Hello from Mt. Elbrus! Our team awoke from a good nights sleep to a beautiful, clear sunny day. After a great Russian breakfast with great American Starbucks coffee we threw our spikes on and went for a walk.
The higher you get the slower things become. As our team approached 15,000 feet many of us began to feel the air getting just a bit thinner. However, we accomplished the goal and the high altitude was a great welcome for us to become stronger for summit day.
Everyone did a great job and even though towards the end it got a little tougher, everyone is having fun and in good spirits. However, no one is still laughing at any of my jokes!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Hey sis…...proud of you keep up the good work. Just and FYI I will be one of the 50 closest friend of Kristina that will be at the all night kegger
.......don’t tell Kristina because she does not know…....shhhh!! Talk to you soon. Call when you can. I will inform dad of your progress.
Hi all,
Today started on the early side and ended late, but we got so much accomplished today. We started with a last hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, and toast with plenty of coffee, before heading to the H2 hangar to catch the first flight off the runway. The flight into Kahiltna Base Camp is always stunning, and today was no exception. The turn over the West Ridge of Mt. Hunter brought Base Camp into view, and we banked for the runway.
With all of our team on the glacier, we started preparing everything to walk. We weren't sure the surface conditions would be firm enough by midday, but we prepared nonetheless. We rigged sleds, packed duffels and packs, sorted group gear, and at last decided it was time. Some thin, high clouds had moved in, helping to keep the heat from making things too sloppy, so we decided to go for it. We descended Heartbreak Hill, and made the turn up the main Kahiltna, walking to 7,800 feet, at the base of Ski Hill. Here we spent the evening setting our first camp.
Tomorrow the plan is to move with all of our gear to 9600'. There is word of some weather coming in, so we'll see how that impacts our plan, but we are psyched to have made our first moves towards the mountain. All for now, we'll be in touch tomorrow.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
This is Dave Hahn calling in from 7,800’ on the Kahiltna Glacier. Still at 7,800’! We really had high hopes this storm would break a little earlier today and then we would get to move. We did get up early again and kept checking the weather, but it was snowing good and steady through the night, through the morning and well into the afternoon. It was socked right in, like looking at the inside of a ping pong ball. Wet snow kept falling right until 3 this afternoon and then it started to clear. And now, at almost 8:30 in the evening, I am standing out here and we do have a blue sky above us. Most of the mountains are still kind of hiding in the clouds. But it is definitely breaking up and it's beautiful to see the mountains again. We haven't seen them for a few days, and looking down the Kahiltna Glacier and we're all kind of excited.
We just did a radio calls with Linden Mallory and Mike Haugen. The treat for everybody was that Mike was doing his radio call from the summit of Mt McKinley. So that's pretty far from us right now, but we were excited for those guys because we know that they have been up there waiting and trying. And we've been down here waiting. Tomorrow, I'm pretty confident, that we're going to get up early and we are going to climb on up to 9,500’. I think the weather is going to work out for us tonight. We'll see.
Everybody is in good spirits. We had a snow carving contest today. There was a bowling alley carved over here. There is a pony, a lion, and a cobra. There was a giraffe that broke his neck a little earlier. There were some pretty good snow sculptures out here. The team is keeping their spirits up, and eating well. That is all.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in with an update from 7,800' on Mt. McKinley.
So cool that Lindsey, one of our favorite ski coaches, and my brother, dial-a-vet Rich, are on the same climb. We are sending positive thoughts for a safe summit and return for you all. Happy trails to you both Taosenos. Carin, Nicole and clan
Posted by: Carin on 7/5/2011 at 9:29 pm
I bet that the injured giraffe was Lindsay Mann’s! Sending my best wishes for good weather. Stay safe. Go team Hahn!
After a long day moving from 11 Camp yesterday we took advantage of some excellent snow walls left for us by Mike Haugen and the RMI team ahead of us as we set up camp at 14 Camp. After a quick dinner we were soon sawing logs in the tents, a rest well deserved after the day. We had a relaxed agenda this morning, hanging out in the kitchen tent over breakfast as we waited for the sun to climb higher in the sky and warm up the basin where 14 Camp sits a bit. Around mid morning we grabbed our mostly empty packs and clipped into the ropes, heading back down the route to the cache of gear we left near Windy Corner at 13,600' back on Tuesday.
We made great time down there, retrieved everything from beneath the snow surface where we buried it, loaded our packs, and headed back up to camp. It was another perfect day for climbing, occasional clouds swirling up from below and obscuring the sun helped keep the temperatures moderate and I never got too hot on the climb back to camp.
We returned to the tents just after lunch and then spent a few hours training, rigging up our mechanical ascender systems and practicing how to safely use them on fixed ropes. This is in preparation for our next carry of gear to 16,200' which will bring us up the fixed lines that sit above 14 Camp. We hope to accomplish this in the next day or two, after which we will be able to turn our attention to moving to high camp at 17,200' and making a subsequent summit bid.
We will check in tomorrow and let you know if we are able to pull it off. Happy July 1st to everyone back home, we're pretty sure those backyard barbecues aren't nearly as exciting as our snow kitchen and camping stoves...!
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Hope all went well today and wishing you a happy 3rd of July. We’ll set off some fireworks for you guys. Did anyone remember a flag to fly on the 4th? Keep up the good work.
Posted by: John and Lorraine on 7/2/2011 at 6:13 pm
...snow kitchen and camping stoves? It beats playing “Bocce on the beach” , but we’ll be thinking of you!
Greetings from Barranco Camp.
We are enjoying great weather and everyone did well last night. We had a nice hike today and the team is doing great. From our camp we have beautiful views of the summit and the Barranco Wall. We gathered in the dining tent for our afternoon snack of tea, fresh popped popcorn and hot peanuts. This is the life!
Coming into the teahouse dining room this morning under low, cloudy skies with a trace of new snow on the ground, it was obvious that we were each ready to be finished with trekking. Enough of the team was battling sniffles or tummy troubles that we were all getting borderline paranoid about sharing germs with so many others in these common spaces. We were ready to make it to our own basecamp and our own dining tent... we were anxious to meet our Sherpa climbing team and get started on a big climbing project.
But for all of our restlessness, Gorak Shep hadn't been that bad a place for our team. A number of us hiked up Kalapathar yesterday evening in order to catch the sunset. In contrast to the ample daytime traffic for this sought-after destination, by 5 PM there was only a handful of folk left on the hill and these were hurrying down while we strolled up. The afternoon had been cloudy with periodic snow showers, but the higher we got, the more the clouds fell away from Everest and Nuptse and Pumori. We took picture after picture as the light changed and then trotted down in the dark when it had all been expended.
We joined the flow of traffic around 8:30 this morning for what we knew would be a relatively short and easy climb into basecamp. The low cloud seemed to muffle sound and it was almost a relief to have our field of vision minimized so that we could concentrate on walking instead of gawking at the great peaks. Our path was, at first, along the rock and dirt of the lateral moraine and then finally we dropped down onto the glacial surface itself for the last half hour into camp. We passed plenty of fully dedicated trekkers, bent over and gasping for breath and I was reminded of how much importance is placed, by so many, in simply getting to Everest Basecamp, with no thought whatsoever of climbing the mountains above. I felt a little sympathy over the diminished views for these folks, but then the clouds began to break and lift as we reached the first tents. By the time we marched into our own camp, we could see plenty, including the rough and intimidating Khumbu Icefall stretching up toward the Western Cwm.
We could also see that our Sherpa team had been hard at work in preparing our camp. We greeted them, as well as Ed Viesturs, Jeff Martin and Linden Mallory who'd come ahead yesterday to help get things in order. We wrestled with duffle bags for a time and moved into neat and new First Ascent tents. I made a quick exploration of a few of the surrounding camps to say hello to old friends but then I hurried back to my own camp for a lunch with my team. We strategized a bit and laid out a few of the normal ground rules that make living so closely for so long, not only possible but enjoyable. Then we gathered outside with the entire team, including basecamp personnel and climbing Sherpas and then each person introduced themselves and said a few words. Some of us chuckled to hear the casual delivery the older veteran climbers gave to their extensive resumes. It is funny to realize that we are in a place where someone might just forget to mention that time they climbed K2 or Ama Dablam or Kangchenjunga. Peter Whittaker reminded one and all that our top priority on this trip would be safety- for which he got plenty of agreeing and understanding nods in return.
Then it got cloudy and a bit snowy again as most took the opportunity for a quick nap. I enjoyed scattering my junk in my own tent and plopping down in the middle of it all, drifting off to the thunder of avalanches as the glaciers around BC pushed one railroad-car-sized chunk after another over great drop-offs. We are in the midst of a crazy tapestry of tents and boulders. At any given time, one can hear cooks chopping veggies, shovels scraping gravel, rocks being moved from place to place, a few tinny FM radios playing Nepali music and an occasional live voice breaking into song. As peculiar as it may sound, this already feels like home and I have to make myself remember that I was anywhere else for the past ten months.
Good weather and good walking brought us up to 12,500 ft today. When we woke at 6:15 the clouds had sunk way below our 10,000 ft camp to form a uniform surface. Above it was crystal clear and we could see Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s central peak, with its great cliffs and ice fields. We ate a full breakfast and got walking at 8 AM with our lead guide, Naiman, taking a turn out front. Immediately, the track was steeper than what we’d done yesterday. Like a giant staircase in the giant heather. After about 90 minutes we were on a ridge crest, still climbing, but now with big views all around us. We got off the ridge at nearly 12,000 ft and began traversing toward the North. The team didn’t slow down or hesitate when it came to putting hands on rock for some steeper sections. We saw our first Giant Senecios -cactus like trees which are only found on Kilimanjaro- before we turned a last corner onto the Shira Plateau. The final few minutes into camp were easy downhill walking. We made it in under five hours to this westernmost point of our journey. Tosha had a fine lunch for us in the dining tent and we spent the rest of the afternoon lounging and rehydrating. The sun setting in the clouds and peaks of Shira was beautiful as we moved toward dinner. But the stars when we came out were even more spectacular.
This is just so cool! Looks like the weather has been great thus far! Praying the weather stays like this for your entire trip! #geauxcindee&amanda;
Posted by: Allie Frankie & Tillie on 8/26/2023 at 12:44 pm
Love the photos! Thank you Cindee for wearing a different color hat so I can find you easily in the photos! lol Very exciting to see the progression and hear what you are seeing and experiencing as you go!
It was snowing at Kahiltna Base last night when we wanted to get going, so we pushed back the wake-up time to a leisurely 4 AM. Conditions improved as we ate breakfast in the shadows. We were climbing by 6:50 AM. Conditions were excellent due to recent snows and cold temps.
The dreaded crevasse crossings of the lower Kahiltna Glacier were practically nonexistent. Sled pulling was quite easy (relatively speaking), though everything was heavy as usual. We reached our intended camp at ski hill in five hours and built a fine home. We dove into tents to beat the afternoon sun.
Way to go, Team Hahn! We are thinking about you and praying for each of you. Mitch, I’m so happy your knee is holding up! I love you!
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the Father’s up there!!
Posted by: Leslie vance on 6/18/2023 at 8:17 am
Hey Dustin! All the Best to You and Dave and your team! I’m following along.
Farmer Dave
Good evening again from Yanapacha moraine camp. We're turning into our sleeping bags after an incredibly successful day. We turned our acclimatization day into a summit; weather was good, and spirits were high, so after our training session on the glacier, we decided to put things into practice right away. Yanapacha provided a short but steep glacier that definitely challenged the team this early into the stages of acclimatization, but now that it's under our belt, and with another night here, at its high camp, we're sure to get the most out of this rotation. Every one did an outstanding job, and the views from the summit are the new favorite for this guide. We'll descend tomorrow to base camp to the food of our cook and the rest that the thicker air will deliver. Stay tuned for more!
Elías and team
May 20, 2014 - 11:57pm PT
Today was a glorious day full of sun and cooler temperatures. We left camp early this morning and headed west, down to the main flow of the Kahiltna glacier. The team got first hand experience of how we move across such massive fields of ice and the views both up and down glacier were amazing. Felt like we were in the middle of the middle of nowhere. Our objective was a small formation called the pizza wedge and as we got closer the crevasses got bigger. So big that our desired approach was cut off by a 200' wide crack over a mile long. Despite being rewarded with great weather and cooler temps, this years snow isn't making things easy. So we trekked back to camp and resumed training for a full day tomorrow of crevasse rescue and beacon searches.
All is well and beautiful here!
RMI Guide Leon Davis & Team
That looks like such an amazing experience. Have fun and stay safe, Wendy.
Posted by: Chris Bertran on 5/22/2014 at 6:49 am
Hey Dad,
I hope you’re having a great time! It sounds like you’re doing some pretty awesome and intense stuff! We hope you and your team have a great next few days and stay safe. Love you.
Hi Lil one. Do you have vodka? When in Rome…
Posted by: Stacy on 7/25/2014 at 10:34 am
Hey sis…...proud of you keep up the good work. Just and FYI I will be one of the 50 closest friend of Kristina that will be at the all night kegger
.......don’t tell Kristina because she does not know…....shhhh!! Talk to you soon. Call when you can. I will inform dad of your progress.
Sandy
Posted by: Sandy on 7/24/2014 at 7:12 pm
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