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The honking horns had subsided and the streets were nearly bare this morning at 5 am, when fellow guide And Bond and I got up to make the chilly trip up to El Alto Airport at 13,400' on the Bolivia Altiplano. Three out of our six climbers arrived on the same flight, and after clearing immigration had piled their duffel bags next to an airport coffee shop, awaiting our arrival. After a quick round of hand shakes and high fives, we grabbed a cup of coffee each and headed outside to hail taxis into the city. The soft beds at Hotel Ritz provided a few hours of rest before we had a late morning meeting to discuss the plan for the day. The point of today, along with the next few days, is to play tourist and allow our bodies time to acclimate. After leaving the hotel, we visited several neighborhoods by using the new citywide teleferiquo system, a series of gondola lines that crisscross the city. The views of Huayna Potosi and Illimani from the gondola cars were incredible. On the walk back to the hotel we were serenaded by loud music from a passing parade. This weekend is the Fiesta del Gran Poder (festival of the great power) which is one of the largest festivals in Bolivia. We watched thousands upon thousands of dancers, marching bands and people in traditional costumes stream by. Tomorrow morning we launch north toward Lake Titicaca and Isla de Sol. RMI Guides Eric Frank, Andy Bond & Team

Though the tents shook with the wind again last night, the gusts came fewer and further between. As the sun rose this morning the gusts became rarer, and we decided that this was our day to move to our high camp at Colera (Spanish for anger, not the disease). We were still prepared to face strong winds as we moved into more exposed terrain on the way, but Aconcagua gave us a pass and we climbed with gentle breezes and brilliant sunshine the whole way. We are now settled in, working on heating water for dinner- which takes a long time at 19,600'- before we rack out early to prep for a hopeful summit attempt tomorrow. All of the days of hard work have gotten us here, and everyone is excited to be in place for the final push to our objective. We'll be in touch tomorrow to let you know how it goes. Best, RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Alex Barber, Juan, and the team

On The Map

It's another day of rest for our Aconcagua team at Base Camp. Initially our team was wondering why we were going to take a second day of rest here. After yesterday's carry to Camp 1 at 16,000 plus feet the team understands. This mountain climbing is tiring work! We had a casual morning here at base. Steve and I made our famous home fried potatoes that even brought the Base Camp cooks out to get a plateful. After breakfast we went for a walk and got a great view of base camp from a whole different vantage point. Now team members are lounging, taking showers and ordering pizzas. Tomorrow we plan on moving up to Camp 1. If you don't mind, I need to address one of RMI's owners, the Legendary Joe Horiskey. Joe, please, no matter what happens between the Sea...what's their name again...and the Green Bay Packers, I hope we can still be friends! RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

We started our downhill progress this morning and it looks like we made it out just in time. We seemed to stay about 30 minutes in front of the clouds, wind, and snow on the descent and quietly enjoyed watching teams move up into the weather as we moved out of it. While the snow did fall in Basecamp, we stayed warm in our group tent, sitting in chairs around a table while snacks and a delicious dinner were brought to us...it's the small stuff. We are all hopeful for a warm valley as we walk out tomorrow. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

On The Map

Now we feel lucky. It was another perfect day at Vinson. We were out of the tents at high camp by 8 AM and out of camp itself by 10. There wasn't even a hint of wind to distract us from the hard work of descending the fixed ropes with heavy packs. We made it down to low camp, took off the crampons and repacked for hauling sleds. Snow conditions were ideal for walking and there were rumors of aircraft anxiously anticipating our basecamp arrival and so we didn't waste too much time in transit. Arriving at VBC at 3:20, we had to then hurry in yet another gear sorting extravaganza to be ready for flight. The Twin Otter came in, we loaded up and took off into the cloudless sky. Exiting the plane at Union Glacier then seemed like a walk in the park compared to life back in the big mountains. True, it is still a snowy park, and we had to put up tents one more time, but we also got to sit at tables and eat excellent "real" food that we didn't need to start stoves or melt snow to produce. Life is easier at Union. Before the evening was out, all the teams had caught their own flights and the dining tent filled up with happy and successful climbers and adventurers. We are all right on schedule for tomorrow's Ilyushin flight... Should the weather allow it. At the moment, most are figuring it will happen, but most are still pretty excited to be in Antarctica. Best Regards , RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

The gnarled trunks of giant heather disappeared as we entered the area of the mountain called the Moorlands. We enjoyed nice weather conditions during our 5 hour climb to the Shira Camp at 12,500 ft. Situated on a plateau we are enjoying a great 360 view as we snack on peanuts and popcorn. Once again the team did fine and pulled into camp in great shape. Our local staff continues to assist us in a seamless manor and we appreciate it very much. RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team

On The Map

Hi everyone! Well today we went for Kahiltna Dome and we got higher than any other RMI seminar in recent history. Soft snow and punchy crevasse bridges put a halt on our upward progress close to 11,000 feet. Despite the early start, temperatures never allowed the snow to freeze solid enough to prevent us from dropping into the many cracks that guard the ridge. The guides put the question to our seminar participants about whether it was safe to continue and the entire team made some very rational common sense arguments on the decision to turn back. We do believe these folks are starting to understand their limits while making good decisions, as we hoped this seminar would help impart! We are safe and happy back at 8700' camp hoping to fly off tomorrow if the forecasted snow does not interfere. Good night and see you all soon! RMI Guides Leon Davis and Eric Frank

Hey everyone. Hope all is well... A quiet Sunday morning graced Mexico City as our team headed out towards La Malinche. As we furthered ourselves from the capitol's carbon footprint, we stopped at a great vista of both Popo and Ixta, our first climbing objective. We reached the resort of Malintzi and headed out for our first acclimatizing hike. We walked through pine forests and then up a broad slope to a ridge. Here we enjoyed the views of the surrounding valley. A wonderful Mexican dinner awaits our group now...Tomorrow we head to Ixta. Everyone is excited for our first climb!

Greetings from Pisco Base Camp, The Spanish word of the day today is ‘Tranquilo’, meaning calm, easy, or chill. That’s what we did today here at 15,200’. We ate omelettes and then took a walk up to the top of the moraine to take a look at our route towards Pisco in the daylight. Back at camp, we dove into crevasse rescue skills in the grass before a ceviche lunch. Delicious as always! The rest of our day, we packed a little, and did some resting as the rain and graupel peppered our tents most of the afternoon. It’s clearing up as we bed down this evening after a chicken dinner and we’re hopeful we’ll see stars when wake up at 11:30 PM to start our climb. Not much else to report on a tranquilo day here at 15,200’. We’ll have more to rave about tomorrow if the mountain and weather allow! Stay tuned party people. RMI Guide Robby Young, Alfie, William, and Team ‘Seeking Blister Tape Sponsorship’

Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 11:42 PM PT Things started out quiet and cloudy in Talkeetna today, continuing what had been a string of manky weather. We met at the venerable Roadhouse for breakfast and the opening strategy session for our Denali Expedition. Fortified with strong coffee, the team moved on to the nearby Talkeetna Ranger Station of the National Park Service for our mandatory pre-climb orientation and briefing. We were honored to have Roger Robinson himself give our slideshow and discussion on safety and environmental policies. Roger is in the fortieth and final year of a phenomenal and heroic career with the NPS on Denali. By the time we headed out to the airstrip to pack and organize gear at the K2 Aviation hangar, the clouds were on the run and blue sky and strong sunshine were breaking out everywhere. We conducted a thorough gear check and packing session through the afternoon, culminating in a weigh-in to get everything tagged and set for loading on the beautiful DeHaviland Ski Otters parked on Talkeetna’s tarmac. Our 11 person team -7 climbers and 4 guides- got together at The West Rib pub for dinner on the patio as cottonwood buds floated like thick snowflakes in the sunshine. Most of the team wandered on down to the banks of the Susitna River to check out Denali, shining 50 miles to the west and crowding the sky. Then it was back to the hotel to tidy loose ends and get a final night in a bed. Tomorrow looks mighty good for getting started. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn