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Mt. Everest Expedition: The Process of the Climb

April 26, 2011

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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

After completing our first rotation on the mountain we are back here at Base Camp. It was a relatively warm day here at Base Camp, the clouds blew in early and snow came midday - big, wet flakes filled the air as we sat down to lunch today, covering everything with a thin but wet coating of snow. It has been another restful day here to relax and recover from our time spent higher on the mountain. With the whole team resting today, both our climbing team and our Sherpa team, we've taken advantage of the breaks in the snow to play a few games of horseshoes. Tshering Sherpa once again proved his ace skills, throwing a couple of impressive ringers, as did Dave (although his end of game review was tarnished by the errant shoe that managed to skip the pit and roll into the storage tent - the shoe emerged a few moments later by surprised but laughing Jaya, one of our Base Camp Assistants). RMI's chances in the Base Camp Horseshoes Tournament that Tuck organizes are looking good. Base Camp, which felt high and difficult a few weeks ago, is becoming more comfortable, and I'll venture to say that the air is even starting to feel a bit thicker here at 17,500' since we returned, a sure sign that we are acclimatizing well. The time spent on our first rotation was a good introduction into the process of high altitude climbing. We navigated the Ice fall, established ourselves at Camp 1, and ascended the Western Cwm to Camp 2, also known as Advanced Base Camp (ABC). In doing so our familiarity with the route grew, ladder crossings became easier, and we anticipated the challenges of the Ice fall. We battled high winds, cold nights, and hot days. The rotation reminded me of the adjustment in perspective that takes place every time I head into the mountains. Visiting Camp 2 a few days ago, at 21,300', looking up the Lhotse Face towards the South Col and the summit of Everest far above, we discussed how standing in the same place in several weeks time we will only be days from the summit. But then the altitude was squeezing on the lungs, and simply walking across camp was a challenge in itself. I watched in awe as Yubaraj Rai, who climbed Island Peak with me several weeks ago and is our Camp 2 cook, grabbed a pick axe nearly as tall as he and started chipping away chunks of ice to melt for water. The thought of lifting the axe was tiring. It served as a reminder that despite making progress up the mountain, we have much preparation to do before a summit bid becomes a reality. There is a notable, but sometimes difficult, mental shift that takes place when we begin climbing. Long expeditions like this require moving away from the hard charging objective-oriented mentality that predominates are training and preparation at home to a mentality that is focused on the process of the climb - as cliche as that sounds. With the ground that we covered between Base Camp and visiting Camp 2, we actually spent relatively few hours of the day climbing. The rest of our days were spent on the far less glamorous but equally important aspect of simply living up there. Resting, eating, drinking, sleeping, and dealing with the adversities that the environment throws at you. Because of this our first rotation was hugely important in learning to master the overlooked details of living above 20,000'. It is a trial in discovering what foods appeal up there, how challenging but important staying hydrated is, the awkwardness of pulling on a down suit in a tent, how to keep moral and drive strong during the hours of down time in the tents, the difficulties of packing up the pack in the early morning hours when temperatures hovered below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and how to readjust to the sky rocketing temperatures a few hours later when climbing up the Western Cwm. If these details are ignored the mountain and the altitude wears on the body to such an extent that the actual climbing becomes a challenge too great to overcome, the mountains just take too much of a toll. It's only after we've figured out how to manage these challenges that we can confidently strap on our crampons and climb upwards. These are the often overlooked aspects of climbing up here that we faced on our first rotation. Although the distance and the elevations to which we climbed seem small in regards to the scale of the mountain that stands above us, our days up there were immensely productive and successful. By the third night the altitude was becoming easier, the cold less harsh, and the living up there more manageable. Since returning to Base Camp the whole team is already feeling stronger and more prepared and are looking forward to heading back up on our second rotation in a couple of days. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hello, Linden! We Wallaces are enjoying your blogs! We are thinking about you way up there in the wild, blue, yonder and wishing you and your team well, safe, strong. We send you lots of love! Mary and Roger

Posted by: mary wallace on 5/2/2011 at 7:18 pm

Another great post and love the pictures! Enjoy the “thick” air of base camp and know that we are thinking of you all! And Bro - Happy Anniversary to you and Lisa! You are both extraordinary people!! Stay strong!!

Posted by: Martin on 4/26/2011 at 6:30 pm

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Denali Expedition: Bond & Team Land a Double Pancake Flip on Rest Day

June 17, 2023

Posted by: Andy Bond, Jack Delaney, Joey Manship

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

June 16, 2023 11:38PM PT

On this glorious morning, we awoke to partly sunny skies and light snow showers (for those who don't know, this means mostly cloudy.) As temperatures warmed, we all gathered in the posh for another round of pancake Hibachi. Yours truly went for broke and landed a double pancake flip (that is one pancake flipping twice). Unfortunately, the blast wave of this extreme maneuver broke our big strong Andy's fork.

To make the most of our relatively mild weather and rest day, we headed out of camp and practiced fixed line travel and clipping pickets. The team did great and is ready for whatever gloves the mountain throws at them.

Famished, we made our way back to camp to gorge on snacks, mainly cheese. This helped quell our toilet paper crisis for the near future.

After dinner and a sweet treat of Jack's cheesecake the team retired to hopefully sleep deep and oxygen rich.

- Clown Fish/Joey

Mt. Rainier: Hahn, Delaney & Teams Summit!

August 29, 2021

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Jack Delaney, Henry Coppolillo, Tatum Whatford, Axel Ryd, David Shuer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

Mt. Rainier summit! The teams led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Jack Delaney reached the top at 7:13 a.m. They reported clear skies, a light breeze, and smoke to the East. After spending some time at the crater rim marveling in the sights from the highest point in Washington, the team began their descent.

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congrats Dr.Xue!

Posted by: tom on 8/30/2021 at 9:48 am

So exciting, congratulations Galen, Morgan, Paul & Richard!!!!

Posted by: Lori on 8/29/2021 at 9:13 am

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Mt. Rainier: Summit Climb Update

July 31, 2021

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Grayson Swingle, Erika Birkeland, Cal Smith, Keeley Rideout, Emma Lyddan

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 13,000'

The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb, led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer and Grayson Swingle, turned at 13,000' due to an impasse on the route. The team reported light wind and precipitation earlier this morning. They are currently descending to Camp Muir where they will pack up their remaining gear and continue onto Paradise.

Mountaineering Training | Mental Strategies For The Mountains

April 28, 2014

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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training

Mental preparation for mountaineering is just as important as the physical training. Often the mental hurdles of the mountains can be just as intimidating and overwhelming as the physical challenges. You’ll want to have some strategies to rely on when the climbing gets difficult and you can use your training to figure out what works to keep you mentally engaged and focused during the climb. Below are a few ideas we’ve gathered from our guides and climbers over the years: Break It Up Instead of viewing the climb as single massive undertaking, break the trip into sections, and sub-sections, and sub-sections of sub-sections. If summit day is still days or even weeks away, don’t focus on it when you’re first shouldering your pack. Instead, break the trip in smaller portions: reaching Base Camp, moving to Camp 1, etc. Then segment out the day’s climbing into sections and concentrate on just the stretch you’re on. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the enormity of the climb ahead but by breaking the endeavor into smaller sections of climbing you can separate it out into achievable parts. Climb Beautifully When the going gets tough and you find yourself struggling, try focusing all of your attention on the physical movements. Dial in your cramponing techniques, concentrate on climbing in perfect balance, focus on your footwork, pay attention to your rope interval. Turning your attention to these small tasks brings your attention to the immediate actions you are taking and keeps you engaged and focused. Focus on the Now Much like climbing beautifully, try focusing on the immediate trail ahead and don’t go through the exhausting mental exercises of “what-if”, “maybe”, or “perhaps” of what is over the rise. Instead of worrying about how intimidating the crevasse crossing you heard other climbers mention might be, what the altitude will feel like, how long the descent is going to be, or any other number of possibilities, focus on the route in front of you. By staying focused you won’t burn mental energy exploring unknowns and you’ll stay engaged. When you get to those times of the climb or places on the route, you may just find that they are far more manageable than you led yourself to believe. Count When the going gets really tough, try counting steps. Many climbers descend from the mountains with tales of putting their heads down and counting a certain number of steps - 20, 50, 100 - before looking up again. Don’t lose focus of what you’re doing and continue to climb safely and in tandem with your team, but counting is another way to give yourself something immediate to focus on to help get through the challenging sections. Wander On most climbs there are many moments such as the approach or the descent where you’re off of the technical sections of the mountain that require active focus and you’re simply walking up or down a trail. It’s okay to let you your mind wander! Stay engaged with what you’re doing so you don’t stumble, but let your mind think about things other than the trail ahead. Maybe it’s thinking about how to plant the garden, remembering quotes from your favorite movie, solving a nagging problem, or even what meal you’ll treat yourself to after the climb - anything that can give you a little mental escape. Every climber has different mental strategies that work for them. The trick is finding what works for you. Whether it’s a long weekend hike or a tough interval session, you can use your training routine to experiment with different ways of keeping yourself mentally engaged, even when the training get’s tough. Did we miss something? Share your suggestions on mental strategies and read past Weekly Mountaineering Training Series on the RMI Blog!

Vinson: Climbing Team still waiting

January 15, 2011

Posted by: Ed Viesturs

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif

Elevation: 2.600'

We had high hopes of being able to fly today. After several days of protests and road blocks in Punta Arenas the crew was ready to load the plane with gear, food and more expedition members and fly to Union Glacier. Unfortunately, that didn't happen due to a broken fuel pump. It may be a few days before it can be fixed and the jet is back in the air. The food and accommodations here are great and we are all doing well. Best, RMI Guide Ed Viesturs

Mt. Rainier: Teams Turn due to Wind and Precipitation

August 11, 2022

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Alex Halliday, Sam Hoffman, Sam Marjerison, Cal Seeley, Brian Walters

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 12,300'

The Four-Day climb led by Pete Van Deventer and Alex Halliday turned around at 12,300’ this morning. The teams were facing 45 mph gusts as a wet cloud cap descended on them. They reported that the weather at Camp Muir was far more favorable with a light breeze to welcome them.

The teams are on their descent back to Basecamp, with warm showers and good food in their sights.

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Climb Teams Tag the Top

July 7, 2022

Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Josh McDowell, Augi Fleer, Matias Francis, Trevor Katz, Nicole De Petris

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Climb July 4 - 7 led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier and Josh McDowell led their teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier today. The guides reported windy conditions on the mountain but an overall clear and sunny day. They are currently at Camp Muir and will pack and ready for the remainder of their descent to Paradise.

Congratulation to today's climbers!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Wow!! So proud of the whole team and especially the Larson sibs! Thanks to the guides for keeping them all safe. What an adventure!!

Posted by: Elizabeth Larson on 7/7/2022 at 8:34 pm

Awesome! Congratulations

Posted by: Susan Decker on 7/7/2022 at 4:56 pm

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RMI Guides Travel to Nepal To Climb Manaslu Without Supplemental Oxygen.

September 17, 2022

Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Dominic Cifelli, JT Schmitt

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Guide News

Elevation: 16,000'

RMI Guides JT Schmitt, Dustin Wittmier and Dominic Cifelli are in Nepal on an expedition with the main objective to climb Manaslu without supplemental oxygen. They departed the United States on September 1st and are able to check in from basecamp:

Hello,

We arrived at Manaslu basecamp on September 11th after four days of trekking through remote valleys in Nepal. Most days were spent shrouded in a cloudy veil, but we were treated to the occasional view of rugged glaciers clinging to high mountains. Staying in tea houses, we were immersed in Nepalese and Sherpa cultures through conversation and enjoying traditional foods together.

Six days after arriving in basecamp we are well established at 16000’ and have made our first rotation on the mountain. We spent three days moving to as high as Camp 2 at 21,000’, setting up our tent and caching gear. On that rotation we spent two nights at Camp 1, letting our bodies acclimatize to sleeping at 18900’.

Currently we are on our third rest day, waiting out torrential rains; and the report from higher on the mountain is that there is significant snow accumulation. It is beneficial that Wi-Fi is available in basecamp so we can continue to monitor weather forecasts, waiting for a window to make a second rotation.

We are hopeful we will be able to push through some marginal weather tomorrow to take advantage of a small, upcoming window. Our second rotation will hopefully allow us to reach Camp 4 at 24,300’, to cache some gear and set us up for a summit push.

RMI Guides JT Schmitt, Dustin Wittmier & Dominic Cifelli

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Stay strong team! Love you Dom. Uncle artie

Posted by: Art cifelli on 9/21/2022 at 4:30 pm

Hey Dustin!!!
This is So Awesome!! You Are Strong!! You can do this!! After all you pulled my old farmer a$$ to the top of Cotopoxi!!!
All the best for Strength and Stamina Dustin!!!
Farmer Dave

Posted by: Dave Kestel on 9/19/2022 at 7:17 am

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Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Turned Around at Top of Disappointment Cleaver

August 4, 2022

Posted by: Hannah Smith, Joe Hoch, Lauren Macklin, Lily Emerson, Michael Murray, Evan Sather

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 12,300'

The Four Day Climb for August 1 - 4 led by RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Joe Hoch were unable to summit today due to a descending cloud and gusty winds. The teams reached the top of Disappointment Cleaver but were unable to continue due to weather. As of 7 am the teams were safely back at Camp Muir. They plan leave Camp Muir around 9 am to make the remaining 4,500' descent to Paradise. We look forward to seeing the teams at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon.

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Most Popular Entries

Mt. Everest Expedition: The Process of the Climb

Denali Expedition: Bond & Team Land a Double Pancake Flip on Rest Day

Mt. Rainier: Hahn, Delaney & Teams Summit!

Mt. Rainier: Summit Climb Update

Mountaineering Training | Mental Strategies For The Mountains

Vinson: Climbing Team still waiting

Mt. Rainier: Teams Turn due to Wind and Precipitation

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Climb Teams Tag the Top

RMI Guides Travel to Nepal To Climb Manaslu Without Supplemental Oxygen.

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Turned Around at Top of Disappointment Cleaver

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