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Another great day in the mountains and another summit! Today the Ecuador Skills Seminar team stood on top of Antisana, the second large objective for this trip. Although the weather was windy and wet when we woke up this morning, we waited it out and were able to leave in decent conditions. The climbing on Antisana is quite a bit more technical than our previous peak of Cayambe, but all the training over the last few days paid off. Everyone was able to tackle the route finding, steep climbing, and exposure in good style. We did end up climbing in to a cap on the summit, however, and everyone was covered in rime ice by the time we reached the top. Most folks had all their layers on to combat the chilly wind, but it was still fun for everyone! Twelve hours after leaving camp we returned, and immediately got around to packing up our things and tearing down all of the tents. We traveled to a beautiful hacienda for the evening and are all looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. Sorry for the short post, but even the guides get tired on long climbs like today! We'll be moving to Chimborazo Base Camp tomorrow to prepare for our third and final peak of the trip. Until then, RMI Guides Nick Hunt and Steve Gately and the rest of the Ecuador team!

With a squirrelly forecast our team of intrepid explorers launched into the mist surrounding Mt Baker just three days ago. Hiking through the forest and meadows before stepping onto the glacier gave us a pleasant warm up for the climb to come. Establishing camp on the Coleman Glacier just before the rain began was a welcome bonus. The rain persisted through the evening and we were happy to be snug in our tents. Waking up early wasn't that encouraging and we hit the snooze button for a few hours, waiting for the weather deities to smile upon us. Smile they did at a perfectly reasonable 7:30 am. Off we went to improving skies and an excellent route. We found excellent conditions and a perfect day in the mountains. As far as climbing Mt. Baker that day, we felt most lucky indeed. Good job team! RMI Guide Jake Beren

The Gang Moves to Aconcagua Camp 1. For all the creature comforts of base camp, the Gang decided they'd had enough quesadillas, pizza and breakfast burritos and wanted to start eating oatmeal higher on the mountain. We scrambled up the loose scree slope again to Camp 1, this time to spend three nights. We have amazing views of the Andes. The ridge across the Vacas River has every shade of red and brown you can imagine. The Gang worked hard to move supplies through the scree and 2,400 feet of elevation gain. We are resting in our tents after a tough day. It's always sunny at Campo Uno! RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

We've made it to Basecamp! After three long days on the trail our team rolled on in to Plaza Argentina this afternoon in good style and in good spirits. And while we are all feeling the altitude a little bit we are no worse for the wear. We enjoyed some refreshments upon arrival from the great Grajales staff and proceeded to set up camp and get settled in after a little breather. We just finished a great meal of of soup, homemade lasagna (!!!), and flan for dessert and are getting ready to tuck ourselves in for the evening. Up at nearly 14K, it's a fair bit colder here than it was on our trek in, especially at night so we're finally putting some of our warm clothes to good use. Typically, the first night at a higher elevation can be a little uncomfortable so we'll see how everybody fares tonight. I'm sure there may be a few headaches in the group, but that's totally normal... Anyway, we're all still having fun and looking forward to a good rest day tomorrow. All for now, RMI Guide Billy Nugent

Occupation Camp Two is in full effect ladies and gents. Our Aconcagua team is thriving and jiving at 18,000 feet. It's the same old same old...eating, drinking soup, drinking mate, eating chocolate peanut butter cups and listening to opera. Yes! We have some class! Our plan is to rest up here tomorrow before we move to high camp and the hope is to summit on the 19th. Keep your fingers crossed for continued good weather. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Hello to all our friends and family at home!

I’m happy to report we ALL made it to Argentina and with our gear (some bags took a little longer than others to arrive but they’re all here now!)

We’ve spent the last two days in Mendoza getting to know each other, checking gear, packing, repacking, learning about what the next few weeks will look like and enjoying as much of the Mendoza-life as possible. We are headed to bed with duffels ready, full stomachs of delicious Argentinian cuisine, and a lot of excitement to finally hit the trail tomorrow.

It’s going to be an incredible adventure and after so much time planning and preparing, we can’t wait for it to begin.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Aconcagua climbing team

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Andy Bond climbed throughout the day yesterday and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier via the Emmons Glacier. Andy and team have spent the week honing their alpine mountaineering techniques including: crevasse rescue, anchors and running belays, route finding, and fixed line travel. It is currently snowing, so the team is breaking down camp and will be descending and making their way off the mountain today. Congratulations team!

We got our first taste of weather today on the Stone Sentinel. It was pretty nice in the morning, with just a bit more breeze than we’ve been used to. We planned to be done with our carry and back at Camp 1 by the early afternoon to beat some forecasted weather. That forecast started to materialize as we climbed to 18,000 feet. We got slapped in the face a bit by the wind, and we were hit with some precipitation, but nothing we couldn’t suit up for and endure. We didn’t spend much time at Camp 2 today since there wasn’t much to see, and the weather wasn’t overly conducive to sunbathing. Once again, everyone moved really well, up and down, and we were back at camp hiding from the wind by 1:30. The forecast called for snow this afternoon into tomorrow morning. I’ve never actually seen snow fall from the sky and stick to the ground in any appreciable amount here. It’s normally so dry and windy that all the snow just blows somewhere else. But, uh, it is sticking today. It is also blowing into every crevice of our tents, backpacks, and boots. Our trusty crocs are no longer appropriate footwear for lounging around camp. Thankfully we have a rest day tomorrow, so we should have plenty of time to de-snow everything. We’re all hunkered down and cozy for the night here at 16,200 feet. We’ll check in tomorrow, hopefully the sun will be out. RMI Guides JM, Hannah & Avery

On The Map

We loved our Kilimanjaro climb... but each and every night of it was spent sleeping on a tilt in one or more directions. Last night at the Arumeru River Lodge, we were on the level. Consequently, there were a bunch of relaxed smiles at breakfast this morning to go with all the clean hair and shaved faces. At 8 AM we met our Safari guide/drivers -Edson and Ibrahim and loaded up the Landcruisers for an adventure. We started out by heading west through the outskirts of Arusha. As we got away from Mt Meru’s flanks, the clouds got thinner until we were out in dry and open land under clear skies. We passed many herds of Maasai cattle tended to by small boys in tartan blankets. Even before reaching Lake Manyara National Park, we spied a few giraffes eating acacia trees near the highway. Once in the lush and green park, we began seeing wildlife almost immediately. Logan got the coveted “first pumba” prize for spotting a tusky warthog digging up lunch. Unexpectedly a small gang of Cape Buffalo kicked up dust as they charged across the road. A few minutes later, we saw our second of the “big five” with a memory of elephants eating their way through the thorn trees. There were troops and flanges of baboons everywhere we looked. After a great picnic lunch with superb starlings singing in the branches overhead, we encountered a tower of giraffes, a bloat of hippos, and a dazzle of zebras. Along the way, there were silver-cheeked hornbills, a small implausibility of gnus and a herd or two of impalas. We looked high and low for big cats but they eluded us today. Perhaps tomorrow. In late afternoon we drove out of the Rift Valley and into the highlands. It was a great pleasure to pull into the meticulously manicured grounds of the Plantation Lodge near Karatu. We enjoyed cocktails and appetizers as the light faded and the stars came out... then we moved inside for a fine dinner to celebrate Phillip and Emily’s fourth wedding anniversary. Ngorongoro Crater tomorrow. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The team did great on the mountain one last time. We started the stoves at 6:30 am and by 8 am we headed down valley and out of Aconcagua National Park. Our vehicle transfers went well thanks to our fantastic support on and off the mountain by Fernando Grajales Expeditions they were spot on with support throughout this expedition thank you so much, we could not have had such success without you. Our team just finished a nice celebration dinner here in Mendoza. We are cleaned up, well fed and now looking forward to a nice bed for rest. Tomorrow some will start the journey home, others a meat cooking tour, wine tour, golfing or just some time by the pool. I will enjoy the little bit of rest and recharging getting ready for big Sunday in support of my tribes' alliance to Foxboro, go Pats! RMI Guide Mark Tucker