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RMI Guide JJ Justman and the Four Day Summit Climb team reached the summit of Mt. Rainier under cold and gusty conditions. The team began their descent shortly after 8:00 a.m. PDT. On their descent, the team will stop at Camp Muir to rest and repack before continuing their descent to Paradise. They will return to Ashford and Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Congratulations!

Hi all! Billy here checking in for the last time from this year's Denali expedition. Our team showed tremendous poise after our butt kicking on our first summit attempt and rested through another marginal day on the way to our eventual summit day that was absolutely beautiful. We encountered some moderate winds in the 30 mph range but generally enjoyed clear skies and decently warm temps. It took us just over 12 hours of solid work to make the round trip mission from our high camp at 17,000' and the whole team was pretty worked by the end. The next morning we awoke at a leisurely hour, packed up camp and descended the West Buttress back to Camp 4 at 14,000' where we were greeted by Dave Hahn's expedition with cheesy bacon quesadillas! Quite the treat... After picking up our cache at 14 we continued down through extremely deep snow to 11,000' where we ended up camping again because the team was pretty wasted yet again. Our final day on the mountain was surprisingly clear with only occasional sections of whiteout as we marched down the Kahiltna towards Basecamp. Except for a little excitement involving a crevasse fall the trip was mostly a slog. And as we arrived at the lower airstrip around 6 pm we could see the runway markers of the upper airstrip but were relieved to hear from Lisa that we wouldn't need to travel any further. K2 was already on the way and going to land right next to us. And just like that we were in the land of the living slamming burgers and downing beers with all of the tourists in Talkeetna. Talk about a culture shock! Needless to say, the gang went big rocking the Fairview and ended up closing down the Teepee (and nearly getting kicked out!). A proper way to end a successful Denali expedition. Too much fun! I'd like to thank both Mike King and Sean Collon for their hard work and the good times and the rest of the team members for persevering despite crummy weather forecasts and tough odds. It's a trip I won't forget for a while. See ya next year! RMI Guide Billy Nugent.

We had our best rest day yet on Aconcagua. We were away from the bustle of base camp, the wind was calm, the sun was shining, and we spent a lot of the day relaxing outside listening to the melting snowfield surrounded by views of the Central Andes. We did do a little work in preparation for summit day. Double checking our crampons and discussions of how to stay warm, what and how much to eat, and what to expect as we move toward the summit. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

On The Map

December 11, 2014 - 8:01 pm PT A good chunk of this day was spent like the last three days... waiting and wondering when we'd get to fly. But two thirds of the way through dinner, everything changed. The weather at Vinson got good and we got up from the table and out to take down our tents. We'd spent the morning enjoying a fat-tire bike ride around the 10 kilometer course. During afternoon, the wind got up at Union Glacier and we stayed inside the big dining tent, playing games, reading and talking. Most had given up hope for getting to Vinson on this day by the time we got the call. We loaded into the ski equipped Twin Otter and took off in a hurry. Then we enjoyed the magical scenery as we flew up the middle of the Ellsworth Mountains. Nothing but ice and rock -in a million different configurations- as far as the eye could see. The mountains got enormous as we approached Vinson and the pilot dove down toward the Branscomb Glacier to set us, ever so smoothly, at Vinson Basecamp. We hopped out into strong sunshine and calm air... Such a relief after the winds at Union today. Up went our tents and we crawled in after staring slack-jawed at the unreal and gigantic ice cliffs and rock escarpments around us. Tomorrow, if all goes well, we just might go mountain climbing. Best Regards RMI Guides Dave Hahn

On The Map

Our team left the Baksan Valley and the beautiful Caucasus Mountains and hopped a flight to Saint Petersburg. Yes!!! It's a St. Petersburg selfie!! Eat your heart out Ellen! That is the expression you have when you arrive in St. Petersburg. The team had a long day first driving to the airport and then flying to get here. And let me tell you...it is worth it. I love this city and I can't wait to share the sights with the team. It is a luxurious way to end our adventure in Russia. RMI Guide JJ Justman

July 3, 2014 - 11:19 p.m. PT The forecasts had us optimistic that today would work out well for a carry to 13,500 ft. At seven AM though, it didn't seem that Denali's clouds had read the forecast. It was socked in above, below and to the West of us. Even so, there was a mass exodus from 11,000' camp underway. The five other guided groups that we've been playing leap-frog with for the past week were all busting down their camps and getting early starts at moving up. By the time we'd finished breakfast, we had the place pretty much to ourselves (to our knowledge, no other climbers have come onto the mountain behind us). The weather, although a little murky and more threatening than we'd expected, seemed stable enough for our mission. We put crampons on our boots today instead of snowshoes, an ice axe in our hands instead of two ski poles, and we elected to give our sleds the day off, loading all food and gear for the carry onto our backs. At just after 9 AM we started up the steep "Motorcycle Hill" above camp. We made steady progress onto "Squirrel Hill" and then into the "Polo Field" laid out below the end of the West Buttress. By the time we reached Windy Corner at 13,300 we were thankful for the cloudcover which was keeping things just cool enough for comfortable climbing. And significantly, Windy Corner wasn't windy. We cruised up and around it to our intended cache site at 13,500 ft. Digging a raven-proof cache occupied us for long enough that the clouds began to clear while we were at it. This meant we were treated to some spectacular views during our descent. With lightened packs, we got down without difficulty. The route was in fabulous condition due to so much recent snow. We haven't crossed an open crevasse since leaving basecamp whereas in other years we might well have stepped over a hundred at this stage of the climb. The forecasted fair weather arrived and made our afternoon and evening resting back at 11,000 camp sunny and easy. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Today was a pretty chill day for team No Troubles here at 14,200'. We took the concept of a rest day very seriously, and slept in until the sun hit the tents late this morning. Breakfast was a delicious combination of retort eggs/bacon/sausage/gravy meals and freshly fried hash browns with cheese. The hot coffee was the perfect complement to our leisurely meal, and we waddled out of the posh sufficiently stuffed for the morning. After a couple of hours of relaxation, we took some time to refresh our skills with the ascenders for the fixed lines, as well as practice for the running belays we'll encounter up on the West Buttress. The afternoon's weather turned a little more arctic, and we crawled into our tents after dinner to escape the frigid temps (-5F) and the blowing snow. For now, we're hoping for a break tomorrow morning so we can get our cache up onto the buttress. But as we all know, the weather has the ultimate say up here, so we'll make a game time decision in the morning. Thinking warm thoughts from 14 camp, ta ta for now! RMI Guides Garrett, Tyler, Bryan, and the team

On The Map

Namaste from Everest Basecamp. Our first full day at Mount Everest began with saying goodbye to Scott's Dad, Jeff. As planned, he headed down valley this morning just after a sumptuous breakfast in our dining tent. The team enjoyed mild temperatures and an "easy" day resting and getting organized at 17,500 ft above sea level. We met for a strategy session in which we discussed plans for first week of the climb as well as for "big picture" plans for the how the rest of the climb might play out. Jeff Martin and Mark Tucker worked hard to buff out our electrical and communications systems (we rely largely on solar energy, satelite link-ups and handheld radios in these areas). Importantly, we gathered the entire team so that the American climbers could get to know the Nepali team members and vice versa. Tendi Sherpa and Lama Babu -along with our great chef Kumar- facillitated the introductions. We spent the afternoon resting and chatting. We intend to meet with the famous and hard-working "Icefall Doctors" who are currently putting in the climbing route through the Khumbu, and later we'll tour the Himalayan Rescue Association's basecamp clinic and meet the medical doctors. It seems abnormally hot and dry for early April, and each afternoon we've seen the air get murky with forest fire smoke from somewhere down valley. A quiet day has been punctuated by giant ice avalanches off the surrounding glaciers... keeping things interesting.

In Puebla's city, our climbing crew gathered,

Nine strong climbers, excitement untethered.

Seven from the States, a Canadian, and me,

Down under Aussie, ready for glee.

 

Guides Dominic and Ben, oh, so grand,

Leading us through mountains, rocky land.

Ixta stood tall, a challenge to meet,

But a fiery eruption brought a retreat.

 

No summit conquered, yet a story to hail,

Volcanic spectacle, a fiery tale.

Rest day dawned, in Puebla so neat,

Toilet seats amazed, a comfy seat.

 

Blue bags forgotten, in the city's embrace,

Puebla's wonders, each one to trace.

Orizaba awaits, our ultimate quest,

Ben fueled by boar, a summit to crest.

 

Erica, a wallaby, Rich, a kangaroo,

Scaling peaks, a courageous view.

Woody's sun hoody, fresh and so clean,

Zócalo square, where memories convene.

 

Pyramids explored, a historic delight,

Cat on the menu, a culinary fright.

Mole dinner shared, a taste so divine,

New friendships blossomed, like aged wine.

 

Miss my girls at home, a heartfelt pang,

Instagram friendships, a digital hang.

Dominic's safe call, a grateful plea,

Back to families, hearts filled with glee.

 

RMI Climber Thinus Keeve

Bye bye basecamp! We left the comforts of basecamp and continued our journey uphill. Having been on this terrain just the other day on our carry, made today just a little bit easier. After conquering the final 100 feet, we strolled into a crowded Aconcagua's Camp 1. A sea on tents scatter the camp. Although there were many tents, it was quiet since the occupants were carrying their gear to Guanacos 3 Camp (our Camp 2). We claimed tent spots and got settled into our new home for the next three nights. Tomorrow we will carry to Guanacos 3 Camp, as long as we are all feeling good in the morning. As the sun drops behind the rocks, the temperature drops, and everyone begins to wander back to their tents where their warm sleeping bags lay. So begins spending 10-12 hours in our tents.

Goodnight all,

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

On The Map