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Sure enough, we lucked out. I’m touching base from the Union Glacier at about 80 degrees South Latitude. Our flight was smooth and easy. We made a stop in Ushuaia across the border in Argentina, before leaving South America. The runway in Punta has a construction project underway, effectively shortening the strip for the time being, so we took off light and then topped off fuel supplies in Tierra del Fuego. Then it was off across the Drake Passage and a few hours later we were winging our way over endless ice. The Russian crew brought the Ilyushin 76 down perfectly on the Union ice runway at around 3:30 PM. We bundled up and trundled down the stairs to take our first slippery steps on the continent. It was blowing about 30 knots but the cold wasn’t vicious -just about -9 C- so we snapped a few shots of the airplane and surroundings before mounting up in a highly modified Ford van on big wheels. The twenty-minute journey on a snow highway took us to the other side of the Union Glacier, where winds were mild and where a fine basecamp and support staff welcomed the team. After a brief tour and orientation to environmental and safety concerns, we sat in the dining tent for some hot soup. At that point it was thought that we’d only be in Union a short time before flying out to Vinson Base in the ski equipped Twin Otters, but before long the word came that the weather at Vinson had deteriorated. We ate dinner and went out to build tents in our own deteriorated weather. There was snow and blowing snow to make the job a little more interesting. It certainly would have been convenient to hop right out to Vinson, but none of us minded the chance to dine at Union and to socialize with the staff and fellow climbers and adventurers. We’ll turn in for a first “night” without darkness, and we’ll see what the morning brings. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

March 4, 2018 Everyone arrived yesterday with all luggage in tow and today we set out for a hike on La Malinche. The three hour drive through the countryside is very scenic and due to how dry the weather has been the haze began to thin as we started driving by Ixta (our first climbing objective in a few days). After arriving at a former Olympic training site we hiked up through a dense pine forest, which gave off pleasant scents reminding people of home. We walked to about 13,900' before turning around due to heavy traffic above and rock fall hazard. The goal today was to stretch the legs and lungs a bit and dust off the cobwebs of travel days ad all those tacos we ate in Mexico City. Everyone is enjoying the trip so far. Tonight we will sleep at 10,000' in little cabanas to continue acclimatizing. Thanks for following along. RMI Guides Mike King & Jenny Konway

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb team led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Chase Nelson reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Casey reported that the team is enjoying clear, calm and peaceful skies. The team was leaving the Crater Rim at 6:50 am and are now en route to Camp Muir. Congratulations to today's team!

May 17, 2015 - 11:05pm PST Hello All, We awoke this morning to decreasing winds and clear skies, which gave us the window we've been waiting for to carry equipment around Windy Corner and put in a cache at 13,600'. Our team climbed strong and did a great job managing the few wind gusts we sustained... staying balanced and efficient while moving to higher elevations. We returned to camp in the late afternoon and feasted on quesadilla's with peppers, onions, chicken, and plenty of cheese before turning in for some well deserved rest. Our forecast is looking good and we hope to move to 14,000' tomorrow. It'll be a big day, so we'll rise early and break camp in order to give us plenty of time to get settled in our new home up in Genet Basin. Thanks for following along! RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall & Team

May 10, 2015 11:50 am PT RMI Guide Leon Davis checked in from Talkeetna. The weather improved this morning allowing RMI Mt. McKinley May 5th Team led by Mike Walter to fly to Kahiltna. This same plane then loaded Leon and Team to fly from Kahiltna Base Camp to Talkeetna. The Alaska Mountaineering Seminar - Alpine led by Elias de Andres Martos was also able to fly from Talkeetna today and have been flown to the Pika Glacier to start their expedition.

July 25, 2014 8:26 am PT We took advantage of nice weather today and climbed to the top of the Fisher Chimneys. We will turn around here, climb back down thru the Chimneys and hike back to the trail head today...still many hours ahead of us. July 25, 2014 10:35 am PT We are back at our camp (lower bivy site below Fisher Chimneys) after successfully climbing up and down the Chimneys this morning. We're packing up camp right now and will be headed down hill shortly. We should be at the trail head in a few hours. RMI Guide Mike Walter & Team

June 12, 2014 10:25pm PT After sitting watching the wind blow furiously for two days, we finally got the break we needed to climb up to the Rib and cache some gear. The trail breaking was deep, often between mid-calf and mid-thigh and required us to swap guides breaking trail every stretch. Conditions on the Rib itself were great. The wind had swept away most of the powder, leaving perfect Styrofoam snow- an ideal surface for cramponning. Eventually we found a cache location around 15,800'. The weather above us was windy and cold, but we were able to bury the gear and head downhill without getting punished by the weather. As we tuck into bed, the team has a content feeling that everything is in order and all we need is suitable weather to push for the summit. Thanks to everyone who has followed our progress. Much love and warm thoughts. RMI Guide Eric Frank and the UWR team

June 2, 2014 - 9:56 pm PT We woke up early this morning, broke camp and set off down the southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. By 7:00 AM we turned to the north and began making our way up the main flow of the Kahiltna, snowshoeing through some of the towering mountains of the great Alaska range. We arrived to the 7,600' camp at the base of Ski Hill at 11:30 AM with a light wind helping to keep us cool during the heat of the day. The afternoon was spent snacking, drinking water, and napping. We just finished a delicious burrito dinner and are enjoying the views over a cup of hot cocoa. Good night everyone and thanks for following along. RMI Guide Eric Frank

On The Map

The Four Day Climb June 20 - 23 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. RMI Guide Brent Okita radioed from Columbia Crest around 6:30 AM PT. The teams had a good climb with nice weather and a bit of wind. Both teams began their descent from the crater rim shortly after 7 AM. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!

Namaste from Namche Bazaar, a.k.a. "downtown Khumbu", as the Sherpa say. Our second day on the trails delivered the best weather possible, which allowed for the first view of two Himalayan giants, Lhotse and Chomolongma in the distance, but also the towering Tamserku and Kushum Kangkaru, that overlooked our progress like patient sentinels. Crossing the suspension bridges back and forth over the Dudh Koshi River, while taking turns with the caravans of Dzo Dzos (hybrid between yak and cow) added excitement to the steady elevation gaining of our legs. Arriving in Namche was a surreal image, as people from all over the world merge here from the different circuits of this region. Our rewarding dinner is bringing us now close to bed, and we look forward to spending a day here tomorrow allowing our bodies to acclimate to the new altitude. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team