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May 28, 2014 - 11:25 pm PT We weren't surprised to wake up to more snow and evidence of winds up high today. It's part of the process, and it took the team one glance up to the Buttress to know that we'd be sitting in camp again today. To combat the sitting, we made a checkers/ chess board, with jolly ranches and butterscotch for checkers, and Robby's artistic renditions for chess pieces. The forecast we got tonight looks like it may be another few days before we get our window, but spirits are high, and we're very comfortable here at 14 until that time comes. We're keeping our fingers crossed for the shift in weather we're looking for. We'll be in touch tomorrow. RMI Guides Pete, Robby, Josh, and team

On The Map

Greetings from Namche once again. Today we were greeted with a fresh blanket of snow in town, but only a few inches. We had planned on doing a little hiking to try and catch a glimpse of Everest, but the new snow and cloud cover kept us close to home. So we spent the day drinking coffee, telling stories and doing a little shopping in town. It almost felt like Christmas to be honest! Everyone is doing great and happily enjoyed the relaxing day here. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew P.S. I'd like to wish my dad a special Happy Birthday! Wish I could throw a snowball at you pops! I love you.

We're resting at Camp 4 today, with beautiful weather. The forecast is for pretty high winds the next few days, so we'll likely be here through the beginning of the week. Hopefully the winds abate (or the forecast doesn't verify!), and we can move up high soon. We enjoyed a late breakfast with lots of bacon and coffee this morning, and now we're lounging around, reading and whatnot. Our spirits are high, and we're hopeful that we can move up high soon. Thanks for the posts on the blog, it's always good to hear from friends back home. RMI Guide Mike Walter

A three a.m. snowstorm blew through just as our Sherpa team was trying to decide whether to go ahead with a carry to Camp One. Tendi and the boys wisely decided to give it a miss. Ultimately, it was only two inches, but it changed the basecamp scenery immensely. Leif Whittaker and I took an easy rest day while Chad, Casey and Seth took Scott, Rob and Wendy on acclimatization hikes. Several of the team went all the way up to Pumori Camp One for a little altitude and a lot of views into the Western Cwm. The big event of our day was Jeff Martin's planned departure for home. He has worked good and hard for a week now (on top of several months, pre-trip) to get our logistics off on the right foot, but now he is needed back on Mount Rainier. We said goodbye to him with a lively, latenight game of Texas Hold 'Em and a good and hearty breakfast. Now that most teams have arrived, we were entertained with a steady stream of old friends passing through and telling their stories of travels and treks over tea. We'll continue our training for the icefall tomorrow.

Namaste, Early this morning we loaded all of our gear up and drove through the slowly waking streets streets of Kathmandu to the airport for our flight to the mountains. Arriving well before sun up we found the airport bustling with sleepy but anxious trekkers. Four days of bad weather had prevented any flights from getting to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu, and people were understandably frustrated from spending day after day at the airport waiting to fly. But thankfully for us, the weather chose to break this morning and we walked straight through the waiting area and onto one of the first flights to Lukla. Our mountain flight, in a small twin otter designed for STOL runways - Short Take Off Landing - was amazingly smooth and we had gorgeous views of the Himalaya as we flew eastward from Kathmandu to the Everest Region. Landing in Lukla is always, well, exciting. A narrow strip of asphalt, the Lukla airport is built straight into the hillside, perched at angle of 10 degrees or so, and only a couple of hundred meters long. As you approach all that is visible over the pilots' shoulders is a rapidly approaching mountainside before the strip appears below the wheels, the plane touches down and comes to a screaming halt, all in the the span of a few football fields. We left the busy, congested streets of Kathmandu, flew past some of the world's greatest peaks, and landed on a narrow mountain airstrip in the heart of the Himalaya, all by 8:30 in the morning! In Lukla we stepped from the plane right onto the stone lined footpaths of the Khumbu where the trekking begins. We took advantage of the time needed to unload the plane and finalize our bags to enjoy a cup of tea and pasty from the local bakery while admiring the stunning mountains around us. By midmorning we were on the trail, with the sun shining and a few clouds hanging amongst the highest mountains, making their summits appear to float in the sky above us. We made our way along the long, gradual descending traverse from the mountainside village of Lukla to the bottom of the Khumbu Valley along the banks of the Dudh Kosi. The trail took us along lines of neatly stacked stone walls between fields of wheat, lettuce and cabbage, through little villages tucked between the mountains and the river, and past banks of prayer wheels and stacks of mani stones - stone tablets engraved with Buddhist prayers. While the walking is quite benign, the surroundings are overwhelming with the combination of soaring peaks and fascinating Sherpa life that has carved a rich culture into these mountains. The group was thrilled to finally be here and walking after so many days of travel and moved very well today, taking to the trails easily and taking advantage of the great weather to snap plenty of photos. Tonight we are staying in a small teahouse in Phakding on the banks of the Dudh Kosi - meaning milky river due to its silky blue/white color from the glacial sediment it carries. Tomorrow we climb from the valley floor to the trading center of Namche Bazaar where yak trains from Tibet bring in goods to exchange with the Sherpa and Nepalis of the surrounding area. The teams sends their best to everyone back home. We will check in from Namche tomorrow.

A day of rest, a lie in, coffee in bed, maybe a bagel, a nice long hot shower, a day at the spa for some, a day without kids, we all have our definition, our dream.  A day of rest at 13,800 ft is a little different.  Today is the day where you plan for the carry to Camp 1, gear is divided and camp essentials are split between us all.   It’s first come first served - do I want a frying pan, a grill, 3 bottles of fuel, or 2000 bags of dried spaghetti bolognese?   What will fit in my bag?  One person who has it all sorted is Ben, he’s called in Rob to carry his bag. 

The part of the body that doesn’t get a rest day is your brain - have I packed everything, have I included enough food, can I carry that monster a.k.a 100-liter rucksack, should I snag a porter?  And this is supposed to be a vacation.  

The wind at base camp was pretty raucous today - a couple of tents (not ours) were seen blowing across the camp being hastily pursued by wildly gesticulating would have been mountaineers. 

All in all, a good restful (?) day, only interrupted by a vigorous stroll up to the start of the glacier at 14,500ft - a new high for a member of the team. However, the altitude is having an impact.  Last night the team was playing cards, after about 1 hour of playing rummy Andy commented

“is this Rummy, I thought it was Euchre, it’s seem a lot like rummy”.  It was time for bed. 

Climber Myles O'Neill

Friday, June 7, 2019 10:18 PM PT Greetings all! A beautiful sunny day, finally! We woke to sun and were only interrupted by some quick snow showers during the dinner hour. We were able to fully complete our move to 14k Camp this morning by heading back down and retrieving our cache at Windy Corner at 13.200’. We were up and at em early and were back at Camp a little after noon, in time to nap and rest, and finish up our day with some fixed line practice. Tomorrow, we’ll rest! It’s an important rest day as we continue our acclimatization process in preparation for our future travels to upper reaches of this grandiose mountain. We’ve got big plans for big meals, big naps, and possibly a trip to take in the views at the ‘Edge of the World’. We’ll report back and tell you all about it tomorrow! Til then, good night! Robby, Nick, Joe and Team Pebble Beach

Well after nearly four days spent at the luxurious Aconcagua Basecamp, it came time to move up high onto the mountain to about 16,200'. The team traveled efficiently and we made it to camp by 1 pm, even if the scree at the end had us "one step up, half a step back." The weather is sunny and breezy with a cloud cap high on the mountain, maybe around 22,000'. We will spend the rest of the day relaxing so we can be prepared to carry gear to Camp 2 tomorrow, providing the weather continues in our favor. Thanks for following, RMI Guide Ben Liken

On The Map

Greetings from Chile, RMI's third Vinson Massif Expedition of the season has arrived in Punta Arenas. While the team arrived as scheduled, two bags failed to make a connection somewhere along the way. Fortunately, after a few phone calls and some patience, they showed up at the hotel late this afternoon. There was not a lot on the itinerary today except to get our gear ready for the flight on Sunday. It will be picked up tomorrow morning and taken to the plane and loaded ahead of time. So we went through the equipment list one last time making sure nothing was forgotten. We then went shopping to round out our lunch food for the expedition. The team is ready to fly south! The rest of the afternoon was free to enjoy the sights of a new city and to just relax after the many miles travelled to get here. We finished the day at La Marmita, one of the best restaurants in town. Best regards, RMI Guide Jeff Martin

June 13, 2014 - 8:22 pm PT With an early start, we headed out from Basecamp to Camp 1 at 7,700ft. We left camp at six this morning and traveled down the southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. The beginning portion is called Heartbreak Hill since it is downhill from Basecamp. This same hill is a heartbreaking uphill climb upon return to Basecamp after the climb. We made very good time as we joined the main Kahiltna Glacier and headed towards camp. Although it is not a big elevation gain day, it is a steady rise from the base of Heartbreak to Camp 1. We arrived in camp around 10:30 this morning and got ourselves dug in since the weather has been pretty touchy this season. Our plan, if the weather allows, is to carry some of our gear up towards Kahiltna Pass around 10,000 ft. We carried our entire load today (100lb+ per person). Now it is time to start caching gear up higher to make our travels more efficient and to help us with our acclimatization process. Good night! RMI Guide Billy Nugent and Team "The Ocho"

On The Map