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Denali Custom Expedition: Hahn & Team Remain at 14,000’ Camp

July 4, 2019

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

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Wednesday, July 3, 2019 - 10:22 PM PT Yet another snowy, cloudy morning at 14,000' Camp. There was less wind today though, so it was easier to be outside. It wasn’t a day for moving up or down the mountain -everybody stayed put. We found diversions, like remodeling the walls of our bathroom and kitchen and generally just digging holes in the snow. There was a brief clearing around noon, but then things clouded up again and the wind appeared to ramp up on the South Peak. We did a mid-afternoon quesadilla session and then logged a little tent time. In the evening we attended a barbecue. The final National Park Service ranger patrol of the season is tasked with packing up the NPS camp at 14K and they decided they had too much meat. Not wanting it to go to waste, they invited all the remaining teams on the mountain to come over to socialize and get a cheeseburger, which we did. There were about fifty of us standing out in the snow, comparing home towns and countries and climbing goals. Up at 17,000 there may be another 25 climbers waiting for a weather break, but they are sadly out of cheeseburger range. Believe it or not, we STILL like the forecast. We’ll get moving again tomorrow or the next day. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Love you and miss you Tym!! Hang in there.

Posted by: Kristen on 7/4/2019 at 10:07 am

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Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Holding Steady

July 10, 2014

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Ben Liken, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

July 9, 2014 - 10:34 pm PT It wasn't such a bad day to start. There was plenty of blue sky overhead at 6 AM and a little wind to contend with up high, but the day had potential to be just right for moving to 17,000 ft. The team was feeling good and ready. But we held off, talked some on the radio to friends at 17K (teams up there were staying put, not going for the top) and we watched the weather deteriorate. The winds increased, a cloud cap formed on the mountain and the rest of the sky began to cloud up. Before it clogged up completely, we roped up and took a short walk to "The Edge of the World" to look down on the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. We belayed each other out onto the overhanging prow of rock for hero shots. Then we headed back to camp and hunkered down in the tents for an afternoon of light snow and heavy cloud. We'll hope for better weather tomorrow. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Alaska Seminar: Davis & Team Fly from the Kahiltna Glacier

May 26, 2014

Posted by: Leon Davis, Katrina Bloemsma, Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 348'

May 26, 2014 - 5:18 pm PT Hello everyone! Saying hello from Talkeetna, Alaska! We made it off this afternoon despite the evil forecast. This morning we left 9,700' and walked down glacier into deep clouds that retreated as we made our way to Kahiltna Base Camp. All day we heard and saw fleets of airplanes coming in and by mid afternoon we were on one of them. So the team is safe and sound taking showers and indulging in vices. It's been a fantastic trip with a great group. Thanks for tuning in! RMI Guide Leon Davis

Mexicos Volcanoes: Hoch & Team Reach Summit of La Malinche for Acclimatization

February 5, 2024

Posted by: Joe Hoch, Sam Hoffman

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico

Elevation: 14,636'

A La Malinche summit!

Yesterday team Mexico Volcanos got up early and left Mexico City, hoping for an early departure from the trailhead for our first volcano, 14500 foot La Malinche.

Recently, the Policía de Montaña, some of whom carry inappropriately large machine guns(tough to argue with), have been quite strict about turning all climbers around at 2pm, no matter your location or fancy technical outerwear. They mean well, as many folks attempt this very large mountain in jeans and street shoes, and seemingly no water or food. With our drive from Mexico City, it would be a push to make it, but the team was willing.

We left the park entrance with 4,500 feet to cover at around 11:30am. The team understood that it would be a little faster pace than normal to make it happen and evade la Policía, but they were up for it.

At 3 pm, 3.5 hours and 4,500 feet later, we scrambled to the rocky summit of La Malinche with a beautiful view and not a cloud in the sky. There stood a single Policía de Montaña, who said simply, “Bajo por favor, ahora! (Down please, now!).”

We negotiated quickly for, “Solo una foto?(Just one photo?).” He was grumpy but willing, and as we took one picture of the team on the summit, the views were incredible of Volcan Iztaccihautl and Orizaba, our next two volcanos.

Once we left the strict gaze of our friendly Policía on the summit, we were able to take some well earned relaxing breaks on our descent and enjoy the company of our new mountain dog friends, who showed us a thing or two about negotiating the loose boulder fields.

A customary feast of barbecued steak and cactus tacos awaited us at our cabins in the forest below La Malinche, and it was an early bedtime!

The crew is super excited for our successful summit, and ready to hit the road and head to our next adventure, 17,159' Volcan Iztaccihautl!

RMI Guide Joe Hoch

New Post Alerts:
Mexico's Volcanoes February 3, 2024

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Way to go Connor and Aleeza! Props to Aleeza for representing for the ladies!!

Posted by: Amy Lewis on 2/5/2024 at 9:53 am

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Aconcagua: Smith and Team Carry to Camp Two

January 17, 2023

Posted by: Hannah Smith, Ben Luedtke, Daniel May

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 18,000'

Hola Family and Friends!

What a day it was. After waking up from a night of heavy wind gusts and having breakfast, we took a few extra minutes sipping our (dulce de leche) coffee to allow the winds to calm down and the sun to get higher in the sky. Feeling warmed up, we did some last-minute packing, doublechecked the tie downs on our tents and headed up to Camp 2, AKA Guanacos 3, for our carry day. As we crisscrossed on rocky and snowy terrain, we took in our first amazing views of Cerro Ameghino. Once we passed through the saddle, we began the long traverse below the Polish glacier, and enjoyed more amazing views of the Andes Mountain range to the north.

Arriving at camp, we took the time to take pictures, unload our packs, and headed downhill back to Camp One. With our bellies full of quesadillas, we are currently weathering more winds and looking forward to a well-earned rest day tomorrow.

RMI Guides Hannah, Ben, Dan, and Team

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poO2BsVGdIU

Posted by: Terry Reilly on 1/18/2023 at 9:11 am

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Mt. Shuksan: Gately & Team Summit!

July 22, 2019

Posted by: Steve Gately, Avery Parrinello

Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades

Elevation: 9,131'

RMI Guide Steve Gately checked in from camp after a successful summit and descent of Mt. Shuksan's Fisher Chimneys route. Steve reported a great route and an even better team. The team will stay overnight in camp and begin their descent back to the land of good food and cold drinks tomorrow. Congratulations to the Fisher Chimneys crew!

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If this summit of Shuksan happened on July 22, 2019 between 9am and 10am, I have photos of 3 on the top. I would like to share them. Quite amazing shots considering how far away I was. I was on the roadway leading to Artist Point. The Big Glass gets the results!

Posted by: Brit Reese on 7/28/2019 at 6:06 pm

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Shishapangma: The Team is Ready to Launch Their Summit Push

September 26, 2016

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Adam Knoff, Robby Young

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Shishapangma

Elevation: 18,500'

On to the roofs of the world!!!! This morning we set our sights to the summit of Shishapangma. Spent the morning packing bags and double checking our equipment. #allthewayup. After 26 days of preparation, we're ready to launch our summit attempt. Excited to reach new heights and goals. Weather forecast says we're set for the 1st. Ramen will toughen us up! We feel strong with the force, and confident on the climb to come. We thank you all for the blog comments, which strengthen our spirits. *This blog was written around the breakfast table, one sentence per member. May the force be with us!!!! The RMI Shishapangma team

Climber Scott Anderson Recaps March’s Mexico’s Volcanoes Climb

May 14, 2015

Posted by:

Categories: Mexico

The RMI family and the mountaineering community are quite something to witness and to be a part of, if only for a trip here and there. The Mexico volcano trip this last March was exactly what I had hoped it would be, and as usual it turned out to be infinitely more. My two previous Rainier summits with RMI had made a believer out of me. Telling my family that I would be in the absolute best hands while in Mexico wasn't some shading of the truth. With the mythical creatures known as guides — Jake, Christina and Alfredo — watching out for us, we set out on a most excellent adventure to climb Ixtaccihuatl and El Pico de Orizaba. The money, the time and the physical preparation to get the privilege of attempting to summit these glorious peaks seemed to be my primary focus prior to leaving but that was not my greatest takeaway from this adventure. The very best part of this trip, for so many of us, was the friendships that were formed as we came together as a team. From a train engineer to pilots and financial analysts to company presidents, everyone came together to embrace the experience. There aren't many venues these days where people of such different backgrounds and ages are put together to achieve a difficult goal like mountaineering. The immediate concern for one another was astounding. All of us trading what small bits of information we had that might help a teammate, sharing best practices or a piece of gear, and acts of kindness that you never see coming were happening from our first meeting in Mexico City. On Orizaba, our only summit possibility, when one of the team was going to turn back with just the guide another member offered to keep him company. What an act of selfless kindness. The fantastic cultural experience was also something I hadn't really thought about until my arrival. Throughout our travels in Mexico we were met with tremendous hospitality. Dr. Reyes' staff at the historic climbing hostel Servimont in Tlachichuca provided us with incredible food, entertainment and service. It was a unique experience to be welcomed into that legendary place. The city of Puebla is a real gem. The architecture, the restaurants, the people; I could have spent a week entertaining myself there. To experience this place with my fellow climbers was truly a lot of fun. Oh yes, the mountain part. Sketchy weather was stalking us the whole trip with an early arrival of Spring. The guides got us prepped and in position but no one doubted the decision to retreat off Ixta after a night at 15,400 feet. It was a night to be nice and cozy. Orizaba had wicked winds and a good snowfall prior to our arrival. Our train engineer offered his four wheeling skills and whipped that beast of a vehicle up the mountain road shaving hours off our hike to the Piedra Grande Hut. What a hoot! Of course it was a classic challenging RMI mission; methodical, focused, safe. We didn’t have the best visibility until our descent but summiting was another incredible event to share with my new climbing family! The experience was a thing of beauty; the mountain, but more so the excitement and spiritual moment for each of us being up there. A huge thanks to RMI, my fellow climbers, our guides, and all the folks who supported us. I will continue to practice my rest stepping in Kentucky and very much look forward to my next adventure.

Ecuador Seminar: Grom & Team Summit Cotopaxi!

February 15, 2015

Posted by: Casey Grom, Ben Liken

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 19,348'

The Ecuador Seminar team, led by Casey Grom and Ben Liken reached the Cotopaxi summit this morning! Check out the photos Casey sent us this morning from their summit bid. Congratulations team!

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Mt. Rainier: Summit Climb Teams on Top!

July 22, 2014

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Pete Van Deventer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

Both the Four and Five Day Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams tagged the top! RMI Guides Mike Haugen and Pete Van Deventer reported a sleet/snow mix and moderate winds. At 8:45 a.m. they radioed basecamp to say they are beginning their descent.

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Most Popular Entries

Denali Custom Expedition: Hahn & Team Remain at 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Holding Steady

On The Map

Alaska Seminar: Davis & Team Fly from the Kahiltna Glacier

Mexicos Volcanoes: Hoch & Team Reach Summit of La Malinche for Acclimatization

Aconcagua: Smith and Team Carry to Camp Two

Mt. Shuksan: Gately & Team Summit!

Shishapangma: The Team is Ready to Launch Their Summit Push

Climber Scott Anderson Recaps March’s Mexico’s Volcanoes Climb

Ecuador Seminar: Grom & Team Summit Cotopaxi!

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: Summit Climb Teams on Top!

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