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Getting to 11,200' camp today came easily as we sported some very reasonable pack loads, having left a majority of our food and fuel at 9600', which we'll be picking up tomorrow morning. To make things even better, we were able to walk into a camp that some folks had left, leaving us free of the tiresome chore of building camp from scratch. I guess the day started out on a good note with a special breakfast of toasted bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon. Although the weather started off snowy and cloudy, as we approached the corner leading to 11,000', the sun came out and things cleared allowing us to enjoy the incredible vistas around us. Although the weather up higher on the mountain has apparently been rather unwelcoming, we have been doing OK. We're looking forward to another fairly easy day tomorrow before we don the crampons for our carry to 13,500' in a couple of days. RMI Guide Brent Okita

On The Map

This is the RMI team checking from Plaza Argentina. Today we had a beautiful day, weather was nicer than yesterday (no wind) and everybody arrived at basecamp in great style. At our new home here at Plaza Argentina, we settled in, setting camp and saying goodbye to our mules who have carried the bulk of our gear to basecamp. After a long day that we started very early, waking up at 5:45, we had a succulent stew and went to bed early to recover from our long day. Tomorrow we will rest and work on the food and gear that we will be carrying to Camp 1 the next day. Now at 21:30 the night's calm, something that didn't happened yesterday. According to descending climbers we passed along the trail, high winds hit basecamp, damaging tents and reminding us that here in the Andes we have to be prepared and do a good job setting camp. We will be reporting more news from Plaza Argentina.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 6:10 pm PT

Well, that was a thorough soaking. On night one of Ixta we camped at the trailhead. It rained all night without a break. In the morning it was still raining, but showing signs of clearing so we packed up and headed towards high camp. About an hour in to our hike, the sun came out, revealing our surroundings. We were treated to views of Ixta proper and Popo with a dusting of snow. However, around 5pm the clouds rolled back in and it rained hard again.

It rained throughout the night, a very cold rain. When I woke up to check the weather on a few occasions I was pelted by sideways sleet. Oh right, it was quite windy as well. Sustained moderate winds and precipitation throughout the night thwarted any chance of making a summit attempt. But we can chalk the whole experience up to more acclimatization and for some members of the team, 15400' was a new altitude record or sleeping altitude record.

This morning we descended from high camp, following the direction of a new dog friend. If not already soaked from the night prior, this hike ensured everyone was completely wet. Needless to say, we are all looking forward to some good meals and rest in Puebla tonight and tomorrow. We are keeping our optimism alive for Orizaba and are honestly feeling prepared. Hopefully this weather pattern clears out before Saturday.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Casey Grom here checking in with RMI's Kilimanjaro Climb! All is well here in Tanzania and most of the team arrived late last night 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 had a quick dinner and headed for bed as the time change has us all feeling just a little off and pretty tired after all the traveling. Today we had a leisurely morning with our official meeting at 9:30, where we did a round of introductions and then discussed the upcoming program for the 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 and Dik Dik running around. See for yourself: Arumeru River Lodge. We wrapped up the evening with another 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!

The team woke up to another expected stormy morning. We decided to make pancakes for breakfast, a lengthy process at 14,000' when you're serving for 12. We manage to take until almost midday to scarf down the feast. The weather however isn't as severe as the forecast was calling for but still not nearly suitable enough for travel higher. So we'll spend another afternoon hunkered down in the tents. The forecast is calling for another day of stormy weather before improvement is expected into Tuesday. Waiting out bad weather such as this is a common occurrence on this mountain and I may argue that it's simply an "entry fee" for safe passage to the summit. The team is doing great however with all the down time and all are well equipped with various forms of entertainment to pass the hours. My favorite being snacking. I mean, the more I eat the less my pack weighs, right? If only such simple logic actually translated to reality as efficiently as it does in my head! As I finish ty ping this I can hear the wind fiercely barreling over the exposed granite of the upper mountain like a freight train rumbles the earth as is passes through a small western town where the residents are so use to the thunderous event that it seemingly goes unnoticed. Such is life at our little village here perched at 14,000ft. Just a quaint little town with a train problem. RMI Guide Steve Gately

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guides Elías de Andrés Martos and Kel Rossiter reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. As of 7 am both teams were at approximately 13,400' on their descent. Elias reported clear skies and sunshine with a slight breeze and a very pleasant day. The groups will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing their descent to Paradise. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb Teams!

We woke up early to beautiful skies. Even though the sun never set, it was low enough to cast an orange glow on the large moon that hung over the Kahiltna Glacier. A five o'clock departure ensured solid glacier travel as we headed up to 10,100' to cache some of our gear. We plan to reunite with this gear when we do a ''back carry'' after we establish a camp at 11,000'. After 6 hours of climbing up to our cache and then back down to 7,800' camp, we spent the rest of the day resting and hydrating. We enjoyed some great conversation over Elias' amazing mountain quesadillas before heading to bed. Happy Father's Day to all of our dads! RMI Guide Mike Haugen P.S. Mrs. Chu, Patrick aced his finals! We are so proud!

Hello Everyone, We are enjoying another rest day here at Plaza Argentina (basecamp) acclimating after yesterday's push up to camp 1 and preparing our gear and supplies for tomorrow's move uphill. The weather is a bit breezy with intermittent clouds but is actually much nicer than the forecast indicated. We've been eating well (of course) and otherwise enjoying the day. Wish us luck on our big move to Camp 1. That will be the end of the gourmet meals for quite a while! RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team

Sunday, June 18, 2023 - 7:32 pm PT

The entire crew wishes everyone a happy Father’s Day! It’s probably not how I envisioned spending my first Father’s Day as a dad, but I can think of worst places to be than 14 camp. I’m sure over the years I’ve given my dad many grey hairs and stressful nights during my adventures in the mountains. I’m sure my boy will do the same if he chooses to spend time in mountains. I know everyone up here appreciates the sacrifices our loved ones at home have made so we can be up here on Denali.

After avoiding the logjam yesterday up the fixed lines, we had the route up to the buttress to ourselves and cruised up to the top of the fixed lines to stretch the legs and get to a higher altitude. After getting back to camp we listened music while having a block party (aka building walls around our camp) in anticipation of significant snow and wind in the coming days. We probably have the best camp at 14! Our team is really firing on all cylinders and has become a family. There’s already talk about a reunion in the coming years.

I can’t thank Bleys, Mike, Steve and Kerry for all their efforts in weather forecasting and the conversations I’ve had with them. It’s admittedly a weird position to be in without internet and see for myself what the weather models are saying. So I can’t thank you enough for keeping us safe. We were holding out hope that our friends launching for the summit today would get it in but high winds and a cloud cap thwarted their efforts. It’s been a challenging season with stormy weather on Denali this year and our trip has been no different. Unfortunately for our loved ones at home it’s going to be a while longer before we make it off the mountain. Stormy weather is expected through Thursday with a possible summit window Friday and Saturday. Our team remains positive and everyone is feeling strong if and when our window comes. 

I promise though we’ll be home before July hopefully with a summit!

RMI Guide Andy Bond

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Lindsay Mann called from the crater rim at 7:30 am as they were ready to begin their descent. Lindsay reported a beautiful day with a light breeze. The ESS-Paradise led by Ben Liken was also leaving the summit to return to Camp Muir. Both teams will continue their descent to Paradise this afternoon. Congratulations to today's climbers!