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“It’s a funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.”  W. Somerset Maugham

And that’s what we have with this group, the best. Each person brings something unique which together creates something greater,  something which makes the team keep giving their all as we make consistent progress on our push towards the summit. 

Today, the team bid goodbye to Camp One and moved to Camp Two on Aconcagua.  We had a “record-breaking“ moment right before we left Camp One. The team looked forward to moving to Camp Two as we had caught a brief glimpse of the camp yesterday, dropping off our cache, refueling our bodies, maybe sneaking in a little internet and finally heading back down the mountain while surfing the scree on our boots. Now, camp two is our home for the next few nights.

This trip, at least for me and I’m sure this also echoes the sentiments of a few others, has been all about learning, not only learning about each other, but learning about our own individual physical and mental obstacles we face and have overcome and yet to be overcome. The mountain is only there to test the fortitude we already have inside and to make us stronger. 

One of my favorite books is Robert Fulghum’s “Everything I Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”, and so, in the spirit of learning, I now present to you “Everything I Didn’t Want To Know But Learned Anyway On Aconcagua”

1.    The words Chardonnay and shower can sound remarkably similar at high altitude.
2.    Adults still love story time.
3.    When you’re having a hard time with the climb and searching for reasons to continue, all you have to do is remember Guide Michael’s words “Whatever motivates you”
4.    No matter what you do, no matter what people may say, always keep your spoon……..and in some cases, your fork. 
5.    Be wary of unknown salt shakers.
6.    Make sure you pass food around the table until it gets back to the person who it was originally handed to.
7.    And finally, the most important thing to remember, the one thing that you must always keep in mind, especially when you need someone in your corner to help you with that final push to the summit…… Andy Always Wins.

Climber Benjamin Koch

Weather ultimately dictates everything on these long expeditions and there's certainly no exception for our Team. Our agenda had us moving to Camp 2 this morning but we awoke to 40 mph winds and gusts of up to 60 mph here at Camp 1! Alas! You win again Aconcagua! Spirits remain high though as our forecasts call for more cooperating winds starting tomorrow and extending into early next week. So today we rest and prepare ourselves for the move to Camp 2 tomorrow. Best regards from all of us at Aconcagua's Camp 1. RMI Guide Steve Gately

The clouds moved in after dinner last night and left a thin dusting of snow over camp. When I poked my head out of the tent early this morning things were looking ominous: a thick cloud cover hung just over camp and everything was white. But a few miles down the valley the cloud bank broke and I could see morning light hitting the peaks behind. Gradually as I watched the clouds overhead dissipated and the peaks immediately around Base Camp lit up in the pink morning light. With the hulk of Aconcagua immediately to our east, Base Camp sat in shadow while we crawled out of the tents for breakfast. Even by 8:30 with the clear skies and snow there was a nip to the air as we packed our bags but just as we shouldered our packs, the sun peaked over the ridge line high above and immediately warmed us up. Bound for Camp 1 with loads of gear and supplies for the upper camps, we set out from Base Camp and crossed a small field of penitentes - the sharp snow spires - to begin ascending. The trail zigs and zags across the rocky scree slopes of Aconcagua, occasionally wrapping around rock outcroppings that jut out of the seemingly featureless slope. We made great time towards Camp 1, settling into a consistent pace and watching the brightly colored tents of Base Camp fade to small dots far below us. By midday we reached Camp 1, called "Camp Canada" which sits on the backside of massive stone tower at 16,600'. With the sun still shining and the winds holding at bay, we unloaded our gear and cached it among the snowdrifts and rocks at Camp 1. To our west large clouds were forming and soon after starting our descent the skies began to spit torrents of snow and hail that would come as quickly as they went. Between the snow flurries the sun would come out and it would be down right hot until the next wave of snow. Despite the swings in weather, and our constant clothing adjustments as a result, we made it back to Base Camp by mid-afternoon where we retreated to our tents to hang out and watch the clouds bounce over the mountaintops. Tom and Thomas climbed remarkably well today, tackling the new terrain and altitudes with little fanfare and all the while keeping me entertained with unending stories. We are all feeling good after the day and looking forward to our planned rest day here in Base Camp tomorrow before we move higher on the mountain. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 We hear that there was better weather in other places on Denali today, but not so much here at 11,000 ft. Different day, same weather. It was snow, blowing snow, cloud and blowing cloud. We made good use of an afternoon sun break to put on harnesses and crampons and go for a short walk on the lower half of "motorcycle hill" which is just above camp. It was a nice opportunity to stretch legs and review climbing techniques as well as a chance to see some cool blue crevasses. After a fine Mexican dinner, we chatted to pass the time and listened to radio traffic from around the mountain. It seems that we might have slightly better weather for a few days, at least according to our radio. We'll be ready to take advantage. There are four other guided parties waiting things out with us at 11 K and I'm certain they are ready to get moving again as well. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

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

We're back from Cotopaxi now, relaxing and enjoying warm showers, delicious food, and soft beds at the Hacienda La Cienega. We attempted to summit Cotopaxi this morning, but did not reach the summit due to a ferocious storm that blew in. We woke around midnight to a beautiful starry night. After breakfast and hot drinks, we set out on our climb around 1:00 am. A couple of clouds had started to form by then, but we still enjoyed nice weather for the start of our climb. Ascending the slopes above the climbing hut, everyone was doing well, and it sure seemed as if we had a great day for climbing. By the time we got to around 17,000', the weather changed dramatically; the cloudy sky above soon turned into a cloud that engulfed us. Winds were blowing in the 30-40 mph range, and we were coated in rime ice as we ascended. We reached an elevation of ~17,800' where we were able to take shelter in a natural ice cave formed by a crevasse. The team was climbing strong, given the challenging conditions-the wind made it challenging to keep our balance as we ascended. Even though the team was climbing well, I made the decision to turn around because of safety concerns; steep, icy slopes at these altitudes are no place for a mistake. The summit of Cotopaxi will always be here for us to attempt again, but you don't get a second chance with safety. We all descended safely to the climbing hut where we arrived covered in ice. After a couple hours of warming up and rehydrating, we descended to meet our vehicles and headed for a hot shower! We climbed roughly half way to the summit of Cotopaxi before the weather turned us around. We are all happy and rested now down at the lower altitude of our hacienda (still 10,000'!). Tomorrow we will drive north and head to the Hacienda Guachala. Everyone is healthy and happy, and did well fighting through the challenging weather.

Hola from Ecuador, All is well as we prepare for our summit attempt. We spent the first half of the day reviewing some basic climbing techniques on the glacier. Then the team had a quick lunch and a siesta to make up for some of the sleep we didn't get last night. Apparently a few of the team members forgot to mention they snore. We had a nice dinner and then finished packing up the last bit of gear needed for our climb. Everyone is feeling good and excited for tonight's climb. The weather has been good thus far, clear in the mornings and cloudy in the afternoons. Hopefully it will be the same for us tomorrow. Wish us luck!

Today, we sauntered into the wilderness of Washington for our first objective: South Twin Sister.
“What are we doing?” you might ask. “Where the heck is that?” you may wonder. Spoiler alert: it’s a hidden gem of a climb just south of Mt. Baker.

After crossing a downed tree over a raging creek and bushwhacking through a sea of berries, we arrived at camp nestled in a field of boulders. The question kept coming: “Have y’all done this climb before?” Sure have.

We spent the afternoon refreshing our skills in preparation for what’s to come. Hiding from the sun and heat, we’re hoping to get some sleep tonight.

Tomorrow, we climb.
— RMI Guide Ben & Team

Sunday, May 26, 2024 - 10:56 pm PT

The break in wind we had hoped for materialized and this morning was gorgeous. We got going early to take advantage. The Autobahn was chilly as always, but good walking thanks to the efforts of the multicompany guide effort yesterday. We had a bit of wind as we approached the Football Field, and were a bit worried about the winds streaming over the summit ridge. A passing friend described the ridge as savage. As we climbed Pig Hill in relative protection, they seemed to abate and as we crested things were relatively pleasant. We worked our way along the exciting terrain of the summit ridge and around 15:30, stepped onto the top of Denali. We shared some hugs and photos, and then scooted back across to beat the onrush of traffic still coming up. We had a pretty casual walk back, and 12 hours after we started we were back in camp in sunshine, recovering from a mighty day. We'll sleep well tonight, and then start to work our way to the airstrip tomorrow. We will be moving quite a bit with little rest until we reach base camp and the planes arrive to bring us to town. We'll try to stay in touch, but we will be home soon!

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer

May 16, 2021 - 5:32 pm PT

We woke lazily to light snow this morning and had a leisurely breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, and smoked Alaska salmon. At 11am we set off downhill to retrieve our cache from 10,000'. We were back at camp by 2pm, with plenty of time for a nap and to gorge on lunch food. We also had some camp chores to attend to and some gear sorting in order to be ready for the next stage of the game: establishing a cache around Windy Corner at ~13,800'. We hope to make that happen tomorrow or the next day. We'll keep you posted either way.

RMI Guide Mike Walter