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Hello from Barranco Camp located at 12,800' on Kilimanjaro. We left Shira camp and slowly climbed uphill before we started our traverse over to Barranco Valley across the volcanic plateau and just below the remaining glaciers that cling to Kilimanjaro’s slopes, which sadly we didn’t get to see up close, but there’s always tomorrow!
As we approached camp we were all amazed to the giant Groundsels and famous Senecio trees that look like something out of a Dr. Suess book and were relieved to be at camp after about five hours of hiking.
Everyone is doing very well and are looking forward to tomorrow’s climb up the Barranco wall which sits just above camp.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
On The Map
Posted by: Mark Tucker, Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000'
Today we woke to a windy, chilly morning at Camp 2 on Aconcagua. Snow swirls danced down the mountain and through camp as we waited for our water to boil. We enjoyed hot cups of Starbucks Vias and sugary bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. Today we rested to let our bodies adjust to our new altitude. The afternoons activity consisted of a casual stroll uphill, getting a glance at our path to camp 3. The tippy top looks cold and windy as we look towards the summit. Fingers crossed Mother Nature gives us a warmer window for our summit bid. For now, we will focus on taking care of ourselves and enjoying the beautiful views.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker and team
On The Map
Fingers crossed for better weather this go round. Looks beautiful!
Posted by: Ashley on 1/25/2018 at 6:02 am
Leaving camp this morning to the sounds of sheep being moved into the high pastures we walked along the Inca canal and eventually down a steep valley. The vegetation began to change and soon we started to see several types of wildflowers and a few different species of hummingbirds. After a few hours we arrived at our first Incan ruin, Inkaracay.
At the village Wayllabamba (10,000'), the famed Inca Trail joins our trekking route for the remainder of the trip. We said our good byes to the horseman as our porter team joined since we are now in the National Park and horses would have difficulty with the trail ahead and destroy the trail itself. The Inca used llamas as pack animals, they do not have hooves, instead their feet are soft pads like a dogs feet thus gentle on the stone trail.
The team is adjusting to the 'Incan steps' and resting after a long day. We are camped on a scenic mountain bench called Luluchupampa (12,300') looking at the valley below, Salkantay in the distance, and the cloud forest all around us. Two more full days of walking brings us to Machu Picchu.
RMI Guide Mike King
Hey there followers,
Our entire team has made it to our first camp at 9500 ft here in Argentina. After a sturdy breakfast and some quick repacking we were off on a five-hour walk to the Andean high country. Between the steep rock walls on each side of the valley we saw lizards, the raging Vacas River, and a bunch of mules carrying our gear. When we got to camp we settled in and enjoyed a traditional Argentinian asado of steak, chicken, potatoes, and peppers.  Now we are headed to bed under the southern sky excited to do it again tomorrow.
RMI Guide Ben Liken
Posted by: Mike Walter, Leon Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Mount Rainier Summit Climb, led by Mike Walter, and the Expedition Skills Seminar – Paradise, led by Leon Davis, crested the crater rim at 7:06 a.m. The teams reported a beautiful day with 10 mph winds. After spending over an hour on the summit, they began their descent.
Congratulations to today's teams!
So grateful to have had the chance to meet, climb, sweat, overcome and summit with these characters. Big shout out for my rope team…40/50 is the new 18.
Posted by: Jamie Moon on 7/18/2015 at 6:19 pm
Way to go Gabe! So proud of you and thrilled you were able to experience such an awesome adventure. Your hard work paid off. Thanking God, saints and angels for your safety.
Posted by: Judith Apple on 7/17/2015 at 4:01 pm
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Nick Hunt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
We are officially underway!
Our day began with the first official team breakfast at the hotel. Everybody made it safely to Quito, and almost all of the bags arrived. One team member did need to return to the airport early this morning to attempt to track down his two missing duffels. Last we heard, the bags were still unaccounted for, but the team has high hopes! We had a 100% recovery rate for lost luggage last year, and have no reason to believe the same won't be true for us again.
After a hearty meal and a round of introductions, we took a quick walk around the block to familiarize ourselves with the area surrounding the hotel, taking time to locate a couple of the shops we can obtain provisions from and to scout a few restaurants for our team dinners the next two nights in Quito. Upon returning to the hotel, we met our local city tour guide for the day, Wilson, who promptly collected us on the bus and started off our day of sightseeing. As an Otavalo native, Wilson was full of information about everything we could ever want to know about Ecuador: politics, economics, art, culture. His good humor kept the atmosphere light and energizing while still providing a highly educational experience.
Our first stop of the day was the Mitad del Mundo, or the Middle of the World. This small (but highly entertaining!) outdoor museum allowed us to observe a number of demonstrations that showed the unique effects of gravity along the equator, as well as the variations between the northern and southern hemispheres. We hopped back on the bus and transferred to Colonial Quito, were we took a walking tour of Independence Square and the surrounding area. One of the more memorable moments of this tour was squeezing our way through an extremely narrow, steep and dark staircase in the back of an ornate cathedral, working our way to the roof for a fantastic view of the area. Clear skies allowed us to catch a few glimpses of Cotopaxi and Cayambe, two of our bigger objectives on this trip.
We were finished with the tour by early afternoon, giving the team plenty of time to relax and get organized for our first acclimatization climb tomorrow up Rucu Pichincha. Our evening tonight will be filled with gear checks, naps, and a team dinner in town.
Until then!
RMI Guides Nick Hunt, Adam Knoff, and the rest of the team
Posted by: Eric Frank, Geoff Schellens
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
May 30, 2014 - 7:43 pm PT
Hello from Talkeetna, Alaska! The Upper West Rib team arrived in Anchorage yesterday afternoon and shuttled north to Talkeetna, our launch site for the mountain. Right now, this sleepy little town is bursting at the seams with climbers waiting to fly onto the glacier. The skies are overcast and the planes have been grounded since early in the week. Everywhere you look, there are softshell clad people trying to pass the time.
Our team was distracted from the constant refreshing of weather websites by plenty of prep work today. After meeting with the National Park Service for a general orientation, we rolled our sleeves up and got right to work. Eight hours later, our bags are packed and we will head to dinner to discuss the only thing on waiting climber's minds... "when will the clouds break?"
For now all we can do is relax and know that we are prepared whenever that eventuality comes about.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
There you are!
Hi to all of you.
Im glad to see you guys getting ready to move on.
Thanks for the postings. That’ll be one of the greatest accomplishments. I look forward more updates of your progress. Good luck.
Love you,
Jesse :)
Posted by: L. Rosales on 5/31/2014 at 2:26 pm
Thanks for the visual of your location! Glad that you are safe in Talkeetna. Loved the moose! Thinking of you all constantly! I love you John!!!!!
Posted by: Patricia Stenderup on 5/31/2014 at 7:30 am
Our entire Mt. Baker reached the summit via the Easton Glacier at 8:15 this morning! The weather has been great and the route is in good condition. Everyone is doing well. We are back at camp and will be packing up to head to the trailhead shortly.
RMI Guide Hannah Smith
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today we woke to African birds singing in the trees and dik diks and monkeys roaming the garden-like grounds of our hotel. We got down to the business of preparing for tomorrow’s departure. But it was a leisurely business, to be sure. A morning meeting gave us the chance to get to know one another and to understand how we’ll tackle a 19,340 ft mountain together. A round of gear checks followed and the team then got into packing, sorting and organizing. We checked the weight of our bags after lunch and a bit of free time followed. Kilimanjaro broke through the clouds in early afternoon and many of the team climbed the observation tower on the hotel grounds to get a view. Some walked into the nearby village of Usa River to stretch their legs and some napped away the jet lag. We gathered for a fine dinner together and laughed through a few shared stories and misadventures. We’ve got the morning planned out -departure at eight, Kilimanjaro awaits.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Posted by: Mike Walter, Taylor Bickford, Nikki Champion
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,800'
Sunday, June 16, 2019 - 10:13 AM PT
We let the snow surface freeze up a bit after dinner and left camp at 9pm, headed up the Kahiltna Glacier with our backpacks and sleds loaded with food and supplies we'll need a we move higher. The traveling was efficient and the views were stunning as out team enjoyed beautiful pink alpenglow on Kahiltna Dome and Foraker, two neighboring giants that are dwarfed by Denali.
In three hours time we made it up to around 10,000' where we cache our gear in a hole dug deep into the snow. By 2 am, five hours after we started, we were back at our camp at the Base of Ski Hill and ready for bed.
This morning we slept in and will enjoy an extended egg and bacon brunch. Then we'll have some more resting in store as we will wait for the glacier to freeze up again in order move our camp to 11,200'.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Happy (belated) Father’s Day to all the Dads on the climb! Hope everyone is staying warm and having a blast—views sound amazing! Since you’re having all the brunch without the mimosas, we’ll be sure to have some ready for when you return. Wishing everyone a wonderful time! :) - Savannah
Posted by: Savannah on 6/17/2019 at 2:42 pm
Glad to hear the weather cooperated for you last night. Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads up there especially Eric. We love and miss you and are having fun watching your progress. Stay safe and have fun. Love, Jack Jack, Maya, Luke, and Jill
Posted by: Jill on 6/16/2019 at 3:47 pm
Hi daddy just wanted to say I’m so beyond proud of you. Miss you terribly tho and can’t wait for you to be home safe!!
Xoxoxo
Maggie
Posted by: Maggie on 1/27/2018 at 8:29 pm
Hi Conrad and Stanley! So happy for both of you and am loving following these daily updates. I love and miss you, Conrad! Cannot wait to see the photos.
Posted by: Ali on 1/25/2018 at 4:31 pm
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