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50 Years of Climbing: Sean McCroskey and Kilimanjaro

June 11, 2019

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Categories: 50 Years of Climbing

Sean McCroskey and his dad, Jeff McCroskey, stretch out their sore muscles on Kilimanjaro. ---- RMI climber, Sean McCroskey recounts his first climb – Kilimanjaro in 2017. Read RMI Guide Casey Grom's dispatches of the team's climb here on the RMI Blog. Find out more about having your first climb featured on our blog! ---- In 2017, I was fortunate enough to climb and summit Kilimanjaro with my Dad (not only was I fortunate enough to do that but also have parents that let me skip the first two weeks of my last semester of college to go and do it!). I didn't have much climbing experience before but had done some hikes up Mt. Mitchell and Mauna Kea as well as worked out a lot to prepare. We arrived in Tanzania and immediately met our guide, Casey Grom. From the get-go my dad and I knew we would be in good hands going up the mountain. Climbing Kilimanjaro was a once in a lifetime experience made even better because of the RMI Team. Our porters were incredible, it was so nice to be able to arrive at camp and have everything set up for our team and to be able to toss our gear down and rest.

Sean and Jeff McCroskey with some of their teammates on Kilimanjaro. At night we would bundle up, put our headlamps on, and sit around the dinner table and tell stories (some the funniest stories I've ever heard) and talk about life. I learned so much from a team of people from all different backgrounds. When we reached the top, I took out my Xavier University flag I got just before my freshman year of college and displayed it from the summit with my Dad. The best surprise though was the satellite phone call Casey let us each take from the top – my Dad called my mom and I got to call my best buds back home.

Sean and Jeff McCroskey displaying their Xavier University flag on the summit of Kilimanjaro. We had such a great experience; we came back the following summer and climbed Mt. Rainier with Ben Liken and got to see Casey! Sean McCroskey

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Kilimanjaro: The Kilimanjaro Family Climb Returns From The Mountain

October 14, 2013

Posted by: Peter Whittaker, Seth Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Hello from the Dik Dik. This is Seth with a quick check in letting you know this we are all off the mountain safe and sound. We had a nice walk down from our last camp this morning and we're back at the hotel before 1pm. After some well deserved showers we had a great celebratory dinner. Now were all psyched up for our safari. That's starts tomorrow with a visit to Lake Manyara. We'll check in after our game drive. - RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

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Cotopaxi Express: Beren & Team Acclimatize on Illiniza Norte

February 3, 2013

Posted by: Jake Beren, Ben Liken

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 15,500'

Today gave us a chance to check out our rain skills.... We spent our time hiking to the Refugio de Horizontes on the Illinizas was great and somewhat dry. The weather was all over the place with showers and sun on a repeat cycle. But luckily the skies parted when we reached the hut and we were able to dry any wet layers and enjoy some time at 15 and a half thousand feet. A leisurely cruise back to the trail head, and it was off to the Chilcabamba Eco Lodge for the night. We arrived at the lodge in a lightning storm and checked into pre-heated rooms and settled in for hearty meal and a good night's rest. Tomorrow we ride higher and take our perch at the Jose Ribas on Cotopaxi. Wish us luck and good weather for the next few days. RMI Guide Jake Beren

RMI Guide Jake Beren checks in from the Cotopaxi Express Expedition.

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Mt. McKinley Expedition: Hailes & Team at 14,200’

June 2, 2011

Posted by: Walter Hailes

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Yesterday we moved from 11,000 ft camp to our current home at about 14,200 ft. We spent the entire day in a cloud with a little snow but it was still quite warm. Today we are relaxing and enjoying another sunny day on the flanks of Denali. We picked up our cache this morning and had the rest of the day to rest and recuperate. Everyone is having a great time and we excited to keep moving higher. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Uncle James is rocking Denali and we are so proud of you! Love, your Texas Nephews

Posted by: The Knox Family on 6/4/2011 at 9:01 am

Missing James! Let us know how you’re doing and know that you’re loved!

Posted by: Julie on 6/3/2011 at 6:00 pm

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Winding Down and Waiting to Fly

January 20, 2011

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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif

Elevation: 7,200'

Sometimes things work well, efficiently, smooth as silk. And, sometimes, well, one hits a few speed bumps. We're in the speed bump zone. Yesterday, we had high hopes that the weather would clear tomorrow, allowing the Ilyushin - with its new fuel pump - to cross the Drake Passage and drop onto the blue-ice runway to shuttle us all back to Punta. But, weather is indeed a fickle element, and generally prefers to surprise rather than be predictable. To the surprise of some 100 people here now at Union - clients and staff alike - the forecast today is for 4 more days of bad weather, unflyable. So, we're stuck. It snowed all day today, with a low, grey ceiling of cloud, and will most likely do it again tomorrow. Some people have been waiting for a flight out for 2 weeks. ALE is doing everything they can, but the weather is out of even their control. So, we sit. We wait. We play cards, we laugh, we go out for a climb, a ski, something to pass the time and keep our minds off loved ones and family far, far away. It could be worse, much worse, so there are no complaints. We all appreciate you're tuning in these last few weeks and following along with our little adventure. I thought I'd leave you now with one of my favorite quotes from a hero of mine, and a figure of Eddie Bauer history and lore: Dr. Charlie Houston. Leader of the 1953 American expedition to K2, Houston and team had an epic op the peak. The barely survived, and one member, Art Gilkey, sadly perished on the peak. Later, Houston reflected on the climb in his book, "K2: The Savage Mountain", and wrote thus of climbing: "Why climb mountains? The answer cannot be simple. It is compounded of such elements as the great beauty of clear, cold air, of colors beyond the ordinary, of the lure of unknown regions beyond the rim of experience. The pleasure of physical fitness, the pride of conquering a steep and difficult rock, the thrill of danger controlled by skill…How can I phrase what seems to me the most important reason of all? It is the chance to be briefly free of the small concerns of our common lives, to strip off non-essentials, to come down to the core of life itself. On great mountains, all purpose is concentrated on the single job at hand. Yet the summit is but a token of success. And the attempt is worthy in itself. It is for these reasons that we climb. And in climbing, we find something greater than accomplishment." Again, thank you all for following along. Happy adventures, and a deep Namaste from the far south.

Peter Whittaker wraps up the RMI Vinson Expedition

Mt. Shuksan: Bealer, Dee & Team Reach Summit via Fisher Chimneys route

July 27, 2021

Posted by: James Bealer, Pepper Dee, Seth Burns

Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades

Elevation: 9,131'

RMI Guides James Bealer & Pepper Dee led the Mt. Shuksan Fisher Chimneys July 26 - 28 to the summit of Mt. Shuksan today. James reported it has been a really fun day with stellar steep climbing. The team was taking a break on the summit before starting their descent back to camp. They will spend tonight on the mountain and conclude their adventure tomorrow with a walk out to the trail head.

Nice job team! Enjoy your final night on the mountain!

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Mt. Rainier: Teams Led by King & Bond Summit!

April 26, 2021

Posted by: Mike King, Andy Bond

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

The Mt. Rainier Five Day Climb, led by RMI Guides Mike King and Andy Bond, reached the summit today! They enjoyed calm winds and great conditions on their climb today. The teams will return to Camp Muir for their second night on the mountain. We look forward to congratulating them in Ashford tomorrow afternoon!

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Congratulations, well done!

Posted by: Mark M on 4/27/2021 at 5:45 pm

Great job!!

Posted by: Christine Malatras on 4/27/2021 at 9:57 am

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Mt. Everest Expedition: Hahn & Sherpa Team Make Another Attempt to Get to Camp One

April 20, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

Another early morning, another attempt to get through the Khumbu Icefall. Thwarted. We were still hoping to accomplish a recon/carry and so I headed out with our Sherpa climbing team at 4:30 AM. As we started, the Sherpa teams ahead of us formed a solid parade of headlights, snaking up through the glacier in the darkness. We made fine progress though, easily passing our highpoint from the other day. That last time the weather was poor, and this time it was perfect, so we could see everything we needed and wanted to see about the climbing route. Our luck ran out near the top of the technical difficulties when we skidded to a stop at 7 AM at the tail end of a monumental traffic jam. We spent 90 minutes inching upward, stomping our feet to stay warm (we were still in deep and cool shadows), and alternately eyeballing the ice towers hanging over our heads and the nearby site of last year's tragic avalanche. Finally, with perhaps a hundred Sherpas at full stop between ourselves and a fairly difficult wall climb, we determined that we'd pushed our luck far enough. We descended, cached the load at the icefall's midpoint and got ourselves out of the line of fire and on our way back to Basecamp. Sherpas and climbers did eventually make camp one and even camp two on this day, but the missions took perhaps three times as long as they should have, with much of that time spent at risk... Not for us. We reached sunny and safe Base Camp shortly after JJ Justman had departed with our team for a Pumori Camp One hike. The route needs more work and we conveyed this idea as best we were able to the Icefall Doctors and their administrators. In general terms, it takes a safer path than the routes of recent years, but more work needs to be done and more ladders need to be fixed in order to handle the Sherpa traffic, let alone the less skilled foreign climbers who will soon hit the climb in great numbers. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Don’t we go to the mountains to get away from traffic jams! You exhibit that all important combination of dogged determination with prudence that is so important up there. Glad the weather is moderating, which I hope will facilitate more progress soon. A special hello to J J and thanks for the birthday greeting to my son, Zac (Zeke).

Best wishes to all for a safe, successful ascent.

Posted by: Everett Moran on 4/21/2015 at 7:45 am

Glad you are a safety guy. Hate to think of the frontline team in the risk zone while awaiting a traffic jam. Be well. Sending my best. xo

Posted by: Bonny Rogers on 4/20/2015 at 2:48 pm

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Dhaulagiri: RMI Guides Spend a Night at Camp 1 and are Back in Basecamp

April 12, 2014

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Jake Beren, Geoff Schellens

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Guide News

Elevation: 15,584'

Hello, this is Dhaulagiri climbing team on Saturday, April 12th. We have come back to base camp. We had made a move to Camp 1 and spent last night up there. We were forced to move down because of the bad weather. However that was pretty much the plan after moving up there and caching some gear and spend at least a night for acclimatization. We have about a foot of snow at base camp and we got about 1 1/2 feet at Camp 1 last night. Looks like the trend is going to be like that for the next couple of days and we are going to wait it out down here. We'll keep you posted on the move. So far the "mountain of storms." We will see what happens. Hope everyone is doing well and we'll check in later. RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Elias de Andres Martos calls in from Dhaulagiri Basecamp.

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STAY SAFE, my brave caballeros!

Posted by: nsb on 4/18/2014 at 11:35 am

Elias: Fingers crossed that you and your team get some good weather in the coming days. Hang in there!!!

Chris Palmer

Posted by: Chris Palmer on 4/13/2014 at 6:37 pm

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Aconcagua: Justman & Team at High Camp

January 27, 2014

Posted by: JJ Justman, Steve Gately, Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 19,600'

Unrelenting! That is the word that describes our weather on Aconcagua. Last night we received 10 inches of snow. When we awoke this morning the winds had scoured most of that snow off the mountain leaving several deep drifts around camp. Thankfully the weather settled down a bit and we were able to break camp and pack up. The scene looked more like Denali in Alaska than Aconcagua in the Andes. The team did great in the harsh conditions. It would have even made The Godfather of Denali, Joe Horiskey, proud as the team worked together in cold, blustery winds. We are now sitting in silence at high camp enjoying the sun at 19,600 feet. The team has run its final days. Tomorrow is our only shot. Then we have to head downhill. As luck I believe has it, the forecast is for light winds on top. We will touch base tomorrow, keep your fingers crossed, it should be from the top! RMI Guide JJ Justman

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You can do it! Saying prayers for good weather for you and will sacrifice something to the weather Gods for you. You are the best. Very proud of you!
Cutter dog says Hi!
Love,
Mary

Posted by: Mary fox on 1/28/2014 at 7:31 am

Incredible! You guys have dealt with an unbelievable amount of varied weather conditions! Looks like the mountain is giving it everything she has to you guys…well done for doing such an excellent job! We are so proud of you, dad (Lew Smith)! I know this is the toughest climb you’ve ever done, but from what it sounds like, you and the team are doing awesome! Just like I did in the Marine Corps, you remember your training. When the poo poo hits the fan, your hard work and training kicks into gear, and I’m quite sure that’s what it has been doing for you while on Aconcagua. Keep it up, dad! You guys are so close. I pray that you have good weather conditions, so that you have a window of time to go for the summit. We will see what Aconcagua will do; if she will allow you and the team to stand on top. I hope so! Best of luck and climb on!!!

Love ya,

Kyle and Steph

Posted by: Kyle A. Smith on 1/28/2014 at 5:32 am

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Most Popular Entries

50 Years of Climbing: Sean McCroskey and Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro: The Kilimanjaro Family Climb Returns From The Mountain

Cotopaxi Express: Beren & Team Acclimatize on Illiniza Norte

On The Map

Mt. McKinley Expedition: Hailes & Team at 14,200’

Winding Down and Waiting to Fly

Mt. Shuksan: Bealer, Dee & Team Reach Summit via Fisher Chimneys route

Mt. Rainier: Teams Led by King & Bond Summit!

Mt. Everest Expedition: Hahn & Sherpa Team Make Another Attempt to Get to Camp One

Dhaulagiri: RMI Guides Spend a Night at Camp 1 and are Back in Basecamp

Aconcagua: Justman & Team at High Camp

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