May 5, 2015 11:27 pm PT
Hi everyone.
Another beautiful sunny day on the glacier! Perfect to go out for a bit of climbing and training. We left this morning in the cold shadow of Mt. Hunter and made our way up into a small basin on the north side of Horiskey's Hump. Stopping periodically to study the glacier and identify some key features that make this frozen river so interesting. The team made great time and we were able to stand on top while getting some good practice on fixed line travel. By late afternoon the team was back at camp building a few more walls and celebrating Cinco de Mayo courtesy of John and his guacamole. Good night.
RMI Guide Leon Davis
Good afternoon, this is the climbing team in Peru. Elias calling here. We have made it to high camp on Tocllaraju and we are perched at 5,100m right on the edge of the glacier. A sense of accomplishment that everybody has right now. It's indescribable as we are in one of the most beautiful places that we have seen so far on this trip. We are surrounded by a huge cirque of 5,000 and 6,000-meter peaks. Tonight we are going to get ready to climb Tocllaraju, the last and most challenging objective of our seminar. Everybody is doing really well and we are having right now really good weather. Everything is on schedule and we will keep you posted tomorrow hopefully from the summit, sometime in the early morning. Right now it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon local time in Peru. We are brewing some water and cooking some dinner. That's pretty much it for now. We will hope to, like I said, call tomorrow from the summit and wrap up this amazing expedition. That's all for now. Good evening.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Elias de Andres Martos calling from Tocllaraju's High Camp.
June 21, 2014 - 8:11 am PT
The transition from the sweet smell of blooming cotton woods, green grass, the easy access to showers to a life of arctic surroundings, grinding work and confined tent living comes abruptly! This morning that reality was as large as the towering mountains around us but the team motivated quickly and with resolve to get our grand adventure underway. The mental weight of shouldering a 60-pound pack connected to a 50-pound sled and then hauling it into an arena like the Kahiltna Glacier can be far more intimidating than the actual physical load. Faced with this challenge our team shined! We were thrilled to walk out of Base Camp at 9:30 this morning onto the smoothest most user-friendly trail I have seen in all my nine trips to this glacier. Not only was the trail superb, we had the weather to match. Five hours after leaving BC we arrived at Camp One. At only 7,800 feet the vertical gain was not all that much but the distance was enough under monster loads to assure us this journey will not be an easy one. Tomorrow we will attempt to move again. Stay tuned.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff signing off
Sounds like a day in the making. Best of luck. Fair trails and following winds.
Gary
Posted by: Gary Butcher on 6/23/2014 at 4:56 pm
Looks like day one was a beautiful blue sky day! Hopefully everyone is feeling strong and rested for day two. Good luck to everyone and may the good weather continue.
JH
Posted by: Jerry Hildebrand on 6/22/2014 at 6:06 am
The Expedition Skill Seminar - Muir checked in this morning from Camp Muir. The team started their summit attempt today but were forced to turn around at Ingraham Flats due to high winds and blowing snow.
Everyone was resting at Camp Muir and they will spend the afternoon practicing some knot training, fixed line travel and crevasse rescue scenarios.
This is the RMI seminar, the Alaska seminar checking in. We awoke to another cloudless morning in Talkeetna. After eating breakfast at the Road House, we flew into base camp and were quickly boot packing a trail to our camp. After two hours of setting up camp, several helicopters passed through the southeast fork in the valley of the Kahiltna Glacier. As we continue to set up our camp and move in, the weather could not have been better. We spent a lot of time outside of our tents taking in the beautiful scenery. Everyone's doing great and excited to be here up on the Kahiltna Glacier up in Alaska. We'll check in tomorrow and hopefully have some good weather, more training. Take care.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson
Dave Hahn called from 17,000' on Mount McKinley. They moved camp yesterday and made good time, reaching 17,000' camp in about 5 1/2 hours. It was a bit windy when they arrived but they got camp set up. They woke up this morning to a very pretty day - the best since they have been on the mountain. They can see all the way down the Alaska Range.
There is a little wind today but they are planning on heading out in about an hour for their summit push.
We wish them good luck!
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.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier and his team reached the summit of Mt. Shuksan via the Fisher Chimneys Route. With the forecasted weather, the team was able to summit a day early and is continuing with some training through the rest of their program. They will descend from the mountain tomorrow.
Congratulations to all on their success- 100% to the top!
We connected the circuit today. Made it full circle around the Torres del Paine Massive! It was fun to see where we started, not fully knowing what was ahead and now how far we've come. The group has really hit their stride in terms of packing up in the mornings, falling in their favorite order on the trail, and even taking siestas at lunch time. It's always fun for me to see a group start wide-eyed and overwhelmed get so comfortable with trail life. This group has definitely done that. Most people on this trip, had not spent nine days out and carried their gear but now they make it look natural.
The scenery did not disappoint today. We spent all morning watching lenticular clouds form and move off in the distance. We walked around Lake Nordensjold all day appreciating the color contrasts around us. Tomorrow some of the group is going to walk up to the towers, others will go halfway and enjoy the views, and others will treat themselves to a massage--very deserving. Then we will head back to town. It always feels bittersweet leaving the trail. Yes, we are looking forward to pizza and home but we will miss the peace and simplicity that Patagonia has shared with us.
RMI Guide Christina Dale
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Seth Waterfall and Nick Hut reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team reported clear skies and great climbing conditions. They were able to some time on top enjoying the views before starting their descent.
Congratulations to today's teams!
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hi Papa!I got on purple two times in a row this week! I miss you very much .I hope you are having a good trip. I LOVE you!
Posted by: Evelyn on 5/6/2015 at 4:52 pm
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