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Posted by: Jack Delaney, Joe Hoch, Evan Sather
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Our first Kautz seminar called in from the top of Mt. Rainier this morning! RMI guide Joe Hoch reported a sunny day despite the cold, windy weather surrounding them.
The team is on their descent to camp tonight and will return to Basecamp tomorrow afternoon.
Congrats climbers!
Posted by: Leon Davis, Mike King, Pete Van Deventer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Congrats on the climb. D.H. you’re the energizer bunny of climbing. I can still see the poster of Everest you had in your dorm room and you saying it was a goal of yours. Few get to realize a dream, and that goes for the whole team. Somewhere out there you are inspiring someone. Don’t stop doing what you love.
Posted by: Norman Bradley on 8/4/2012 at 8:47 pm
Congrats Irina and team. Great job!
Posted by: Cheryl on 7/30/2012 at 5:28 am
On The Map
Hi Larry! You bet! Watch our summit video, it was a great day with a lot of fun climbing.Its nice not having to lug a giant pack around all the time. Maybe I will see you in Russia some day.
Keep Climbin’
Posted by: JJ on 7/11/2012 at 10:57 am
Do you do any climbing on this trip? This appears to be much different than Denali.
Posted by: Larry Seaton on 7/6/2012 at 10:45 am
We had a calm night at Perros with a 5am wake up. Quick coffee and breakfast and we headed up towards John Gardner Pass at 3,812’. The air was warm, high pressure moved in over the last 24 hours. The views of the Grey glacier and southern Patagonia ice field were outstanding. As we dropped into the trees the real fun begins….steep trail, contorted 2.5” plumbers pipe handrails and lots of sore toes. There might not be a more accessible trail that takes you from a dense forest to a large valley glacier at such low attitude in only 2.5 miles, this is what the “O” circuit provides. It’s all worth the views and cold beverages once at Grey. The team is doing well, hanging out, showers and clean clothes with a buffet dinner to wrap up the biggest day thus far.
Thanks for following along,
New Post Alerts:
Torres del Paine Trek, February 3, 2024
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories:
We’re declaring victory right at the start of this Kilimanjaro expedition. Each climber made each flight with each and every bag. The gang assembled this evening at the Rivertrees Inn at Usa River, Tanzania. Eight climbers and one climbing guide. We introduced ourselves and explained how we’d each come to be on this quest. For some it was years in the making, pushed back by the pandemic, for others the path to the mountain formed up spontaneously in the preceding months. But we are all here now and ready to go… with a little inevitable jet lag. We dined outside under the big trees, and without any interruptions from the monkeys in the neighborhood. Tomorrow morning, we’ll meet and get down to the actual business of preparing for a Kilimanjaro climb.
Best Regards
I’m so excited for you all - and for me, too, since I’ve been living vicariously through Kim on her adventures. :) Thank you for posting updates. You’ve got this Team!
Posted by: Diana Lowe on 8/15/2022 at 4:44 pm
Bella and Kim…I’m so grateful all has gone well to this point. I’m sure you will both successfully summit and complete this challenge. I’m very impressed with what you’ve shared with me about your guide, Dave Hahn. He sounds uniquely qualified to lead this expedition. I’m proud of you both for all your dedication and hard work preparing. My prayers go with you.
Posted by: Paul mann on 8/15/2022 at 12:04 pm
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Categories: 50 Years of Climbing
1984: Former RMI Guide Phil Ershler (center) talks to climbers as Mele Mason (far left) watches.
While working in Seattle, I would marvel at the sight of Mt. Rainier whenever the “Mountain was Out!” I dreamed of climbing and documenting the climb. Reporter Karen O’Leary and I contacted Lou Whittaker of RMI to find out how we could arrange to shoot a story of a typical RMI climb. Lou was very helpful, and set up a date for us to climb with an RMI group, let by Phil Ershler, George Dunn, Gary Talcott, and Phursumba Sherpa.
1984: Mele Mason with the crew on Mt. Rainier.
In 1984, most news stations were still using tube video cameras, which were tethered to a separate ¾ inch tape recorder deck. The gear was heavy and cumbersome. Sony had recently come out with a new Betacam, which incorporated the camera and deck into one shoulder mounted camera weighing in at about 25 pounds with battery. Sony was excited about being a part of the first Betacam shot story on climbing Mt. Rainier, so they lent me a prototype camera for the climb.
I spent two months training on Mount Si and other peaks close to Seattle, read up on all the ways one could die on the mountain (HAPE, avalanche, rock slide, lightning strike, etc.). For my training day, Lou Whittaker and Phursumba Sherpa took me up to the Muir Snowfield to teach our group how to use crampons, ice axes, ropes and harnesses. They proceeded to throw us down the snowy hill feet first, head first, on belly, on back, to make sure we were able to self-arrest before sliding down the entire hill.
1984: Former RMI Guide Gary Talcott watches as Mele Mason films on Mt. Rainier.
The actual climb was actually a life changer for me. Not only was it the most difficult thing I had ever accomplished, but the people I met and the video I produced opened many doors for me, including more climbs in the Himalaya, Karakoram and Mount Kilimanjaro. My video piece won a NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) Emmy for best produced feature short in 1984. We were blessed with fine weather. Gary Talcott packed my enormous camera, I carried batteries and tripod, and Jeanine Wieholt Moore brought along extra gear. I had not acclimated properly coming straight from Seattle, so as we got above Camp Muir, the nausea started in. Fortunately every time I stopped to set up the tripod and camera, the sickness would abate. We were not allowed to slow up the other climbers, so Gary, Jeanine and I would have to start out earlier than the other climbers, set up, shoot the climbers, and then pack up and go on ahead.
I have climbed Mt. Rainier twice more, and each time I proclaim that it is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, but each time the joy and satisfaction and camaraderie that I feel as I walk into the bar at the Paradise Inn, sit my filthy self down and enjoy a frothy cold beer are some of my favorite memories to this day.
Posted by:
Categories: Aconcagua
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.
Posted by: Fran on 3/10/2015 at 5:59 pm
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Taylor Bickford, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,000'
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 - 7:26 pm PT
Today was a tough, but successful day. We woke up before the sun, and had a quick breakfast of granola. After our speedy breakfast, we began loading up our backpacks with the group and personal loads to cache somewhere above Windy Corner. After about an hour packing, and organizing we were roped up and heading up Motorcycle Hill. This was our first day in crampons, and without the sleds. We worked our way up Motorcycle Hill, and Squirrel Hill in the shade finally hitting the sun by the time we made it across the Polo Field. As we made our way up, the team was moving well and the temperatures stayed manageable so we were able to make it all the way to 14,000' Camp to cache all our group and personal gear and food we don't need for the next few days. We took a long deserved break, gave the descending RMI team a hug, and headed back downhill. After a long day, we rolled back into our 11,000' Camp. The stoves are going, and we will soon enjoy a meal of ramen before heading to bed.
Ramen, sounds good in the cold.
Posted by: Tom Chandler on 6/1/2022 at 10:02 pm
Sure do miss your face. Any chance they can send some face shots. Texting while icing at PT. I could get all the ice I want on Denali! All is well back at 500 Ft. Love you.
Posted by: Emigh Litch on 6/1/2022 at 3:23 pm
Good Luck James “Kingpin” Beckerich and the rest of the team! I am following your blogs and wishing you all a safe and successful summit.
Thomas “The Hammer” Goham
Posted by: Thomas Goham on 1/27/2013 at 11:56 am
Just wasting some time late at night and found your email about this trip. Don’t know if your home by now or not but look forward to hearing about it all sometime. Enjoy
Posted by: Josh Eaton on 1/26/2013 at 11:35 pm
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