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Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Guide News
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.
Posted by: James Bealer, Ben Luedtke, Sam Hoffman, Josh McDowell, Trevor Katz, Nick Sinapius
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,400'
Today's Four Day Climb May 31 - June 3 reached 11,400' today before deciding to turn around due to high avalanche danger and deteriorating weather. The teams returned to Camp Muir and packed up. They started their descent to Paradise at 8:30 am. RMI Guides James Bealer and Josh McDowell reported that the winds were high and it was snowing hard as the team left Camp Muir on their descent. Once back at Paradise the teams will be shuttled back to Rainier BaseCamp for a closing ceremony.
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
I am 57 and just Summited this week…on the 6 day skills course via the Paradise Glacier route. I tried last year with my son and did not make the summit. I had a whole year to think about it and there was no way I was to be denied. I trained harder, had a better feel for the exposure and was mentally 100%. I will be back again as well.
Posted by: Mark Livingston on 7/14/2013 at 6:16 pm
Being Robert Mann’s senior by 10 years I tried Mount Rainier last September at 68 years of age. I made it to the first rest area above Muir but decide to turn back when the guides said any turn back from that point on would cause everyone on my rope to turn back with me. I had no intention of wrecking my teams climb so I turned back to Muir. Looking back I still feel it was the right thing to do…no regrets and also a decision that was totally supported by the Guides. And as a PS, about 5 or 6 other people from other teams turned back with me. I was grateful for that as I didn’t want to be the only one to wimp out.
Robert’s experience is interesting because he got to do this with his daughter, a professional guide. He was, I’m sure, able to stop and rest when necessary. On a rope with 7 or 8 much younger people and guides who can do this climb in their sleep, the schedule became to aggressive for the “old guy’ in the group.
After the climb I joked with an RMI staffer that they should consider a senior citizen climb. Having read Robert’s story I think RMI might find a new market of older people who are fit enough to make Rainier’s summit if provided with individual guides or with a limited number of team members of similar vintage.
Last September’s climb was my first and last attempt at Rainier. I’m back to climbing the White Mountains of New Hampshire and just returned from a 4 day, 15 mile hike up and over Mount Washington.
Cograts to Robert Mann and to the RMI Marketing department, consider a special senior version of the 5 day climb. You might find a market in our aging population.
Regards to all,
Bob
Posted by: Robert French on 7/4/2013 at 7:21 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Mark Tucker, Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 21,000'
On The Map
Congratulations to Seth, Dave, and the Sherpas, outstanding climb.
Posted by: Tom Waterfall on 5/23/2013 at 6:44 am
Way to go, Super Dave!!!!
Posted by: Mike B on 5/23/2013 at 6:32 am
The All-Women’s Expedition Skills Seminar – Paradise led by RMI Guide Devin Wilkinson wrapped up their week by climbing to Ingraham Flats to watch the sunrise. Warm temperatures and overhead hazards on the climbing route prevented the team from reaching the summit safely.
The team has spent the last five days on the upper slopes of Mt. Rainier developing their expedition skills beginning with ice axe use and cramponing techniques and moving on to more advanced skills such as anchor placements, various self and team crevasse rescue techniques, steep technical ice climbing, belays, rappelling, knots, route finding and fixed rope travel. Evening lectures in camp include group discussions on mountain weather, medicine for mountaineering, altitude wellness and equipment.
Congratulations to our All-Women’s team!
Congratulations to this incredible group! Thanks for the post and sharing the photo. Spectacular!
Posted by: Barbara McQueeney on 8/14/2021 at 4:12 pm
Proud of everyone! Amazing accomplishment nonetheless!
Posted by: Kimmy on 8/14/2021 at 1:18 pm
Posted by: Brent Okita, Leah Fisher, Nick Hunt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 20,320'
RMI Guide Brent Okita calls in from the descent of Mt. McKinley's summit.
On The Map
Leah, thank you for taking our picture on the summit.
Brent, as one of your former clients on a skills seminar I just wanted to say thank you for teaching me the skills to allow me to summit Denali. It was an honor and privilege to meet your team on the football field and share the summit with you all.
Great job team RMI!
Posted by: Dan Crouch on 6/10/2014 at 5:25 am
Congratulations to the entire team. JOB WELL DONE. Continued safe travels in your entire journey home. Godspeed to you all.
Posted by: Mark DiLucca on 6/6/2014 at 8:45 am
Greetings from Puebla! Today was a great day for the team to rest and explore the beautiful city of Puebla. This city is full of history, delicious food, colorful markets and a perfect place to recover for our next climb.
After a day to explore the incredible Catholic Churches built in the 1500s, the team ate dinner together at El Mural de los Poblanos, a fantastic restaurant full of classic local dishes. Puebla is known as the home of Mole.
Our next objective begins tomorrow as we head up to 14,000ft to the high camp on Pico de Orizaba!
Congratulations! Awesome job. Looks like it was a beautiful day up there.
Posted by: Patrick Johnson on 3/5/2022 at 10:00 pm
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