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Groundhog Day here at Aconcagua Camp 2. A windy night and windy day here confirmed our decision to wait a day before moving up. It's hard to spend two days just hanging in tents though, and the group is psyched to move tomorrow and get closer to our objective. As the forecasts keep coming in (we get pretty OCD as guides right around now) things are looking great for Sunday! Onward and upward, RMI Guides Pete, Leon, Mike, and team

On The Map

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. ; )

We made it to our base camp at Plaza Argentina! We got an early start this morning in order to take advantage of the muleteers offer to ferry us across the Vacas River. For some, it was their first time riding a mule, and it was a much more pleasant start to the morning than wading the four frosty channels would have been. It's a pleasant walk up the canyon of the Relinchos River, and before we knew it, we were walking into Base Camp to be greeted with juice and fresh melon from our excellent outfitter, Grajales. They cooked a wonderful dinner for us tonight and will handle our meals for our stay at Base Camp. On tap for tomorrow is a well deserved rest day. We'll use the time to sort gear for the carry to Camp 1 the following day. Before all that though: a big breakfast of breakfast burritos. Hasta luego. RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and the RMI Aconcagua team

On The Map

After a big day of work getting half our kit to the 14,200ft camp, the team is enjoying a much deserved rest day in our plush camp at 11,000'. Our breakfast of bagels, cream cheese and bacon was a wonderful way to start the day, and the mostly clear skies and lots of sun are making the day quite pleasant for swapping jokes and stories around camp. The agenda for the day is more eating, drinking and resting, with an eye towards packing up and moving higher tomorrow. Days like today are the reason many of us come to the mountains: to spend quality time with friends old and new, be present in the moment, and have an unforgettable experience in one of the most incredible places on the planet. Even though thoughts tend to trend towards the summit on beautiful days, we're happy to just be here, soaking in all the glory that Alaska has to offer. Thanks for following our progress and cheers for now! RMI Guide Tyler Jones

Hey everybody! It's Billy here checking in for Garrett, Jaime and the rest of the crew. We are on the summit of Cayambe right now with clear skies and calm winds. Enjoying a perfect day. That's all to report really. We will be headed down shortly here and wish us luck for us a safe descent. All is well, bye bye. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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

Our whole crew is safe and sound back in Talkeetna! After a successful summit of Denali on Sunday, our crew descended to the 14,000’ camp on Monday. Then, after an early start Tuesday, we hiked out to Basecamp and arrived at the airstrip in the early evening and were lucky enough to have some clear weather to fly off of the glacier and back to civilization. We had a great team dinner last night at the West Rib Pub, and we are all enjoying the comforts of real beds and running water! After 18 great days on the mountain, our expedition is officially over. Everyone is parting ways today, heading back to loved ones back home. It was a great adventure on Denali; climbing with a great team, great weather, and a great mountain, it was hard to beat! RMI Guide Mike Walter

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

Early morning in the Caucasus found us loading our duffels into the back of our van and heading from the base of Mt. Elbrus towards Mineralnye Vody. The three hour drive brought us out of the mountains and into the broad sweeping farmlands to the north, the craggy hillsides gradually replaced by fields of wheat and expanses of sunflowers. The road was a bustle of activity, with the markets in little towns we passed brimming with people, their cars parked number to bumper along the edge of the road. And like our drive to the mountain a week ago, the cows once again idled lazily in the lanes like moving road blocks, causing traffic to swerve around them. Check In at the Mineralnye Vody Airport is a true mad house, hundreds of people jamming towards two check in counters. The concept of a line is a forgotten thing as people jostle their bags for position in the stiflingly hot air of the cavernous room. Once again, thanks to some "creative route finding" we got our bags checked and escaped to the "calm" of the waiting area - which thanks to air conditioning, made the wait much more bearable. After an uneventful two hour flight we emerged from the plane in Moscow. The reports of stifling heat and thick smoke led us to have some trepidation about arriving, but we found the skies relatively clear and the temperatures quite reasonable. After collecting our bags we raced unto the city, past decaying communist era housing blocks and shiny car dealerships. In the oncoming lanes cars packed the expressway as Muscovites sought to escape the city foe the weekend, but the driving for us was quick and easy. Passing the Kremlin and crossing just over the Moscow River we arrived at our hotel. After dropping our bags in our rooms we strolled back across the Moscow River and alongside the walls of the Kremlin to Red Square. The perfect summer evening brought locals out in force and the pedestrian walks were crowded with people lounging on benches and chatting casually. The entrance to Red Square is always stunning, with the onion shaped domes of St. Basils Cathedral standing on the horizon, the giant expanse of cobblestones flanked by the red brick walls of the Kremlin and the ornately decorated facade of the GUM, the former State Department Store turned high end shopping mall. We strolled across the Square, examining the boxy marble mausoleum where Lenin still resides, beneath the colorful domes of St. Basil's, and passing over the painted lines drawn across the Square to direct the military vehicles during state parades. It is a special experience to spend time in a place that remains both fascinating and elusive in our collective history and we were awed by it. After eating dinner we walked back across the river and through parks packed with young Muscovites socializing amongst the trees and fountains. We found it interesting that the play sword fighting seems to be a popular activity right now amongst the younger generation, as does Iron Maiden t-shirts and black eyeliner - certainly a change of pace from the rural mountain towns of the Caucasus where we have been spending our time recently. With the sun setting and night arriving we returned to our hotel. Tomorrow we return home and end our trip here. It has been a fantastic adventure and a wonderful climb.

Monday, August 11, 2025 -- Descent to Trailhead

Yesterday, Sunday, August 10, 2025, Johnny, Behrang and I summited Mount Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier and SE ridge. What. An. Adventure! We are all so happy and ecstatic. I am especially proud of Johnny and Behrang for tackling some fears, developing their inner perseverance, and grinding through a long day in the Alpine. We started early from our low basecamp at the park boundary, waddled our way across the sulphide, and climbed (paddled) our way up the amazing and awe inspiring SE ridge. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset, ate one last freeze dried meal, and had a beautiful night of sleep before walking out today. Here's to the next one!

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team

Sunday, August 10, 2025 -- Climb Day

We topped out on Mount Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier route at 2 pm, and made our way back to camp. We had a light breeze and were in full sun during the climb--an absolutely gorgeous day! :) 

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke 

Saturday, August 9, 2025 -- Approach to Camp

Arriving late last night in Sedro-Woolly, we had a fine dinner that consisted of pizza and a dilemma on which sauce is best for the base, but we just put buffalo sauce on all of it to be sure. Today, we got up early and hiked in to our base camp at the edge of the North Cascades National Park Boundary, and we are still awestruck by the views we have of Mount Baker. We journeyed up on the first stretch of our route to practice some skills in preparation for our big summit day tomorrow. Taking in the amazing views of the pickets and so many other peaks, we topped off our water and are back at camp. As we enjoy our tasty freeze dried meals, we are ecstatic for the countless more views we will get tomorrow. The weather looks good, our packs are ready, and our skills are sharp. Lets go!

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke