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The Expedition Skills Seminar, led by RMI Guide Andy Bond, spent six days in the North Cascades.  They had a tremendous time learning mountaineering skills and to top it off, reached the summits of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker!  The team is currently on their descent to the trailhead where they will celebrate together before departing for home.

As I prepare myself for this last rotation up the mountain, I know I will be faced with huge challenges. For one, climbing up to stay at Camp 3 in three days will be physically exhausting, but for the first time in my life I will be climbing without the support of my dad. Although I respect and admire his decision, and I know it was the right one for both him and the team, I am really bummed he won’t be up there with us. It will be the hardest for me when the times are tough, and not having him there mentally will take a huge toll on me. But I am excited about the next rotation, and about a chance at a summit bid. As hard as these next three weeks will be, I know that I will give it my all and I’ll be back home in just a matter of weeks. So, while the climbs will be intense, and the environment will be extreme, I will be home soon to enjoy the month of June. Lastly, one of the highlights of my day is when I get to read the blog comments, so thank you all for your support. It means so much to me and the rest of the team. Sara McGahan

RMI guide Elías de Andrés-Martos and office member Bridget Schletty returned last fall from a 5-week expedition the Himalaya, completing and exploratory climb of Kyajo Ri as well as climbing Ama Dablam. By Bridget Schletty We headed to Nepal in early October with the intention of climbing and exploring in the Khumbu region. In this, our 4th trip to the highest mountain range in the world, our objectives weren’t going to be any of the 8,000m peaks in the range, but smaller peaks in the 6,000m vicinity, focusing more on the style we used to climb them. Our trip started with an exploratory trek to the base of the Mahalangur Himal, a subrange that encompasses Cho Oyu, and that contains a few unclimbed peaks we wanted to check out for a potential future climb. Reaching the rarely frequented southern base camp of Cho Oyu, the 6th tallest mountain in the world, provided great acclimatization, and spending several days in this secluded area was an incomparable experience. After breathing the thin air, looking at the Tibetan border, photographing wild yaks, and circumnavigating alpine lakes at 18,000ft, our time was up; we were ready for our first climbing objective: Kyajo Ri, which rises to 20,295’ between the trekking routes to Gokyo and Thame. We headed to the Kyajo Dranka, a valley between the renowned Cholatse Peak and the Rolwaling mountains. We did not see a single soul, save our team of porters, from the moment we left the standard trail between Namche and the presumed Base Camp around 14,400ft. At that point, we waved goodbye to them as well, pitched a tent and spent the night; the next morning we’d start our one-push climb of this remote peak. While we were focused on attempting this peak in alpine style (only the stuff we could carry in our packs, climbing straight up without doing carries or fixing any of the route), it turned out that the discoveries of beauty along the 4-day push to the summit were the true reward. We did climb an incredible, steep ridgeline guarded by a few technical pitches of rock and mixed terrain, but the hanging glacial lakes, the vertical rock walls protecting the access to the valleys, and the solitude we encountered were more captivating than our success in style and technique. With this objective tackled, we could have headed home satisfied with our climbing ambitions; however, we had laid eyes on another peak on previous expeditions, often recognized as the most beautiful peak in the Khumbu: Ama Dablam (“The Mother’s Jewel Box”), a 22,349-ft tower of rock, snow, and ice. Perfectly acclimatized now, we were charged up to try and move as quickly as we could. With a few days rest in Namche Bazaar, we had 2 days to make it to BC. Once there, we corroborated the weather forecast, and with no extra time to hang out, we had to start climbing and use the following 3 days to go up. Steep and involved from just a few hours out of Base Camp, the route only seems to be more impenetrable as you move up it. Making it to C1 proved to be a heads-up as to why this mountain is only successfully summited by less than 25% of the people who try it. Focusing on our plan, we settled in for the night, knowing the most difficult terrain lay ahead. An early start the next morning was mandatory; getting stuffed along the fixed terrain near the Yellow Tower could be a drag, and arriving there with no space to pitch a tent, a nightmare. Despite being the first party to arrive at this iconic landmark, with only 6 or 7 feasible tent spots, it was disheartening to find other teams had already claimed the prime real estate during previous carries. Luckily our minimalist style had us travelling with a small Bibler tent, which we made fit on the only remaining spindrift, a good portion of which was sticking out over the almost 5,000' cliff of the SW face. Clearly we had no choice but to spend the least amount of time possible there. We decided to forego Camp 3 and attempt the summit that very night, from Camp 2. A 9pm wake-up was delayed by high winds, but by 11:45pm, we were on the move. Ascending through mixed terrain (nearly vertical snow slopes and incredibly exposed rock traverses) proved to be demanding and involved. Fixed lines protected the exposed terrain which allowed us to push the pace to stay on schedule, moving as quickly as we could. By 4am we reached Camp 3 to the amazed, yet encouraging eyes of the team that, at that time, was preparing to depart. “Where are you coming from?” asked one climber. “Camp 2,” Elías responded. “You continuing up?” “Yes!” At that point, the high winds that had delayed our departure came back with a vengeance, and the most bitterly cold temps we’ve ever experienced convinced me to stay put, keep all my fingers and toes, and allow Elías to have a quick crack at the summit. (It would only be “a few hours.”) Benefitting from the ultimate gesture of Sherpa hospitality, I was welcomed into a small frosty tent, where 5 local climbing guides were sipping their last cup of warm milk and eating handfuls of champa (roasted barley grits) before departing for their summit bid. There was something a bit surreal about being handed a hot beverage from strangers in puffy down suits and 8,000-m boots at 4AM and dozing off to the comforting aroma of incense burning over a tiny camp stove. Just as the sun hit the tent, a voice woke me up from my slumber. Elías was back from the summit, urging me to grab gear and continue down; accomplished but tired, he was eager to return to the comforts of lower elevations. An uneventful but quick descent took us to Camp 2, with enough time to continue farther down. After a 16 hour day, Elías had gone from Camp 2 to the summit (foregoing C3) and all the way down to C1. Perhaps it was the promise of chocolate cake and a real bed that kept us speeding along towards the finish line! Three days later, we reached the Lukla airstrip, where the adventures had begun 5 weeks before. Following the obligatory “duffle shuffle” day back in Kathmandu, we arranged to spend our last day in Nepal volunteering with TRIFC, an NGO based in Bellevue, WA. This group focuses on children with disabilities. We gathered with an eager group of blind children and adults at the climbing gym in the central tourist district of Thamel. The morning was filled with encouraging cheers, lighthearted giggles, and proud smiles, as we coached our excited athletes up and down the wall. After a pleasant group meal, in which many of our assumptions about physical limits were restructured, we were shuttled to a home and rehab center for physically impaired youth. There were, no doubt, plenty of signs of adversity: cracks in the walls from the recent earthquakes, transportation complications, and the social stigma and financial struggles that families with disabled children face in Nepal. Yet spirits were high as we witnessed how well these children had learned to cope despite the odds being against them. Prosthetic limbs and other physical deformities didn’t keep any of these youngsters from going to school, playing their favorite sports, doing household chores, and even hosting a dance performance for us! We will strive to hold these memories close the next time we find ourselves wallowing in self-pity high on a frozen mountain. We are so fortunate to be able to push our bodies to their limit and venture into the serenity of remote Himalayan regions – and to do so among people who welcome visitors with open hearts and doors. _____ Bridget Schletty and Elias de Andres Martos are a husband and wife climbing team. Elias guides worldwide from the Himalaya to Peru for RMI Expeditions, and Bridget spends the summers helping out climbers in the front office of RMI. This was their fourth expedition to the Himalaya, with previous expeditions including a successful climb of Shishapangma. Elias will be guiding an expedition to Kyajo Ri this fall! They call Ridgeway, CO home when they aren't traveling the world.

Hello everybody, this is Casey checking in from the Cho Oyu Expedition. We wanted to let everybody know that the entire team has safely returned to Advanced Base Camp where we are now enjoying warm, wonderful meals from our cook Kumar. Yesterday we made a valiant effort to try to reach Camp 2 but were turned around due to high winds and cold temperatures. There has also been a fair amount of exploration by some of the top Sherpa on the mountain to try to get a route kicked in to the summit. But it still looks like the avalanche danger is significantly higher than we would like it to be. Looks like a number of expeditions are all leaving and headed home. We have a few more days here so we are going to wait it out and see if the weather or avalanche conditions can improve in the next few days before we make our decision as to head back up the mountain or head home a little bit early. We are going to take three rest days here and then most likely make our decision. Stay tuned and we will let you know as the events unfold.

Our first day got off to a successful and fun start. For one, after 2 1/2 days of flight delays and less than stellar performance by my airline, I finally arrived in Arusha in time for our team meeting and a little breakfast. Our last two teammates got to the hotel just as we were beginning our orientation. Everyone's baggage even made it!

It was fun getting to know everybody and I think we all agree we have a pretty fun group. With equipment checks all done and a great dinner we're excited to get underway and start making our way up this beautiful mountain. 

Sunrise on the mountain from 25,000' this morning has done nothing but pump me up to start our climb of Kilimanjaro. We're ready!!!

--RMI Guide Brent Okita and team

Checking in from 13,000ft on Ixta. Today the team is preparing our equipment for our trip up to high camp (15,500ft) on Ixta. We are enjoying a beautiful sunset to the west with glorious views of Ixta to the North. The mountain has fresh snow above 15,500ft.

Tomorrow will be a challenging day with heavier packs, but our team is looking strong.  As we watch the sunset, we are eating a delicious meal prepared by our wonderful local staff!

Wish us luck for continuing good weather and hopefully a successful summit of Ixta 17,100ft!

We will check in from our high camp tomorrow. 

RMI Guide Grayson Swingle

The members of the team arrived safely in Quito and ventured out yesterday for a city tour of Quito.  The first (and generally favorite) stop on the tour was at the Mitad del Mundo museum, which means "middle of the world".  This museum is located on the equatorial line and the tour guides give us a review of some 8th grade science (which it seems we have all forgotten).  At an elevation greater than 9,000' we are already getting our breathing in check and today are looking forward to a warm-up hike on Rucu Pichincha!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Jambo! The Safari Team is back at the Dik Dik! We've had a great couple of weeks but our trip is just about over. Last night we stayed at Kikoti Camp, an amazing safari camp that has tons of wildlife literally right in the middle of it. We went on a great little hike to a rock outcropping where we had drinks delivered while we enjoyed the sunset. It made for a great finish to an outstanding trip. Now everyone is busy getting ready for their respective flights home. Thanks for a great trip guys! RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

This weekend our Backcountry Ski and Ride course had an excellent time learning the fundamentals of backcountry skiing.  Saturday gave us a light dusting of fresh snow as we practiced our rescue skills and learned how to move as a group in the backcountry. 

The next day, we practiced making terrain decisions and students navigated the group through the ascents and descents of our long tour.  We ended up having beautiful weather for most of the course and had the whole mountain to ourselves on Sunday. 

Our students are excited to use their new skills for upcoming ski descents of local Washington mountains as well as skiing corn with their friends.  

RMI Guide James Bealer & Team

Everything is going great, in fact, things couldn't really be better. The last two days have been incredibly sunny and warm, which was oh so needed. The whole team got showers yesterday, we did laundry, basked in the sun, and dried everything out. It was a nice finish to our rest days. This morning we got up and had beautifully clear skies and a leisurely breakfast about 10 a.m. We then hiked about four hours to reach Camp 1 where we currently are. It sits about 21,000' and we have a great view of the upper mountain conditions and climbers. There is a bit of wind blowing off the summit and it's scouring some of the snow that has been deposited over the last ten days of snow we have gotten. Everyone is doing great and feeling good. We are getting settled into our tents for the night. Firing up the stoves to make ourselves some dinner, then into our sleeping bags before the sun goes down. As soon as it does it gets chilly up here. We will be making ourselves as comfortable as can be. Things are going well. Tomorrow we are hoping to push all the way up to Camp 2 and spend the night there at around 23,000'. We'll check in tomorrow if we can get ourselves up to Camp 2. All right everybody, hope everyone's doing well back home. We miss you.