We had a calm night to begin our climb of Pico de Orizaba. The climb begins with a steep switch backing trail through an old moraine. After a few hours, we entered the labyrinth which was once covered by glacial ice about 25 years ago. Now, a polished slab rock that can be difficult to find your way through, hence its name. Once at the base of the Jamapa glacier, we put on our boots and crampons - 3.5 hours later and we were on top with a beautiful sunrise, summit pyramid shadow, and calm weather.
The whole group stood on top this morning, couldn’t have asked for more. It’s been a great week climbing here with an amazing group. Our local guide Alan and Servimont’s assistance always make these trips special for us.
We are back in town getting cleaned up, listening to rockets explode, drinking cold drinks and sorting gear for flights home tomorrow morning.
Today we fled the thin air of 17 camp for the more tolerable altitude of a mere 14,000 feet. It might seem easy but descending was anything but that. The team was definitely still in a energy and hydration deficit from summit day. So on weak, sore and wobbly legs we made our way down the West Ridge, slithered our way down the fix lines and groaned, moaned and hobble down the final hill into camp. Everyone quickly scurried into their tents for some much deserved rest. A hearty meal of bacon mac & cheese was swallowed with gusto and then off to early bed. We still have thousands of feet and many miles before we make it to the airstrip.
Michael!!! I heard of your summit and literally screamed! Love you so much and hear you guys are pacing back down the mountain. Love you so much, was on the phone with grandma just after we got the news of successful summit and grandma was so proud. We love you! Can’t wait to hear all about the experience. Prayers and safe travel vibes to you all. Congratulations team and love to you all!!!
100% on top!
Everyone reached the highest point of Europe.
The team did a wonderful job of taking care of themselves and climbed strong all day. We summitted just after 7am in pretty good weather with views of the Caucasus Mountains.
After everyone returned to camp, we had a quick lunch and then packed up to head down valley to our hotel at the base of the mountain.
Everyone is in high spirits and feeling great after some much needed hot showers.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the summit team!
A forest fire burning lower in the valley gave the skies a light haze this morning over Namche and we could catch glimpses of the smoke rising from the valley sides further down as we left our teahouse. It was warm as we walked out of Namche and descended the hill to the valley floor but by the time we reached the bottom, clouds crept up the valley to block out the sun. As we crossed the suspension bridge above the river the first few droplets of rain began to fall. Soon the rain was falling in force and thunder echoed in the mountains above, and the smoke from the fire began to dissipate. We walked through the villages below Namche, crossing back and forth across the river on suspension bridges, while the rain came and went. Before long thunder was rolling through with hardly a pause between claps and we sought refuge in the nearest shelter we could find, piling into a tiny shack on the side of the trail already full of porters also seeking refuge.
Sitting crammed in the one room building, we sipped some tea heated up on a fire nearby as the thunder and lightning passed over us and faded away higher up the valley. Once all we could hear was a light rain pattering on the roof we set out on the trail again, picking our way down the trail as we skirted the small streams and puddles forming in our path. We made steady progress back down the valley, finally pausing in the village of Phakding for lunch. The rain kept coming down and we sat around the stove in the teahouse doing our best to dry out as we ate lunch. When we set out and the rain was letting up; with every step we made closer to Lukla the clouds seemed to rise equally as well. Soon we could see the fresh snow covering the base of the peaks above and all of the fields around shone a brilliant green with the arrival of spring in the lower Khumbu Valley. The cherry trees, rhododendron, and piries janponica trees were all in full bloom - pink, red, and white flowers dotted the trees bordering the fields and we kept pausing to take it all in.
By late afternoon we climbed the final rocky steps of the trail and walked into Lukla. We found our teahouse and shed our packs and damp gear, finally reaching the end of the trail. We are happy to be warm and dry again after the many hours of walking in the rain today and if the weather cooperates and the clouds continue to lift we hope to catch an early morning flight back to Kathmandu tomorrow. It is a bit strange not to have more trail to cover tomorrow but we are excited to get back to Kathmandu and keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies so we can fly out!
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Having recently returned from an Aconcagua expedition, and having unpacked all my duffels, it was time to reflect on what I learned from the experience. I learned that I will never be called out for breathing like Darth Vader or for taking too many rest steps, resting spots are always further away than they initially appear (or are promised) and it is statistically impossible to pack too many gummies. In fact, learning the exact food preferences of your guides, and anticipating their needs before they become hypoglycemic (or just cranky) is key to any successful Aconcagua expedition. For instance, I am now equipped with the powerful knowledge that Steve is partial to sour worms, irrespective of the time of day or the altitude, and Mike has an aversion to any form of fruit and won’t touch chocolate on summit day. And you can never EVER pack too many tubes of Pringles. I will forever carry this insight with me on future climbs.
So what else did I learn? I admit that initially I had reservations about my ability to handle the rigors of an Aconcagua expedition, my “level” being best described as “enthusiastic”. I wondered whether I had sufficient experience to effectively prepare for an extended trip. I had deep concerns about my long-time nemesis, altitude, and how I would acclimatize “on schedule”. And I wondered if being a female climber (and therefore packing less than 200 pounds of pure muscle – a “lightweight”) would prove to be a limiting factor for a climb of this nature. As it turns out, picking rocks up and putting rocks down is not the most important expedition skill after all. In fact, as a female climber you probably innately possess many of the skills you will need.
It is precisely because your mindset is not that of muscling your way up the hill, that as a lightweight, you will appreciate that technique matters. You will quickly grasp that rest-stepping is a technique and not a pace. It is because you will be more open to learning how to do things differently that you will pay closer attention to what your guides are doing and follow their lead. It is true that stuffing your too large a sleeping bag into your too small a compression sack will always remain a fun, high altitude workout, however being inherently more detailed oriented, you are more likely to remember to weigh down the tent bag and keep a firm grasp on the tent while setting it up in hurricane-force winds so it doesn’t blow away into Chile, and to remember to double check that the tent fly is fully zipped so it doesn’t rip in the wind. Perhaps it is because you are more likely to be aware of your own limits that you will appreciate the value of thorough preparation, of perseverance and of thinking several steps ahead. You will naturally be more disciplined, and always purify your water, pack that extra layer and know where every item in your backpack is located. It is because you are more cautious by nature that you will take care of all the details (whether it is cold fingers or simply reapplying sunscreen). All these details will add up over the course of an expedition. Ultimately it is what is in your head that counts the most – your own sound judgment, your own inherent sense of self preservation, that only becomes more deeply ingrained with each climb, that will prove your most valuable expedition skill.
Aconcagua is set in a strikingly harsh environment. You will spend many hours scrambling over a glacier in a desert, as the mountain slowly reveals itself the higher you climb. You cannot take a bus to see it – there are no short cuts. You will only be privileged to see it if you climb it. It is hard. And it is worth it. It will be difficult to recall the exact moment when, reservations aside, it occurred to you that the expedition had been a success, and not only did you cope, but in fact you thrived. Perhaps it was the moment you mastered skiing down scree, or when you welcomed snow as now there was an easily accessible water source and an opportunity to strap on crampons, that you realized you had gone further than you ever thought you could. Maybe it was when you were completely at ease being tent-bound for 4 days at 18,000ft, wondering not if but when your tent would be shredded by the wind, or were content to spend an evening watching snow slide down the tent fly, mere inches from your face. Surely it was the moment you realized you were actually looking forward to ramen night (again!). No, it must have been when you thought nothing of foregoing the tent altogether, and were perfectly satisfied simply to lay down your bag among the rocks and the mule droppings, with a rock for a pillow and just count shooting stars and watch the moon rise beneath an Andean sky. Perhaps it was at that moment that Aconcagua had worked its magic, and you had fully assimilated into expedition life. It is at that juncture that you will realize, that despite being a lightweight, YOU DID IT!!!!! And you can start to dream of your next climb.
Rebecca R. - Aconcagua, February 2015
WOW!!! Every time I read your climb reports I feel like I’ve been there with you from your preparation to your climb to sitting in your tent with you. Well done on a fantastic insight on your experience, please keep on climbing and telling us land lubbers all about it.
Posted by: Sharon on 3/11/2015 at 3:36 am
CONGRATULATIONS!! Reads like a very meaningful experience. Excellent writing skills. Be proud of yourself for sure.
RMI Guides Jake Beren and Elias de Andres Martos led the Four Day Summit Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.
The team was reaching the crater rim just before 8 a.m. PT. It is a beautiful, sunny day with light to moderate winds.
The team will spend some time on top before starting their descent to Camp Muir. They will continue down to Paradise later this afternoon.
We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb!
Hey All,
This is a dispatch from the Shishapangma Team. We are all back to Advanced Basecamp and everyone is doing very well. Jake, Elias, Bridget and myself reached the summit on the 11th, Leon reached the summit on the 12th. We are all back at ABC packing up and heading to Kathmandu on Monday the 17th.
We will update you again soon.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
Today was a big day! Our first official rest day of the trip. After a few long hard pushes, we decided to sleep in and take the entire day to recover, and prep for the big carry tomorrow. We woke with the sun, and had a few rounds of breakfast burritos. After a leisurely breakfast, the remainder of the day was spent resting, recovering, reading and napping. Just before dinner we reviewed a bit of cramponing and ice axe techniques to prepare for the terrain above 11k Camp, and then rolled into an early dinner. Tomorrow we'll make our way towards 14k Camp to cache some food, and gear before returning to 11k Camp.
Saturday, June 15th, 2013
Today was a busy day at the roof of North America! Our team was first out of the gates from 17,200' camp, with a warm, windless departure at 8:00am. The first stretch of the route above camp is also one of the most technical and time consuming; it's called the "Autobahn" and takes a strong, committed team to single push across the steeply rising traverse to Denali Pass.
Our group crushed it, and we were enjoying the sun on the east side of the pass soon enough. The next few stretches went by relatively quickly, although nothing is lightning fast at 19,000'. By the time we reached the Football Field, a flat saddle just below the summit ridge, we were down to base layers and light gloves. Considering the fierce reputation that Denali has for arctic temperatures and raging wind, we consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have had a such an incredible day.
The last climb up Pig Hill was taxing our legs and our lungs, and just when folks had had enough we reached the final summit ridge. Forty minutes later, our team put the highest point of the continent under their crampons, amid much hugging and celebration.
The trip back down was uneventful, albeit hot. The sun roasted our tired crew all the way back to camp. But as soon as we got back, folks were out of boots and into tents, resting and relaxing as we brought hot water and heaping helpings of ramen with bacon and chicken. We're ready for the long trip back to base camp, but that's for another day. Right now, we're savoring the day's events and getting ready for some well earned sleep. Thanks again and we'll check back in soon!
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
RMI Guide Tyler Jones and the team from the Mount McKinley summit!
Congratulations Lori and team members. Great job to the guides who encouraged and fed you and got you to your goal. Dad and I haven’t had internet service for days and have had to rely on Dad’s cell phone. Thus, I wasn’t sending you encouragement in words, but you were never far from our thoughts. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR VOICE. Love you, mom and dad.
Posted by: Fern Hansen on 6/16/2013 at 10:07 am
Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice work Chickie and team. Congrats to you all.
Hola from Camp 1 on Aconcagua!
We had a good stroll up to 16,500' under clear skies but with a fair bit of wind all day. The team handled the conditions very well and we made efficient work of the stretch. Once at camp we settled in, pitching tents in two big teams to make sure we didn't lose one of our precious homes. Since arriving, the winds have died down a little and our most recent forecast reflects our observations for the next few days!
Looking good from up here in the atmosphere.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Spectacular pics of your Christmas vacation, brother Trev. I’ll eat turkey, you push to the top. Can’t wait to hear all about it. Stay safe. Love you, viv
-640x480.jpg)
.jpg)
Hey Mike!
It was Awesome following along! Great job!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 11/13/2022 at 3:54 am
View All Comments