June 25, 2014 - 11:35pm PT
A rainy and grey morning in Talkeetna didn't stop our team from a seven o'clock breakfast meeting at Talkeetna's great Roadhouse. We were primed and ready for our important orientation at the Talkeetna Ranger Station at 8:30. Our climbers were honored to have Roger Robinson himself give the presentation. Roger has been climbing Denali and rescuing Denali climbers for close to four decades now. Then it was out to the K2 Aviation hangar where we spread out our gear and got down to the nuts and bolts of figuring out exactly what to bring on the climb and what to leave behind. It took much of the afternoon to sort gear and to get it all weighed, inventoried and ready for flying. So it became an "indoors" day, which was just fine. Rain kept falling and there was precious little flying going on out at the normally bustling Talkeetna Airport. The team got together finally for what we hope will be our last dinner in town for some time. It was a fine feast, but we'd just as soon be on climbing rations when supper time rolls around tomorrow.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
June 8, 2014 - 9:19 pm PT
Today was a great day for resting and that is what we did. We awoke to some clouds and snow at our camp at 7,800' and decided to hunker down. Reviewing some knots and hitches filled the spaces between naps and we are raring to go tomorrow if the weather allows. It is snowing at present and with more snow in the forecast, we'll just have to wait and see.
RMI Guide Jake Berenn
Well, we are off the mountain safe and sound back at the hotel in Quito. Our descent went extremely smoothly with the snow conditions making for a much easier time than we had on Cayambe. At our lunch pit stop on the way back to the city we happened to randomly run into another RMI team headed by Casey and Topo that was headed from Illiniza Sur into Cotopaxi. I hope they come across the same great weather and conditions we enjoyed today. Anyway, we are all resting and cleaning up at the hotel before we meet one last time as a team tonight for a celebratory dinner.
Until next year...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team
The Four Day Summit Climb August 5 - 8 led by Seth Waterfall reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today! The teams enjoyed a beautiful climb this morning with clear skies, warm temperatures and not a breath of wind. They began their descent from the crater rim shortly before 7 a.m. PT en route to Camp Muir. The team will continue their descent to Paradise later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb!
Sleeping in has never felt better! Today there were no calls for hots while the temps outside hovered near the 0 degree mark. We got up when the sun warmed up the inside of the tent and the frost on the tent walls and ceilings started dripping on our foreheads.
Today was a day to linger over our brunch of smoked salmon, bagels and cream cheese. Have a third cup of something, and just relax. Yes, at one point we did feel obliged to fortify camp as all smart climbers would, but many hands made for short work of this chore.
We also hosted our successful RMI team led by Billy and Solveig to some fine bacon and cheese bagels. These guys were on their way down the mountain to catch a plane off the glacier.
So far the weather looks good for us to move camp up to 17,200'. We're all excited for the move, seeing how it will put us in great position to finally make our summit bid. We'll try to catch you tomorrow for an update, but given the tremendous amount of work we have in store, it may be delayed.
Good night,
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Maile
I hope this is the right team! I wanted to give a shout out to Frank Saunders! I am watching progress here in Memphis at Armstrong! What an incredible experience! So proud of you! Have fun and can’t wait to hear all about the details when you get back!
Posted by: Monica on 5/31/2011 at 6:46 am
sounds you you all had a great deserved day of rest. Maile I know how much you like to have your nap so I hope you got one in. Hope the weather holds for you guys Miss ya girl xoxo Mom
Hello from about 14,000' on Pico de Orizaba! We are all well amidst a winter wonderland...the low pressure system that chilled us on Ixta is still with us. Currently there is about 6 inches of snow at our camp with poor visibility and intermittent snowfall.
The forecast is for improving weather, so our team is anticipating a fair weather climb, we shall see! For now, we are building our quiver of climbing skills with a great knot lesson. "a not neat knot need not be knotted!"
We give thanks for the great, safe, and determined driving of Victor and Ulysses...driving on 4x4 roads in a snow storm is hard enough, not to mention while shuttling climbers to 14,000'!
Another excellent gourmet meal is enjoyed as we wait for improving weather!
On August 7, 2025, the RMI Expeditions Four Day Climb, led by guides Brent Okita and Leif Bergstrom, made the difficult but wise decision to turn around at 12,900 feet due to challenging route conditions. The team was greeted with sunny skies and stunning views above a thick marine layer, a reminder of the mountain’s ever-changing beauty and unpredictability.
While the summit remained out of reach this time, the climb was far from a disappointment. Every step taken on Mount Rainier is a testament to preparation, teamwork, and respect for nature’s power.
The decision to turn back is never easy, especially when the weather above is clear and inviting. But it’s precisely in these moments that true mountaineering wisdom shines.
The team’s effort, spirit, and camaraderie made this climb a success in its own right.
All is well here in Tanzania as the team arrived late last night after some very long flights. All checked luggage showing up always a bonus. A short drive to our lodge that is not to far from the base of Kilimanjaro. The team enjoyed a nice dinner upon arrival then headed for bed as the time zone change and all the travel will take it out of even the toughest of mountain climbers.
A great job done by all to recharge the battery. After a nice relaxing morning we had a briefing about logistic and a gear check just to make sure nothing missing from our kits.
Everybody passed with flying colors.
The remainder of the day was spent getting our gear packed up, exploring the grounds of our lodge, which is incredibly peaceful and our first African animal sightings being some resident monkeys and small antelope.
We wrapped up the evening with another delicious meal. Everyone is doing well and excited to hit the trail tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
The Four Day Summit Climb July 23 - 26 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team reported light winds, clear skies above and cold temperatures. There is a cloud deck below at approximately 9,000'. The team will descend to Camp Muir and then continue down to Paradise this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb!
Lots of Puja smoke in the air this morning at basecamp, lots of banging pots and cheering. Lots of people walking around with radio antennae held high. Lots of people smiling but bleary-eyed at having monitored climbers through a long night. I guess it was an exciting day for everyone in basecamp...the estimate being that at least a hundred climbers from perhaps 10 teams had gone for the summit overnight, but of course I know for certain that it was an exciting day for those of us on the RMI team.
Not only were we ecstatic to hear each of our climbers check in from the South Summit, the Hillary Step and the Summit in good time and in good strength, we are now more fired up than ever for our own attempt on the top. It was a day of meeting with the Sherpa climbers that will accompany us; taking a final close look at the extended forecasts and a day of getting packs rigged for climbing once again. In between all of that, my team kept listening in to make sure the summit gang was descending safely. Before lunch, we managed to put everybody through the shower one more time and got a little fluff back in the hairdos. I scraped off my fourth beard of the trip...not sure which number Seth and Kent were scraping off, but they were looking sharp and clean...and ready to go. Melissa and Erica are also eager, healthy and packed for an early morning Icefall transit.
The entire summit team is safely tucked away back at high camp now. They'll spend the night there before resuming the descent. We'll meet them at ABC tomorrow at mid-day. Ours is the normal up-at-3-breakfast-at-3:30-walk-at-4 plan...climbing straight through to Camp II with only a pause for rest at Camp I. I expect we'll get some good stories out of the summit team as we share ABC for the night. The following day, they will undoubtedly be down in BC while we take our single rest day at ABC. Then we move to CIII and on the 23rd of May up to CIV...making us ready for a shot at the top on May 24th.
We discussed our priorities today, along with our perceived strengths and weaknesses. We each know the points in the next week at which we'll need nothing but good luck to achieve our goals. We know who is guiding, who is filming and who is climbing and we all are aware that this climb will push of us to our limits. But we are ready. We want to try to climb the highest mountain in the world.
Good luck to all for a fabulous and safe climb. Only 3,994,000,000,000 nanometers to the top!
Posted by: Geoff Clark on 6/27/2014 at 9:02 am
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