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Today's RMI Four Day Climb with guides Steve Gately and Jackson Breen climbed to Ingraham Flats to enjoy the sunrise. The high heat, and current route conditions prevented the team from safely going any further onto the upper mountain. The team enjoyed the morning climb and are now descending to Paradise.

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons May 27 - 1 June, led by RMI Guide Alex Halliday reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today!  Alex reported cold and windy conditions from the summit so the team did not spend much time on top. They will return to Camp Schurman for their third and final night on the mountain.  The team will continue their descent to the trail head tomorrow and return to Rainier BaseCamp tomorrow afternoon. 

Congratulations to the Emmons Seminar Team!

With sadness we bid adieu to six of our teammates from the climb as they embarked on their short day safari before flying off tonight. But with much excitement we started our own four day safari with some new folks. The Cognetto's added a couple of family members (wife/mom, son/bro), plus Nick's girlfriend. But first we had to celebrate another birthday, George's, at breakfast. In typical Tanzanian fashion the staff came out to sing the national feel good song Jambo Bwana, plus Happy Birthday. Of course, candles and cake were on hand too.

Our visit to Lake Manyara didn't disappoint as we got into elephants and baboons within five minutes of entering the gates of this cool national park. But, quite frankly, the giraffes, hippo, Buffalo, eagles and other animals, while great, were somewhat eclipsed by the actions of a couple of our team. A marriage proposal was made, knee bent and ring offered, in the middle of this amazing part of Africa, and was accepted! This, to the enthusiastic approval of dozens of on lookers at our lunch spot. Yeah, I must admit to becoming an emotional marshmallow seeing this proposal unfold as I joined in the clapping of support for these two wonderful people. And again, that incredible Tanzanian spirit of celebration and happiness came out as the group of safari guides that happened to be at the lunch site with their clients, broke into the Mambo Bwana song to recognize this special occasion.

​Congratulations Jess and Nick! Cheers to a long and happy life together!

RMI Guide Brent Okita and Team

From the Plantation Lodge near the Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania 

On Friday, We left the warmth and creature comforts of Puebla at 8am and drove two hours to the little town of Tlachichuca where we met up with the Servimont crew at the climbers hostel, quickly packed, ate, and hoped in the back of 4x4 vehicles to make the long and slow crawl up the primitive trails to Piedre Grande, or Orizaba High Camp just around 14,000'. We were able to set up a good camp despite intermittent sleet and moderate winds with gusts of 25-30mph. Our cook Rudolpho treated us to some warm quesadillas and fajita fixings. Hydrated and bellies full we gott horizontal and to try to rest before our long summit bid early in the morning.

We awoke to a brisk, partially cloudy night with some early morning sleet and fired stoves at 11pm. After a good Alpine mocha made from instant coffee and hot cocoa, we booted up and left our camp at Piedra Grande walking up through a snow covered rocky approach to the aptly named “Labrynth” of large boulders and glacial erratics left behind some millennia prior. As we stepped onto the Jampa Glacier, we were met with a fiercely cold and sustained wind out of the southwest, gusting at 35mph. The light recent snow made for good walking on the otherwise icy steeps that are common to the upper Jampa route. After many long and hard hours, with only intermittent morning sunshine, the entire team reached the summit of Orizaba just before 0900.  With their hearts full and bodies tired, the team returned back to our climbers hostel in Tlachichuca and were greeted by the friendly staff of Dr. Reyes with hot showers, a warm meal, and well deserved cold beverages. An early night was in order for our long day of travels home with stories and laughter to share with loved ones and friends.

Signing out!

RMI Guide Alan Davis

Happy Thanksgiving from Patagonia!  The RMI Vinson team has assembled, there are three of us.  Under normal circumstances, it is a little bit of a big deal to successfully negotiate and navigate through airlines and airports to reach Punta Arenas, Chile complete with climbing equipment, ready to take on Antarctica.  In this pandemic year, it is a really big deal to accomplish such a feat.  We’ve been testing constantly and jumping through bureaucratic hoops in order to travel safely internationally.  And now we are almost there.  Today, our gear will be collected and weighed and packed on the jet.  We hope to fly to the Ice tomorrow, but we will hear more later as to current weather and what is possible.  These last few days, Rajat and Mark and I have been walking the streets of Punta Arenas (in masks), flashing our “mobility passes” to get into restaurants, and tracking down last bits of essential gear.  We’ve had some good walk and talk sessions along the shores of Magellan’s Straight, gazing out at Tierra Del Fuego and a million wind-driven waves.  We hope that today is the end of our hotel based “testing period” to ensure nobody brings the virus to Antarctica. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The Five Day Climb July 20 - 24 led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Joe Hoch, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  They reported pleasant conditions with lighter winds than expected. The teams will return to Camp Muir and enjoy the afternoon and their final night on the mountain.  Tomorrow the teams will descend to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Four Day Climb reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at about 7:45 am PDT. RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Josh McDowell lead their teams up the Ingraham Direct Route on what Dave Hahn described as a near perfect climbing day. They crossed the crater to reach Columbia Crest, where they celebrated with high fives and selfies before starting their descent.

Congratulations Team!