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Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Elevation: 18,875'
Upon arrival at Antisana basecamp, we had no views of the mountain and a light drizzle. Upon departure it was beginning to storm again: rain, hail and lightning. But right in the middle was a perfect weather window for climbing.
We awoke to fog in camp, which we continued to ascend through until reaching about 17,300’. From that point, the clouds would remain below us and we climbed into a starry, calm night. We reached the summit just a bit after sunrise and it was perfectly still, so we hung for a while.
The route on Antisana is not particularly long, but it is complex, featuring heavily crevassed terrain. At the bergschrund, a steep pitch of belayed climbing takes you to the summit plateau where an additional 20 minutes of high-altitude walking takes you to the summit. Due to these various complexities, our group took just over 10 hours round trip for a route that ascends 4,080’.
Back at camp we enjoyed a lovely breakfast before spending several hours in transit to the town of Latacunga and Hacienda La Cienega, where many members of the team reported sleeping eight or nine hours straight through. The wine and comfy beds were well deserved.
We are now sitting on the bus, making the several hour drive south towards Chimborazo. We will stop in the town of Ambato for hilariously large burritos before continuing to Riobamba, where we will stay the night. Summit day on Chimborazo is Saturday night into Sunday morning and we are hoping for continued good weather.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier and team
On The Map
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,080'
So crazy how much different things can be up on the mountain. It’s shorts and t-shirts weather down in Seattle. Bummer…
Posted by: Jordan Cook on 5/19/2019 at 1:11 pm
Sorry you guys weren’t able to make the attempt. Next year!
Posted by: David Payne on 5/19/2019 at 9:36 am
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Ben Liken, Sean Collon
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Great effort on everyone’s part
Great time. Great day great memory’s
Posted by: Stan Golovac on 5/25/2014 at 5:49 am
Posted by: Jeff Martin
Categories:
On The Map
Hello JY! So excited for you and your team. Lifting all of you up in prayer. Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey!
Posted by: Nancy Rickerson on 6/7/2011 at 2:35 pm
Glad y’all are all together again and getting in some climbing. Stay warm and safe and have loads of fun!
Posted by: Barbarina Sprinkle on 6/6/2011 at 8:39 pm
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Our night in Punta Arenas was short and loud... to be honest. It was Friday night and the town square was chock full of partiers and demonstrators beating drums and waving flags. We were out of the hotel by 5 AM and bound for the airport -sleep or no sleep. The team filed through security in an empty airport and then we walked out to our trusty Gulfstream IV to load up. At 6:40 we launched and left South America. We had fine conditions for flying, and the Gulfstream has plenty of windows, but for the most part, clouds blocked our view of Tierra del Fuego. Many of the team dozed or read over the Drake Passage, but all began to come alive when we first spotted icebergs... and then ice flows, ice shelves, and finally the glaciers of mainland Antarctica. During our final half hour in the air, we had ridiculously clear views of the Ellsworth Mountains and Mount Vinson’s less traveled Eastern flank. Then our all star pilots, Fred and Curt, had the G4 on final approach at Union Glacier. We were all paying pretty close attention as the wheels touched down on hard ice and the plane rolled along at high speed. Reverse Thrust did the trick nicely and the roll turned into taxiing into position for disembarking and unloading. Our first steps in Antarctica were a thrill. We were each a little surprised at how pleasant the weather was. No wind and relatively mild temperatures meant we were comfy in light down coats. Handshakes, fist bumps and highfives all around seemed the appropriate first order of business. But then we got the plane unloaded and said goodbye to Fred and Curt who rocketed down the ice and into the air again on their return to Chile. Our “ground team” of ALE staffers scooped us up in a bus with enormous wheels and brought us via ice highways to Union Glacier Camp. Our flight had taken 3.5 hours (by comparison, the “normal” Ilyushin 76 ride is about 4.5 to 5 hours).
We toured the camp around noon and then basically had some time to kill. Our Twin Otter flight to Vinson was planned for about 5:30 PM. We ate, played soccer, rode fat tire bikes and messed with electronics. Finally, we loaded onto two ski equipped airplanes and enjoyed a spectacular cruise through progressively bigger ice covered mountains. The Canadian pilots, Monica and Russ, flew alongside one another for much of the hundred miles. We landed going uphill at 7,000 ft on the Branscomb Glacier and hopped out at Vinson Basecamp. Things were quite busy for a few minutes as the planes were emptied of our gear and then filled by a team leaving the mountain. Once the Otters were in the air again, Vinson Base got extremely quiet and calm. We met our ALE staff and fellow guides, Pachi Ibarra, Namgya Sherpa and Lakpa Rita Sherpa (who, between them, have 32 Everest summits). We had an amazing dinner by Chef Murph who crushed it with Lamb Shanks and Broccoli. Then we settled into our tents and sorted a little gear. The travel is complete, the climb starts tomorrow.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls from Deboche with an update on the progress of the Everest team.
On The Map
Hi Hans and all together,
it´s phantastic to follow you on your trek higher and higher…stay in a good mood with sunny weather and keep you warm…
Lot of love to you, Hans - Ute
Posted by: Ute Novak on 3/30/2015 at 2:04 pm
Uncle Larry,
be careful and congratulations on getting to climb the highest mountain in the world. maybe after this you want to hop to train with me. Lol be safe up there. I agree with mom your beard hopefull keep u worm.
Love
Ana wags
Posted by: Ana wagner on 3/30/2015 at 8:58 am
Posted by: Tyler Jones, Geoff Schellens, Pete Van Deventer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Fantastic! So proud of you. Gave a safe descent.
Posted by: Lydia on 7/3/2014 at 2:20 pm
Congrats! So proud of you guys.
Posted by: Ellen Seib on 7/2/2014 at 1:59 pm
Holy Smokers that is Awesome to climb in clear skies at the summit!!! Way to go !!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 1/21/2023 at 3:08 am
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