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Mt. McKinley: Knoff & Team Headed Home

June 7, 2015

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Nick Hunt

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

June 7, 2015, 4:47 pm PT It is difficult to find a place to begin the final dispatch of our group's grand adventure. No mountain climbing objective quite compares to the raw and unprecedented challenge of Denali. Having been here nine times before, the burrito of emotions ranging from excitement and joy to anxiety and fear all get rolled into one and when the plane takes off and you go past the point of no return, managing all these feelings becomes more than half the battle. I have seen this mountain crack the hardest of nuts. Climbers who have summitted 8000 meter peaks routinely come here and say it is the hardest mountain they have ever attempted. In the broad scope of mountaineering landscapes, "The High One" stands alone, both on the tundra and in our lives. With this said, no one is prouder of the group than I am. Two days ago we began our march from 14,000 feet down into the unknown. With wind gusts strong enough to make walking feel like a mosh pit and snow conditions making hide-and-go-seek with crevasses a heart-pounding game, we honestly didn't know what the next hour, let alone day, would bring. After a brief visit at 11,000 feet we kept going into the ginormous ping pong ball navigating only with GPS. At 9,000 feet we had to stop. This sort of challenge became par for the course. Yesterday morning, despite the feet of new snow, everyone's energy, motivation and attitude never wavered. Four hours after leaving camp we were at the air strip and 45 minutes after arriving we were on a plane back to civilization. We fly into Denali as someone and we fly off of Denali as someone else. I have been changed by the mountain many times. Very rarely has a group such as this had a profound influence on that change. It was an honor to lead you all. Thanks again to Nick and Andy for being such hard working and trustworthy partners on the guiding front. You both rock! Thanks also to those who followed along. The stories of what happens the night you return to food and drink will have to be shared in person. Until the next adventure. Keep climbing. RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Mt. McKinley: Jake Beren & Team arrive in Talkeetna

June 4, 2015

Posted by: Jake Beren, Christina Dale, Andrew Kiefer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

The group has made it to charming Talkeetna for burgers, beers, and packing. We spent the day yesterday dialing in our 100 liter packs and duffels with sleds. The food for 22 days is packed and our spirits are high. Now that we are all ready the weather needs to cooperate. We were scheduled to fly this morning but are in a waiting pattern at the moment, well, I guess it's back to the coffee shop. All is well! RMI Guide Jake Beren & Team

Mt. McKinley: Knoff & Team Carry to 13,500’

May 26, 2015

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Nick Hunt

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

May 26, 2015 - 10:08 am PT Today is Memorial Day. With the simplicity of life on this mountain taking charge, many of us don't even know what day it is. The process of get up, get dressed in close quarters, make your way to the cook tent dug into the side of the mountain, eat breakfast, pack you bag and climb, come back to the tents, eat dinner and go to bed is a process where days don't matter. So if birthdays are missed, anniversaries are forgotten about, we are not to blame. Despite having digital doohickeys with us, looking at calendars and keeping track of days becomes arbitrary. Today as it turns out wasn't Memorial Day up here, it was Windy Corner day. This legendary gateway to the upper mountain is famous for its heinous wind, scary rock fall and tricky crevasses. We are happy to report our carry around the corner to 13,500 feet went as smooth as we could have asked for. Again we lucked out with weather because as I wrote earlier our early morning wake up calls got us going into clear skies but as soon as we arrived back in camp seven hours later it was snowing as hard as it has all trip. There is much to be said for walking into a camp that is waiting for you. We will rest tomorrow and eat pancakes and drink fresh coffee until nap time. We can't wait. Hello to Mrs. Vradenburg's class at Lamotte School I hope Liam is behaving. Stay tuned. RMI Guide Adam Knoff

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Mexico: Waterfall & Team Summit Orizaba!

February 21, 2015

Posted by: Solveig Waterfall, Chase Nelson

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico

Elevation: 18,701'

Summit! Solveig called from the top of El Pico de Orizaba. It was just after 9:00 am Mexico time. The weather was nice with calm winds. They were going to head back down to Piedra Grande Hut and will check after their descent. RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall

On The Map

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Aconcagua: Blais and Team Take a Rest Day at Camp 1

January 8, 2015

Posted by: Zeb Blais, Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 16,200'

Hi, This is Zeb Blais checking in from Camp 1 on Aconcagua. Yesterday we spent our day hunkered down from the winds. It was a rest day and we ended up gong for a short walk to stretch our legs, other than that we were hiding out from the wind. (transmission breaks) January 8, 2015 11:24am PST - Zeb Phoned the RMI Office
All is well at Camp 1, the team will be taking another weather day today as the wind did not die out until later in the day, and then it was too late to make the move to Camp 2. The forecast looks good for a move to Camp 2 tomorrow, so that is the plan. All is well and everyone is happy and healthy. RMI Guide Zeb Blais & Team

Zeb Blais checking in from Camp 1 on Aconcagua.

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Mt. Elbrus: Justman & Team Tour Moscow

July 6, 2014

Posted by: JJ Justman

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside

Hi everyone! Today our team enjoyed a beautiful day sightseeing in Moscow. We had a phenomenal city tour focusing on the intense history of The Red Square, the many gorgeous cathedrals and of course The Kremlin. Every time I visit I learn more and more about this fascinating country! Enjoy the slide show of some of the highlights of today's adventure! RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Alaska Seminar: Davis & Team Back in Talkeetna

May 13, 2014

Posted by: Leon Davis, Eric Frank

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Greetings from Talkeetna! So we made it off the glacier just in time! This morning we woke at 3:30 am to start the 5.5-mile walk back to basecamp. The forecasted storm was slowly creeping in from the southwest and as we walked down glacier in the twilight, clouds came spilling over Mt. Foraker, threatening to shut down visibility. At 11:30 we could hear the mosquito hum of K2's Otter as Randy flew in just below the cloud ceiling and set the plane down on the runway. Forty-five minutes later we were in sandals and t-shirts in downtown Talkeetna enjoying the warm air and flowering fauna. It has been an excellent experience for our folks. As we dry our gear on the lawn, everyone is quietly reflecting on the last six days spent in the Alaska range. RMI Guide Leon Davis

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Vinson Expedition: Cifelli & Team Get A Swift Start to Our Antarctic Adventure

November 25, 2024

Posted by: Dominic Cifelli

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif

Monday, November 25, 2024 - 4:55 pm PT

In the mountains, the weather isn’t just a backdrop—it’s often the main character. True to form, it wasted no time reminding us who’s in charge by throwing a wrench in our plans. With a low-pressure system on the horizon, we seized the opportunity to push forward and fly to the Ice.

Expediting our packing, organizing, and weigh-ins, the team worked efficiently to hit the narrow weather window—and nailed it. The reward? A safe landing at Union Glacier, a gateway to one of the most remote and breathtaking places on Earth.

From here, we have just one more flight before we begin our climb at Vinson Basecamp. The anticipation is palpable as we cross our fingers for favorable weather tomorrow. For now, we’re soaking in the crisp, frigid air and marveling at the stunning, otherworldly views that only Antarctica can offer.

The icy landscapes stretch endlessly, painted in a palette of whites and blues that seem to defy imagination. It’s a reminder of the raw beauty and sheer scale of this continent, and we’re humbled to be here, ready to take on the challenges ahead.

Wish us luck as we embark on the next leg of this adventure. Here’s to clear skies, strong teamwork, and the climb of a lifetime!

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

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Vinson Expedition November 22, 2024

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Cotopaxi Express: Wittmier & Team Summit Cotopaxi!

November 2, 2024

Posted by: Dustin Wittmier

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 19,348'

Friday, November 1, 2024

Cotopaxi Summit!

Yes, you heard that right. After a couple years of eruptive activity, the mountain is back open and today was the first Cotopaxi summit for RMI since December of 2021. In that time, a lot has changed.

The two years of eruptions have been characterized by frequent outbursts from the caldera in the form of ash plumes. This has led to a loss in glacial mass as the sun beats down on the dark material deposited on the usually reflective snow surface. The current numbers are not yet known, but also this is not a new part of the mountain's history. Cotopaxi is the second-highest active volcano in the world and has had numerous periods of activity in the past that have led to closures of the mountain for recreational purposes and threatened local communities. In fact, in the past 50 years, Cotopaxi has lost over 54% of it's glacial mass.

In addition to the ash, the country of Ecuador is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. Due to both factors the route has changed dramatically. It routes through some different aspects of the mountain and is quite icy. The main obstacles we encountered today were moving through steep, icy terrain that at times required front pointing with crampons or the occasional swinging of our ice axes. One big factor did save our climb, which was the 6-8cm of fresh snowfall the mountain received yesterday. It deposited just enough snow on the surface to give a little more traction than the hard ice, but not so much to create avalanche hazards. We hope the snow in the mountains will continue, for the sake of the climbing routes; and more importantly, we hope for the people of Ecuador that this is marking the beginning of the wet season.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier