Day three of our trek to base camp began with an alpine start, getting up before sunrise. After breaking camp and a quick breakfast we were at our first, of two, river crossings just as the sun was rising. The glacier-cold water caused a sudden shock to the senses, making it painful and difficult to continue crossing. As the water got up to our knees, the painful cold made it impossible to move our legs, and we needed the encouragement of our fearless guides to get us across.
After that we were wide awake and ready to leave the Vacas valley and spend the day hiking up the Ralenchos valley. Not long after the river crossing we soon got our first glimpse of the size and grandeur of Aconcagua. After hiking up the narrow valley, safely getting through a few exposed sections above the river, and our last river crossing, the valley opened up to high desert plains dotted with large boulders and low thorny bushes.
A few times throughout the day, we had to move out of the way of the stedfast burros carrying gear to and from base camp. Mostly following the path, some would misbehave and try to go another direction, requiring the gauchos to yell and whistle to get them back in line.
After making it to base camp, we were greeted by the wonderful Grajales staff. We all sat down in the dome tent where we eat, and were brought fresh fruit, sodas, and we made coffee and yerba mate (a local highly-caffeinated tea that guide Ben introduced us to). This was followed by a delicious lunch of pan-fried pork belly, potato salad, zucchini, and cup of fruit for dessert.
We then set up all our tents at our campsites, got settled in, and relaxed as we are getting used to the thin air of 13,800ft.
Base camp is even better than our prior two camps. In addition to the dome tents to eat and hang out in, bathrooms (which can be a challenge for some to get out of), solar-panel power to charge our electronics, and wifi that is faster than at home, there are showers! At 13,800ft!
This evening's dinner was exceptional as always!
Broccoli soup, steak, wine, and crepes (Myles did not have wine, Fionnuala).
We'll all sleep well tonight, now that everyone has their sleeping bags.
You know it’s getting real with a 50lb pack on your back and a glacier-melt river up to your knees. I also heard that Ben is willing to assist the porters with any additional gear needing to get to carried to the next camp.
Posted by: Ed DaPra on 1/18/2024 at 6:28 am
I love these posts! Thank you for keeping those of us who are with you in spirit in the loop and with all the detail. The river crossings sound so painfully cold. Now rest and recharge as you acclimate to the altitude. Buen Camino Mikayla!
Posted by: Michelle DeMers on 1/18/2024 at 5:11 am
Yesterday we spent the day at Plaza Argentina sorting gear for the mules and enjoying a quiet base camp before the post holiday rush. Today we woke to high winds at base camp and said our goodbyes to the Grajales staff and set out for the 15-mile walk to Pampa Las Lenas. As we retraced our steps from two weeks ago, we had a chance to consider what we had accomplished on this trip and add some closure to what could have been. We concluded the day with a traditional Argentine asado for dinner and plenty of laughs from the difference that two weeks had made on us physically and mentally as we ate alongside groups of fresh climbers just starting their trip. Tomorrow is a short three-hour walk to the park entrance and from there we’ll be in Mendoza to conclude our expedition. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Gloria, you are AWESOME!!! We are ALWAYS so proud of you (and team) whether you make it to the top or not. We can’t wait to see more pictures. Dana says it’s exciting to live his climbing dreams vicariously through you. :-) BIG HUGS!!!!!!
Posted by: Susan and Dana on 12/30/2018 at 5:18 pm
The Four Day Summit Climb team led by RMI Guides Mike King and Chase Nelson reached Ingraham Flats today. High winds and a cloud cap kept the team from the summit, but they were able to get a bit of climbing in as they made their to the flats. The team will be starting their descent and be back at Rainier Basecamp in the early afternoon.
Congratulations Team!
Our time in La Paz was short, as we awoke to another beautiful day here in Bolivia and made the three-hour drive to Lake Titicaca to take in the scenery and get acclimated to the 13,000’ altitude.
We walked amongst old Incan ruins and small farming villages surrounding the lake. The Bolivian Andes mountains on one side and Perú off in the distance across the lake to the north.
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. We took the opportunity to take a couple of ferry rides across the lake to different islands including driving through Copacabana. To get to our final destination for the night on Isla del Sol “Island of the Sun” we took a short boat shuttle to our eco lodge overlooking the lake and surrounding mountains.
The views are incredible as we got to watch the sunset light up the mountains across the lake. As we head to bed the near full moon is glistening on the water. We look forward to another day tomorrow walking around the island and all that it has to offer.
RMI Guide Andy Bond
The Four Day Summit Climb July 22 - 25, 2017 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. RMI Guides Mike Walter, Lydia Johnson and JT Schmitt reported clear skies and calm winds. The team will return to Camp Muir and continue down to Paradise. They will conclude their program with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone,
We spent the day relaxing here at Hacienda Tambopaxi that sits just at the base of the beautiful volcano Cotopaxi. It's one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and we've been told that Cotopaxi is a pre-inca name meaning "neck of the moon". The area surrounding the volcano is mostly high plateau grasslands and is home to a thousands of wild horses, which we could easily see just outside of the hacienda.
The team is doing great and everyone is well rested and excited for our last big climb. We'll be waking up at 10pm and hopefully hitting the road shortly after breakfast and if all goes well, standing at 19,347ft above sea level right after sunrise.
We will check in tomorrow when we are safely back down.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Hey, this is Seth checking in from Mweka, it's our last camp on Kilimanjaro. We came off the summit after my last call in and had a nice hike down to our high camp at Barafu. Then had a nice breakfast and rolled down here to our last camp. It was quite the hike, the last few miles are always tough on tired legs. Everybody is safe and sound down here. We are looking forward to a little dinner and then a long nights sleep, well deserved. Tomorrow we head back to our hotel and then we are off on safari. We will check in again from the Dik Dik Hotel. All is well here on Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall checks in from Mweka Camp after descending from the summit of Kilimanjaro.
A few days back we were on the summit of one of the world's biggest volcanoes... Today we spent our time happily plumbing the depths of a collapsed volcano. Ngorongoro Crater is a caldera teeming with the classic wildlife of Eastern Africa. We went to the crater rim this morning in thick cloud, unable to see more that a hundred feet, but we had hopes that situation would change. While still on the rim, we visited a Massai Village and were introduced to the customs and traditions of the dominant tribe in this area. We then piled back into our Land Cruisers and began the 600 meter descent into the crater as the weather rapidly improved. Within 20 minutes, we were seeing lions, jackals, Cape buffalo, zebras, hippos and ostriches... To say nothing of gazelles, wildebeest, and hyenas. The constant water supply within the crater keeps the herds from migrating, the presence of the herds makes the predators happy, the addition of roads lets us see it all. We even saw a couple of the resident (and rare) black rhinos, but they were at a distance and sleeping hard.
Lunch was on the shores of a lush hippo hangout and then we circled the caldera (about 15 miles across) one final time. With each sighting of a new species, the driver/guides would cut the engines and let us snap pictures as they described what we were seeing. Finally, we spiraled up and out of the crater as the sun was getting low in the sky. By this point we had the big view that had been denied in the misty morning. Clement and Joseph had us back to the Kirurumu lodge by six thirty PM where we washed off the road dirt and put on clean shirts for some fine dining.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
Namaste everyone,
Today was our third and final day in wonderful Namche Bazaar. We had an early breakfast and headed out the door for a hike that was part exploring and part acclimatization. The weather was calm and clear and allowed us some of our first views of Everest and other Himalayan giants. It was breathtaking to say the least. Even though Mt. Everest is still miles away it looks really BIG! We climbed up to somewhere around 12,000' so that's only 17,035' more to go.
Our adventure took us to two villages called Khunde and Khumjung. Khumjung is famous from Sir Edmond Hillary having built one of the first schools in the Khumbu Valley and their delicious bakery. Along the way we stopped off at the Everest View Hotel and had a quick drink and enjoyed the view the hotel is famous for.
Everyone is doing great and we are looking forward to moving further up the Khumbu Valley.
You know it’s getting real with a 50lb pack on your back and a glacier-melt river up to your knees. I also heard that Ben is willing to assist the porters with any additional gear needing to get to carried to the next camp.
Posted by: Ed DaPra on 1/18/2024 at 6:28 am
I love these posts! Thank you for keeping those of us who are with you in spirit in the loop and with all the detail. The river crossings sound so painfully cold. Now rest and recharge as you acclimate to the altitude. Buen Camino Mikayla!
Posted by: Michelle DeMers on 1/18/2024 at 5:11 am
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