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July 2, 2023 - 4:16 am PT

Summit!!! On a fine day. A little bit of a long one though -fifteen hours round trip. We got tangled with a couple of other guided parties.  Those other teams were breaking trail, so it is tough to fault them for being slow. We were on top at 8:30 PM and back to 17,000' Camp just after 2 AM. The weather was very nice, but it wasn't the warmest day on top.  Most of us had on all the clothing we had. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Hello Everyone! Things are well here in Russia! Most of the team arrived in Moscow yesterday evening after some very long flights and are still adjusting to the massive time change, so we kept things simple with a little round of introductions before stepping out for a short walk and a nice dinner not too far from the hotel. Today we started with a visit to Lenin’s Tomb, which takes a bit of time as there are thousands of other tourists visiting. We then met up with our kind, local tour guide Victoria, who gave us a wonderful tour of the nearby Red Square, the Kremlin, and several churches including the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral. The team also visited the famous Moscow metro, which moves millions of Moscovites daily. It’s incredibly efficient, with 228 stops, many of which are elaborately decorated. After our tour we took a short break and then headed out once again for an amazing dinner and a nice walk. Everyone is doing great and looking forward to heading to the mountains tomorrow. RMI Guide Casey Grom and team

Today our senses were greeted with cool, fresh, clean mountain air as we stepped out of the van. It was a successful journey today from the big city to the Caucasus Mountains. This morning we had an alpine start followed by numerous airport cappuccinos, a tranquil flight to Mineralnye Vody, and three hours of driving through the Russian countryside. After four days of travel it’s great to finally be here at the base of the mountain. RMI Guide Tyler Reid

Yesterday we walked without any great difficulty from Lobuche to Everest Basecamp. Conditions were perfect, with sunshine, blue sky and no wind whatsoever. We stopped for a brief rest in Gorak Shep where we were all grateful for 3G cell coverage again (Lobuche is lacking in this respect which is why we took a couple of nights off from blogging). But we didn't linger for very long in Gorak Shep because by then we were just a short distance from our home for the next seven weeks and we were excited to finish the trek. We walked a bit more along the lateral moraine before dropping onto the actual Khumbu Glacier. By then, the only thing difficult about the travel (apart from being over 17,000 ft) was walking while looking up at a couple dozen hanging glaciers and giant peaks. We were into our basecamp by midday and eating a great lunch in our dining tent 30 minutes later. It was great to catch up with our Sherpa team and mind boggling to see the work they've accomplished in two weeks. Kumar is our incomparable chef once again, assisted by Raju, Jetta and Tikaram. Our expert team of Sherpa guides is of course led by Lam Babu who did such a great job accompanying us on the trek. In the meantime, Chhering, Kaji and Geljen were moving a lot of rock around to build camp. We just had to move into well built and anchored tents, which was pretty easy. We were excited to watch a big avalanche off the Lho La -the pass above us which is the border with Tibet. And we were happy to spend an easy afternoon and evening getting settled. The night went well, with all seeming to be adjusting well to the altitude. Morning in such a place was just as awe inspiring as you'd expect. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Today was a great day. We visited the Otavalo market working on our bargaining skills. Then we returned to the San Luis Hacienda for a great lunch this afternoon. After lunch we drove towards the Cayambe hut in a torrential downpour of rain. Fortunately the rain let up and we were able to make our hike up to the hut on Cayambe (15,300'). Everybody did a wonderful job. The group is super strong and things are going really well. It’s been a great group. That is everything here from Ecuador. We will check in with our adventures from tomorrow. Ciao. RMI Guide Jason Thompson

Last night we celebrated our return to Basecamp with an incredible meal of salad, eggplant, meat with chimichurri sauce and of course, wine. Most of us connected to Wifi and let family and friends know we were well and they were missed. The mood was celebratory and the conversations light and airy. We chatted, laughed and played Farckle late into the night knowing our task was not complete. We woke early and hiked for a total of 17.5 miles, spending the day processing the experience we are completing and what lessons it has taught us. But, how do you incorporate the lessons of the mountains to make yourself a better person? A better partner? A better parent? A better friend? Can you remember to enjoy the simple and minute moments in your day? Can you filter out the sounds of the wind, the background noise, and focus on what matters? Can you remember to take a break, take care of yourself and take care of your “team”? By the time we rolled into Leñas we were reminded that we have only a short walk out to civilization and all the pressures of the real world will be back but tonight we feasted again and laughed again and enjoyed the moment.  Whether that was petting a mule, watching the light fade on the mountain tops, feeling the cool breeze sweep through the valley or catch the stars brighten in the sky. Maybe that is the lesson of the mountain, being present and immersed in the moment, maybe that’s what keeps bringing us back to the mountains. 

PS: I love you Mama, Teddy and Everett. Can’t wait to give you big hugs and kisses soon.

Climber David Scordino

The Mt. Baker Summit and Ski Descent team led by RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer wrapped up their time on Mt. Baker today. The team took advantage of short periods of sun breaks to ski around Sandy Camp. Low clouds, snow, and poor visibility prevented the team from ascending too far out of camp. Pete reports great skiing and a happy team, making the most of their time on the mountain.

The Kilimanjaro Family Climb reached Uhuru Peak this morning, the summit of Kilimanjaro and the highest point in Africa! Watch their video dispatch from today's climb:

On The Map

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - 10:50 pm PT

Hello trusty readers,

Sorry for the gap in dispatches. Things got a little busy with logistics. We took two rest days at 14,000' Camp figuring out weather and logistics on who wanted to continue up and who wanted to go down. With weather being finicky most of the team decided to focus on getting off the mountain. For those that desired uphill movement it was the weather we needed to figure out. After many ominous forecast with only small windows of calm we decided our best option was to stay together as a team and make our way down the mountain. Its always a hard decision to go down, especially when you still have time. But sometimes, the cards just aren't in your favor. It's been a great trip even without the summit. We have made it back to 11,000' Camp and are taking a quick nap before we make our way to the airstrip. Tomorrow is suppose to be the best weather day so figures crossed we make it off the glacier.

Goodnight all,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

Jambo from Barafu Camp, The team did great today on our move up to high camp. The hard work over the last five days has paid off and we are now ready for our summit attempt. Today was our shortest day of hiking so far, and we made it to Barafu Camp in just under 3 hours. Now we have the whole afternoon to rest up and sort through our gear one last time, just to make sure we have everything we need for tomorrow. You would not be able guess we are at 15,000' right now. The sun is finally winning out over the clouds and it is warm, especially inside the tents. It won't last long, but we'll take it while it does. An early dinner is the plan for tonight and hopefully we will be horizontal by 6:30 pm. The alarm is already set for 11:45 pm, and hope to be walking by 1:00 am. We should be arriving at the crater rim around sunrise and then one final stretch up to Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa. Our group is really strong and up for the challenge of tomorrow. Thanks the positive comments on the blog. Will try and check-in from the summit tomorrow, or when we get down to Mweka Camp. RMI Guide Jeff Martin and Team Simba Sita

On The Map