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Mt. Everest Expedition: The Team’s Puja Ceremony

April 8, 2013

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

This day had auspicious written all over it. Our Sirdar Lam Babu consulted the Tibetan calendar and made a few calls. This was the day for our Puja ceremony. A lama was brought up from Pangboche and our Puja alter was made ready. Today was the day for the entire team to get together for a Buddhist ceremony asking the gods to look favorably on our expedition. The Pangboche lama was actually pretty busy as several other teams were similarly in need of blessing. The drums started beating and the cymbals started clashing for ours just after lunch on another big blue sky day. A number of Sherpas from neighboring teams joined us in our celebration. There were chants and prayers and various offerings of juniper smoke, food and drink. There were a number of things tossed into the sky and onto each other, principally rice and tsampa (barley flour) and a little chiang -a lightly fermented homemade rice wine with bits of orange. The climax of the ceremony begins with the Puja mast going up with strings of brightly colored prayer flags going out in all directions from it. Finally we all stand and toast each other, shake hands and ask each other to be careful on this climbing trip. The birds certainly enjoy the day as a whole flock of black Himalayan Chuffs (a little smaller than a crow) descend to get the spare offerings. We also enjoyed watching smaller sparrow and finch types joining in the festivities. Most retired to the tents for a post puja nap for the remainder of the afternoon. Tomorrow we will put the spikes on and go for a walk on the glacier. Slowly but surely, out bodies are catching up to this altitude and soon we'll be ready for some hard climbing. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Mt. Rainier: Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir Training Up High

September 26, 2012

Posted by: Brent Okita, JJ Justman, Solveig Waterfall, Zeb Blais

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 10,060'

RMI Guides Brent Okita and J.J. Justman are leading the Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir this week. The team hiked to Camp Muir on Monday and has spent several days training at the 10,060' camp. Today the team is receiving instruction on crevasse rescue techniques. The weather has been clear with warm temperatures. We hope the weather holds for their summit attempt tonight. Good luck to the team!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

hi . my name is mike . i am brand new to the area from georgia, and a through hiker of the appalachian trail, to my surprise these mountains are nothing like im used to ;) trying to find info about hiking rainer hopefully in the peak season of 2013 . any info or traing etc.. would be very helpfull. thanks . happy hiking

Posted by: mike harris on 1/11/2013 at 10:57 am

Wishing the team much success. A special SHOUT OUT to Phil Goss from the Trustmark Clan - we’re all rooting for ya’ Phil!

Posted by: Lorena Reyes on 9/27/2012 at 6:19 am

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Technology Ready for Camp 2 Move

April 27, 2012

Posted by: Mark Tucker

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

Gearing up for the Camp 2 move. I took some time with Kumar and Lam to check electrical equipment including a base-type radio communication station. All is in good order now, we will see how it goes over the next while. Cold and altitude are always tough on that equipment let alone the moving from camp to camp always has takes some toll. Our Sherpa team is hard at work at Camp 2 and a couple will stay the night to get it ready for Dave and crew to move up soon. Where is the mocha? Photos from my Internet location out in the middle of the glacier. It's not Starbucks but the view can't be beat. A bit of a hassle to get there but compared to what we had as cell service in the past, this is great. We still use the satellite communication for many things, but the price is a lot more. Back in 1990 the sat phone was a good size suite case. The price per minute was 20 to 30 dollars. At least some things have gotten cheaper. The cell towers in Gorak Shep have been pretty reliable as of late and it is so nice to be able to stay in touch with all of you on a consistent basis. With that in mind, fret not if we miss a dispatch here and there, just blame it on tough circumstances that prevail now and again. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

Denali Expedition: Schmitt & Team Bump all Gear to 11,000ft Camp

May 23, 2022

Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,000'

Sunday, May 22, 2022 - 10:15 pm PT

Back carry day.

Today was a little more relaxed than the last few, although we still got up early to beat the heat. We walked downhill to retrieve our gear from our cache, with commanding views of Foraker and Crosson. We were back at 11,000ft Camp by 11 in the morning and spent the rest of the day eating pancakes and reviewing mountaineering skills.

Weather permitting we hope to cache as close to 14,000' camp as we can tomorrow!

Thanks for following along.

RMI Guides JT, Jackson, Matias and the RMI team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Woop woop! Awesome work everyone and lots of love to Sam and Clare!

Posted by: Caleb Huntington on 5/23/2022 at 1:39 pm

Amazing photos. And glad for the sunshine and great progress. Houstons are glued to the blog!

Posted by: AMY HOUSTON on 5/23/2022 at 9:38 am

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Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Weighing Their Options

July 15, 2012

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Solveig Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

We were up early... but that didn't do much good. The clouds snuck in again overnight and by morning it was socked in and starting to snow at 14,200 ft. For a few hours, we held out the hope that conditions would improve, but we had no such luck. The two other guided teams at 14 decided they'd seen enough and by late afternoon they packed up and took off for Windy Corner, the Kahiltna and the airstrip. We bid them goodbye, wished them good luck and turned to look at a virtually empty camp. Now, the only other team trying to climb is made up of three Danish guys in a tent about 100 ft away. Our team is in surprisingly good spirits despite the roller coaster of yesterday's fresh hopes and today's bleak realities. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but we can't wait for all that many more tomorrows. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Brian,

I hope the weather allows for more progress for climbing today. Stay safe, focus on the destination, but enjoy the journey! We send our love! Inez and Ian

Posted by: Inez Bulatao on 7/16/2012 at 3:38 am

Dr. K.
We are awe inspired by your bravery and sense of adventure! Can’t wait to see you again, best of luck to you and your team. Hang in there, we know you will make it to the top, we are sending you light and love! Have fun in the tent! We love you and miss you! -Track A2 (the best track)

Posted by: Track A2 on 7/15/2012 at 6:53 pm

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RMI Guide Brent Okita Summits Mt. Rainier for the 500th Time

June 8, 2016

Posted by: Brent Okita

Categories: Guide News Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

On Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 2:02 p.m. PDT, RMI Guide Brent Okita reached the summit of Mt. Rainier for the 500th time, becoming only the second person to reach this exclusive milestone. Brent; along with RMI Guides Leah Fisher and Christina Dale, Peter Dale and Aaron Mainer; ascended Mt. Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route. It was a windy day on the summit but the team took time to celebrate at Columbia Crest. After many hugs and photos were exchanged, they traversed to Liberty Cap for their ski descent of the Edmunds Headwall. Brent described his 500th summit and ski descent as “one of the coolest days of my life!” To put this in perspective, Brent has logged over 9,000,000 vertical feet on Mt. Rainier throughout his 30-year career. “Brent is a mentor, leader, and above all an inspiration to all mountaineers,” said Peter Whittaker, owner of RMI. “The fact that Brent has challenged himself on this mountain for 30 years and successfully summited Rainier 500 times is extraordinary. Even more amazing, Brent continues to climb at the pace of a 20-year-old guide and will likely climb Rainier another 20 times this summer...his endurance and fitness are unmatched.” Brent, 55, has worked at RMI since 1986 as a professional climbing instructor and guide, leading teams of climbers on ascents of Mt. Rainier. In that time, he has also reached the summit of Mt. Everest (via the North Side) and led over two dozen RMI guided parties up 20,310’ Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. Other ascents to his credit include Vinson Massif (Antarctica), and several expeditions to the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps (Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Jungfrau). Setting records is not Brent’s motivation; his 500 summits of Mt. Rainier are a natural consequence of his tenure with RMI and dedication to the sport of mountaineering. With no thoughts of retirement, Brent plans to continue guiding climbers on Mt Rainier and Denali for the foreseeable future. In the winter months he pursues his love of skiing, working for Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol. He and wife, Julie, make their home in Enumclaw, WA, where they enjoy bicycling and hiking. Congratulations Brent!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Well done, Big Bro!! The family is all proud of you ... again!

Posted by: Brad Okita on 6/15/2016 at 8:57 pm

Awesome Brent, I remember when you first started guiding for RMI. Congratulations on your alpine achievements, I wish I was there to ski the Edmunds with you, snow is going fast in the Tetons so will head to the Winds on days off. Peace and much Love, Bill Moe/ former Paradise/ Muir Ranger/ Teton Helitack USFS, Jackson Wyoming

Posted by: Bill Moe on 6/10/2016 at 10:26 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry to Windy Corner

May 23, 2012

Posted by: Billy Nugent

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,300'

Woke up today to splitter (blue) skies and warm temps! The original forecast was for a snowstorm to hit the range sometime today but it didn't appear that way to us this morning. The incorrect forecast was great news for us and we were able to push a load of supplies up around Windy Corner this afternoon. The crew made it back down to camp at 11,000' in time to soak up a bunch of afternoon sun. Needless to say our tans are coming along nicely with all of this good weather. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we plan on picking up camp and heading up to 14,000'. The team is climbing great and in great spirits! Wish us luck on a big day tomorrow... RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hey SENIOR! Haha good luck on the mountain must be freezing up there while its a horrible 100 degrees back in Tucson :b. Well I drove my bros to pinetop without crashing I think Im ready for my drivers test! Anyway God bless you SENIOR everyone misses you down almost 14,000 feet! From the JUNIOR

Posted by: Junior on 5/25/2012 at 7:31 pm

I love you so much, mom. I was crying about it five minutes ago. Maybe Im on a sugar high from mission carnival. Sherman

Posted by: Sheena on 5/25/2012 at 6:48 pm

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Ruth Glacier Seminar: Delaney & Team Pack Gear in Talkeetna, Get Ready to Fly

May 4, 2023

Posted by: Jack Delaney, Mike Bennett

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Seminar

Elevation: 348'

Thursday, May 3, 2023 - 1:49 AM PT

Howdy folks!

We awoke this morning to big fat snowflakes slowly meandering down from gray skies. To say the least, we were not optimistic for our chances to fly into the Ruth Glacier. That was not an issue for us though because we had plenty to do today. We did a full gear check, organized group supplies, wandered around town, and got weighed in for our (eventual) flight. We were completely ready to roll by noon. Sadly the snow fall increased in intensity as the day went on. After lunch we went dived into refreshing and learning all the various knots that are important for climbing and mountaineering. This training session took us right up till dinner where we enjoyed pizza at Mountain High Pizza Pie. The team then decided to meander over to the one and only Fairview Bar for Open Mic Night. It was a splendid evening that did not disappoint (see photo). Spirit remain high for our chances to fly out tomorrow!

Wish us luck?

RMI Guides Jack, Mike and the Team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hi everyone! Another night with the spirits. Darn—lol. It was only 2 degrees warmer here in Portland OR today. Electric blanket weather

Posted by: Susan on 5/4/2023 at 10:10 pm

the people want to see this attached photo!!!

hope the weather lets up soon!

Posted by: Corey on 5/4/2023 at 7:50 am

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Mt. Rainier: Climbing Team reaches Summit

May 3, 2021

Posted by: Eric Frank, Hannah Smith

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guides Eric Frank and Hannah Smith led a team of climbers with the Inspiration4 Team to the summit of Mt. Rainier today. The teams enjoyed nice conditions on the mountain and a direct route via the Ingraham Direct.

Congratulations to the Inspriation4 Team!

Cotopaxi Express: Whittaker & Team Return to Quito, Depart for Home

January 11, 2019

Posted by: Peter Whittaker, Jess Matthews

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Thursday, January 10th, 2019 10:00 pm PT It always seems to happen so fast. At the beginning of the trip our big objective felt far away, and each day brought anticipation of the new sights and experiences Ecuador would provide. But as soon as we pointed our crampons downhill from the summit, everything seemed to fast forward. Before we knew it we were gathered together in a warm, dry lodge with cold beers in hand at the base of Cotopaxi deliriously recounting the previous (beer-less and not very warm) 12 hours. Refreshed from deep sleep, and with the help of coffee we began to retrace our route back to the city. Cobblestone roads transformed into pavement, and conversation wandered to flight itineraries and last chances to purchase souvenirs. Then just like that we were back in the heart of Quito amidst the sights and sounds of city life wondering if our climb was really just a dream. After arriving, we visited a nearby artisan market and some headed to explore the old town. We gathered one last time tonight for a celebratory team dinner - we couldn’t leave without eating more empanadas! By now we’ve all started making our way home to loved ones armed with stories of adventure and visions of ones to come. Thanks for following along! RMI Guides Peter Whittaker, Jess Matthews and Team

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Most Popular Entries

Mt. Everest Expedition: The Team’s Puja Ceremony

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir Training Up High

Mt. Everest Expedition: Technology Ready for Camp 2 Move

Denali Expedition: Schmitt & Team Bump all Gear to 11,000ft Camp

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Weighing Their Options

On The Map

RMI Guide Brent Okita Summits Mt. Rainier for the 500th Time

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry to Windy Corner

On The Map

Ruth Glacier Seminar: Delaney & Team Pack Gear in Talkeetna, Get Ready to Fly

Mt. Rainier: Climbing Team reaches Summit

Cotopaxi Express: Whittaker & Team Return to Quito, Depart for Home

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