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Wednesday, June 19, 2024 - 1-:20 pm PT

Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac insisted: “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent in the office or mowing your lawn. CLIMB THAT GODDAMN MOUNTAIN.”

Today was a big day for the team - 3200’ vertical over 3 miles. We moved from 11,000' Camp to 14,000' Camp and set up what will be our home for the next 4-5 days. Retracing our steps from 11,000' up the relentlessly steep Motorcycle Hill, up Squirrel Hill, onto Polo Field, up to Windy Corner, across crevasses and past the cache we left a few days ago, we finally crested the last slope and 14K camp came into view. Hiking through these massive cathedrals of rock and snow inspires awe. Traversing through these quixotically named places that mountaineering legends have written about enhances that awe so that it almost seems unreal.

Upon reaching camp, the task of sculpting our home out of snow was upon us. After a couple of hours, our tents were secure on the snow platforms we had built, while our tireless guides (and a couple of our tireless team members) crafted the kitchen and bathroom out of the bottomless glacier.

Most of us have been feeling the physical effects of altitude at 14,000' Camp, some more than others. Today, as in all other days, we rallied remarkably well as a team, pitching in and assisting to the best of our abilities to help one another and do what is needed for the team to succeed. It is a beautiful reflection of what humanity can be when a group of strangers with different backgrounds and in different stages of their lives can come together for a common cause and help one another to achieve a singular goal. While each of us has our own personal motivations for embarking on this great adventure, no doubt Jack Kerouac’s entreaty has something to do with why we are all here.

So let’s go team: let’s climb that goddamn mountain.

RMI climber Chris Brockmeyer

Greetings from Pampa de Lena's! We awoke this morning at the rustic Hotel Ayelene eager to start our way up Aconcagua. We busily made final adjustments to our packs as questions about readiness filled our minds. Are we trained enough? Do we have the right gear packed? Will those croissants from this morning make it till break tomorrow? Will present Chris get in the way of past Chris helping future Chris pack?

But as we started walking questions like these fade away. Fueled by sweet bell peppers as we arrive at camp in style.

Climber Jon Honda

From first light this morning at the Arumeru River Lodge, Kilimanjaro could be seen towering in the distance, free of the normal cloud cover. The purists in the group maintained that the air was still "a little hazy" but the rest of us were simply thankful for the view and the chance to start our climb without rain in the air and mud on the trail. We’d finished breakfast and the “duffel shuffle” by 8 AM and so we loaded up on our bus for the 90 minute ride to the park entrance. The team stayed alert for the ride, alternating between staring at the rapidly growing mountain on the horizon and watching the Tanzanians beginning their day in the towns and villages along the highway. The bus began to climb as we drove up through banana and coffee plantations at the base of the big volcano. At the 6,000 ft Machame Gate to the park, we hopped out and got ready for walking. We were on the trail in perfect conditions at 10:40 AM. Freddy -one of our most experienced local guides- led the way and set the pace. We followed, marveling at the thick and lush forest. Eventually, in the early afternoon, cumulus clouds formed just above us and took away the sunlight that had been sneaking down through the foliage. The air got quite humid and although we were climbing steadily and getting into cooler air, we each did a fair bit of sweating. We took rest breaks each hour or so and in about five hours time we rolled into Machame Camp at nearly 10,000 ft. The team was a little amazed at how much work had been done by our support staff in building camp and making things comfortable and easy for our arrival. We enjoyed afternoon tea and ultimately Chef Tosha’s excellent dinner in the dining tent. The clouds cleared away and we came out to find a display of stars and moon and Milky Way that far exceeded the home view many of our team have access to. Day one went just fine in every way. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Tough start to the day up at high camp as the winds weren’t inclined to give us a break. These weren’t the kind of winds that could rip your tent down, just the kind that make it a little miserable to be outside, say taking down a tent or trying to do up ones crampons. We persevered, with huge help from Patchi and Lakpa Rita, two of ALE’s guides, we carefully got our work done and got walking downhill around 12:30 PM. No surprise, it was tough work getting down the fixed ropes with full packs, but we just kept at it. We pulled into low camp and got back into the world of sleds and flat glacier travel. All were tired from multiple hard days strung together, but we got walking toward Vinson Basecamp (VBC) at 4PM in any case. By this point our radio communications had let us know that an airplane would be on the ground at VBC awaiting our arrival. We couldn’t run, but of course we went down at a business like pace, despite sore feet and worn out muscles. We passed a number of climbing teams headed up the mountain -the next wave- and we wished them all well. We arrived at base around 6:30 and set for some serious and rapid gear sorting. We were busy and motivated, but not so much that we couldn’t connect with ALE’s wonderful staff at VBC to thank them for such comprehensive support and friendship. It turned out that we were sharing the flight with a couple of ALE’s owners and so our Twin Otter pilot, Monica, took the scenic route through the mountains, much to our delight. We got back to Union Glacier on a calm and sunny -warm, by our standards- evening and life got a lot easier. The camp is chock full of marathon runners who’d flown in this afternoon. We missed that flight as an exit and so it seems we’ll get to be here for a bit longer and who knows... perhaps we’ll run in a little endurance race to stay limber. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Hola Amigos, We had a nice day of sunny powder skiing as our reintroduction to ski season. A meter and a half of new snow has fallen in the last couple weeks and the coverage is excellent. We took advantage of the spinning chairlifts today and got eight laps in, with the company of our host Sergio, and a small fox. Only one person fell off the chairlift today! (from a low altitude). And he will be hearing about it for the rest of the trip. RMI Guide Tyler Reid

July 2, 2017 This was THE day after all. There wasn't any question that we'd be able to make it work once we saw conditions on the South Peak at 6:30 this morning. Yes, it was plain that the storm was still with us, with much cloud in every direction out in Alaska, but it was all below us and the winds were light. We ate, geared up and got moving out of camp by 8:45. As anticipated, we went from a sunny camp to a shady "autobahn" (the long steep traverse to Denali Pass) but the climbing was just hard enough to keep us warm. At the pass, we caught a little wind -which we tended to walk in and out of all day- but it was never more than about 10 mph. We climbed the steep rolls to the "Zebra Rocks" and then the broad upper bowl of the Harper Glacier. We went past the Archdeacon's Tower and crossed the football field at 19,500 ft. Then it was up Pig Hill to the spectacular summit ridge. There wasn't much question that we'd make the final 30 min cruise along the spine to the tippy top. It took us eight hours to get to the highest point in North America. And then we liked it so much we stayed an hour. Our descent was free of any complications -all had saved enough energy to make it down safe, with no slips or stumbles. We were back in camp by 9:30 PM and ate dinner in the late evening sunshine... amazed at what we'd accomplished together. Now it is after midnight and the sun is around the bend, so good night to all from 17,000 feet in Alaska from a lucky crew of climbers. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Thursday, May 28th 12:32 pm PDT The team is all assembled and packed in Talkeetna! Yesterday we had a thorough gear check and sorting session in the K2 Aviation hangar. Everyone's kits are dialed and we are ready to go. It seems like we have a great team and we are hoping for a great trip. Hopefully we have some good weather today and are able to fly on! RMI Guide Tyler Jones and team

We had a very nice and relaxing stay at the Hacienda Chilcabamba, enjoying excellent food, great views of Cotopaxi, magnificent star gazing, and warmth from wood stoves. Well fed and rested, now we're headed to the climbers' hut on Cotopaxi where we'll review climbing techniques and prepare for our summit bid. Hopefully the weather cooperates; so far it hasn't disappointed. We'll check in again tomorrow to keep everyone up to date. RMI Guide Mike Walter

On The Map

UPDATE: Friday, October, 31, 2025

Cumbre! 

We all went to bed with a degree of anxiety about the weather. For days prior, and even the day we went to Cotopaxi Refugio, there were intense periods of rain. However, luck was on our side and our guide Sam woke us up around 11pm with the best news ever - it was a clear starry night. We finalized our packs, put on our crampons, and set out for the summit.

The climb began on rocky terrain, a steady but manageable approach. We soon got to the soft snow level and the intensity started to pick up. It was a constant uphill ascent without any switchbacks. For many of us, this was the steepest continuous climb we’ve ever done and also the highest altitude ever achieved. This led to some challenges, but we pushed through with our resilience and amazing support from our guides. Before we knew it, the summit was in sight. The entire group showed their grit and determination and we all made it! What an incredible sight that we were rewarded with at the top of Cotopaxi. After taking it all in, we began the descent. We weren’t able to appreciate the beauty of the mountain on the ascent as it was mostly dark, but the descent revealed Cotopaxi’s splendor from various angles. We enjoyed a light breakfast at the Refugio and then descended to the parking lot where a bus took us to our cozy hacienda. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the hacienda that the rain and hail storms began. It’s still a mystery on how we had such a perfect weather window for our climb, but we are grateful! And all excited about our accomplishment!

RMI Climber, Madhur Nayan

Friday, October 31, 2025 - 11:00 am PT

RMI Guide Mike Bennett sent a quick update to let us know that 100% of the team reached the summit of Cotopaxi today! They will return to the climbers hut, repack and meet their drivers and vehicles for the short transfer to Chilcabamba Lodge where they will spend the night.  Tomorrow the team will return to Quito for their final night in Ecuador.

Congratulations team!

Namaste!

The team finally has arrived after some very long and tiring flights. Everyone is doing well after a well deserved night of rest here at the peaceful and appropriately named Yak & Yeti Hotel. 

We started our day with lots of coffee and a nice big buffet breakfast, then had a team meeting to discuss all the gear and review the details of the adventure that we are about to head out on. After our meeting we headed out on a brief tour of Kathmandu where we visited the beautiful Monkey Temple, and the famous Boudhanath Stupa.

We also celebrated a special someone’s birthday today!!!

It's quite the culture shock visiting this busy city packed with nearly 4 million people. The streets are packed with people, motorcycles, and cars that honk endlessly. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to peace and quietness of the Khumbu where we head tomorrow.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp crew