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Day 14
What a sight to behold. We all stood in the morning silence watching the winds on the summit. So much change within a few thousand vertical feet. Snow was getting ripped off of the highest parts of the mountain above us, disappearing into the rapidly moving clouds beyond. We sure felt grateful for the calm weather we were experiencing around camp. Despite todays spectacle, the team remains optimistic.
Till next time,
RMI Guides Luke, David and Team
Posted by: Mike King, Dustin Wittmier, Lauren Macklin, Mike Bennett, Jackson Breen, Trevor Katz
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb with RMI Guides Mike King and Dustin Wittmier were on the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Above this heavy marine layer, team had clear skies, sunshine and mild winds. The climbing was great with a with a direct route and it took the team 5 hours to get to the top.
Congratulations team!
Woo hoo! Way to go Kelly and Janette! I’m super proud of you both. Can’t wait to hear the details and celebrate. Have fun sliding down! :)
Posted by: Jerry Verhoff on 7/3/2022 at 9:26 am
Congrats Kelly & Janette! So proud of you- woohoo!!! Love you both!
Posted by: Christina on 7/2/2022 at 5:05 pm
The storm got real last night around 11 or midnight, and sneaky -blowing hard from the previously unprotected side of our tents. Most of the camp population was dressed up and out stumbling around in the storm, laboring to cut and carry more snow blocks to reinforce and extend walls. When the bigger gusts would power on through, people would tend to just stop whatever they were attempting and turn their backs to the assault of wind and ice pellets. It was definitely enough of a storm to break tents, but there was only so much you could do outside to protect them. That done, the other strategy was to get back in them and put a shoulder to the walls to help aluminum poles stand up to the blasts. Whenever there was the perception that things had eased, one could try sleep, but that was a little like trying to nap next to a machine gun in a fire fight. The wind howls and screams through mountains, but when it hits tent fabric, it drums. Hard and loud. It continued well into the morning and finally eased by around 10 AM, making it a little easier to get out at 10:45 when the sun came around the mountain to hit us through clouds. Breakfast was calm enough, but then the winds came in again and the game of snow blocks resumed for a few more hours. By about 2:30 PM, there was a cease fire at Low Camp. The storm was still everywhere else, with fog below and multiple cloud layers on the mountain and wind trailing big streamers of snow off the heights up by High Camp… but it got quiet and calm at Low Camp and we were able to get enough sun through the tent walls to be comfortable through the afternoon and evening. Predictions are that tomorrow (Friday) could be a nice day and if so, we’ll be on the move. We’ll take it step by step though. For the moment we’re happy not to spend the night building snow forts.
Best Regards
Stay safe above all else. How high would you estimate the storm winds were/are ?
Posted by: Michael Madin on 12/3/2021 at 10:56 am
Wishing for clear skies and a safe trip!
Posted by: Chad Burgert on 12/3/2021 at 9:06 am
Posted by: Mike King, Abby Westling, Roland Scott, Sam Hoffman, Henry Coppolillo, Nicole De Petris
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Climb for Clean Air Team along with their RMI Guides Mike King and Abby Westling reached the summit of Mt. Rainier Early this morning. Mike King reported a good route, clear skies, but strong winds on the summit. The team spent a short time on top celebrating before starting their descent.
The funds raised by these climbers will support the American Lung Association’s mission of saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
Congratulations team for your success on and off the mountain!
Congratulations! You all did fantastic and you put in the work! So proud of your fundraising and climbing efforts.
Posted by: Brittany Groh on 6/24/2022 at 2:00 pm
YESSSSSS!!!!! Now, unlike myself, come down gracefully…;)
Posted by: John Pasikowski on 6/24/2022 at 11:09 am
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Hey John,
My is Mike Lang and on the 22th June I started my climb of Rainier along with two of the greats, Ed Veisturs and Peter Whittaker, it was their first climb together this year and our whole team summited at 5.30 am on the 24th.
It was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I wanted to show my two hero’s that I was upto the task.
I followed your programe “Fit to climb” as close as possible and by the end of the 16 weeks was the fittest I have ever been…..I still had moments on the hill that tested me both Physically & mentally but I was able to fall back on my training, take a few deep breaths and suck it up when needed then continue to climb…..thats an awesome feeling.
I just wanted to thank you for your exellent programe and for the professional way its delivered every week without fail.
This last email that I just read talked about those times in our training that dont go completely to plan….so true! however your also 100% correct in saying focus on whats most important at the time and make that your priority, use the time you have left to your upmost advantage by doing the small things right and now that im finished my climb I would like to add that so many of the small things like having your food and water prepared for your breaks and knowing where your sunscreen is etc can be just as important on the day as your fittness….you stuff up your timing on those breaks and it can mean disaster on your overall preformance.
Awesome information John and thanks once again for all your help, you were a great remote mentor and it really helped me complete my goal.
Good luck with your new book….
Cheers Mike
Posted by: Mike Lang on 7/7/2014 at 2:10 pm
Congratulations little brother (Jon)!! You never cease to amaze me. One more thing off the bucket list. You rock!!
Posted by: cleep on 6/29/2012 at 8:26 am
Racheal we are so pround of you and we are all waiting for your return. we wanna hear all about it. we know you were gonna make it. Lots of love from your team in preadmit.
Posted by: Annett on 6/29/2012 at 7:42 am
On The Map
Enjoy Tibet while you guys are still there! It’s a beautiful place and I wish I had enjoyed everything while I was still there. Hope everything’s going well!
Posted by: JonathanL on 4/14/2011 at 6:04 am
Great Job Bill McGahan and Sara Rose McGahan (as Adam and Owen now refer to you guys :))! What an awesome adventure!
Posted by: izzy on 4/12/2011 at 12:34 pm
RMI Guide Jake Beren checks in from Advance Base Camp on Shishapangma.
Hey Jake, congrats to you and Elias on your summit of Shishapangma without o2 and sherpas - a bit late but I just read about it.
Thanks again for the great trip up Rainier this past July (ALA climb)!
Posted by: Lance on 12/7/2011 at 5:00 pm
Hey Jake, good to hear you’re all safely down. Climbing in the Himalaya must be incredible. As you told our group on Rainier last year:“The mountain will always be there”. Sounds like everyone used good judgement.
Learned a lot from you and Billy during Rainier expedition skills trip last September and trained differently for second attempt. Made it to the top this past August with Paul, Maile, and Cody as guides. Thanks for what you contributed to my mountaineering education. Be well and I’ll hopefully be climbing with you in South America or Mexico next winter.
Best regards,
Tom Falvo
Posted by: Tom Falvo on 10/19/2011 at 5:40 pm
Posted by: Joe Horiskey
Categories: 50 Years of Climbing
August 25th, 1967 - Joe Horiskey, age 16, on the Mt. Rainier summit. Mt. St. Helens, pre-1980 eruption, in the background.
Occasionally over the years I have wondered if I blocked our descent from memory; was it that much an ordeal?! I recall very little, other than being incredibly thirsty. In retrospect, we took some wrong turns on the DC (Disappointment Cleaver), which necessitated backtracking uphill (killer). At Muir we were plied with Kool-Aid. The descent to Paradise took forever, but at the parking lot I was one happy, exhausted 16-year-old.
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1968 - Jim Whittaker, Joe Horiskey, and Lou Whittaker on Mt. Rainier. Joe's first year working for the guide service, which became RMI the following year.
I didn’t play organized sports in high school; I grew up with parents who hated camping (but enjoyed road trips and appreciated National Parks); to suggest I wasn’t particularly studious is a gross understatement; but I had just discovered something I loved, that would stay with me for the rest of my life: climbing. Over the next winter I bothered Lou incessantly about becoming an Apprentice Guide (I even applied for work at Paradise Inn, but evidently lacked a requisite talent). At some point (maybe just to put me off), Lou and/or John Anderson said to show up at Paradise in June, and see if there was work. I did; there was; and, there still is!
RMI Guide Joe Horiskey
Great story and still kicking it after all these years. Really cool that you still have the picture of your first summit. You and Link were the guides on my first RMI climb in ‘85. Still my best memory. Congratulations and thanks for helping me and others with that accomplishment. Trace Leffler.
Posted by: Trace Leffler on 10/29/2019 at 7:33 am
How is it that I’ve known you for some 40+ years, worked with you at RMI for 17 years and still have never heard this account of your first ascent of Rainier. It’s so you!
(Great seeing you a couple of days ago). Carry on, my friend.
Posted by: Jan Parcher on 6/4/2019 at 10:03 pm
Hello again,
We awoke to another beautiful sunny day here in the Khumbu. We started early to beat the traffic to Lukla. The team made good time on the trail and made sure to enjoy this peaceful and majestic place.
There were still dozens of loads headed for basecamp, as always, because much of the needed supplies that arrive via plane or by mules.
With a little luck, we hope to be back in Kathmandu tomorrow morning!
Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Casey and Crew
JOSEPH
Hunker down, do some walking about and take pictures for us.
We are so proud of you!! You’re in striking distance, Talking to the big guy for you all. Your climbing patner Daryl
Posted by: Daryl on 2/4/2022 at 7:00 am
Rooting for y’all from Vermont!! Some updates: Darius Garland was named an All-Star reserve (hell yeah), Olympics started today (US women’s hockey beat Finland 5-1 and Italy beat Norway in an 8th end heartbreaker in mixed curling), Harbaugh didn’t get Vikings job, Samuel L Jackson signed a 10-day with the Canton Charge, and Midd’s getting 12-18 tonight! Hope everyone’s doing well- y’all are crushing it!!! Relish this experience.
Posted by: Greg on 2/3/2022 at 6:46 pm
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