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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Establish First Camp

May 13, 2023

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Henry Coppolillo, Tatum Whatford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

The team did strong work today, shouldering a load out of base camp that would have made an ox shudder. Each climber probably had north of 100lbs of gear between pack and sled. We schussed down Heart Break Hill relatively smoothly, given the load and started the long, gradual accent of the Kahiltna. The weather was beyond perfect. Blue skies, warm, probably too warm for a bit, but then a gentle kiss of breeze cooled us down.

6 hours of that steady diesel truck burn brought us to our first real camp of the climb at the Base of Ski Hill. We spent the next couple hours establishing a routine that will become quite familiar: building tent platforms, erecting tents, digging kitchens, bathrooms, melting water, making dinner, and finding time for self-care.

Tomorrow, we will look to move a load uphill and cache before returning to this same camp. We will all be happy for lighter loads.
Wish us bon voyage.

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Best to Pete + crew…Look forward to following along…Wshing success…From flatlands of Indiana.

Posted by: Walter Glover on 5/14/2023 at 10:07 am

bon voyage~
and well done team!

Posted by: Lyds on 5/13/2023 at 5:23 pm

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Mt. Rainier: 100% On Summit for the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons!

July 3, 2019

Posted by: Pepper Dee

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

All of the climbers and guides on the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Pepper Dee reached the summit of Mt. Rainier via the Emmons Glacier route around 1:00 PM PT. Pepper reports 20 mph winds and clear skies on the summit. The team will descend to Camp Schurman where they will spend the night. Tomorrow the team will finish their descent and will return to Ashford. We look forward to celebrating with the team tomorrow. Way to go, climbers!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Chris and Bill - You guys are truly inspirational. Be safe and watch out for those crevasses (and the crevices).

Your ERPi Family

Posted by: Greg on 7/9/2019 at 4:32 am

Praying for good weather and safe climbing.

Posted by: Chris on 7/7/2019 at 11:44 am

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Kilimanjaro: Teams Returns to High Camp

September 23, 2012

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 15,000'

Hello everyone back home this is Casey Grom checking in from our Kilimanjaro trip. Just wanted to report that we are all safely back at high camp and we had a 100% reach the summit today. Pretty amazing day. Weather was still perfect again for us going up. Little chilly, so we're having to do a little dancing to keep our fingers and toes warm but all in all the group did fantastic. As I said we returned to high camp, we're packing up and we're actually going to be descending a few more thousand feet to our last camp, Mweka Camp. If I get a chance I'll try to send in a written dispatch. And if not we'll certainly check in sometime tomorrow when we get off the mountain. That's all for now, everyone's doing great and look forward to trying to share few photos in a couple days with you guys. RMI Guide Casey Grom

RMI Guide Casey Grom checks in after summit climb.

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

I have been following your progress, looks like you folks are having a great time wish I were there. Keep safe and have a wonderful journey.

Posted by: Priscilla Neal on 9/24/2012 at 3:43 am

COngrats to you and your team Casey. I have great memories of Kilimanjaro! All the Kili girls spent the weekend together and Lucy and Corell say hey. High fives from Richmond

Posted by: Elsie Bemiss on 9/23/2012 at 7:30 pm

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Mt. Rainier: August 13th Update

August 13, 2012

Posted by: Casey Grom, Mike Walter

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

Casey Grom and Gabriel Barral led their Mt. Rainier summit climb teams to the summit this morning. The guides reported light winds and mostly clear skies. Both teams began their descent from the crater rim at 8:00 a.m. Mike Walter left this morning for the Five-Day Emmons Climb. Mike and his team will spend four days on the mountain as they summit from the Schurman/Emmons Route. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise began their climb yesterday. The team had a great day yesterday adjusting to the heavy loads of multi-day packs. They arrived at Camp One in great shape and did a general mountaineering school before dinner. We will be moving to Camp Two at 9,000 feet today. All is well on the Paradise Glacier.

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Go, Eric! Love you! Be careful up there. And don’t forget to take a picture!

Posted by: Tamara on 8/15/2012 at 9:49 am

go dan love you

Posted by: sheryl dean on 8/13/2012 at 8:09 pm

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Machu Picchu: Wedel & Team Trek to Winay Wayna

August 24, 2024

Posted by: Jess Wedel

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Machu Picchu

Elevation: 8,700'

Saturday, August 23, 2024 - 6:52 pm PT

“Good morning my friend!” Elbin says every morning as he wakes us up with hot tea and coffee at our tents with a big huge smile. Today was no different. We woke up looking into a valley of moving clouds, packed all our stuff, had a quick breakfast and hit the trail. One last big day was ahead.

We stopped at archeological sites, went up and down two more passes and finally arrived at Winay Wayna - our final camp before Machu Picchu. We were on the trail for over eight hours walking the 600-year old stone path. Tonight, we celebrated all the people that helped make this trek possible - our porters, cooks, and local guides! Complete with a freshly baked cake. We can’t say enough about how incredible they have made this experience.

Tomorrow we have just two hours to walk until we arrive at Machu Picchu and we are all looking forward to it.

Woo hoo!!

RMI Guide Jess and the team

New Post Alerts:
Machu Picchu August 15, 2024

Denali Expedition: Schmitt & Team Move Gear above Camp

June 11, 2021

Posted by: JT Schmitt, Alan Davis, Abby Westling

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Thursday, June 10, 2021 - 4:56 pm PT

Today was not a super nice day, but it was nice enough! We cached additional food and supplies at 13,500 and felt great. This puts us in position to move to 14,000' Camp when we are ready and weather allows. It looks like the weather should be decent tomorrow before the next round of storms come in. Stay tuned to follow our progress tomorrow!!

RMI Guide JT Schmitt and team

Mt. Everest: The Team Preps for Next Rotation

May 4, 2013

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall, Mark Tucker

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

It's a beautiful day here at Everest Bascamp (EBC)! By that I mean its not snowing or windy, yet. We're taking full advantage by eating our fill, relaxing and doing some laundry. It's all part of the prep for our next rotation up on the mountain. The past week at Advanced Basecamp (ABC) was a great foundation for our acclimatization and the best part was getting on the Lhotse Face. After all these weeks of prep it was great to feel like we were on a mountain as opposed to being down amongst the mountains. Our next trip up will be more of a test to see how our conditioning is holding up. But for now we're resting. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Wrap Up Their Expedition

June 28, 2011

Posted by: Jake Beren

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 346'

Well I'm sure you all have been wondering where in the world we are. Forgive the suspense, but it has been an action packed few days. After our last sub-space frequency, we had to re-reevaluate our situation and make the difficult, but ultimately very clear decision to return to lower elevations. After many days at 17,000 feet and over a week waiting for a window at 14,000' camp we were plain out of time for a realistic summit attempt. Often these expeditions make allowances for running over budget on time and our team was prepared to hold out for a workable window to go for the top. However, the weather never did us the favor of cooperating. Such is the way of the mountains and we are wise to read their signals. Our stay at 17,000 feet was marked by deep snow, drifting thigh to waist high outside of camp and persisting for days. Accompanied by high winds that loaded start zones and released multiple full track avalanches that ran down almost to the ranger station at 14 camp, stability seemed far from our reality. Our route to Denali Pass ran several times and when the storm cleared long enough the famous autobahn is positively pregnant with deep windslabs. The weather reports we have been monitoring continue to predict unstable weather, high winds and more snow, followed by a large low pressure system bringing more bad weather to the mountain. Still we didn't want to head down, but staying longer in such weather exposes us to greater risk the longer we stay. Capitalizing on a lull in the weather, we began our descent of the West Buttress yesterday. That is my favorite part of the route and presents some of the most interesting climbing on this route. Our 19 days on this beautiful mountain prepared us well to move efficiently and though I would gladly have gone to the top with such a great team, I was glad to be able to handle the route's namesake feature in windy conditions with safe teammates. Despite the spindrift and new snow, conditions did present us with some pockets of sunshine where we were able to see this mountain in its stormy glory. We made it down to 14 camp where we regrouped and hoofed it down to 11,000 feet for a hot meal and a few hours sleep with some amazing skies on our way around Windy Corner. Three hours of downtime, then it was off again and we raced the warming Lower Kahiltna Glacier's snow bridges to the runway. On our exit we were able to see the upper mountain up the NE Fork and again from the airstrip. It was still socked in with a cloud cap and high winds and our call to escape, though bittersweet, remains sound. Having not heard the sound of planes in the air for days, it was a treat to see the Otters, Beavers and Cessnas amongst the spectacular backdrop of Mt. Hunter and Foraker. Our gear sorted, we were on the afternoon flight and are now back in Talkeetna, magically back to summer and a land where green things flourish and showers imply happiness instead of misery. In a few hours our team will meet again for another dinner, prepared by strangers and without the ambiance of a snow fort. It will be a welcome treat. Thank you friends and family for the support and love on our adventure. We went out not knowing what would happen and we returned safe, but with some unfinished business. I am content that we gave it our all and emerged friends and stronger for the time amongst the clouds and upper atmosphere. Thanks to a great team and excellent colleagues, it was an adventure I am happy to have shared with everyone, RMI Guide Jake Beren

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Thanks Jake, Gilbert and Mike for your outstanding leadership on this climb. We all made it out safely, and that was the ultimate goal. It was great to meet new climbing (and ultimately drinking) buddies and friends. An awesome experience and we are a little older and wiser in the ways of Denali. We have some unfinished business, and I suspect some of us will be back to take care of things. Thanks again, guides! Vince

Posted by: Vince Vilasi on 7/1/2011 at 5:45 am

Thanks so much for generously allowing me to tie in on the descent. Both the folks that I roped up with, and the fantastic welcoming committee at 11,000’ were awesome!!!

Posted by: Leslie on 6/30/2011 at 12:10 pm

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Acclimatizing in Cheget

July 27, 2010

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside

After a good night's sleep and a hearty Russian breakfast the team headed out for our first acclimatization hike. The weather was beautiful with plenty of sunshine and clear skies. Our hike was on the flanks of a neighboring mountain called Cheget, named for the small town below it. Cheget rises sharply out of town and is a steep ski resort in the winter. It has several chair lifts that came in handy for the ascent and descent. Along the way we were treated to some amazing views of Elbrus and a large portion of the Caucasus mountain range. Everyone was thoroughly impressed! After our hike we returned to town for a traditional Caucasus lunch of borsht, carrot slaw, and a meat roll. The team then headed back to our hotel and started packing for tomorrow's move to our base camp on Elbrus. Everyone is doing great and we are all excited about tomorrow.

Everest Base Camp Trek: Grom & Team Arrive Namche Bazarre

March 25, 2013

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek

Elevation: 11,300'

It was another beautiful day here in the Khumbu with clear skies and astounding views. Our day started with breakfast at 7:30 with eggs, toast, porridge, jam and plenty of fresh coffee (thanks Tucker). We hit the trail just after 8 and made our way up the valley crossing numerous hanging bridges covered with prayer flags. Tea houses lined the trail almost the entire way making it easy to stop for a rest, eat and snap a few photos. We made good time even while sharing the trail with other Trekkers and the countless yaks carrying loads in both directions. Along the way we were treated to a nice view of the far off Mt Everest (still about 25 miles away). There was one big hill to climb before reaching Namche Bazaare where we'll spend a few nights in order to properly acclimatize. Everyone is doing great and currently are out exploring Namche (population of a few thousand) which is the heart of the Khumbu and Sherpa people. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Aloha Chris. It’s your sister-in-law from Kauai. We are really proud of you for undertaking this big challenge. I think I will just stick to hiking the beaches! Good luck and stay safe. I know Nancy and Sammy are anxious for you to get home. Mary Kay

Posted by: Mary Kay on 3/28/2013 at 2:16 am

Hi Chris,
We want to hear all about the expedition on your return. Safe travels and enjoy every moment!

Posted by: Stacy & Jacquie on 3/26/2013 at 11:53 am

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Most Popular Entries

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Establish First Camp

Mt. Rainier: 100% On Summit for the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons!

Kilimanjaro: Teams Returns to High Camp

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Mt. Rainier: August 13th Update

Machu Picchu: Wedel & Team Trek to Winay Wayna

Denali Expedition: Schmitt & Team Move Gear above Camp

Mt. Everest: The Team Preps for Next Rotation

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Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Wrap Up Their Expedition

Acclimatizing in Cheget

Everest Base Camp Trek: Grom & Team Arrive Namche Bazarre

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