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On The Map

On The Map

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Henry Coppolillo and Jess Wedel made a push toward the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning, the group reached 13,200 feet before Mother Nature made her presence known.

As the team ascended through the early morning hours, increasing winds and steady snowfall began to challenge their progress. With safety as the top priority, the guides made the decision to turn the team around just below the summit.  

Now back at Camp Muir, where light snow continues to fall, the team is regrouping and preparing for their descent to Paradise.

The team is thriving here at Camp 2, acclimatizing at just over 18,000 feet. Spirits are high, and everyone’s feeling strong as we continue to prepare for the next steps on our journey. This altitude is no joke, it can feel like you have the flu or a fever, but with proper rest and acclimation, the team is handling it like pros.

This morning kicked off on a high note—literally and figuratively—with an incredible breakfast courtesy of guides Jess and Jack. They whipped up breakfast burritos that had everyone’s appetite soaring, proving once again that good food can work wonders at altitude.

Of course, camp life always has its quirks, and we have experienced cases of mountain “loud streaming.” For those unfamiliar, this is when someone in a nearby tent decides to play music or watch a movie at full volume without headphones, sharing their entertainment with the entire camp. While it added an unexpected movie soundtrack to our attempts to sleep, we’ve all taken it in stride and had a few laughs about it.

Aside from the impromptu movie soundtracks, the team is doing great. We’ve spent the day packing gear for tomorrow’s carry to Camp 3. The plan is to haul supplies up, then return to Camp 2 to sleep and rest. The next few days are critical as we move higher and prepare for the summit push.

The weather outlook is promising—clear skies and manageable winds—so we’re all excited to get rolling. With strong morale and solid progress, we’re ready for what’s ahead. Stay tuned as we move closer to the top!

RMI Climber Elburz Sorkhabi

The Four Day Climb August 1 - 4 led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer & Joey Manship reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 4:30 am today. The teams are currently working their way back to Camp Muir with sunshine and blue skies. They will continue their descent to Paradise later this morning.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Thursday, August 1, 2024

What a spectacular day! The weather and temps have been perfect. Our gradual grind up the Shira Plateau took a while as we were pacing ourselves for the long run. Our goal: Lava Tower at 15,200'. A new altitude record for most of the group. Lunch, or course, was prepared and served to us when we got there. Quite a few of us felt the elevation and were happy to just lie down. The descent to Barranco Camp revived many of us. We're psyched for tomorrow's big climb up the Barranco Wall!

RMI Guide Brent Okita

It’s day four of our Aconcagua expedition. Our first rest day for those at home following along. We all got a good sleep in and enjoyed an extended breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and lots of coffee this morning while discussing the itinerary of the next few days. Even though we call it a rest day, there is never a day on a mountaineering expedition when we are doing nothing. While the group enjoyed plenty of down time a good portion of the day was spent packing for our carry tomorrow, sorting group food, going on a short hike to stretch the legs and the lungs, and getting in our park-mandated doctor visit to make sure all climbers are adjusting to the new altitude appropriately. Spoiler alert! Everyone in the group passed their physical and the doctor gave us all the thumbs up to keep cruising up hill. Tomorrow will be the toughest day for the group so far as we shoulder packs and climb to Camp 1 at 16,400ft to cache some of our gear before descending back to basecamp to continue the acclimatization process. I have no doubt this determined group of climbers will perform their task without trouble. Everyone is feeling great and ready for more!

RMI Guide Nick Scott