Most Popular Entries

Everest Base Camp Trek & Lobuche: Knoff, Smith & Team Summit Lobuche

April 3, 2022

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Hannah Smith

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek and Lobuche

Elevation: 20,075'

We are happy to announce that the Lobuche climbing team successfully reached the summit this morning at roughly 10 am. It was a much more demanding climb than originally thought but everyone pushed hard and gave it all they had resulting in 100% of the team making it to the summit. Because the day was so challenging, we got down much later than expected so we are currently still at High Camp. We will descend in the morning to hot showers, wi fi and beer! All of the guides are proud of today's efforts. Stay tuned for a more detailed description later.

RMI Guide Hannah Smith

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

CONGRATULATIONS!! Safe descending and travels!

Posted by: Molly Knoff Caughn on 4/3/2022 at 3:10 pm

That is Very Cool!! Congratulations!!

Posted by: Dave Kestel on 4/3/2022 at 11:20 am

View All Comments

Dave Hahn’s Memories of Nawang Gombu Sherpa

July 17, 2011

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories: Guide News

The most famous RMI guide that ever lived was also a profoundly humble man in an arena not known for fostering humility. Nawang Gombu Sherpa was a man of many such contrasts. My memories of working with Gombu aren’t unique or privileged. I wasn’t seeing some side of him that others weren’t privy to. But because of his unassuming nature, casual acquaintances might have mistaken his stature in the world. Certainly not, if they’d studied mountaineering and 20th century world history. Gombu was the first man to summit Mount Everest twice. He was the longtime director of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and he was nephew to Tenzing Norgay. He was the youngest Sherpa on the successful 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition and was one of the last surviving climbing Sherpas of that heroic era. Nawang Gombu had met the queen of England on several occasions. You can find a picture of him in a 1963 National Geographic magazine placing a silk scarf of friendship around John F. Kennedy’s neck in the Rose Garden. But if you worked and lived with Gombu around Mount Rainier in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s… you probably don’t remember him doing a whole lot of explaining as to why he was so special. More likely you remember him working very hard. And as he got a bit older and less capable on the mountain, some may remember that he also worked hard down around the guide shop, pushing a broom or helping with rental gear. Despite his unfailingly open and friendly personality, it wasn’t the easiest thing for a young guide to get to know Gombu. He was from a different generation and a vastly different culture and so he talked and acted a little differently… and often times he was a bit needy since he was somewhat isolated in Ashford without a car. So, while everybody called him a friend… that was pretty easy with Gombu, it took a little extra effort for someone to actually be his friend and include him in activities and routines. But for that Gombu was always profoundly grateful. I’m embarrassed now to remember how many times he cooked me dinner and then didn’t allow me to wash dishes afterward. There wasn’t even any question on that… he’d just push you out of the way (and he never lost that particular strength). We did have some fun together… but not enough to justify all of that dishwashing on his part. I’d take him into the suburbs for haircuts and shopping trips to the malls. We’d go into downtown Seattle so I could obsess over shiny climbing gear in the stores. We went rock climbing out at Leavenworth (Gombu was better than I was, not surprisingly) and we even went to the soldout Kingdome to watch Ken Griffey Jr. hit a homerun (his ninth in nine games… it was a big deal). I recall how amused the people in the stands around us were to hear me trying to explain baseball to a Cricket fan… if only they’d known who he was. But I thought that a lot back then, since, as I say, Gombu didn’t go out of his way to let people know he was famous. Which brings me back to the guide shop and a typical start to a day on Mount Rainier in which I’d meet a bunch of new climbing enthusiasts. They’d introduce themselves and detail their previous successes and immediately I’d find out about the banks and corporations they headed, and I’d hear about their ambitions for high places and their admiration for those that had already been to those places. And amidst all the introductory chest thumping (not just theirs… my chest got worked as well) I’d look over to see Gombu sweeping dust off the rental counter and I’d pause to consider that those captains of industry - and I - might not ever meet a greater mountain climber than the small, friendly, quiet legend who’d just fitted them for boots. RMI Guide Dave Hahn, June 17, 2011

Leave a Comment For the Team

Everest Base Camp Trek & Lobuche: Knoff, Smith & Team Arrive at Everest Base Camp

March 31, 2022

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Hannah Smith

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek and Lobuche

Elevation: 17,575'

Today was not unlike most of our others the last week. Breakfast, packing then walking. Except today we would finally reach Everest Base Camp. It is almost agonizing to see the bright yellow tents in the distance and feel like they are not getting any closer. But three hours of steady walking landed the entire team safely at the Base Camp rock. We were greeted upon arrival by our gracious Base Camp Staff with cookies and hot tea. The views of the Khumbu icefall, Mt. Everest and Nupste were incredible the entire morning. After our entrance greeting, we hiked the final 30 minutes to our camp site and enjoyed hot showers, a great dinner and interesting sounds of far off avalanches.

Everyone is now tucked into their cozy tents ready for a good nights rest. We will report tomorrow after our hike back to Lobuche.

RMI Guide Hannah Smith

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hey Hannah and Adam!!!
This is So Cool!!!
Farmer Dave

Posted by: Dave Kestel on 4/2/2022 at 11:12 am

Congrats on hike well done! Glad weather is your blessing. Best returning.

Posted by: Jane on 3/31/2022 at 12:05 pm

View All Comments

Torres Del Paine: Team Hikes to Refugio Grey

February 25, 2022

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

Leave a Comment For the Team

Mexico Volcanoes: Cifelli & Team Summit El Pico de Orizaba

March 5, 2022

Posted by: Dominic Cifelli

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico

Elevation: 18,491'

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.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

Mountaineering Training | Make The Most Of Rest Breaks

April 21, 2014

Posted by:

Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training

How do you utilize rest breaks in your training and climbs? Do you take a break to eat? And another when you are thirsty? Perhaps when your legs get tired and uncomfortable? A quick bathroom break on the side of the trail? It's important to take care of all of these needs but they need to approached strategically to prevent rest breaks from turning an otherwise long endeavor into an epic. Learning to manage your rest breaks and keep them efficient makes a big difference on summit day. At RMI, the oft-used cliché is that we take "maintenance breaks," not rest breaks. Consider all of the needs that need to be taken care of mid-climb: you need to relieve yourself, take in enough calories to maintain your energy output, hydrate, adjust your clothing layers to changing conditions, perhaps take care of a hot spot so that it doesn’t become a debilitating blister, get a few minutes off of your feet, and just maybe snap a couple of photos. This list can easily turn into a half an hour of tasks, even if each only took just 4-5 minutes to accomplish. After thirty minutes your legs will likely start to stiffen and your temperature start to drop, not to mention that a few half-hour breaks together can turn a 10 hour day into a 12+ hour day in the mountains, stretching the limits of how long we can climb safely and maintain our focus. The moral of the story is that efficiency is key: we want to try to take care of all of our needs in the span of ten minutes to leave a few minutes to relax before getting back on the trail and making progress towards the finish line. Ultra marathoners do this with "walking breaks," slowing to a walk every hour to make sure that their body is primed for the next hour. Mountainous terrain doesn’t let us take breaks on the fly, but the principle remains the same. Taking short, deliberate, and consistent breaks keeps us climbing strongly throughout the day. Making rest breaks efficient takes practice. Learn to multitask in your breaks: take a couple bites of food while you shuffle clothing layers, relieve yourself before you sit down to start your other chores, and sip on water throughout the break. As you get better at it, you’ll find that you’ve taken care of everything in the first few minutes, and you can relax and let your legs get a bit of recovery for the rest of the break. No matter how efficient you are, the time rest breaks take add up. Taking efficient breaks too frequently can drain just as much time as taking a couple of long breaks. In the mountains, we try to maintain a consistent pace for an hour or so before stopping for ten to fifteen minutes to refuel and take care of ourselves. This proves to be an effective interval for our bodies in terms of replenishing depleted stores yet still allows us to reach our destination. Practice this interval in your training too and by your next climb it will feel like second nature. Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!

Leave a Comment For the Team

Mt. Everest Expedition: Team on the Summit!

May 22, 2013

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Mark Tucker, Seth Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 29,035

Update:10:51 pm PT The team has safely reached the South Col. Everyone is doing well. They are going to take a quick break before continuing down to Camp 2 (Advanced Base Camp). Mark Tucker Update: 6:46 pm PT Mark Tucker reports from Everest Base Camp that RMI Guides Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall and their Sherpa team, Tshering and Kaji have reached the summit of Mt. Everest! This marks Dave's 15th summit of Mt. Everest and the third time for Seth to have reached the summit. Tshering and Kaji have both made their sixth successful summit of Mt.Everest. The team reported a beautiful day with a cold wind. They will spend about 30 minutes on top before starting their descent. Congratulations to all!

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congratulations, felicidades! 15 th summit!!! Great. Regards from Costa Rica

Posted by: Silke on 5/23/2013 at 7:51 pm

Huge Congratulations! You guys were patient, waited until the right time, even when all others were making their summit bids, and you always seem to be successful. Great climbing. Bill Bussey

Posted by: Bill Bussey on 5/23/2013 at 7:20 am

View All Comments

Ecuador Volcanoes: Beren & Team Hike to Top of Rucu Pichincha

February 11, 2013

Posted by: Jake Beren, Ben Liken

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 15,696'

What a day! After breakfast the rain let up for a bit and we boarded the teleferico for a ride up to 13,200 feet. Nice way to travel. We caught a quick glance at Cotopaxi before the clouds rolled in and enjoyed perfect walking temperatures up to the ridge of the extinct volcano Rucu Pichincha. With a weather window to work with, we roped up and climbed to the summit, everyone standing tall at 15,700 feet above the sea. The team did great and we even managed to get down to the trail before the rain came in. The rain stayed with us until we got back to town, but everyone's spirits remained high and now we are relaxing before dinner. Tomorrow we leave Quito and head for even higher ground. Wish us luck! RMI Guide Jake Beren

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hi Mark, we are glad to see you with your team. We hope you will continue to have a good trip and we will follow your adventure via this blog!!

Posted by: Wally Rappe on 2/13/2013 at 5:58 pm

Looks like you are doing well and should I say, even “rested”. hope you are keeping a log so we can hear all about the climb. Push your limits!!! jL

Posted by: John Lind SR on 2/13/2013 at 4:18 pm

View All Comments

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Turn due to High Winds

August 27, 2022

Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Matias Francis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 12,000'

The Four Day Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier and Matias Francis turned at 12,000' on Mt. Rainier today. Dustin reported high winds of 60 mph on the upper mountain that forced the teams to turn before reaching the summit. The team climbed safely back to Camp Muir and plan to depart at 11 am today. They will reach Paradise in the early afternoon.

Congratulations team!

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Summit with 100%

August 29, 2022

Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Leif Bergstrom, Josh Geiser, Nicole De Petris, Nick Sinapius

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guides Mike Walter & Abby Westling led the Four Day Climb August 26 - 29 to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning with all climbers in both groups. Mike reported a beautiful day on the mountain as the teams were approaching the crater rim around 7:10 am. Climbers will spend time in the summit crater before starting their descent, dropping 4,500' back to Camp Muir. After a quick stop they will continue the remaining 4,500' to Paradise. Once back at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon the program will conclude with a small celebration for the teams.

Nice work today everyone!

Leave a Comment For the Team

Previous Page Next Page

Check Availability

Most Popular Entries

Everest Base Camp Trek & Lobuche: Knoff, Smith & Team Summit Lobuche

Dave Hahn’s Memories of Nawang Gombu Sherpa

Everest Base Camp Trek & Lobuche: Knoff, Smith & Team Arrive at Everest Base Camp

Torres Del Paine: Team Hikes to Refugio Grey

Mexico Volcanoes: Cifelli & Team Summit El Pico de Orizaba

Mountaineering Training | Make The Most Of Rest Breaks

Mt. Everest Expedition: Team on the Summit!

On The Map

Ecuador Volcanoes: Beren & Team Hike to Top of Rucu Pichincha

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Turn due to High Winds

Mt. Rainier: Four Day Teams Summit with 100%

Contact Us

Privacy Policy

Translate

Log In

Register With Us

Check Availability

Most Popular Entries

On The Map

On The Map

New Post Alerts:Expedition Dispatches

New Post Alerts:
Expedition Dispatches