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We have enjoyed our time at Aconcagua Base Camp these last few days. The cooks, porters and all the staff are constantly working to make our stay comfortable and doing it with the biggest smiles imaginable. We are ready to climb higher but will miss being so well taken care of.
We did get a dusting of snow today that made the mountain beautiful. Thankfully the weather forecast is to improve as we climb higher over the next few days.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes

It was a relief to sleep “low down” at 10,000 ft last night.  The air had oxygen and humidity and everything we’d been missing up high on Kili.  We ate breakfast at 7 AM and got walking downhill through the rainforest at 8 AM.  The trail was in better-than-expected condition.  It can be slick and muddy, which can make the 4,000 ft descent treacherous, but today we found it pretty easy going.  The team flew down the track at a record setting pace, making the Mweka Gate in just two hours and fifteen minutes.  Hot showers can be a powerful motivator.  A short distance from the National Park, our Barking Zebra staff treated us to one final picnic lunch.  We then thanked each of the 46 men who’d put so much effort and kindness into helping us climb the mountain. After tips were passed out, the staff sang a few very fun and traditional songs while pulling us in to dance along.  We then said our goodbyes and got on board the bus for the two hour ride back to Usa River.  We checked into the Rivertrees Hotel and sprinted for the showers.  When we next met to plan our four days of Safari, the team was nearly unrecognizable in fresh clothing and shampooed hair.  We enjoyed a dinner outside under the big trees and wished our climbing partner Rob a safe journey homeward since -as planned- he’ll head home and come back for Safari on a future trip. 

Safari starts in the morning!

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

RMI Guide, Robby Young, recently completed the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Ski Guide Course, held in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains under the tutelage of IFMGA guide Erik Liedecker and Sierra ski guide, Peter Leh. Over the duration of the 12-day course, a wide array of skills was covered including uphill and downhill ski guiding techniques, technical rope skills, snowpack evaluation, winter camping, backcountry rescue, and risk management in alpine terrain. Despite Utah’s challenging snowpack and over two feet of fresh snow that fell during the course, Robby and his colleagues were able to put these skills and techniques to use in Utah’s easy-to-access alpine world. While skill development was the primary focus of the course, the famous Utah powder skiing made for a very enjoyable educational experience!

The Four Day Climb teams June 13 - 16 led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Jess Wedel reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Casey reported a windy day with a great route. The teams were able to spend a bit of time in the crater before starting their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 am PT. Once back at Camp Muir the teams will take a short break before continuing the remaining 4,500' to Paradise. 

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Thursday, July 4, 2019 - 11:32 PM PT All of our hard work and efforts paid off today with a trip to the summit of Denali! As soon as we woke up, we knew the the mountain was finally inviting us to go to the top. Although there were some pretty good winds along the summit ridge, it was clear and sunny and it allowed us to achieve our objective. What a view from the top today! We are so proud of our team and all of their hard work! It has been a long day with over a 12-hour round trip from high camp! I think we need some sleep! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Team Siete

On The Map

After several long days of travel, the team has fully arrived. The glowing Argentinian sun has welcomed us with open arms. With bellies full of steak, the team has enjoyed the slow pace of life here. Everyone is in high spirits as we finalize our packing for the expedition ahead. 

More to follow,

RMI Guide Luke Wilhelm 

Thursday, December 30, 2021 - 8:38 pm PT

Our run of perfect weather continues on Vinson Massif!  We got out of the big sleeping bags at 10:15 this morning when the shadow loosened its cold grip. We weren’t interested in a quick and hectic start or jumping out on the climbing route immediately.  Scott and Hannah -our superb ALE guides- cooked up a sumptuous breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon.  We ate, we looked each other in the eye, we polled the gang as to how the night had gone and how each climber felt about pushing higher.  And then we pushed higher.  We put on our crampons and got ice axes in hand and headed for the fixed ropes.  This section would be the “meat” of the day, roughly 2,000 vertical feet on steep and firm snow slopes, protected by a continuous line of rope, anchored every 200 feet or so.  We spent a good three or four hours on the wall and a few more on the lesser angled glacier above it.  The lead ropes pulled in a little after 8 PM and got busy building camp for those who would follow.  We climbed in fine weather, but things are on the cold side, with our estimates centering on about -30 F.  It was quite challenging to climb safely in such conditions with the odd 3 mph breeze coming through.  The team rocked it.  We ate a long dinner and drank hot beverage after hot beverage to rehydrate and regain energy.  It is 1:30 AM now, the sun is still beaming on the tents and everybody has turned in, excited to be here -close to 12,500 ft- and excited for a rest day on the final day of 2021.

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

RMI Guide Grayson Swingle and his Mt. Baker team all reached the summit this morning!  They will descend from the mountain today.

Today's mixed bag of weather didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm to train in and around the crevasses near Camp Muir. If anything, we were all smug in the knowledge that we took advantage of fantastic weather when we could to summit and would deal with less than ideal weather for our training. Even the blisters and sore feet of the climb seemed to go away with our great night of sleep. I was impressed with how the group really learned the skills to effect a rescue of a partner from a crevasse, then jumped at the chance to get back in the hole to ice climb out. Most even got in seconds on the ice climbs. Our evening talk in the bunkhouse covered everything from altitude illness, mountain medicine, expedition life, Denali and Everest to things better left unmentioned here. I apologize in advance to all of you if your partners on this seminar come home with ambitions to climb more and bigger mountains in the future. Tomorrow, sadly, is our last day. However, a morning of training will be followed by excitement to get down off the mountain, have a beer and burger and get back to our loved ones and the comforts of home. It's been a great week and we hope to be able to climb together again sometime soon. Au revoir from Camp Muir. RMI Guide Brent Okita

7:05 a.m. PT Peter Whittaker, Ed Viesturs, and Zeb Blais called in after their successful Mount Rainier summit! The teams ascended the Disappointment Cleaver Route in chilly temperatures, winds about 30 mph, and clear skies. Their ascent took 5 ½ hours. Congratulations to today's summit climbers! Update 10:33 a.m. PT Pete Van Deventer called from the Mount Rainier summit! At 10:20 a.m. the Expedition Skills Seminar team reached the top via the Emmons Glacier Route. They will spend some time taking in the summit views before descending back to Camp Schurman. We look forward to congratulating them in person tomorrow when they descend off the mountain.