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RMI Guides Jason Thompson and Tyler Reid led their Four Day Summit Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier today. At 7:15 am PT the teams were enjoying their time on top with nice conditions and no winds. The teams will descend to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing to Paradise later this afternoon. Congratulations to today's summit climbers!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 We woke up today to more of the same conditions at McKinley Basecamp. At least with these conditions, there is no waiting around to see if we are going to fly. There is always tomorrow! We took a walk down to the lower airstrip to stretch our legs a bit. With plenty of food and gas, at least we are eating well! The morale is still good and the team is hanging in strong while missing our loved ones (and real food). RMI Mt. McKinley Summit Team 6

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Friday, June 7, 2013 Yes, we're back in Talkeetna after an incredible walk back to Base camp in the early morning hours. I think most of us are relaxing now after a much needed shower. In a short while we'll be back together for a great dinner not prepared by the guides and perhaps accompanied by an adult beverage ...and certainly including dessert. We've had a great run! I for one will miss the company of a stellar group of individuals I can now call friends. Perhaps you'll excuse their absence from your lives again sometime as we pursue our passion for the mountains. Of course, you'll always be close to them through these dispatches. This will be our last, and I appreciate all your support and interest. The people you've been following are incredible individuals. We are fortunate to call them friends. Bye for now, RMI Guide Brent Okita

Thursday, May 30, 2013 Tyler and Garrett checking in from RMI Denali Expedition Number 4. Yesterday afternoon found us in the ranger station getting some good details about the route, our responsibilities on the mountain, and what we can expect to see as we climb higher. Interestingly, we also were reminded that this year is the 100-year anniversary of the first ascent. While we have the benefit of fancy new gear and a century of knowledge, the actual climb of Denali remains as challenging as it was in 1913, and our team is ready to tackle that challenge. We landed on the glacier today, and we're currently camped out in Basecamp. The mostly clear skies and warm temperatures make it hard to believe we're almost at the Arctic Circle! Because it's so warm here, we won't be heading out for our first camp until later tonight (more like early in the morning) so that the snow will freeze up and make our walking a little smoother. Everyone is excited to have gotten a smooth start to the trip, and we're hoping the weather continues to hold. We'll check back in tomorrow, keep it dialed in for more! RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Garrett Stevens

On The Map

This was a quiet and easy day at Union Glacier Camp. We slept well and ate well at low altitude. We sorted equipment, chatted with fellow climbers, wrote in our journals and every now and then stood outside the tents to see the mountains, the snowcats and airplanes and the Kansas-sized expanse of ice stretching to our Northeast. Many spent the day browsing through the great Antarctic Exploration library in camp, learning of Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen. For a change of pace in the evening, the climbing teams sat for a story session detailing the pioneering expeditions to Mount Everest. Tomorrow we'll see if conditions allow for our "scheduled" exit flight. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir is on our third day of the program and our second day on the mountain. After a great day of training at Rainier BaseCamp on Sunday, we spent most of the day yesterday getting up to Camp Muir and today we are launching into our training. The weather has been great so far and it's supposed to hold for the week. We're psyched for that. Here's a pic of Senior Guide Lindsay Mann teaching ice axe arrest. We'll check in again soon. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

After a long summit day, we slept soundly last night. When we poked our heads out of the hut this morning we found a clear day on the mountain above, but plumes of snow were being whipped across the summit - another windy day. Instead of looking uphill, we turned our attention to packing up and returning to the village of Cheget. We loaded all of our duffels back onto the series of chairlifts, tram cars, and vans to reach Cheget and by early afternoon we were showered, dressed in clean clothes, and sitting down for lunch at a small cafe in Cheget. We enjoyed a great lunch and have been spending the afternoon relaxing in Cheget, wandering through the stalls of local goods, sitting at the cafes and sharing stories of the climb, and taking the opportunity to send emails back home. Tomorrow we head back to the airport in Mineralnye Vody to fly to the north of Russia to the city of St. Petersburg, sitting along the edges of the Gulf of Finland. We will spend two nights in St. Petersburg, visiting one of Russia's most beautiful cities, before heading home. We will check in tomorrow from St. Petersburg. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

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The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Andres Marin left Camp Muir (10,060') on an alpine start and traveled above Ingraham Flats reaching 11,500' before turning around due to unstable snow conditions. The team began their descent from Camp Muir shortly before 9 am. We look forward to meeting the group in Ashford this afternoon.

Our Four Day Summit Climb led by Jason Thompson was able to climb up to Cathedral Gap early this morning, but they not reach the summit due to avalanche danger. Visibility at Camp Muir was good with winds of about 15 – 35 mph. The teams have left Camp Muir and are en route back to Ashford Basecamp.

Ama Dablam loomed right above us when we stepped out of the teahouse this morning, yesterday's afternoon clouds dissipating to reveal the mountains surrounding Pangboche. With the sun cresting over the ridges above and warming us up, we hit the trail bound for Namche Bazaar. Heading downhill we made great time down the trail, passing the dozens of rows of mani stones and chortens lining the trail below Pangboche. We paused outside of the monastery in Tengboche, sitting at the bakery for a bit, before continuing on down to Dudh Kosi raging below at the base of the ridge. The trail was busy with travelers today as loads of gear for upcoming Everest Expeditions made their way up the valley and at times we felt a bit like fish swimming upstream as trains of yaks pushed their way up the trail. The change in scenery from the mountains above is marked: birds, blooming flowers, tall swaying trees surrounded us as we hiked down the trail, a far cry from the glaciers and rocks of just a few days ago. By mid-afternoon we rounded the last turn on the trail and dropped back into Namche. With the height of trekking season quickly approaching Namche is buzzing with activity and it feels like we've stepped back into a bustling metropolis: small shops open up onto every available street space, people walking back and forth, dogs and yaks alike wandering amid it all. We didn't even break stride going through town, walking directly into our teahouse here, dropping our bags, and headed in for an eagerly anticipated hot shower. The little luxuries we enjoy routinely at home take on a whole new meaning after many days in the mountains. We are very happy top be here and enjoying the scene in Namche. We covered a lot of ground in the past few days as we retrace our steps down the trail that took us the better part of two weeks to go up and the team is doing well, strongly climbing the many ups and downs of the trail. Tomorrow morning we continue heading down the valley, bound for Lukla where the trail ends and we catch our flight back to Kathmandu. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

On The Map