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RMI Guide Brent Okita reported windy conditions on Mt. Rainier from High Break to the summit crater. The teams spent a little time to make any clothing adjustments, get a bit of food and water and then started their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 AM. We look forward to seeing all the climbers at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Congratulations to all climbers!

The Four Day Summit Climb led by JJ Justman was approaching Mt. Rainier's crater rim at 6:50 am along with the Five Day Summit Climb led by Mark Falendar. JJ reported clear skies above and light wind. The teams will return to Camp Muir and then continue their descent to Paradise. The Expedition Skills Seminar – Kautz climbed through the Kautz ice chute this morning. Their team made good work of the route and they were going to enjoy a short break off Wapowety Cleaver as this will be their high point for the trip. The team will return to Ashford later today. We look forward to seeing the teams back at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Congratulations to today's Four and Five Day Summit Climb teams!

Monday, July 1, 2013 Our storm got real in the night, with cannon-like broadsides of wind and ice particles assaulting the tents. It was serious enough that the guides were out stumbling around from midnight to 2 AM, cutting snow blocks and building walls, but not serious enough that the whole team needed to be in on the fun. It snowed and blew for much of the night, with the wind changing direction every now and then in order to keep things interesting. Although the alarm had been set early for climbing, it was obvious as the morning progressed that we'd simply have to hunker down and ride out the storm. Around mid-morning we rallied the whole crew to eat breakfast, dig out tents and build more walls. Then it was back into the tents for a few hours. We finished the day with some avalanche transceiver training by Zeb Blais, a fine dinner by Erik Nelson and Mike King, and some tall tales by yours truly. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Saturday, June 22, 2019 8:28 PM PT We had a very productive and somewhat relaxing day. Last night brought a bit of snow, but miraculously stopped right as our alarms went off this morning. We left camp and headed down hill to do a back-carry. This just means that we went down to pick up the gear we cached at 10K. The group did great as they have proven to do every day so far! After we returned to camp we cooked a great breakfast and worked on recovering by napping and sport eating. Weather permitting, our plan is to cache food and gear at 14K tomorrow. The climbing continues! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Team Siete

On The Map

Sunday, July 7, 2013 We are down in the thick air of 11k feet! We woke this morning to some snowfall, and generally wintry conditions, but nothing that we couldn't deal with, and in short order we had camp packed and were rolling down the buttress. We made a short stop at 14 to visit with Dave Hahn's team ( who were gracious enough to invite is into their posh and make us hot water) and pick up our cache. Another few hours brought us to the 11k camp, where we made our beds for the night. We plan to wake early and continue our descent down the Kahiltna, with the aim of being at the airstrip by mid morning! With luck, there will be a break in the clouds, and we will see the red planes of K2 dropping in to bring us back to Talkeetna! We'll let you know how that goes, but for now, it's early to bed for us! RMI Guides Pete, Geoff, Robby, and team

On The Map

Morning came early in Phakding. We stayed up later than we should have playing cards. Mark taught Kim and I new game that was a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun, somehow we owe him money now! A lot of money. Seriously, it was a wonderful night's sleep with the lullaby of the Dudh Kosi in the background. The team met for breakfast at 7:30 and Mark surprised us with French press Kona coffee. What a great treat; it made the already great day even better. We hit the trail around 8:30 heading for Namche Bazaar - about 1000 meters higher than Phakding. So this was to by our first day with serious altitude gain. We made good time in the cool of the day with Mark giving us a refresher on pressure breathing, rest stepping and pace. We stopped for lunch in Jorsale. It was nice to linger in the shade watching the zoks and donkeys go by. They certainly weren't in any hurry to be anywhere - unlike some of the trekkers we saw. The afternoon's journey started with a meandering walk along the Dudh Kosi. But it was getting hotter and dustier, too. After crossing the Hillary Bridge the trail began climbing steeply and it was obvious that it wasn't going to let up anytime soon. The temperature seemed to rise along with our altitude; but we settled into a nice rhythm and in no time we rounded a corner and got our first view of Namche Bazaar. It was a big deal for both Kim and me, as it was something we had both wanted to see for a long time. We're settled into the Camp de Base now with the evening in front of us. Tomorrow we'll spend day acclimatizing and hike to some of the surrounding villages. Onward and upward. An update to yesterday's blog from Phakding. We would have included it then, but there was some disagreement among the team. Anyway, we stopped in a little coffee shop in Lukla. While we were there the owner's 3 year old little boy, Tashi, was sitting in one of the chairs playing with the "Flatulence" app on an iPhone. Oddly, I have the same app on my iPod, so I couldn't resist pulling it out. In seconds we had a round of dueling "flatulence" going. When he got bored with that (I was still having fun) he came over and took my iPod and started reviewing my collection of apps. I guess some things transcend culture. John G

On The Map

On July 18th, the RMI team, led by guide Henry Coppolillo, successfully reached the summit of Forbidden Peak, completing the climb via the renowned West Ridge route.

The journey began with a picturesque trek through the North Cascades’ alpine meadows, immersing them in the region's rugged beauty. To prepare for the challenging summit push, they trained on the iconic Sharkfin Tower, sharpening their skills and refining their techniques. With an early alpine start on the 18th, the team navigated glaciers and rocky terrain to reach the top of this stunning peak.

Nice Work Climbers!

RMI Guides Tatum Whatford and Felipe Guarderas led their Five Day Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The guides reported an amazing day with light winds and clear skies.  The route is busy with climbers so the teams reached the crater rim and have started their descent to Camp Muir. Once back at camp the climbers will enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the mountain and celebrate their accomplishment.  The team will spend tonight at 10,080' and continue the remaining 4.5 miles/4,500' down to Paradise tomorrow.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Good evening all,

Today we said goodbye to Aconcagua High Camp and hello to basecamp. We woke to a breezy, chilly morning as we broke down camp. Cold fingers and toes couldn't slow down our packing with so much incentive to go down, one being more oxygen. We made our way back to our previous camps to pickup gear left behind. With each stop our packs got bigger and heavier. Descending almost 6,000' puts some hurt on the body, especially the toes. But the team moved well and before you knew it we were back at the comforts of basecamp in our camp shoes drinking beer and juice and munching down delicious wraps. After enjoying our drinks and food, we sorted gear for tomorrow and patiently waited for dinner. Everyone's tummies are bottomless pits right now. Instead of setting up tents most of the team has opted for a slumber party in the dome tent where we eat our meals. It's one less chore in the morning before hitting the trail to the Park entrance. Tomorrow is a big day walking down to Lenas but it does conclude with a Carne asada celebration dinner. That is it for tonight. Now it's time to enjoy some much deserved and needed rest.

Goodnight all,

RMI Guides Hannah, Ben, Dan and Team

Hola amigos!

This morning we bid farewell to our fellow RMI team as they headed back down the Relinchos Valley, one day closer to civilization. We on the other hand shouldered our heavy packs and began our move to Camp 1 at 16,000ft. Blue skies and a light breeze accompanied the team up toward camp. We arrived in good style, feeling and looking good, happy to be making our way to the upper mountain. The night ended with our very own high altitude rendition of Pad Thai. The sun dipped below the ridgeline, the wind picked up, and we all took the cue and retreated to our warm sleeping bags. An early night's rest will do wonders for our carry to camp 2 (Guanacos 3) tomorrow!

Cheers!

RMI Guides Hannah, Ben, Dan and the team