Hi Everybody,
This is Billy checking in for Dave and Seth and the rest of the crew.
We are back at our high camp safe and sound after a spectacular summit day.
We stood on top of Vinson Massif this afternoon and everyone is back in camp getting some rest after a nice big dinner.
We will give you a call and check in after we head out to base camp tomorrow.
Caio,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Yet another weather day, we woke up to snow covered tents and cold temperatures. We had our final bagel meal of the trip, paired with smoked salmon. As we sat in and out of the clouds, and snowfall we waited for the other RMI teams to descend from 17,000' Camp. Tomorrow morning marks a decision point. We need a three day weather window to open up before Thursday for us, otherwise we run out of food at 14,000' Camp, and then have to go retrieve our cache from 16,300' and then eat our summit food. Leaving us out of food if a summit window did open up later. Tomorrow morning we should have clarity if Wednesday, Thursday, Friday will be a viable option. The other tricky component is a very large system seems to be slated to hit the mountain Friday, bringing more snow and more wind. This storm could run it's course as late as next Tuesday or so. Leaving us completely out of food by the time weather improves. All that said, with an updated forecast tomorrow morning we may make the call to either go for it, or to grab the cache and get out so we don't get stuck for the entire storm. We will check in tomorrow with whatever we hear!
Today was a great day. After an early breakfast, we left the hotel and headed to the morning opening of the teleferico, the gondola that launches from Quito and lands at 13,500 feet on the old volcano of Rucu Pinchincha. Quite a leap in elevation and great for an acclimatization hike.
The team did a great job ascending the grassy ridges that led to a rocky scramble to the cloudy summit of Pinchincha. Our maiden voyage was a success, climbing to around 15,700 feet in an afternoon and even getting enough of a clearing to see both Cayambe and Cotopaxi rising high above Quito.
Tomorrow we head out for another altitude mission, but this one was tough to beat.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
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.
Hey Team,
I do not know any of you, but I attempted Aconcagua a few years ago but did not summit. I was quietly cheering you all on and have really enjoyed all the blogs. Congratulations to all of you!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
We are all safely nestled in our tents just off the landing strip at basecamp. We had a magnificent flight from Talkeetna to basecamp at the flanks of Denali. The weather on the glacier is as warm as I have ever seen it. For this reason, we are not traveling today and instead used the warm weather during the day to organize our backpacks and sled loads. We worked on some crevasse rescue techniques as we are about to head out onto the Kahiltna Glacier; a glacier filled with giant cracks in the ice. We are going to travel up glacier tonight so we can travel on firm snow and solid snow bridges. Wish us a solid freeze!
RMI Summit Team 6 - RMI Guides Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Katie Bono & the team
Mark Tucker checking in from Tanzania we have had another beautiful day out here on Safari. The Ngorongoro Crater is spectacular showing itself off to the team. The Maasai just keep getting richer. We visited one of their bomas today and invested. The checked luggage that we are bringing home is going to be pretty filled up.
We are off the Tarangire National Park tomorrow and one more night at a tented camp out near Kikoti Rock. We will keep you posted on the adventures of the team.
The sun took awhile to reach us this morning, the shoulder of Nuptse standing 9,000' above blocked the sun rays and cast long shadows that gradually crept backwards as the sun rose. By the time we stepped out of the tea-house after 8:00 am the sun hit us and almost instantly began to chase away the nighttime chill. We left Gorak Shep in good spirits, eager to complete the final few hours of walking to Everest Base Camp.
The trail becomes notably less defined this far up the valley. In addition to seeing less traffic, the path is ever changing as the loose moraine settles and shifts with the passing glacier and the pull from gravity. Despite Everest Base Camp being a relatively short distance from Gorak Shep as the crow flies, no more than two miles, the trail itself is much longer as it twists and turns over the rough landscape, descending through boulder fields and climbing back up loose scree gullies. We picked our way along it, stepping from rock to rock and occasionally catching glimpses of the tent tops of Base Camp off in the distance.
About two thirds of the way to Base Camp the trail finally drops off of the side moraine bordering the glacier and crosses onto its surface. This low down on the glacier the surface is covered in rock that was pulled down from the mountain side further up and large features of ice, pushed up by the pressure of the glacier above, are interspersed with giant pools of frozen water that sit on the glacier surface from when the ice melts in the warm afternoon sun. The walking, while relatively flat, is tricky as every rock lies atop a sheet of ice below and the footing is continually shifting underfoot. Nevertheless, the group navigated the trail well and by midday we crested the final rocky rise and walked into RMI's Everest Base Camp.
Our Sherpa team has been busy working up here for the past two weeks, hacking away the shifting ice and rolling the rocks aside to create large platforms on the glacier's surface for our tents to sit on. With the creative eye of a designer, they set up a very comfortable camp here. Our dining tent looks right out at Everest, the lower stretches of the Khumbu Icefall filling the view out the door from inside. A series of large stone steps leads from the Dining Tent to the sleeping tents sitting in a semi circle on a small rise above. Just in front of them stands our Communications Tent, with direct sight to the mountain above for the best radio reception and good exposure to the sun as it tracks across the sky for the solar panels that power all of the equipment. The Kitchen and Storage Tents are just below, with a large stone path leading between them and the Dining Tent above.
The Sherpa team greeted us enthusiastically when we arrived, showing us around before we settled down for lunch. Kumar, the Expedition Cook, pulled together an incredible meal complemented with fresh baked rolls and steamed veggies. The change of pace from the typical tea-house food is refreshing and the food was excellent. After lunch we settled into camp, unpacking our gear in our tents and relaxing in the warm afternoon sun. We are all very happy to be here, pleased that we don't have to turn around and walk back to the tea-house this evening and enjoying the life around Base Camp. Everyone continues to adjust well to the altitude and hiked well today. We are spending tomorrow here in Base Camp, enjoying this place for a bit and covering some climbing training in preparation for those of us that are headed to Island Peak next. We want to thank everyone for the great comments on the Blog, we read them aloud over dinner last night and enjoyed hearing the snippets from home.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
RMI Guide Linden Mallory checks in from Everest Base Camp.
Congrats to the whole team - what an accomplishment. Hopefully the good weather and fortune will continue for the trek back and for the girls climbing Island Peak.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Hogan on 3/27/2012 at 3:48 am
You did it!!!! And look at all of these wonderful and encouraging comments! You ladies sure are impressive. So proud of you, Mom. Happy yu made it safely to base camp and enjoyed a yummy meal. Stay safe! Xoxo
We hit the trail early this morning, contouring along the hillsides of the gradually narrowing valley, occasionally crossing back and forth above the Dudh Kosi River on long suspension bridges. After a couple of hours of walking we hit the entrance to Sagamartha National Park, the park that encompasses the upper region of the Khumbu Valley, including Mt. Everest.
After pausing for tea and snacks, we tackled the big climb of the day - the 2,500' ascent up mountain side to reach the village of Namche Bazaar. The ascent is a series of switchbacks and long traverses through pine forest. Being south facing it is typically very hot and dusty but by the time we reached the climb, clouds were forming and kept the temperatures very comfortable. Everyone hiked well, making good time up the trail and by mid afternoon we rounded the corner and walked into Namche Bazaar.
Situated at 11,300' in a shallow drainage perched on the hillside, Namche is the center of trade and commerce for the upper portion of the Khumbu Valley. It's location at the convergence of several trade routes - some all the way to Tibet - and the fresh water springs in its heart made it a meeting grounds many centuries ago and it remains the largest town in the region today. The entire town is built in a series of horseshoe shaped terraces up the hillside. At over 11,000', it is easy to feel the altitude when just walking around. We walked through Namche's narrow streets to our teahouse and arrived just as the clouds began letting occasional snowflakes fall from the sky.
We are heading out on a day hike tomorrow to several villages nearby before returning for Namche for the evening. The group is in great spirits and more than eager to check out the offerings of Namche's many shops tomorrow afternoon when we return.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
I am with you guys every step in spirit. So exciting. I am planning to do this trek and climb in 2013. I did the Annapurna BC trek in 2011 and I did the fly-by of the Khumbu area. I love reading your dispatches. Trek-On!
Posted by: Dan on 3/18/2012 at 3:43 pm
Stay strong ladies! Glad to hear that everyone is healthy and doing well. Savor the experience!
Well it's another beautiful day in Basecamp. We're enjoying another rest day before heading back up the mountain.
The teams have all joined forces to equip the Lhotse Face with fixed rope for the next series of acclimatization rounds. As a small team we will do our part by bringing gear up to Camp 2. If the weather holds then the 'fixing' will start on the 26th. That will clear the path to the South Col and then teams will begin establishing camps there.
The Col is a long way off for us though as we have quite a bit more acclimatization to go before we'll be ready for heading to 8000 meters (26,000 feet). It's all part of the long process of climbing Mount Everest.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
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Proud of you Matt and team for all you have accomplished!
Posted by: Kathleen George on 6/1/2023 at 2:56 pm
Positive vibes headed your way for a good weather window! Keep it up Dawn, you got this!!
Posted by: Kendyl on 6/1/2023 at 4:47 am
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