Most Popular Entries

Zdravstvuyte comrades! All is well here in Moscow, although it's been a little rainy and cool for this time of year. Most of the team arrived yesterday evening after some very long flights and most of us are still adjusting to the massive time change, so we keep things simple with a little round of introductions and stepped out for a short walk and a nice dinner not too far from the Hotel. Today we started with a visit to Lenin’s Tomb and then met up with our local tour guide Victoria and had a wonderful tour of the nearby Red Square and Kremlin as well as visiting several churches including the iconic St. Basil's. We also made good use of the beautiful, efficient and busy subway that Moscow is known for, which saved a bit of walking time. After our tour we took a short break and then headed out once again for an amazing dinner and a nice walk. Everyone is doing great and looking forward to heading to the mountains tomorrow. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Monday, May 20, 2019 10:59 pm PT I was up this morning early to keep a close eye on the weather in anticipation of a potential move to 14k Camp. Puffy cumulus clouds clung to the surrounding terrain features and were lapping in and out of camp like the tides at about 6AM. Our forecast was calling for an 80% chance of snow showers and increasing south winds into the evening. I opted to give the weather an extra hour to show it's true intentions. I could hear the noises of other teams rustling around, presumably preparing for their own move to 14k Camp. I've seen plenty of deceiving mornings here in the Alaska Range luring you to trust that the forecast was wrong, as if so often can be. I ultimately didn't like the look of it. The team has worked hard for five days now and a full rest day seemed appropriate before committing ourselves to the higher altitudes of the mountain. So we slept in until about 9am and made a wonderful breakfast of eggs and hashbrown burritos that lasted nearly until midday. By then the clouds had overtaken camp and it began to snow lightly. By 1pm the snow intensified and the forecasted south winds showed up early and turned camp into a whirlwind of snow that made it hard to see across camp. Wrapped snugly in our warm bags we all felt good about our decision to take an extra day. It's not always you get such confirmation of a decision well made but today we did and it felt good all the while snuggled up in our warm bags reading and snacking the afternoon away. Tomorrow's forecast looks much more promising and we'll repeat the process of waking up early, sticking our heads out the tent and making another decision. Hopefully this time we'll like what we see and we'll get to move on up! Thanks for following along everyone! RMI Guide Steve Gately

On The Map

Friday, June 15, 2018 - 6:34 PM PT A poem written by the team: Today we had a foot race, We all died trying to keep pace, Another weather day spent playing spades Up at 14 foiled by these Pineapple Express charades The snow is getting deep and the wind getting strong We’re standing in the posh but not for very long. My feet are so cold from standing on the ice, Don’t fret for we’ll be crushing more rice. These foreseeable high winds are full, While our gastrointestinals are quite dull. Even still Spirits were high until news of a pig came before the nigh. RMI Guide Tyler Jones & Team

On The Map

June 28, 2015 5:18pm PST Resting here at 14 after a big day yesterday. Clouds and sunshine are in and out along with the occasional bout of flurries. Nothing major to report. Now that we are poised and ready we are just playing a chess match against the weather. Hoping to get that window that will take us to the summit... RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide JJ Justman reached the crater rim of Mt. Rainier at 6:30 am. The team spent an hour on the summit enjoying clear skies and light winds. They began their descent at 7:30 en route to Camp Muir. They will take a short rest at Camp Muir before continuing down to Paradise. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb Team!

Another day in the bank. We are still enjoying sunny days and warm, but pleasant, temperatures at our 9,500' camp on Mt. McKinley. We carried a load of gear and food up to 11,200 feet which will help our acclimation process and get us set up for climbing higher on the mountain. However the crew is most excited that they are done with the heavy loads...for now. We are back at 9,500' resting and acclimatizing. We will check in again soon. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

Wow! The team enjoyed another day of awesome weather for our carry up to Camp 1. Everybody performed exceptionally well on our first push above 16,000' dropping off food, fuel, and supplies. Upon our return to Basecamp we treated ourselves with prosciutto, fontina, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar baguettes! Then we ate steak for dinner! All in all a great day. Tomorrow's plans call for a rest day which should line up nicely with some predicted squirrely weather. We will touch base manana... RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team

Evening everyone! Today was a busy day full of the good ole duffle shuffle. We gathered our things and loaded into the Grajales van to make our way to Penitentes. Winter here, Penitentes is a ski resort but for us its the launching pad for Aconcagua. Our main goal today was to separate our gear into two piles: one that rides the mules straight to basecamp and one that rides the mules to each of our camps on the way in. We were rewarded with a delicious dinner after our hard work. Tomorrow is the big day...the day we hit the dusty trail. Before we start our big journey though we have got to rest up. So good night everyone. Talk to you all in the Vacas Valley.

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Shuksan Team led by RMI Guide Mike Walter Reached the summit via the Sulphide Glacier Route. Mike reported a beautiful day of climbing. The team is back at camp celebrating their success. Congratulations Team!

The Machu Picchu Trekking Team arrived in Cusco a few days ago with all their luggage in tow. Since we are currently at 11,151’ there are a few acclimatization days planned into the schedule. Yesterday we toured the Sacred Valley that is carved from the Urabamba River and contains many agricultural and cultural areas vital to the Quechua people of this area. We got our first look at the impressive Incan stone work and a brief walk on a trail similar to what we will walk on over the next week. Following the great interpretative tour at Ollantaytambo we were fortunate to observe a local celebration and parade in Pisac Market. There were small groups of families and friends in colorful costumes and dress. Each group had their own music and choreographed dance, it was something else. Today we will visit a few more Incan sites and the temple of the sun before getting our gear ready for the trek. Everyone is doing well and adjusting to the dry air and high altitude. We are eager to begin walking towards Machu Picchu. RMI Guide Mike King