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The RMI Summit Climb team, led by Tyler Reid, is currently on the top of Mt. Rainier. A beautiful day with hardly any wind on the highest point of Washington. The team will spend some time on top before they begin their descent. Congratulations to today's summit climb team!

At their teacher’s request, the 7th grade class in Crystal River, FL, Skyped with RMI guides JJ Justman and Joe Horiskey for 60 minutes yesterday. We discussed mountain climbing in general, and fielded questions about Mt Everest in particular. The class was doing a novel study of the book “Peak” by northwest author Roland Smith, which centers on a 14-year-old boy climbing Mt Everest. Their teacher, Sarah, had inquired by email whether RMI would be willing to Skype with her class. Of course the answer was a resounding “Yes!” The students, obviously well-versed in their subject, asked pertinent questions on topics such as: the effects of altitude on the human body, requisites of food and gear for climbing Mt Everest, necessary climbing experience, and surviving for an extended period of time in potentially hostile terrain. Being familiar with the tragedies which had befallen the mountain the past two consecutive years, the class was riveted to hear JJ’s first-hand account of actually being at Camp l last April 25 when the earthquake struck. He also presented video of his evacuation by helicopter to Base Camp. One student asked how climbers deal with being separated from loved ones, friends and family, for extended periods of time. Another inquired about our “scariest moments” as mountain guides. But throughout, our message to the class emphasized safety, and while mountain climbing does involve accepting a certain amount of risk that is the case for many activities in life (sports, driving, etc). Sarah noted at the conclusion of our presentation the kids’ favorite photo was of the abbreviated ‘runway’ in Lukla (at Tenzing-Hillary Airport)! JJ and I really enjoyed talking with Sarah’s class and look forward to similar presentations with hers and others in the future! RMI Guide Joe Horiskey

This morning we woke up to clear skies and beautiful views. Unfortunately, as we sipped on our morning coffee the clouds began to grow and the wind picked up. Today was not our summit day, instead we got the team moving around and doing more home improvements. I can positively say that RMI Okita has the best looking camp at 17. Today's renovations included lowering the floor of the posh ( or cook tent) and revamping the kitchen scene. After these improvements were made everyone enjoyed some reading and napping before a delicious dinner of tortellini served with a cream garlic sauce and sun dried tomatoes. The conversation was flowing over dinner, with stories of bike racing, pets, hunting and books. Again we are optimistic about tomorrow's weather, which is calling for a high pressure system to move in. Wishing the wind away, RMI Guides Lindsay, Leon, Brent and team

On The Map

We woke to another windy day here at basecamp. After reinforcing our tent anchors, we had a delicious breakfast.  The meal was leisurely and delicious, and everyone was in high spirits. We took a walk mid day to stretch our legs and get an incredible view of the mountain.  The rest of the day was spent resting and sorting gear. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to become more favorable, and we plan on moving to Camp 2 in order to best position ourselves for the summit.  

RMI Guide Nick Scott & Team

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 4:53 PDT The morning came with no wind and optimal cool temps for our travels. After an oatmeal breakfast, the team packed for our quickest departure from camp yet. Our crew is strong and made great time during our climb, stopping at our cache to retrieve a handful of items from the surface, adding just a microscopic load for the final push into our new home for the next few days. We plan to continue to fortify our camp by adding wind walls to our million dollar Posh house! The Posh house will serve as our kitchen,living, and dining room, bringing some comfort from the chill of the evening and protection from the blasting solar energy of the sun. Currently, we are hiding from the sun's torture and looking forward to a big dinner of tortellini with bacon and sun dried tomatoes. Tonight we will get a long night's rest, and a leisurely breakfast tomorrow will lead us into a short back carry to retrieve the rest of our equipment! We're keeping our fingers crossed for RMI Guide Brent Okita and his team above us - as of last night's radio check-in, they were planning to go for the top today. If the weather up high is anything like it is at our new camp, they stand a good shot. But for us, the name of the game is rest, recover, and prepare for the work ahead. Cheers for now, RMI Guides Tyler Jones, Garrett Stevens, Bryan Hendrick, and team

Illness is the enemy of every climber.  You have trained countless hours and are in the best shape of your life, but if you start a climb already sick, the climb you were prepared for can become infinitely harder.  Health on an expedition starts before the climb, before the team meets, and before the marathon of travel to get to your destination.  Start your trip healthy by making sure you are thinking about your health and your immune system several weeks before your trip even starts!    Remember to "taper" your training before the climb. Ease back on the hours and intensity of your workouts during the last week or two before your trip and make sure that you are rested, recovered, and ready to go.  It’s always tempting to push the last few workouts, but doing so can lead to arriving tired and predisposed to getting sick before the climb begins.   Most climbing trips begin with an airline flight, whether across the U.S., or across the globe to South America, Nepal, and beyond.  An airplane full of people from all over the world is a big test for your immune system, and it will need all the help you can give it. To keep your immune system strong, don’t forget to start hydrating a day or two before your flight as well.  Airline cabins are often pressurized to higher altitudes than we are used to, and consequently, humidity in the cabin is also much lower than our normal environment.  Good hydration before your flight will help get you through the flight in better shape.  Lastly, don’t forget to get up and move around.  A few hours of sitting in your airplane seat can leave your legs feeling stiff, sore, and perhaps swollen; not an ideal start to a climb!   Once you are back on the ground, try to adjust to your new environment.  Often, the hardest part is adjusting to a new time zone.  Do your best to adjust your routine to the local time right off: eat your meals at standard times and try to stay awake until a normal hour.  Besides a time zone change, you may also be dealing with new and different foods.  Right before your expedition isn’t the best time to be adventurous with your food.  Be mindful of what you eat, especially when traveling abroad. Make sure that food, especially meat, is thoroughly cooked.  Beware of fruits and vegetables that are unwashed, or have been washed with tap water.  Soil and tap water in other areas can carry bacteria and viruses that our systems aren’t accustomed to dealing with.  Along the same vein, be careful with drinks.  Drink bottled water if in doubt, and ask for drinks to be made without ice (which is usually made from local tap water).  Use bottled water to brush your teeth as well.  If you are dying to spice it up and try the local delicacy, the time to do it is after the climb.     If you arrive feeling a bit off, don’t stress.  Take the time to rest, recover from your travels, and refuel.  This will make all the difference if you are balancing the line between getting sick and staying healthy.  Vitamin-C supplements, Zinc, Echinacea, and innumerable other immune supplements are available.  Bring your favorite, and use them prophylactically during your travels.  Traveling can be the most stressful part of your climb.  Once you are in the mountains, routine takes over and all of your training pays off!  Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!

RMI Guide Ed Viesturs discusses the preparation for this January's Vinson Massif expedition with First Ascent.

Hola hola hola!

This morning, some of us woke up early just one more time - we took the buses back up the hill, went through the entrance of Machu Picchu and climbed Huayna Picchu.

You know the mountain in the background of all those iconic photos of Machu Picchu? That’s Huayna Picchu! We rallied (even after 6 days of trekking!) for just a *few* more steep stairs to the summit.

We were greeted with sunshine and full views of Machu Picchu and all the surrounding landscape. We celebrated a birthday (HBD Courtney!!) and took all the photos. It was beyond remarkable and a great way to wrap up this trip.

This afternoon on the 4-hour train from Machu Picchu back to Cusco, we had some time to reflect on our adventure. We stepped out of our comfort zones to explore new cultures, new altitudes, new food and so much more. We came together as a team and learned so much about ourselves along the way.

Tomorrow we’ll all fly home but we’ll carry everything — the hard moments, the funny moments, the inspiring stories of the Incas and their ancestors — with us for a lifetime.

Until next time, Peru!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Machu Picchu team

PC: Jess Wedel

July 22, 2024 - 5:48 pm PT

We started the morning with riddles from Ben. We continued to make our way up steep terrain and sandy trails, seeing our first patches of snow. We shooed a brave marmot (Jerry) away at snack time. Rock hopping, we made our way to high camp. Setting up camp in a beautiful snowy basin, we spent the afternoon honing our snow travel skills.

-RMI Climber, Miranda Chisholm

PC: Ben Luedtke

Hello again everyone,

The team had a good night’s rest last night and today was just a short 3hr hike up to 15’000 ft to our high camp. It started out sunny, but then quickly clouded up thankfully for great hiking temperatures. The Equatorial sun at this elevation is quite intense, a little break was needed.

The team has just wrapped up lunch and discussed in detail the plan for tomorrow’s climb. Everyone knows what we will be wearing, what will be in the pack, as well as the schedule.
Our game plan will be to wake at 11pm and have a quick breakfast at 11:30, then hopefully hit the trail right at midnight. The team has been doing great thus far and I’m expecting us to reach the summit in 7 to 8hrs if things go according to plan.

As per usual on a Casey climb, one lucky trivia winner will get a phone call from the summit. 
So, everyone back home please keep your phones handy and if you receive a call from a strange number please answer. We are 8+hrs ahead of the east coast time zone.

Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Summit Bound Crew