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Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman, Billy Nugent, Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 17,575'
Posted by: Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Guide News Guide Grant
Valdez, Alaska, is an incredible place to be in April. Long hours of daylight make for excellent opportunities to log massive amounts of vertical in the backcountry. When the skiing is good on Thompson Pass, there is no shortage of dramatic peaks and aesthetic lines.
Taking my AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Exam there this spring, I spent a majority of April in the area training with friends and fellow guides becoming familiar with the Alaskan terrain and snowpack.
The days leading up to the exam were filled with anxiety and endless “what-if’s” and “well-maybe’s.” Soon the other exam candidates and I found ourselves in the thick of eight days of late-into-the-night tour planning, strategizing, and pouring over weather forecasts, raw remote data, weather models, avalanche hazard forecasts, and various other slightly cloudy crystal balls. The general idea being to sort through all the data until you find a summary you like. Forecasting for an area as large as Alaska is quite difficult and many times during the week we were reminded that the forecasts were never quite wrong, but that the timing of the forecasts were usually off.
Conditions varied from thigh-deep powder in the east facing couloirs of the Iguana Backs zone, to some of the stiffest, carvable wind-board I’ve ever skied on the Berlin Wall and Odyssey.
The last few days of the exam we had great weather and flyable conditions. We employed the mechanical advantage of Valdez Heli-Skiing to get a ride into the Hoodoo glacier area for an overnight ski tour. We started with a descent of Acapulco Peak in the sunshine and finished with a long ski out of the Worthington Glacier in whiteout conditions.
Going through the process of being examined by your peers, learning from other exam candidates, and dealing with the stress of guiding new terrain and on-the-fly tour planning has been invaluable in helping me excel in all other facets of my guiding and personal endeavors.
Passing the exam and becoming one of only a handful of certified women in the U.S. is a huge honor and I am proud to represent RMI Expeditions.
- RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall
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Posted by: brahim ait on 9/22/2017 at 11:56 am
Congrats to you Solveig on completing the prestegious AMGA Ski Guide Certification and adding another line on your already impressive reseme. Reading about your latest adventure brought back fond memories of my climb with you, Josh and Lance on Rainier last August 22-25. Although I did not summit, I really enjoyed the adventure and the fellowship of our Climbing Team. I hope to one day sign up for an Everest Basecamp Trec . . . Maybe your Husband would be the Guide! Be safe, enjoy the adventure and keep living the dream. Doug Kennedy - The Songee Guy - a thin red cord binds us together as a Climbing Team !!!
Posted by: Doug Kennedy on 1/23/2014 at 4:20 am
On The Map
Posted by: Mike King, Joe Hoch, Lauren Macklin, Daniel May, Nathan Delmar, Connor Mullady
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Four Day Climb August 23 - 26 led by RMI Guides Mike King and Joe Hoch reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this mornnig at 6:30 am. Mike report a light breeze with a cloud near the summit as they were ascending this morning but once they reached the crater they had good visibility. The teams were crossing the crater and approaching Columbia Crest just before 7 am. After enjoying the views and signing the Summit Book, the team will begin their descent from the crater rim. They will return to Camp Muir for a short break and then continue down to Paradise later today.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Posted by: Ed Viesturs, Peter Whittaker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,080'
Not sure if this is the team with our fearless leader CPK. We are all here back at home base, “ST Francis” in CT rooting you all on!! Be safe! So proud!
:)
Posted by: Michelle Carrier on 6/28/2013 at 7:31 pm
Good luck on your summit. Go Dave, Mark, Sam, and Carl!!
Posted by: Eric Olson on 6/28/2013 at 7:47 am
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Alex Halliday, Augi Fleer, Bo Torrey, Trevor Katz, Tyler Meyers
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides JT Schmitt and Alex Halliday led their Four Day Climb June 20 - 23 teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier today. JT reported good conditions on the ascent with occasional wind gusts. The teams reached the summit around 8 am. As of noon, all climbers had returned to Camp Muir from the summit. The teams will pack up and continue their descent to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Awesome news! What route was taken? DC or Ingraham Direct?
Posted by: Nick Arbogast on 6/23/2022 at 12:28 pm
After another long deep sleep, its coffee that gets most of the team out of bed. One by one, we all wandered to the breakfast table. We are greeted with espresso, fruit, and toast. There is a mystery fruit on the table. Inside is a snot like texture with a sweet taste. The morning entertainment is watching everyone figure out how to eat it. Consesus is the texture might be a bit much. After breakfast its another round of duffle shuffle into the van. The driver has a real skill for stacking our jenga tower of bags. After a quick lesson on pickets and anchors, we load the van to head to the base of Chimborazo. Chimborazo is our final mountain. Fingers crossed we bat 3 for 3. A half way stop for burgers and fries fills our stomachs for the rest of the drive. As we get closer and closer to our destination we are graced with a tiny view of the bottom of Chimborazo and many vicunas. We are again in an adorable place for the night. We all rest up for the final climb. Tomorrow will bring us to High Camp and then hopfully the summit. For now we enjoy dinner and bid you goodnight.
“Snot like texture with a sweet taste” LMAO Love this blog!!! All the Best!!! Climb Strong & Best wishes for more Perfect weather!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 2/19/2022 at 8:27 am
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Leif Bergstrom, Nick Sinapius
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
RMI Guide Hannah Smith checked from the Summit of Mt. Baker at 12:04 pm PDT today. The team successfully reached the summit via the Easton Glacier Route. Hannah let us know, that the team is stoked and had a beautiful day of climbing. The team will descend to the trailhead tomorrow.
Congratulations Team!
Hannah, Lief and Nick - you did great work with our group. You were consummate professionals and excellent company as well. I look forward to joining you again on a future journey. James
Posted by: James Coley on 10/8/2022 at 4:38 am
Posted by: Casey Grom, Lindsay Mann, Ed Viesturs, Peter Whittaker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier North Cascades
Elevation: 14,410'
My thoughts are with all affected by the tragedy. I can only imagine the impact it has had on you all personally. I have no doubt that you, JJ, and all the team members will make the right decision, whether that means retreating or pressing on to the summit, that most honors those lost and respects the memory and wishes of the Sherpa community. Stay strong and climb safe.
Posted by: Everett Moran on 4/22/2014 at 11:56 am
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