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Our Ecuador Skills Seminar certainly began with its challenges. Missing bags, canceled flights and the works tested us early but once in the mountains things began to fall into place. The clouds held their releases for what seemed to be a private dry spell solely for us on both Pichincha and Fuya Fuya. On the way up to Cayambe, it was raining from the turn off to the parking area. When it was time to pack our bags and walk to the hut, the faucet turned off. On top of weather luck, our local guides Jaime and Diego secured the only working hut on the mountain. All of the large mountain huts we are used to staying in are under major construction. Three other teams are here to climb and they are all in tents. Only the best for us! This hut helps tremendously with meals, packing and relaxing. Which we are all doing now after a great hike up to the glacier for some basic review of mountaineering skills. Again the weather was perfect and we have had stunning views of the upper mountain and lower valleys the entire time. Excitement is building for our alpine start tonight. Most people would cringe at waking up at midnight but when a mountain like Cayambe looms above, it's hard to even get to sleep. Wish us well. RMI Guides Adam Knoff and Nick Hunt

On The Map

Summit success... Now back at basecamp. We had the unfortunate opportunity to see what real wind was all about both on our summit bid and our descent back to basecamp. But now, sitting in real chairs with a hot meal and a successful summit under our belts, everyone knows the hard work was worth it. The crew is elated at the prospect of a hot shower and a real bed on the horizon. Just 1.5 more days of walking til the road, then Mendoza!

After a full week of training at Camp Muir, the Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir team reached the 14,410' Summit of Mt. Rainier. Cooler fall temperatures allowed RMI Guide Mike Bennett and Team to climb during the day and they stood on top at 1pm today. They are on the descent and will be back at Camp Muir where they will spend another night. The team will return to Rainier Basecamp tomorrow afternoon.

Congratulations Team! 

Tuesday, August 6, 2024 - 8:09 am PT

Today was the first day of our safari following a well-deserved night of sleep. Our drive to Lake Manyara offered up the sights of Arusha and the Masai land the lie between the Park and our hotel. Life and commerce is just so different from what we have at home. So much more personal and social. So much happens on the street. 

Our safari guides, Jafari and Comfort, are huge reservoirs of information and ready to speak on just about anything. But of course, they shine when they speak of the flora and fauna we're seeing. 

Jafari indicated up front that the rains and flooding of winter and spring have led some animals to leave Lake Manyara National Park, and have forced the closure of some roads elsewhere, but that didn't keep us from being entertained by baboons and elephants, up close and personal. (Have you ever heard an elephant pass gas? A first for me!). Monkeys, cool birds, more elephants and an excellent lunch followed. And now we're at our hotel, the Plantation Lodge. Check it out. It's wonderful!  So nice to be able to relax in perfect weather at this amazing lodge.

Truth be told, I'm writing this from a comfy chair poolside where Jeff, Alan and Kevin just stopped by after their run. 

Next up: an early start for the Ngorongoro Crater, which is truly a wonder of the world for the wildlife that calls the crater home. We're psyched!

RMI Guide Brent Okita

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Mike King and Alex Halliday reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team reported clear, calm and beautiful Skies. The team just departed from the crater rim and are en route back to Camp Muir. Congratulations team!

Hey, this is Dave Hahn calling from the summit of Mount Vinson, highest point in Antarctica. Us four remaining climbers are up here. Our fifth climber is safe at high camp. All is well. We have really lucked out. We're up here in windless conditions on top. Very comfortable even though it's probably on the order of -35 degrees. So we're doing very well. We've made good time coming up here. It's 3:30 local time. We started at 8:30 local time. So we're doing quite well and we'll give you a dispatch from high camp when we get back there safely. All the best from Antarctica! RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Moving day! The day we have been patiently waiting for has arrived. We packed up our things and made our way to high camp. After walking as the Nepalis say, bastary bastary (slowly slowly) we made it to our camp in three hours. The team did great, with everyone making it to camp. The air is rather chilly as snow flurries dance from the sky. Clouds have been building and descending on us all day. We are all cozy in our tents, melting snow for water, and getting ready for dinner. Tomorrow we will wake in the dark, but we will wait for the sun before we set out on our climb. Wish us luck! RMI Guide Hannah Smith

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir September 9 - 14 made their summit attempt today. The teams led by RMI Guides Robby Young and Andy Bond reached the summit around 9:30 AM PT. The teams spent almost an hour in the crater and enjoying the views. Andy reported cold temperatures and new snow on the route. The team arrived at Camp Muir on Monday and has been training and preparing for the climb. Tonight will be their final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will return to Paradise and continue to Rainier BaseCamp. Congratulations to today's climbers!

Hi from Kilimanjaro! Everyone is up at our second camp, Shira Plateau. We were on the move just after 8:00 this morning and spent about five hours on the trail. We gained over 2,300' from our last camp so that puts us over 12,000' above sea level. The altitude hasn't effected anyone's appetite just yet, we all wolfed down lunch here at camp. Our plan from the afternoon is to rest and hydrate up for tomorrow's big push to the Lava Tower at 15,000'. That's all I have for now. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

On The Map

The first step of having a great mountaineering trip is having a complete team with all our bags and I am happy to report that both our team members and all our bags arrived today in great shape. Once in town we were all able to buy last minute items here in Mendoza while enjoying an unseasonable cool but sunny day. Great summer weather. After a quick meet and greet we talked about what will happen over the next few weeks both on and off the mountain then headed out to one of the great eateries close to our hotel. We all shared the first, of what I am sure will be many funny, stories with each other and with bellies full of Argentina beef we all crashed at the hotel ready for another great day tomorrow. RMI Guides Walter Hailes, Ben Liken & Stoney Molina