Most Popular Entries

Good morning from little Swiss, We came to an end, but not without reward...Yesterday we had, after a patient wait for blue skies, the most amazing of the climbing days we could hope for. the Middle Troll, reigning over the Pika, towered for hours above us, as its splitter granite cracks discerned a feasible access to its airy summit. The team climbed seamlessly, and all the training of the last week payed for an incredibly well oiled "uphilling" engine. We climbed into the evening, as the morning and early afternoon were still foggy; climbing into the evening light of Alaska's summer was very special. We're now cooking our breakfast and soon we'll fly back to civilization... wait to see our pictures! RMI Guide Elias deAndres Martos & Team

The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb, led by JJ Justman, made the decision to turn early this morning. With winds gusts reaching 50 mph and new snow, the team spun at Ingraham Flats (11,200'). Safe and sound back at Camp Muir, they will eat some breakfast before the begin their descent back to Paradise.

The day started with our local staff serenading the team with the "Jambo" song after breakfast. It was nice to see the strong and good men who've helped us so much this week all in one place, singing, dancing and able to receive our thanks for their great efforts. We then made an effort to get out of their way by leaving Mweka Camp and descending 4000 vertical feet to the Mweka gate to end our climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The low clouds didn't hold back for long before dropping light but steady rains on us and the already slippery track. The trail took us through a lush and seemingly impenetrable forest... I'm sure there was much to see, but mostly we concentrated on making careful steps and avoiding falls for a few hours. We were relieved to reach easier terrain for the home stretch. Since it was still raining at the Mweka Gate to the National Park, we didn't hang around long before loading onto our expedition bus/truck and hitting the road for Moshi. Halfway back to Arusha, in better weather, we stopped for a great picnic lunch. Then it was on to our comfortable home at the Dik Dik hotel where we all got a lot cleaner and a little more pleasant as we caught up on sleep and internet. We're heading for a celebration dinner now, which will double as a farewell to Brian and Brad who are abandoning us and heading home tomorrow as we set out for our much-anticipated game-viewing safari. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Good morning! This is Billy checking in from Argentina. All is well and we are en route to Aconcagua Basecamp. We hit the trail on Tuesday morning with fairly light loads on our back. All of our group gear, tents, fuel and food was sent along to basecamp by mules from our outfitter Grajales Expeditions. We spent our first night on the trail at Pampa de las Lenas at around 9,000'. Yesterday we broke camp and began the walk to Casa de Piedra at 10,550' where we spent last night. Everyone is doing well and we will be leaving shortly for our final trek into basecamp. We will check in again soon. RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team

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!

Greetings from Tanzania.

All is well here in Tanzania and most of the team arrived late in the evening 2 days ago after some very long flights. It was a short and uneventful ride to our Lodge that is nestled in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of Kilimanjaro. The team spent the 1st day relaxing and getting adjusted to the nearly 12hr time change.

We had a leisurely morning today and had our first official meeting at 10am where we did a round of introductions and then discussed the program for the coming days ahead. We spent the remainder of the day getting our gear packed up, exploring the grounds of our Lodge, which is incredibly peaceful and has monkeys running around keeping us entertained.

We wrapped up the evening with a delicious meal and plenty of friendly conversations. Everyone is doing well and excited to hit the trail tomorrow and get a little bit of exercise.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew

Thursday June 13, 2024, 10:55pm PDT

And just like that, we are in a new world... a planet of ice and snow and rock and gigantic mountains.  We flew on just before midday.  It had been a little manky before that, with low cloud in both Talkeetna and Kahiltna Base camp, so we got to eat a last big breakfast in town as we waited for improvements.  It was a thrill to get some views of Denali, way up above the remaining clouds, as we flew in, and a thrill to step out of the planes at basecamp. 

We built camp, trained and prepared for departure in the intense high-altitude sunshine. We talked over what to expect and how to deal with expected challenges. We made it to bed by 9 PM. Our intention is to get up in the middle of the night to travel in the early morning shadows. 

Best Regards, 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team 

The whole team arrived safely in Ecuador and with bags, which is always a good first step. I think we all experienced some bit of turbulence as we escaped the North American winter, but fortunately no door panels removed themselves unexpectedly during anyone's flights.

Yesterday's city tour happened without any hitches. Due to the recent political events, the streets are a bit quiet, but it seems like life is more or less returning to normal. It was great to have our city tour guide to help answer our questions and help us sort through what may have actually happened and what is a bit sensationalized in the American news media. Along with that, we made our first steps in acclimation both to the altitude and a different culture. Some physics experiments at the Museo do Intiñan (the indigenous equator museum) were capped off with us balancing eggs on a nail before heading to old town Quito and seeing some attractions.

Today, we awoke to another beautiful morning. Typically it is rainy in the afternoons here, but for our first two days we have been treated to nice days, start to finish. Blue skies made for a lovely hike up Rucu Pichincha and everyone did really well. We even had a few folks reach new altitude records, congratulations! Hopefully, there are more to come on this trip. The remainder of our evening involves cold plunging, hot tubbing, group dinner and one final night in the hotel before departing for the countryside.

Dustin

Tuesday, October 10, 2023 3:17pm

This is Dustin and Team checking in from high camp on Ixta. It rained constantly last night and we almost pulled the plug on climbing Ixta. However, we started uphill into the rain this morning and eventually ended up in the sun. We're now at high camp and the weather still looks iffy in the distance, but if we can thread the needle again we at least have some chance!

Wish us luck! 

We got an early start this morning with a few members crossing the cold Vacas River on foot and few other opting for a mule ride. The days hike brought us up the Relinchos River valley with a decent elevation gain during the first two hours. Since we missed the view of Aconcagua yesterday due to clouds and stormy weather the Team was taken back by the size of the mountain and it’s fresh coat of snow. We strolled down the braided mule paths, walking slowly to allow our bodies to adjust to the change in altitude. This trip has been one of 180 degree different weather patterns. Today was our hottest day of the trek as we were swarmed by horse flies. Now that we are at Aconcagua Base Camp at 13,800’ the Team is setting up their tents and taking some down time after three days of walking. Not much on the agenda except a delicious dinner and enjoying the sunset from our home for the next four nights. Tomorrow will be a rest day so the Team can continue acclimatizing and have a chance to sort gear and food to get carried up to Camp 1. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map