Most Popular Entries
Posted by: Mike Walter, Eric Frank, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: Summit
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'
RMI Guide Billy Nugent checks in from Kahiltna Base Camp.
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Seth Burns, Drew O’Brien, Will Ambler
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir September 4 - 9 led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier, Seth Burns, Drew O'Brien and Will Ambler reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. The team has spent the last several days training on the mountain and enjoying the views. Today they put their work to the test and made their summit attempt, reaching the crater rim around 7:30 am. After enjoying a bit of time on the summit the team is descending to Camp Muir where they will spend the night. Tomorrow they will descend the remaining 4.5 miles to Paradise. A team celebration will be in order tomorrow afternoon before they conclude their six day program.
Nice work team!
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Jack Delaney, Jess Wedel
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000'
Our hearts are heavy tonight and the dinner conversation a bit more somber. Some of our party went down with a guide to head for base camp early. All for different reasons, their decision to descend is the most respected choice in mountaineering, one that takes strength, maturity, and courage. Climbing tall peaks is never about how far we can push ourselves, but about respecting our limits and knowing when, for the sake of our team, to call this day our summit. And that is why our hearts are heavy.
Since we began this trek two weeks ago, we have come to deeply care for one another. Conversation has flowed beyond the biographies of our lives to the maps of our souls and the gentle silence reserved for only the most familiar friends. We do not climb to reach summits alone but to plumb the depths of our inner lives as well.
That’s why this note is to our group six months from now, when everyday life feels routine, and the memories of this trek will have faded:
Dear Friends,
By the time we read this on August 2nd much will have happened since our cold nights and card games on the mountain. Mary Beth and Jess will have summited Everest and brought needed attention and funding to Ovarian Cancer. We’ll all have read Tim’s book, Jack will have a fresh harvest of greenhouse tomatoes, Dom might finally have a sunburn from his beach vacation, David will be signed up for Denali, Cameron will have spent the better part of the summer in Costa Rica, and Gator will be a legend on Mount Rainier. The infrequent emails we share will take us back to this moment and our memories together. But we won’t remember the hard parts, for that tends to fade.
Instead, we’ll remember the early dinners, deep laughs, nicknames, and lessons that brought us home different people from when we left. We’ll remember our gratefulness for those who spent their careers serving our country and the allure of Alaska. We’ll remember the basics of geology 101 and the majesty of how the Andes first reached for the stars. We’ll remember trying to avoid sunburn and yet yearning for the first kiss of morning sun on our tents before breakfast. We’ll remember going to bed at seven pm, rationing batteries, forgetting if we filtered our water, and the magic of a Garmin inReach. We’ll remember the Argentines who sacrificed months from home to make this climb possible, and we’ll remember the loved ones back in the states who picked up the slack so we could chase our alpine dream.
Deeper still than these moments are truths that will form who we become. For together, we’ve learned how to rest and seen that empty days have a joy all their own. When obligations, activities, and emails stack up we’ll remember our slow days as much as our climbs. And lastly, we’ll remember that a group of eleven strangers - folks with little reason to cross paths in our ordinary routines - became friends by sharing our stories and a common goal. We’ll remember that it’s true for most strangers we pass (yes, even that group) and hold a moment’s more space for the serendipity and friendship still ahead on our future climbs and ordinary days. We’ll remember each other and what we shared together with deep affection - and that’s what will matter most.
Climber Hudson Baird & Team
We have held you in our hearts and prayers daily. Blessed to have a seat in the balcony for all of you as your climbing and blogging inspire and instruct us.
Dad and Darla
Posted by: Jerry and Darla on 2/3/2023 at 10:55 am
We’re so proud and excited for you Dada! We miss you and hope you are able summit. Just remember it’s about learning, living, and coming home safely. Hugs and kisses - we can’t wait to see you and get some snuggles!
Mama, Teddy and Everett
Posted by: Jessica Sowinski on 2/3/2023 at 10:40 am
The team had an early start to the day, leaving Mexico City and driving to our acclimatization hike.
We began our ascent at 10,000 feet, weaving our way through the forest until we were greeted with a view of the snowy North face of La Malinche. Despite the snow up high, it was a beautiful and warm day to stretch our legs.
Our team had a successful summit of La Malinche (14,640 feet) that was made perfect by views of Ixta, Orizaba and even an erupting Popo.
Spirits are high as we prepare for Ixta in the coming days!
-RMI Guide Abby Westling and Team
Looks amazing
Posted by: Nancy Elser on 1/16/2023 at 9:08 am
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Ski
Posted by: Mike Walter, Solveig Waterfall, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 346'
On The Map
Mike…Wish I were with you there as planned yet so grateful I get to return to Rainier in four weeks aiming this time to get these boots and this bootie on top…Thx for all your support last Sept - Health now A+...Godspeed for best expedition ever…Walter (Sorries if message redudant…system seemed to kick first one out)
Posted by: waltero glover on 5/10/2013 at 10:37 am
Hey Eric,
Gerald here from Rainier last June.Good luck hope to see you on the Mt. I am Climbing with Brent leaving the 22nd…
Posted by: Gerald Flynn on 5/10/2013 at 8:32 am
Posted by: Jake Beren, Leon Davis, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 19,600'
On The Map
Keep going Dawn and team!
I am so proud of you. keep warm!
Posted by: hye kim on 1/2/2013 at 9:42 am
Happy 2013 to Beren and Team from Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who encourages you to stay “strong in will/To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” If the stars are aligned, power on to the summit.
Posted by: nsb on 1/2/2013 at 8:56 am
Sunday, August 13, 2023 - 7:24 am PT
We had an extremely nice day for going to the top of Africa. Waking at 11 last night it was dead calm and when we unzipped the tents and looked out, the lights of Moshi and a hundred other towns and villages in Tanzania were winking up at us. The ever-present cloud deck wasn't present. Overhead, the Milky Way dazzled us. We ate a quick "breakfast" and got climbing by midnight. The cold temps were a challenge, but less so without wind. We marched up through the night, taking quick hourly breaks in the lava, gravel and pumice. We were at Stella Point on the crater rim when the sun rose at 6:35 and magically it was still calm on the mountaintop. It was a beautiful walk in the morning light over to Uhuru, the summit of Kilimanjaro. We celebrated up top and took plenty of pictures. We'd just begun walking down when one of the remaining summit glaciers calved with a thunderous crash into a pool of meltwater. We were stunned by the action, but also by the fact that a sizable pool of unfrozen water existed at 19,000 ft. We slid down the rock scree of our ascent route, reaching high camp just after 10 AM. Our staff sang and danced to give us a memorable and fun welcome. We finished the day with a rugged hike down to Mweka Camp at 10,000 ft, arriving at 3:30 PM under sunny skies. The team is getting set for a final night on the mountain. Our team did well, placing seven of nine climbers on top and crucially nine of nine safely down afterward. Our support team blew our minds with the quality and quantity of help they provided as we pursued our dream summit.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Sunday, August 13, 2023 - 1:10 AM PT
A quick check in from RMI Guide Dave Hahn with the photo above to let us know the team reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 7:15 am local time. The team has safely descended back to High Camp, Barafu, as of 10:15 am local time. They will continue their descent to Mweka Camp, their final mountain camp of the trip.
Congratulations team!
Go Team! You are all rock stars! The pictures are incredible. Allison- I need a slide show when you get home!
Posted by: Anne Walsh on 8/15/2023 at 1:41 pm
Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment! So proud of you!
Posted by: Andy Feingold on 8/14/2023 at 6:30 pm
Sunday, January 9, 2022 - 7:22 pm PT
Today was our last day in Mendoza before heading closer to the mountains. At the thought of leaving the comforts of civilization all the climbers made sure to indulge in one last cup of gelato from the corner tienda. After ice cream we were required to complete one last covid test while in town before we would be approved to enter the park. Don’t worry! Everyone on the team was negative. With climbing permits in hand we moved higher into the mountains through the deep valleys of the Andes. We left the hot and dry Mendoza valley behind and entered the beautiful, lush village of Uspallata where we were relieved to find much cooler temperatures and a bit of afternoon rain. Soon after arriving at the Grand Hotel Uspallata, we got to work packing our expedition duffels for the mule team that would ferry our heavy gear up to basecamp for us. After many hours of packing and sorting group gear we sat down to a wonderful group dinner, our last indoors for awhile, before turning in for some much needed rest. Tomorrow we start our trek to basecamp and the first leg of our journey to the summit. Wish us luck and stayed tuned for the next episode of Aconcagua 2022!
Go Steve!!! Good luck!
Posted by: Kristi on 1/10/2022 at 4:20 pm
Good luck, stay safe I will be following your progress
Posted by: Stephen WAHMAN on 1/10/2022 at 7:02 am
Gibert:
I want to congratulate you and your team on successfully summitting Mount McKinley. No matter what hemisphere you are adventuring ... you seem to make it all the way to the top. Congratulations! What’s next?!
Fred Klingbeil
Aconcaqua (January 2012)
Posted by: Fred Klingbeil on 6/6/2012 at 11:22 am
Hi- Bran and team..
U must have had been so thrilled when u reach the summit!! I know I was so thrilled and so was Dad, I think I txted and called everyone.. Now it time for u and the team to celebrate!!! Thanks Bill Nugent, u r a awesome Guide..
Love Mom & Dad
Posted by: beverly bailey on 6/5/2012 at 4:23 pm
View All Comments