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Jambo We are here at Machame Camp. Everyone is doing well and hoping to be out of the clouds soon. The mountain hasn't shone itself yet but maybe tomorrow as we continue our ascent to the Shira Plateau.

Hey this is Dave on Mt. McKinley giving an update for today, the 28th of June. We got up at 4 a.m. and made our move from 9,500' on the Kahiltna up to 11,000'. The weather cooperated, there were clouds down low but we were above it all. We reached camp by 10 a.m. since we got a nice early start while it was still cool. We built our camp at 11,000' and plan to establish a cache around Windy Corner tomorrow. Everything is going well and we will talk to you soon.

We made it to Camp 1! All is well, we're a little tired from battling the wind but our camp is now fortified with rock walls and we're settling in. Tomorrow's forecast calls for a LOT of wind so the plan for now is to rest. Then we hope to carry and move to Camp 2 on Monday and Tuesday when the winds should be a little more calm. Until tomorrow, RMI team Alpha 9,000 signing off.

Monday, January 27, 2025 - 11:43 pm PT

What a proper effort that was. Every member of our team pushed themselves today and some reached the summit of Cayambe, while others reached personal high points. Overall, the climb was a great learning experience.

It was a pretty challenging climb. We sat in the hut for most of the day yesterday because it was too rainy to go outside. Then knowing we needed to get an early start, we left the hut with wind and a light mist, wearing hard shell jackets and pants. We had to push towards the upper mountain gambling on some clearing in the weather and we got just that, SOME clearing. We faced moderate winds for most of the remainder of the climb as well as clouds that obscured visibility at times. Everyone had a thin layer of rime ice.

We're now headed to a hacienda for two nights of rest before heading off to Cotopaxi!

RMI Guide Dustin Witmier

Thursday, January 16, 2025 - 3:33 AM PT

We've arrived at high camp on Kilimanjaro! Summit bid tonight!

It was a short and mostly uneventful move from Karanga camp up to Barafu camp, which is our launching point for the summit. The team did great and we arrived in just over 3hrs with amazing views most of the way, although it was quite windy and very busy. 

We've had our summit talk where we discussed our plan and the teams strategy for tomorrow. Final packing is taking place as I write this and we'll have dinner shortly, then it's off to bed for a little sleep before the climb. Weather permitting, we’ll have an early start to avoid the crowds and hopefully reach the summit with less climbers. As per usual, I'm expecting the ascent to take around 7-8 hours with breaks to reach the "Roof of Africa". 

Keep your fingers crossed for us, and there's a chance, if time allows, some of you back home might receive a satellite phone call from the summit. So keep your phones handy. My best guess is we'll be on the summit around 7-7:30 in the morning, Tanzania time. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the summit bound crew!

The Black Diamond Team led by RMI Guide Casey Grom reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 6:45am this morning. The team climbed above the clouds and had light winds and clear skies. After about and hour on the summit enjoying the views, the team started their descent and are in route to Camp Muir! 

Morning at 12,600 ft was cold and frosty... and beautiful from Shira Camp. Partway through our breakfast, the sun found its way over Kilimanjaro and warmed us right up. Conditions were perfect for walking when we set out at 8:20 AM. Our route took us directly in toward Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s towering central peak. The terrain was easier than the rocky narrow track we were on yesterday. This was gently rising, wide open juniper and sagebrush. Within a few hours we were breaking altitude records as we passed 14 and then 15,000 ft. At 15,200 ft we’d reached our goal, the Lava Tower. Clouds had come over, making us notice the cool air, but the weather wasn’t unpleasant, by any means. We sat for a good half hour, enjoying a fine lunch spread presented on a Maasai picnic blanket by our camp staff. Then we shifted gears and walked downhill for a couple thousand feet into the garden-like Barranco Valley full of Sceneccios and Lobelias. We pulled into camp at 3:20, making for seven hours and our biggest day yet. Then it was time to snack and rest and gaze up at tomorrow’s challenge... the Great Barranco Wall. After dinner, our staff surprised Mike Winiarski with a perfectly prepared and presented birthday cake. The guys sang in English and Swahili as we all laughed and clapped along. Mike admitted that it was a birthday he wouldn’t soon forget. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Saturday, May 25, 2019 - 9:31 PM PT Good evening all. We crawled out of our tents today to clear sunny skies. A perfect day to take a walk and learn some skills. After filling our bellies with bagels and cream cheese, we learned about rope travel. The best way to learn is to do, so we took the learning on the road. After a short stroll we came across a perfect place to park it for the day and learn different techniques to walk efficiently and also how to self and team arrest. Our day finished with a lesson on knots and hitches as the clouds descended and snow flurries danced from the sky. It looks like some weather might be moving in, but that's alright. We will just learn about defending camp and how to stay occupied in our tents. Crucial skills on big mountains. Nighty night, RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

Same storm, different day. When we started rolling out of the tents at 9 this morning it was obvious that the storm was still hitting the upper mountain hard. We ate breakfast and kept watching the clouds, and when the forecast at 11 AM confirmed that we still had some more storm days to come, we opted to stay another day at base. As predicted, the local weather came and went during the course of the day with periodic thick cloud and light snow and a little wind even at Base Camp. We rested and sorted supplies and kept our spirits up. We hydrated and snacked and had a hardy dinner and storytelling session until 10:30 in the evening, at which time the sun finally broke free of the clouds stuck on the mountain range. It broke mostly free, but even diffuse sunshine was welcome for making it a little easier and more comfortable to climb into the tents again. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Robby Young and Zeb Blais reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team climbed into a cloud cap with cold and blustery skies. The team spend a short amount of time on the summit before starting their descent. Today also marks the 100th successful climb of Mt. Rainier for RMI Guide Zeb Blais! Congratulations Zeb and Team!