Hi, this is Andres from the West Rib Expedition. We are having a rest day at 14,000’
Yesterday, we carried to 16,200’ to make a cache. So we now have some groceries and luggage up there, now we are having a rest day back at 14,000’. Everybody is doing great, in good spirits. Good weather here right now and we look forward to climbing again in a couple days. Everything is well here and we are having a great time and looking forward to the climb.
RMI Guide Andres Marin
Here from Grand Junction, CO we pray that everything will be fine in your expedition, we all are in good spirit too. A big hug for everyone over there. Hasta pronto, paz y amor, Patricia
Posted by: Patricia Corduban on 6/4/2011 at 6:31 am
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir Team along with RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Walter Hailes had a successful week of training on Mt. Rainier. The team spent the week learning crevasse rescue, setting snow and ice anchors, route finding, avalance training, and many other alpine climbing techniques. The team was able to take several walks above Camp Muir, but the winter like weather kept the from the summit. The team is on the descent and will be back at Ashford Basecamp in the early afternoon today.
Congratulations to today's team!
It was another beautiful day here on Mt. Elbrus! We woke to clear skies, calm winds and a amazing view of the enormous Caucasus range. We had our standard breakfast of porridge, boiled eggs, assorted meats, cheeses and coffee.
Today was our planned acclimatization day and the team set shortly after 8:30 and hiked for about 3 hours uphill and reached about 15,000', which was a new record for some! Along the way we ran into former RMI guide Craig Van Hoy. It was nice seeing an old friend and chatting with other Americans. We enjoyed the views took a few photos and then headed back down to camp for another amazing hot lunch cooked up by Russia's finest, Albina! The remainder of the afternoon has been spent relaxing in camp, listening to the thunder outside and taking naps.
All is well and the team is looking forward to doing a little technical training and resting tomorrow.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
I see you’re making great progress, Liz I know you’re having a great time! Could someone explain to me what porridge is? I can wikipidea it or I can dig deep in my chef roots, but can you have someone please explain!
June 26, 2014 - 9:33 pm PT
Hey this is Billy checking in from 17K on Denali, again, where we are still pinned down by the weather. Today is our second storm day. We actually had some sort of blue skies and clearing and some hope on the horizon but things closed back in here. They are calling for high pressure to build over the mountain this weekend. If we get up tomorrow and it looks promising, we might take a crack at it or we might be sitting tight until Saturday. Last night was definitely one of the most ferocious storms I have had to battle up here in Alaska. We were definitely up all night digging out tents with feet and feet of snow and very, very strong winds- 70 miles an hour. For our chance for it, we have tons of food and fuel, and we just need the weather to cooperate. And that's all for now.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
The Four Day Summit Climb June 16 - 19 led by Seth Waterfall and Gabriel Barral reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 7 a.m. PT. The teams reported light winds from the north and sunny skies.
Congratulations to the teams!
The team continues to wait for good weather before beginning our summit push. Right now our forecast is pointing towards a possible window some time in the May 23rd to 27th range. It's about what we expected when beginning our trip and so far our forecaster has been pretty much right on.
Today there is a lull in the winds up high and a few teams are possibly going for the summit today. We wish them the best of luck.
It's a tricky game judging the best window for the summit. Right now the Jet Stream is split to the north and south of the region. That doesn't mean that the summit conditions will be ideal but a small, fast team may be able to get to the summit. The better bet for us is to wait for more stable conditions to greater ensure that we can summit safely.
So for now we're still in a holding pattern. But we've got plenty of good food and we're enjoying our time here at Basecamp before we head back up the mountain.
Namaste,
Early this morning we loaded all of our gear up and drove through the slowly waking streets streets of Kathmandu to the airport for our flight to the mountains. Arriving well before sun up we found the airport bustling with sleepy but anxious trekkers. Four days of bad weather had prevented any flights from getting to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu, and people were understandably frustrated from spending day after day at the airport waiting to fly. But thankfully for us, the weather chose to break this morning and we walked straight through the waiting area and onto one of the first flights to Lukla. Our mountain flight, in a small twin otter designed for STOL runways - Short Take Off Landing - was amazingly smooth and we had gorgeous views of the Himalaya as we flew eastward from Kathmandu to the Everest Region.
Landing in Lukla is always, well, exciting. A narrow strip of asphalt, the Lukla airport is built straight into the hillside, perched at angle of 10 degrees or so, and only a couple of hundred meters long. As you approach all that is visible over the pilots' shoulders is a rapidly approaching mountainside before the strip appears below the wheels, the plane touches down and comes to a screaming halt, all in the the span of a few football fields.
We left the busy, congested streets of Kathmandu, flew past some of the world's greatest peaks, and landed on a narrow mountain airstrip in the heart of the Himalaya, all by 8:30 in the morning! In Lukla we stepped from the plane right onto the stone lined footpaths of the Khumbu where the trekking begins. We took advantage of the time needed to unload the plane and finalize our bags to enjoy a cup of tea and pasty from the local bakery while admiring the stunning mountains around us.
By midmorning we were on the trail, with the sun shining and a few clouds hanging amongst the highest mountains, making their summits appear to float in the sky above us. We made our way along the long, gradual descending traverse from the mountainside village of Lukla to the bottom of the Khumbu Valley along the banks of the Dudh Kosi. The trail took us along lines of neatly stacked stone walls between fields of wheat, lettuce and cabbage, through little villages tucked between the mountains and the river, and past banks of prayer wheels and stacks of mani stones - stone tablets engraved with Buddhist prayers. While the walking is quite benign, the surroundings are overwhelming with the combination of soaring peaks and fascinating Sherpa life that has carved a rich culture into these mountains. The group was thrilled to finally be here and walking after so many days of travel and moved very well today, taking to the trails easily and taking advantage of the great weather to snap plenty of photos.
Tonight we are staying in a small teahouse in Phakding on the banks of the Dudh Kosi - meaning milky river due to its silky blue/white color from the glacial sediment it carries. Tomorrow we climb from the valley floor to the trading center of Namche Bazaar where yak trains from Tibet bring in goods to exchange with the Sherpa and Nepalis of the surrounding area.
The teams sends their best to everyone back home. We will check in from Namche tomorrow.
Today was a “rest day,” which in Spanish apparently means “do your chores, pack your bag, unpack your bag, repack your bag, go for a hike up a steep hill and move rocks back and forth until you can hardly breathe.” And at 18,000 feet, just putting your shoes on can leave you breathless.
We did find some time for relaxation, however, with euchre, naps, confessions of past dating catastrophes, exchanging pro tips, and the best views we’ve had yet.
We also practiced making our camp look like we’re on a proper expedition rather than having a yard sale.
And we continued working on our hand tans.
Most importantly, we had time to ponder the important questions we’ve been debating over the last couple of days:
Why do mountain guides value a Coke more than the Hope diamond? And why do they carry only one trekking pole while we all carry two? What do they know that we don’t? And why won’t they tell us.
How much stuff can you squeeze into your sleeping bag at night so it doesn’t freeze?
How can 10 Brazilians take up so much space?
What did the Russian climber do with the other Russian climber’s body that night?
Do blue bags come in other colors … or would that be confusing? And why don’t they have scatalogical humor printed on them so you’d have something to read at night?
How can I get rid of all my extra food so I don’t have to carry it up … and then down … the rest of the mountain?
And why do they call this camp TWO, even though the sign says camp THREE and it’s actually our FIFTH camp?
In any event, as much as we miss the daily comforts of home, there is something liberating about simplifying your life down to the contents of a single backpack - a bed that packs down into a cubic foot, one pair of shoes (as uncomfortable as these mountain boots are), a single bowl, a single spoon, one shirt, one pair of pants and in many cases a single pair of underwear. No decisions about what to eat for dinner. No traffic. No TV. No politics. Just endless, unparalleled views and good company. Liberating.
Wish us luck.
RMI Guide Dominc Cifelli and Team
Postscript: What do you call a mountain guide without a girlfriend?
Hey, incredible team! We’re so proud of you for taking on this monumental challenge. Remember, few people dare to chase their goals with such determination, but you are doing just that.
As you conquer Aconcagua, know that you’re not just climbing a mountain – you’re proving to yourselves and to the world that dreams are worth chasing!
Keep pushing forward, and know that we’re cheering you on every step of the way!
-Sandra & Marion Champlain (Ben’s cousin & auntie)
Posted by: Sandra Champlain on 1/25/2024 at 6:23 am
The team let a out a collective sigh of relief today as we left the big city of La Paz for the quiet Bolivian country side. A few hours of driving, a ferry ride and five miles of scenic hiking brought us to a harbor on the Bolivian/Peruvian border. The views in all directions are incredible here. The contrast of the terraced golden field with the deep blue hue of the lake make a gorgeous contrast.
After trekking uphill we arrived at our eco lodge and settled into our rooms. A dinner of quinoa soup and trout next to a crackling fire closed out our night. We all look forward to exploring the island tomorrow.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
July 1, 2015 6:25 pm PST
Hey, it's Billy here checking in from 17,200' on Denali. We are back in camp after our foray up the Autobahn and around the corner on Denali Pass but it was quite windy. The wind along with zero visibility and blowing snow and some wind slab instability conspired to shut down our summit attempt. So we turned tail at just above 18,500 feet and everyone is back down in camp, in one piece safe and sound. We're trying to regroup and figure out what the future holds for us. We'll check in tomorrow and let you know we're up to you.
All for now.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
RMI Guide Billy Nugent checks in from 17,200 ft on Mt. McKinley
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Here from Grand Junction, CO we pray that everything will be fine in your expedition, we all are in good spirit too. A big hug for everyone over there. Hasta pronto, paz y amor, Patricia
Posted by: Patricia Corduban on 6/4/2011 at 6:31 am
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