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This morning we left La Malinche for the Altzomoni Hut at 13,000 feet on Ixta. The team was able to stock up on water and last minute snacks in the town of Amecameca before we begin our two-day attempt on Ixta. We've got all of our equipment sorted for our move up to our high camp at 15,000 feet tomorrow. RMI Guide Grayson Swingle

On The Map

Greetings from the Ishinca Valley! And so it begins! After three days of prepping our bodies and our bags in the hustle and bustle of Huaraz City, we’ve finally made our move to the mountains. We made our way by bus to the small village of Pashpa, where we met our donkey drivers and their crew of willing steeds. We loaded up our animals, affectionately thanked them in advance for their work, and began our hike up the Ishinca Valley with light loads and high hopes. After a little over three hours of moving, we arrived at Ishinca Base Camp, nestled in a steep valley here at 14,400’. We made quick work of camp setup in the grassy meadows and before we knew it, we were feasting on chicken soup and fresh lake trout! Fresh fish at 14,000’...oh boy, what a treat! That’s how we roll down here in the Cordillera Blanca. Tomorrow, acclimatization continues. We’ll start working on some technical rope skills, and likely eat like royalty once again. We’ll let you know how it goes! Until then, hasta manana! RMI Guide Robby Young and the well-fed ESS-Peru team

Saturday, June 30th - 10:30 pm PT The snow quit abruptly last night at around 11 PM after about a foot of new. Forecasts called for more snow today -about a 70 percent chance of it. So we were on our guard. But this day dawned crisp cold and clear above us (with a sea of cloud below). For various reasons we opted not to pull the trigger on our carry today... there were traffic jams and a lot of new snow to wallow through. For exercise and a thrill, we roped up and ventured over to the “edge of the world” a rock outcrop at the edge of Genet Basin. From that edge, the world drops vertically for four thousand feet to a branch of the NE Kahiltna Glacier. We stepped out to the apex of rock overhanging the drop and mugged for photos while the clouds swirled in and out mysteriously. The afternoon ended up restful and pleasant... and not so snowy. We’ll be ready to climb tomorrow. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Today was our first full view of the Towers! We walked around the final corner of our trail today and pow! The towers jumped out at us and took our breath away. Then we proceeded to have drinks and dinner with the most incredible view out our dinning room window. We all feel so fortunate for this beautiful place and how well the land has been preserved. The weather has been outstanding with hot sun and light winds instead of the typical rainy days and strong winds. This morning the group took a speed boat to the base of the Grey Glacier where we scrambled up the nunitac put on crampons and walked around to see the sculpture garden made by running water over the ice. Our long days on the trail are making muscles sore and feet tender but spirits are high and our faces all hurt from smiling all day. We feel lucky to be here and sharing this experience with such a fun group of people. RMI Guide Christina Dale

Hello again everyone! The team has finally made it off of the mountain and we are safely back in Cheget. We sadly had our last meal from Dasha this morning before saying our goodbyes and hitching a ride downhill. She and her amazing mountain food will certainly be missed. Hot showers were had by all, and its safe to say we are smelling good again. We mostly relaxed the rest of the day and are just heading out to our celebration dinner where our wonderful local guides will no doubt "introduce" us to a little Russian vodka. That's all for today. на здоровье! RMI Guide Casey Grom

Wind, wind and more wind! The forecast keeps calling for all this wind but we haven't seen any of it yet! Knock on wood, right? Because that's what your supposed to do? By admitting that there hasn't been any wind when there should be I've now angered the wind somehow, woken it from its slumber and now it's only purpose is to make it windier then it ever was supposed to be. But! If I slam my knuckles against a piece of wood, POOF! I can control the weather. Unfortunately there isn't any wood here. Maybe a rock would do? Is it just anything hard? My head has gotten pretty dense over the years maybe that will suffice? Hopefully you viewers at home recognize the above as sarcasm. Of course it only works on wood! Okay, let's get serious. The team is doing great! We went for an acclimatization hike around midday today to about 18,500ft. The winds blew at about 15-20MPH from the Northwest but nothing anywhere near the 50+ that was forecasted. After reaching our destination the team turned around with Hannah and I continued up to our High Camp at 19,600ft to cache some food and fuel. Tomorrow, Merry Christmas, will be our last rest day at Camp II before we look to move up and set our sights on the summit. Tomorrow we'll surprise the group by making them a traditional Christmas Pizza for lunch! Okay, it's pretty much just a normal pizza, but at 18,000ft, so it should taste better, right? I thought we were trying to be serious?Anyway, don't tell them and ruin the surprise, okay. Thanks for following as always. Tomorrow we'll let the team write the blog in the form of small notes to loved ones so stay tuned! RMI Guide Steve Gately

What a great rest day here in Puebla! We scattered about the city, exploring these old streets and doing a little shopping, bus touring and general feasting (what better way to get to know a place?). This morning we are off to Tlachichuca to get ready for Orizaba. Keep those fingers and toes up North crossed for some good weather! RMI Guide Jake Beren

Today we took the place of the mules and shouldered our first heavy packs of the trip. Our goal was to get as much of our food, fuel, and equipment uphill as possible, so that when we move to Aconcagua's Camp 1, our loads are reasonable. We succeeded at that goal in fine form, and now everything is ready for us to make the next step uphill to 16,000' the day after tomorrow. We woke up to the helicopter over our heads, shuttling propane tanks, building materials, and the full toilet cans in and out of camp. A pretty expensive alarm clock! We ate breakfast, and then quickly got ready to depart so that we could minimize the amount of time that we were in the true heat of the day. The group moved really well today, even on the final 600-foot scree slope, where the uphill track disappeared and every step sent you sliding backwards. We left our gear at camp and then turned to descend. The same slope that was so heinous on the way up, had people hooting and yelling as we skied back down. We were back in time for an afternoon siesta, and to feel safe from the rain clouds that had started to build and were threatening. Though we heard some rumbles of thunder this afternoon, the clouds stayed away and we stayed dry. On the schedule for tomorrow is another rest day, one last chance to enjoy the comforts of base camp before we head up to higher elevations. Thanks for reading, RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Alex Barber, Juampi, and team

On The Map

It was a great last day in Cheget. The team went trout fishing and relaxed in the rain! Thank goodness we went for the summit of Mt. Elbrus yesterday. We are continuing to celebrate a safe and successful adventure with great food and good company. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 - 11:29 pm PT

Good evening readers!

Today we woke to squirrely clouds, moving in and out. Snow would start and stop. We dragged our feet and when the weather looked right we made our move. It was a long, heavy, tiring move to 14,000' Camp. It snowed for parts of it, we were in the clouds for most of it, and had a few moments of blasts of heat. The team did well and is excited to be one step closer. We ate a late dinner of mac and cheese and are now snuggled in our sleeping bags. Everyone has earned a good night's rest. Tomorrow we will back carry and then relax the rest of the afternoon. Thanks for the good weather vibes. Keep them coming!

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team