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Thursday, May 18, 2023 10:40pm PDT

The weather finally cooperated with us, and we were able to make the move to 11,200'. Everyone did great pulling heavy sleds. We're currently cozy in our tents and looking forward to a good night's rest. If the weather is nice tomorrow, we're hoping to put a cache In above Windy Corner. We'll let you know what we find tomorrow.

RMI Guides Mike, Abby, Emma & Team

Saturday, June 18 - 8:57pm PT

Today was bitter sweet. On one hand, we made our move to 14k camp. On the other,we said goodbye to one team member as she headed down hill having tested positive for COVID. You can't escape COVID, even in the mountains. Our climber is doing well and will be enjoying a margarita, clean clothes, and a flushing toilet soon. 

For the rest of us, it was a big day moving to 14k camp. Gaining 3,000 feet with heavy packs and a sled is no small feat. We started in a cloud and only in our base layer but quickly walked into a breezy snowfall. The snow fell on us walking to our camp for half the day. By the time we got to our cache site, we had lost the snow and gained some heat. The sun's solar intensity was immense the last hour. You could feel your right side burning up. Our sunglasses felt hot. Heat panic was a thing. The team preserved and we rolled into 14k with a feeling of air conditioning as the clouds rolled back in and we lost the solar intensity. Moving in was quick since our tents were already set up and left by Avery's team. Some Ramen for the tummies and hot cocoa bring us to bedtime. 

Everyone's bodies are excited to lay down and relax after our day and it is well deserved. We will see what the weather brings tomorrow for our agenda.

Rest well everyone,

Hannah and Team

The last guided climb of the Denali 2012 season is done and down. Safe. But, without a summit, which happens sometimes. We got together in Talkeetna way back at the end of June—eight climbers and four guides—and we talked strategy and packed gear and we were issued permits. And, since the weather was a little sloppy, we didn’t fly immediately. Instead, we ate some more and drank some more and talked a bit more strategy. But on the 29th of June, we did get to fly into the Alaska Range and of course it was worth the wait. As is always the case in late season, we’d been concerned as to how well put-together the lower glacier might be, but a few minutes flight over the Kahiltna in a de Havilland Otter convinced us it had been a good year for snow. Once on the ground (7,200 feet on the Southest Fork of the Kahiltna) we reviewed glacier travel techniques and waited for the middle of the night so as to allow the glacier surface to freeze solid. It did just that and we moved out early the next morning. We made pretty decent progress those first days… camp at 7,800 feet, move to 9,500 feet, migrate on up to 11,000 feet. As always, we started doing “carries” at 11,000 feet… climbing high and sleeping low so as to let our bodies catch up to the altitude. The gang was healthy and doing great and the weather was workable… if not stable. It was snowy and cloudy somewhere each and every day… just not exactly on top of us, and so we were able to make good use of the days. The mountain got a lot more interesting as we left the valleys and ventured up onto the ridges on our move to Genet Basin at 14,200 feet. We “caught up” to about a dozen guide parties from other companies there and everybody was still optimistic about climbing high and making the top. We’d been on the mountain for a week at that point. But it started snowing. And then it seriously started snowing. Teams began to run out of food and fuel and quit the mountain. Then it snowed about two feet in 24 hours and we had an avalanche problem. The problem was that we believed there was instability on the steep slopes we needed to climb up in order to make any progress and there was no solution but to wait for stability. Which didn’t come. We needed hot, sunny days to settle the problem and instead we got day after day of a little more cloud, snow and wind. Teams quit and descended… one after another. Finally, we teamed up with the last two guided parties on the hill to bust trail and evaluate hazard and perhaps find a way to the “fixed ropes” leading to the crest of the West Buttress. The mission took all day and required some dicey belays across “whumping” snow, but it resulted in a workable and safe track to the ropes… we were back in business. Until it snowed that night and the next morning. Back at square one with a new hazard and no track. The other guided teams quit the mountain that day and we stayed another two days in a last attempt at getting some sort of good luck. But that didn’t come, just more snow and more clouds and more predictions for snow and clouds. We spent about 12 days at 14,200 feet and then we turned our backs on the summit and started busting trail down through the powder. Things got easier as we got lower on the mountain and we were at the SE Fork again by morning of our 19th day on the hill. And the weather cleared magnificently then… allowing a view of the summit we hadn’t reached, but also making the flight off possible. Showers and dinners and drinks and beds in Talkeetna were pretty good, even without a summit. We’ll get it next time. RMI Guide Dave Hahn

What a day! A team meeting over breakfast followed by our park service orientation was just the beginning. The real work started at the hanger of our flight service, K2 Aviation. It was here that the tedium of going thru our gear, both personal and group stuff will pay off hugely when we get to the mountain and are stuck with the equipment we've chosen. REI has yet to set up shop on the Kahiltna Glacier. As we wind down the day a great meal sits in our bellies and we look forward to a final night luxuriating in a real bed where a hot shower and toilet lie but a few carpeted paces away. Tomorrow will be different! With luck we'll be flying onto the glacier at 9:00am to start our trip... One that we have all been working so hard and dreaming about for so long. And we start it as a group of individuals already well on our way to being a team of climbers and, more importantly, friends. I know that we're all excited to get under way. I know too that I'm excited to climb with this very impressive group. Well, all for now from the cozy little town of Talkeetna. RMI Guide Brent Okita

On The Map

Hello Everyone 

It's incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and the mountains are grandiose. We've been very comfortable hiking each day in the sunny weather, then bundling up in our warm sleeping bags each night as the temperature drops. 

Dinner is often around 7 and the menu is pretty much the same at every tea house with plenty of soups, simple pasta, rice, potatoes, and typical Nepalese Dal Bat.  

After dinner we relax and have a brief review of the day ahead and then it's off to bed. 

The team hiked up Kala Patar this afternoon to get a better view of Everest which didn’t disappoint!

Spirits are high as we push closer to basecamp and if the weather cooperates, we should arrive tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll be able to get updates out, but in the off chance we can’t, the team will be at Everest Base camp for two nights. 

There’s no cell service or WiFi most likely. 

That's all for now

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Last night some of our team arrived in Mexico City and were welcomed by the beautiful, lit up statues in the city center. 

Today, folks had the opportunity to explore and rest for the rest of the trip ahead. Some enjoyed a walk through Chapultepec park, where tree lined sidewalks provide a nice reprieve from the bustling city. Others explored the city streets and food while also taking the day to rest. 

This evening our team finally gathered to meet and discuss our adventure ahead. 

Welcome to our Mexico's Volcanoes blog!

RMI Guide Abby Westling and Team

Well, we barely snuck in a move today from Aconcagua Camp 1 to Camp 2 before the wind started a blowin' and the snow started a snowin'. Fortunately, everyone is tucked away in their tents hydrating, breathing, and getting used to life at 18,000 feet. We are all glad to be here; it feels like the upper mountain is finally within reach. More tomorrow! RMI Guide Ben Liken

On The Map

"By far the best of the year" was RMI Guide Brent Okita's description of today's weather on the summit of Mt. Rainier. Brent led the Four Day Summit Climb July 29 - 1 August to the top this morning. RMI Guide Eric Frank led the Five Day Summit Climb July 28 - 1 August to Rainier's summit with 100% of his team. Both teams reported warm temperatures with just a whisper of wind. They began their descent from the crater rim just before 8 am. The teams will return to Camp Muir and then continue their descent to Paradise. RMI Guide Mike Haugen led the Expedition Skills Seminar on the Kautz Glacier. The team spent the week training at Rainier BaseCamp and on the mountain. This morning they packed up their camp at 13,000' atop Wapowty Cleaver and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The team will descend via the Disappointment Cleaver Route. This marks the 100th summit of Mt. Rainier for RMI Guide Mike Haugen. Congratulations Mike! RMI Guide Jake Beren called to check-in from Mt. Shuksan. The team is back at camp after being 100% on top today. Jake reported that the route is “near perfect” with an amazing sunrise, views of Mt. Baker and the surrounding Cascades. They ascended the central gulleys of the summit pyramid and stood on top with windless, sunny conditions. The team had a great descent, rolling in to camp at the same time as the fog. They are back at camp hydrating and resting before hiking out tomorrow. We look forward to seeing all the groups at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Congratulations to today's teams!

After a few hours of fitful sleep, interrupted by the anticipation of the climb, the alarm went off at 1:05 a.m. this morning. We pulled on all of our gear, forced down a quick breakfast, and then loaded onto the snowcat for a lift up to 15,000'. The night was perfect, an awesome amount of stars covered the sky and a faint crescent moon was rising in the east. Well, almost perfect: the temps were cold and a steady wind was blowing out of the west. It was cold. We began climbing in our big down parkas and didn't end up taking them off until we were back down off of the summit many hours later. Besides the biting wind the climbing was perfect, wind compacted snow that was great for climbing but still soft enough to keep the slopes from being too slick. The sun began to rise as we approached 17,000', casting long shadows of mountains across the landscape below us. But, unfortunately the wind didnt let up with the sun and it stayed cold. The team did a fantastic job of keeping themselves warm, avoiding even the smallest bits of frost nip. By 8 am we reached the saddle between Elbrus' twin summits and we started up the steep slope above to reach the summit plateau. We were briefly sheltered from the wind until we reached the summit plateau and traversed across to the highest point, a small rise on the far side perched over massive slopes descending the west and north side of the mountain. Despite the wind, it was wonderful to reach the summit and we spent 20 minutes or so admiring the views, exchanging high fives, and snapping photos, before we beat a hasty retreat back down from the top. By midday the afternoon clouds were already building and they blew in and out around us as we made the long descent back to our hut. We are now settled back into our bunks, tired from a long day of climbing but happy with the climb. Tomorrow we will descend back to Cheget for hot showers and clean clothes. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

On The Map

The Five Day Climb teams reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 7:45 am today led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Dustin Wittmier.  Dave reported very pleasant climbing conditions for the morning.  After enjoying some time in the crater the teams will descend to Camp Muir for the second and final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will descend the remaining 4.5 miles to Paradise and conclude their program at Rainier BaseCamp.

Nice work team!