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Tuesday, June 11, 2019 - 5:56 PM PT We woke up and it was cold! Our bodies aren’t accustomed to the colder temps of 14,200’ but that will change as we take a few rest days. The views of Mt Hunter and Foraker have been exceptional. Several teams moved up to 17,200’ this morning and a few are scheduled to head up tomorrow. The weather has continued to hold and looks to be improving over the weekend. We enjoyed a late breakfast of cream cheese and bacon bagels. Everyone is having some lunch in their tents and hopefully a nap to best utilize this active rest day. This evening we will build some snow walls to reinforce our camp should the weather take a turn for the worse. Not much happening at 14 Camp and that’s just fine with us. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

It's been a few days since I've posted an update. Mostly - ok entirely - because I've been ill. The most likely culprit, in my mind, for this bout of illness was the suspiciously under cooked mutton I had a few nights ago. Today, though, I'm feeling better and my focus is returning to Annapurna. Mountain news: While I've been tent-ridden not too much has happened. Camp 1 was hit by a massive wind gust produced by a large avalanche originating from high up the mountain near Camp 3. It ripped a few tents from their guy lines and the group that was there when it happened lost some gear. All my on-mountain gear is cached at C2, though, so this hasn't affected me. Progress has been made toward Camp 3 by one team, but nobody has yet reached it. Deep snow on the approach to the crosshairs couloir is the main issue. The team using bottled oxygen are planning their first summit attempt for the 15th or 16th. My plan is to climb directly to Camp 2 on the 12th and Camp 3 on the 13th. The section between Camp 2 and 3 is the most technically difficult and dangerous area. But time spent above 20,000' is a most important aspect of acclimatization for a no O's attempt. Until then I'm working on kicking this illness and recuperating my strength for this next push up the mountain. RMI Guide Alex Barber

Hi Everyone, Yesterday we hiked past Lake Ann and climbed 3rd and 4th class terrain to our bivy site at 5700'. The weather was generally cooperative, with light to moderate rain showers coming in and out. The weather today is less accommodating; after a pleasantly dry breakfast we got back in our tents as heavy rain moved in. So, we're taking advantage of some down time to rest and hopefully we'll have a crack at climbing tomorrow. This rain event is very unusual for July in the Cascades, and we're hopeful that we'll get back to the standard fare of sunshine. RMI Guide Mike Walter & Team

June 12, 2014 10:22am PT Yesterday was a great day. After a few storm days at the base of ski hill, the weather let us leave camp. Waking early we set off in good walking temps but no visibility for higher on glacier. The snow was deep and as the first team to make the move, we enjoyed breaking trail for a few hours before the skies cleared and a descending team provided a nicely broken trail. The views were spectacular and honestly the clearest of the whole trip. The team put in a big day yesterday and are enjoying a leisurely morning here at 11,200 before back carrying later today to pick up our cache at 9700. RMI Guide Jake Beren & Team

Today was another busy day for us starting with a duffle shuffle and reloading the van. After an hour drive we arrived to the best breakfast in Mexico, Mission Tlaxcala, a beautiful stone hotel over looking a stunning waterfall. With full bellies we hopped back in our van and drove through the warm morning to Amecameca. A quick grocery shop for last minute food items and the conclusion to Mike's quest for AA batteries put us back on the road. A beautiful two-hour drive winding through a wooded hillside and eventually the high grass covered slopes of Ixtaccihuatl (Ixta). Our home for the evening is the Altzimoni Hut at around 12,800'. After settling in to our new accommodations, we went for a short stroll up the trail to stretch the legs. Once back at our hut we discussed gear and packing for tomorrow and ate a five-star taco dinner. Now we are all doing a little packing and organizing our gear for mañana and turning in for a good night's sleep. Thanks for following along with us, RMI Guide Geoff Schellens

On The Map

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

On The Map

Not much to report from our first full day at Basecamp. The team is enjoying a rest day filled with such exciting activities as sleeping in, eating a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, lounging around our weather port drinking coffee, getting checked out by the Argentine medical staff, and packing up for tomorrow's carry up to Camp 1. We'll check in again tomorrow after our carry, RMI Guide Billy Nugent

The Four Day Summit Climb July 22 - 25 led by Shawn Sears was forced to turn back today at approximately 13,000' due to poor visibility and high winds. The team will return to Camp Muir to rest and repack before continuing their descent to Camp Muir this afternoon. The Five Day Summit Climb July 21 - 25 led by Dan Windham reached the summit of Mt. Rainier yesterday evening on a sunset climb. The team departed Camp Muir this morning en route to Paradise. The weather report from Camp Muir this morning included rain and some thunder and lightening to the South East which was quickly moving out of the area. Congratulations to today's teams!

We woke up this morning at Camp 2 (Advanced Basecamp-ABC) to a few inches of snow and thought it would be a tent bound day. However, the weather cleared and it turned out to be a great day. The teams were able to move about the mountain in very nice weather. Dave, Leif, Michael and I climbed up to Camp 3, after enjoying the view and a snack or two we returned safely to ABC for another night. Casey, Scott, Rob and Chad ascended from Camp 1 for their first night at Camp 2. Currently, the whole climbing team is together at ABC getting ready for dinner.

Monday, July 21, 2025

Hiya everybody!

Welcome to Glacier Peak, follow along at your own risk. Today was day 1, but we kept it simple. The day consisted of wrapping up our travel, arriving in the small town of Darrington, WA and completing our gear check and orientation for the beginning of our grand adventure. For some of us, this will just be the next major volcano in WA, and for others, this will be our 5th and final WA volcano! Woot woot! Tonight, we pack, unpack, and pack again making sure we have all the essentials. Tomorrow, we start our hike to Camp 1 at White Pass. Hold on to your seats as we venture into the deep wilderness of WA to attempt our hand at one of the coolest volcanoes around. 

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team

 

Tuesday July 22, 2025

Camp at White Pass

Our first day on the trail and we hit the ground running. Just kidding; we walked delicately through beautiful, lush forest, over rough, rugged terrain, and pranced among the wildflowers. It's all true, but today was a hot, long, and difficult journey to reach camp at white pass. Donned with heavy packs and all the snacks, we enjoyed a less dusty trail than usual thanks to the peaceful rain from last night. After our long day of friendly conversation, Marmot sightings, the fresh smells of mountain air, and beautiful views of the surrounding area, we enjoyed our first camp dinner huddled around our stoves and were very happy that we packed our head nets for the bugs. As we crawl into our sleeping bags for some well-earned rest, we can't help but glimmer with excitement for what comes next. Tomorrow, we head for high camp and training for the big summit day. Stay tuned in case the marmots attack...or become our cuddle buddies in the night... they're hard to read.

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team