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Yesterday we moved from 11,000 ft camp to our current home at about 14,200 ft. We spent the entire day in a cloud with a little snow but it was still quite warm. Today we are relaxing and enjoying another sunny day on the flanks of Denali. We picked up our cache this morning and had the rest of the day to rest and recuperate. Everyone is having a great time and we excited to keep moving higher. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 - 4:09 am PT

The stars and satellites were twinkling when we left Lungdhen at 5:25 AM. It appeared to be a perfect morning for our big climb.  The trail was steep and unrelenting, right off the bat, but the team was moving well.  By the first rest break we no longer needed headlamps and the jagged peaks were bathed in splendid sunlight.  After the initial hills, we walked through rolling and sandy hills amid alpine lakes.  We began to encounter the snow that fell while we were coming into Kathmandu a week ago.  It got a little deeper as we got on the steep rock switchbacks and ledges that led to the pass itself.  It was tricky going.  There was no room for slipping or tripping.  But our amazing guide team of Tenzing, Lakpa Tenzing, Santa and Rai were vigilant and enormously helpful. The team had certainly noticed the 17,600 ft of elevation when we hit the pass, but it was so magical to be standing there in bright sun with no wind and the whole world seemingly revealed, that the gang smiled through whatever pain they were feeling.  Right there in front of us were Everest, Lhotse and Makalu (the first, fourth and fifth highest mountains in the world.)  We ate, drank and took pictures. It was easy to just hang out, gazing at a thousand mountains and glaciers, but after about thirty minutes it was time to get busy with a safe descent.  We’d made the pass at about 11 AM and were headed down the other side by about 11:40.  The snowy path through steep rock demanded laser focus, but things got easier as we descended.  We pulled into Gokyo 9.5 hours after we’d begun the day, having covered 8.7 tough (but beautiful) miles.  Our guesthouse sits on the edge of a turquoise lake at nearly 15,700 ft.  The team was happy to find their rooms in the comfortable Fitzroy Lodge. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

PC: Dave Hahn

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - 1:11 AM PT The longest day. The weather remained stable and perfect... to a scary extent. Some of us lay awake last night at 14,000 just listening to the violent detonations of rock hitting ice and snow at terminal velocity. The high temps were to blame and those high temperatures were part and parcel of the prolonged good weather that allowed us to summit. For those monitoring the rockfall, it was a relief that wake-up time was at 11 PM. Best to be up and busy eating and packing then to be hearing rock and imagining worst case scenarios for a team passing Windy Corner ridiculously close up under the cliffs. We were walking at 12:30 AM and soon got to see the battlefields where car-sized chunks of granite had left deep tracks and impact craters on either side of the “trail”. Sure enough, in the zone where rockfall danger demanded our fullest attention, the track began to go over crevasse after crevasse and crappy bridge after crappy bridge. We struggled (as every one does) the then, surprisingly, the route got better. We were pleased to find things frozen up and easy travel far below the point where we’d been told to expect freezing. Once at 11,000' the nature of travel changed. We traded crampons for snowshoes and ice axes for ski poles. The morning/evening light was brilliant on Denali. Conditions on the lower glacier were way better than we expected. We just kept trudging as the light changed and found ourselves walking up Heartbreak Hill starting at 9:30 AM. It was 11:30 before we were at the “upper strip” on the SE Fork with all of our Basecamp caches relocated from the lower strip. Our pickup arrived just after 3 PM. We loaded and lifted off and flew into smoke as the pilots pointed their Otters toward Talkeetna. We got out of the planes in down jackets... immediately appreciating that the ambient temp at TKA was over 90 degrees F. Afternoon was then spent drying gear and reconnecting to the world. We met for a celebratory dinner at the West Rib and discussed our good fortune. Day 19 was a long one, but also a very good one. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, June 16th, 2013 Holy cow we made it up! Leaving early, we passed RMI 4 at the base of the fixed lines, high fiving as we continued our climb. The team did a remarkable job making it to high camp in fine time. The West Buttress proper is the most fun part of the route and earns the namesake title. We cruised up to our cache at the base of Washburn's Thumb and barely slowed down with the extra weight. Arriving at camp didn't even require a coat once we stopped. The weather is perfect now and all we need is one more day and I'm sure the team will make it to the top. We are ready to outchill weather if it comes, but hopefully we can get one more day of this fantastic weather. Send us all good weather vibes if you please and we will check in tomorrow. RMI Guide Jake Beren

On The Map

Hello from Piedra Grande, our high camp on Pico de Orizaba at 14,000 feet. Today we left La Malintzi and traveled to Dr Reyes's (our host and outfitter) and prepared our equipment for the climb. Then we loaded up the trucks and made our way to camp. Kind of nice to drive so high and save our legs for the climb. Now it's off to bed to get our last full night's sleep before the big one. Hope everyone up north is doing great. RMI Guide Jake Beren

On The Map

Another brisk night broke clear and calm at Low Camp and when we poked our heads out of the tent this morning, we caught site of a new scene for us down here: not a cloud in the sky and not a puff of wind blowing over the mountain tops above. It was a good sign that it was time to move to High Camp. We packed up our gear, rationing down the extra wait and second sets of miscellaneous gear to keep our pack weights manageable and set off for High Camp. Crossing the upper portions of the Branscomb Glacier to the fixed lines was warm - hot even - as the sun baked down on us and the white faces all around us reflected the rays. We were down to climbing in just a few light fleece layers and our mood matched the high temps. Mid afternoon found us beginning to climb the large 3,000' face off of the glacier to the upper plateau of the Vinson Massif. We put our heads down and made solid, steady progress up the lines that run up the face. We paused at series of ledges partway up for a quick bite to eat and a drink and then continued upwards, reaching the top by early evening. Another hour of climbing a gentle glacial slope brought us into high camp and we quickly set about hacking a flat tent platform into the ice and frozen snow. Once the ground was level and the tent was up we built a long snow wall out of blocks of snow to buffer us in the event of winds later tonight. After we were finally settled, we took a moment to venture over to the edge of camp where a sheer face drops away to the Branscomb far below. The view was nothing short of spectacular. The Antarctic Ice Sheet stretched out as far as we could see, shimmering on the horizon in the evening light. Below us, the Branscomb Glacier flowed around the foot of the face and down past Base Camp where it melted into the sea of ice. Above us, the summits of Shinn and Epperly stood watch over the landscape with Vinson's true summit hiding just behind the ridge line above High Camp. It was a solid day of effort to climb up here and set up a warm and comfortable camp but we're all feeling well and happy to be up here. If the weather holds we hope to make a summit bid tomorrow or the following day - depending on conditions. RMI Guide Linden Mallory & Team d'accord

On The Map

Hello from our RMI Aconcagua expedition, here in sunny Mendoza! The team all arrived today, with the last members landing just before 2:00 local time. All the crew, and all the bags, were on time and in place, which is the perfect way to start an expedition. After getting settled here at the beautiful and accommodating Nutibara Hotel, the team sat down for a round of introductions and discussion about our upcoming expedition. We enjoyed the cool air conditioning in the hotel for an hour or so, and then it was off for the final food shop at the local grocery store. The temperatures in town, at 90 degrees or so, certainly have more than one of us eyeing the pool, or thinking about the cooler environment of the high camps on Aconcagua. Soon enough we will be up there, but for now we busied ourselves with gear review, final packing and preparations, and a delicious dinner of beef and Malbec at one of the local restaurants. Turn in was early (by Argentinian standards, anyway) to ready ourselves for tomorrow. We will be up and out early to get the permits we need, do some last minute gear acquisition, and then take the ride out to Penitentes. The crew is in high spirits, and the team is coming together well! We are all excited to get the trip underway, and we will be sure to keep you updated on the progress as we head in to our objective. Keep your fingers crossed for continued good weather, and stay tuned for more! RMI Guides Garrett Stevens, Ben Liken and Nick Brown

Hello Everyone, We woke to mostly clear skies for the first time since leaving our hotel. We had the normal tea in our tents just before 7 and had another enjoyable breakfast of fresh fruit and eggs for breakfast. We then hit the trail shortly after 8 and made good time up the Barranco Wall. This wall is about 1,000' high and is the steepest part of the entire climb requiring hands in a few places to assist us up a few steep steps. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and change of the new terrain. It was amazing to watch the porters easily navigate this terrain with their loads carefully balanced on their heads. We made good time and arrived in a little over 3 hours to our new home sitting at just over 13'000'. We are incredibly thankfully to all of our porters and crew who have been working so hard to keep us well feed and comfortable thus far. You can't imagine how they dismantle one camp shortly after we leave, to then have it reassembled before we arrive. Enjoying being spoiled! RMI Guide Casey Grom and Crew A Special note: I hope all is well back home and appreciate the updates from you guys. To mom and my two wonderful brothers. Its been a memorable experience. Built a cairn in honor of dad at camp 4. To "G" in Washington - All is well. ; )

After a good trip up the Relinchos Valley yesterday, the team is enjoying a well-earned rest day here at Plaza Argentina. Our night of good rest rolled into a breakfast of eggs, fried ham, peppers and onions with coffee and hot chocolate, and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. After giving the team time to digest, we all went over to the medical office and got the obligatory physical check-up. Everyone passed with flying colors, and we're now poised and ready for our carry up to Camp One tomorrow, situated at 16,200'. While we're living at about 14,000 feet, everyone is feeling tip top and acclimating perfectly. We have beautiful weather and look forward to staging for the move higher on this beautiful mountain. Keep sending the positive energy! RMI Aconcagua Expedition and Guides JJ Justman, Garrett Stevens and Geoff Schellens

On The Map

RMI Guides Seth Waterfall and Tyler Jones reached the summit of Mt. Rainier! The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir team enjoyed beautiful, warm weather on top and after taking summit photos, began their descent at 10:00 a.m. The team will stay at Camp Muir tonight and descend to Paradise tomorrow afternoon. Congratulations to today's summit climbers!