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Thursday, May 16, 2024 - 12:11 am

We are camped at the base of Ski Hill, planning to carry tomorrow.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

June 30, 2014 - 11:19pm PT After an impromptu camp on the polo field we woke up to intermittent wind gusts rattling our tent flys. We crawled out of our shelters to crisp cold weather and blue skies. We ate a quick breakfast and began to break camp to complete our journey to 14,200' feet. Amidst the chaos of packing our bags we spotted Billy Nugent and his crew descending from a successful summit, we exchanged high fives and and hit the trail. This time equipped with snow shoes and skis to deal with the waist deep drifts. We were feeling very happy about floating on the snow surface vs crawling through it. We had pleasant weather and relatively calm winds working our way around Windy Corner. We pulled into camp and made ourselves at home, feeling the altitude a little we began to take care of ourselves and focus on the mountain ahead of us. We are all feeling good and hoping for the best weather possible. RMI Guide Adam Knoff & Team

On The Map

Here we go! Our team is set at 15,000 feet at Barafu Camp on Kilimanjaro. Everyone is getting excited for a great summit day. The prediction is for sunny and clear skies. So it's down to business as usual here in camp. We are recovering with hot drinks and a great lunch prepared by our Camp Chef. It is at this point that all our physical preparation pays off. However, as I told my team, at a certain altitude the physical shuts off and it turns all mental. You have to stay positive and have the strength to overcome adversity to summit the highest mountains in the world. And Kilimanjaro is no different. Wish us luck! RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Hello, this is Mike Haugen checking in from 14,000' on Mt. McKinley. After a great push to cache our gear up high yesterday, we took today as a rest day. Although we were in the clouds most of the day, the sun was peaking through just enough to heat up the inside of our tents via the greenhouse effect. Thus, our nap-puchinos were glorious. After our naps and some lunch, Elias and I taught the crew some rope tricks that will help us be efficient as our rope teams make our way back up through the fixed lines and the running belays (our protection on steep slopes) that lie on the upper mountain. Our plan is to hurry up and wait for the perfect weather that will allow us to move from 14,000' Camp to 17,000' Camp. RMI's Joe Horiskey promised us perfect weather tomorrow, so send him angry emails if it is snowing or windy. We will check in again soon. RMI Guide Mike Haugen

On The Map

Buenas tardes from Ecuador. Our team is all safely back in Quito now, enjoying hot showers and rest before our final team dinner/celebration tonight. Yesterday we spent the morning in Otavalo, enjoying the expansive indigenous market. Then we headed up to the climbers' hut on Cayambe. After dinner we hit the sack early, in preparation for our alpine start and summit attempt. We awoke to perfect weather...no wind, clear skies (you could see both the Southern Cross and the Big Dipper from the same place!). After a midnight breakfast of oatmeal, bread and jam, and coffee and tea, we ventured out for the climb. The snow conditions were perfect, and it was most likely the most beautiful morning of our trip. The climbing went well, and we neared the nearly 19,000' summit when our climb was thwarted by a huge, impassable crevasse that guarded the summit. The snow bridge that had been used to cross the crevasse had recently collapsed, and we searched back and forth for another option. But in the end, we had to turn around ~250' shy of the true summit. The objective hazards were just too high to press on with any of our other possibilities. Such is life in the mountains; the team did great, and we enjoyed a spectacular day of climbing. But we were kept ~250 feet away from topping out on the true summit. We dubbed our high point 'cumbre (summit) de los gringos.' Everyone was content with our climbing experiences today, and the great experiences of the entire trip to Ecuador. Thanks for keeping track of us. Our team members will be on their way home soon. Check back on the 6/20, as RMI's 2nd Ecuador's Volcanoes trip of the summer begins. I'll be back in touch then! PS...on the descent we scoped a new route, which I'm confident will enable us to get to the summit next week...if the weather cooperates. Stay tuned!

The first Easton Glacier expedition of the 2025 season, led by RMI Guide Sam Marjerison, reached the summit of Mt. Baker yesterday evening. After leaving the summit and spending the night back at high camp, the team will head down the mountain this morning to celebrate their success with friends, family, and a nice warm meal.

Way to go team!

Sunday, June 23, 2024 - 10:14 am PT

Hello loyal readers,

This is our final dispatch. Yesterday we woke at midnight at the base of Ski Hill. A light breeze rattled our tents but the skies were clear. It was our fastest break down of tents and packing all trip. Motivation ran high with the thought of flying off the glacier. A slight refreeze of the glacier made for smooth walking pulling our heavy sleds. Everything was quite and still. A final push up hill weaving around crevasses brought us to a sleepy basecamp...it was 4am. Check-in for our flight wasn't till 7am, so we pulled out our sleeping pads and bags and took a nap. The lower airstrip was a bit too bumpy so we walked to the upper airstrip and by 9:20 am the planes landed and we were swept off the mountain we spent 19 days climbing up and down. A 40 minute flight dumped us off in civilization. Just like that we no longer needed to travel with all our belongings on our back. No longer did we need to poop in a bucket. No longer did we need to melt snow for water. We had all those amenities at our finger tips. It's been a fantastic journey. Everyone learned something new about themselves and learned that they can endure so much. It's been a privilege to be apart of this team. 

Thank you for following along and for all the support,

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team

PC: Hannah Smith

Following a mildly eventful 4x4 overland, the team is settled in at Antisana basecamp. Similar to Cayambe, the glacier appears very dry. However, the weather seems to be holding, so we have some things in our favor. Spirits are high, bellies are full and we're ready for a final hard day!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

RMI Guides Brent Okita and Jenny Konway radioed down from Columbia Crest, the true summit of Mt. Rainier, this morning to let everyone know that the team reached the summit. Brent reported clear skies, a calm breeze, and perfect weather for a day of climbing. The team began their descent from the crater rim of Mt. Rainier at about 7:30am PT and will be back in town for a celebration dinner later today. Congratulations to today's team!

A good nights rest brought us yet to another unseasonably sunny Ecuadorian morning and our first acclimatization hike up Rucu Pinchincha (15,700ft). The day started with a taxi ride from our hotel to the Teleferique de Quito, a gondola ride that would take us to 13,500ft on the eastern flanks of the active volcano. The hike starts by following a rolling ridge through high alpine meadows until we traverse to the peaks northern side where a different character is shown. We leave behind mild grassy slopes for volcanic rock and loose scree. The climb finishes with a challenging but fun Cass 3 scramble past several ledges to the mountains summit. The crew did great with the new altitude and the weather held clear and gave us panoramic views of the Ecuadorian Andes, including Cayambe (18,996ft) our first objective of the trip. We spent a few moments on top taking photos and hydrating before descending back to the Teleferique and the thicker air of Quito! Off to dinner in a short while to enjoy the traditional dishes of Ecuador. Tomorrow takes us to Fuya Fuya for more acclimatizing and the city of Otovalo! Thanks for following. RMI Guide Steve Gately

On The Map