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Mt. McKinley: Okita and Team move to Camp 1

May 24, 2014

Posted by: Brent Okita, Leah Fisher, Nick Hunt

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,500'

May 23, 2014 - 11:11pm PT We awoke to wonderfully beautiful skies and not a hint of wind. What a nice reprieve to yesterday's gauntlet with the persistent cold breeze that hit us head on all day. It was with this nice weather that we started our climb to our next camp. We knew that our loads would be heavy, but Ski Hill always manages to humble even the most fit of climbers. But try as it might to torture us with it's deceptively constant grade, the team managed well and arrived at 9500' with energy left over to build camp and get settled. Our dinner of soup and burritos will hopefully sustain us for our next push: 11,200' camp. Thankfully, today was the last of the huge loads we'll be carrying as we plan on caching food, fuel and some personal gear here. We'll pick this cache up the following day and bring it up to our camp at 11,200'. It'll be nice to get to 11,200' where we'll finally be settled at the same camp for a number of days. That's the news from the Kahiltna Glacier these days. Cheers, RMI Guides Brent, Leah, Nick & Team

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Aconcagua: Nugent & Team Enjoy One More Rest Day at Basecamp

January 11, 2014

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Walter Hailes, Katrina Bloemsma

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 13,800'

Another rest day here at Basecamp... Not much to report other than that the team is enjoying a beautiful day resting up after a longer day yesterday. The R & R down here at base is definitely going to pay dividends as we climb higher and higher. Tomorrow, if the good weather continues, will see our departure from base onto the upper mountain for good... Talk tomorrow after our move to Camp 1! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out.

Posted by: Ralph W. on 1/12/2014 at 6:24 pm

Billy Nugent.. Be safe and enjoy the climb, always thinking about you! Love from all of us here on the ground! Pam, Jim Jack and Abby!

Posted by: Pam Wenzel on 1/11/2014 at 11:13 pm

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Mt. McKinley Expedition: Mallory & Team Ready to Move to High Camp

July 5, 2011

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Well, we've had so much fun here at 14 Camp that we spent another day here, although hopefully our last. The weather cleared overnight and the temperatures dropped while we were in the tents since the clouds were no longer offering a bit of insulation. It was very cold around camp this morning as we waited for the sun to hit us. With things warming up we walked across the plateau of Genet Basin where 14 Camp sits to a rock outcropping on the southeastern side known as "The Edge of the World." There the mountain side falls away more than 6,000' to the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier below. We peeked over the edge there, appreciating the first truly clear views below us that we've had yet. We stared out over the lower Kahiltna where we were traveling our first few days of the climb. Mt Hunter and Foraker rose proudly above the glacier below. It was a spectacular view. The weather remained nice so the team took a little hike above 14 Camp, stretching the legs after a few sedentary days here before returning to camp to finish preparing our gear for tomorrow's move to high camp. We are rested and ready to head up to high camp to make our summit bid. The weather appears to be improving and we are all keeping our fingers crossed - we'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Thanks for all the blog comments and 4th of July wishes, we appreciate hearing from everyone, the team sends their best to everyone at home. RMI Guide Linden Mallory

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The weather sounds great. Hope you were able to move on up. It must be so exciting!!! We are excited for you. Good luck as you continue your adventure.

Posted by: Lorraine and John on 7/6/2011 at 1:56 pm

Great to hear the weather is improving! Onward to the summit! Go team!

Posted by: cyndy andrus on 7/6/2011 at 8:20 am

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Mt. McKinley: Great Day Caching Gear for Haugen’s Team

June 18, 2011

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

We woke up early to beautiful skies. Even though the sun never set, it was low enough to cast an orange glow on the large moon that hung over the Kahiltna Glacier. A five o'clock departure ensured solid glacier travel as we headed up to 10,100' to cache some of our gear. We plan to reunite with this gear when we do a ''back carry'' after we establish a camp at 11,000'. After 6 hours of climbing up to our cache and then back down to 7,800' camp, we spent the rest of the day resting and hydrating. We enjoyed some great conversation over Elias' amazing mountain quesadillas before heading to bed. Happy Father's Day to all of our dads! RMI Guide Mike Haugen P.S. Mrs. Chu, Patrick aced his finals! We are so proud!

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Hi everybody I am Elias´s brother, I am writting from Spain.I just would like to said Good luck to all of you! And please be carefull, there are a lot of danger at every step!

enjoy!

Posted by: JORGE DE ANDRES on 6/30/2011 at 1:54 pm

Happy Father’s Day to you all! I’m SO sorry I missed your call, I would have loved to hear the sound of your voice live (the message was nice though). We are all missing you and sending you lots of love. love, best daughter (hehe, the whole team is going to think your family is crazy!)

Posted by: Yashu on 6/19/2011 at 9:39 pm

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Team Hahn Getting R&R at Basecamp

May 16, 2009

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,500 ft.

Today is our fortieth day in Base Camp. Everyone is still hanging in there, mentally. Mostly due to our huge store of snacks and games. I won't lie though, living in a tent for this long is a tough prospect, even for seasoned mountain guides. Soon enough we'll be heading back up on the mountain for our summit bid. Erica, Dave and I are getting pretty excited for it. Our last rotation on the mountain presented some challenges but we're all healthy and in good spirits. After a few more days of rest we should be all set to go for it. For now it's all about resting, hydrating and eating here at BC. The trick is to get a good rest without letting the legs stiffen-up too much. We do this by going for little hikes around camp. It always ends up as a tea-fest though as whenever you go by a friend's camp they invariably invite you in for a cup and a snack. Today camp has finally started to thin out. The weather is starting to look good for summit bids and every morning a few more teams have headed up. This works to our strategy as we are trying to summit after the main push of climbers. This is so that we avoid big traffic jams on summit day. It's all a timing game for us now. So until we leave for the summit it's going to be an endless stream of candy bars, Scrabble, card games, potato chips, iPods and sleeping. Not necessarily in that order. Soon enough we'll be heading back up, leaving the luxuries of Base Camp behind. It won't be too tough for me. I really can't wait to get a shot at the summit. All we need is a bit of good luck and some nice weather.

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Reach 11,000’, Establish New Camp

May 15, 2023

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Tatum Whatford, Henry Coppolillo

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,000'

Sunday, May 14, 2023 - 9:49 pm PT

The mountain reminded us how strong she is today and have us a good fight. We woke to sun and warm temps in camp and the beginnings of a beautiful day. We packed up camp and started moving uphill again to 11. At first we moved with better vis, views, and a little jump in our step. But as we walked the clouds from yesterday moved back in with a stiff wind and a lot of blowing snow. Quite quickly we had little visibility and following the tracks of previous climbers became quite difficult. But the team was warm, had all the gear we needed to move in the weather, so we marched on with the help of GPS. After a good battle and a longer day than anticipated, we made it to 11,000' Camp. Tents were a welcome sight but the battle wasn't over. We still had a few hours of camp constructing to do before we would be in our shelters. The team worked really well together and rallied it out, and now we are sitting snug In tents and sleeping bags, reminiscing about the day.

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer

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Grateful for these updates. Sounds like a strong group. Sending you all lots of positivity!

Posted by: Chris's mom on 5/15/2023 at 9:28 pm

Thanks for the updates. Good to know that all is well.

Posted by: Louise Kennedy on 5/15/2023 at 6:37 pm

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Alaska Alpine Climb: Elias and Team Climb the Lost Marsupial

June 12, 2018

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Chase Nelson

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 - 2:08 PM PT Good evening! What a day we had... Another alpine objective tackled! We had some snow overnight, so we dragged our feet to see what the weather would do. It warmed up enough to melt the light snow from the rocks, so we decided to aim for a rock route. By 1pm we decided to head to the "Throne" one of the biggest formations in the Pika Glacier. We climbed the "Lost Marsupial" route, a long moderate route among the clouds, above some planes that brought tourist to the glacier, and into the evening (that's what we get to enjoy climbing in Alaska, 24h of daylight) a great pasta dinner followed our arrival to camp. After dinner, we went to bed right away, as we're planning an early departure for our next objective. Stay tuned! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team a Shaky Start in Alaska

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Wednesday June 24th 11:15 pm PT This was a typically full and busy prep day for Denali in many ways... And a little atypical as well. We had plenty to do, a big and delicious breakfast meeting at the Roadhouse, our informative orientation slideshow with the National Park Service at the Talkeetna Ranger Station and an afternoon of checking and sorting climbing equipment and supplies out at the K2 Aviation hangar. It was during the gear sorting that the atypical event transpired. We were working outside, enjoying the summer sunshine. Airplanes were taxiing and revving their props, trains were going back and forth with blaring horns and mild rumbling... When real rumbling began. An earthquake struck a little before 2:30 in the afternoon. It was unmistakable, but also fairly mild where we were standing... even if it was surreal. We heard reports that it was a magnitude 5.8 quake centered about sixty miles west of Talkeetna, which must mean that our climber-friends and co-workers probably felt it more than we did. We sure hope that none were in delicate circumstances for the event and that all were ok. Our team went back to packing and prepping for flying onto the Kahiltna Glacier tomorrow morning. The afternoon finished with a weigh-in of food and fuel, clothing, tents, ropes, stoves, sleds, shovels, people and a small mountain of miscellaneous ballast for the climb. We sat outside for dinner, talking over the details of tomorrow and the start of a big adventure, but also simply relaxing and enjoying a memorable summer day before we commit to snow and ice. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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wishing the group no un-expected storms or earthquakes…smooth climbing all the way to the top!

Posted by: kathie grengs on 6/25/2015 at 1:58 pm

That’s a crazy day! Thanks for the report! Go team and safe beginnings to all.

Posted by: Laura Taft Paulsen on 6/25/2015 at 1:52 pm

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Aconcagua: Team Enjoys Rest at Base Camp

February 8, 2014

Posted by: JJ Justman, Katrina Bloemsma

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 13,800'

Today is our first rest day at Aconcagua Base Camp and man is it nice. We woke up and made a huge brunch of home fries and scrambled eggs complete with real French press coffee. What a treat! Between lounging in the sun and exploring the streams and scenery around camp, the team has been preparing their equipment for our carry to Camp One tomorrow. Checking and double checking that they've got all their technical gear and are bringing enough chocolate and gummies for the upper mountain. The carry to Camp One will be a big day, but the team is feeling strong and the sun will be out. Wish us luck and keep posting on the blog, we enjoy reading your comments! RMI Guide Katrina Bloemsma

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Thanks for the support! I have just a few min of connectivity; Set a personal best today, the gear carry to camp 1 (was super easy, NOT) put be at 4800m/15k ft. Back at base tonight.
Kiernan happy birthday!
Aidan i cant wait to hear how you won 5 bucks from mom.
Devlin i love you too.
Julian, team & guides are great and the jury is still out but I think Paris might have been a better vacation ;) Xoxoxox

Posted by: KenM on 2/9/2014 at 11:56 am

Rich! Love you so much and wish I were there with you! Have fun and enjoy the climb…looking forward to more blog posts we are following them closely! Stay safe

Siriana says “Daddy I love you have a good trip and make sure you are safe in Agacagua in Chile” LOL

Ky says “I love you Daddy and have fun at Aquacongua and be safe so we can see you on the computer while you are in your tent!”

Chanchai is sleeping so no comment from him right now. :-)

Posted by: Susie on 2/9/2014 at 9:05 am

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Aconcagua: Justman & Team Travel through the Vacas Valley to Casa de Piedra

January 15, 2014

Posted by: JJ Justman, Mike King, Steve Gately

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 10,550'

The team is at Casa de Piedra, which in Spanish means... house of...Piedra. It was another gorgeous day of trekking in the Vacas Valley. Everyone is doing great and we are excited to be one step closer to base camp. For me it's always fun to hear and see the expressions on people's faces as they truly appreciate how beautiful it is here. We had a condor sighting, which is rare in the towering mountains. However, the elusive guanaco is nowhere to see. I'm pretty sure if I put on some Old Spice it will attract some for the team. Stay tuned!! RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Well done, dad (Lew Smith)! Keep going strong! We hope you are having a great time down there. Climb on!

Love you,

Kyle and Stephanie

Posted by: Kyle A. Smith on 1/17/2014 at 8:41 am

Good going Mom! Stuff is great at home….. don’t worry….

Posted by: Buddy on 1/15/2014 at 6:11 pm

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Most Popular Entries

Mt. McKinley: Okita and Team move to Camp 1

On The Map

Aconcagua: Nugent & Team Enjoy One More Rest Day at Basecamp

Mt. McKinley Expedition: Mallory & Team Ready to Move to High Camp

Mt. McKinley: Great Day Caching Gear for Haugen’s Team

Team Hahn Getting R&R at Basecamp

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Reach 11,000’, Establish New Camp

Alaska Alpine Climb: Elias and Team Climb the Lost Marsupial

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team a Shaky Start in Alaska

Aconcagua: Team Enjoys Rest at Base Camp

Aconcagua: Justman & Team Travel through the Vacas Valley to Casa de Piedra

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