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RMI Guide Brent Okita radioed from the summit of Mt. Rainier, Columbia Crest, at 7 am PT with the Four Day Summit Climb. He reported winds around 30 mph, clear skies and not super cold, it’s a “pretty nice day”. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by Solveig Waterfall has also reached the summit. The teams will enjoy some time on top today before starting their descent. The Four Day Summit Climb will return to Camp Muir, repack and continue down to Paradise. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons will return to their high camp for a final night on the mountain. Congratulations to today's teams! RMI Guide Win Whittaker is ascending with his team to Camp Muir today. It was a bluebird day on their hike to Camp Muir. See the team's photo below.

Did I say Antarctica wasn't cold? Well, I was just kidding. Antarctica, especially high up with a stiff wind, is really, really, really cold. Our day today started reasonably enough, with a bright sun high in the sky and reasonable temperatures for walking. The team moved well out of High Camp along the seemingly endless glacial valley leading toward Vinson's summit. About 2 hours into the journey, Vinson decided to give us a little test. The wind began to pick up, and suddenly we could all feel the frigid cold biting at any exposed skin and dropping our core temperatures degree by degree. Time to layer up. In moments, we all donned our custom Peak XV Antarctica down jackets and pants, shutting the wind and cold out, at least somewhat. But, it gets tricky in situations like this. The thick down insulates well, and keeps you warm and toasty. But, you still have to move uphill, and that generates heat. Too much heat, and you start to sweat. Sweat out your baselayers, and you're going to get cold sooner or later. So, climbing in these situations is an exercise in zipper running, hat pulling, and sleeve pushing; it is a constant battle to maintain that thermal equilibrium, right on the line between too cold and too hot. With that obstacle added to our climb, we kept moving, everyone doing well and chugging right along. Before long, the route made a sharp right-hand turn, and began climbing steeply toward the summit ridge. And, now, Vinson decided to show us what she could do. The temperature had dropped as we ascended, to about -30 degrees C on the summit ridge, and then the wind really picked up. We estimate about 30 miles per hour fairly consistently...In other words, enough wind and cold to make it the coldest day I've ever experienced on any mountain, anywhere. And, Ed Viesturs, who's got a handful of cold mountains under his belt, agreed that it was the coldest summit day in his memory. That's cold. We were close now, though, and kept pushing onward, trying to check cheeks, noses, ears, etc., for frostnip - which can come on quickly in such conditions. Along with the wind, Vinson's final curveball was the largely-moderate terrain of the lower mountain finally transitioned to a steeper, more exposed ridge for the final push. But, it was manageable, and soon we were all celebrating and shivering on top of Antarctica. I've been fortunate enough to travel to some unique places and mountains over the years, but must admit that Antarctica, and Mount Vinson, is one of the most spectacular. To gaze out from the summit at the jagged peaks of the Ellsworth Mountains, which eventually yield and give way to a vast sea of glacier, is simply beyond words. We spent a few minutes on top, taking pictures, congratulating one another, and of course pulling out the 1966 Alaska Flag for it's final foray on the summit of Vinson. And, then, it was time to go. It's too easy to linger on such summits, and in the abusive cold and wind, we needed to get down fast. Everyone moved well downhill, and we're all now in our tents, enjoying the warmth of a sunny tent and a full belly. Sleep will come quickly tonight, and will be well earned by all. Tomorrow...well, there's still work to be done. All our gear needs to somehow make its way from High Camp down the fixed lines and all the way to Vinson Basecamp. We'll sleep well, and work hard tomorrow. And, yes, in case I ever forget, Antarctica is COLD!! -Jake Norton

The biggest day of the trip was enormous.  We were up at 11 last night and walking uphill from our 15,200 ft camp just after midnight.  Conditions were perfect.  It was cold but dead calm.  And we had most of the moon shining, so headlights were helpful but not essential.  We targeted an ascent lasting about seven hours but as it turned out we were a little faster than that -unintentionally.  We stopped for rest a few times, naturally, but the cold and the traffic on the route (all teams were basically on the same schedule) meant our breaks needed to be darn quick.  The team was up to the task.  Our guides threaded us through the “crowds” and helped us in a million ways, singing to entertain us as we trudged up endless, steep paths through the rock and scree.  It was still dark when we hit the crater rim at Stella Point but a cold wind with a wisp of cloud made us skip the normal rest break there.  We just marched along the rim -the roof of Africa- as the light and colors came up in a magical display.  The entire team hit Uhuru -the summit- at 6:50 AM.  19,341 ft never felt so good.  We loved it… and we loved that the sun was starting to warm things up.  Our descent to high camp was completed at 10 AM and we tried to wrap our heads around the idea that we still had to climb all the way down to 10,000 ft to finish the day.  Tosha and Michael, our world class chefs made it all possible by serving us pizza for brunch and fortifying us for the four hour journey.  Clouds had come in to Barafu Camp and at noon, we were eager to get walking as it had gotten quite cold.  We ducked out of those clouds in the first hour and by the time we reached Mweka Camp it was sunshine and blue sky again.  We’re breathing thick air again and relaxing… and still a little amazed that we reached the highest point in Africa this morning. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The Four Day Climb May 16 - 19 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Hannah Smith climbed halfway up Disappointment Cleaver before conditions required them to turn around.  Hannah's team climbed to Ingraham Flats and worked on some ice climbing. The teams descended to Camp Muir and will be packing up and starting their descent to Paradise later this morning.

Thursday, January 19, 2023 - 7:24 pm PT

After a successful climb, the team enjoyed a well-deserved rest day in the colorful city of Puebla.

Taking to the streets for a walking tour, we explored the rich history of the city, learning about Cinco de Mayo and the folklore of the mountains we climb. We also discovered local markets full of art, produce and local specialty food like the Cemitas, a sandwich- these ones larger than your head, named after the sesame seeds on the bread.

It wouldn't have been a complete trip to Puebla without trying all different types of mole. Some of the team enjoyed a flight of five types of mole at dinner tonight! Each tasting much different than the last. 

Overall, everyone took advantage of the day to rest and explore. Our sights are set on Pico de Orizaba as we leave Puebla tomorrow morning. 

RMI Guide Abby Westling

Friday, June 25, 2021 - 12:41 pm PT

The snow and wind from yesterday persisted through the night and into the morning, and now, at midday it continues. The weather is forecast to improve as we move into the weekend, and we are poised to move to 14,000' when that moment arises. In the meantime we're lounging, reading, snoozing, and also digging out our tents. Spirits are high as we continue to weather our first Denali storm. We're all all looking forward to seeing the sun again and getting back to our upward progression. Hard days of climbing and long days waiting out storms are hallmarks of a Denali expedition.

"...snow falls and it passes..."

We'll touch base again tomorrow to let you know the latest.

RMI Guide Mike Walter

Safari time!

Today was our first day of safari and we headed a  few hours west to visit the beautiful Lake Manyara. Lake Manyara is a brief stopping ground for many migratory animals and home to more than 300 different birds, not to mention the famous tree climbing lions. 

Everyone enjoyed the day cruising around in our safari vehicles with cold beverages in hand while seeing the animals up close. 
We managed to see a few wildebeest, zebras, Cape buffalo, giraffes off in the distance, tons of baboons, a few impalas and many elephants up close. And wouldn’t you know it, we even saw those tree climbing lions!

It was an amazing introduction to the incredible diversity of wildlife that Tanzania has and the team is very excited to see more animals tomorrow. We wrapped up the evening with a wonderful meal at our new lodge, The Plantation Lodge.
 
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew

Hello again everyone. Today the team left behind the busy streets of Moscow and made our way south to Mt. Elbrus. It was mostly a travel day with a flight over the middle of Russia, which is predominately rural. It's very much like our own Midwest in that its mostly agriculturally-based terrain. We landed in Mineralnye Vody, which translates to mineral water in Russian, and is obviously known for its abundant natural springs. From there we rode in our local outfitters van for about three and a half hours to Cheget, a small ski town in the winter that sits at the base of this big mountain. Along the way we passed endless sunflower fields and many Mosques. The area around Elbrus is predominately Muslim from its original Turkish roots. We finished the day with a wonderful traditional meal cooked by a few kind older ladies that live here. Everyone is doing great and ready to stretch their legs tomorrow. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

Today we visited Tarangire National Park, home to more elephants per square mile than any place on earth. No luck with the leopard or cheetah today, but we did see plenty of lions and elephants. We even managed to rescue another party who got their 4x4 stuck in the river. We'll finish the trip off with one last night here in Africa listening to the sounds of nature in a tented camp that sits along the Tarangire River. The last three days have been a great way to relax after all the effort to climb Kili and everyone has had a great time. Tomorrow we'll head back to Arusha and catch our long flights home. Thanks for following! RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Early this morning, the Four Day Climb teams, led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Dominic Cifelli, successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier!

They were treated to a stunning sunrise and clear skies as they stood at 14,410 feet, taking time to celebrate their achievement and soak in the incredible views. After savoring their moment at the top, the teams began their descent to Camp Muir around 7:00 a.m. and are now continuing down to Paradise.

We look forward to welcoming them back in Ashford later this afternoon and celebrating a safe and successful climb!

Congratulations climbers!