Advanced Basecamp sits along a rocky moraine overlaying dense glacial ice.
The rock comes from Everest' immense and steep Southwest Face and a few million avalanches. Once at the base of the Face it is plowed into a neat ridge by the motion of the Khumbu Glacier. I suppose though, that the ridge is only neat in geological terms. Yesterday as we walked the 30 minutes from the tent at its lower end, to our tents near the moraine's upper end, we were treated to views of old sneakers, pots, pans, shredded tents and crushed stoves mixed in with the rock and ice. Fifty seven years worth of Advanced Basecamps in the same slow moving place have made this spot one of the worst on the mountain in terms of ecological damage. A number of those decades of mountaineering were before any ethics existed governing which items should and shouldn't be left in the hills.
Our camp was already up and running and deluxe by Camp I standards. There we were cooking in our tents - here we have Maila, the Camp II Chef, in a comfortable dome dining tent with chairs. We rested through much of yesterday afternoon when it was hot enough to fry eggs on the tents. When the sun ducked behind Nuptse, we each came out in our down suits to watch the light fade on Lhotse and Everest.
It would be normal, after a first night spent at this altitude to do some damage control. Somebody would, quite reasonably, have had a terrible night of headaches and insomnia and would be packing their gear at first light for a fast escape. Not so with our gang. In the cold 6 am shadows this morning, Seth, Kent and Erica emerged looking well rested and comfortable. Along with Ang Kaji, we ate a quick breakfast and then got out for a hike to the foot of the Lhotse Face. I wanted the team to wear their down suits - since that is what we'll wear on the next rotation when we actually tackle the Lhotse Face. We could see several dozen climbers on the new ropes on the Face - and way up high - between Camp III and the Yellow Band at 25,000 feet - we could see dots representing today's fixing team. One of those dots was our own Nga Tenji, pitching in to further the route. Nga Tenji made it all the way to the South Col, at 26,000 feet, staking out a site for our High Camp before heading back to ABC.
My small team climbed perhaps a 1,000 ft above ABC, to 22,000 ft and were treated to new views of Cho Oyu, the worlds 6th highest mountain, 20 miles distant. Nobody felt like doing cartwheels or jumping jacks at the new altitude - but such tricks weren't required. We were perfecting our one and only most important trick: walking higher when walking lower is easier. And we did fine with it. We didn't concern ourselves too much with the next big hurdle - we'll get on the Face next time, after a Basecamp rest.
For today the morning hike was enough. We spent the afternoon tinkering with the solar charging and radio systems at ABC, while drinking liter after liter of water -always trying to counteract the dehydrating effects of high dry air. Tomorrow it will be back to the comforts of Basecamp - provided we watch every single important and awkward step down through the Khumbu Icefall.
The Four Day Climb Team June 2 - 5 led by RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Chris Ebeling were unable to climb due to high winds. The telemetry at Camp Muir shows average winds speeds in the 50 - 65 mph range from midnight on. The teams will descend to Paradise this morning and return to Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
SUCH an amazing experience!!!! Even just making it to Muir was life-changing, I’m *definitely* coming back to try again another year :) Thanks for being such a great team, great guides, and a great expedition overall!!!! -Kristin
Posted by: Kristin Lundine on 6/21/2019 at 12:53 pm
Summit or no summit, it was a great experience. Terrific group of people and awesome guides. Y’all have inspired me ... hmmm, that Peru seminar looks pretty fab :-)
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Isla del Sol or Island of the Sun is a remote island with no cars located close to the Peruvian border on Lake Titicaca. It feels weird to be on a mountain climbing trip, yet enjoying the luxuries of home cooked meals, showers and a setting that would remind you of the Mediterranean.
At 13,500’ this is an ideal location for us to acclimatize for the higher peaks of Bolivia. Meandering through pre Incan terraced gardens allowed us to stretch the legs, breath the thin air and enjoy panoramic vistas. The day included a traditional Bolivian meal and an amazing sunset.
Tomorrow we leave the comforts of Isla del Sol and head into the mountains.
RMI Guide Andy Bond
Jambo! Jambo! Mark Tucker calling you from the Roof of Africa. With incredible timing we stood on top the moment the sun rose. We had the top pretty much to ourselves. And I've got everybody here with me and couldn't ditch them. We're all standing up here on the summit of Kilimanjaro and everybody is doing great. We are finishing up with the photos. It's a little bit chilly a little bit breezy but we are all nice and comfy based upon our precision like accuracy with our clothing. All is well and I'll check in back at low camp. You can rest easy, everybody is looking strong, everybody is tight and together, a great climbing team. So we're all doing well. I'll check in later.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker checks in from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro
May 29, 2014 - 12:06 am PT
Greetings from beautiful Talkeetna, Alaska! The entire team finally arrived today, after one of our team members experienced a slight delay coming up yesterday. We had a great day here, spending most of the morning talking about the personal climbing kits, the gear we'll need and the food we'll eat, and what to expect in the days to come as we prepare for our grand adventure in the heart of the Alaska range.
We met with the park service this afternoon, and then headed back to the hangar to finalize packing. Our team is dialed and as a result we had no troubles as we culled out the superfluous gear from what we brought. Everything's looking tight and right, and we're all excited to get underway. While the forecast doesn't look incredibly promising, we'll be ready to launch at a moment's notice tomorrow, and we hope to be on the glacier soon. We're standing by, filled with anticipation for the expedition and respect for the task ahead. Stay tuned for more details, and keep the positive vibes coming!
Until next time,
RMI Guides Tyler, Garrett, and Bryan
Good luck, love the pictures. Have a great time.posted by your aunt Joan
Posted by: Joan Hansen on 6/8/2014 at 6:51 pm
Hey, Paul, Tyler and Garrett! Man, I wish I was w/ you guys, I know it’ll be a great experience. Paul, make sure you get your diet Dr. Pepper fix to wash down a standard in the morning. Rest up, guys, u gonna need it.
Gotta go now, my cigar needs relighting…
Ben
May 28, 2014 - 10:18am PT
Good morning from Base Camp!
We are listening to the snow fall while we sit in our tents, and although it seems bright and cheery from inside the orange nylon walls, this weather system has settled in and the South East Fork is thick with clouds.
We made quick work of the walk down from 14 yesterday, stopping in at 11 Camp to dig up our cache and say hello to Brent, Leah, Nick, and their team.
It's much warmer down here, but consequently the snow is wet, heavy, and saturating, so we are all enjoying more time sitting "indoors" of sorts.
Hopefully we get a break in the storm soon and K2 Aviation can get us back to Talkeetna!
RMI Guide Mike Walter & Team.
Mike and team…Sorries the weather compromised you…Kudos re your preparation for and effort on the mtn…A lot can be learned even when dreams go awry - I know I learned a lot from you went the top of Rainier went untagged…Best + Bless…Waltero
Posted by: waltero glover on 5/29/2014 at 5:48 am
Seems like the Weather Gods are against y’all. We all wish for improvement. It’s a tough break.
Hey Lowerys come to Texas instead, we can offer you lots of rain.
Greetings from Nepal Everyone!
And welcome to RMI's first Nepal trek of 2014!
After some very long flights from the USA the team has finally arrived here in Kathmandu. Our first day was mostly spent catching up on some much needed sleep and adjusting to our new time zone, which is 9-12 hours ahead of everyone back home.
Our second day started off with the usual meet and greet where the team got to know one another and discussed the adventure ahead and made sure everyone had all the essential gear.
After a short break we headed into the main tourist center of Thamel for a quick lunch at the famous Roadhouse Cafe known for its tasty pizza.
Shortly after lunch the team set off to do a little site seeing in Kathmandu and stopped off at two of the most important sites, the famous monkey temple and the giant Boudhanath.
The evening ended with a nice dinner here at our hotel appropriately named the Yak and Yeti. And it was off to bed before our early flights.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and Crew
We enjoyed a good night's rest at Karanga Camp and woke to clear skies above Kilimanjaro. The hike from Karanga to our high camp, Barafu Camp at 15,000', took the team just three hours and we arrived to a nice hot lunch and every plate on the table was filled and emptied.
Having a shorter day on the trail allows the team to rest, re-hydrate and re-fuel in preparation for our summit attempt tonight and we took full advantage. Later this afternoon we discussed the details of our summit attempt from time of departure to clothing and rest breaks.
So, with an early dinner tonight we are crawling into our sleeping bags a little earlier than usual and will be donning our headlamps in a few short hours to begin our ascent. Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker & the Kilimanjaro Team.
Our night of snow storms was briefly broken by clear skies and stunning views, at least for the 2am night owls. By 7, back to snow and low visibility, thus another rest day.
The team finally woke at a leisurely 8am, and gathered in the cook tent for an extraordinary breakfast. Hard at work, our tireless guides had put together pan-fried breakfast burritos that would give any cafe a run for its money. No cap. Seth may consider an alternate career as Chipotle’s chief burrito roller. Sated and happy, the group later headed out during a brief weather interlude to practice crampon skills. The next days of the climb will necessitate these on the steeper and icier terrain. With no one stabbed or stepped on, the outing was considered a success. Relaxation ensured the remainder of the afternoon as movies were watched, books were read, and an unlikely duet belted out classics by The Who.
We are well rested and ready to hopefully cache just past Windy Corner tomorrow, and continue our journey upwards.
The weather is cooperating and we're taking off to the Alaska Range and landing on the Kahiltna glacier! Our next update will be via satellite messenger and the climb will have started!
Bon voyage!
RMI Guides Andy Bond, Jack Delaney and Joey Manship
SUCH an amazing experience!!!! Even just making it to Muir was life-changing, I’m *definitely* coming back to try again another year :) Thanks for being such a great team, great guides, and a great expedition overall!!!! -Kristin
Posted by: Kristin Lundine on 6/21/2019 at 12:53 pm
Summit or no summit, it was a great experience. Terrific group of people and awesome guides. Y’all have inspired me ... hmmm, that Peru seminar looks pretty fab :-)
Posted by: Barry French on 6/6/2019 at 4:22 pm
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