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Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 2:22 PM PT We had a foot of snow with enough wind to drift upwards of 3 feet in most places. We spent the morning relocating our posh due to being buried and partially collapsed. The team is putting the finishing touches on a toilet cave so they can see a man about a horse without getting a spin drift bidet in the process. Other then maintaining camp we'll eat, nap, shovel and repeat until the storm passes. Moral is still good and we are hopeful that a clearing will arrive early next week. The wind loaded slopes will pose an avalanche hazard so we'll need a few days minimum to settle the slopes leading to the fixed lines. That's all from 14 Camp. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

May 19, 2014 - 10:20 pm PT We had the stoves fired up bright and early this morning, preparing for an early start for our carry to above 16,000'. The skies were clear, the air was cold, and you could see snow blowing off the ridges at 17,000' and above. As we left camp this morning the winds were just starting to pick up down lower. By the time we reached 15,000' the winds were howling at 20-30 mph and it was brutally cold (ambient temperature was probably 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit). We quickly turned the ropes around and beat feet back to camp. We arrived back at camp amidst a ground blizzard and we all quickly retreated to the sanctuary of our sleeping bags to warm up.The winds continued into the afternoon before finally easing up. As I write this dispatch from our tent after dinner the winds are dead calm and the sky is clear above us. Today was a good example of just how quickly conditions can change up here (and just how fickle the weather forecast is). Fortunately our team was prepared for mountain weather and we made the only prudent decision to return to the safety of our camp. The weather forecast looks great for the next few days (for whatever that is worth), and we're optimistic we will be able to put in a cache up high tomorrow, as always, we'll keep you up to date with our progress. Cheers, RMI Guide Mike Walter & Team

Our climb has had a flawless beginning thus far. True, we haven't actually hoisted a pack, walked uphill or even set foot on a glacier yet, but that will all come soon enough. First things first... yesterday the climbing team came together down in Anchorage and shuttled on up to Talkeetna. Today was actually jam-packed with orienting provisioning and preparing for our climb. If all goes well, we hope that K2 Aviation will be able to fly us on to the Kahiltna Glacier tomorrow morning. It seems the weather has been a little sloppy of late, although it did break long enough today for planes to get in and out of Kahiltna Basecamp a few times, retrieving the RMI team led by Jake Beren. It was great to chat with his guides and climbers as to current conditions on the hill. Combined with the briefing we received from the National Park Service this morning and what we've gathered from other acquaintances in the streets and eateries of Talkeetna throughout the day, we are feeling quite knowledgeable as to what we may find. Next step is to go and see for ourselves. We had a fine dinner at the busy West Rib Pub before retiring -with fingers crossed for easy flying conditions- to our comfy beds in the Talkeetna Motel. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The Four Day Summit Climbs lead by JJ Justman and Gabriel Barral reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning with 100% of their teams. It is a beautiful day on Mt. Rainier. Congratulations to the team members!

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.

It's been an adventurous couple of days so far. It took three flights to finally get onto the glacier, the first attempt getting turned back about half way to the airstrip on the SE fork of the Kahiltna glacier. The second time we were just four minutes from the airstrip when ground fog turned us back. But, at 6:00pm we finally made it! I've got to hand it to our pilots. Three attempts is unprecedented. Given the hour of the day we opted to make camp and begin our climb in the morning. I'm sure I wasn't the only climber on the trip to fret about the winds and snow the was blasting our tents all night, but at 6:00am the weather settled and we awoke to calm skies. Unfortunately, it didn't last and clouds and snow soon became the order of the day. Navigating in conditions like this can be a challenge, but I soon discovered that we had a secret weapon on our team: our guide Maile Wade, whose uncanny eyes could pick out even the smallest speck of a wand in the white out conditions that our first day served up for us. Coupled with my gps, we made it to tonight's camp at 7800' in great order. Of course, the tiresome winds of the day challenged our camp building skills, but I have to hand to the entire team, everybody dealt exceptionally well with all that was thrown our way today. The first days of these big expeditions can be trying even in nice conditions, and that everyone was in great spirits at the end of the day bodes well for the rest of the trip. In the parlance of the young: 'I'm psyched!' RMI Guide Brent Okita

Hello again everyone, All is well here at Base Camp! Not much new today. The team spent the morning relaxing at breakfast and listening to the BBC, our only current news source. After breakfast most of the members took their weekly showers (thankfully) and did a little laundry too. Our plan is to rest as much as we can as we wait for the weather window to arrive. Currently looks like it won't be here until next week sometime. That works out perfectly for us as we have plenty of resting to do. A big thanks to Dave Hahn (Expedition Leader) for setting the schedule just right. Now we can just relax for the week. If we had rushed our acclimatization program we would be getting anxious like some teams seem to be. Lucky for us! Meanwhile we will be hanging out enjoying the nightly dinner surprises that Mark Tucker (Expedition Coordinator) creates for us. Last night we had burritos and an amazing cake. Who knows what tonight might bring! Hope all is well back home.

Saturday, January 18, 2025 - 6:23 am PT

We’re back!

Yesterday’s climb was tough. Possibly the hardest climb of Kilimanjaro I’ve had out of 34 trips. It was very windy and cold all night as we tried to rest at high camp and unfortunately it continued howling for the majority of the climb. It took us about eight hours to successfully stand on the “Roof of Africa” and this team fought courageously the entire time. 

After a few photos, phone calls, and just catching our breath, the team descended back down to our high camp where we greeted by our staff with songs and a little dance. It brought smiles and a much needed boost after all the hard work. We then descend for a few more hours to reach our last camp on the mountain. Amazing how 10,000' can feel so comfortable after such a big day.  

Our final day on the mountain! 

Today the team got up at 6 am mostly refreshed after a much needed nights sleep, we had breakfast, then hit the trail one last time. It took about 3 hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch and said our final goodbyes to our amazing crew of 35 that took such great care of us on the mountain. We finished the little celebration by handing out their well deserved tips and then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge. 

Finally we are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting seven day journey up and down Kilimanjaro that has no doubt bonded us from the experience. 

I also asked the team for one word that best described their experience on this adventure. 

And he’s what we all came up with. 

Strength 

Pride

Gratitude 

Teamwork 

Defining 

Fortitude 

Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Thursday, June 27, 2019 - 10:44 PM PT No alarm clocks this morning. It was a rest day at 11K. Everyone came into the dining tent with smiles around 9 AM, having enjoyed lying in. We stretched breakfast to last a couple of hours as we swilled coffee and chowed down on perfectly constructed breakfast burritos. Some followed that with the first naps of the day, others read, chatted, sorted gear or daydreamed. It was a fine day with mild temps and strong sun. Nobody was sorry to have an occasional cloud throwing shade. We rehydrated and rested. R & R Denali style. There are only about three other teams at 11,000 ft at the moment - the climbing season is tapering off - and so things were quiet and calm. The forecast calls for a few more nice days, which is usually about all one can ask for around here. We will spring back into action tomorrow with the big move to 14 Camp. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Day 2 on Safari had us visiting the world famous Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is what remains of a once massive volcano that erupted and collapsed on itself, leaving behind a giant caldera that's almost exactly 100 square miles. In the 2 million years since then, hundreds of animals have taken up residence and have created one of the best Safari options in Africa. We hit the road early with hopes of catching a few more animals before the heat sent them in search for shade. Shortly after descending down into the crater we came upon several lions with 6 really cute cubs. We continued driving around trying not to stop at all the zebra, wildebeest, and Cape buffalo that were nearly in the way. There were many sightings today of hyenas, jackals, ostrich, and countless other birds. One of the highlights was seeing 3 Black Rhinos which have become very rare. We wrapped up the day with a visit to a Maasai village not far from the craters rim. The Maasai people are a nomadic tribe that exist almost entirely off of their cattle. The team spent time asking questions and enjoyed being shown around their small and simple village. We have just finished another wonderful meal here at the Plantation Lodge and are looking forward to what tomorrow may bring as we head to Tarangire National Park. RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew