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This is Dave Hahn calling down from 14,200 feet on Mt. McKinley. It's 8:11 in the evening. It is a beautiful day, absolutely spectacular. We are way up above the clouds. The sun is still out, it hasn't gone behind the West Buttress yet. We did a great job getting up today if I don't say so myself. We started out this morning from 11,000 at about 9:15 a.m.. We weren’t really sure what the weather was going to do, but it did hold long enough for us and we made good progress coming up to 14. We came around Windy Corner and we were up here in six hours, which is always good. From having camp at 11 all to ourselves last night and being relatively alone on the mountain, so far, we're definitely in the community of guides and climbers up here at 14. A number of teams came down the mountain from up above including our friend Linden Mallory and his team. And it's great to be with those guys here at 14. They're spending the night as well, so we've got company. Again, it's just perfect this evening there is not a puff of wind. We very are happy to be finishing up the approach to the mountain, and excited to begin the climb. Although, tomorrow we're actually going to finish up the approach. We're going to go back down and get the cache we left of food and fuel about 500 feet below camp. After we retrieve our cache then will be here for real. Bye for now. RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Today the entire team took another rest day. Although the skies were clear and sunny, the winds were blowing quite high, rattling our tents pretty hard all day. We spent our day watching movies, playing cards and catching up on life outside of Everest Basecamp.

That little puff of cloud on top of Lhotse yesterday was a gathering storm. Not a bad storm we are told - no cyclone out of the bay of Bengal, no jetstreams trying to push over mountains, tents and people. But any fool can see that the skies are now full of moisture. There are clouds at all levels, and every 30 minutes or so, there is a snow shower. This isn't all bad in my book - as I've said, a carpet of snow on the Lhotse Face will just make it safer (now a meter of snow is a different animal entirely - lets not go there). Pre-storm, if anyone had been careless enough to drop a carabiner or water bottle from Camp III, it would have rocketed down the ice at terminal velocity, seeking grey matter (helmeted or otherwise) on the ropes below. My hope is that a little texture over the blue ice will make the Face safer and footing easier. I'm all about easy. Just this morning, when it was cold and snowy outside after breakfast, I invited birthday boy Kent Harvey and his camera into my and Erica's tent, to show him how we pass time in a storm. It was our rest day anyway - so being forced by the weather to focus on puzzles, books and I-pods didn't seem odd to me. I've long considered such skills to be the mark of a good expedition climber - the ability to do nothing, when nothing is what should be done. For active (or hyperactive) Type A climbers this requires an acceptance and a faith that there will be an abundance of physical abuse and over stimulated synapses, all-in-good-time... like, say, tomorrow. I've made a career out of interspersing corpse-like downtime with long, brutal, unfair, unrelenting sessions on my feet/crampons/skis/snowshoes/etc. It works. It is sustainable. I'm satisfied after 18 years at 8,000-meter peaks, that my job here is not to compete with the Sherpas at load carrying or route fixing. I've decided that I can do a better job of concentrating at guiding. Within reason. Today, just when it got ugly, mean and nasty out, with the tent walls shaking and rough snow pellets, peppering everything - just when it seemed proper to turn up the head tunes and guide by hiding from reality - I became aware that all was not right. Ang Kaji and Tendi were concerned about several dozen Sherpas trying to get heavy packs to 26,000 feet in this intensifying storm. Specifically - they were worried for four of our own team - the guys who were buying me the ability to sit on my butt, a mile below the battle-zone. It was obvious that Ang Kaji and Tendi were gearing up to walk in the storm. They meant to get to the base of the Face - to help out with thermoses of tea and water for Sherpas who battled their way back down in wind and blowing snow. I thought about things for 12 seconds, before declaring that I'd join them and Damian Benegas on the mercy mission. I thought of how little emergency gear sherpas bring on a carry - I thought of how much emergency gear I have surrounding me in a tent. I thought of how very few storms could keep me from reaching the Face if I threw on a First Ascent down suit, and if I pulled on some goggles, and pressed the right buttons on my GPS. Word came up quickly via radio from Lambabu that my services weren't really needed. And I knew that. I also know that the best climbing Sherpas have an admirable pride that this is their mountain, on which they solve their problems. But my client was safe at ABC and I happened to have time and energy and a New Mexico EMT license. And I admire guys like Tendi, Ang Kaji, and Damian who are hardwired to look after others and to make things come out right in the mountains. We went. And it was no big deal. Our climbers and everyone else's had wisely turned in the storm. We ended up sitting in the sun at the base of the Face as the guys came staggering off the rappel ropes. I didn't do anything - except watch tired men smile when Tendi handed them tea. I'm calling it a good day.

Here's a little look behind the scenes at how these dispatches are shot, edited and transmitted.

Sunday, June 13, 2021 - 9:25 pm PT

Greetings,

Excitement is high as we made it to 11K Camp today. Before waking to break down camp and hit the snow highway, we got a chance to congratulate Mike King and team on their successful expedition as they made their way to the airstrip. Its easy to let your mind wander to what luxuries they will get while we pull heavy sleds with heavy packs. But we have to stay focus because our journey has just begun. Part of the excitment of today is knowing that this was our last day hauling all our gear at once. From here on out we will begin doing carries which will lessen the overall weight on our bodies. Today is also exciting because we get to settle in for a few days, which I like to call nesting, creating a cozy home. Tomorrow morning we won't have to wake early and break down camp but instead we will enjoy a well desereved rest day. Relaxing, recovering, eating and sleeping is the name of the game for tomorrow.

Talk to you all tomorrow,

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 7:30 AM. RMI Guides Brent Okita and Jordan Cargill chose to make their summit attempt today due to the nice weather. Brent reported no wind and a perfect day on the mountain. The team will return to Camp Muir and continue to their training until Friday when they will descend to Paradise. The top photos are from today's summit climb, the bottom two photos are from Tuesday's training above Camp Muir. Congratulations to the climbers!

Hello everyone! It's been another nice couple of days here in Mexico since my last check in. Yesterday the team enjoyed their rest day in Puebla and spent some time roaming the city and eating good food. We reconvened for a great dinner just a short walk from the hotel which was a nice end to our one day in the city. At 7am this morning we jumped on the bus for a several hour journey to Tlachichuca where we finalized equipment for our climb up Orizaba. We had a late breakfast, were introduced to Dr. Reyes' facility at the Servimont headquarters, and and were soon back on the road to head to the south side of Orizaba. It was a long bumpy ride but nonetheless we arrived early in the afternoon with plenty of time to set up our tents and have a siesta. This evening we had a pasta dinner and are all prepped for our climb tomorrow. It's time for the grand finale tomorrow, wish us luck and we'll check in upon our return to Tlachichuca! And in only a few short days we'll ending the journey and heading back to our friends and loved ones back home. RMI Guide Chase Nelson

On The Map

Today was an easy one; rest and relaxation plus a little hiking and exploring. We are staying in Namche for three nights in order to get used to the altitude. Early wake up was optional, giving a chance to swill a little 6 AM coffee before hiking to the top of town in order to see daybreak and a first look at Mount Everest. The mountain didn't disappoint. The first rays of sunshine turned summit after summit into golden monuments around us, but our eyes kept returning to Everest... still about thirty miles away, but regal nonetheless. Those who slept in hoped to see the mountains a little later as we day-hiked up to the "Everest-View Hotel" but by then the clouds had rolled in and obscured the great range. We hiked on to the village of Khumjung and then made a circuit of things, crossing the misty ridge one more time to return to Namche. The gang was back at the hotel in early afternoon, just before rain began to fall. That made it pretty easy to lie in and relax away the afternoon, although some made their way down to check out Namche's well-regarded bakeries. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

We had a near perfect day to move up to Guanacos camp. It was a little cool as we started but turned out to be a sunny, calm day at camp. Everyone climbed strong to camp but I realized something much more important today. Our team is the best team on this mountain. Everyone in our group watches out for each other and not only pulls their own weight but is eager to do extra work for the team. There is nothing better than climbing with a group of great people. RMI Guide Walter Hailes & Team

On The Map

Another no-fly day at Vinson Base. We were at the edge of a thick sea of clouds for much of the day and from what we heard, weather wasn't very nice at Union Glacier either. Temperatures were low again today, reportedly -23 C but most of the team felt more comfortable with the conditions today, perhaps we are acclimating. It was a little tough to be anchored down in VBC today as a couple of our neighbors and friends pulled out and moved up to "Low Camp" but we'd very much like JJ Justman to be along for that journey. So we did a bit more training and preparing. Tomorrow, perhaps, we'll have the whole team in one place... the way we like it. And we'll go climbing. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn