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This is Solveig checking in from Camp 4 @ 14,200'. Today our team is enjoying a rest day, which nicely corresponds with a weather day. The wind has been blowing strongly and we have received nearly a foot of new snow in camp since last night. This afternoon we saw a few sun breaks but still the wind continues! We are keeping busy with ipods, books, and sport eating (not because you need to, but because it's fun!). Yesterday the team constructed a cook shelter surrounded by high wind walls of snow blocks. We have been enjoying eating meals and taking a break from the confines of our tents in our plush livingroom/kitchen! The forecast looks like continued winds and snow through the weekend, so most likely more resting is in our future. Maybe tomorrow we will constuct a tunnel to Mike (Walter) and the other RMI team's camp! Hello to all our friends and family back home, and we'll check in again tomorrow! RMI Guide Solveig Garhart

On The Map

Sunday, November 10, 2024 - 3:46 pm PT

We are settled in at Cayambe for the night. All reports are that the route hasn’t changed since I was on it two weeks ago, which is great news because the route is scenic and fun! We are planning for the classic middle of the night start and hope to be on top just after sunrise. Wish us luck and safe passage please!

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Monday, June 18, 2018 - 8:18 PM PT Just when we were beginning to think the worst of the storm had passed, Hurricane Horiskey came back with a vengeance. We spent the night trying to keep afloat by shoveling every hour on the hour. As the winds increased and the snow continued to fall we rallied the troops and began a train of shoveling in 30 minute shifts. This train of shoveling has lasted all day! And after a brief interlude for a warming Ramen dinner we are back at it. Although Hurricane Horiskey is a bit more intense than we would have preferred we are taking this opportunity to keep our shoveling arms strong and work on one of mountaineering's most important skills, patience. As you may imagine our Super Crew is crushing it and taking the weather in stride. When else would they have a chance to catch up on Breaking Bad or finish the Lord of the Rings Audiobook?? We are crossing our fingers that the weather will mellow a bit come tomorrow but until then continue to shovel as if we were headed for China. Pray for good weather! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Super Crew!

On The Map

Thursday June 18th 9:30 pm PT Hi everybody! Billy here checking in from Kahiltna Basecamp on a gloriously sunny day. We enjoyed a big breakfast this morning in Talkeetna's Roadhouse and scooted over to the airport to confirm the fact that we'd indeed be flying first thing. A flurry of packing and final weigh-ins preceded the loading of the planes, a group photo, and a smooth departure. The great folks at K2 were really helpful and quickly delivered our team to Basecamp in two simultaneous otter flights. Next thing we knew we were on the ice and having come from summer it felt a bit abrupt but the sun was strong and kept us warm as we got accustomed to our new surroundings. We spent much of the day building our camp, organizing gear and supplies, and rigging sleds for tomorrow's departure up the hill. The team is psyched for a big adventure and ready to work hard. All for now! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Hola from Ecuador! All is well here on the equator. Saturday we spent a few hour at the massive Otavalo outdoor market where the team practiced their bartering skills with the locals. Buy the number of bags people had in their arms, they must have done a good job. We then headed up to the hut on Cayambe to drop off our gear and add a little to our acclimatization. Normally we like to spend the night at the hut, but due to a hut remodel and new park management, we opted on staying in the town of Cayambe at a wonderful Hacienda call San Luis. Everyone enjoyed the day and the warmth of the fires that were awaiting us in our rooms. Today the team headed back up to the hut and went on a short hike, then returned to the hut for a little training. We have had our dinner and discussed the climb here on Cayambe and everything seems in order. Hopefully the weather will hold and we'll have a good climb tomorrow. That's all for now. We'll check in tomorrow post-climb RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

July 5, 2014 - 10:18 pm PT We gladly used another perfect day to move up from 11,000 to 14,000 ft. We managed to get as far as Windy Corner enjoying cool, morning conditions, but there is no way to sugarcoat the walking weather for the final ninety minutes into camp, the sun was intense, the air was still and the climbers were plain old hot. That said, it was tough for anybody to complain too much at the combination of great weather and sweet route conditions. We've kept our streak alive, nine days and half a mountain without having to step over an open crevasse. All were interested and a touch apprehensive to see a raven hopping around our 13,500 ft cache as we approached. He or she hadn't had any luck in getting to this one though, and we took a moment to pack down the five foot deep snow covering the buried treasure -one more time. We'll retrieve that food and gear tomorrow if all goes well. It was fun "catching up" to the other climbing teams at 14K, although we haven't really as they are a day or two ahead of us now and are closer to moving up than we are. Also great to follow the progress of the only other RMI team on the mountain via radio today as Adam Knoff and crew hit the jackpot for stable weather for a summit bid. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Today the Alpamayo team made a big jump and moved a portion of our group gear up to the next camp, Moraine Camp (16,200'). We moved well and were at the cache site by late morning. Despite feeling good, everyone was breathing hard and we were happy to drop back to our basecamp at 14,200'. The food on this trip has been phenomenal. Everyday our cook, Raul, impresses us with his culinary prowess. From veggie omelettes to grilled trout to fresh cut fruit salad every night, we have been eating like kings. I suspect the amazing food has a strong correlation to how good we all feel. All for now. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Eric Frank and the Alpamayo team

These are the McKinley moments that tend to recharge the batteries and make the hard days tolerable. Inside the tent, wrapped in a mountain of down, fed by the culinary expertise of Lindsay and Andy with views straight down the Kahiltna Glacier that knock your boots off. The simplicity of this entire process creates an appreciation for simple rest not realized in other facets of ordinary life. Get up, work yur' arse off, get real tired and hungry, eat and go to bed. No technology distractions, no depressing news feeds, simply us and the mountain. Having just completed day three, we are all pleased with our current position. We awoke this morning to chilly temps, blowing snow and low visibility. Because of our lower elevation of 9,300 feet another move day seemed a bit much so we opted for a carry that landed a majority of our team's unneeded gear at the 11,000 ft camp which we plan to move to tomorrow. These first four or five days can be some of the climb's hardest but everyone has handled it with grace and competence. We anticipate another strong team performance tomorrow. Big hugs go out to friends and family who are taking the time to follow along. Hasta mañana, RMI Guide Adam Knoff

On The Map

May 18, 2014 10:57 pm PT Today was a glorious day for a rest day. The sun was shining, and the winds stayed calm though we could tell they were blowing elsewhere. We spent the day watching clouds pour over the ridge of Kahiltna dome, rolling down the backside and dissipating. It was beautiful to watch, and we were glad to be protected from the gusts. After a big breakfast of quesadillas, we sorted some food and gear for our carry past windy corner tomorrow. A quick review of cramponing and self arrest was as much activity as we needed this afternoon. We finished up the day with a big pasta meal and called an early night. We'll be heading uphill tomorrow to put in our 13,500' cache, which will set us up to move to 14,000' camp! The rest day was a great opportunity to recover from the last few days, and we'll be ready to go tomorrow! All for now, RMI Guides Pete, Robby, and Josh

On The Map

Here at Kikoti Camp, just outside Tarangire National Park. All is well as we enjoyed another great day of game watching. One more game drive tomorrow, en-route to the airport for a 9pm flight that will take us away from this magic land.