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Elevation: 7,300'

June 16, 2016 - 4:16 P.M. PDT And we're off! RMI Denali Expedition #7 (known in some circles as "el Siete") landed on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier this morning around 10 o'clock to clear skies and breathtaking views of the Alaska Range. The team took advantage of the clear weather by leisurely setting up camp, and then brushing up on anchor building, crevasse rescue, and sled rigging skills. Our next move is to make some dinner and head to bed early in anticipation of our move to Ski Hill camp while the snow is at its most frozen state- is 3 A.M. early morning or late at night? We'll let you know... For now, excitement is high, stress is low, views are stunning. Love to all friends, family, and Joe Horiskey, RMI Guide Mike Haugen & gang

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What an experience! The pictures are breathtaking, but probably don’t even compare to the real view! Cheers to all of you on your amazing journey!

Have fun Phil and everyone on the climb.

Use your core ;)

Posted by: Laura Andrews on 6/25/2016 at 4:06 am

Jon, A&D is will be monitoring your progress and living vicariously through your amazing adventure!!

Posted by: Lisa on 6/17/2016 at 6:10 pm

Denali Expedition: Jones & Team Learn About Storm Days

June 6, 2016

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Caleb Ladue, Blake Votilla

Elevation: 14,200'

June 5, 2016 - 9:46 p.m. PDT A clear night allowed the radiant heat from yesterday to escape, meaning quite the cool and crisp morning was upon us. When temperatures drop well below zero as they did this morning, it is another level of cold. There is a threshold where the mouths of our insulated Nalgene bottles freeze over, and our 12-liter aluminum water pots in the kitchen become lined with a thick layer of ice all around. The clear morning lured some climbers and neighbors to break camp and begin a push up to high camp. Within a few hours though, the forecast proved accurate as Denali began to cap over and a storm develop. Light to moderate winds here at 14 camp, but still cold and no real warming yet with increasing snowfall intensity. The "nowcast" and short lived morning sun surely tricked those climbers as they were turned around just a thousand feet up by extreme cold and back in camp by noon. Only becoming stronger with continued acclimatization, and tall snow-brick walls fortifying the windward sides of our homestead, we are content with staying put. Our camp now sits in a wind eddy as gusts strong enough to bend trees push into our walls and curl over as we lay in the tents and nap. Nice to have spent a few days dialing in our camp! The team is ready and excited to make a move once the mountain allows, but only with a high safety margin and good style. For now though we'll keep kickin' it at camp: remodeling, relaxing, pancake eating, and cold hard chilling until the weather changes. Also worth noting was last nights impromptu trip to "The Edge of the World". A short walk across Genet Basin brought us to an amazing vista overlooking the Kahiltna Glacier, Mount Hunter and Foraker, and a large portion of the route we traveled in the past week. Evening light and periodic clearing made for a special view. Snow crystals flickered and glittered through the gaps of misty clouds floating 5,000' above the ominous cracks and towering walls of the NE fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. Learning how to stay busy during our first real "storm day" isn't so bad! RMI Guide Tyler Jones

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Stinger,

Waffles please! I know you just came for the waffles.

Good thing you’ve had Chicago training for extreme negative temperatures, powerful gusts of wind, and staying home and napping when you’re scheduled to work. I hope your beard is full enough now to keep you warm while giving you a nice sunglasses tan. The goggles do nothing!

Don’t stick your tongue to anything metal.

Jacket

Posted by: Jacket on 6/6/2016 at 8:29 pm

to Bob: Amelia and Chet think your trip is awesome and that you are crazy. it sounds “so cool” and Uncle Bob is “the best” can’t wait to talk to you when you get back. dad is in boulder/denver and vail next week (you know why). we are puling for you uncle bob.

Posted by: mark mullen on 6/6/2016 at 7:58 pm

Denali Expedition: Okita & Team Rest and Introduce the Team

June 1, 2016

Posted by: Brent Okita, Christina Dale, Chris Ebeling

Elevation: 14,200'

May 31, 2016 - 10:03 pm PT Finally, a day of rest. Smoked salmon, toasted bagels and cream cheese served at the civilized hour of 10:00 set the tone for the day. Our communal get together then lasted to noon. What we all talk of who knows, but obviously we enjoy each others company. Speaking of which, I thought I might share a small glimpse of who this team is that you're following. I'll start with the lady from NYC. A social live wire who keeps things fun in the Posh and can climb with the best. Of the three doctors in the group, the one from the east coast is not the talkative center of the group, but is so fun to get to know and importantly, never complains, even of our cooking. The other doc is our elder statesman, older than even me! (OK, by just a year) But with this wisdom comes a love and appreciation of everything and everyone around him. The third doc is a stud! But his strength is so overshadowed by his generosity and true commitment to the welfare of the group. We even have two paramedics on board. The first calls Boston home, where he only works four jobs to support his climbing habit. His good heartlessness is reflected in the smile he wears no matter how difficult the going is. The other medic defines strength. Even after breaking his leg in January, he gets the hard man award. Combined with just being a really nice guy, we're lucky to have him on the team. Another incredible member was an air force meteorologist who became a physical therapist. Her strength and will power is obvious any time you pick up her pack. Plus she can run a five minute mile. Amazing person! Another teammate was here two years ago where weather conspired to thwart his summit bid, but has come back determined and firing on all cylinders. Always good natured, especially when there's rice one the menu, he is a pleasure to climb with. Of the guides, our first year assistant is proving his mettal and performing really well in the harsh environment of the Alaska range. Interestingly, all the of us are ski patrollers in the winter. My first assistant is all one could ask for in a guide up here. Strong, fun, hard working and smart. And a bright spot in the Posh House. Then there's me, trying to manage as best as I can and get this old body up the hill one more time. So that's it, the team in a nutshell. I trust you'll recognize your friends, family, loved ones. It's a special group and I'm excited to be climbing with them. RMI Guide Brent Okita

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That Air Force Girl is Tough!! I know you already know that. Keep climbing Strong Dawn!

Posted by: Dave Kestel on 6/2/2016 at 3:22 am

We are all watching your progress, great job, great team. FYI Dr P. It is going to be 110 to 113 here in the desert this weekend….

Posted by: Saguaro Surgical on 6/1/2016 at 9:16 pm

Kilimanjaro: Tucker & Team Hit The Trail

July 8, 2015

Posted by: Mark Tucker

Elevation: 9,890'

Gortex was the outfit of choice when we arrived at the Kilimanjaro National Park Entrance Gate this morning. Lucky for us, the rain stopped and we had nice conditions as we climbed through the rainforest on Kilimanjaro's lower slopes and the giant heather in the Moorland Zone to reach Machame Camp. The team did well and we're all our tucked in for the night at ~10,000 ft on this beautiful mountain. Jet lag still prevails and we are looking forward a good night's sleep for our first night on the mountain. We will check in again tomorrow with our progress towards the Roof of Africa. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

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Love the pictures and hearing where you are on the climb, looking forward to the next instalment

Posted by: Emma and Alex on 7/12/2015 at 8:11 am

Mark’s blog is great - didn’t know we’d get pictures too! Y’all look like a scout troop standing by the bus after a ‘dressing down’ by the scout leader (what did you guys do?) except for Bonny who can’t help but smile. (Was she the informant?) Love to you all. Best wishes for a great climb, from the Lowlanders.

Posted by: Meg Race on 7/9/2015 at 6:43 am

Aconcagua: Wedel & Team Make Carry to Camp 3

January 31, 2025

Posted by: Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 18,000'

Good evening from beautiful Guanacos camp!

The sun is setting and it’s a radiant orange and pink sky surrounding our tents. This is our third night here and we are feeling good. Today we carried a load of gear up, up, up to Camp 3 - new altitude record for the whole team at 19,600 feet! The saying of the day was “stress the system, rest the system.” We stressed our bodies moving up to that altitude in the hopes that it will help us on summit day. But before our headaches were too bad, we started downhill back to Camp 2. We got back in the early afternoon and then it was time to rest the system.

We prepared for our summit push with a big talk about what to expect, what to carry, tips and tricks to stay warm and so much more. We know some anxiety is normal as there are so many unknowns as we head uphill but preparing as much as we can helps. Jack also led us in some improv games where we laughed and joked and that helped too!

Tomorrow we head to Camp 3 with a hopeful summit on the horizon.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the "Skittles" team

New Post Alerts:
Aconcagua Expedition January 18, 2025

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Aconcagua: Wedel, Delaney & Team Arrive in Mendoza

January 20, 2025

Posted by: Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 2,449'

Hello to all our friends and family at home!

I’m happy to report we ALL made it to Argentina and with our gear (some bags took a little longer than others to arrive but they’re all here now!)

We’ve spent the last two days in Mendoza getting to know each other, checking gear, packing, repacking, learning about what the next few weeks will look like and enjoying as much of the Mendoza-life as possible. We are headed to bed with duffels ready, full stomachs of delicious Argentinian cuisine, and a lot of excitement to finally hit the trail tomorrow.

It’s going to be an incredible adventure and after so much time planning and preparing, we can’t wait for it to begin.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Aconcagua climbing team

New Post Alerts:
Aconcagua Expedition January 18, 2025

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Kilimanjaro: Okita & Team Complete Climb, Descend to Mweka Gate

August 6, 2024

Posted by: Brent Okita

Monday, August 5, 2024 - 7:47 PM PT

After a slippery walk down from Mweka Camp we made it to the Mweka Gate in good shape. Legs were feeling the 13,000' descent of the past two days but smiles were broad as we knew we had done it.

A celebratory lunch and fun farewell festivities with our mountain crew closed out this wonderful climb. Riding back to the hotel thought of a shower was not the only thing on the team's mind as I know I wasn't the only one thinking back on our time on the mountain.

After we exhausted the hotel of all its hot water washing off layers of dust from our bodies, we enjoyed a dinner celebration to recognize our huge accomplishment. Yes, we climbed a big mountain but more, we had an incredible experience where we made new friends, shared time with folks from a very different culture and maybe even learned a little something about ourselves too.

Then we headed to the soft, cushy bed our tired bodies craved after a week of sleeping on a 1" pad. What luxury!

And now... another beginning: the safari!

RMI Guide Brent Okita

New Post Alerts:
Kilimanjaro Climb & Safari, July 27, 2024

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Arrive at Denali Base Camp

May 10, 2024

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jackson Breen

Elevation: 7800'

Thursday, May 9, 2024 - 10:48 pm PDT

The pilots in the Alaska Range are some of the best mountain pilots in the world, so when we chatted with K2 today and they said they didn't think the weather was going to let us make it to base camp today, we took it to heart. They are the pros at flying and if they don't want to go, we don't want to be on the plane. So, we cooled our feet, had a nice breakfast and a nice coffee, and made a plan to refresh some crevasse rescue skills in the hanger. No sooner had we built an anchor than we got the call that things were changing for the better. They watched it for a bit, loaded the planes, looked at it some more, and decided it was worth trying. Sure enough, there was a clear path up the Kahiltna, and suddenly we were in the Alaska Range listening to the retreating whine of the turbo otter as it headed back Talkeetna, leaving us on the glacier to contemplate the size and scale if peaks around us and our undertaking.

We opted to stay at base camp tonight and get things sorted, so we set tents and had our first meal on the mountain. It's a different vibe now from the nervous waiting and preparing. We are here and it's up to us to start moving our things uphill. So, we'll take our fate in our hands and set out for the base of Ski Hill tomorrow to take our first steps on our journey up Denali.

We'll check in tomorrow.

RMI Guides Pete VanDeventer, Jackson Breen & Team

New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition, May 7, 2024

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Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Enter Kilimanjaro National Park and Begin Climb

September 5, 2017

Posted by: Dave Hahn

Elevation: 9,800'

A fairly smooth first day for our climbers today. We were on the road by 8 AM as planned and heading east. We made good time rolling down the highway under thick clouds. There weren't any views of Kilimanjaro to be had, even as we approached the Machame gate to the National Park at 6000 ft. As always, the gate was good and busy as a handful of other expeditions were getting underway on our same timetable. We were among the first to set out walking, at around 10:45. We never got rain, although the air was quite moist during the hours we spent in the thick forest. We gained elevation steadily and by mid-afternoon we were leaving the big trees and getting into a forest of giant heather. We came in to Machame Camp at 4:15 to find that our staff had been working quite hard on our behalf. A fully built camp was ready and waiting for campers. We settled in, met for afternoon tea and then dinner in our dining dome tent. We talked of the plan for the coming day, recalled the funny parts of the day we were ending and headed to bed. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Naomi, You are our hero! You just amaze us with all your accomplishments, but this one is over the hill!

G-d bless U and keep you safe.

Florence & Marty Jesser

Posted by: Florence Jesser on 9/13/2017 at 8:07 pm

Naomi..
Reading the daily blogs as we follow your amazing adventure. Have a great time and stay safe. Luv U a ton.

Posted by: Howard Katz on 9/6/2017 at 7:11 pm

Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Arrive at High Camp

January 14, 2017

Posted by: Casey Grom

Elevation: 15,000'

Well we've finally arrived at Kilimanjaro's High Camp! It was a very short jump from Karanga camp up to Barafu camp, which is our launching point for the summit. The team did great and we arrived in just over three hours and shortly before some light snow started falling. I won't mention any names, but one climber from Canada accidentally put their pants on backwards, which brought a little laughter this morning. Everyone is currently relaxing or getting packed up for tonight's climb to the highest point on the African continent. This evening we'll have a summit talk where we discuss the teams strategy for tomorrow and then it will be off to bed right after dinner to get a little sleep before starting to climb around midnight. The team is celebrating John Ready's 30th birthday today. Hopefully it's one he'll always remember! Keep your fingers crossed for us, and there's a chance, weather permitting, some of you back home might receive a satellite phone call from the summit. So keep your phones handy. My best guess is we'll be on the summit around 8 am our time. RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kilimanjaro crew!

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Congratulations on conquering the summit!!! Where are you now? News, group, we need an update on Catherine, Deborah and Kaki!!! Downhill is difficult, too, I understand. News please!

Posted by: Sharon Hostler on 1/15/2017 at 8:09 am

All the Best on your summit push to reach the top of Africa.
Have been watch your progress every day. Really cool. Right behind you on the next climb.

Posted by: Kim Gibson on 1/15/2017 at 6:16 am