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Today is a beautiful and sunny day in Pheriche, at 14,200 feet. So many of the tea houses look and feel the same along the trek, it is easy to forget exactly where we are, but as I walked down the narrow dirt path after breakfast, I could feel exactly where I was. My lungs started moving a little faster and I could feel my heart rate increase, even with my slow steps on the relatively flat trail. As my nostrils expanded to take in the available oxygen I remembered that I am now at high altitude. I know, some of you that live just above sea-level are thinking that we have been at high altitude all along, but it is here that my physiology now agrees with that. Between 8,000 and 14,000 feet our bodies are undergoing some major changes to compensate for the increasingly more obvious loss of atmospheric pressure. Today, my lungs have to work a little harder, and my heart is pumping a little faster to get all of the new red blood cells around my body. I am thankful for all of the things that my body is doing to adjust to living in a world with less atmospheric pressure to keep all of the oxygen molecules within my breaths grasp, but mostly I am thankful to the red blood cells. They are the porters of my blood, carrying around all of the oxygen my lungs will grab onto. If all things go well, my blood pH will alter, and that will increase my respiratory rate telling my lungs that they need to expand and contract more times to achieve the same effect that they had at my house in Idaho. My blood will produce more of those invaluable little porters (the red blood cells) so that every time my ventilation is effective (the simple mechanical act of air rushing into my lungs) respiration will be effective (the actual exchange of gases deep inside my lungs) and then perfusion can happen (the red blood cells delivering the oxygen to all of my tissues). It makes me feel a little tired just to write that, I can only imagine how my body is feeling repeating this cycle over multiple thousands of times per day. When put this way, it is easy to see why we need so many rest days. Our bodies need to get used to this exhaustive act at this elevation before being challenged by the next increase in elevation. Today, the team feels good. As I look around at Dave doing crosswords, Seth reading Rolling Stone and Erica sipping tea I can tell that they are all acclimatizing well. There are a variety of reasons that one might not acclimatize so well, and surprisingly, the reasons are not so easy to predict. Some people have a physiological make up that slows the adjustments inside of their body as they get higher in elevation. It is hard to find a correlation between this response and much of anything- especially fitness. There are of course some more obvious factors that will prevent your body from getting all that work done. If someone is sick already, maybe even just a head cold, the body is already working overtime and it decreases the resources that can be used for altitude acclimatization. The same is true if someone is dehydrated or under extreme physical exertion. That is certainly part of the reason that we take a nice even pace on our move days, we don't want our hearts and lungs fighting to keep up, because eventually they will not be able to catch up with us, and will let us know. Likely in the form of acute mountain sickness. Acute mountain sickness is usually the first sign from your body that you need to slow down and stay at the elevation you are currently acclimatized to. Basically, your physiology is saying 'hey, wait for me!'. Consider this a warning, because your body will be persistent if you do not listen, and give you a louder reminder, one that you cannot ignore. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) can start with a variety of symptoms, the most common being a headache. It can be hard to know if it is from dehydration or sun or actually the altitude. If I am at a new elevation and I do experience a headache, I will start by drinking 1/2 a liter of water and consciously taking a few extra deep breaths as I rest. That first altitude headache often sets in after a day of moving and then coming to rest. While moving, we are naturally breathing a bit harder than when at rest. Once that movement stops and our respirations drop the whole process slows, making your brain a little hungry for some more oxygen. I don't mind taking little Ibuprofen or Excedrin for this headache, but I am very aware that the medication is what is making the headache go away, not the fact that the problem is gone...I will keep alert for other signs of AMS. My dinner might look horrible (lack of appetite), I might feel a little more tired than normal (lassitude), the room may spin as I toss my cookies (nausea and vomiting). If I stand to walk and feel uncoordinated or dizzy (ataxia) I know that it is time to act. Actually, I might not know that it is time to act if my mental status is decreasing, that really is one of the great dangers of AMS. Fortunately, I am traveling with an amazing team and we are all looking out for the signs that someone isn't acclimatizing well. So, what to do if these symptoms appear? Well, the best thing would be to descend 2000-3000 feet. As you go down in elevation, the positive effects are almost instant. At just a few thousand feet lower, I can start to feel better. The key now is to rest at this elevation and let my body catch up before going higher again. It also helps to hike a few thousand feet during the day, but sleep at the same altitude for a few nights. That gives my body a chance to taste a higher altitude while still recovering at a lower one (you will notice this once we embark on our climbing schedule at 'extreme altitude'). High altitude illness will not likely go away without some action from you (DESCENT)! Conversely it often progresses and gets worse. You can get swelling and fluid accumulation in your brain that will cause further changes in your level of consciousness, possibly even causing you to go unconscious or stop breathing. That is called cerebral edema, a brain injury caused by increased intracranial pressure secondary to swelling in the brain. It can even look a lot like a stroke or traumatic brain injury, just with a different cause. This is a serious and life threatening emergency, and this person needs descent (which can be complicated if they aren't conscious), oxygen and steroids to decrease the swelling in the brain. Bad news bears. The other life threatening altitude emergency is pulmonary edema, which is fluid build up in the lungs. As the pressure outside decreases, the pressure inside of our pulmonary vessels increases and sometimes the leak into the spaces in our lungs that are vital for gas exchange. This is basically a pneumonia and will cause difficulty breathing, and difficulty absorbing the oxygen (which could precipitate cerebral edema). This is another one where we need immediate descent and oxygen as well as some medications that can reduce the causes of the fluid build up. Here in Pheriche there is a medical clinic staffed and run by the Himalayan Rescue Association. There are western trained doctors working there (often volunteering time away from their own medical practices). This clinic is open to climbers, trekkers and porters. They do an altitude talk each afternoon and they do an amazing job educating people on the above mentioned dangers and the importance of listening to your body and being conservative. As a medical professional, I am thankful that the clinic is here. So many people feel sick and assume they just needed to do more training when realistically, their bodies aren't adjusting to the altitude. The clinic helps to educate people and reduce the trepidation about descending if you aren't feeling well. Our group is experienced, yet that doesn't guarantee that we are safe from altitude illness. What it does do is ensure that we are paying attention, and we have created a schedule that will allow our bodies to physiologically adjust to the rigors we are presenting. So today, as I watch Dave complete crosswords with impressive speed, Seth is reading Rolling Stone and Erica excitedly orders and eats her second helping of food for the day, I can say we are looking pretty good physiologically, and it is a beautiful day at 14,200 feet in Pheriche.

Well folks, a lot has happened over the last 48 hours and I'm sorry to have been keeping you waiting. June 1, we woke up to somewhat clearing skies at 14,000' Camp and decided to pack up and get as far downhill as we could. Aside from an interesting GPS guided tour through an area known as the "Polo Field" the weather held out and we made it all the way back to the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier where we began our trip. We arrived just before midnight and quickly set up our tents, had a quick dinner and went to sleep with dreams of flying out the next morning. Well those dreams came true. This morning we woke to the sound of camp bustling with life when clear skies and the sound of basecamp manager Lisa's voice booming through the early morning with warnings that we should start getting ready to fly off. A few hours later we were in the sky heading towards Talkeetna. The trip has finally come to an end. It's been a fantastic three weeks here in the great Alaska Range and its bittersweet to see it end. We'll meet up for one last team dinner tonight before going our separate ways tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for following along. It's been a wild ride! RMI Guide Steve Gately

Tashi Delek! All is well here in Namche Bazaar. We're having a great time so far on the trek into base camp. This morning we slept in a little bit and had a nice long breakfast. After that we hit the trail for an acclimatization hike to the villages of Khumjung and Kunde. Khumjung is the home of one of the Hillary schools and kids from all over the area walk there every day to attend class. The villages all looked nice and tidy as the fields have all been freshly tilled and the yaks are all gone up the valley carrying gear for the expeditions. We were able to catch a couple of glimpses of Lhotse and Nuptse but Everest was in the clouds all day. That was OK though as Ama Dablam and Thomserku were out and looking very proud. The team members are all doing well and are getting progressively more psyched as we head up the valley. Tomorrow we will spend another day in Namche acclimatizing before we move on. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

On The Map

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

On The Map

The Five Day Summit climb led by RMI Guides Walter Hailes and Josh McDowell took advantage of the weather and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 9:30 am today. Josh reported warm temperature with winds of about 35 mph. The team will descend to Camp Muir where they will spend another day on the mountain and descend to Paradise tomorrow. Congratulations to today's team!

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.

Well hello, Mark Tucker checking in. Here in the living zone. Lots of trees, air's so thick you can cut it with a knife. The whole team is already in the rack. 7:30! What's that all about? We had a big day, a very successful day. Everybody can take a big, deep breath. All the team is here and doing well. Fantastic! I can start to relax a little bit. We've got a few hours left on the hill tomorrow but overall, we are looking great. Happy times, great dinner, early breakfast and we'll have a nice program with the team here that has been supporting us. Donate a bunch of gear and cash in their direction. They've done a fantastic job supporting us. Not that we couldn't do this without those 56 men that have helped us a long the way. So we are all looking forward to singing a song with them in the morning. So all is well. We'll keep in touch. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Win Whittaker and Pete Van Deventer were unable to make their summit attempt due to lightening strikes and rain throughout the night. The teams stayed safely tucked in at Camp Muir. They will begin their descent to Paradise later this morning.

Friday, June 27, 2025 10:38 pm PDT

Dispatch 14.2 – Storm Day 2

As forecasted, today was a better day. It was sunny and calm… and we didn’t go climbing. The guide team felt that the recent snowfall needed at least one good sunny day to settle and reduce the avalanche hazard. As it turned out, all other teams on the mountain came to a similar conclusion—no teams moved today.

We ended up making pretty good use of the day, though. We roped up and took a field trip to the Edge of the World! Since we are camped in the middle of a large glacial basin, it’s easy to forget just how high we’ve already climbed. A short walk to the edge is a quick reminder. It was thrilling today to climb a rock at the edge and look down a few thousand feet to the Kahiltna Glacier—where we camped a while back.

Back at camp, Calvin gave a well-received instructional session on avalanche beacons, and Sam put all his culinary skill into boiling water for our freeze-dried dinner.

We hope to carry up onto the Buttress tomorrow.

– RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Day 1 -

We're all excited to have finally gotten our climb going. After months, and in some cases years, of anticipation of this adventure, day 1 is almost over. 

Driving through the lush agricultural zone low on the flanks of Kilimanjaro we finally arrived at the start of our climb, the Machame Gate. Light rain was falling as we debarked the bus that brought us here, but stopped by the time we started hiking. Five hours later we arrived, the group showing strong form on this first day. 

Camp had been set up and awaited our arrival, a stark change to what many of us are used to. Following this, tea time and popcorn then a great dinner. 

The highlight so far was the wonderful cake that was so carefully brought to camp to recognize Thomas's 20th birthday, accompanied by the excellent singing of our guides as they presented this special recognition of a special person. Thanks Naiman, Tosha, Alfred and the rest of the crew

We're looking forward to going higher tomorrow. To Shira Camp!!!

Day 2 -

Shira Camp!

We walked out of the light clouds and drizzle of Machame Camp forward to gaining some elevation and rising above the rain forest. Although it took a little while we finally broke out of the clouds and into the sunshine we've been missing since arriving to Tanzania.

Everyone crushed our 5 hour hike to camp. The last hour we were treated to our first view of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s summit area. The Western Breach was impressive and allowed us to see the general direction we’ll be climbing over the next few days,

We’re looking forward to tomorrow where we’ll reach a high point of 15,000’ before descending down to Barranco Camp at 13,000’. A perfect day for acclimatizing.

We’ll talk soon from Barranco Camp!

RMI Guide Brent Okita