Most Popular Entries


The team left the comfort of Puebla for the more rural town of Tlachichuca. Here is where we met back up with our climbing equipment and got to work. Packing and sorting for the climb ahead.
We ate a quick lunch and hopped in the 4x4’s for a rough ride. Long, dusty, and hot we swayed back and forth on what seems like the bumpiest road in Mexico. After two hours of that intense discomfort we arrived at Pico de Orizaba Basecamp and are now settled in to our tents, resting for the climb ahead. We’ll eat some carne asada and head to bed. It’s a clear night here at camp and we’re hoping for that trend to continue till we get back down.
Wish us luck!
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall, Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 21,300'

Dave Hahn calls in from Everest Advanced Basecamp.
On The Map
Posted by: Ed Viesturs, Peter Whittaker, Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

Awesome job Matt; I am so happy for you! It looks like you had perfect conditions too. I look forward to hearing about it when you get back.
Posted by: John Boyce on 6/26/2014 at 7:54 am
Well done Dave,Mike and team! Thanks Ed and Peter for keeping them safe:)
Posted by: Nat Turner on 6/26/2014 at 3:20 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Melissa Arnot
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Posted by: James Bealer, Luke Wilhelm, David Price
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

The Soul of a Climber
The mountains hold the soul,
And light fire in the hearts of some men.
It leads them to do things,
Others don't just understand.
It's not only the summits,
Though that's what we oft speak of.
It's the journey, the effort,
And so much more that we love.
It's trekking the valleys,
That lead to the trailhead.
And the anticipation of adventures,
During the journey ahead.
It's the early morning sun,
As if it illuminates the peaks.
All through the day until sunset,
These are the beauties we seek.
We realize it will take effort,
That there will be moments of pain.
But the mountain gives more back,
It is much more of a gain.
It's the time spent with others,
Telling tales of past climbs.
And of more ventures ahead,
That excite each climber's mind.
There is time spent together,
There is tile spent alone.
But mostly it is time in the mountains,
In this place we call home.
The time comes to leave,
It invariably does.
But our hearts and souls have been nourished,
By these sacred mountains we love.
-Tim Cavanagh
Hola, Tim and the Team! We hope your lungs are cleansed and your hearts are filled in your dance with Mother Nature. We are right behind you in spirit. Love, D and I
Posted by: Dick and Irene Simpson on 2/1/2022 at 9:47 am
To our dad and his fellow mountaineers,
Your journey brings envy to our “home isolation”
but hope you’re enjoying God’s Divine Creation.
The mountains are beautiful and treacherous at best,
We hope you are eating, hydrating, and getting adequate rest.
You’ll be climbing and slogging through all sorts of weather
Just think of the camaraderie and memories you’re making together.
It is one of the best parts of these expeditions no doubt,
Along with reflection, prayer, and a few curses throughout.
We’re praying for you all and especially the “Soul of a Climber” who’s soles imprint on the trail
And look forward to you regaling us with your long mountaineer tale.
We love you, dad!
Love and God Bless,
Chris, Bo, Lillian, and Carl
Posted by: ChrisBoLillianCarl on 1/30/2022 at 8:33 pm
On The Map
Thank you to your team- not only for feeding us, but also for your endless kindness, support & use of resources during and after the avalanche. I’m glad that the team made it home safely. I hope that our paths cross again at some point- you are all always welcome in sunny Australia! .
Posted by: Meg on 5/20/2015 at 3:00 pm
Amazing 2 doctors. The whole thing is so devastating. Thank you for keeping us informed Dave.
Posted by: Jacqueline Bayless on 5/1/2015 at 1:08 am
RMI Guide Jake Beren checks in from Advance Base Camp on Shishapangma.
Hey Jake, congrats to you and Elias on your summit of Shishapangma without o2 and sherpas - a bit late but I just read about it.
Thanks again for the great trip up Rainier this past July (ALA climb)!
Posted by: Lance on 12/7/2011 at 5:00 pm
Hey Jake, good to hear you’re all safely down. Climbing in the Himalaya must be incredible. As you told our group on Rainier last year:“The mountain will always be there”. Sounds like everyone used good judgement.
Learned a lot from you and Billy during Rainier expedition skills trip last September and trained differently for second attempt. Made it to the top this past August with Paul, Maile, and Cody as guides. Thanks for what you contributed to my mountaineering education. Be well and I’ll hopefully be climbing with you in South America or Mexico next winter.
Best regards,
Tom Falvo
Posted by: Tom Falvo on 10/19/2011 at 5:40 pm
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif
MAW,
Here hoping for clear conditions so you can get to Antartica and start your ascent!!!!
Di
Posted by: Diane on 11/16/2011 at 10:36 am
Good climbing, Big-D!
Posted by: TRACY OWENS on 11/15/2011 at 8:40 pm
Our hike today was a gradual 1,200’ of vertical spread out over eight miles. We got some great views of the Dickson glacier and John Gardner pass. Most of the day was spent under a dense canopy of trees. The heat continues but with a breeze all day we weren’t inclined to go swimming in Lago Perros with it’s floating glacial ice bergs. This camp is well protected from the wind but we are anticipating some rain to begin tonight and might continue through tomorrow. We’ll get an early start in the morning due to the long day ascending and mostly descending from the pass. Wet/muddy trail will make it a more challenging day then it already is. Fingers crossed for clear skies tomorrow.
Thanks for checking in.
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Dominic Cifelli, JT Schmitt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches



Hey,
This year, the monsoon has not been kind to the climbers on Manaslu. Snow, rain, and more snow have prevented most climbers from going higher than Camp 3 (22,000’). Fortunately, we were able to fit our second rotation in between two storm fronts and have some beneficial days on the mountain. Though our plan for rotation 2 was to cache gear at Camp 4 (24,000’) in preparation for our summit push, we were happy and fortunate to reach Camp 3 in good weather.
Two long nights were spent sleeping at 21,000’. We saw every hour come, and every hour go. Getting a good night's rest becomes more difficult as you go up the mountain, but it’s all part of the process. We have to let our bodies adjust to the new altitudes we’re asking it to rest at, which often involves climbing higher than we sleep at night. Climbing without supplemental oxygen takes more time and patience than climbing with. The body is highly stressed; it needs more time to acclimate and more time to recover. We’re trusting the process and our bodies as we prepare for the summit push.
We’re back down at basecamp resting, playing cards, Backgammon and seeing how much caffeine the human body can handle. We’re hopeful for a weather window opening up towards the end of September/early October. The summit awaits. Wish us luck!
RMI Guides Dominic Cifelli, Dustin Wittmier, and JT Schmitt
Hey Dustin! I am sending big pressure breaths and thoughts of a good nights sleep!!!
All the BEST to you guys!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 9/30/2022 at 9:41 am
I hope the team is OK and safe at Base Camp and no one was caught in the avalanche.
Posted by: Mitch Green on 9/26/2022 at 7:34 am
Happy Birthday Mark!
Posted by: Kent Tucker on 5/21/2013 at 9:46 am
such hard news to hear. may you lead your team safely to the summit and back to camp. wishing you well.
best regards,
michelle
Posted by: michelle on 5/20/2013 at 5:48 pm
View All Comments