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Ecuador: Grom & Team Spend a Relaxing Day at the Chilcabamba Eco Lodge

December 16, 2014

Posted by: Casey Grom, Leon Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Hola from Ecuador! Things are great here on the equator. We had a fantastic climb on Cayambe in the most amazing weather I've ever had. We started our climb by waking up at 11pm to ensure we had plenty of time for the day ahead. Everyone did a good job of getting ready in our tiny hut that was a little cramped for the 11 of us. Once the team was ready and had plenty of fresh coffee we were out the door at midnight as expected. The weather was clear and calm all night which was perfect, and the team saw dozens of shooting stars and even an amazing lightning storm far off over the Amazon. We made our way steadily up the mountain climbing close together and stopped for short breaks every hour to eat and drink. The sun rose shortly before we climbed the final steep section where we took a little time to snap pictures and put on our sunglasses. We summited just after 6am with the entire team and spent about a half hour enjoying the unbelievable view we had. Not a cloud in the sky and all of the mountains in view, it was spectacular to say the least. The descent went relatively smooth and before long we were back at the hut tired but very happy. We took a short break then packed up all of our gear and then headed south to the always wonderful food and hospitality of hacienda Chilcabamba. Check it out for yourself. After some much deserved and needed sleep the team spent the day relaxing around the hacienda. Everyone enjoyed the day watching the endless hummingbirds visit, playing lots of cribbage and a few of us went on a short horseback ride in the countryside. Everyone is in great spirits and looking forward to another good night of sleep before tomorrow night's upcoming climb. Buenos noches from Ecuador! RMI Guide Casey Grom

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hunny, you have this! Listen to your body and be safe. It’s okay to take things a bit slower for extra precaution. I can’t wait to hear how it went on Friday when you get back and am so proud of you! Love you!

Posted by: Liz on 12/17/2014 at 6:13 am

What a great post!!
I hope Dale got on a horse (he’s never ridden one before!) Enjoy Cotopaxi, team!
Erin

Posted by: Erin on 12/16/2014 at 11:52 pm

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Cotopaxi Express: Walter and Team Rest after a Successful Climb

July 4, 2014

Posted by: Mike Walter

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 19,348'

Friday, July 4, 2014 – 10:32 AM PT We took advantage of great weather and climbing conditions yesterday to summit Cotopaxi (19,348')! We started climbing a little before 5 am, summitted around 1 pm, and were back at camp by 5 pm. Twelve hours of ascending and descending the glaciate slopes of Ecuador's most famous volcano, Cotopaxi. Although we were greeted by gusty winds as we approached the glacier, the sky was clear and the temperature was comfortable. By the time we strapped our crampons on, the wind had died down and the weather and climbing conditions could not have been better. The snow was perfect for cramponing, winds were about 10 mph all the way up to the summit, and the views of the surrounding peaks were stunning. After a long day of climbing we settled back into the climbers' hut and enjoyed a warm meal before crawling into our sleeping bags for a full night's sleep. This morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we visited a small pre-Incan archaeological site within Cotopaxi National Park before heading south to the Hacienda La Cienega. Now we're all set to enjoy showers, some more food, and comfortable beds. Nice work team, on safely climbing up and down a very impressive mountain. We'll rest here at La Cienega tonight and then head back into the capital, Quito, tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Walter

Mexico’s Volcanoes: Wittmier & Team Conclude Week of Climbs

October 15, 2023

Posted by: Dustin Wittmier

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico

Thanks everyone for following along and once again, a shout out to Farmer Dave for all the encouragement!

Climbing Orizaba is never easy. We ended up having a great weather day and route conditions were also favorable. But it still felt like a hard push after the long week of being rained off of big mountains and spending hours drying gear. The team can take pride in their perseverance and their summit of Pico de Orizaba, the third highest peak in North America.

Last night we celebrated in Tlachichuca at the Servimont hostel, where there is always a nice meal and cold drinks. Most people were in bed by 8pm, it was quite the party. Now we are on one final bus ride, to the airport this time, and will return to normal life tomorrow. The muddy, dusty gear we are bringing home will remind us of the good times we had in Mexico.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Denali Expedition: Cifelli & Team Getting Used to Expedition Life

June 16, 2023

Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Seth Burns, Daniel May

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 9:20 pm PT

Day one on the climb is always a tough one. The excitement is swirling, the nerves are high, and the bar for entry is even higher. There is a lot to get used to during expedionary life, especially one as remote as Denali. We have to pretend we could lose our gloves at any gust of wind, lose our gear during the next snowstorm, or rip our homes if we’re careless. The mountain is tough, but today proved that we can be just as tough. The first day is one of the only days that you’re carrying everything you brought all at once. The road to Camp 1 is just too long to do the typical; carry and cache, move camps, grab the cache. So we must make the long slog to the base of Ski Hill. With cold temps, clear skies, and crunchy snow we weaved through the crevassed Kahiltna glacier and made camp at around 8:30 this morning. We’re at camp now, waiting for weather updates and refueling for tomorrows effort. We’ll cache up at Kahiltna pass.

Thanks for following along,

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Love the photos - what extraordinary scenery you’re experiencing. Will be looking forward to each post (would be great to see your team via a group shot, if there’s a chance)!

Posted by: robin & rex on 6/16/2023 at 2:14 pm

Thank you for the update stay safe saurabh and take care all the climbers

Posted by: Anjali Sharma on 6/16/2023 at 9:43 am

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Mt. Rainier: September 17th Summit!

September 17, 2017

Posted by: Casey Grom, Solveig Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Solveig Waterfall reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team climbed into a cap with some light precipitation and winds of about 15 - 20 mph. They spent a short time on top before starting their descent. Congratulations to today's team!

Alaska Seminar: Elias and Team Check in from the Pika Glacier

June 12, 2017

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Chase Nelson

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Seminar

Hello from the Pika Glacier! We had a terrific day on the "munchkin" a rock formation 20 minutes west of our camp, where we spent the day training. This team is really talented and motivated to learn, and with the best classroom as our domain, we had a very productive day; short roping, rock anchors, belay escapes, transitions... We lost the concept of time getting techie with our ropes and gear, and we realized we had to come back to camp when our stomachs told us dinner time was due. We are hoping for good weather tomorrow to climb another objective. Best regards from Alaska, Elias, Chase and team. RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Mt. McKinley: Knoff & Team Enjoy Rest Day at 11,200’

May 26, 2015

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Nick Hunt

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

May 26, 2015 - 7:24 pm PT I gave the team a general idea of when we might start breakfast this morning at dinner last night. I bet we get hot water started at around 8, then start pancakes and coffee shortly after that I said. I didn't even open my eyes until almost nine. While in the middle of working your way up this mountain day after day none of us realized how much we could use a rest. Today it became clear. We sat in the cook tent making fresh Pete's coffee and watching Andy flip flap jacks until almost noon. Then we took naps and soaked up the sun we haven't really seen clearly this entire trip. Now we are cooking quesadillas and packing up for our potential move to 14 Camp tomorrow. Everyone is happy to be caching dirty underwear, smelly socks and unneeded stuff for the upper mountain. It has been a beautiful rest day here at 11 Camp but after getting a great view of the upper mountain yesterday, the team feels super psyched to push this climb higher and see what unfolds. Check in tomorrow for the outcome of our hopeful move. Team Knoff saying goodnight. RMI Guide Adam Knoff

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Greg:

So glad to hear you are all doing so well and that you took a day to rest! Can’t wait to see how the next move goes!
Sending love from home!
Nic and Jek xox

Posted by: Angelica on 5/27/2015 at 10:36 pm

Shannon and team, hope you enjoyed your rest day. Pancakes always good to warm the belly. Climb on. Looking forward to the next post.

Posted by: patty & mark on 5/27/2015 at 12:19 pm

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Alaska Seminar: Team is Enjoying Good Weather While Training

May 7, 2015

Posted by: Bridget Belliveau, Leon Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,300'

May 7, 2015 12:39 am PT Greetings, Today the team spent a full day doing technical training, building foundational knowledge in hopes of breaking camp tomorrow and moving towards our next objective: Kahiltna Dome. The weather has so far been excellent, so if you are out there reading this, do a little anti-snow dance for us! Cheers from Alaska, RMI Guides Leon Davis, Garrett Stevens and Bridget Belliveau

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Snow dancing has commenced in DC!!! Fingers Crossed for you all!

Posted by: Melissa Quantock on 5/8/2015 at 7:54 am

Looks like you are enjoying beautiful weather. I will be there next week doing the same seminar. Enjoy.

Posted by: John Newland on 5/8/2015 at 6:15 am

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Aconcagua: Van Deventer & Team Move Up to Camp 2

January 30, 2015

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 16,200'

We had a perfect move day to Aconcagua Camp 2! The day dawned calm, bluebird, and warm, and looked like the ideal day to push up higher to our next camp at Guanacos Tres (a confusing name since it is our camp two). We packed the tents once again, shouldered packs that were once again heavy, and set out. It's not a far climb, as most of the elevation gain happens right out of Camp 1, and three hours later we were walking into our new abode. We are now happily settled in and are looking forward to another rest day tomorrow. So far everything is going very smoothly and according to plan, and we all have our fingers crossed that it stays that way. Hasta mañana, RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Alex Barber, Juampi, and team

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Brian Palmer and the Team! Congratulations! You made it! Vern Kabat

Posted by: Vern Kabat on 2/3/2015 at 3:18 pm

Knock the bastard off!!! Well stated, I’ll second that.

Posted by: Carlo on 1/31/2015 at 12:50 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Upper West Rib Team takes Weather Day at 14,000’

June 12, 2014

Posted by: Eric Frank, Geoff Schellens

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

June 11, 2014 10:53pm PT We awoke this morning to clear skies and the sound of howling wind thrashing the mountain above us. It was a cold day at 14 camp despite the winds easing a bit in the afternoon. We finished building our snow walls and made some snow statues- a mailbox and planter among them. At 3:00 pm the winds had let up enough that we took a walk to the Edge of the World, a vista point on the 14k bench. The forecast is looking better and we are hopeful that we can get a cache up on the Rib tomorrow. Thanks for following along with us. RMI Guides Eric, Geoff and The UWR Team

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Dr. Bruce Freedman, Love the beard. You guys look great. What a view you have. Stay warm and post some more pics… David

Posted by: David Hart on 6/13/2014 at 2:48 am

Good work gentlemen!

John, your fantasy baseball team is doing phenominal, the first goal of the world cup was an own-goal, and I left a basball game in the middle of the 14th inning only to hear the fireworks of a walk-off homer in the parking lot. Stay safe-ish, take lots of photos, and enjoy your time on the mountian.

Cash

Posted by: Clay Rogers on 6/12/2014 at 9:40 pm

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Most Popular Entries

Ecuador: Grom & Team Spend a Relaxing Day at the Chilcabamba Eco Lodge

Cotopaxi Express: Walter and Team Rest after a Successful Climb

Mexico’s Volcanoes: Wittmier & Team Conclude Week of Climbs

Denali Expedition: Cifelli & Team Getting Used to Expedition Life

Mt. Rainier: September 17th Summit!

Alaska Seminar: Elias and Team Check in from the Pika Glacier

Mt. McKinley: Knoff & Team Enjoy Rest Day at 11,200’

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Alaska Seminar: Team is Enjoying Good Weather While Training

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Aconcagua: Van Deventer & Team Move Up to Camp 2

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Mt. McKinley: Upper West Rib Team takes Weather Day at 14,000’

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