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Posted by: Steve Gately, Matias Francis, Ben Luedtke, Charlie Harrison, Mike Bennett, Nicole De Petris
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,200'
The Five-Day teams led by Steve Gately and Matias Francis enjoyed a beautiful walk to the Ingraham Flats this morning. The team decided not to climb due to unfavorable route conditions but enjoyed two days of great weather and lots of hands-on training. The teams will pack up camp and head downhill this morning. We expect the teams back at Basecamp in the early afternoon.
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
| DAY | WORKOUT | TOTAL TIME | DIFFICULTY |
| 1 | Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) | 42 min. | Medium |
| 2 | 1-2-3 Stair Workout x 4 | 72 min. | Very Hard |
| 3 | Rainier Dozen / Rest | 12 min. | Recovery |
| 4 | Rainier Dozen / High Intensity Stair Interval Training (50 min) | 62 min. | Very Hard |
| 5 | Rainier Dozen / Rest | 12 min. | Recovery |
| 6 | Rainier Dozen / Cross Training | 60 min. | Medium |
| 7 | Rainier Dozen / Hike (6 hrs, 15 pounds of pack weight) | 372 min. | Medium |
| Total | 10 hrs 32 mins |
Posted by: Jack Delaney, Nicole De Petris, Jackson Breen, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
After some long days of walking and training, the Emmon's seminar led by RMI guide Jack Delaney reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The team will enjoy their descent to Camp Schurman and a nice dinner before resting up for their walk out of the backcountry and drive back to Ashford tomorrow afternoon. Nice work team!
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Posted by: Alan Davis, Dustin Wittmier, Tatum Whatford, George Hedreen, Tyler Meyers, Lacie Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb July 26 - 29, 2022 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. RMI Guides Alan Davis & Dustin Wittmier led today's climbers to the crater at 14,410'. Warm temperatures and clear skies continue, allowing great views in all directions. The team began their descent from the crater rim around 6:20 am and are making their way back to Camp Muir. After a quick stop at Muir, the teams will continue the final 4,500' descent to Paradise and transfer to Rainier Basecamp. The team will conclude thier program this afternoon with a celebration.
Nice climbing team!
RMI Guides James Bealer and Ellison Boord met their team for the Mt. Baker Leave No Trace Master Educator Course and Climb on Friday, August 26th for their first day of a six day training course and climb. After their Orientation day the team set up mountain camps, practiced Leave No Trace skills and travel as well as learned glacier travel skills. Yesterday the team made their summit attempt of Mt. Baker via the Easton Glacier route. They returned to camp for their final night in the mountains. Their program will conclude today with a celebration in Sedro-Woolley.
Nice work team!
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Categories: Guide News Mount Rainier
Words by Clarence Norment:
I’ve been climbing Rainier for a long time – 40 years to be exact! I first climbed with Wilderness Ventures, through RMI, in 1982 when I was 16. Since then, I’ve climbed 4 additional times – in ’96 with my late wife Mary Elisa on a cross-country trip right after we got married, in ’97 on a 5-day Muir skills seminar, in 2012 with Casey Grom, and in 2017 with a group of seven friends on a team led by Jess Matthews! This time around, I brought my daughter, Charlotte, who has wanted to climb ever since she was little, but had to wait until she was old enough! She’s heading into her senior year in high school, which is exactly when I first climbed. So this is a really cool full circle experience for us. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have some awesome experiences with RMI, led by some amazing guides: John Day and Craig Van Hoy back in the 80s, George Dunn and Phursumba in ’96, Jeff Witherspoon in ’97, Casey in 2012, and Jess Matthews in 2017.
Charlotte and I had an AWESOME climb with Nikki. The summit wasn’t in the cards this time around, but we did get to the top of the DC and had an incredible experience – and got back down safe and sound, which is always key! It was the first time I haven’t summitted, and my joke at the post-climb celebration was that it took me forty years and 6 tries to finally get a “Certificate of Accomplishment”! In all seriousness, I really am proud of this climb. Charlotte absolutely crushed it and was super strong – she would’ve continued on if I had – and I think the fire has been lit in her to make this a part of her life now, too. We’ll absolutely be back again, and my other two kids, Elena (20) and Clay (15) were very envious of Charlotte and are wanting to climb now too – so mission accomplished!
It has been such an amazing 40-year history, and having my daughter climb with me this time brought things full circle. She reminded me of myself when I climbed at her age – no fear whatsoever!
Friday, April 1, 2022 - 6:02 pm PT
This morning was our first time waking up with thin nylon walls as our shelter instead of the plywood walls of our tea house rooms. At Everest Base Camp, located almost exactly at 17,500 feet, the eery sounds of the Khumbu glacier popping and shifting, the rock and ice falling from nearby mountain walls and sleep sounds of your tent neighbors were all part of the range of audible noises heard as throughout the night.
As the first rays of light creeped in we reluctantly began to pull ourselves from the warmth of our down sleeping bags and being careful not to rub the tent walls because of the frost that had condensed on them would sprinkle off and create an small snow shower inside the tent itself. Estimated outside temps were likely in the high teens last night making it our coldest night yet.
Once packed and filled with more food than our stomachs could bear, we said goodbye to the wonderful base camp staff and headed back the way we came, retracing our steps through growing camps preparing for their soon to be arriving climbing g teams.
The days was beautiful and cool making the five hour walk back to Lobuche nice and comfortable. After arriving back at the hotel eco resort, we began to prepare our bags and equipment for the exciting move to Lobuche High Camp tomorrow. This shift from trekking to climbing mode has all of us psyched to be headed into the more technical and demanding part of our journey. I think we are all ready.
Stay tuned for a report from 18,500 feet tomorrow evening.
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Abby Westling, Evan Sather
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,131'
RMI Guide Joe Hoch reported beautiful views from their climb of Mt. Shuksan yesterday. Joe reported the following message from the summit: "Despite ominous smoke plumes all around us, we had a spectacular summit with a clear sky, warm temps, and views of so many mountains!"
The team has made it back to their cars and are headed home after their successful summit of Mt. Shuksan.
Congrats team!
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Matias Francis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Elevation: 15,100'
When we arrived in Ecuador last weekend it had been rainy for weeks on end. Even the first couple days of this trip were quite stormy in the afternoons. But over the last couple days the patterns have been changing for the better. This morning we leave the Chilcabamba Eco Lodge and have our fingers crossed for one more day of good weather! Tomorrow is the main event, Cotopaxi summit day, and the excitement is palpable. Looking out the main window of the dining room at Chilcabamba we can see the summit of Cotopaxi and most of the route.
Included in the pictures are a couple from Iliniza Norte yesterday and one of Cotopaxi from the back porch at Chilcabamba.
Wishing you Clear sky on Cotopaxi Dustin!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 11/5/2021 at 3:05 am
Looking back on this trip, I’m grateful to the team at RMI for their knowledge and approach to getting us to the top of Mt. Shuksan safely. Joe’s avalanche/snow experience combined with Abby’s big mountain and Evan’s rock knowledge were key to helping us make good decisions, learn and summit safely.
Posted by: Tyler Welch on 2/1/2023 at 7:07 pm
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