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Saturday, June 29, 2019 - 9:29 PM PT We woke up to a beautiful morning with a tiny breeze and a clear sky. We spoke with RMI Guide Mike Walter's team over the radio and they let us know that the weather was also nice at 17k. We rallied the troops and made quick work of breakfast and tearing down our camp at 14k. Although 14k is a nice camp, we want to be in position when our summit opportunity arises. We made our way back up the fixed lines and climbed the beautiful ridge up to 17k Camp. This camp definitely does not have all of the charm that 14k does. In fact, it is quite a bit more harsh up here. Nevertheless, the group is all happy and healthy tucked into our safe little tents. The forecast does not look great for a summit for tomorrow, but we will wake up and get the "now cast" and see what our day will bring. We brought plenty of food and fuel in case we have to do some camping for a couple of days to get our perfect weather! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Team Siete

On The Map

Hello Everyone, We received very sad news earlier today. One of the Sherpa team members was caught in an avalanche this morning and has died. The rest of the team are safe. All team members are spending the night at Camp 2 and will be descending in the morning. The accident occurred below Camp 3 as a Sherpa team was moving up. This is all the information we have at this time. We will provide updates as we get information from the team. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sherpas, climbers and their families. The RMI Office Team

The Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guides Win Whittaker and Elias de Andres Martos reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Win reported hazy skies and a light wind. The teams are on their descent from the summit en route to Camp Muir. Once at Camp Muir the climbers will repack their gear and continue their descent to Paradise. Today's climbers have spent the last several months raising money for The American Lung Association in Washington's Climb for Clean Air. Congratulations to the climbers for their efforts of fundraising, training and climbing!

It was raining at the Dik Dik Hotel this morning when we woke. Light, but steady rain kept falling as we ate a 7 AM breakfast and got ready to board the bus/truck. But 15 minutes down the road, our driver shut off his windshield wipers. Low clouds still disguised the mountain we believed was hiding somewhere out to our northeast, but things were looking up. The variety of crops in the "cultivation" zone at the foot of Kilimanjaro was quite impressive. We saw coffee, corn, avocado, mangos, and bananas all growing in a lush mix close to the Machame Gate. It took some time to get the group properly registered and permitted with the National Park but then at around 11 AM we began our ascent through a forest of tall trees. Our starting point was at about 5,900 ft, and our destination for the day was close to 9,800 ft, so there was little doubt we were in for a workout. At first we were in fog and humid clouds, but after several hours, the sun got strong and the sky got blue. We traveled on an excellent trail through the "forest" zone and into the "heather" zone and we began getting great views of Kilimanjaro and her glaciers. At around 4:30 PM we strode into a cluster of tents and admired the work of our porters and kitchen crew as we took packs off in our new home. We ate dinner in our grand dining tent and turned in early under what appears to be a magnificent full moon. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

This is Mike checking in for the Ecuador Team. Apologies for missing yesterday, we just had to much fun getting to know each other and walking around Quito. We went to the equator and watched a bunch of parlor tricks relating to the Middle of the Earth. We also learned about the art of Amazonian head shrinking. We concluded the day walking through the beautiful streets and plazas of Old Town which was built in the mid 1500’s.

This morning we met up with one of our Ecuadorean guide,Pablo, for an acclimatization hike on Rucu Pichincha. We rallied up in taxis to the teleferico (gondola) which takes you to 13,500’. The views of the greater Quito valley were spectacular. From there we hiked to 15,700’ and got some views but we were mostly in the clouds with cool temperatures. The goal today was to stretch the legs and lungs a bit and just get out to see the beautiful Ecuadorean countryside. The trail wandered through grassy slopes and a lot of flowering shrubs.

Everyone is back at the hotel for some rest and packing. We will head out tomorrow for another day hike and travel towards Cayambe for our first climb of the trip. Thanks for following along

RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

Hey all, This is the Aconcagua crew checking in from Base Camp. It's been a beautiful rest day here with crystal blue skies most of the morning. It was a great day to sit outside, enjoy the sun, and visit with other teams here. Several folks were even warm enough to take showers via nalgene bottles. It hasn't been all play though, as each team member had to sort through gear and decide what is going to make the move with us and what will stay here at base camp. It's an important task, since from here on out, every extra thing we bring adds weight to our packs. We will enjoy a last gourmet dinner from our outfitter, Grajales, before our big move to Camp 1 tomorrow. As I write, clouds are building, and it looks like we may get a touch of snow to brighten the landscape tonight. All the best, and we'll check in from 16,000' tomorrow! Ciao, RMI Guides Pete, Gabi, Gilbert, and team

On The Map

It is like a ghost town up here at ABC. We don't mind a bit, having fought half the day to get here from Basecamp. Most others were struggling to get elsewhere. There is a storm sumo wrestling with the exposed summits of Everest and Lhotse today. Since this one is coming out of the west, 25,000 ft Nuptse gives us some protection down here in the Cwm. We still get good strong belts of wind and blowing snow, but we know it could be a lot worse at Camp III and Camp IV in this pattern. Our friends up at the South Col - hoping for a break so as to ring the summit bell - didn't get a break. They were forced to retreat this morning just as we were tentatively moving up. We were tentatively moving up because that seemed like the smart way to be with a 4 AM sky full of clouds, a couple of inches of new snow on the ground, and untested legs in our crew. It didn't take long at all for Erica's legs to prove they were ready for climbing today. I could hear her crampons digging in just a few steps behind me for all of the first dark hour-she was cruising over the same ice that had defeated her 24 hours earlier. I focused on other problems. The big one was the misbehaving cloud ceiling. It was steadily dropping as we climbed and the morning light came on. The more I could see, the less I could see. When we took the first short break it was snowing, and I polled my team as to whether they thought it would intensify. There were six of us today - the five usual suspects (Seth, Erica, Kent, Ang Kaji and me) plus Maila - the Camp II cook who had been enjoying a brief Basecamp vacation from one of the toughest jobs on the hill. Maila thought-as we all did-that the snow was just getting started, and that there wasn't much point in going on. None of us wanted to be doing the braille thing through a Khumbu Icefall whiteout. And there definitely weren't any takers for a stroll in close to the Nuptse avalanche chutes beyond Camp I, with serious snow coming down. So we very nearly called it quits at 5 AM, before getting into the worst of the Icefall. The retreat plan was sound - and we hated it. This acclimatization round is important - it is our "tryout" for a summit bid. We want the extra strength, skill and confidence that may come from it. We can't really get that by going an hour out of BC every day. And the calendar is moving on to the phat part of May. We want to be ready. We decided to hedge our bets-pushing onto the middle of the Icefall - another hour along, for a final call on the weather. In that next hour, the snow quit and the clouds lifted. We knew the storm wasn't finished, but we saw our little window of opportunity for scampering out of the Icefall and past Nuptse, and we were determined to take full advantage. Long story short - our little gamble worked. We arrived at ABC at midday excited as kids (even those of us not quite kids anymore). Excited with storm adrenaline, excited to have put things on the line, and to have made correct climbing decisions, and to feel the fitness we didn't have 5 weeks ago. We called down to BC to boast - but also to be assured that the rest of our team is coping well with their summit holding pattern. They are not alone in that - as I said, we've got ABC pretty much to ourselves - and we barely had to make room for other climbers today on the route. Most are lower. Most are waiting for summit weather.

Monday, May 16, 2022 - 9:47 am PT

Yesterday (Sunday) we awoke to beautiful blue skies and light winds. After a nice breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and salmon we packed up gear and food to cache around Windy Corner. This was the first day of the expedition in crampons without sleds which felt awesome as we made our way up Motorcycle Hill. We had excellent views of the surrounding mountains and could even see all the way down to the tundra below the Peter's Glacier! After rounding Windy Corner the weather was holding and everyone was climbing strong so we decided to keep pushing all the way to 14,000' camp! As soon as we finished burying our cache winds picked up and we got our first taste of some nasty Alaska Range weather. By the time we got back to the Polo Fields the winds had abated and we enjoyed a nice walk back to 11,000' Camp. Winds picked back up overnight and this morning has been a bit frigid and blustery in camp today are taking a well earned rest day to recover from the previous five days of hard effort. We're looking forward to moving to 14,000' Camp in the coming days.

RMI Guide Henry Coppolillo

Everybody made it to Alaska just fine with just one not-so-minor hiccup. One duffel never showed up and had one of us spending the afternoon at REI replacing missing items. As luck would have it, we got a call from a climber in Talkeetna who had picked it up at the airport by mistake. With that behind us we were ready for a beer and turned in after our big travel day. Today we were busy getting the incredible amount of gear needed for this adventure ready for our flight in the morning. Everyone is excited about getting started. Me too, even after all these years. More to come soon... RMI Guide Brent Okita

On The Map

From Expedition Dispatches, to interviews, to new records set by RMI Guides, see what the this year's top 10 most popular posts on the RMI Blog! 10. RMI GUIDE SETH WATERFALL RECEIVES VALUABLE AVY 3 TRAINING I’ve just returned to Washington after taking part in a six day Avalanche Level 3 course in Jackson, WY. ‘Avy 3’ is the highest level of formal avalanche training in the US. It is a professional level course designed for Guides, Ski Patrollers and other avalanche forecasters. Read more... 9. MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING | NUTRITION FOR MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING Mountain Climbing has a high requirement for energy. Quality nutrition is a key component of training success. In this conversation with Registered Dietician Sally Hara of Kirkland, Washington, I had a chance to ask some of the questions which often come up in training for mountaineering. Read More... 8. MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION: RMI TEAM REACHES SUMMIT! On Saturday, May 26th at 9:31 a.m. Nepali time the RMI 2012 Mt. Everest Expedition reached the summit! RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Melissa Arnot led the team of climbers to the summit of Mt. Everest at 29,035’. Read More... 7. MT. EVEREST EXPEDITION: REST DAY AT ABC Our team enjoyed a rest day at Camp 2 (ABC) today. Their plan is to head for Camp 3 tomorrow. This really is the start of the Mt. Everest summit push in my eyes. How the next two days go, can have real impact on the summit day. Read More... 6. MT EVEREST EXPEDITION: DAVE HAHN AND TEAM AT CAMP 3 ON LHOTSE FACE Hello from Everest Base Camp, I spoke with Dave and Melissa at Camp 3 and WOW did they sound great! The climbing team left Camp 2 early this morning under perfect conditions. Read More... 5. RMI GUIDE KATIE BONO RECOUNTS MT. RAINIER SPEED ASCENT I first thought of doing a speed ascent on Rainier late in the summer of 2011. I started guiding with RMI that summer and spent plenty of time that year carrying heavy loads up the Muir snowfield as quickly as possible. I come from a cross-country ski racing background and I raced professionally for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, the Rossignol Factory Team, and Dartmouth College before that. Read More... 4. MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING | SETTING A BASELINE: EVALUATING YOUR CURRENT FITNESS To begin a conditioning plan for mountaineering, first establish the baseline of your current fitness level. This baseline allows you to compare your current strengths to what you’ll need on the climb. With this, we can compose a training plan that builds steady improvement between now and the day you set off for the mountains. Read More... 3. LOU WHITTAKER INTERVIEW RMI Founder Lou Whittaker was interviewed last month by the Magic Valley Newspaper in Twin Falls, ID. Lou took some time off from skiing in Sun Valley to sit down and talk about his lifetime of climbing. Read More... 2. MOUNTAINEERING TRAINING | INTERVAL TRAINING Interval Training is a training technique employed in many endurance sports. It refers to a training session where periods of high intensity effort, followed by rest, are repeated during a training session. Read More... 1. RMI GUIDE KATIE BONO MAKES SPEED ASCENT Katie Bono climbs Mount Rainier in 4 hours, 58 minutes on July 24, 2012. RMI Guide Katie Bono completed a car-to-car speed ascent of the classic Disappointment Cleaver route. Her effort is significant not only because it sets the female speed record but also because it adds a female presence to a list which had been exclusively male dominated. Read More...