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On The Map
On The Map
RMI Guide Billy Nugent checks in from the Cayambe Hut.
Posted by: Nick Scott, Dominic Cifelli
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 9,000'
Today we left behind the comforts of civilization and began our trek to Aconcagua Basecamp. The first day turned out to be a hot and dusty one, with only the occasional breeze to cool us down. After several hours of walking through the desert we reached Pampa de Lenas, our camp for the night. Our outfitter Grajales was waiting for us with pitchers of lemonade to relieve our parched mouths and a spread of orange slices and snacks to replenish our energy. While our accommodation for the night may be modest, our dinner certainly won’t be. Tonight is the night of the famous Lenas Asado! A traditional Argentine BBQ cooked over an open fire under the stars. After such a long walk today, you can be sure our appetites are primed and ready for the meal to come.
All the climbers did well today, but another long day is in store for us tomorrow as we make our way closer to basecamp and deeper into the mountains.
On The Map
We love you Dad/Gramps/Mark!
Posted by: Chelsea Miller on 1/23/2020 at 4:27 pm
Good luck dad! (Joe D.) Reading the blogs all the way from Pa. Keep up the good work, everyone! ❤️
Posted by: Nicole on 1/22/2020 at 4:56 pm
Posted by: Eric Frank, Andy Bond
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Bolivia
Hey Andrew..so glad to see you with your buddies..enjoy every minute..what a wonderful experience!!
Posted by: Linda McKinnon on 5/28/2019 at 6:17 am
Great work guys!
Beautiful views… and weather.
Posted by: Duncan McKinnon on 5/27/2019 at 2:19 pm
Thursday, November 28, 2024 - 8:18 pm PT
Vinson Thanksgiving
It’s 1AM here the time of day is such a backdrop in Antarctica. The sun circles overhead and the only setting we get is when it hides behind one of the many unbelievable peaks surrounding us.
Our Thanksgiving wasn’t quite the same this year, we traded turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes for frozen milky ways, rock hard Swedish fish, quesadillas and steak with mashed potatoes (microwaveable pouches from back home).
And we moved!
We traveled from Vinson Basecamp to Camp 1 with a light breeze at times and snow that made for good sled pulling. Views beneath the West face of Vinson, Shin, and Tyree have us gobsmacked every time we look up. Which admittedly I wish was more. We’ll sleep here tonight in the hopes of moving to high camp tomorrow but we will see what the weather has in store. Wish us luck!!!
- RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli
New Post Alerts:
Vinson Expedition November 22, 2024
Dear Vision Team 2024,
I’m following your expedition with great interest and am amazed at how quickly you got from Punta Arena to Base Camp 1. Of course, 10 years ago when I did Vinson with Dave, the plane was still an old Ilyushin with a previous day in the army, definitely slower :-).
You have great weather and everything is going perfectly, but what about the blog from the 29th - did you arrive safely at the high camp?
I hope the weather stays so good then the climb to the summit will be doable. I hope you all reach the summit and that incredible feeling of happiness after all the effort of looking out over this incredibly beautiful white world from the highest point in the Antarctic. Good luck.
A big kiss to my wife, she trained incredibly hard for this expedition.
Best wishes, Hans
Posted by: Hans on 11/29/2024 at 6:38 pm
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Coming off the plane in Arusha, the city in Tanzania where we base from to go to Kilimanjaro, the first thing that strikes the senses is the smell of trees and vegetation we simply don't have in the northern hemisphere. There, too is a subtle, but pervasive smell of the wood and charcoal many people use to cook with. It smells wonderfully of Africa to me.
Our group all arrived at least a day early to take advantage of their time here in this beautiful country, and so we were able to meet one another earlier than usual. This was a good thing because it allowed some lost luggage to be recovered and a GI problem to resolve itself, two problems I rarely see, but that are not unknown when travelling halfway across the globe.
Our team is a nice mix of veteran climbers with Mt. Rainier under their belt and folks who have rarely spent time in a tent. But everyone is engaging and interesting, and conversation is easy. A good sign of things to come.
While half the group opted to get their equipment check done yesterday so they could get in a day safari in the local Arusha National Park, the other half chose to do their check today and enjoy a leisurely afternoon before we begin our expedition up the flanks of Kilimanjaro. Both great options.
Our team breakfast this morning will be followed up with a group dinner tonight, enjoying the amazing food here at the Rivertrees Country Inn. Normally we would lament leaving such fine food during our week of climbing, but not this time. The chef taking care of our food needs this week is amazing! Gourmet dinners and hearty breakfasts await us at every camp, prepared by an incredibly talented chef by the name of Benson. You'll hear more about this guy later, but for now we're doing well and eager to start our climb.
Word has it that upon making the summit, a couple of our climbers are going to reward themselves with some beautiful Tanzanite jewelry. I love the idea!
Wish us luck as we begin our big adventure! We've been waiting for this climb to all come together for a long time, and in a few hours, we will be taking our first steps up towards the summit of this wonderful mountain.
Jambo!
RMI Guide Brent Okita
How exciting!
Wishing you all an enjoyable Day 1 of hiking!
Wishing everyone an incredible experience hiking up to the peak and coming back!
With cheers, good luck, and best wishes,
Suganthi Subramanian
Posted by: Suganthi Subramanian on 7/31/2023 at 10:50 pm
I am so excited for all who are about to embark on this wonderful journey. Wishing you all a great climb and hope this trip is all you hoped it would be and more.
Good luck to all.
Cheers,
Barb
Posted by: Barbara Heck on 7/31/2023 at 1:17 pm
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Ben Luedtke, Daniel May
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000'
Good evening,
Not a whole lot to report from Camp 2. Our night was noisy with wind, which didn't let up till later in the afternoon. With the winds blowing in the morning making the camp look all sparkly we decided to stay put and not participate in the windy day.The carry is not a crucial part of our agenda so it is OK that we opted not to carry to high camp. We spent out day watching the snow Dance off the ridges and the top.Tomorrow will be another rest day before we make the move to high camp where we launch for the summit. The winds should be lessening as our day approaches. For now we snuggle into our sleeping bags for warmth and enjoy a other hypoxic sleep at 18,000'.
Goodnight all,
RMI Guides Hannah, Ben, Dan and Team
Send Prayers for Calming winds Hannah!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 1/21/2023 at 3:11 am
RMI Guide Jake Beren checks in from the summit of Pico de Orizaba, Mexico.
On The Map
Posted by: Leon Davis, Bridget Belliveau
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'
On The Map
What a spot. Looks beautiful, some day I may be able to get the funds to do this trip as well. Keep saving and keep training. Have fun and be safe.
Thanks
Kevin Stone
Posted by: Kevin Stone on 5/6/2015 at 7:45 am
So excited to follow you all on this adventure….a dream for our son who is there with you. Be safe and enjoy every moment!
Posted by: Melissa on 5/6/2015 at 6:08 am
Enjoyed meeting you’all in Talkeetna. I am happy to hear you all are safe and sound. We had a “standard” at the Roadhouse and a couple of Ice Ax Axes at the West Rib in your honor this afternoon. Heading home tomorrow. Good luck on the mountain, and I hope you all summit.
Posted by: Papa Haugen on 6/16/2013 at 4:52 pm
Happy Fathers Day, Q! Jack and I miss you, hope you are having a great time!
Posted by: Liz Landers on 6/16/2013 at 1:58 pm
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