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Posted by: Leon Davis, Mike King, Jessie Poquerusse
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Seminar
Elevation: 7,300'
This mornings skies were a welcome sight after a few days of white. Clear skies also brought colder temps for us at Kahiltna Base Camp. It was not long before the clouds rolled back in but that did not stop the team from having some fun. We ventured to a crevasse field and gave folks a chance to see the inside of a the icy maw and climb out. Lots of laughs and pictures today around those cracks. Later in the afternoon we received word from K2 that they were launching the fleet to drop a team off and that we should be ready within the hour. That was a frantic hour indeed but the team got it done in short order. As soon as the dust settled we found out that the planes turned back so we set up a new camp downtown on the airstrip. Forecast is calling for more snow the next few days so we will see what the future holds.
RMI Guide Leon Davis
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Jake Beren
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Mt. Rainier Four- and Five- Day Summit Climbs, led by Billy Nugent and Jake Beren respectively, reached the summit this morning! It was a cold day on top with winds steady between 10-15 mph. The teams are doing well as they descend through a cloud cap hovering on the mountain top.
Congratulations to today's summit climb teams!
Hi all
Joy, Jim, and I are enjoying a restful day here at the lower bivy camp (6,200') on Mt. Shuksan. We have accomplished some training in between showers, spirits are high and everyone is having a good time. Forced tent time is notorious on any long climb and such skills as "sport eating" and "competitive napping" are worth being good at, and we have practiced both today. We are hoping for better weather tomorrow for more training and to move camp higher on the mountain.
Thanks to everyone for checking in.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
Thanks for the updates. As Joy well knows I like to follow her hikes and treks when possible.
Thinking of you all each day.
Posted by: Jann on 8/27/2013 at 9:34 am
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Kel Rossiter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 346'
Woke up this morning to snow on the ground and sleet falling from the sky. It turns out that this doesn't make for the safest bush flights or glacier landings so we spent another day hanging out in Talkeetna. We ate a lot of food, hung out some, practiced crevasse rescue, hung out some more, and some of us even drank a couple beers. Tomorrow is calling for more of the same but with a chance of partial clearing later in the day. We have our fingers crossed...
More to come as our expedition gets off the ground,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
We had a nice drive out of the park today as many elephants stole the show. We made a stop for more shopping and a visit to an orphanage. We had a last great meal with some day rooms to make sure no dust is brought back state side. It is nice when things go like clockwork the whole trip through. No rain or snow on the big hill this time, but we were ready. We had a nice view of the mountain at sunset on our way to the airport.
What a pleasure working with this diverse group these last couple of weeks.They all climbed with great style. Keeping me thrilled with this life I lead.
Look forward to meeting up with them again!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
As we went to bed last night at Karanga Camp we were rewarded with a clear skies and a beautiful sunset. We left the Karanga Camp this morning en route for our high camp on Kilimanjaro, Barafu located at 15,000'.
The infamous Kili Natural Arch showed itself on our climb. The arch is ;ocated on the ridge between the Breach Wall and the Great Baranco I would guess it stands a few hundred feet tall with a large opening. It may be an expedition in it's self but is a beautiful sight from a far. As we climbed out of camp this morning the skies were clear above for views of the Heim,Kerstin and the Deken glaciers. As we climbed higher we noticed the lack of vegetation and commented about the the moon scape effect.
The team made good time to Barafu Camp and just as we pulled in it began to sleet/ rain. Lucky for us the tents were set up and we headed for the shelter of our personal and dining tents. The rain has stopped and the skies have cleared a bit. There are still a few clouds both above and below us.
Our plan for this evening is an early dinner followed by a short rest and hopefully some sleep before we are aroused at midnight for our summit attempt. Summit night is upon us!
The team is in good shape and high spirits, just a bit of good weather and some luck should get us to the Roof of Africa.
We will check in again soon!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Mark Tucker here at Basecamp in my down pants because it is a cold one tonight. Yesterday was very windy at base and likewise up at Camp Two. We have minimal staff at Camp Two and to lose tents and equipment up there, could be a big set back for the expedition. Lucky for us the report from above is that all is well. Over the years through trial and error, we have come up with a standard of equipment that will stand up to the extreme conditions higher up the mountain (most of the time). Right now wind is not our friend. With the team finished with its rotations up high, and getting toward the end of this rest cycle, its time to go for the summit! We wish. Unfortunately the jet stream is parked over or near enough to Everest that the thought is to wait a few more days before heading uphill. We are looking at weather forecasting models that help us make a smart decision when factoring all the relevant concerns to come up with the greatest chance of a safe and successful summit.
We really love it here, but you can only have so much of a good thing. As soon as possible we will get it done and start our journey back to the home land.
Hi, this is Seth writing you from the Everest Bakery and Cyber Cafe in Namche Bazaar. It's a beautiful day in the Khumbu.
Our schedule calls for a rest day today in order to allow our bodies to adjust to the altitude here. It's kind of strange to have to acclimatize to a location that is a fully functioning town. But a slow and steady approach to basecamp is necessary to keep us healthy for the upcoming climb.
Namche is a beautiful village located in a high amphitheater surrounded by craggy peaks. The town is bustling with trekkers from all over the globe which give it a very cosmopolitan feel. It's the Sherpa capital and it's cool to see all of the guys moving through town on their way to basecamp. It must be climbing season.
The team is doing well and everyone is enjoying the trek so far. A few of us were able to get a glimpse of Everest this morning, which was great. It's as big as I remember!
Tomorrow we are taking a day hike to the village of Kumjung and hopefully we'll be able to get views of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse and of course Everest.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Hello from the Altzimoni Hut on Ixta. Today we picked up our two delayed climbers in the village of Amecameca. They had been delayed due to weather in the U.S. but thanks to our outfitter, Servimont, we are now a united team.
On our drive to Amecameca we had great views of Ixta, but as we drove up the Paseo de Cortez clouds rolled in. We hiked for a few hours this afternoon in breezy conditions with the occasional snow flurry. Everyone is doing great though and we're all looking forward to spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner.
I'll check in tomorrow from high camp.
We slept contently last night, enjoying the stillness of the mountains after several nights in the city. We awoke to another beautiful day without a cloud to be found in the morning sky. We shouldered our packs and set out of Basecamp. The small climbers trail immediately plunges into a steep gorge, picking its way along the side above the numerous small waterfalls and pools carved by the flowing water. Emerging from the narrow, grassy canyon, we wound our way amongst large, rocky outcroppings. The volcanic rock, jutting out of the rolling landscape, is covered in varying hues of orange, yellow, and green lichen and is quite reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings.
We gradually gained elevation, leaving the grasses and flowers behind. By early afternoon we reached our day's destination: the rocky morraine about 800' below Camp 1 on Elbrus. There we cached our loads amongst the rocks. We will retrieve this gear in two days time after we have established ourselves at Camp 1. By "carrying" today to drop our cache, not only did we lighten our packs for tomorrow but we also gave our bodies important exposure to higher elevations before we move up there to sleep - following the climbers' saying "climb high, sleep low".
After emptying our packs and resting for a bit we retraced our steps back to Base Camp, returning just as the shepherds brought their flocks of black and white sheep in from the other side of the valley for the evening. Only minutes after we reached the tents the skies, which had grown gradually more imposing throughout the day, finally broke loose in an impressive rain and hail storm. Lucky for us, we relaxed in our tents after a successful day as we listened to the rain patter against the fly.
Tomorrow we are packing up Base Camp and moving up to Camp 1 at over 12,000'. We will check in tomorrow night.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PATTY K! Sending love from flatter and warmer places and wishing you clear skies ahead! You rock!
Posted by: Ruth on 5/26/2017 at 7:06 am
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