Mark Tucker calling from camp number one on Kilimanjaro, Machame Camp, about 10,000 feet. What a great day. Got out of our low lands, slick-slick. Team was already, packed, started our hike at the gate under perfect conditions. A little bit overcast, kind of cool in the canopy of the lower flanks of Kilimanjaro. What a group. So thrilled with performances today. Everybody did fantastic. And right towards the end of the hike coming into camp, the mountain started to show the upper reaches. That just thrilled one and all and gave us that last little boost to come into camp. Bit chilly right now. It's 9 or 10 in the evening and we're all bedded down after real nice meal. Everybody's got a good appetite. I have quite the international crew: three Norwegians, a Puerto Rican, a guy from Mexico and a few US on the team. Really fun getting to know them; we are all having a gas and will check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Awh ya! We are all moved in at 14,200' in the Genet Basin! Last evening we were put to bed by the clearing of the clouds and spectacular views of Kahiltna Dome, Mt. Foraker from the 11,000' camp. We had a windless night and woke to a brisk yet blue bird morning. We had a quick bite of oatmeal and a coffee, and like blades in a blender we whipped up our kit and saddled our packs to ride.
Our trip was smooth with a chance to further take in the unbelievable view of the entire Southern Alaska range. We rounded Windy Corner with a rest stop in zero wind. Our freckles could tell by late morning that the sun's inferno would take a toll on our energy. Regardless, we made great steady progress arriving in 14 camp in a little over 5 hours.
Arriving at camp is just part of the move day's work! We established camp quickly thanks to a previously occupied camp. Yet, making water, retrieving the cache, moving our belongings back in the tent coupled with new altitude is hard work.
This all pays off at the end of the day when you're snuggling with your big cached food bag and other piles of feathers We are reunited with! Laying in the tent as i write with a full belly of soup, tortellini, and cookies!
It is good to be moving up with sprits high, climbers enjoying the mountain and a rest day for tomorrow! Did I say Awhh ya?
RMI Guides Tyler Jones & Garrett Stevens & The team
You guys are doing GREAT!!! I love the positive energy that is coming from the message. Keep it up! :D Hugs and kisses to Lori. (Kisses from Maggie.) :) Good luck on the next climb and enjoy your rest day!
Love from the little mountains,
Casey and Maggie (“Woof!”)
Keep God in your heart.
Posted by: Casey Hansen on 6/9/2013 at 6:52 pm
d.
looks like the third maybe the charm. enjoy!
mom
Happy 4th of July!
Our Denali climbing team is celebrating the 4th in Talkeetna, AK! We were able to fly off of the glacier today amidst cloudy skies and low layers of fog. K2 Aviation did a great job of watching the weather and getting planes in to Basecamp when possible in order to facilitate our return to society.
After hot showers and a little down time, we're looking forward to a festive celebration dinner at the Twister Creek Restaurant.
Thanks for following our journey to the highest point in North America! It's been a great trip, and we're already looking forward to our next adventure together...what's yours?
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Our hearts are heavy tonight and the dinner conversation a bit more somber. Some of our party went down with a guide to head for base camp early. All for different reasons, their decision to descend is the most respected choice in mountaineering, one that takes strength, maturity, and courage. Climbing tall peaks is never about how far we can push ourselves, but about respecting our limits and knowing when, for the sake of our team, to call this day our summit. And that is why our hearts are heavy.
Since we began this trek two weeks ago, we have come to deeply care for one another. Conversation has flowed beyond the biographies of our lives to the maps of our souls and the gentle silence reserved for only the most familiar friends. We do not climb to reach summits alone but to plumb the depths of our inner lives as well.
That’s why this note is to our group six months from now, when everyday life feels routine, and the memories of this trek will have faded:
Dear Friends,
By the time we read this on August 2nd much will have happened since our cold nights and card games on the mountain. Mary Beth and Jess will have summited Everest and brought needed attention and funding to Ovarian Cancer. We’ll all have read Tim’s book, Jack will have a fresh harvest of greenhouse tomatoes, Dom might finally have a sunburn from his beach vacation, David will be signed up for Denali, Cameron will have spent the better part of the summer in Costa Rica, and Gator will be a legend on Mount Rainier. The infrequent emails we share will take us back to this moment and our memories together. But we won’t remember the hard parts, for that tends to fade.
Instead, we’ll remember the early dinners, deep laughs, nicknames, and lessons that brought us home different people from when we left. We’ll remember our gratefulness for those who spent their careers serving our country and the allure of Alaska. We’ll remember the basics of geology 101 and the majesty of how the Andes first reached for the stars. We’ll remember trying to avoid sunburn and yet yearning for the first kiss of morning sun on our tents before breakfast. We’ll remember going to bed at seven pm, rationing batteries, forgetting if we filtered our water, and the magic of a Garmin inReach. We’ll remember the Argentines who sacrificed months from home to make this climb possible, and we’ll remember the loved ones back in the states who picked up the slack so we could chase our alpine dream.
Deeper still than these moments are truths that will form who we become. For together, we’ve learned how to rest and seen that empty days have a joy all their own. When obligations, activities, and emails stack up we’ll remember our slow days as much as our climbs. And lastly, we’ll remember that a group of eleven strangers - folks with little reason to cross paths in our ordinary routines - became friends by sharing our stories and a common goal. We’ll remember that it’s true for most strangers we pass (yes, even that group) and hold a moment’s more space for the serendipity and friendship still ahead on our future climbs and ordinary days. We’ll remember each other and what we shared together with deep affection - and that’s what will matter most.
We have held you in our hearts and prayers daily. Blessed to have a seat in the balcony for all of you as your climbing and blogging inspire and instruct us.
Dad and Darla
Posted by: Jerry and Darla on 2/3/2023 at 10:55 am
We’re so proud and excited for you Dada! We miss you and hope you are able summit. Just remember it’s about learning, living, and coming home safely. Hugs and kisses - we can’t wait to see you and get some snuggles!
Mama, Teddy and Everett
Posted by: Jessica Sowinski on 2/3/2023 at 10:40 am
My first RMI climb was also my first climb of a glaciated mountain. Born and raised in Charleston, SC. I grew up hiking, backpacking and rock climbing in Appalachia. I wanted more, to go higher, farther and to learn the skills to take myself. “No Shortcuts to the Top” was worn and dog eared on my bedside table. I had spent hours staring at pictures of Ed Viesturs, standing on the summits I hoped to one day stand as well. He spoke of a mythical mountain in the Pacific Northwest where he got his start, Mt. Rainier.
In the Spring of 2007, I was finishing my junior year at the University of South Carolina. I thought back to Mt. Rainier and checked “No Shortcuts to the Top” again about the guide service Ed worked for. I did some research and booked the standard 3-day climb for the end of June. I had done lots of backpacking and hiking but had never stood higher than 5,000 ft or so in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I flew to Seattle, arriving late that night. I checked into a cheap hotel downtown. Behind the desk was a big picture of The Mountain. It looked much bigger now, maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew. I wasn't old enough to rent a car. I found a bus that left from Seattle, went to RMI headquarters in Ashford, around the mountain and back. I got on that morning with the rest of the day tourists and was a bit out of place with my big backpack. When the bus stopped in Ashford I just got off and didn't get back on when it left. I planned on jumping back on in few days after my climb was over. I do not think you can pull this off anymore.
Climbers everywhere, climbing gear sprawled out all over the lawn. You could tell from the sunburns and facial expressions who had finished their climb and who had just begun. I checked into the bunkhouse and got fitted for all my rental gear. What am I going to do with all this, I wondered?
Early the next morning, we met the guides and team members. Mark Smiley and Tyler Jones were the guides that day. We left base camp for mountaineering school and headed up to Paradise. The mountain was socked in. I had not seen it at all since arriving in the PNW. It was there somewhere, hiding in the thick clouds. The snow came all the way to the parking lot, it was deep. We grabbed our gear and hiked about 30 minutes to some slopes leading up the mountain. We learned how to move as a rope team and how to self arrest a fall. It started snowing pretty hard and after a few hours we headed back for Ashford. Word on the radio was that no one was making the summit that day.
The next day we met again early and were split into summit team A and B. I was part of team A and we had a new guide; her name was Melissa Arnot. We packed and left for Paradise again. The mountain was still hiding. Clouds and light snow greeted us as we started the hike up. The pack was heavy but I kind of liked it. We would hike for an hour and rest for 10 minutes and repeat.
At around 8,000 feet my life changed forever. In almost an instant we climbed out of the clouds and I saw her for the first time. I was in shock at how grand she was, excitement and a bit of fear took over me. I was hooked instantly. The sun was shining bright above us and snowing below, where am I?
A few more hours of hiking and we pulled into Camp Muir at 10,000 feet. We spent the rest of the day resting and getting ready for the climb that would take place later in the middle of the night.
Around midnight we were woken up and told to get ready. I walked outside and not one cloud in the star filled sky. We headed up the mountain, Melissa on my rope leading the way. I felt like I was on another planet and I also knew my life would never be the same. We got up and over the infamous Disappointment Cleaver and it got really cold. At the top of the Cleaver, Melissa told me something I will never forget, “mountain climbers must have a high pain tolerance and short memory.”
We crossed over huge crevasses, snow bridges and ladders and finally had our last break. At around 7:00 AM we crossed the rocks at the rim of the crater and on to the summit. I was overcome with new emotions. High on a drug I have yet to come down on 12 years later. Our group hugged and took pictures but it was only half over. We made it back down to Camp Muir, then to Paradise, and finally back to RMI BaseCamp. I was exhausted but elated.
June 2019 was almost exactly 12 years to the day of my first summit. On July 6th, I flew to Seattle for my 5th climb of Mt. Rainier, having summited all but once due to a week of terrible weather. I always stay the night before at RMI BaseCamp in Ashford, it is nice to remember where it all began. A lot has changed since that first climb.
Climbing mountains became an integral part of my life. The summer after my Mt. Rainier climb I took a 2-week mountaineering course in Alaska. The year after that, a 42 day all-inclusive guide school on the northern ice cap in Patagonia, Chile. Before I left to come home, the company hired me on. I worked for them for a few years back and forth in Alaska. In 2015 my guide friend in India brought me over to help him lead a trip in the Indian Himalaya. Two weeks after I returned, I took my brother to stand on the summit of Rainier. The next summer, me and some long-time climbing friends summited Denali. Last summer, I took a group to Mt. Blanc in the Alps. In 2014, 2017, and 2019 I took more friends to Rainier.
Showing others this incredible world high above the clouds is my new summit. For those I feel not ready enough to be a part of my independent team, I send them to the wonderful guides at RMI, always remembering my very first trip and the incredible woman who led me to my first summit. Little did I know back in 2007, that Melissa Arnot would become one of the premier climbers on the planet and the first US woman to summit Everest without O2. In these 12 years, climbing mountains has introduced me to incredible places around the world and many of my dearest friends are those I have shared a rope with. It all started with RMI guides, on my now favorite mountain on Earth.
I’ve always been amazed at your mountain climbing. Enjoying seeing the mountains through your eyes. Proud of you Justin and your brother!
Posted by: Robin Legare on 9/14/2019 at 5:16 am
Wayne and I have followed his climbing and know him, his brother and family personally. We are so proud and in awe of all he has done. He is a fine young man and indeed a mountain climber. Well done Justin!
Hello from Kislovodsk,
As planned, we had an early start this morning, leaving our hotel at 5:45 to drive to the domestic airport. With all our bags checked we boarded the plane and flew south to Mineralyne Vody, the main airport in the Caucasus region. Then it was an hour drive to the resort town of Kislovodsk. Best known for its spas, many Russians come here to take a break from the big city life in Moscow. But we did not come here for the spas. We are here because it is the last town before we drive into the mountains. We spent the afternoon going through all of our gear, making sure we had everything needed for the climb and this team is ready.
Tomorrow we will finally see Elbrus for the first time as we approach Basecamp. We are all excited to be ending our travels and beginning the climb.
All the best,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The team is assembled and ready to go! Yesterday, we all stepped off the plane into the fire; both literally and figuratively. Alaska has been experiencing a strong heatwave, and Anchorage was toasty. We also had a lot to get done, buying the rest of our food for the mountain and making the drive to Talkeetna. We settled in to relax for the night, leaving the gear sorting and packing for today.
Now, all of our gear is packed and weighed for the plane, tents have been set up and checked to make sure that they are good to go, and everyone is excited for the flight through the Alaska range. Now we just need the weather to cooperate tomorrow AM long enough to get us onto the mountain! Hopefully we'll check in from the glacier tomorrow!
Cheers
RMI Guides Pete, Geoff, Robby, and the team
Hola Guapo!
What a nice group picture! You look so happy…what a beautiful place for your third climb!
I’m so proud of you. We will be following you daily. it seems the weather is in your favor.
Love you! we are here cheering you on. I bet you wish there were sherpas and donkeys there!.....:)
XO Guapa
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 1:30 pm PT
We have made our first move up the mountain to the base of Ski Hill at 7,800' on the main Kahiltna Glacier.
Since our arrival yesterday we enjoyed a great first feast of totally loaded quesadillas and snoozed up just a few hours of rest before the 2am wake up. We organized our literal mountain of equipment and food in to individual group loads for what will hopefully be our only single carry. This mean we won't have to carry all our equipment at once but rather double carry, stashing equipment high and gaining fitness through mileage with manageable packs. Mileage is what we will need as the days grow harder and longer the higher we climb.
The arduous loads were all near 100 pounds each. Every climber on our team did a fabulous job getting the heaviest day of the trip over with. We are now truly underway and five miles closer to our goal of reaching "The High One" Denali.
We hope to carry equipment to around 10,000' tomorrow and return to recently renovated camp at 7,800'. We are going to catch some midday ZZZs and hide from the sun!
Will check in tomorrow,
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
Hey Lori, Thank you for the post card. :) You all are amazing! Climb safe! Hugs from Maggie and Casey.
Posted by: Casey Hansen on 6/1/2013 at 5:10 pm
Robin and Team
Mexican food @ 7800’... who would of thought…. What? no Subway?? :)
Hope everyone has a good climb today. You are all in my thoughts and prayers
today for a continued good safe ascent and good weather.
Eagerly looking forward to your daily blogs and new map locations.
Stay warm and stay safe.
Hello RMI Blog Enthusiasts! Today was more of the same. The team did a fantastic job climbing up to Camp 2 at 18000 feet. We cached more food for up high, some white gas and a few personal items.
In fact, the team was doing so well that after our cache we took a little walk up higher to get a view towards high camp. We made it to 19000 feet when the snow began to fly. It turned out to be a beautiful walk down back to Camp One.
We are drinking hot drinks now and soon we will begin cooking for the team. Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day for all of us here at 16500 feet, which actually is feeling really good for all of us. Everyone here wants to say hi to friends and family back home.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
P.S. GO PACKERS!!!!
Mt. McKinley's "Windy Corner" lived up to it's name today. We carried a load of food and gear into a head wind to a cache site at about 13,500 ft. Luckily once we made the turn around the corner the winds died and we enjoyed the bright, warm sunshine while we buried our cache and took a break before heading back down to camp.
We will rest tomorrow in preparation for our move to our next camp.
Mike would like to wish a "Happy Birthday to Papa George".
RMI Guide Walter Hailes
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You guys are doing GREAT!!! I love the positive energy that is coming from the message. Keep it up! :D Hugs and kisses to Lori. (Kisses from Maggie.) :) Good luck on the next climb and enjoy your rest day!
Love from the little mountains,
Casey and Maggie (“Woof!”)
Keep God in your heart.
Posted by: Casey Hansen on 6/9/2013 at 6:52 pm
d.
looks like the third maybe the charm. enjoy!
mom
Posted by: fran uhlir on 6/7/2013 at 9:33 pm
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