been a long march in the last three days to get here. We were just ahead of the big seasonal traveler push up to Everest on the way in, but now it is peak time for large groups. It's been fun to see lots of old friends going up to Everest Base Camp. After all these miles with no feet problems, my toes go out to Jeremy Foust and the crew at Whittaker Mountaineering for the fantastic job they did fitting me with a great pair of Asolo trekking boots and LaSpotiva climbing boots. Thanks so much. It's not over yet. We are off to Lukla tomorrow and flights for John and Kim the day after. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

On The Map