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Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team waiting out the weather at 9,500 Camp

June 25, 2021

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dominic Cifelli, Matt McEttrick

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,500'

Friday, June 25, 2021 - 6:35 pm PT

This will be our third night hunkered down at 9,500' on the Kahiltna Glacier. It got snowing around midnight last night and just kept going. We checked the weather every hour or so to see if we could get a lull for climbing, but no. Thankfully the winds never got to more than about 20 mph, but they blew steadily throughout the day. We’d taken the precaution of pulling down the dining/cook tent at 1 AM so it was an easy enough thing to build it again at 8 AM to have a dry and calm space for breakfast. Bagels and salmon and a few laughs together before we climbed back in the tents to ride out the storm. By dinner time the snow was falling thick and fast and we were happy to be high enough to be avoiding rain. With dinner complete we did a round or two of chores to strengthen our camp and then crawled in for the night. According to the forecast, tomorrow should be partly sunny. Until then it will be anybody’s guess as to how many hours of noise we’ll endure as the wind and snow pummel the tent fabric.

Cheers,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Good luck guys, wish you all the best! Hope the weather breaks for you. Rest well and may peace be with you

Posted by: Gregory Hatt on 6/30/2021 at 9:44 pm

My son hectoris there with you. I would love to know about his knees and health, how is he doing please

Posted by: Laura fernandez on 6/27/2021 at 7:53 am

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Mt. Elbrus: Justman & Team Acclimatize to 15,200’

July 6, 2013

Posted by: JJ Justman

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside

Elevation: 15,200'

Swinging into full climbing mode, our team made a giant foray onto the upper slopes of Mount Elbrus. Hey everyone, this is JJ Justman with RMI and the first Elbrus team of the season. Of course proper acclimatization is key and everyone is doing very, very well. 15,200 feet was our max altitude that we reached today. Donning sharp crampons on our boots allowed us some good practice for our summit day. Now back at camp here feels a little thicker and once again, our cooks are pampering us with some of the best authentic Russian cuisine. After all I have a good saying that a well-fed climber is a strong climber and I do believe the one reason why Russian climbers are so strong, is a secret ingredient they put in the borscht, which is Russian homemade soup here. It's really delicious, our cooks are doing a great job. We're loving life up here on Mount Elbrus. But it is relax time to fully recover. As I mentioned, our team is doing really, really well. We are going to do a rest day tomorrow in preparation for our summit day, which as of right now, is looking like it is going to be Monday, so stay tuned. RMI Guide JJ Justman

RMI Guide JJ Justman calls in from Mt. Elbrus

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Godspeed, Bob Wang and RMI, Godspeed!

Rick de Dallas

Posted by: Rick Sims on 7/7/2013 at 2:29 pm

(Julie first removes pin hole glasses so not to type more errors)
TEXAS IS GETTING EXCITED FOR YOUR SUMMIT.
Amy, be sure to keep Ed in line. (what am I saying?) LIZ, keep both Ed and Amy in line.

Posted by: Julie Marx on 7/7/2013 at 9:55 am

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Denali Expedition: Bond & Team Land on Glacier, Establish First Camp

June 7, 2023

Posted by: Andy Bond, Jack Delaney, Joey Manship

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 - 11:11 pm PT

The RMI team lead by RMI Guides Andy Bond, Jack Delaney and Joey Manship thoroughly enjoyed the K2 flight in to base camp this morning. The views were spectacular! We began our climb for a short distance down hill before beginning the arduous journey with heavy packs and full sleds up what we referred to as Blister Hill. The team made excellent time and established our camp at 7,800 feet elevation on the flats at the base of Ski Hill. As the clouds rolled in and a light snow began to fall we enjoyed delicious burritos and looked forward to a well deserved nights rest.

Climber Jeff Ebeling

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Looking forward to following your progress Take lots of pictures Andy.
Steve

Posted by: Steve Kickert on 6/7/2023 at 6:25 pm

Great to hear day 1 was a success! We wish the best of luck and best of weather! -Love, Jeff’s family! ❤️

Posted by: Jill Ebeling on 6/7/2023 at 1:04 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team - Patience Delivers the Summit

June 21, 2014

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Geoff Schellens

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,200'

June 21, 2014 - 2:56 am PT Well, you probably heard our summit phone call from earlier today, so this is just the follow-up to that. We had a heck of a day here in the high altitudes of North America, rising from the tents early this morning to cold temperatures, light winds, and high clouds. We decided that it was going to be a day for an attempt, and once we had basked in the sun for a bit we headed over to the shade of the Autobahn. Two hours later we had passed the difficulties of the pickets and the exposure below, and we stepped out around Denali Pass. The weather was still a bit in and out, but the No Troubles crew was moving well so we kept at it. Up steep rolls, over undulating terrain, and higher and higher we climbed. We passed familiar landmarks as the day went on, like Zebra Rocks, Archdeacon's Tower, the Football Field, and finally crested onto the summit ridge in cold wind and clear blue skies. Late this afternoon, we reached the highest point on this continent, and emotions ran high as we hugged, high-fived, and snapped photos. Jake's team came up onto the top just as we were getting ready to head down, and we were thrilled to share that special moment with them. This team has had a full value experience, especially with all the uncertainty and waiting that we've endured. Now it's time for one last hot drink and then into the bag for a much-deserved rest. Down tomorrow, hopefully the weather holds for a flight soon! Cheers, RMI Guides Tyler, Geoff, Garrett and the No Troubles team

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Congratulations!! We were there in ‘96 with RMI in total whiteout. Enjoy the views!!!

Posted by: Keith on 6/22/2014 at 8:55 am

Jennifer - Congrats on your successful climb. Jacob

Posted by: Jacob on 6/22/2014 at 8:21 am

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Vinson: Ski Team Grounded at Basecamp

January 15, 2011

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif

Elevation: 7,200'

Low Clouds and Grounded Planes We all awoke this morning to a strange thing: warmth. All of us were sweating in our sleeping bags, and a quick unzip of the tent door explained the phenomenon. During the night, low clouds had marched across the continent, swamping the Sentinel Range in a mire of moisture, and bringing the temperature up noticeably. After some coffee to get us moving, Peter set off to check in on flight possibilities with the ALE staff nearby. A quick radio call confirmed what we all suspected: No flights today. We'd be spending at least one more day at Vinson Basecamp. There are certainly worse things to have happen; Vinson Basecamp is not a bad place to be stuck in a fog-bank. But, we all are a bit bummed as it would be nice to be moving to a new location and prepping for a new climb. Climbing, however, is often an exercise in patience, dealing with forces which are not only uncontrollable, but also tend to punish the impatient. So, today, we sit, Kent and I shoot, and wrap up production loose-ends. We also took some time to pore over our map of the Sentinel Range, looking for potential peaks to check out via Twin Otter when the weather clears. Again, there are worse things; soon, the weather will again clear, and we'll be off to the next step of the journey. Patience, as the saying goes, is a virtue. -Jake Norton

Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Ascend to the Shira Plateau

January 26, 2022

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 12,200'

Hello again everyone-

The team had a really nice day here on Kilimanjaro today, waking to clear skies and a beautiful view of Kilimanjaro looming in the distance. We had a light cloudy layer which helped keep us cool while on the trail, which was nice as the sun can be quite intense here near the equator.

We started the day waking at 6:30 to start packing up before moving into our dinning tent for a nice breakfast with porridge, fried eggs, toast, avocado and even some fresh fruit, and most importantly plenty of hot coffee.

We hit the trail shortly after 8am and slowly made our way up the rocky trail with occasional views of Kilimanjaro above. The trail climbed up a blunted ridge and eventually out of the trees and allowed for some truly spectacular views of the valley below. The team hiked for a little more than four hours before reaching our next camp that sits on the Shira plateau, which is an ancient lava flow.

Everyone is doing very well and we are currently relaxing in camp.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Mt. Everest: Hahn & Team Success to Camp 1

April 23, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 19,900'

The 2015 Mt. Everest season has been a tough start with big snow storms here at base camp, but full steam ahead right now. The snow that kept us from moving up earlier has blossomed to some nice days. You would be amazed at the difference on the glacier since last week. Rivers running, pools forming and a route through the ice fall that has allowed a reasonable ascent to Camp 1, where the team is at this very moment. I just got off the radio with Dave and word is, all well. I was able to follow the team's climb up the ice fall with my tripod-mounted spotting scope. They were at times obscured from view by huge ice towers and the route taking them down into the depths of the glacier, out of sight, and then minutes later they would they pop back into view. Their training, adjusting to the altitude and experience at this sort of wild climbing paid off with what I can guarantee you was one of the most amazing and memorable days in these mountaineers climbing careers. So proud of this group as I watched them progress through the Khumbu Icefall working the mountain, assisting each other, and sticking together in pure style and grace. Way to go team! RMI Guide and Everest Base Camp Manager Mark Tucker Dave Hahn called in after reaching Camp 1 and his audio is posted below.

RMI Everest Expedition Leader, Dave Hahn, calling in from Camp 1.

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Phantastic and best wishes to all of you!
You passed the first barrier and I hope you arrived safe in Camp 2! It´s really great to follow your climb!
Sunny weather and good health to everybody - Ute

Posted by: Ute Novak on 4/24/2015 at 7:21 am

Dave & Team - absolutely fascinating following your journey. I wake up at 2 AM to read the blogs now. They are becoming very interesting—passing the icefalls and making high camp. :) Be safe.

Posted by: Mary on 4/24/2015 at 6:35 am

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Snowing at Base Camp is a Good Thing

May 5, 2012

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

Snowy, cold and grey morning at Mt. Everest Basecamp. Which is not entirely a bad thing. In fact, we want it to keep snowing for a few days in order to change the dangerously icy conditions that exist up high on the mountain. Of course, snow down here at 17,500 ft. doesn't translate to snow up at 25,000 ft, but we can only hope. The consensus between guides and expedition leaders on the mountain is that we need some sort of change before we can responsibly send climbers and Sherpas onto the rock-strafed flanks of Lhotse again. This situation makes for a slightly tougher than normal mental game for Everest climbers. Normally, in this first week of May we'd be putting the finishing touches on our conditioning and acclimatization in preparation for the summit. And although we did what we could toward those goals on our last rotation up the hill, it wasn't much without a day or two on the Lhotse Face. But that could not be helped. Unfortunately, we saw, heard of, and dealt with several instances of other climbers getting slammed by rock. Such poor odds of success were not for us. So now we are resting at basecamp and we are in limbo. If the snow actually sticks to the blue ice of the Lhotse Face the chance of a rock blowing off the summit of the 4th highest mountain in the world and hurtling unimpeded down toward our fixed ropes would be greatly reduced and we'd be back in business. If that happens sooner, then we might even have a chance to go back up for a more thorough acclimatization rotation before the summit bid. If time drags on a bit before that snow sticks… we may be left with just a shot at the summit. And if time drags on for several weeks without the change we need… a decent shot at the top is in doubt. In our favor, the jet stream winds that were raking the mountain (and setting free thousands of precariously perched rocks up high) have eased. The word is that the jet is to the South of the mountain now and that relatively low winds are going to be with us… which normally allows for cloud formation and some daily snow. In our favor, there are still teams willing to risk the rockfall (and now snow sluffs) of the Lhotse Face and so we'll get daily reports as to conditions up high and perhaps the route will still get scratched in despite the hazards. We certainly wouldn't ask anyone to endure these conditions, but we aren't so proud and stubborn that we wouldn't take advantage of the good results of such labor when conditions turn favorable. It is hang loose time. Cards, books, movies, naps, meals, get-togethers with other climbers, walks out to "Icy Cyber" (the position ten minutes out in the glacier that gets 3G service), conversations about the weather, the icefall, the fixed ropes and the helicopters… incidentally, there are none today and it is quiet like back in the old days, thanks to the snow. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Kilimanjaro: Team Arrives in Tanzania

February 13, 2012

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Greetings from Arusha Tanzania, Our adventure has begun! The team arrived last night at Kilimanjaro International Airport and we headed directly to the Dik Dik Hotel. It's a welcome relief to go from our long flights to a delicious meal and a soft bed. No early risers in this crew, so it was a nice relaxing start to our day. After breakfast we started talking about the details of the days ahead and to sort through our gear to get ready for our departure. With our gear packed and weighed, we took a nice walk down to a nearby town to stretch our legs and to check out the area. Tomorrow we have an early departure for the Machame Gate where we will begin our trek. With our travel days behind us, it is time to start walking! We'll check in tomorrow from the mountain. Till then .... RMI Guide Jeff Martin and The Simba Sita (The Simba Six)

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Great job! Knew u could do it even with the old geezer Bob. Just kidding. We are proud of both you.

Posted by: M and K on 2/16/2012 at 3:10 pm

Hi Hegmans!!! We are so proud of you!!! Glad to see ODU representing in the picture:) Good luck and make it to the top so you can bore us with stories about it for years to come!! We love you! Jodi, Jackson, and Max

Posted by: Jodi, Jackson, and Max on 2/16/2012 at 6:53 am

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Bolivia: Bond & Team Travel to Isle del Sol

August 6, 2024

Posted by: Andy Bond, Henry Coppolillo

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Bolivia

Elevation: 13,000'

Monday, August 5, 2024 - 5:25 pm PT

It was an early start but not an early exit as we left La Paz this morning. A gasoline shortage in Bolivia left us scrambling to find a spot to fill up our van as we headed to Isla del Sol. After several hours of navigating La Paz and El Alto traffic we finally made it to the highlands with views of the Condoriri mountains and Huayna Potosi. A quick ferry and a failed short cut down a dirt road eventually led us back to the standard route through the town of Copacabana which sits right on Lake Titicaca. Yet another curve ball was thrown our way as a fiesta in the town for the Bolivian independence day shut down our route to the boat that was awaiting us to bring us to the island. After several detours and side roads we finally made it to our private boat that would bring us to the Island of the Sun.

Isle del Sol is a special island for the Andean people as it is the center of creation for them. On our walk from the boat to the Eco Lodge we passed by a pre-Incan Temple, and terraces built in the 1300's for farming. The island itself does not have cars and provides spectacular views of 6,000m peaks that we'll be heading to shortly. It is also a perfect place for us to acclimatize at 13,000' and enjoy the laid back island life compared to the hustle and bustle of La Paz. After an excellent dinner of fresh caught trout from the lake and local beef we are settling in for bed. As I write this we are being treated to views of a massive lightning storm over the mountains, feeling thankful to be here in our comfortable casitas and headed towards the high peaks in a few days when the weather is forecasted to improve.

RMI Guide Andy Bond

PC: Andy Bond

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Most Popular Entries

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team waiting out the weather at 9,500 Camp

Mt. Elbrus: Justman & Team Acclimatize to 15,200’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Bond & Team Land on Glacier, Establish First Camp

Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team - Patience Delivers the Summit

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Vinson: Ski Team Grounded at Basecamp

Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Ascend to the Shira Plateau

Mt. Everest: Hahn & Team Success to Camp 1

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Snowing at Base Camp is a Good Thing

On The Map

Kilimanjaro: Team Arrives in Tanzania

Bolivia: Bond & Team Travel to Isle del Sol

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