July 16, 2014 - 11:37 pm PT
Hey, this is Dave Hahn with the last team on Denali. We did make it out of 17,000’ today. We woke up, the weather was stable and we started working our way down. And sure enough, we found some deep snow, it was hard going, sometimes waist deep but we made it down to 14,000’ and then plowed through a bunch more new snow to get to 11,000'. We are taking a rest here at 11,000' and our hope, everybody is feeling pretty enthusiastic, about trying to get to the airstrip tomorrow morning. We are just going to rest a few hours and get on the trail again. We expect it to be a little bit easier now that we are down low and conditions will be a bit better than what we were dealing with.
All is well with us.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls from 11,000ft on Mt. McKinley, Alaska.
Today started early for the team when a wind storm kicked up through camp in the middle of the night, snapping anchor lines and making sleep quite difficult. We did manage to grab a few zzzz's, however, in between resetting anchors. But the nighttime fun ensured we were all up with the sun, ready for hot drinks and a hot breakfast.
We spent a couple of hours after breakfast reinforcing the rock walls around the tent platforms, and then packed up personal climbing gear for a carry to Camp 3 at 19,600'. The team moved well as we got higher and higher, with the thin air forcing each of us to concentrate on good rest stepping and being as efficient as possible. The wind stayed with us all day, making our down layers feel nice despite the bright sun.
We dropped our cache at high camp and headed back down. Many personal altitude records were set today, as the team remains strong. An early dinner was in order and now we're tucked into sleeping bags, hoping for calmer weather and a more restful night.
Now it's just a waiting game; waiting for the right forecast and good weather for our launch towards high camp and the summit bid. Thanks for your support and we'll follow up tomorrow!
RMI Guide Garrett Stevens
Stef - Winds are decreasing Saturday night! Looking good for the summit attempt on Sunday. Good luck to all. All is ok back home.
Posted by: Steve on 1/10/2014 at 11:43 am
Go team! I checked the mountain summit forecast and it looks like the winds will be slowing down some on Saturday and Sunday, with a change of some snow on Saturday night. Y’all stay safe and warm. Sending love and good summit juju.
Amy
Everyone has arrived and our trip officially began this morning. We met for breakfast and enjoyed beautiful spread of native fruits and juices, Ecuadorian breakfast dishes, breads, and of course coffee. We started our trio this morning with a tour of the 'old town' Quito - visiting the Basilica and the Presidential Palace, seeing different styles of colonial Ecuadorian architecture, and learning much of the history of Ecuador - from the pre-Incan culture of the Quitu Caras all the way through to the present-day Ecuador.
Next we headed slightly north of Quito to visit La Mitad del Mundo, or the middle of the world. This is the term used to signify the site of the Equator, Ecuador's namesake. At the Equator, we toured an ethnographic museum and experienced some physical phenomena associated with being exactly on the Equator.
We'll have a relaxing dinner at The Magic Bean, a popular restaurant/cafe in the Mariscal district of Quito. I will check in tomorrow after the team's first training hike up Rucu Pichincha.
A little snow early but a beautiful evening now. All climbers and most Sherpa are here at Basecamp, eating, resting and taking showers.
We had a meeting with the other teams about the final fixing of the route and helicopter landings. Tomorrow we hope the fixing team will go as high as the Balcony then to the summit the next day, keep your fingers crossed for good weather.
We have been having some helicopter landings at Basecamp that are non-emergency, we are trying to develop a plan for usage in a responsible manner. A new breed of helicopter is now being used that is much more powerful than in the past, so the safety margin has been increased.
The community here is working on a win, win for commercial and rescue operations.
At 7:02 AM, the Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides guides Brent Okita and Ben Luedtke reached the summit of Mt. Rainier!
Brent reported clear skies, a light breeze, and warm temperatures—a perfect morning to walk the crater rim and take in the breathtaking views from 14,410 feet.
Huge congratulations to the climbers and guides for a safe and successful ascent!
The Four Day Climb teams led by RMI Guides Seth Burns and Sam Hoffman reached Ingraham Flats, 11,200', this morning on their summit attempt. Due to unstable snow conditions the teams decided to call this their high point today and returned safely to Camp Muir. Climbers are packing up their gear and enjoying a bit more time on the mountain before starting their descent to Paradise. They will return to Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
I was in Sam’s, George’s and Ray’s group and I am extremely impressed and grateful for their service, professionalism and courtesy. I received more than I could have hoped for in my need for great and safe guidance in this adventure!
Greetings from Ecuador. Today was the first official day of our trip and marked the first time that the entire team came together. We had breakfast and a team meeting a the hotel before heading out for a tour of Quito with a local for guide. We began the tour by taking a trip to the Equator where we were able to stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres simultaneously. After that we had an excellent lunch of Ecuadorian food cooked on a Paila or large metal fry pan. Our dessert was a kind of ice-cream that is also made in the Paila. In the afternoon we visited several sites in the colonial part of the city including the Basilica and the President's Palace. The weather today was very pleasant with clear skies in the morning and partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. All in all it was a great start to the trip. Tomorrow we plan to head up to the Pichincha volcano for our first acclimatization hike.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hey, this is Alaska Mountaineering Seminar checking in. Last night we went to bed under increasing wind and snow. This morning we woke up to continued snow and wind and whiteout conditions.... The sun finally peered through this evening giving us a gorgeous last sunset for our time here on the Kahiltna Glacier. Tomorrow morning will be getting our flight back into Talkeetna after a great week here in the Alaska Range. Take care.
Jason Thompson checks in for their last night on the Kahiltna Glacier
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall radioed in from the summit of Mt. Rainier at 11:15 a.m. PT with 100% of the team on the top.
It is a beautiful, crisp, clear day and they enjoyed the views for a little while before starting their descent. They will return to Camp Muir to celebrate and warm up.
The team will spend tonight at Camp Muir (10,060') and begin their descent tomorrow after some additional training.
Congratulations to the team!
The team has made it a day closer to the summit. Ski hill was a leg burner first thing this morning. It has been the most sustained uphill thus far, but the team walked strong and arrived to camp in good style. Clear skies and lots of sun made for a very toasty afternoon. It can be easy to forget how cold this mountain gets when you feel like you are sleeping on a tropical island, baking in these tents. As the evening progresses the temps will drop, and the cool brisk air will be a welcomed feeling as we cozy up in our sleeping bags.
Tomorrow we move to 11k camp. It is an exciting move because we will spend at least three days there. No more wake, move, sleep repeat. It’s always fun to settle into a camp and make it home for more than a day.
Stef - Winds are decreasing Saturday night! Looking good for the summit attempt on Sunday. Good luck to all. All is ok back home.
Posted by: Steve on 1/10/2014 at 11:43 am
Go team! I checked the mountain summit forecast and it looks like the winds will be slowing down some on Saturday and Sunday, with a change of some snow on Saturday night. Y’all stay safe and warm. Sending love and good summit juju.
Amy
Posted by: Amy on 1/10/2014 at 8:16 am
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