Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tyler and Garrett checking in from RMI Denali Expedition Number 4. Yesterday afternoon found us in the ranger station getting some good details about the route, our responsibilities on the mountain, and what we can expect to see as we climb higher. Interestingly, we also were reminded that this year is the 100-year anniversary of the first ascent. While we have the benefit of fancy new gear and a century of knowledge, the actual climb of Denali remains as challenging as it was in 1913, and our team is ready to tackle that challenge.
We landed on the glacier today, and we're currently camped out in Basecamp. The mostly clear skies and warm temperatures make it hard to believe we're almost at the Arctic Circle! Because it's so warm here, we won't be heading out for our first camp until later tonight (more like early in the morning) so that the snow will freeze up and make our walking a little smoother.
Everyone is excited to have gotten a smooth start to the trip, and we're hoping the weather continues to hold. We'll check back in tomorrow, keep it dialed in for more!
RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Garrett Stevens
I feel like I should be up there with you! I’ve been following Logan and Brent and they have been having great climbing conditions so far. I hope it holds together for you.
By now you’ve probably learned that James Choo and I were tentmates on Aconcagua. He’ll carry his weight-you can depend on him. Fred Klingbeil was also in the tent with us and I see he has posted on the blog and is following along. Hi Fred!
My poor substitute for Denali this year is going to Elbrus in July. I was on Kilimanjaro this past February. I’ll be at Elbrus with Casey and he and I were also at Kilimanjaro.
Good luck and climb safe. I miss you guys. XXOO
-Larry Seaton
Posted by: Larry Seaton on 5/31/2013 at 11:06 am
have an excllent trip and we’ll see if we can get the elmendorf guys to give a gentle flyby
Hello from Elbrus Northside Basecamp! Our good luck with the weather has continued. Our hike down from Camp 1 was rather pleasant, other than our huge packs. We took our time and now we're relaxing and waiting for our ride back to Kislovodsk.
RMI Guides JJ Justman and Seth Waterfall
Congratulations team! Happy anniversary Rayn! I am so proud of you…now hurry up and come back home to me!
Posted by: Jessica Eddy on 9/5/2012 at 6:07 am
Good luck on your ascent, and remember that once on the top, you are only half done! listen to your guides, keep a positive attitude, and enjoy the eexperience. Prayers will be with you.
The weather has been steadily improving each day on the mountain and today was no exception: we've had beautiful clear skies all day here on Mt. Elbrus. We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast this morning of French toast and fresh fruit before heading out on the surrounding glacier to cover some additional mountaineering training in preparation for tomorrow's climb. By lunch the team was well versed in a variety of climbing techniques, including ice axe arrest, climbing as a rope team, and crampon techniques for a variety of conditions.
In the afternoon we took a walk down to the top of the tram station where a little museum sits. In translated Russian, the museum keeper walked us through the small rooms, explaining the significance and events of Mt. Elbrus during World War II. So close to Russia's oil supply at the time, the Caucasus were a major focus of Hitler's advances into Russia and there was a great deal of fighting between 1941-1943, including on Mt. Elbrus itself as the mountain held symbolic importance in the fighting. It was a very interesting tour and a very different change of pace from the climbing focus we've had.
We returned to huts in the afternoon and prepared our gear for tomorrow's climb. The weather forecast looks promising and the team is feeling strong so we are going for the top tomorrow morning. We will make an early start, getting up around 2:00am, and hope to reach Europe's highest point by mid morning. We will check in tomorrow to let you know how the climb goes; keep your fingers crossed for good weather and smooth climbing conditions for us!
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
The Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guides Tyler Reid and Shaun Sears left Camp Muir with an alpine start this morning but were forced to turn around at 10,600' due to high avalanche danger.
The weather at Camp Muir was clear with high clouds above. There was also a cloud deck below at around 6,000'. The teams began their descent from Camp Muir just before 9 a.m. We look forward to seeing them in Ashford this afternoon.
We have been busy on the mountain. With our summit attempt thwarted because of weather and the next projected weather window this Sunday the team has decided to head home to our families.
Last night we slept at 14,000 feet and after a leisurely start to the day we have descended to about 9,500 ft. We will sleep here for a few hours tonight, awake around 4 a.m. so that we can take advantage of the frozen snow bridges, and push on to the Kahiltna air strip. Unless we get stuck on the glacier because of bad weather this will be our last message from the mountain. We will talk to you all very soon.
RMI Guide Walter Hailes
Howdy from 14k. Today we got up and planned to carry food and equipment up toward high camp at 17k. We woke up early and the air was warm with patches of blue sky showing through. While we got our morning chow the snow and wind started slowly picking up. As we walked the first hour to 15k and the base of the classic headwall of the West Buttress, the wind and snow intensity increased and visibility dropped to just a few feet.
With these conditions and the risk of avalanches increasing, we opted to descend in hopes of better weather in the next days. The team spent the majority of the day lounging in tents. Our decision to turn around was verified as we heard the constant roar of avalanches in the distance and saw 8 new inches of snow accumulate throughout the day.
Dinner tonight will bring a nice meal and psych to the team. In the mountains we must have patience and wait until we have an opportunity for safe passage. For now we gain strength and acclimatization through rest and light exercise. When Denali allows us an opportunity to go higher, we will be ready.
- RMI Guide Tyler Jones
It was another beautiful day here in Lhasa. Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed our visit but I think we were getting a little stir crazy with the confines of the city. So today we went on a short hike up a nearby hill. It just so happens that this hill is sacred to the Tibetan people and is commonly visited by them. We hiked just over two hours to reach the high point. It sits at just over 14,000' and is adorned with hundreds if not thousands of prayer flags. Not only was it a magnificent site to behold but the view was amazing. We could see the entire Lhasa valley and beyond. We spent a few moments soaking it all in then quickly descended back to the busy city for lunch. After a nice little lunch we ventured off to see a few of the other monasteries and then it was back to our hotel for a quick nap. Everyone is doing great and we are excited to leave Lhasa tomorrow and see some more of this beautiful country.
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz June 23 - 28, 2023 checked in this morning from the summit crater. After two days of training at Rainier BaseCamp and Paradise the team headed onto the mountain. With several days to train and ascend, the team launched their summit attempt this morning, reaching the crater before 7 am. After enjoying some time on top, the team is now on their descent. RMI Guide Mike Haugen reported a beautiful day with light winds. The team will return to Paradise later this afternoon and be transferred back to Rainier BaseCamp to complete their program.
Yesterday we woke up to clear skies, but the clouds and snow quickly made their way in. A few planes snuck in, but we were unable to make our way back to Talkeetna. So we sit, and continue to wait for our weather window to get off the Kahiltna Glacier and return to Talkeetna, beds, and showers. Until then we keep eating our snacks and watching movies.
Thursday, June 28, 2018 - 7:11 PM PT
Hi - this is Mike Haugen with RMI Super Crew. We just summited Denali! We are standing at over 20,000 feet with zero wind, 0 miles per hour, 5 degreess Fahrenheit. Every single one of us is up here in our base layer. Views are incredible. Wish you were here! We love all of you and thanks for your support. We are going to have a fun trip down and we will be back in camp at 17,000'.
Congratulations to Mike Haugen & the RMI Team!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen calls from the summit of Denali.
Tyler, Garrett and James -
Hi Guys!!
I feel like I should be up there with you! I’ve been following Logan and Brent and they have been having great climbing conditions so far. I hope it holds together for you.
By now you’ve probably learned that James Choo and I were tentmates on Aconcagua. He’ll carry his weight-you can depend on him. Fred Klingbeil was also in the tent with us and I see he has posted on the blog and is following along. Hi Fred!
My poor substitute for Denali this year is going to Elbrus in July. I was on Kilimanjaro this past February. I’ll be at Elbrus with Casey and he and I were also at Kilimanjaro.
Good luck and climb safe. I miss you guys. XXOO
-Larry Seaton
Posted by: Larry Seaton on 5/31/2013 at 11:06 am
have an excllent trip and we’ll see if we can get the elmendorf guys to give a gentle flyby
Posted by: stump on 5/31/2013 at 9:04 am
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