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Today was another perfect day in the Vacas Valley. Several of us slept out last night under a stunning Milky Way while the southern cross worked its way across the horizon. We woke to clear skies, and cool temps, and motivated to get the miles ahead of us under way. We kept a breeze with us most of the way, but nonetheless, after two days in the strong southern sun, everyone is a little bit crispier. About an hour before camp, we came over a rise to see a family of 9 guanacos (a wild relative of the llama) grazing along the trail ahead. Normally very shy, they were about as curious towards us as we were towards them and we were able to snap a bunch of photos. It's pretty rare to get to see them, and especially so close, so we felt really lucky. We arrived in the mid afternoon, so there was plenty of time for a siesta before we filled our bellies, with pasta tonight. Everyone was a bit relieved for the break from huge portions of steak. Tomorrow we climb through the Relinchos valley to base camp at Plaza Argentina. We'll check in from there. Hopefully this gorgeous weather continues to hold for us. Hasta luego, RMI Guides Pete, Alex, Juan, and team

On The Map

Just another great day on safari. Today we rounded out our 'Big 5' sightings with an up close look at a leopard. This elusive cat is always a tough one to get but we were lucky today for sure. We are spending our last night in Tanzania out in the bush in Kikoti Camp and tomorrow we finish the trip with a.morning game drive and evening flights. We pack the action in until the last minute. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

Friday, June 21, 2019 - 7:55 PM PT We got up and started packing when the sun hit the tents this morning. It’s nice to have the Buttress to yourself and not have to contend with uphill traffic. The Team probably could have used a few more hours of sleep after the big summit day but the weather was splitter and we launched with the hopes of getting to 11 Camp. The descent was fairly warm and provided for lots of photo opportunities as we traveled on the ridge that was obscured in clouds during our ascent just a few days prior. After getting down the fixed lines we spent 3 hours at 14 Camp to collect our cache of food, trash, human waste and equipment. Our friends of RMI 6 had some water for us and we said our goodbyes. Pulling sleds around Windy Corner is always an ordeal but the new snow made for good trails and traction. A little under 3 hours had us down Squirrel and Motorcycle Hills. We are settled in at 11,200’ waiting for some dinner and water. Our plan is to launch in the early AM and head for the airstrip. Cooler temperatures will make traveling on the Kahiltna glacier easier and first flights are around 9 am. Unless we get pinned down by weather the next dispatch will come from Talkeetna. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

Monday, May 27, 2019 - 6:08 PM PT As expected, the weather did not cooperate for a carry today. So instead of moving uphill we spent the morning making and eating pancakes. We ate breakfast until it was lunch time, ate lunch, and then enjoyed a few hours of sun and clear skies. We shoveled some snow of course, got a little training in, discussed the state of the universe, and I believe that Kirk has been meditating on the meaning of life for much of the day. He is scheduled to give a lecture detailing his enlightenment at dinner. David ate bacon today for the first time in 10 years. He seemed to enjoy it. There is talk of a pull-up contest if the weather doesn’t improve tomorrow, we will see. Dustin is the top seeded contender, but I have no doubt there are some dark horses in our ranks. As we move towards dinner, the snow has returned. Our plan is to get an early-ish start tomorrow and carry to 13,500, but we will see what the weather gives us. Hopefully we wake to clear skies and calm winds tomorrow. RMI Guide JM Gorum

On The Map

Sunday, May 11, 2019 Today was another day spent on standby in Talkeetna, waiting to fly into Basecamp on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. The weather didn’t seem to notice that we were waiting on it, as it rained in town and snowed in the mountains all day. The team is in great spirits, enjoying some unusual down time from our hectic lives, and busy packing in the calories. We will see what tomorrow brings; the snowy weather looks to continue throughout the day, but lighter than the past two days. Monday will bring high pressure with relief from the precipitation for at least a few days. Today's photos are courtesy of the FAA webcam for the Kahiltna Glacier Air Strip, current conditions and view on a clear day. We’ll keep you posted with any changes in the status. Cheers, RMI Guide Mike Walter

Hey, this is Mike with the Mexico volcanoes team. We are standing at 18,491 feet on a clear, windless day on the summit of Pico de Orizaba. We had a cold calm morning to start off with lots of new snow on the route made for great climbing. The team is doing well. We will be descending here momentarily. We will send you a message when we're back safe down in Tlachichuca. Thanks for following along. Everyone's doing great. RMI Guide Mike King

Namaste from Namche Bazaar, aka "Khumbu Central". I'm happy to report this guide is surrounded by a team of crushers, who hiked the first hill of the trail as if it was flat. We arrived way before lunch and enjoyed a good afternoon at the epicenter of Sherpa trading in this old market town of the Himalaya. Fun dinner conversations added to a great day! We'll stay here an extra night to start allowing for acclimatization. Stay tuned! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Namaste from the village of Phakding! Our days on the trail have started, and we cover the first stage of our acclimatizing trek. After an uneventful flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, gateway to the Himalaya, we ironically walked the trail that makes the first day being downhill. It is definitely special to be back in the Khumbu, and while we've haven't seen yet any major peaks, the change of pace from city to mountain, feels good and helps build up the excitement for the mission we have ahead. Everyone is in great spirits, healthy and psyched about what we're discovering so far! Stay tuned for more tomorrow, and some pictures. The game is on! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

We rallied the troops this morning at 8:30 in the lobby of Hotel Mercure for Day 1. After a quick round of intros and several cups of coffee to stave off the jet-lag we met with our tour guide, Pepe to go and explore the world heritage city of Quito. Our first stop was a visit to the equator. With Pepe's help we were able to conduct a number of experiments and confirm that the equator monument is in fact in the right location. Some of these tests included a demonstration of the Coriolis Effect where the water in a pan drains counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere then clockwise when moved across to the southern hemisphere. After a tour of several exhibits showcasing the indigenous history of Ecuador we moved on to investigate "old town" the hub of colonial Quito. Parched from the intense equatorial sun, our first stop was a local brewery where the team slaked their thirst before checking out some of the exquisite colonial architecture. The highlight was Compania de Jesus, a church completed after over 150 years of construction from the 17th to 18th century. The entire interior is coated with gold leaf and exquisite wood carvings. After Compania de Jesus we continued to wonder the narrow streets of "old town" eventually arriving back at Hotel Mercure. The afternoon allowed for some much needed rest and gear-checks before dinner at 7. We found some local cuisine that also happened to be playing the Vikings - Saints game. What a finish! We are back at Hotel Mercure now all fueled up and ready for our first acclimatization hike tomorrow. Stay Tuned! RMI Guide Jordan Cargill

Hello everyone - The team arrived yesterday after a tiring day of travel. As most of the team is still adjusting to the nearly 12 hour time change we kept things simple with a little round of introductions and a brief overview of the days ahead. We then took a short walk to get dinner at a nearby restaurant before turning in for the night. Today we meet with our local tour guide, Victoria, and had a wonderful tour of the nearby Red Square and the Kremlin. We visited several churches including the iconic St. Basil's, plus a brief stop at the famous GUM, which is a high end shopping mall that sits across the Red Square from the Kremlin. We've just returned from dinner and are getting packed up for tomorrow's flight to the south which will get us closer to Mt. Elbrus. Everyone is doing great and looking forward to heading to the mountains tomorrow. That's all for now. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew