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Hello from Namche. This is the Everest Base Camp Trek and we are calling after the second day on the trip. Everything is well. We will try to send more detailed updates tomorrow, even with some pictures as we were having some internet connection problems today. All is well and we will try to update you more tomorrow. RMI Guide Elías de Andrés-Martos

On The Map

We were greeted by crystal clear skies this morning which allowed some amazing views of Kilimanjaro and the route ahead. The team did a great job this morning getting packed up and hitting the trail after a breakfast full of fresh bread, fresh fruits and fried eggs. Not to mention the 10 hours of sleep we had! The trail out of camp slowly climbed out of the forest and up onto the Shira Plateau. We watched in amazement as the porters moved past us with ease while balancing loads on their heads. Our crew certainly out did themselves by having prepared another feast for lunch about half way up the climb. It was a nice surprise to arrive at lunch with the tables and chairs waiting on us. It took us about five hours to reach our next camp on the plateau and again camp was set up and our group was happily awaiting our arrival. Needless to say the team had a wonderful day and everyone is doing great. We will rest here at 12,200' for the night to help with acclimatization and will head up again tomorrow morning. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

Our northerly latitude was evidenced by the long evenings last night, even at this time of year. Dawn broke early but we were in no rush to greet it, enjoying the opportunity to sleep in a bit. After breakfast we walked down the canal outside of the hotel to St. Isaac's Cathedral, the 4th largest cathedral in the world, where we climbed its winding staircase to the colonnade that offers expansive views of the St. Petersburg skyline. Afterwards we made our way across the historic center to the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, a stunning classical Russian Church built upon the cobblestones where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. Finally, we ended at the Hermitage Museum, an expansive collection of artwork spreading out over five buildings of St. Peter's palaces. With only 5% of it's collection displayed, it would still take days to fully explore the museum, much less appreciate the thousands upon thousands of pieces of art. After several hours of sightseeing we had some time in the afternoon to relax and explore the city on our own. After dinner, with the evening sun spreading across the sky, we boarded a boat and took a tour of St. Petersburg's canals, watching the city go from evening to night from the water. Tomorrow we all head home, ending our journeys in Russia. It is difficult to imagine a better group of people to share the challenge, excitement, and adventure of Elbrus' North Side with. It has been a fantastic trip and we are sad to see it end.

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer checked in from the summit of Denali at 5:50 pm PT on Monday, May 29th.  The team returned to their high camp at 17,000' around 1 am PT.

Congratulations to the May 9th Denali Expedition!

This morning, we left the comforts of the city for our tents at Orizaba. After a long day of travel, preparation, and a little bit of acclimatization, we will sleep at 14,000 feet. Tomorrow will be  another early start, in the dark for our climb. The team feels good after a much needed rest day in Puebla! No one said the climbing will be easy, but we are hopeful for a good climb with the challenge of the mountain tomorrow ahead of us.

RMI Guide Abby Westling

The Four Day Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Taylor Bickford reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The team climbed into a cloud cap with wind, blowing snow, and poor visibility, so they did not get to spend too much time on top. They are on the descent and will be back at Camp Muir soon.

Congratulations to today’s teams!

What a day and what a team. Our luck held out with an evening that was clear, windless and fairly warm. At 12:30am we were walking after being fed by our great kitchen staff. Our slow pace was key to not overheating the engines when climbing in the rarefied air above 15,000'. We got to Stella Point just after dawn then on to Uhuru Peak, the summit, shortly thereafter. Did I mentioned that EVERYONE SUMMITED! Yeah, the team rocked it today, enjoying sunshine and warm temps while taking summit photos at 19,340'. Our descent back to camp went smoothly and we were treated to another wonderful meal before packing up and hitting the trail for the thicker air of Mweka Camp at 10,000'. Dropping down from 15,000' does amazing things for the body, and so worth the effort to get here after a hard summit day. And now, dinner awaits before a well deserved sleep. Goodnight from Kilimanjaro on our last night on the mountain. RMI Guide Brent Okita

100% on top! We did it! We stood on Mt. Elbrus, the highest point of Europe. I have to admit we were pretty lucky with the weather, as it was near perfect. The team did a fantastic job of taking care of themselves and climbed strong. We reached the summit at 7:30 AM in clear skies with a wonderful view of the entire Caucus mountain range with very little wind, which is rare here. But it didn't end there, after descending back to the saddle between the 2 summits that Elbrus has, a few of us decided to climb both summits while the rest of the team descended safely back to camp. It only added an additional 1.5hrs, so not too bad, especially since we had such amazing weather. After everyone returned to camp, we had a quick lunch and then packed up to head down valley to our hotel at the base of the mountain. Everyone is in high spirits and feeling great after some much needed hot showers. RMI Guide Casey Grom and comrades

It's quite a bit different than my last climb three days ago. Instead of bitter cold walking up to Camp Muir it was scorching hot!! The team did great and we are rehydrating and getting ready for our summit bid. Stay tuned and see how well our climb goes!! RMI Guide JJ Justman

Hello everyone. It's Team Elbrus checking in from our camp at the Barrels. The process of getting up here at 12,000 feet involves riding two trams and one chairlift. After we arrived I introduced our team to Albina, our Executive Chef. I do not say cook because that would be an insult. Her meals are out of this world! After our lunch we packed a light pack and went for a walk uphill. After a brief refresher on the rest step we made it up to enjoy the view at 13,000 feet. Now sitting back at camp we are wearing our bath slippers, listening to music and eating summer sausage and crackers. Everyone here says hello and we will let you know how our acclimatizing day goes tomorrow. Cheers from The Team! RMI Guide J.J. Justman

On The Map