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Posted by: Joe Hoch, Henry Coppolillo, Daniel May, Michael Murray, Mira Schoeberlein, Lily Emerson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb August 27 - 30 led by RMI Guides Joe Hoch and Henry Coppolillo reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 6:15 am today. It's a beautiful and clear day on the mountain. The teams enjoyed an hour in the summit crater before starting their descent. They will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing down to Paradise. Their program will conclude this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in after the team's first night at ABC.
On The Map
Posted by: Lindsay Mann
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Posted by: Steve Gately, Matias Francis, Ben Luedtke, Charlie Harrison, Mike Bennett, Nicole De Petris
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,200'
The Five-Day teams led by Steve Gately and Matias Francis enjoyed a beautiful walk to the Ingraham Flats this morning. The team decided not to climb due to unfavorable route conditions but enjoyed two days of great weather and lots of hands-on training. The teams will pack up camp and head downhill this morning. We expect the teams back at Basecamp in the early afternoon.
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Hannah Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek and Lobuche
Day 16-17
Waking into Namche this round through was much different than the first time. Despite our sizable group, we were by no means the largest on the trail.
This place is now in full swing with Everest climbers, international trekking teams and yak trains going up the valley towards Everest Base Camp.
Even though the traffic resembled more of a US interstate than a single-track trail, we were pleased to land back at camp de base where we were welcomed with hot showers, Nepal Ice “extra strong beer” and the comforts of nice rooms with personal bathrooms. The hike was roughly 8 miles from Pangboche consisting of many ups and downs but nothing the seasoned team couldn’t handle.
After a normal 7:30 breakfast the following morning, we set our sights on Lukla, home of the infamous dead-end runway and gateway to Everest. Eleven miles and 6 hours after leaving Namche we strolled in with time to spare before dinner so naps all around became the team activity. The clouds were thick as pea soup by 7 pm so our flight status was a bit unknown. With fingers crossed we went to bed. When our alarms ripped us awake at 5 am the disheartening presence of this fog was still lingering out the window.
We made our way anyhow, walking to the airport to check in and hope for the best. After waiting for ten hours to fly on the way in, we were not hoping for a repeat. Two hours in we were beginning to get a bit worried and then the first plane landed. Ten minutes later we were loaded up and, in our way, back to Kathmandu!
Now we are clean, fed and content, celebrating a fun and successful trip. I can’t thank this team enough for a great few weeks in Nepal.
This wraps up the Everest Base Camp and Lobuche expedition. Thanks for following!
RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Hannah Smith and Team
Amazing trip. Would do it all over again. This trip changed the trajectory of my life. Thank you for your expertise guidance and comeraderie
Posted by: Eva on 4/9/2022 at 3:17 am
Congratulations! If you are in southwest Idaho, look us up!
Posted by: Molly Knoff Vaughn on 4/8/2022 at 10:01 am
Posted by: Mike King
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine
With the threat of rain, we got up and started hiking at 7 am. The rain didn’t materialize, and the day was much cooler than the last few. Blue skies and scattered clouds along with a persistent wind made for a scenic day ascending into John Gardner pass at 4000’. We got our first views of the Grey Glacier and its surrounding peaks. The Grey and Tyndall glaciers combine to form much of the southern Patagonia ice sheet. The contrast from the forested valley we had just walked through to one filled with ice that’s around 10,000 years old is quite the site.
We made the arduous descent down towards Refugio Grey. The 5400’ descent is tough on the knees and feet but this group of “Florida Men” stayed together, and we arrived a little under 9 hours. Boots off, refreshments in hand and looking forward to a good night’s sleep.
We’ll hike to Paine Grande tomorrow after a casual breakfast.
Thanks for checking in,
RMI Guide Mike King and Team
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Matias Francis, David Price, Nathan Delmar, Josh Hankin, Augi Fleer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams, led be RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer and Matias Francis crested the crater rim at 8:15 a.m. Although the sun is shining, the skies are a bit hazy. The team will spend some time on top before starting the descent.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Its with great humility that I thank Pete and Matias (ma-TE-us, get it right, and sorry for teasing you about it) for taking me, my children (Josh and Molly) and my children’s friends (Dylan, Bri, Brett and Luke) up that morning and congratulations to Josh and Dylan (and the other 4 climbers that morning) for summitting. Also, Special thanks to Josh Hankin for the great instruction, Augi Fleeras for guiding my daughter and Bri down and for Nathan Delmar (sorry about the macramé Joke-I’m sure it gets old and for bringing me down and not dropping me into a crevasse) and David Price (you are just an all around good dude). You guides do something amazing and I’ve seen amazing. Not only do you shoulder the responsibility for taking mostly unprepared climbers up this mountain and protect our lives, but you also trust us tourists to belay you and trust us not to make a lethal mistake and cost you your lives. And you do it every day and not for the money (pizza joke really not that funny). Pete, Matias and Josh especially, you guys are truly the most professional, mature, confident and athletic people I have every known, a special breed of individual who loves and appreciates the beauty of mountaineering so much that you go to extreme lengths to share it with others, many of us who have no business seeing it first hand, yet you do it with confidence and poise knowing that when we fall off or fall in, you can save us. Pete, thank you for recognizing that I needed to turn around and sending me down with Nathan. Also Pete and Matias, thank you for not stopping until Josh and Dylan were at the top in spite of the route conditions. To Peter and Kerri Whittaker, only got to say “hi” momentarily to you but it was both an honor and a pleasure. Thank you for finding guides like Pete, Matias, Josh, Augi, Nathan and David so a kid (old kid) from Kansas who has always dreamed of the mountains could experience Mountaineering first hand.
Godspeed,
Chris Banwart
Posted by: Jon Banwart on 8/31/2021 at 7:50 pm
Great job everybody!!!!!
Felicitaciones Nicko!!!!!
Posted by: Jose Fulginiti on 8/28/2021 at 1:13 pm
100% team success on Pico de Orizaba!! We really had to dig deep for this one, but the months of training, hard work, and discipline landed us on top of the third tallest peak in North America today.
From Piedra Grande we head straight up an old aqueduct turned trail with loose rock and scree covering the winding trail. Ixta had us prepared for this though and the team made short work of the trail and up to the base of a feature called the Labyrinth. True to its name it’s a winding maze like feature made of rock that ascending teams must scramble and navigate in order to gain access to the glacier above. Once there, the never ending descending escalator begins. It takes us about three and half hours to climb from base to top. With no good place to take a break, it’s certainly a marathon. The team dug deep, pulled together and summitted the highest point in Mexico.
Congratulations! Awesome job. Looks like it was a beautiful day up there.
Posted by: Patrick Johnson on 3/5/2022 at 10:00 pm
Posted by: Mike King, Taylor Bickford, Henry Coppolillo, Cal Smith, Axel Ryd, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,200'
Due to overhead hazards, the Mt. Rainier Summit Climb, led by RMI Guides Mike King and Taylor Bickford, turned at Ingraham Flats. They reported smoky skies and a busy route. After packing up at Camp Muir, the team began their descent to Paradise at 9:00 a.m.
Posted by: Avery Parrinello, Jack Delaney, Seth Burns, George Hedreen, Jenna Burkey, Joey Manship
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,300'
The Four Day Climb August 28 - 31 led by RMI Guides Avery Parrinello and Jack Delaney were unable to summit today. Climbers reached 12,300, the top of Disappointment Cleaver, before deciding to turn back due to unfavorable route conditions and warm temperatures. The teams were back to Camp Muir just after 7 am. They took some time to repack before beginning their descent from Camp Muir back to Paradise. We expect the groups to be at Rainier BaseCamp in the early afternoon.
Thanks for sharing the adventure of a lifetime with all of us. I wish you all safe travels & good weather. Or at least the best weather that one can expect from the Mother of all Mountains. Looking forward to each & every update. Peace…
Posted by: Sherry Jennette on 5/3/2012 at 2:48 pm
Wish you great spirit and protection on the Mt. Following closely! God Speed…Judy ( Mt Rainier July 25-29 2011) Go Melissa!
Posted by: JUDY DAHL on 5/2/2012 at 8:56 pm
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