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Hello from Aguas Calientes,
We arrived to
Macchu Picchu this morning!! After a super early 3:30am wake up call, and 4:30 start, we hiked the last couple miles to this one of the world's seven wonders of architecture. Light rain and plenty of clouds greeted us at Intipunku (Sun Gate), perched on the hills of Macchu Picchu mountain. But upon descent to the citadel itself, the ceiling of vaporized water cleared up and we could admire, as a reward for the last week of intense hiking through the Andes, the mysticism of this "lost City of the Incas" as well as its dramatic mountain cliffs surrounding us.
We are now resting at our hotel, equally excited about tomorrow's hike to Huayna Picchu, above Macchu Picchu. Stay tuned for the last report and pictures.
Regards,
RMI Guide
Elías de Andres Martos and the Team.
PS: photo attached from Puyupatamarca, Inca site on our descent to Macchu Picchu yesterday
The mules are loaded up and we are ready to start the approach! Today we will walk to
Pampa de Lenas and say goodbye to wheeled transit and trees. Every long journey begins somewhere and though we've been preparing for a long time, now it seems like we are actually beginning the climb. So long friends and family and stay tuned for the adventure to come.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
On The Map
We were hoping for a break in the weather as today was our last chance for a
Mt. Shuksan summit bid, instead we got more rain. It's one of the dice we roll when spending time in the mountains. Whatever our weather, Joy and Jim are still laughing and having fun. The rain has been steady all day today and even breakfast had to be made in the vestibule of the tent. We are hoping to see a weather break or two for our hike out tomorrow.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
Hello friends, all is well here in sunny Ecuador! Yesterday we kicked off our adventure with a trip to the Equator to learn some science and balance eggs on a nail (difficult, but not impossible), followed by a cultural tour of the city. After a delicious Ecuadorian dinner and some spa time, the team hit the hay to rest up before our first acclimatization hike.
We awoke to blue skies and after a nice breakfast we headed to the teleférico where we took a ride up to 13,000 feet and were able to stretch our legs on a wonderful hike to the summit of Rucu Pichincha 15,354 feet. We saw some splendid flowers along the way and even some friendly birds at the summit.
Tomorrow we will check out of our hotel and make our way to Cero Fuya Fuya for another acclimatization hike before ending our day at a lovely hacienda in Otavalo (don't worry friends and family we are certainly not roughing it on this trip). Morale is high and at dinner tonight we will be finalizing our new team name so stay tuned.
Hope all is well back at home and hasta mañana.
RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier, Michael Murray & Team
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Ecuador's Volcanoes 12-2-2023
Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 10:26 PM PT
Storms were forecasted for today... 90% chance of snow. But when we looked at the world at 4:30 this morning, things were just pretty, clear and calm. So we got up and ate breakfast. After breakfast it was still just fine in our neighborhood, so at 7 AM we set off to do a carry onto the
West Buttress. The track was well packed and so we made great progress in the shadows, moving up a series of gradually steepening hills until we were at the "headwall" and the ropes fixed in place up it. The start was a little sporty since there was a small vertical wall to scale in order to get past the bergschrund (a particular kind of crevasse at the top margin of a glacier). But with the aid of the rope and some sharp crampons, we each clawed our way up and over the lip to begin the merely steep and never ending slope above. But it did end as we pulled onto the ridge crest at 16,200 ft which turned out to be the perfect place for a rest break at 10 AM. Then we began climbing the ridge itself with spectacular-and still largely clear- views and the cleanest pink and white granite to clamber around and over. One more short section of fixed line took us up the steep flanks of Washburn’s Thumb at 16,800 ft and then it was relatively easy -but exciting- ridge walking with the Peters Glacier far below on the left and Genet Basin 3000 ft down on the right. By this point there were starting to be a few clouds and some wind gusts, but with the mild temperatures the wind wasn’t much of a concern. We cruised into 17,200 Camp at 12:15 and had a brief reunion with Mike Haugen’s team encamped there and waiting for the weather up top to be workable (it wasn’t today... too windy). With the idea of getting lower down before the storm moved in, we cached our supplies and skedaddled down the ridge. We were almost back in camp at 3PM when the clouds formed fantastic waves and tendrils all around the upper mountain. It began to snow heavily just after our six o’clock dinner of tortellini and soup... fulfilling the 90% prophecy. But we got our carry in. Rest is in order for tomorrow.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
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
It's an evening for celebration! Our Expedition Skills Seminar - Peru team made it back down safely from Copa Base Camp to the bustling city of
Huaraz after a successful climb of Nevada Copa yesterday. Tonight, we're winding down our program after an incredible two weeks here in the Cordillera Blanca. We've done a whole lot of moving through the mountains during that time, learned a ton about what it takes to climb in this great range, and successfully stood on top of three incredible summits.
This afternoon, we bid farewell to Coronel and Pablo, our incredible cook staff, who took excellent care of us over the last two weeks. Tonight, our dinner plates included a wild and wide range of local eats, including the classic Cuy (Guinea Pig), a Peruvian delicacy. With some local cervezas in accompaniment, we shared some stories, enjoyed each other's company for one more dinner, and reflected on our time here in this wonderful country. Tomorrow, it's back to sea level, where most of us will say goodbye to friends, new and old, and start the journey home to our families.
Thanks for following along for the last two weeks! Until next time!
RMI Guides
Robby Young and
Steve Gately, and your Expeditions Skills Seminar - Peru team
RMI Guide Jake Beren and the
Mount Rainier summit climb began their descent from the crater rim at 7:55 a.m. They spent over an hour on the summit in beautiful and crisp weather.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
We have arrived at base camp! Our team is in full effect chilling. We had a beautiful last day trekking up the
Relinchos Valley, and guess what!? The Old Spice worked! We had a family of guanacos checking us out as we filled up water bottles at a nearby stream.
The cowboys that have graciously helped us waved goodbye as they rode past. Aconcagua was out for most of the day as we walked in. The team is doing great and it's so nice to unload all our gear without having to pack it all up for the mules. Now, we get to rest and relax at 13,800 feet.
RMI Guide
JJ Justman & Team
"It's another beautiful day here on the summit of Mt. Rainier with no wind" was the radio call from Tyler Jones this morning at 7:42am PST as he and Billy Nugent successfully led another Four Day Summit Climb Team to the top of Mt. Rainier. The teams were able to spend some time on the summit before starting their descent back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to Today's Teams!
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So glad that you are there, what a beautiful view. Know that you all will never forget it. love, Momma
Posted by: Patsy Hollie on 8/8/2014 at 12:29 am
We are so proud of you. Congratulations! Knew you could do it!
Posted by: Cindy on 8/7/2014 at 11:14 am
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