Most Popular Entries

From the cramped confines of Machame Camp we headed out to our next camp, Shira. Although the rain forest below Machame was cool, the terrain on this stretch was stellar. Going thru the giant heather and moorlands the climbing became more and more interesting. Some rock outcroppings along the way provided wonderful viewpoints and lunch stops, not to mention some interesting scrambling challenges. We have only one complaint. The food is just too darned good. Our cook staff works tirelessly on our behalf, creating prodigious quantities of cuisine that would not be out of place in a fancy restaurant. All made on a couple of two burner stoves. As a climbing guide I'm the first person encouraging my climbers to eat to replace fuel burned on climbs. But our mountain staff take it to a whole new level. We are so spoiled! For example, on getting into camp this afternoon we were served an exquisite potato leek soup, followed by fried chicken, French fries and an avocado, pepper and tomato salad. All prepared fresh and treated to ensure everybody stays healthy. Our friends in the kitchen are magicians. Liz has expressed interest in learning how the magic happens and has been invited back to the cook tent to watch and maybe pick up a few insights. I'll be pressing her hard for insights into their culinary genius. Until then, I guess we'll just suffer through the fact we're probably going to gain weight while climbing a 19,000' mountain. Such are the challenges we face these days. Wish us luck. And tomorrow: climbing to Lava Tower at 15,200' and Barranco Camp. Our team is more than ready for. Until then, RMI Guide Brent Okita

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb led by Kel Rossiter and the Five Day Summit Climb led by Mark Falender reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Kel reported calm and sunny conditions, a beautiful day on top. They are descending back to Camp Muir and we look forward to welcoming them back in Ashford later this afternoon.

The storm finally hit. Crazy clouds were forming over the upper mountain as we went to bed last night. The morning at Vinson Base was devoid of sunshine and chock full of newly falling snow. It is actually a rare thing to get five inches of powder snow in this place, like rain in the desert, but that is what we got. Flying -either to get the successful summiteers out or to bring in our next team of climbers from Union Glacier- was not happening. It was a hunker down day. The word was that the teams up the mountain were doing the same. Rest and relaxation wasn't exactly an unwelcome plan for the day for my team. Most had sore feet and tired knees after the last few big days of up and down walking. Each climber is ready to be moving on when conditions permit, of course. Juan wanted to be sure that Eva Maria knew he was wishing her a very happy 21st birthday from Antarctica. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

We're in Kislovodsk! Today we made it one step closer to the mountain. We had an early start in Moscow and then caught a 2 hour and 15 minute flight to Mineralnye Vody. From there it was just an hour drive to the city of Kislovodsk where our hotel is. Once we checked into the hotel, everyone sorted their gear while Pete and I went to a supermarket. We picked up some fresh food for basecamp. We'll be getting an early start tomorrow for the 4x4 road to camp. Here's a shot from the awesome pizza place we went to for dinner. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

The Four Day Summit Climb August 17 - 20 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier just after 7 am PT this morning. RMI Guide Brent Okita led the team. Brent reported a gorgeous day with clear skies and light winds averaging 15 mph. The teams will spend some time on the summit before beginning their descent to Camp Muir. After a short rest, the teams will continue to Paradise later this afternoon. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Eric Frank reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning shortly before 8 am PT. The team will spend time enjoying the views and then return to their high camp for their final night on the mountain. Congratulations to today's summit climbers!

Billy here checking in from Camp IV at 14,200' after a strong showing from our team on a big move up. We enjoyed mostly clear skies and incredibly strong sun on the way up from our previous camp at 11,000'. In fact, the sun was a little too strong; while the ambient temperature hovered in the teens we felt like we were boiling for the majority of our climb. It's amazing what a little radiation can do. After all our hard work we were rewarded with an easy move-in to Mike Walter's recently vacated camp. Sometimes you just get lucky. The high pressure is supposed to stick around through the extended forecast so we aim to keep on chipping away... Wulpseeya! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Update 5:27 p.m.: What a day! What a day! The team made it high up on the mountain and we finished the training with a Muir Peak rappel. After a full day it's time to relax, unwind and tell some stories! 8:33 a.m.: We made the summit!! Of Muir Peak. Yesterday the weather cleared and the team got out to play in the snow. While practicing cramponing we made the top of Muir Peak just above 10,000 feet. It is always a beautiful view looking down on the Mount Rainier glaciers below. Today we have another beautiful day to continue our expedition skills training. While we go through crevasse rescue, Brent and Katie are going to check out the conditions higher on the mountain. If all is good we will venture up the mountain later this afternoon. RMI Guide JJ Justman

Brrrr. At least that was the theme of the first half of the day. Fortunately we had warm tents to rest in and after an acclimatization hike this afternoon, we are able to enjoy a little sun outdoors. Clouds have moved steadily over the Aconcagua summit today and it is our team's sincerest hope that they blow out and we are able to move higher tomorrow. Wish us luck, we are ready but prepared to be patient if conditions dictate. RMI Guide Jake Beren

On The Map

Jambo! Our team has arrived in Tanzania. We had our first team meeting this morning after breakfast at the beautiful Dik Dik Hotel. After that we spread out gear and checked that everyone brought the necessary items. The team took the equipment list to heart and everyone is thoroughly prepared for our adventure. the temperature is in the 70s with clear skies. We are enjoying a relaxing afternoon and recovering from our long flights and the new time zone. Some folks spent some time lounging by the pool. We had a nice team dinner and everyone has headed to their cabanas to do some final trip prep. In the morning we will load the vans and drive to the trail head of Kilimanjaro. After so many months of preparing for our Kilimanjaro, the time is finally here. Tomorrow we start the climb! RMI Guide Mark Tucker

Today we had a welcomed slower day. We took a motorboat out to Grey’s Glacier and put on helmets and crampons for a couple of hours of glacier hiking. The glacier is part of Patagonia’s ice field, the third largest in the world. We saw bright blue ice caves, deep pools, a glacial waterfall, and streams of clear water. 

Midway through our hike the guides served hot tea of ginger, cinnamon, and honey, plus chocolate bars. What a treat-to hold a cup of steaming tea and gaze out at the magnificent view of water, ice, and mountain.

Particularly satisfying was to look up at the John Gardner pass that we traversed yesterday. When we saw one of the three bridges we crossed, one member of our group commented, “Wow, it didn’t seem that high when I was on it.” It’s astounding to see yesterday’s hike from a completely different viewpoint and to stand in the midst of yesterday’s.

RMI Climber Melissa Earley