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Adam Knoff Recaps His Experience at the Teva Mountain Games

February 17, 2012

Posted by: Adam Knoff

Categories: Guide News

February 10th, Vail, Colorado. The day had finally arrived. The Teva Mountain Games were on and I was ready for my first real climbing competition in years which included a wild race format and bar-none the highest caliber field of competitors I have ever faced. The competition was set up so two competing climbers would scale a 55-foot artificial wall plastered with regular plastic climbing holds like those found in the gym and a new experimental high density foam that was made to mimic real ice. The structure hosted two identical routes, a right one and left one that mirrored each other with every hold being exactly the same on each climb. When the bell went off, both climbers had six minutes to reach the top of the climb but with fast competitors taking less than three minutes per route the winner was decided by whomever climbed the top anchor first. Both climbers were then lowered to the ground and a three minute rest was issued. Then a swapping of sides ensued and a second race began. The combined winner of both races moved on to the next heat. I almost did really well! Winning my first heat, I went into the second feeling unbeatable. All the fear and intimidation I felt by the big guns waiting to eliminate me vanished. I knew for certain I could hang. This all evaporated when on my first climb of the second heat I placed both tools in a foam hold and while trying to remove the upper one, the lower one blew out and I came whipping off the climb with an audible groan from the crowd. I had been leading the race when I fell and on my second climb of that heat posted the fasted time of the day out of any competitor. And so the hope of an unknown underdog sliding in and cleaning up at the first ever Teva Mountain Games was dashed. Not to worry, I will be back. I owe RMI a huge thanks for supporting my trip to Vail and giving me the chance to represent them. It is gratifying knowing such a worthy company has my back. RMI Guide Adam Knoff

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Kilimanjaro: Okita & Team Reach Summit of Kilimanjaro

August 6, 2023

Posted by: Brent Okita

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 19, 340'

Saturday, August 5, 2023 - 9:38 pm PT

Hey, this is Brent Okita with the RMI Kilimanjaro team. We are on the summit of Kilimanjaro right now. It's, oh, I don't know what time it is, a couple of hours after sunrise. We have a beautiful day up here. Everyone did great and we are looking forward to coming down and celebrating. Congratulations to the whole team. All right, that's all for now from the summit of Kilimanjaro, 19,340'. We will talk to you later.

RMI Guide Brent Okita calls from the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Everest Base Camp Trek: Grom and Team Arrive in Kathmandu, Explore the City

March 15, 2023

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek

Elevation: 4,383'

Namaste!

Greetings from Nepal

The team has finally arrived in Kathmandu after some incredibly long flights and we are slowly adjusting to the 12 hour time change. Not an easy task by any means.

We started our first day with a round of introductions, getting acquainted and discussing the necessities to our upcoming adventure to Everest Base Camp. Then headed out to visit a few famous temples here in Kathmandu. First up was the massive Boudhanath Stupa, which is one of the largest in the world. Then Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple that over looks most of Kathmandu. They are two of the sevn World Heritage sites here in Nepal.

We wrapped up the evening by getting all of our gear packed and an amazing meal at a restaurant call “Le Sherpa”, sort of a modern fusion on new and old Nepali food.

Everyone is doing well and very much looking forward to heading into the mountains tomorrow!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Everest Base Camp crew

Everest Base Camp Trek: Grom & Team Enjoy Some R&R in Pheriche

March 29, 2013

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek

Elevation: 13,950'

Day of R&R, with a short hike to 14,600' - higher than Mount Whitney, but nothing by Nepalese standards. Most are feeling much better, with the hope that a new day will bring much-needed strength to those still recovering from the Khumbu stomach bug. Of particular interest, see attached photo: Nepalese use of biofuels. Cribbage is the bomb, hope to master it soon! Hi to Yuki, Karis, and Rianna, don't wish you were here :) yet, missing all of you. The yak cheese was really good! RMI Climber Keith L.

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Ecuador’s Volcanoes: The Team Resting Prior to Cotopaxi Summit

December 18, 2012

Posted by: Eric Frank, Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Hello, this is the Ecuador crew checking in. We had a great rest day. We are at the Hacienda Chilcabamba here at the base of Cotopaxi. Most of us took a nap in the afternoon, just getting ready for our next big push. So tomorrow morning we'll head up to the Jose Ribas Refugio and get ready to climb. Things are beautiful down here. Hope everyone is doing well back home in the states. RMI Guide Eric Frank

RMI Guide Eric Frank checks in from Chilcabamba Eco Lodge.

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Everest Basecamp Trek and Island Peak Climb: Namche Bazaar Saturday Market

March 26, 2011

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek

Elevation: 11,300'

The evenings clouds lifted over night and morning broke with clear skies above Namche. The Kongde massif, sitting directly across the valley shimmered with freshly fallen snow. As we emerged from our sleeping bags the sounds of the waking village seeped in through the thin teahouse walls. Chickens, dogs, and the bells of yaks and dzopkyos combined with the cries of children preparing for school and the faint tinking of stone masons beginning their day's work laboriously carving the stone into finely crafted blocks for the growing number of lodges being built in Namche. Built in a horse shoe shaped bowl tucked into the hillside above the confluence of the Bhote Valley and the main Khumbu Valley, Namche is the largest village in the Khumbu and a cultural and trade center for the region. Vegetables and fresh goods are brought up from further down the valley while every summer Tibetan traders bring goods on yak over the passes further up to trade here. The town is built into a steep hillside and the tiny streets that criss-cross throughout are built of stone and plied by locals, trekkers, traders, yaks, and dogs alike. It is a bust, vibrant, and exciting place. This morning was Namche weekly market when locals from the nearby village come to purchase goods and after breakfast we wandered among the blankets of goods laid out on a series of terraces on the edges of town. Everything from fresh grapes and tangerines to chickens, peanuts, batteries, and cases of Red Bull were for sale there, offering a fascinating and often amusing scene. After exploring the market we climbed to a shallow saddle to the east of Namche where the National Park headquarters, army post, and museum of the Park are located. From the knoll where they sit we caught our first view of the Everest panorama further up the valley. Already starting to hide among the clouds by midmorning, we caught occasional views of the recognizable summit pyramid, flying it's trademark plume of snow as the jet winds whipped across its summit. Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam were also visible, standing tall above the valley floor further up. Visiting a few more museums in the area, we passed the rest of the morning looking at collections of Sherpa mountaineering history, photographs, and visiting a traditional Sherpa home. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in Namche, exploring the towns narrow streets of hand laid stone, browsing the stalls of shops selling traditional jewelry and shawls along with knock off brand name down coats and climbing gear both new and old. Tomorrow we will take a day hike above Namche to several villages nearby, stretching our legs and hopefully catching more views of the mountains up the valley. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

Elbrus Northside Team Summits!

September 5, 2010

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside

Elevation: 18,510'

The winds continued to blow through high camp last night, not breaking until early morning. With the winds gradually dying down we got up at 6:00 to make our summit push. Leaving camp we still were experiencing sporadic gusts but they were becoming less frequent and weakening. From our high camp we started a long gradual traverse on the glacier, cutting below the East Summit and eventually gaining the saddle between Elbrus' twin summits. The days of wind had scoured the slopes, leaving a firm surface of snow that made for smooth sailing - we rarely encountered drifts of new snow to break trail through and we made excellent time. By midday we reached the Saddle at ~17,500'. The winds were stronger here as they were funneled between the two peaks so we took only a short break before tackling the final push up the steeper slopes to the Western Summit. About halfway up the slope we joined the main route from the South Side, falling into stride on the substantial trail kicked in by the climbers coming from that side. The Western Summit is a broad plateau with the high point on the far side from where we gain it. When we reached the plateau the winds really picked up, making the final steps to the summit especially tough. But by 1:00pm the entire group stood on the summit of Mt. Elbrus, the highest point in Europe. Below us Russia stretched out to the north while to the south the jagged peaks of the Caucasus marked the border with Georgia. We spent just about ten minutes on the summit, snapping photos and exchanging high fives before the winds chased us away. We later estimated the wind chill to be about -15F up there. Needless to say, it was cold. We turned our sights back towards camp, making a quick descent off of the summit. We stopped at about 15,800' on our descent at a little plateau amongst the rocks where about two weeks ago a Russian military helicopter crashed trying to land during a training routine. It was bizzare to stand next to this hulking mass of metal, electronics, and hydraulics all twisted and lying on its side in such an environment of rock, ice, and snow. Back at high camp we took a short break before packing our gear and continuing our descent to Camp 1 where we are more protected and conditions are far more hospitable. It has been a long but exciting day. We are all tired and ready for a good night's sleep, but still energized by our climb today. After such an unstable weather pattern we feel very lucky to have made the summit - thanks to everyone who kept their fingers crossed for us! Tomorrow we will descend back to Base Camp and are hoping to check out some of the nearby hot springs.

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Mt. Rainier: Okita, Coppolillo & Five Day Climb Teams on Columbia Crest

July 26, 2023

Posted by: Brent Okita, Henry Coppolillo, Erika Birkeland, Michael Murray

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

The Five Day Climb July 22 - 26 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita & Henry Coppolillo were standing on Columbia Crest just before 7 am today. Brent reported a gorgeous day on the mountain with very light winds. The teams began their descent from the crater rim around 7:20 am. They will return to Camp Muir for a short break to pack up their gear. They will then descend to Paradise and transfer back to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Yesterday winds were high so the team did some additional glacier travel skills and explored Ingraham Flats. These photos are from their adventure yesterday courtesy of Brent.

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Ecuador Volcanoes: Wittmier & Team Reach Summit of Cayambe

January 30, 2023

Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Avery Parrinello

Categories:

Cayambe Summit!

We topped out today at about 6:30am, to clear skies and views of the erupting Reventador and Cotopaxi. The climbing route was in great shape, due to the past several days of dry weather.

We are now settled in at Casa Ilayaku, a beautiful farmhouse outside of Quito. Tomorrow is a well-deserved rest day before heading for Antisana. Thanks for following along!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Aconcagua Expedition: Scott & Team Enjoy Rest Day at BaseCamp

January 15, 2022

Posted by: Nick Scott, James Bealer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 14,500'

After an impressive showing on our Carry Day we decided to let the group rest their weary muscles at before we begin our progression up the mountain. Lots of eating and sleeping are being done today at Basecamp before the meal quality decreases and the altitude does it’s best to rob you of valuable shut eye. I can definitely feel the excitement in the group as all of us are eager to move higher and test our mettle against the mountain. Send good vibes out to the weather gods for us. We are hoping for sunny skies and light winds from here on out. Two things Aconcagua does not provide often.

RMI Guide Nick Scott

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Most Popular Entries

Adam Knoff Recaps His Experience at the Teva Mountain Games

Kilimanjaro: Okita & Team Reach Summit of Kilimanjaro

Everest Base Camp Trek: Grom and Team Arrive in Kathmandu, Explore the City

Everest Base Camp Trek: Grom & Team Enjoy Some R&R in Pheriche

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Ecuador’s Volcanoes: The Team Resting Prior to Cotopaxi Summit

On The Map

Everest Basecamp Trek and Island Peak Climb: Namche Bazaar Saturday Market

Elbrus Northside Team Summits!

Mt. Rainier: Okita, Coppolillo & Five Day Climb Teams on Columbia Crest

Ecuador Volcanoes: Wittmier & Team Reach Summit of Cayambe

Aconcagua Expedition: Scott & Team Enjoy Rest Day at BaseCamp

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