Amazingly, most of the team actually got some sleep last night before I made my rounds to wake folks up just past 11:00pm. The night sky was amazingly clear and calm, and though the temps at camp were below freezing it felt a lot warmer than I had expected.
Our 7 1/2 hour ascent covered a variety of terrain from scree to rock, and got colder as we gained altitude. In fact, all the Camelback hydration systems people insisted on bringing froze and became useless until low on our descent.
What a big mountain. Our team couldn't believe that our summit bid could go on for so long. But, at about 7:30 we finally reached the summit, Uhuru Peak at 19,340'. What was most impressive was that everyone summitted! The team just put their heads down, pressure breathed and got it done. But a big thanks needs to go out to our local guides: James, Freddy, Peter, Patrick, Naiman and Venance. They worked tirelessly to help the team achieve this dream.
Following our summit, we were greeted with a nice lunch upon arriving back at camp, then there was the five-hour hike to our next camp at about 10,000' Mweka Camp. Sore feet and knees were casualties of the descent, but it sure feels good to be down here now. Especially after another great meal prepared by Tosha, our chef.
The eyelids are growing heavy, so I'll bid you all good night.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Very inspiring! Already buying the tickets to Tanzania :-)
Congratulations for accomplishing the goal together having an heterogenous group
Having fun and self-overcoming is a fantastic mix
Posted by: Matias Levin on 8/4/2017 at 7:42 am
big congrats to Kavine and Rohaan! so impressed with you both! mountain climbing for old and young! ♥️
The Four Day Summit Climb July 21 - 24 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 6:30 am led by RMI Guide Dave Hahn. The team enjoyed blue skies and good visibility from the crater rim. They will descend complete today and return to Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon to complete their program.
Congratulations!
Good evening from Moraine Camp.
The Alpamayo team woke this morning to lots of coffee and a delicious breakfast, as per usual at Base Camp. After breakfast we spent the morning packing and discussing various gear options. Today was another beautiful sunny day so after we were packed we lounged in the sun and read our books until lunch time. Finally after lunch we decided we aught to do a little work so we shouldered our packs and started the hike to Moraine Camp. Despite it being sunny a slight breeze kept the afternoon hike very comfortable. By late afternoon we were settling in, enjoying the views, and sipping tea.
Tomorrow we will rise early and hit the glacier leading us up to the Col and then High Camp.
Thanks for following along with us,
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the Alpamayo team
June 1, 2017
Hey there - this is Pete Van Deventer calling. We're back at 17 Camp happy to report after a successful summit day on Denali. We had really perfect weather, couldn't have gotten much better. We had 4 mile an hour kind of chilly breeze this morning, but by the time we got to the Football Field things we're getting pretty warm. It couldn't have been clearer or calmer up on the summit ridge. We got out out of camp nice an early today right after Mike Walter's team, and had Denali mostly to ourselves for a lot of the day. It was great, we are all back at camp and everybody's fed and happy and tucked into bed. The goal tomorrow will be the move back down where the air is thicker and temperatures are warmer. Ideally 11,000' or 7,600' and be at Base Camp shortly thereafter. Maybe Saturday morning to try to catch some flights out. So everybody is heading home, everybody is well and everybody is excited after a great day. We got some good photos and we really can't ask for much more than what we got today. Alright - we'll talk soon.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer calls from 17,000 ft Camp after a successful summit day.
From down under great climbing Mark and Rachel and fellow mountaineers on achieving your goal. Heartfelt thanks to Pete, Jess and Jenny for making it possible and particularly for maintaining your morale during that long delay at14K. In our eyes you three are real heroes. Hope weather holds fo a safe and enjoyable decent then celebrate. With our best wishes for a safe journey home. Phil and Vonne.
Posted by: Philip and Vonne Calvert on 6/2/2017 at 3:07 pm
Awesome job!! Congrats JT, Peter, Yon, Rags, Rachel, Mark, Pete, Jenny, Jesse on getting the summit. What an accomplishment. I’m there with you in spirit. Safe travels down. Looking forward to seeing your photos.
We packed our bags and left the hustle and bustle of Quito behind this morning, driving north towards the town of Otavalo for our next acclimatization climb. Along the way we had great views of Cotopaxi and Cayambe, the second and third highest peaks in Ecuador, respectively, and our major climbing objectives on this trip.
As for our objective for today, we climbed the ancient volcano Fuya Fuya. The weather couldn't have been nicer as we summited the 14,000' peak in t-shirts. On top we had great views of Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and even the top of the ever elusive Antisana, the fourth highest peak in Ecuador.
Our team did great on the climb today, negotiating steep terrain and a little rock scramble. Now we're at our hacienda, Casa Sol, for the night where a shower, dinner, and a cerveza are on our to do list. After a good night's rest tonight we'll head to the famous Otavalo Market in the morning and then up to the climbers hut in the afternoon.
I'll check in again mañana.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Today the team started our day with a nice hearty breakfast full of fresh baked bread, local jams, fresh fruit, eggs and an assortment of cheese. Happily washed down with more coffee than most of us needed.
We then boarded our awaiting bus and headed into the surrounding mountains and made our way the beautiful Sacred Valley to visit several massive Inca archeological sites. The first stop was to Ollantaytambo, an ancient Fortress with massive stonework, cobblestone roads and massive terraces used for farming. It was incredibly impressive learning about the area and that all the of massive stones were only moved by hand. We then continued up the Sacred Valley to visit Pisac which is another large and beautiful Incan archaeological site that was equally as impressive. After exploring for a while we made our way back to a nearby local market for some lunch and a little shopping.
It was long but wonderful experience and we wrapped up the evening with another delicious Peruvian meal not far from our hotel. Everyone is doing great and excited for what tomorrow will bring.
The time is here! We woke today to clear skies, a welcoming sight from yesterday's mean looking clouds. It was time to move up to Aconcagua High Camp and put ourselves in place to go to the summit. With efficiency, we packed up camp. By now the team is seasoned pros at camp disassembly and assembly. Packs loaded, we hit the trail and made our way to 19,600'. There we made camp and got settled in. The rest of the afternoon we took care of ourselves and got ready for summit day tomorrow. Staying hydrated, getting calories on board, resting the body and mind are all important. Its early to bed tonight because we will have an early start tomorrow. All we can do now is try to catch some Zzz's and hope the weather holds for a beautiful summit.
Marc,
There in spirit with you as you take the summit today!
Fingers crossed the weather has held, and you have a spectacular view up top!
Looking forward to the next updates. :)
Miss you!
~Maggie
Posted by: Maggie Riley on 1/21/2020 at 10:44 am
Sounds like the weather is ready for you and the team to have a wonderful summit day!
Posted by: Russ Frederickson on 1/21/2020 at 7:02 am
Same weather. Snow and low cloud. Nobody went anywhere. But there is hope that the weather will improve tomorrow and that we’ll fly to South America.
We had a big brunch at 11 AM and a Christmas procession involving vehicles, costumes, dancing and hot wine. Then it was lectures and reading and napping as usual. Dinner was special. None of us expected to be in Antarctica for Christmas... all of us are, as it turns out. So we made the most of it. A great dinner with friends. And then a suspense filled game of trivia in which our sturdy Vinson team took second place out of six teams.
By night time, it was still snowing, but ever so lightly and the clouds were lifting. Things may indeed start happening tomorrow.
Merry Christmas to all at home and we’ll see you soon.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Merry Christmas to you all! It wasn’t the same without you but things happen for a reason. Maybe, for example, it was to form bonds that will never be broken. In any case, the welcome home will have that much more joy. Here’s to getting off the ground tomorrow.
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
Good evening again from Camp 1 of Kyajo Ri! We made the move under incredible weather today, and our camp by the lake at the toe of the glacier is worth a trip to the Himalaya by itself.
We're in a good position, and we'll continue to make progress tomorrow, so stay tuned!
RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos
Very inspiring! Already buying the tickets to Tanzania :-)
Congratulations for accomplishing the goal together having an heterogenous group
Having fun and self-overcoming is a fantastic mix
Posted by: Matias Levin on 8/4/2017 at 7:42 am
big congrats to Kavine and Rohaan! so impressed with you both! mountain climbing for old and young! ♥️
Posted by: kavi moltz on 7/26/2017 at 12:38 pm
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