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Summit day! Waking up at 11:30pm the moon and stars were in full force. Everyone was nervous and excited to start climbing. After breakfast we began. As we ascended the altitude and cold really challenged us.  Finally, the horizon started getting light as sunrise greeted us. As we got to Stella Point fantastic views of the crater showed up, bathed in the early morning sun. The climb to the summit, Uhuru Peak, was beautiful as we traversed past the summit icefields. The climb was tough, but to be expected of a 19,340' mountain.

RMI Guide Brent Okita

Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 12:26 AM PT Summit! The weather was beautiful this morning with no clouds above us and no sign of wind. We got the stoves cranking again at 4:30 in order to beat the crowds (today was the busiest summit day of the season so far, as there was a backup of climbers that were delayed by last week's stormy weather. We estimate about 100 climbers went for the summit today.). We got rolling out of camp at 8:30 and walked into the frigid, shady slopes of the Audobon, which is a steep traverse for a thousand feet up to Denali Pass. We clipped about 40 snow pickets in a running belay to add security. Around the corner from Denali Pass we stepped into the sun and began climbing south pass Zebra Rocks and the Arch Deacon's Tower into the Football Field. The last hurdle before the summit ridge was climbing up the strenuous Pig Hill up to the Kahiltna Horn. Then the narrow, corniced ridge brought us to the summit at 20,310'. The climb is always challenging, but it was made more so due to cold 15-25 headwinds for most of the climb. We needed to wear goggles and face protection to keep from freezing our skin. But we did it. And we're about to crawl into our sleeping bags at the 17,200' high camp for some well deserved sleep. Tomorrow we will start our descent. RMI Guide Mike Walter

The starry skies that covered us when we went to bed gave way to a thick cloud deck and by 5am this morning it was blowing and snowing on our tents in Condoriri Basecamp. Thankfully the team all slept hard from our efforts the day before and by the time we started breakfast at 8am only a thin dusting of snow and partly cloudy skies remained. This set us up perfectly for a relaxed day of travel. After breaking down the tents, we hiked out of the valley and met the transport vehicles. Even though only 20 odd miles separate the Condoriri Valley from Huayna Potosi the terrain requires back tracking through the edge of La Paz, making the trip closer to three hours. We were rewarded with incredible views of the mountain, which grew larger and more stunning as we arrived at our refugio. This evening the team is relaxing and enjoying a reset before our next big push. RMI Guide Eric Frank

Well, after three days of hard work on the approach to our climb, we are finally taking some deserved time off. This is the first of our "rest days" which we are using to relax, refuel, and acclimatize. The team is loving it. We started the morning with some sleeping in and a leisurely breakfast of loaded egg quesadillas, while watching a few flurries drift off of the upper mountain. After the sun started to heat our base camp weather-port and some digesting had taken place the team prepared their gear for our carry to Camp 1 tomorrow at 16,200'. The packs are heavy but the spirits are high as the mountain looms above. For the rest of the evening the name of the game is chilling.....playing cards, eating snacks, taking in the sights, and trying to guess what our dinner could be by the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Stay tuned as we continue our ascent tomorrow! RMI Guides, Garret, Ben, and Nick

On The Map

RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer and Geoff Schellens led the Four Day Summit Climb to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Pete reported blustery, clear, and cold conditions on the upper mountain. The teams will spend some time on top before beginning their descent to Camp Muir. We look forward to seeing the teams in Ashford this afternoon. Congratulations on a great climb!

Hello everyone, this is Team 1 on Aconcagua. Well, not just yet. Today the team left the comfort of civilization and we hit the dusty trail towards base camp of Aconcagua. The trek in is amazing. You are surrounded by giant mountain cliffs, a roaring river and occasionally a soaring condor. With light packs we enjoyed the warm weather while tanning our pasty legs. After a picnic lunch by the Vacas River we arrived at our first trekking camp at 9500 feet. If anyone can guess the name of this camp I will personally carry your pack next year into Aconcagua's base camp! The team is doing great! This evening we enjoyed hanging out with the Cowboys who work with our mules and gear to get into base. We enjoyed an authentic asado steak dinner cooked over an open fire, topped off with an avocado tomato salad. Life is good in the mountains! RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Antarctica didn't let us go easily. It was 1:00 AM when we saw the definitively-Russian Ilyushin lumbering through the Antarctic sky. The temperature was some 20 below, and the 30 knot winds made it feel much, much colder, ripping heat from exposed flesh with efficiency. But, for a huge jet landing on a strip of blue ice, a strong headwind is a nice thing, helping to slow the giant bird down. With a delicate landing that defied its massive bulk, the Ilyushin touched down to many a camera-shutter click and loud cheer. After days of delay, strikes, broken parts, and other issues, we were all ready to move onward. After unloading many tons of Jet A aviation fuel in 55 gallon drums, the ALE team called us all to board. A few moments later, doors were closed, engines spun up, and the pilots lifted us off the runway as smoothly as they had landed; it was hard to tell we had even gone airborne. While on the flight down we all were wired with excitement and slept but little, this flight was the inverse: tired from days of climbing, we all quickly succumbed to the late hour and fell asleep. In hindsight, the bit of wine and beer we had at Union before leaving might have helped a wee bit, too. At 7:00 AM, another masterful landing thumped us down on the tarmac in Punta Arenas. As we exited the hulking Ilyushin, we could all smell it and see it: Green things. Trees, plants, animals. Life. After 3 weeks on the ice - in a land of intense beauty, but almost completely devoid of life - it was a welcome sight. The idea of a bed rather than a Thermarest, and walls instead of nylon, wasn't bad either. So, we quickly headed to to the hotel. It always amazes me how quickly we transition in these modern times. It wasn't that long ago that expeditions wound down slowly, and reintegration into "normal" life took time. The body, and more importantly the mind, was granted simply through logistics the luxury of moving from the stark mental and physical environment of the expedition back to the frenetic pace of life in a slow manner. Today, it's anything but slow. Just hours ago we sat on a glacier on the bottom of the world, climbing mountains and routes which had never seen humans. And, now, just hours later, I'm on the internet in a hotel amidst a bustling city, and the rest of my team is on an airplane, well on their way to home, family, life. Amazing, and hard to digest. Like the departure, the return home is something of a bittersweet affair. Certainly, in the words of Big Head Todd, "more sweet than bitter", but still a challenge. We who go to the mountains generally do so for a reason. It feeds us. It grounds us. It makes us thrive. The simplicity of the mountain life is wholly engaging, and leaving it is tough. But, to simply remain would be avoidance, escapism. And, perhaps, make the love of the mountains moot, for without black we cannot have white. It is only by leaving home that we realize how fortunate we are, and for some of us it is only by living the mountain life - and then leaving it for a time - that we remember to value it and apply its lessons and teachings to our lives back home. As I sit here in Punta, backing up gigabytes of images, listening to CNN, and watching ships bob in the nearby harbor, this all rushes through my mind. I am excited beyond words to get home. It's been far too long since I've hugged my children and my wife, and patted my dog's head. I long to answer my daughter's questions, to hear about her day, and listen to my son say her name - a new trick he developed during my absence. But, I also know that, before long, the flood of emails and deadlines and bills and housework and the frenetic pace of modern life will threaten to overwhelm. It is then, I hope, that my mind will harken back to the austere simplicity of Antarctic life. I hope I will be able to conjure up the invigorating lessons of the high peaks, my mountain mind speaking to me through the fog of modern life: "You're but a small part of a big machine. Be humble. Hug your family. Be thankful. Smile. Relax...Focus on what's important in life, the fundamentals, for soon you'll be back again in the mountains. -Jake Norton

Saturday, October 12, 2024 - 

Another big day… done!  This one was hanging over our heads for a while, since we were familiar with the terrain on our way in. We knew we had to cover a full twelve miles with an uphill finish.  The team was certainly happy to start down from Namche on another fine-weather morning.  We had the trail pretty much to ourselves for going down the big hill.  We took a moment at the bottom to watch a bungy jumper bounce way down under an extremely high cable bridge.  Once we were working along the river, traffic on the trail picked up.  We stood fully ten minutes at one point to let about a hundred loaded mules go by.  But we also had plenty of stretches where it was just us, cruising along.  We had lunch while sitting outside in Phakding and then pressed on.  At 5:30 PM we rounded a last corner and found ourselves walking down Lukla’s main “street”   There were fist bumps all around.  Dinner was a bit of an event as our entire staff of Porters and Guides joined us for a celebration.  They presented a surprise cake and we made sure that they each received a generous gratuity from the team.  We were all genuinely impressed with the flawless “mechanics” of the trip, to say nothing of the kindness extended when we were cold, tired and hungry.  Our staff made the trip for us and tonight we tried to express our gratitude because tomorrow morning may be goodby time.  We hope to fly to Kathmandu. 

Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

PC: Dave Hahn

As comfortable as we were in Namche Bazaar, it was time to go higher.  We got our customary 8 AM start climbing up and out of town.  Initially the trail was quite steep, but then it leveled off as we began following the Bhote Koshi River.  We travelled in a thick pine forest with only occasional views of the great peaks surrounding us.  Following the pattern of the past few days, clouds began moving in by mid-morning.  A few hours walking brought us to Thamo, where we stopped for tea.  Another hour got us to a dramatic cable bridge crossing of the violent river. We pulled into 12,500ft Thame, a garden-like village of neat yak pens and potato fields at 1 PM.  It turns out we are lodged in Apa Sherpa’s tea house… and his home (before Utah).  Apa was the Everest record holder for many years, having climbed the mountain 21 times and he is a hero to many of us still.  The clouds closed in after our lunch and made it easy to nap away the afternoon (since staring up at the mountains was no longer an option).  It is a little colder as we gain altitude, but the dining/sitting room is plenty comfortable with a fire. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

What a day!

The team topped out on the tallest peak outside the Himalayas at 1pm this afternoon.

We stood tall and proud at 22,838'.

While not a technical climb, this climb still requires grit and to give it all you have - mentally and physically. The team did amazing! We are all safely back at our tents with bellies full of Ramen and letting our feet air out from a long day of walking.

Tomorrow, we begin our long descent back to Basecamp. There will be tired legs, feet, and backs but there is a huge incentive to get down: bathrooms, showers, pizza, beer, and wine. All of which each member deserves.

We would like to thank all that asked for good weather for us today, because by golly, it was a gorgeous day.

Now it's time to suck in what little oxygen there is here and rest up for tomorrow.

Well done team,

Hannah, Ben, and Dan