Most Popular Entries

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!

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 - 7:42 pm PT

What a day it was today! We were able to cache at 13,500 ft. The winds were calm all day, and the clouds were only below us, which created a sense of floating through the sky as we carried out gear up the mountain.

Now we are back at 11,000' Camp, all safe and sound!!

RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the RMI team

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Win Whittaker and the Five Day Summit Climb led by Lindsay Fixmer reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The teams were able to spend an hour on the summit before starting their descent. At 7:00 am they were approaching the top of Disappointment Cleaver on their descent. The weather is beautiful with clear skies, warm temperatures and light winds. Congratulations to today's summit climb teams!

Camp Muir reported that RMI Guides Brent Okita, Tyler Jones and the Five Day Summit Climb Team reached the Summit of Mt. Rainier at about 7am this morning. The team reported clear skies and absolutely beautiful climb weather. The team has started their descent and are en route to Camp Muir. We expect them back to RMI Base Camp this afternoon. This is the First Summit of the our 2014 summer season! Congratulations Teams!

Hard day of mountain climbing. We got up at five minutes to six this morning, excited that the sun was shining and the wind wasn't blowing. As we ate breakfast, we could see cloud moving in from the Northeast, but our hope was that we could climb before anything serious moved in. We set out from high camp at 8:15 and made good and steady progress. It was a tough day to dress for as everyone continually cycled from too hot to too cold and rarely spent any time being just right. We watched cloud caps forming and dissipating on the peaks as we gained altitude, but eventually the clouds just kept building on Vinson. We'd reached 15,340' with 700' to go... roughly two more hours to the top. But we couldn't do it. The winds had picked up and snow was flying and people were tired, so it was a lousy combination for tackling the exposed summit ridge in cold conditions. Down we went and into a cold headwind. As expected, life was a lot easier when we got out from under the cloud cap, and by the time we'd reached high camp we were back in blue skies and sunshine. Hard to come so close and come away without the summit... But we'll keep trying. We have more food, more fuel, more muscles and more ambition. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Merry Christmas One & All! We are enjoying the day relaxing at the Guanacos Camp on Aconcagua, resting before our last move to Camp 3 and summit push. There is a big of weather up high, but camp is sunny and pleasant. If things clear up tomorrow, then up we go! Cross your fingers for us dear friends! Thing of all you lowlanders today and can't want to reconnect when we descend. Enjoy the holidays amigos! RMI Guide Jake Beren

On The Map

The American Lung Association's Climb For Clean Air Team made a summit attempt of Mt. Rainier early today before low visibility and poor weather forced the team to turn. This team was led by RMI Guides Win Whittaker and JT Schmitt. Each team member commits a year to training and raising funds to support the American Lung Association’s mission of saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The team is currently at Camp Muir and will be heading back to Rainier Basecamp for an afternoon celebration. Congratulations to Today's Team!

The Four Day Climb Led by RMI Guides Walter Hailes and Josh McDowell reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team reported clear skies above the heavy marine layer sitting at 7000'. and very calm winds. Congratulations to today's team!

Today is number six on the mountain and the first solely designated to rest. As discovered on day one of our long journey together, having fun is as necessary as being organized, fit and compatible. This morning the gang was allowed to sleep until their natural alarm clock pulled them from dreams of family, beer and showers. Six inches of fresh snow blanketed our camp here at 11,000 feet so we were all pleased to be staying put. Once all gathered in our perfectly designed cook tent, two hours were killed flipping flap jacks and drinking coffee. Now we have moved on to lunch where singing every song to Michael Jackson's Thriller album has trumped all else. There is not an unhappy soul in the group. Mike would like to wish mamma and papa Uchal safe travels on their adventure to Russia and beyond. RMI Guide Adam Knoff

On The Map

Our Mt. Shuksan team is on the summit! We are taking in the beautiful weather and views as we relax before the descent. Couldn't ask for a better day to be on a mountain top. Great job team! RMI Guide Mike Walter