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Monday, May 27, 2019 - 6:30 PM PT Today the team awoke to slightly calmer weather, finally allowing everyone to venture out of their tents. Camp received a good bit of new snow, and the wind organized the snow into orderly piles, just not necessarily in the most convenient locations. After everyone soaked up some morning sun, the team returned to their tents to rest for our upcoming move. If the weather cooperates, we will be pushing to 17,000' Camp tomorrow hoping for good summit conditions the following day. RMI Guide Steve Gately

On The Map

13,000! That's our sleeping elevation tonight at the Altzimoni hut. We started the day with the best breakfast in Mexico at the Mission Tlaxcala. Then we drove back to the west and around Ixta, with a few pit stops along the way. Once we reached the town of Amecameca we loaded up on water and drove to the Altzimoni hut. After getting settled the group headed out for a light hike. After that we made dinner and now everyone is tucked in their bunks and getting ready to move to high camp tomorrow. We will check back in from there. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

On The Map

The Four Day Climbs led by RMI Guides Seth Burns and Joe Hoch walked into the summit crater of Mt. Rainier this morning around 6:45 am. The teams enjoyed calm and warm weather on the summit. They are currently on their descent and will return to Ashford later this afternoon.

Congratulations climbers!

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 10:24 pm PT

As soon as we poked our heads out of tents this morning at 6 AM we knew we were going to be able to make the big jump to 14,000'.  Still, it took until a little after nine to get on the trail… or, more correctly, onto where the trail should have been. The new snow was boot deep and there wasn’t a single track left on Motorcycle Hill so we had some good hard work to drag sleds up it.  Things got a little better on Squirrel Hill as there was less snow and a team coming down the mountain left tracks that we were able to make occasional use of.  There was only a 3 mph breeze at windy corner, so we were able to get around without too much trouble.   Then we pushed on up into sun drenched Genet Basin to find a wonderful and welcome surprise.

Dom Cifelli’s RMI team was in the process of flattening out an excellent camp sight for us.  They built us a deluxe latrine and even gave us water to get our kitchen started.  Before long we were set up and good to go.  They saved us a ton of work.  We had a nice dinner and crawled in to the tents while the sun was still high in the sky.  It is going behind the West Buttress now -at 9 PM- and we expect some of our first cold temps of the trip.  Just as it should be way up here in our new home. 

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

100% on top

 

Team is doing well. Tired but in great spirits. 

 

We’ve descended back to high camp where we’ll have lunch to refuel and then hit the trail and head to thicker air. 

 

Tonight we’ll spend our last night on the mountain before heading out of the park tomorrow. 

 

RMI Guides Casey Grom, Jess Wedel and the summit team!!!

Thursday, May 27. 2021 - 8:48pm PT

We flew onto the glacier late yesterday and did little else but get camp set up and ate some dinner. By midnight there was a blizzard that moved in until 9 am. After rigging our sleds and packs the wind had died down to a dull roar and the sky turned blue. We packed up and headed out around 12:30 pm with the sun to help balance the cold breeze. The route down heartbreak hill and onto the Kahiltna glacier was straightforward but windy. The wind would not abate for the next 5 hours as we leaned into it and got to camp. Heavy packs and sleds have us happy to be eating dinner and getting ready to sleep.

We’ll see what this storm brings tomorrow, but for now our fully bellies and tired legs could care less.

Thanks for following along,

RMI Guide Mike King and Team

Thursday, June 13, 2019 - 9:32 PM PT We’re back down here in the thick air of 11,000’! We were so excited to wake up to another beautiful day at 17 Camp this morning, and we were still ecstatic from a fantastic summit day yesterday. Despite some crunchy, achy bodies this morning, we were up and attem as early as reasonable to start making our way back down to the airstrip, and eventually home. We’ve paused our descent for just a few hours here at 11 Camp to get some rest and recovery, and we’ll then continue our way to the airstrip tonight around midnight, when the lower Kahiltna Glacier is firmed up overnight. Hopefully the weather allows for a flight off the glacier first thing in the morning. Wish us luck, and hopefully see all you friends and family soon! RMI Guides Robby Young, Joe Hoch, Nick Scott and Team Homeward Bound

On The Map

Good Evening! We are all doing great here at the Piedra Grande Hut at the base of El Pico de Orizaba. After a bumpy and dusty 4x4 drive, we arrived today around 3:30. Up next was setting up tents and getting our gear together so we could all settle in and enjoy a delicious pasta and garlic bread dinner before tucking in for the night. It's cold here at 14,000', and everyone is settled in for the night. We had beautiful weather on our climb of Ixta and also on our rest day, but here at camp we are in the clouds and we've been receiving mixed precipitation types of rain, snow, graupel, and hail. Cross your fingers this system moves out and allows us a shot at the summit! RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall and the Team

On The Map

We launched for the north side of Volcan Llaima with overnight gear, optimism, and our fuel tanks filled to the brim with carne. Our send off from Malalcahuello was the asado of all asados: Chilean grass fed beef, homemade sausages, and lamb slow cooked over a wood fired grill masterfully by Sergio (our Chilean outfitter and owner of the lodge in Malalcahuello). The wind was steady and the views nonexistent as we toured up an expansive lava field that just five years ago was flowing red. Above the monkey puzzle trees the wind was whipping, and feeling energetic we opted for the storm camping experience. We carved tent platforms into the leeward side of a small rock outcrop and proceeded to build Alaska style wind walls around our camp. The next morning was frigid. The sun came out and as we packed up our gear for the summit ascent, we had the feeling that everything was lining up. Almost. The nice springlike snow surface we'd skinned up the day before was now a skating rink. Our ski crampons, even under full body weight, were not biting into the ice. This was not the type of frozen snow that softens throughout the day. About 600 vertical feet above camp it became apparent that the snow wasn't getting any better. Getting on the face above us - which Katy and I had learned the year before is deceptively enormous and quite steep at the top, was out of the question. Just climbing the 3,700' would require pitching out full rope lengths and building 40+ anchors. We ripped our skins and skied east coast style "packed powder" (very loud turns) 1,000' down to a small sub peak to the east. Views across the way of Sierra Nevada rising above the beautiful Lago Conguillio (a huge lake) began to the open up. We cramponed to the summit of our mini peak, skied down, and as we contoured back to camp, the decision not to go higher on Llaima was further reinforced. The winds ramped up, and visibility dropped to ping-pong ball status. We packed up camp and skied down out of the clouds. El Niño has had some influence on every one of our ski outings on this trip, whether providing powder turns in September, a deep snowpack and fantastic coverage... or a moist wind that turns a big beautiful face into a sheet of ice. We've had a blast every day of this trip, whether standing on summits, or touring in stormy weather. Overused statement of the trip, uttered multiple times at the end of every ski day: "Well that was an adventure." This is a truly amazing place to have skis on your feet. RMI Guide Tyler Reid

The RMI Four Day Summit Climbs led by RMI Guides Jake Beren and Zeb Blais reached the top of Mt. Rainier early this morning. At 7:15 the teams were descending Disappointment Cleaver en route back to Camp Muir. The teams are doing well and enjoying the blue skies and calm weather. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Walter Hailes reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning via the Emmons Glacier route. The team has descended to Camp Schurman where they will spend the night before returning to Ashford tomorrow. Congratulations to Today's Teams!