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Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Nick Sinapius, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'
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Friday May 16, 2025 11:10 pm PDT
We had the perfect rest day. It was in turns quite snowy, whiteout and incredibly hot, and blue and calm. We crushed a breakfast hash scramble, then some cinnamon buns, then lingered in the cook tent swapping stories and stretching. That gave way to midday siesta/saunas. Eventually Nick and Ben got motivated and dug a pit to hang skis over and make a passable pull-up bar (#lookatmenowpaul). Video evidence was collected of numbers 100 and 101 from both Ben and Nick. No wasting away and getting weak on Denali for those two. A good dinner, and we’re hoping to wake to weather that lets us make the next move.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer & Team
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition May 8, 2025
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Sam Hoffman, Sam Marjerison, Nick Sinapius
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,000'
Monday, June 17, 2024 - 10:25 pm PT
We are starting to feel quite lucky after another calm, beautiful day. We got up at a leisurely 6:30 AM and had a breakfast of bagels and bacon. By 9 AM we were walking downhill to 10,000 ft to pick up our cached supplies. Down took 20 min, up then took about 90 min, including a nice rest break. It was just starting to get good and hot when we got back and dove into our tents for shelter from the sun. We didn't come out again until 5:30 PM when we suited up for a short review of the climbing techniques we plan to employ tomorrow. The goal would be to carry a load up and around "Windy Corner" using crampons and ice axes (rather than the snowshoes and ski poles we've been using). The team is excited to see some new terrain.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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Denali Expedition June 11, 2024
Good luck Julie and Stephen and fellow climbers
I know you will all do great
A lot of angels watching over the team
Posted by: Tina zabinski on 5/27/2018 at 8:41 am
Posted by:
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Guide News
Alex,
Thanks for the update and good to hear of your progress.
Posted by: Tim Mason on 9/13/2014 at 9:20 am
Posted by: Seth Waterfall, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,000'
Seth Waterfall calling in from High Camp on Ixta.
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Devin Guffey, Josh Geiser
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'
Good evening, folks,
We got the rest we needed for our big day today. We woke early at 6am to pack up all our gear from 14k camp and make our way down glacier. What took us 2 weeks to climb up we are going down in three days! Getting to 11k camp we have to go down some steep terrain with squirrelly sleds. It is tough work physically and mentally, but the team hung in there and got the job done.
At 11k camp we picked up a little more gear and continued our journey Downhill. We were in and out of the clouds and rather toasty most of the day. The sun is quite intense reflecting off the snow. Most of us are sporting some Sunglasses tan lines for sure. After carefully, with light thoughts, crossing some crevasses, we arrived at our very first camp at the base of ski hill. A Quick set up of tents, melting snow for water, and bacon bagels for dinner and we are set to take a quick nap before heading out in the middle of the night down the Kahiltna Glacier.
Next stop is basecamp and hopefully a 9am flight back civilization. Crazy to think we can be showering and using running water in roughly 17hrs...crazy.
Keep those good weather vibes coming our way.
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition June 2, 2024
Congrats on the summit and journey back! Praying all is well! Hannah, you’ve done an awesome job with updates and guiding! Shane, love you brother and CONGRATS! P.S. Ezra says congrats and has a bottle of Dalmore waiting for you!
Posted by: Patrick Moore on 6/23/2024 at 8:18 am
Hey Hannah and Team!!! That is So Awesome!! All the Best weather for you to get down!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 6/23/2024 at 3:55 am
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 9,400'
Friday May 10, 2024 9:02 pm PDT
Everything that we could not see last night was visible and resplendent this morning. Skies were crystal blue, and Hunter, Foraker, and Denali were all standing proud. It was the perfect morning to start moving. Some breakfast and quite a bit of organizing, caching, measuring out ropes and sleds, etc., and then we were ready to start walking. First down Heartbreak Hill to the lowest point of the trip, then steadily up the gentle inclines of the lower Kahiltna. It should be the only day of the trip where we move with everything at once, so our loads were HEAVY! But the team did great churning the legs and we sidled into camp at the base of Ski Hill around 5.
Throughout the day the weather deteriorated, and we went from staring at these Alaskan beauties to being able to see 20 feet in really flat light. We went from stripping to sun hoodies, to putting on puffies, and set up camp in similar conditions with light snow. The sun is poking out now as the stoves roll towards dinner. Soon we'll be crawling into sleeping bags.
We'll check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Pete VanDeventer & Team
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition, May 7, 2024
Pete and crew…Wishes for a great expedition. Will follow along from the cornfields and basketball courts of Indiana. Waltero [Spanish name I heard I needed 12 years ago at Aconcagua, Argentina L O L] Be Safe.
“Stand up straight.”
.
Posted by: Walter Glover on 5/12/2024 at 11:36 am
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 9,000'
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
What a magnificent place! Congratulations to the entire team.
I must say, it looks like a lot of work; so I am quite thrilled to experience your excursion via blog and photos from down here.
Much love to you, Tim. We are sending good thoughts to you every day.
Irene
Posted by: Irene Simpson on 1/18/2020 at 2:42 pm
Posted by: Robby Young, Alan Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 15,200'
So excited for you Tony that the weather seems to be really remarkable so far. Hope you are enjoying all your hard work to get there! Karl and Diane are thinking of you and wishing you (and the others) well!
Karl
Posted by: Karl Ring on 6/19/2024 at 9:18 am
All the best, team! Wallis, you got this!!
Posted by: Subbu Aiyer on 6/19/2024 at 9:12 am
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