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Aconcagua: King & Team Reach Plaza Argentina Base Camp

January 2, 2023

Posted by: Mike King, Dominic Cifelli, Jack Delaney

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 13,800'

Sunday, January 1, 2023

It was clear cold night, the stars shone like diamonds in the Andean sky. We awoke early in order to beat the heat of the day that was surely on its way with the rising of the sun. The days trek began with an icy cold crossing of a glacially cold stream. It was a painful but effective way to remove any last trace of sleepiness from the group.

Today is our greatest elevation gain of the trek to reach Plaza Argentina Basecamp. Gaining 3,600' of elevation is no joke when you’re starting from 10,000', but the team was well fed and ready to start the New Year right. We styled it. We enjoyed sunny skies, cool temps, and stunning vistas as we made our way up the Ralincos Valley and into Basecamp by midday.

We are playing dice & eating pizza. Some are napping and journaling. Regardless it’s been a good afternoon in the sun to dry out gear and tomorrow morning is a rest day.

Thanks for following along.

RMI Guides Jack, Dom & Mike

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Visit the Edge of the World

July 5, 2019

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith, Chad Gaffigan, Luke Wilhelm

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Thursday, July 4, 2019 - 9:38 PM PT Independence Day on Denali dawned clear and a bit gusty. Moving higher wasn’t terribly practical for us on this day, although it didn’t seem impossible. We were encouraged at our 9 AM breakfast to know that Mike Haugen’s RMI team was starting out from high camp bound for the summit. That will make our move tomorrow a great deal easier as we’ll be able to coordinate a "gear swap". Today, forecasts called for high pressure building, hence the wind, but the prediction was that the wind would calm as the day went on, which is what we saw. It was still gusting pretty good as we set off at noon for the “Edge of the World”. Twenty minutes of roped glacier travel brought us to the very edge of the plateau we are camped upon. It is always a fun shock to look virtually straight down for thousands of feet to the glaciers below. After days of camping on a flat expanse, one can forget how high we’ve already climbed and a visit to the edge serves as a great reminder. The views of the West Rib and a portion of Denali’s South Face are stupendous and today we enjoyed smoke-free views of the southern Alaska Range. Mt Spurr and the Tordrillos seemed much closer than their hundred miles. We each ventured out on an overhanging granite boulder for a hero shot or two and a look into the abyss. Back at camp we organized and pared down and packed for moving up. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Van Deventer & Team Retrieve Cache, Ready for Carry

May 26, 2015

Posted by: Robby Young, Pete Van Deventer, Josh Maggard

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

May 26, 2015 - 12:17 am PT Just like Johnny Cash said, "that train keeps a rollin'." The winds were down, a cloud of sparkling ice crystals hung around, reflecting the sunlight and solar baking everything, and we returned to a dead calm Windy Corner to retrieve our cash. We are one step closer now with all of our food up here with us. The next step is to take a run at the fixed lines and cache some food in the West Buttress. To prepare, we spent the afternoon practicing with our ascenders and getting prepped for that potential carry tomorrow. Mac and cheese with bacon for dinner to fuel us tomorrow. We'll hope to wake up with a green light to head up. For now, good night! RMI Guides Pete, Robby, Josh, and team

On The Map

Kilimanjaro: Martin & Team Summit!

February 2, 2014

Posted by: Jeff Martin

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 19,340'

Jambo from Mweka Camp, We had a great summit day and the entire team reached the summit at 7:50 AM. It started about 11:45 PM last night when the alarm went off, and soon after we were dressed and packed for the climb. After a quick breakfast we threw on our backpacks and started up the trail. The team did a great job of climbing the 4,000'+ to the top, and the weather cooperated with us the whole way, with a little wind to start, but was almost calm while we were on the summit. It took us 7 hours total to reach the top, and after spending about 45 minutes on top, we began our descent down to our last camp on the mountain, Mweka Camp. Everybody did very well today. Now we are settled into our tents and looking forward to a good night's rest. We'll get an early start tomorrow and finish the last section of our trek, descending to Mweka Gate. Best regards, RMI Guide Jeff Martin

RMI Guide Jeff Martin calling in from the Roof of Africa.

On The Map

Arrival in Quito

June 20, 2009

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Today we spent the day in the capital city of Ecuador, Quito. Everyone is still recovering from a long day of travel to get here. We spent the day going on a city tour with a local guide. On the tour we visited the colonial parts of town, historic churches, plazas, and the presidential palace, and we learned about the country's history from pre-Incan times through to the present. We then travelled north of Quito to visit Ecuador's namesake, the Equator. Here we took an interpretive, cultural tour, got to stand on the true equator, and sample some authentic empanadas, meat and cheese filled turnovers. A light afternoon rain gave most of us an excuse for a quick siesta before dinner at the Magic Bean restaurant. The rain let up in the evening, and allowed us to wander the streets of the popular and lively Mariscal district of Quito, which was hopping was nightlife. Tomorrow we head to Pasachoa, a protected cloud forest and very old volcano, for an acclimatization hike.

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Ecuador Seminar: Hailes & Team Wrap Up Their Time in Ecuador

February 18, 2025

Posted by: Walter Hailes, Nicole De Petris

Categories: Ecuador

A Final Day in Ecuador: Reflections and Goodbyes

After an incredible adventure, we made our way back to Quito, wrapping up our time in Ecuador. We squeezed in some last-minute souvenir shopping, picking up mementos to remember the trip by. As the evening approached, we gathered for a wonderful final team dinner, reminiscing about the amazing experiences we had shared. Conversations turned toward the future, with talk of returning to climb Chimborazo and Antisana. But for now, we had to say our final "see you laters," cherishing the memories made and the bonds formed.

Safe travels!

RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Ecuador Seminar February 4, 2025

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Goyko Trek: Hahn & Team Remain In Kathmandu Due to Weather

October 4, 2023

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Gokyo Trek

Elevation: 4,383'

Not so much to report today. We were up early and off to the airport to begin our Gokyo trek. But it was raining as we passed through the streets of Kathmandu. It turned out that it was rainy and cloudy at our destination -Lukla- as well. Our gear was loaded on the helicopter and everyone and everything was ready… except for the weather. There were periods of clearing at either Kathmandu or Lukla, but never at both. And ultimately, by 2 PM (we’d been at the airport since 6 AM) the weather was still bad at both ends and getting worse. We called it quits for the day. So we finished back at the comfortable -and increasingly familiar- Yak and Yeti hotel. We’ll give it another try tomorrow.

Best Regards

RMI Guides Dave Hahn

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Cache Gear Around Windy Corner

June 9, 2019

Posted by: Mike King, Avery Parrinello, Dominic Cifelli

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 13,000'

Sunday, June 9, 2019 - 3:47 PM PT The calm and mostly clear weather continues to give our Team great windows to get our gear, food and fuel moved up Denali. This morning we got a good start with cold temperatures to avoid being out in the heat. The temps dropped slightly as we climbed motorcycle hill then squirrel hill and onto the lower polo fields (actual names of these landmarks, not hypoxia kicking in). Despite the steep aspects and heavy packs the Team crushed the difficult carry and was rewarded with a sunny and warm not so “Windy Corner” of Denali’s West Buttress. We could see teams moving up towards the fixed lines out of 14 Camp and got a chance to talk with RMI guide Robby Young as his team was headed up the fixed lines. The grand scale of the Alaska Range has kept people mesmerized along with the constantly changing scenery as we climb higher. We will rest for the remainder of the day and there’s bound to be more laughter once people get a nap in. It’s been a great group and trip so far. Tomorrow our plans are to pack up camp and move to 14,200’ and get our base camp hang dialed in so we can take advantage of the next favorable forecast window. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Carry Some Gear Up the Fixed Lines

July 8, 2014

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Ben Liken, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

We broke a few personal altitude records today. Our stoves were lit shortly after 6 AM while Genet Basin was still deep in cold shadows. The weather didn't look perfect, but that was more of a concern for two of the other guided groups camped alongside us since they were trying to figure whether to commit to a move to 17K. We were just contemplating a carry to the top of the fixed ropes at 16,200 feet and we could do that in iffy weather. We set out at 8 AM and made easy progress as the clouds washed in and out a few times. Within a few hours we were at the foot of the intimidating fixed lines. The slope angle goes up in a hurry at that point, and looking at this incline for several days from 14K can psyche one out. Best to come to terms with the fixed section of the climb and to gain confidence on it, which was what we did today. We topped the ropes and made our cache at 16,200 feet in calm and sunny conditions. People were heard to say "This is pretty cool" in English, German and Russian. The confidence building continued as we dropped back down to 14 camp without difficulty. We own the place now as the other groups made their move to 17 camp. We all got a good look from above at a hundred empty tent snow walls, impressing us with how "crowded" this important camp can be in mid-season and how delightfully uncrowded it is now. RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: May 19th Summit!

May 19, 2014

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Kel Rossiter, Ben Liken, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Kel Rossiter stood on top of Mt. Rainier this morning! The teams enjoyed calm and warm conditions while on the summit and are making their way back to Camp Muir. We will see them back in Ashford later today. Congratulations!

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Most Popular Entries

Aconcagua: King & Team Reach Plaza Argentina Base Camp

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Visit the Edge of the World

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Mt. McKinley: Van Deventer & Team Retrieve Cache, Ready for Carry

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Kilimanjaro: Martin & Team Summit!

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Arrival in Quito

Ecuador Seminar: Hailes & Team Wrap Up Their Time in Ecuador

Goyko Trek: Hahn & Team Remain In Kathmandu Due to Weather

Denali Expedition: King & Team Cache Gear Around Windy Corner

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Carry Some Gear Up the Fixed Lines

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Mt. Rainier: May 19th Summit!

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