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Posted by: Dave Hahn, Billy Nugent, JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 17,575'
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from Everest Base Camp.
On The Map
Posted by: Mike King, Jack Delaney
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Machu Picchu
Elevation: 14,300'
We awoke hours before the sun was up to begin our journey to the start of the Salkantay trek. Hours of winding Peruvian roads and a beautiful sunrise later, we arrived!
Our local guides and cooks made us a fantastic breakfast to start our trek off right. The first part of the trek began with a gradual uphill that gave us phenomenal views of the valley below. We followed an impressive trail alongside an aqueduct for several miles until we got to the town of Soraypampa. Here, we enjoyed the last porcelain throne that we would see for several days. Leaving town, we headed up a valley with soaring views of both, Tucarhuay and Salkantay peaks! The gradual ascent up the valley was difficult but rewarding as the beauty around us only increased as we got higher. Camp was graciously already set up for us by our guides and their assistants. We enjoyed a great dinner, drank cocoa, tea, and did our best to adjust to our new altitude of 14,300 feet. It was the highest most of us had ever slept, and it looked to be a cold night. Thankfully the cooks made us all wawa's (bladders of hot water) for bedtime!
Goodnight from the Andes!
Posted by: James Bealer, Dominic Cifelli, Chase Halbert, Stephen Inman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,500'
The Kautz Seminar, led by RMI Guide James Bealer, was stopped by route conditions this morning. They reached 12,500' before making the call to abort their ascent. The team is currently working their way back to high camp. They have had a full week of training and will spend one more night on the mountain before concluding their program tomorrow.
Posted by: Andy Bond, Grayson Swingle, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 17,000'
Tuesday, June 28, 2022 - 11:42 pm PT
Let me tell you about the pain cave. It’s made of self doubt stalactites and poorly spaced foot buckets where you think you have found purchase with your crampons and yet they slide again and again. It’s got stalagmites forged from the tears of mountaineers who came before you. It’s a fearsome place indeed. But we are a powerful team and WE CARRY ON.
That is right readers, this intrepid group scaled the hairy fixed lines once again to move our camp to 17,000' today. What stroke of luck to have such incredible weather for our move day. To be traversing the airy Washburns’s Thumb in nothing but a sun hoody is the stuff of dreams. Our RMI guides continue to provide important services such as lying to us about the steepness of the grade on the trail we cannot yet see, and assurances that today will likely be considered a harder day than our planned summit day tomorrow. Andy, keep up the bluffing, it’s working like a charm.
Todays highlights included Steve’s reunion with his hula hoop, the view from 17 Camp when we finally arrived, the fact that most of us are higher than we’ve ever been, and the team spirit embodied by Yann who selflessly swung into action helping his teammates set up tents when they arrived exhausted. There was also the traffic on the running belays which was reminiscent of Seattle’s I-5, but really, who can complain when it’s a fraction of the normal peak season crowd.
With a bit of rest this evening, some much needed calories (an entire mountain house plus snacks), and a continuous deep well of motivation to draw from, we sit eager with anticipation for tomorrow - the big day!!!
RMI Climber Holly
Love that you guys are embracing the suck! Go team, Go!
Posted by: Steve Polovick on 6/30/2022 at 7:01 am
Team Bond you’re crushing it! Keep pushing through the pain and moving forward. Looking forward to hearing about you conquering summit day.
Posted by: Cortney on 6/29/2022 at 5:53 pm
dave- i had the pleasure of you serving as my guide in sept 98 on an ascent of Rainier. I wish you good weather, health and most importantly- safety. Suerte amigo!
Posted by: david.mendel on 5/17/2012 at 11:58 am
Have you met my friend Moshi Wilfred from Tanzania yet? He’s probably the tallest guy on the mountain.
Best of health and well-being during your climb.
Posted by: Ellen on 5/17/2012 at 11:00 am
Dave Hahn from Everest Base Camp
On The Map
Hello Dave and Melissa: I just got on your blog a week or so ago and have enjoyed your posts! Wishing the best in climbing for you and certainly hope the conditions start to improve so you can get to your goal: a summitt attempt! Things are good in Seattle and I hope to get on Mt. Rainier a couple times this summer. Then the best part: the Mountain Festival! Hope you’ll both be in attendance again since it’s so good to visit and hear your climbing experiences. My radio station is supposed to be getting in touch with RMI to set things up for another weekend of coverage. Sending good climbing vibes your way, so good luck! Mike Brown
Posted by: Mike Brown on 5/9/2012 at 11:00 pm
Good climbing, David .
hoped to meet your father and Lisa in Boston at the end of this month but Memorial w/e is not propitious for Ron to drive. I read about your intrepid hike with Ron in Yosemite. Remarkable, and so well written.
Regards and Berg Heil from Your distant relative
Hugo
Posted by: Hugo Langshur on 5/9/2012 at 5:56 am
We pushed back our wake-up and starting times this morning in order to let a few of the surrounding teams get out on the trail first. The Barranco Wall has a few tight passages along rock ledges where we’d just as soon miss the traffic jams. That meant a leisurely pace to rolling out of bed and packing up. It was cool in the shadow of the mountain though, and a relief -during breakfast- when the sun hit. We marched toward the base of the wall at 9 AM with perhaps a few butterflies in some stomachs as folks wondered how it would all work out. From below, the Great Barranco Wall looks very much like a Great Wall… intimidating. But as we started winding up the trail and came to grips with the tricky parts, most began to relax. Our local guides -John, Tom, Naiman and Philibet were at every difficult move, pointing out hand and footholds and managing porter traffic. Before long we’d cruised past the narrowest ledges and gotten to easier -though still steep- trail sections in the middle of the wall. There were still a few places requiring both hands on the rock near the top, but then we popped out onto flat ground about 1200 ft higher than where we’d begun. We took a well-deserved break and snapped a few pictures of the spectacular South Face of Kilimanjaro. The rest of the walk to Karanga was easy in comparison to the Wall. Just a few valleys to traverse, and lots of sights to see as much of the lower cloud melted away. We sat down to lunch in our new camp at 13,100 ft. The afternoon was a chance for resting and rehydrating. As the sun set, John -our lead guide- led the team in an impromptu dance session on the concrete heli-pad adjacent to camp. We sat down to dinner in our well lit dining tent and then came out to another beautiful night scene, this time with the lights of Moshi (the city at Kili’s Southeast corner) spread out far below.
Best Regards
Happy Anniversary, my love. I would do it all again. You make everything better.
Our life of Adventures and Oatmeal is perfect.
Blow me a kiss and then go to bed, tomorrow is going come fast!
So proud of and stoked for you.
John
Posted by: John GILMAN on 8/20/2022 at 7:57 am
You all are amazing!
Posted by: Diana Lowe on 8/19/2022 at 1:01 pm
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 - 11:19 pm PT
Here is the first dispatch from the third RMI Denali team! We are all packed up and ready to fly in the morning. Our team was efficient and prepared today as we organized all the necessary items for a Denali expedition. The weather is beautiful in Talkeetna and we are excited for the climb ahead.
RMI guides Jackson Breen, Matias Francis, JT Schmitt and team.
They’ve got great guides!
Posted by: George Strait on 5/20/2022 at 2:16 pm
Looks like a strong team!!!
Posted by: Anna Budayr on 5/20/2022 at 7:35 am
Posted by: Mike Walter, Ben Ammon
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
Posted by: Alex Van Steen, Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Carstensz Pyramid
Your descriptions are amazing. Marshland at 11000 feet! Good luck, team - be safe and have fun.
Posted by: Mom/Grandma on 7/3/2012 at 5:37 am
excellent…...
Posted by: Rini Indyastuti on 7/3/2012 at 2:33 am
Happy Easter to all. bc
Posted by: bc on 4/20/2014 at 7:19 am
Hi
Good day, I learnt about the tragedy few days ago. Even though I have never been to Nepal, I have always interest in the Everest. Please stay strong. My thoughts and prayers with the sherpas and their families.
Best regards
Kok Wai
Singapore
Posted by: Kok Wai on 4/20/2014 at 6:25 am
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