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Friday, June 18, 2021 - 10:18 pm PT

It is usually a good sign when the easy part goes smooth and easy.  Our team of seven climbers and guides flew in and met up in Alaska without a hitch.  It was cloudy and overcast as we drove up from Anchorage, but not so much that we couldn’t get glimpses of the big mountains up mingling with the cloud tops.  We stopped briefly in Wasilla for a few final provisions from the world of supermarkets, and then cruised on up the Parks Highway to the Talkeetna spur road.  After settling our gear at the airplane hangar and ourselves at the hotel, we braved mosquito hoards and labor shortages to find a fine dinner at the West Rib.  A well-fed climbing team then waddled out to the banks of the great Susitna River to see if the mountains had come out.  Not quite, but we judged it all to be good enough for day one. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Hello from Quito, Ecuador. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Ecuador has arrived in full, all bags included and is settling in nicely. Today the group had a busy itinerary starting with a top notch breakfast which of course is the day's most important meal. Once fully caffeinated we spent a pleasant hour doing personal introductions and breaking down the week's objectives. After our team's bonding exercises of trust falls and human pyramids in the hotel lobby we put our well being in the hands of our tour operator and ventured into the heart of Quito where traffic can rival the adventurous nature of mountain climbing. We visited many historic sites including the Presidential Palace, Independence Plaza and multiple churches centuries older than the United States itself. This concluded our history lesson, next was science. From the old town of Quito we drove 45 minutes north to the "Mitad del Mundo" translated to the middle of the world. Don't get this confused with middle earth, we saw no hobbits or elves. What we did experience were the wild supernatural effects of being directly on equator. Although no one earned their diploma for balancing an egg on a nail, we did see it happen. Other party tricks include failing a DWI balance test walking the actual line and watching the coriolis effect spin water in opposite directions five feet into each hemisphere. After the tour we rested, regrouped and went out for a well deserved team dinner. Everyone is in good health and excited to begin acclimatizing. RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Casey Grom

The Paradise Seminar August 22 - 27 led by RMI Guide Nick Sinapius is completing their training and their program today. After several days of training on the lower slopes of Mt. Rainier, the team bumped their camp near Camp Muir yesterday and was ready to put their training to the test. Unfortunately, the weather and route didn't quite cooperate for them to make a summit attempt.  The team is now descending to Paradise.  They will conclude their program this afternoon with a small celebration of their adventure.

Nice work team!

The storm that moved in so deliberately yesterday evening seemed to pause this morning.  At 6AM it was calm at 14k although we could hear big winds up on the crest of the West Buttress.  Cloud was all around us, but it wasn’t doing a lot.  We ate a slow breakfast and watched the weather.  Having no other appointments or engagements, we decided to walk uphill to attempt our carry of supplies.  The goal would be 16,200 ft, the top of the fixed lines.  We were underway by 9 AM, by which time it was snowing lightly.  Since we had two hours of straightforward uphill trudging before the start of the more complicated climbing, we figured we would give the weather a chance to improve.  It did not.  We turned around at 15,300 ft with the winds seemingly on the increase up above and snow beginning to fall heavily.  It only took thirty minutes to reach camp again. 

Winds began to hammer our camp by early afternoon and so we built big walls of snow-bricks to protect tents.  Thankfully, the fury was short lived and not all that furious.  We got a break by late afternoon, which certainly made dinner a bit easier to enjoy in the cook tent. The storm is still with us at 9 PM, ripping the upper reaches of Denali, but sparing 14 Camp for the time being. 

We’ll give our carry another try tomorrow should we get the chance.

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Thursday, June 10, 2021 - 4:48 pm PT

We finally got turned in around 11 pm last night after building camp and getting some food and water in us. The night was calm and cold. The weather pattern is supposed to be breaking up through the day so if we get some visibility and lighter winds above we’ll try for the summit tomorrow. The Team is doing well and getting a little anxious about whether the conditions will cooperate. We built some wind walls out of snow as our activity today. Some light snow and solar on the tents allow us to focus on hydration, food and keeping our gear dry so that we are ready to launch in the morning....if the weather and mountain allows. That’s all from 17 Camp.

RMI Guide Mike King

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

On The Map

The first full day of the trip has been a blast. We started off with breakfast at the hotel in Mexico City. While we were eating the military honor guard raised the national flag in front of the presidential palace giving us quite the show. After that we peeled out of town and headed for the mountains. On our way out we stopped to get some water and one of the guys found a soccer ball that he just had to have. So now we have a team soccer ball. The drive was real smooth and we pulled into the cabanas at La Malinche before noon. Once we moved in we set off for a hike. We ended up getting to about 13,700 feet on La Malinche and set a new altitude record for Dave! We have just returned from the hike and we're all starving. Dinner is in 8 minutes so I've got to go! RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

Buenos tardes from Pampa de Llenas, Our first camp on the way to Basecamp. After a somewhat leisurely morning at the hotel, we registered with the Federales and hit the trail. The walk was pleasant, warm but manageable with just enough of a breeze to keep the team from bursting into a fuego. Now at camp we have reviewed tent building, a super important step for the rest of the trip, and are tending to a little relaxed maintenance. Resting in the tent we can hear only the wind and occasional braying of mules, the sounds of "civilization" soon to be no more than a memory. No more wheeled contraptions for us, just our feet and the hooves of our new friends. Our adventure has truly begun. RMI Guide Jake Beren & Team

Good evening from Talkeetna. The weather didn't cooperate with us today, and we were unable to fly in to Base Camp. The snow and clouds never lifted from the Kahiltna Glacier, making it impossible to fly planes into the Range. We were all suited up and ready for show time this morning, but our plans got put on hold. We waited around all day, hoping that the weather would lift and let us begin this adventure. We have all spent countless hours training and preparing for, and dreaming of, this climb. And we're all excited to see this adventure start and our dreams come to fruition. But we also know that this is a long expedition, and we must be patient. For now, we'll enjoy the creature comforts of life for another night...a good dinner, a warm bed, and a hot shower. We'll touch base again tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Walter

On The Map

June 11, 2013 You can't always get what you want... Those lyrics from Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were the first thing that went through the collective consciousness this morning. The guides woke at 6am, packed sleeping bags in preparation for departure and unzipped the tent - only to see winds whipping the ridge of the West Buttress route above. While camp here at 14,200' remains relatively calm, the higher reaches of the mountain are getting pummeled by ferocious northeast winds, which are sending plumes of spindrift snow off into the stratosphere. With a forecast high temperature of -15F at the 17,000' camp today, and winds gusting well into the 30mph range, the only safe option is to wait here in camp and hope for a less windy day to make our move. That combination of wind and temperature will actually feel like -65F (approximately), which can freeze exposed flesh in one minute. Needless to say, we're not going to venture into that kind environment. So here we sit and wait, hoping for a break in the wind. We were treated to a bodacious air show earlier, when the contract helicopter, an A-Star B-3, came ripping around and right over our tents about three times in a row. Seems like they are doing some sort of filming up here, and we all mugged shamelessly as the ship blasted less than 40 feet above us. Good entertainment, to say the least. While we have had more than one facetious conversation about moving in the wind storm, the group is prepared to wait for the right time and the right weather window. To channel the Stones yet again (and continue the song): If you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need So here's hoping we get what we need! RMI Guides Tyler Jones, Garrett Stevens and the patiently waiting team

On The Map