Our second Vinson trip of the season has officially started. After some fairly long flights and a few delays, we all arrived in Punta Arenas yesterday. Fortunately all our gear has also arrived.
With all the excitement of a new adventure starting and the fact that it does not get dark here until almost 11:00 pm, it was well after midnight before we decided to call it a day.
Since there was not a whole lot on the agenda today, we took full advantage of this by sleeping in and having a late breakfast.
We finished up the last of our equipment needs by checking out a few of the local gear shops and a stop at the grocery store to buy some additional snack food. At the same time we able to explore a little bit of this neat little town.
With our bags more or less packed up, we headed out for a nice dinner at La Marmita. The food is incredible here and it is no wonder why it sits at the top of the restaurant list for Punta Arenas.
Tomorrow we will have our briefing with ALE (Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions), to go over the details of our flight to Vinson and the rules of climbing in such a remote and pristine environment.
Will check-in tomorrow.
All the best,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
Hello RMI blog followers. I wish we had something really really exciting to report. I guess the biggest thing is the entire team smells like peppermint. You see, our Dr. Bronners soap is made with organic peppermint, good for the environment. With the winds picking up we all took showers and broke down our Cabela's shower tent.
With team fresh and clean we spent the rest of the day triple checking our food and gear that we will carry up the mountain. Our route on Aconcagua will utilize three camps. So you can imagine, we need a good amount of food, fuel and personal gear. So tomorrow we begin the process of acclimatizing and caching gear higher up the mountain.
On a health note, the entire team has high oxygen saturation levels, which is fantastic. We are all acclimatizing very well. The forecast is for stronger winds, which I like...you might as well get the bad weather out of the way down low.
Stay tuned and we will let all of you know how our carry to 16,200 feet goes. For now, this is JJ saying ciao from 14,000'.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
A restful rest day was had by all... Mostly. We slept late, until almost 9 in the morning, and then emerged to find the world a dozen shades of grey as multiple cloud layers shifted slowly about. Our chefs prepared a sumptuous breakfast of egg and bacon quesadillas and we sat about in down coats telling stories for a bit before returning to the comfort of the tents for the day, determined to catch up on sleep and hydration. Our weather forecast made it plain today that we could expect at least a couple days of snow and so it was decided to grab back two days of food from the cache we'd placed at 16,200' yesterday. Geoff and Zeb made the round trip in 2 hours and 15 minutes... just in time since shortly after their return it began to snow heavily. Continued snow will make the cache inaccessible for a time as we may need to let avalanche conditions settle. The team got out in the weather long enough to beef up the tent anchors and eat a hot dinner in the POSH dining tent. Despite the forecast and the snow, spirits remain high.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Do hope there is enough Kungfu chicken to go round…
Take good care all of you, stay happy and healthy and get there!!
Posted by: Claire Munting on 7/12/2011 at 6:39 pm
HEY SPENCER HOLD ON THERE TONTO WEST AND I ARE ON THE WAY WITH FRESH LINENS AND MORE COFFEE AND A LATTE. HEY AND WOULD YOU LEAVE YOUR LEFT OVER STUFF WHERE WE CAN FIND IT. YOU KNOW US JUST KIDDING!!!!PRAY FOR THE BEST WEATHER FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM. GET TO THE SUMMIT!!!!
The chatter of Sherpa staff waking up and getting going is the first thing I hear, then the sun hits the tent and it is time to get up. Basecamp is a busy place, but I always think of it as the place that is ruled by the rise and set of the sun. As soon as the sun hits, it is too hot to stay in the tent and once the sun recedes, it is too cold to stay out. I like the simplicity of that; I don't have to think too hard about where exactly to be.
If all goes well and the weather holds, this will be our final rest before the summit push. There is still so much to do, but plenty of time. At Camp 3 on the last rotation, it was a great test of how things will work, and what still needs to be done. Today, I look through the gloves that I can choose from for the summit bid. I scan my climbing clothing, seeing what needs to be washed one last time and what is ready to go. I count out the energy gels that I will use for the summit push, and tuck in a few packages of fruit snacks for good measure. Looking at all of this equipment, it is hard to imagine that in less than a week it will be tucked onto my body and my back, on my way to the summit.
Of course, so much has to line up. A week seems close, but in reality, it is still a world away. The weather has to be good, but also we have to feel good as climbers. Your body has to be strong and your mind open to the challenge that is ahead. On the summit push, I need to stay healthy, avoiding any stomach bugs or head colds that might be trying to come my way. If everything does line up, then you have to be open to the mountain's terms. If I have learned anything, it is that you have to come prepared with health and strength but also humility and openness. Nothing is assumed. You have to be prepared to take this experience and enjoy each step of it, knowing that the mountains will give you exactly what they want to - that is the beauty of it.
These are the thoughts that are roaming through my mind as final preparations are being made for the summit. Somewhere between being aware of what the mountain is telling us, and which gloves I should pack, I realize that all the preparations (the mental and the physical) are the part of the experience that I value so much, the part that I can take with me on the next adventure. But for now, I will focus on this adventure.
After three consecutive days of carrying load up the mountain our sore limbs couldn't have been more grateful for the well earned rest day. We started the day late with eggs hash browns and bacon which could easily give local diners a run for their money. Most of the group relaxed in their tents enjoying their digital and analog ways of entertainment as we waited for dinner as we all know rest days come with a feast. We had pasta.
The chess pieces have been moved by us and mother nature and we have reached a stalemate. We have the three musketeers to help us reach the top in style. With Dom leading the wolf pack who would happily fall in the crevasse to save the rest of us; Seth always doing the needful without expecting anything in return and Dan lightening the mood of the group after a hard day with his cheeky one liners. All we need now is the good karma of 10 souls to give us a 72 hour window to summit the mountain. No matter what the future holds, our place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
It was a chilly night here at 17,500’. But that was to be expected! Everyone had hot water bottles to keep them warm. We woke to crystal clear skies and a beautiful view. The sun doesn’t get to camp until about 8:30 so we lingered in the tents before meeting for breakfast. Then we lounged in chairs soaking up the warmth of the sunshine enjoying the views up the Khumbu icefall while sipping coffee! Sounds tough, I know!
Then I took the team for a short hike into the very beginning the icefall, but still more than a mile from any real danger. Where we talked about the route and took some pictures and then made our way back to camp to an awaiting lunch. The afternoon was spent relaxing around camp and hanging out in our well stocked dinning tent!
We had great weather yesterday and were able to fly in to Kahiltna Base Camp. We hit the ground running and took advantage of the weather to move to the base of Ski Hill. Light cloud cover kept temperatures perfect for climbing, and the Kahiltna Glacier was in remarkably good condition, which made for a pleasant day in the mountains. Our packs and sleds were heavy, but our team did great getting to camp and establishing camp. This morning the good weather is continuing, and we're getting ready to head off on a carry, establishing a cache up above Ski Hill. We'll be in touch and let you know how it goes.
Best of luck to the entire team! I play Pickleball in southern Florida with John Corona. I just returned from Seattle with beautiful views of the mountainous area in Washington. Can’t imagine your strength and courage to climb! Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers that the weather continues good and you have a magnificient climb! Peace to all! Mary
Posted by: Mary Cormier on 5/15/2022 at 6:01 am
Hey !!!! Best of luck on the climb Mike! This grey-bearded old man is headed to Rainier this week and will be ready for you to lead me to 20,310’ in May ‘23! Be safe. Godspeed & Good Weather. If you have any questions about the weather, ask your rock.
Finally, the storm has fled. It was about six days of snow or the threat of snow... But the wind blew like crazy last night and our bad weather is now somebody else's bad weather. Bright and strong sunshine all day today... T-Shirts were just fine at midday in Everest Base Camp. The Icefall Doctors were hard at work in the big jumble and the rest of us stayed out of their way, just as planned. Teams could be seen clawing all over the ice towers close to camp, practicing in their own little chutes and ladders gymnasiums. We took an afternoon cruise through the maze of ice ridges and towers in the "safe" part of the glacier and then tried to catch up on 3G connections. Internet access has been a little squirrelly these past days what with the cloud blocking solar power and the wind wrecking reflector dishes. Word by late afternoon was that the route is almost restored to Camp One... With some difficult trail breaking through new snow remaining to be done. I'll try to keep up with our Sherpa team early tomorrow with C1 as our goal (once again). JJ Justman will take our climber gang hiking.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Monday, June 17, 2013
We are on the mountain! After walking up the glacier on our long approach, this camp feels like we are actually starting to make some headway towards the top. We will be at this 11,000' camp for a minimum of three nights, so we are dug in pretty solidly.
The plan for tomorrow is to do a back carry. This means we will walk back down to our cache at 10,000', dig it up, and then bring it back up to our new camp at 11,000 ft. It shouldn't be too hard of a day, but it is very important in our acclimatization scheme.
Although there are no bad views in this place, we have an amazing view from this camp. From a safe distance, we get to watch some giant ice cliffs calving off some large chunks. The heat of the nice weather days has made for some dynamic snow and ice conditions.
Summit Team 6! Led by RMI Guide Mike Haugen
Please tell Cindee she’s a bad-a$$ and that Zoot and Ruby miss her and that we don’t know the internet passcode! Hahaha. The whole team is an inspiration. Keep it up guys! Climb it like a BOSS!! Maija
Posted by: Maija Markul on 6/20/2013 at 2:21 pm
Wow, what amazing pictures and updates!
Hey Steve! We’re cheering you on and can’t wait to see you guys when you get back. Have an amazing time on the adventure. Heading up Snowmass this weekend and will take a moment for you!
Day 2 greeted us with clear skies and beautiful views of the upper mountain. The day starts with "morning tea" delivered to our tents at 6:30 followed by a medium tub of warm washing water. The team did great getting ready and we made it out of camp right at 8 am. Today is one of the shorter legs being just under three miles all total, however we ascended a little over 2,000' getting to camp. We stopped about half way for the nice sit-down lunch that our staff had ran ahead and prepared. Clearly we are being spoiled! But this is vacation after all.
It took a little over six hours to get to Camp 2. Its called Shira Camp because it sits atop the massive Shira Plateau at just over 12,200' and overlooks the Great Rift Valley below.
Everyone is doing well and are looking forward to a good night's sleep.
Hakuna matata!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Larry S - Glad the climb is going so well. Continued good wishes to you and the team. Mom
Posted by: Gerri Seaton on 2/14/2013 at 8:33 am
Larry—your call was very clear from up on the Mt. The flowers are beautiful, you made my day and once again you are my champion! A safe journey to you and all.
Deb
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Do hope there is enough Kungfu chicken to go round…
Take good care all of you, stay happy and healthy and get there!!
Posted by: Claire Munting on 7/12/2011 at 6:39 pm
HEY SPENCER HOLD ON THERE TONTO WEST AND I ARE ON THE WAY WITH FRESH LINENS AND MORE COFFEE AND A LATTE. HEY AND WOULD YOU LEAVE YOUR LEFT OVER STUFF WHERE WE CAN FIND IT. YOU KNOW US JUST KIDDING!!!!PRAY FOR THE BEST WEATHER FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM. GET TO THE SUMMIT!!!!
Posted by: TOBY EMERSON on 7/12/2011 at 1:58 pm
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