Clouds everywhere was the order of the day. We had basically cast any hope for flying out today right out the door. The forecast was bad. Through a sat phone call to Joe Horiskey, our boss at the office, I learned that the Talkeetna web cam showed nothing but dark masses of rain clouds backed up to the mountains. And, it was crappy up on the airstrip.
Come about noon I did notice the sun barely visible above the dense clouds, and wagered we would be flying out that day. But it was a wager to boost flagging spirits as much as anything. We all took to some serious tent time to talk, read, listen or play cards.
Then...the familiar drone of a plane comes into earshot. Maile looks at me but we figure it's just a tourist overflight high above us. We look out the window and can't believe it's coming in! No warning from Lisa the Basecamp manager or anything this time.
And then...all hell breaks loose as everyone scrambles to get tents down and gear packed.
By the time K2 gets in we're ready. Flying out, the brief weather window closes and I'm afraid we'll be turning back. Maile's knuckles are turning white with the trepidation we all feel as the visibility drops. It's snowing again. We fly out the long way out to avoid the more direct, but higher passes. But Chuck, our pilot, apparently had no desire to spend the night on the glacier, and we all make it out. Just in time. No other flights get back in that day!
I'm finishing this final dispatch the next morning after devouring a huge steak dinner and drinking way too much of anything but water at the local watering hole, the Fairview Inn.
We're on our way to Anchorage now where the team will part ways to reunite with loved ones. Leon, Maile and I have other plans. We're going fishing!
See ya next year,
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Maile
Hi, this is Brent and team calling from 14,500’, it’s 10:25 p.m. Alaska time. Today started as a beautiful, beautiful day, windless and blue sky. We carried to 16,600’ and everyone did really well. Some folks were feeling so well that we took part of the team up to 17,200’ camp to place another cache. Members of the RMI Team led by Billy Nugent were at camp and we talked with them. Billy and other members of the team were making their summit attempt and were well on their way.
The weather came in on our descent, clouds built up this afternoon with some snow showers but we navigated well. We will be taking a well deserved rest day tomorrow. We will check in tomorrow night with an update on our plans. That’s all for now.
Posted by: Vern on 6/8/2011 at 4:47 pm
Hi Brent and Maile.
Sorry, I never had a chance to say “Thank you” personally for the wonderful trip. So, here it is. Thanks to you and the entire team to make it happen. I had a great time and will be looking for more climes in the future. Very happy to hear that the rest of you made it safely back to Talkeetna. Good luck with your fishing trip! - Sergey
This time of year in Antarctica, the sun never sets. The warmest part of the day is actually during the evening when the sun gets a little lower in the sky, hitting you straight on. After two days living in a horizontal position in my tent, waiting for clear skies to allow the Twin Otter to pick us up from Vinson Base Camp, I was more than ready for some adventure. We immortalized Mount Vinson by flying over it from all sides, reliving our time on it by flying over the climbing route and dreaming of new lines on all the untouched surrounding peaks. An hour later, we were back at Union Glacier camp where we'd started 12 days earlier.
I instantly connected with my long time friend Victor Saunders, a British mountain guide who lives in Chamonix and who is always thirsty for First Ascents. And there are plenty to be had around Union Glacier since this is the first year ALE (Antarctica Logistics and Expeditions) is operating from here. He'd just put up 5 new routes with clients and invited me to join him for a sixth one. We left camp after lunch and skied the 5kms to the base of the beautiful ridgeline defining the horizon before climbing up to the ridge proper. The wind died and we were now basking in the late afternoon sun, making our way up a knife edge rock and snow ridge. Grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this first ascent, I untied from the rope and soloed ahead, breaking trail the whole way for Victor and his two clients, Dominic and Nick. The climbing reminded me of the ridges I guide all summer long in the Swiss Alps: loose on easy terrain and solid on the steeper steps, but without any scratch from previous climbers' crampons. When I reached the summit, I was elated. Being the first to tread on any ground is so unique, so special: it's so rare to know that no one before you has stood on a summit, or has climbed the line you are looking at; you have to figure out as you go, with no beta, relying solely on your technical and route finding skills.To me, First Ascents are the most rewarding style of climbing, all the more in a remote setting like Antarctica.
We were back at our skis by midnight, the sun still looming high above us in the sky as we looked back to our ridge, the Midnight Ridge.
- Caroline George
Peter Whittaker checks in to lay out the plan for the days ahead.
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz June 11 - 16, 2023 led by RMI Guide Eric Frank reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning via the Kautz Glacier. After two days of training at BaseCamp and Paradise the team began their ascent via Paradise. They established camp and spent the next two nights on the mountain practice and learning more alpine skills including some crevasse rescue training. This morning the team made their summit attempt, they checked in around 7:30 from just below the Wapowety Cleaver. Eric reported a beautiful day with no wind and warm temperatures. However, when they reached the summit the winds were strong. The team enjoyed a bit of time on the summit before starting their descent back to camp. They will stay tonight on the mountain and continue their descent tomorrow, perhaps with a bit more training.
Last night, we were sitting in the dome at camp 2. Dinner was finished, and everyone was in their tents for bed. The steam of freshly boiled water was rising as we poured the last of it into the hot pot.
We sat as a guide team, looking at updated weather and coming up with a summit strategy when in popped one of our team members,
“Hey, Can I talk to you guys?”
“Sure, sure. Come on in.”
She stepped through the door.
“I’d like to help carry this teammate’s weight tomorrow. I want this for him so badly and he’s struggling.”
This morning, after a breezy night straight into a breezy morning, I sleepily walked from the guide tent to the dome tent. Jack immediately handed me my little 1/2 L Nalgene filled with warm coffee,
“Dom made it for you.”
Packing up our bags to carry a load to Camp 3,
“How is your morning, Reacher?”
“I didn’t sleep well. I woke up early to the wind and helped tie down other people’s tents.”
Climbing mountains is an inherently selfish sport. We work hard to get ourselves to the top. It benefits us, the climber, more than anyone else. And there’s no problem with that.
I found my own healing in the mountains, my own growth, the ability to drive and push myself further than I thought possible.
And I fell in love with guiding because I loved helping others do the same - get out of their comfort zone, try really hard, take a really big risk.
But if there’s one thing this team keeps teaching me, one tiny miracle at a time, is that there is more than just our own little dreams happening. Even though 14 days ago we were total strangers, we are now people who have built deep relationships, so much so that we’ll offer to help carry another’s weight because we already believe in that other so much. We’ll share our bag of banana chips at every break, even though instinct tells us to hold fast to those calories we hefted all the way to 18,000 feet. We’ll tie down tents in the lonely early morning just because we don’t want our friends to blow away after a windy night.
And today, when all of us felt a touch alone in our struggle to Camp 3 at 19,600 feet, I looked a little closer and saw the sort of miracle that was a team coming together. Climbing a mountain not just for ourselves but with and for those we are inspired by. I saw that whatever has happened between us is profound and no matter if we stand on top or not, we won’t leave here unchanged.
Checking in with RMI's 1st Kilimanjaro Climb of 2022! Great to finally be back in Africa.
All is well here in Tanzania as the team arrived late last night after some very long flights. A few new procedures getting through customs but everything went pretty smoothly. It was a short and peaceful ride to our Lodge that is nestled in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of Kilimanjaro. The team had a quick dinner and headed for bed as the time change had us all feeling just a little off and pretty tired after all the traveling.
Today we had a leisurely morning with our group meeting after breakfast , where we did a round of introductions and then discussed the upcoming program for the days ahead. The team spent the remainder of the day getting our gear packed up, exploring the grounds of our peaceful Lodge and dodging the gaggle of monkeys patrolling the grounds.
We wrapped up the evening with a delicious meal and plenty of friendly conversations. Everyone is doing well and excited to be here.
Ecuador Skills Seminar 2013 is coming to a close. Although we did not attempt to climb the tallest of our three chosen mountains which should have taken place today, we settled for a 17,500 foot consolation prize, Illiniza Sur. We left our hostel this morning at 1 am and began the two hour approach to the hut at 1:45. Forty five minutes into the hike we had to stop and don rain gear to ward off the cold mist that was beginning to soak us. By the time we reached the hut the mist had turned to snow. Sadly the weather was not the only thing going south. By the time we were ready to depart, Jaime our local guide was too ill to continue, Suzanne was too knackered from her battle with a loose gut and Jan began to have stomach cramps. By the time we filed out, only Gary and Clark were able to ascend with both Casey and myself. With a one to one ratio the steep, technical terrain we encountered was greatly entertaining. Not to mention the weather broke just as we were approaching the glacier. From bottom to top and back again, this climb was a fantastic way to end our time together as a climbing team. I am really bummed we could not all stand on top together but tonight we become a party team. It is always important to remember the summit isn't everything. Tonight we are all ready for a grand fiesta of both food and spirits. Our time in Ecuador has been packed with good laughs, good climbing and great people. We will miss it. But now we are all deeply anticipating the reunion with family friends and ice climbing. Thanks to everyone who followed along and gave support. Hasta mañana.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
Saturday market at its best here in Namche Bazaar. Not so much for tourist but keeps the locals in much needed goods. Had great views of Everest and surrounding peaks till mid day when clouds rolled in. Hope for clearing in the morning for the climb up to Deboche. We will take the longer route to visit Khumjum where the Hilary school, and of course the bakery, are located. We stayed around Namche today opting to see them tomorrow.
Team is doing well and are ready for a move up the hill.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
The team completed their second rotation at Camps 1 and 2 and returned to Everest Base Camp today.
We are glad to have everyone back down to rest and recuperate from their time up high. Even Yubarj, our Camp 2 cook, returned to Base Camp for a few days break.
Nobody will be heading out of Base Camp going up hill tomorrow from our camp so we are heading to bed tonight without setting the alarm. That is a nice feeling.
The team is looking forward to a warm shower and we are looking forward to hearing their stories from the last few days.
It was a nice day today here at Base Camp and I headed down valley for a little bouldering.
Once the team is rested we'll get them sending some dispatches with news about the last rotation.
Till next time,
Mark Tucker
Bill & Sarah - Great to hear the team is back to lower altitudes for what sounds like a couple days of deserved R&R. What an incredible few days it must of been. Thinking about you all the time and looking forward to the exciting days ahead. BK
Posted by: BK on 5/4/2011 at 12:40 pm
Hi Bill & Sara!
It was really nice to meet you guys on the way up to the M. Everest Basecamp! Fantastic to read about the big adventure through this blog! Keep up the good work - I am very impressed!!
Cheers from Lars
(Nebraska-Swede who you met in Pheriche & Loboche)
Hi this is Seth Waterfall checking in from the Union Glacier camp in Antarctica!
All is well with the team. We had a great day of activity outside of camp. After breakfast this morning we headed out in a 'track van'. This is a 4x4 Ford Econoline van that is fitted with snow tracks instead of regular wheels. It is basically a 4 wheel drive snow mobile that keeps you protected from the elements. We took the van for a five mile ride from our camp to a spot called the Wave. The Wave is a huge wind deposit of ice that has formed a wave-like feature around a mountain called Mt. Charles. It is one of the most interesting and bizarre glacier formations that I have ever seen. There is no glacial erosion from solar effects or air temperatures here so the glacier has formed a curl around Mt. Charles that looks exactly like a barreling ocean wave. The only thing different is that this one is over 200 feet tall and stationary.
At the Wave the group split up. Some of us were busy taking photos and video for the First Ascent clothing company while the others in the group got to climb Mt. Charles. The weather was fairly poor today with a cold wind and a bit of snow so we didn't stay out for much more than a couple of hours. The climbing party met up with the filming party just after lunch time, piled back into the track van and headed back to camp. However, Jake Norton and myself decided to stick out the bad weather and go climbing in the area. We were inspired by the free ride out to the other side of the Union Glacier, but the problem for us was that we would have to ski the five miles back to camp after our climb.
That said, we were really psyched up to climb some of the local peaks as most of them have never been climbed. The Union Glacier camp is in it's first year of operation and this part of the range has seen little visitation prior to this climbing season. Due to the poor weather we decided on a fairly small but steep peak
that had caught our eye from camp. Jake and I unloaded our gear from the van and were soon left alone in the cold and blowing snow.
We set off to the base of the mountain and after an hour of skiing we reached the base of the mountain. There was a steep snow ramp on our right that lead directly to the summit and a rock ridge on the left. We decided to split the difference and headed straight up towards a plateau near the summit. The snow was nice and firm, perfect for cramponing, as we started but soon deteriorated to any icy crust over unconsolidated sugar-snow. This made the climbing more difficult so we switched over to the rock ridge. The rock quality was good and we enjoyed excellent climbing to a flat notch just below the summit. From there we had excellent snow conditions to the top. Amazingly we had a lull in the weather for most of our climb and our time on the summit. So we were able to enjoy a few moments of 'top-time' before descending back to our skis.
We then had a quick snack and headed off back towards the marked trail leading to camp. After an hour of skiing we reached the trail, this meant that we only had 5 miles to go to camp! Checking our watches we realized that we would have to hustle to make it back for the 7 p.m. dinner call. With over 100 people in camp the food does not last long and neither of us had eaten much since breakfast. The wind had picked up again but it was blowing at our backs and after and hour and a half of flat skiing across the glacier we arrived at camp... with 20 minutes to spare before dinner! The food was excellent. The A.L.E. staff really goes out of their way to treat us well here on the ice.
We are all settling into various games or books for the evening's entertainment. We'll check back in tomorrow with the latest from our adventure here in Antarctica!
Hey Jake - I was on your rope team on Rainier in 96… Its good to see that your still living the dream. Congradulations to you and the rest of the Vinson team
Hello everyone.
We just had another wonderful day here in Tanzania!
Today we visited Tarangire National park that is home to more than 6000 elephants. So needless to say we saw plenty, in fact, they were everywhere we looked. We even had one cross the road just a few feet behind our vehicle and saw one about a week old that everyone wanted to bring home. We witnessed the usual suspects of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, antelope, a few lions and even managed to spot a cheetah enjoying a little shade beneath a tree.
Tomorrow will be our last day here. We'll make our way back through the park, take a quick shower at the Dik Dik lodge and then head to the airport. I'm sure the whole team is looking forward to getting home and sharing their stories and pictures from this astonishing adventure.
Thanks for following our team!
RMI GUIDE Casey Grom and Team
Thanks for the great write ups Casey- Sounds like a fantastic trip that will be in our future—
Posted by: Sterling & Sue F. on 9/27/2012 at 7:50 pm
Hiya Team!
I’m so glad you all got to see elephants and so many other cool animals! Love the pic of baby eli! Sooooo cute!!! Enjoy your last day at the awesome Dik dik resort. Drink a Kili or two for me. ;o) Cheers and safe travels back home!!!
Hi, this is Brent and team calling from 14,500’, it’s 10:25 p.m. Alaska time. Today started as a beautiful, beautiful day, windless and blue sky. We carried to 16,600’ and everyone did really well. Some folks were feeling so well that we took part of the team up to 17,200’ camp to place another cache. Members of the RMI Team led by Billy Nugent were at camp and we talked with them. Billy and other members of the team were making their summit attempt and were well on their way.
The weather came in on our descent, clouds built up this afternoon with some snow showers but we navigated well. We will be taking a well deserved rest day tomorrow. We will check in tomorrow night with an update on our plans. That’s all for now.
Posted by: Vern on 6/8/2011 at 4:47 pm
Hi Brent and Maile.
Sorry, I never had a chance to say “Thank you” personally for the wonderful trip. So, here it is. Thanks to you and the entire team to make it happen. I had a great time and will be looking for more climes in the future. Very happy to hear that the rest of you made it safely back to Talkeetna. Good luck with your fishing trip! - Sergey
Posted by: Sergey on 6/6/2011 at 10:16 am
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