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Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling from the Everest Base Camp Trek. I am calling from Everest Base Camp. We weren't able to push out photos and a written dispatch today so I'm calling from the SAT phone instead. Just to let you all know that we are all doing well and made it to Base Camp and everyone is so happy to be here. Keep your eye out for the dispatch tomorrow. We'll do our best to get it out if conditions allow. Besides that the weather's gorgeous and we are looking for to spending some time up here. Take care. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

On The Map

The Four Day Climb led by Dave Hahn and Joe Hoch reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:30 AM today!

It’s a beautiful, sunny day with light winds, allowing the team to spend about an hour on the summit soaking in the views and celebrating their accomplishment.

Congratulations to all!

Sunday, June 4, 2023 - 11:33 am PT

Well, Denali didn't disappoint, nor did it ever relent, but we've wrapped up a safe and successful expedition. Stormy weather bookended our trip, delaying flights both onto and off of the glacier. Not to be outdone, we endured snowy and windy weather throughout the trip, taking advantage of the sunny days in between to climb and get into position for a calm and warm (albeit cloudy with no views) summit day. 

Our team was elated to see K2 Aviation's de Havilland Otters approaching Basecamp to pick us up. As excited as we were to get to town, there's always a little sadness watching the beauty of the Alaska Range, our home for the past twenty-three days, disappear underneath the wings of the ski plane. 

Thanks for following our adventure. Now we're off to climb in the Cascades!

RMI Guide Mike Walter and team

Monday, May 22, 2023, 9:33am PDT

Burdened with heavy packs, we climbed the 3000' to Genet Basin, our new home. Climbing conditions were excellent; weather ranged from warm and sunny to cold and breezy to snowy pea soup. Five hours after leaving our 11k Camp we arrived at 14k Camp, then had another few hours of building camp, melting snow, and making dinner. This morning is beautiful and we will go back to Windy Corner to pick up our cache. Lots of resting and eating will ensue. 

RMI Guide Mike Walter and Team

Hey everyone, this is JJ Justman with the Mexico Volcanoes climbing team. We are looking up at Ixta right now and the reason why is we are safely down from of successful summit of Ixta. The team did great today. Definitely a little tired but we had a beautiful day climbing to the top of Ixta. So wanted to give a shout out to all our family and friends. We're loading up the van and we're gonna have a little bit of R&R in Puebla for the next day and a half. Well deserved. But again, the team did absolutely outstanding. We'll touch base when we are in Puebla but everyone is safe and sound. Having some cokes and gonna get some fresh quesadillas on the way. But hope everyone's doing well back at home and we will talk with all of you very soon. Ciao from Mexico. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Summit! Both Mt. Rainier teams reached the summit by the light of the moon and then the rise of the sun. What a beautiful day on top! RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Geoff Schellens radioed in with a bluebird report- light winds, blue skies and a bit chilly. The route is in excellent shape and both teams left the crater rim by 8:15 a.m.

Hey RMI, this is Walter Hailes calling from 17,200’ on Mt. McKinley. We made our move today from 14,000' to our high camp at 17,000'. We are all safe and sound up here. It's a beautiful day, warm temperatures, sunshine and light wind. This nice weather is not expected to stay around so we'll see what it looks like in the morning but we may be making our summit attempt soon. Stay tuned and hope for good weather! RMI Guide Walter Hailes

The arrival of May has brought a flurry of activity here on Mt. Everest. The number of climbers making their way up the Lhotse Face grew during the last few days of our second rotation as the route was pushed up from Camp 3 to the South Col and Camp 4 was established. The morning broke clear yesterday, suggesting a warm Cinco de Mayo, but by noon a small bank of clouds blew in spitting snow on us. Thankfully the clouds cleared and the sun returned, providing a clear afternoon for the first team of climbers, made up of Sherpas and guides from several teams, that was attempting to climb to the summit. Breaking through the fresh snow on Everest’s upper reaches, left by the brief but frequent afternoon weather systems we saw over the past few weeks, the team of Sherpas and Westerners established the route for this season. At 4 o’clock we listened to the radio crackle with cheers and hollers as they called down from the summit, marking the first climbers to reach the summit of the 2011 season. Although most teams are a week or more away from making their summit bids, we will begin to see more climbers making attempts for the summit over the coming days and weeks. For us, our third and final rotation begins tomorrow. Over the next few days we aim to climb back into the Western Cwm and up the Lhotse Face to our Camp 3 at 24,000’, pushing to our highest altitudes yet of the trip. This rotation is our final acclimatization round during which we will expose our bodies to even higher altitudes before returning to Base Camp for an extended rest period before our summit bid. This rotation will give us another chance to spend time climbing on the Lhotse Face, getting more efficient on the steep icy slopes and moving along the fixed lines at high altitudes. We will also break out our oxygen systems for the first time during this rotation. We plan to use the “O’s” on a low flow rate to sleep at Camp 3 before climbing a bit further up the Lhotse Face above Camp 3 the following morning. The benefits of climbing with oxygen above Camp 3 are equally psychological as physical – like most activities, adding new gear and equipment takes added practice and climbing with the mask obscuring our feet, the respiration fogging our eye wear, the bottle weighing down the pack all takes getting used to. The chance to run through these discomforts before summit day is a huge benefit for us. Yesterday we pulled out a bottle of oxygen and went through a trial run, practicing attaching our regulators, adjusting the masks, and walking with the system. Once Sara strapped on her mask and goggles she looked as though she has stepped out of Top Gun, a pilot walking around the tents of Base Camp. Today marks a month since our expedition first arrived at Base Camp. It is exciting to watch the transition of sentiment on the mountain and around Base Camp in recent days as teams begin to shift from a focus on acclimatization towards preparing for the summit bid itself. Although we still have a few more days of hard work before we can make that transition ourselves, the buildup is contagious. This excitement has been accompanied by a warming of the weather and it has been a warm (at least for around here) several days of rest here at Base Camp. Every morning once the sun crests over Lho La Pass, we pull out our chairs and stare up at the mountain, occasionally watching climbers in the Khumbu Ice fall through the spotting scope. As the morning grows warmer the ice beneath camp begins to melt, little rivulets of water running between the rocks, the surface of the camp gradually but perceptibly shifting as the rocks settle on the melting ice. All of these changes point towards the arrival of the final stretch of climbing for us. Bill has been very supportive in our preparations for the last rotation and Dave, Sara, and I are excited to headed up in a few hours. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

Monday, May 15, 2023 - 8:02 pm PT

The May 14th Denali has officially begun!

After a long day of travel yesterday, the entire team made their way to Talkeetna and spent the day packing, organizing, weighing, repacking, and finally getting all the gear weighed, set up and ready to fly.   

While the weather doesn’t look promising, the entire team is primed and ready to go as soon as a weather window opens. We will wake up tomorrow morning with the goal of flying and see what the skies bring. 

Until we fly, we will continue to eat warm food, drink cold beer, and enjoy all the amenities we will soon miss.

RMI Guide Nikki Champion

Our Four Day Summit Climb September 14 - 17 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning led by RMI Guides Eric Frank and Elias de Andres Martos. The teams reported calm winds and warm temperatures. The sky is hazy due to the wildfires in eastern Washington. They were able to spend some time on the summit before starting their descent around 9 am PT. The teams will return to Camp Muir to repack and then continue their descent to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Congratulations to today's summit climb teams!