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Kudos to the team!
The group climbed quite well on this first day of our Kilimanjaro Expedition. The 4,000' of ascent was accomplished with relative ease, and now we're enjoying an afternoon that has become warm and sunny.
Our day began with an early breakfast and quick departure for the Machame Gate, where a heavy drizzle kept us company while we waited for our porters to organize our gear for transport uphill. Rain should not be unexpected in a rainforest, but nobody likes starting their day in the wet. Luckily, by the time we started the rain had mostly abated and we were able to shed that Gore tax layer fairly soon after we started.
At camp our mountain staff worked tirelessly getting tents set up and cooking arrangements working. The magic happened quickly and camp life began for us.
As always, dinner was superb, starting with a savory zucchini soup and followed by pan fried steak, potatoes, rice and a cardoman/ coriander vegetable dish. Though we thought the nutella banana fritters were dessert enough, a special cake was brought in, lit up with candles, for Patti's birthday celebration.
What a party it was as we were regaled with song and dance in honor of our birthday girl. Such a special night!
A chill is in the air as we prepare for tomorrow's climb to Shira Camp.
All for now,
RMI Guide Brent Okita
On The Map
Posted by: Mike King, Avery Parrinello, Dominic Cifelli
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
Saturday, June 22, 2019 - 4:07 PM PT
We got an early start, up at 12:30am at 11k Camp and got to the airstrip by 8:30am. In the process we kicked, pulled, punched and cussed our heavy sleds as they barrel rolled, tipped and flipped down Ski Hill into 7800’ Camp. From there the clouds and ominous skies that had hung over us from Kahiltna Pass began to clear and we got some spectacular views of the surrounding peaks. We hit the bottom of Heartbreak Hill and 50 minutes later were at the airstrip. All sorted and ready for the De Havilland turbo Otters to arrive we kicked back for a few moments to reminisce on a great trip and felt kind of bad for the fresh meat just heading out for their first day on Denali.
Currently back in Talkeetna, a quick breakfast at the Roadhouse and now sorting gear for flights home. Looking forward to showers, burgers and beers, not necessarily in that order. We will reconvene for dinner and a session at the Fairview to bring a close to a wonderful 3 weeks on Denali. RMI-5 signing off, thanks for all the blog comments and support along the way.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Congratulations to you all. What an unforgettable experience.
Enjoy your achievement - and the beers burgers and showers.
Awesome!!
Thanks to your great guides as well.
Posted by: Stephanie on 6/23/2019 at 10:38 am
Fantastic!! Congratulations to you all. Thank you for the updates it’s been good reading them. Take care xx
Posted by: Anna Naylor on 6/23/2019 at 10:24 am
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Lucas Haaland, Luke Wilhelm
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Seminar
Elevation: 7,300'
Friday, May 31, 2019 - 9:22 PM PT
Today we practiced the rest day. A day full of reading, listening to music, watching TV shows, sporting eating, napping or whatever you can come up with to occupy your time. Being able to entertain yourself all day while it snows outside is an important skill to have on big mountains. It was a light snow today with limited visibility. But the sun's heat made it through the clouds making it rather toasty in the tents. You mix heat and being on the glacier for nine days, you get a pretty stinky tent. Lucky for us though showers are in our near future with a potential for flying off the glacier tomorrow. The forecast is looking better, so hopefully we can here the otters in the morning and catch a ride. Otherwise we will continue to practice resting for another day.
Let's hope for blue skies,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
Namaste from Dole -
We have started our descent down valley, from our highest point reached yesterday, and our highest night spent in the Himalaya, at Gokyo.
By merging into "almost" the main route to Everest Base Camp, we have started to see more people, making us gain a greater sense of accomplishment. The whether has kept us cool, and while the misty afternoon clouds have let us get a glimpse of new summits, like the impressive Cholatse, they have now fully come down upon us, adding a great deal of mysticism to the Buddhist landscape.
We'll be reporting from Khumjung tomorrow, as we continue to move downhill.
RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos
The RMI Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise Glacier, led by RMI Guide Pepper Dee, has had a spectacular week of training. With the many skills they learned, the team topped off their week with a bluebird summit day. Warm temperatures and a light breeze have followed them all week and continues as they descend from the Mt. Rainier summit.
Congratulations to the Seminar Team!
RMI Guide Steve Gately called from the summit of Mt. Shuksan this afternoon. The team delayed their start this morning due to rain and poor visibility. Once the rain dissipated they left camp in hopes the visibility would improve. Their patience was rewarded and they were able to reach the summit via the Fisher's Chimney route. The team will return to camp today for a final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will descend to the trail head and conclude their program.
Congratulations to today's Mt. Shuksan climbers!
Our team had a great day today, tackling our first acclimatization climb in good style. We climbed to the summit of Rucu Pichincha, a 15,400' volcano outside of Quito. The views were grand as we ascended in the rare air of high altitude.
Everyone did great (we were all breathing hard up there!), and we look forward to moving out of the comfort of the city life tomorrow, heading south, and getting another acclimatization hike under our belts.
We'll touch base again tomorrow. Thanks for checking in!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Looks like a wonderful day! Have a great climb tomorrow and stay safe.
Posted by: Gayle on 6/30/2014 at 8:10 pm
June 22, 2014 - 12:41 am PT
We woke up early to cold temperatures. The skies were clear and the winds were calm. After a good breakfast we set out to carry gear up higher. Not too long after we started climbing, the weather began to turn. Snow began to blow at us as we approached the fixed lines that go up to 16,200'. The weather was never too terrible, but it was never good. We decided to cache our gear at the top of the fixed lines and head back to camp. Rest day/acclimatization day tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Team "The Ocho"
On The Map
Looking good, following the journey from here in Seattle with interest! Stay strong & keep focussed!! (we know you will)
Posted by: Susan on 6/22/2014 at 4:13 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is roughly 100 square miles and is known for its abundance of animals that call the crater home.
We hit the road early with hopes of catching a few of the big cats before the heat of the day.
There were many sightings today of hyenas, jackles, ostrich, and countless other birds. We managed to see several lions, including 2 feasting on a fresh kill, thankfully it wasn’t too close though. We also saw one Black Rhino at pretty close range, which have become very rare due to poaching.
We wrapped up the day with a visit to a Maasai village not far from the craters rim. The Maasai people are a semi-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
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Posted by: Robby Young
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Greetings all,
The gangs all here and our adventure in Peru is officially underway! The first hurdle of the trip has passed; which is to make it to Peru with all of our climbers and all of their bags. We even made it out of the big chaotic city of Lima in excellent time yesterday morning and set our sites on the beautiful town of Huaraz. It took us about 8 hours to get here, but the ocean views, and then the mountain views keep us entertained for the long bus ride. As soon as we crest Conococha Pass at 12,600’, we’re treated to some incredible views of the glaciated peaks of the southern Cordillera Blanca as well as the Cordillera Huayhuash. What a site to get us pumped for some climbing!
We’re now in Huaraz at my absolute favorite hotel in the world, Hotel Andino. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner here last night and got a great nights sleep. Today, it’s all about gear, an acclimatization hike above town, and some good eating. We’ll tell you all about it later. Thanks for checking in.
RMI Guide Robby Young and Team Alpaca Steaks
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Go Team! Keep on trekking. Mary so proud of you, you are may champion, my hero! Can’t wait to have you in my arms!
Posted by: David Workman on 7/24/2019 at 6:56 am
I can’t wait for that bright, bright Mary light to shine from the top of that peak. Light up the world my Soul Sister! Sending much love!
Posted by: Katie Hollland on 7/24/2019 at 6:49 am
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