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Due to avalanche hazard, the summit climb teams, led by Brent Okita and Mike Uchal, were unable to summit Mt. Rainier this morning. Both teams topped out at 12,800,’ and are headed back down to Camp Muir. We look forward to seeing the teams back in Ashford this afternoon.

Today the gang got a good old-fashioned butt-kicking at the hands of Nevado Cayambe. We woke in the middle of the night to strong winds but clear skies and decided to rig up and take a shot at climbing. The walls of the refugio were rattling in the wind and I remember thinking to myself that we were gonna probably have a pretty tough go out there. Shockingly, as we left the hut and climbed around the rock buttress above we found ourselves moving through the terrain in much more manageable conditions. The wind backed off and we were looking up at a starry night and the city lights below. We made our way up a couple of steeper rock steps and onto the dry glacier in short time and continued up the hill. Chase and I both remember thinking to ourselves, "we just might pull this off..." But alas, the wind was to return as we climbed higher but this time with some serious moisture. The wet came in pulses and we were able to deal with it until we reached a bench in the glacier at just over 17,000' where we all came into the break and looked each other over. The truth was undeniable, we were all soaked and the conditions were worsening. Sadly, we knew we had to turn around before the summit and weave our way back through a very crevassed and broken glacier. Despite not making the summit we still got to climb through some incredible terrain and glacial formations and everybody agreed that we were getting a full value experience. Some hours later, when we finally stumbled back to the hut, the storm has significantly increased its ferocity and was plastering us with sheets of sideways rain and strong gusts. We napped for a little bit and loaded our soaking gear into 4x4's and headed back to Babylon. Tonight we're drying out and enjoying a real bed at Hacienda Guachalá. Built in the late 1500's, it's the oldest hacienda in Ecuador with tons of crazy history from famous visitors (including Edward Whymper, the first to climb many of these peaks in the 1700's) to pre Inca constructions, and even a crypt beneath the chapel. Tomorrow we're headed for Antisana, praying for good weather, now, I'm headed for dinner! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

At 7:10 a.m. RMI Guide Brent Okita radioed from the top of Columbia Crest, the highest point in Washington! There were 30 – 35 mph winds this morning and nice weather. The cloud deck is below Camp Muir. The teams will spend some time on the summit before starting their descent. RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and his Expeditions Skills Seminar - Emmons will be traveling back to Rainier Base Camp later today.

Friday, June 26, 2015 - 11:40 pm PT We made it... almost. We left our camp at 11,200 feet around 4 am this morning. The group was traveling quickly in spite of heavy packs and sleds. All was well until we encountered a wet, snowy drizzle around 7,800 feet. We trudged on knowing the end was just a few hours away. When we finally reached base camp, the snow stopped, but the clouds did not permit planes to come and pick us up. The rest of the day consisted of napping, to compensate for the lack of sleep over the past few days, and hoping for clear skies tomorrow. RMI Guides Pepper and Uchal are working on their clear skies interpretive dance in the event that we wake up to clouds tomorrow. RMI 7 "El Siete"

On The Map

May 21, 2015 - 10:03 pm PT Here we are at 9,800' for a second night. This morning the winds continued to whip at the surrounding ridges and moving camp up the Kahiltna Dome was not prudent. However we were able to go for a venture towards Kahiltna Pass to see what there was to see. Good times trying to get over the bergschrund which was a trap door of deep faceted snow. Towards the top of the ridge we met firm icy conditions that forced us back down. Good times nevertheless! If the weather improves tomorrow we will make an attempt on the Dome. Good night! RMI Guide Leon Davis

May 16, 2015 1:09 am PT Hi all, While yesterday became a waiting game that ultimately left us sleeping in town for another night, this morning was sunny and blue, and immediately after breakfast, we loaded the planes and were off! The flight in was spectacular with great views of the range. After a couple hours of sorting loads, packing, and rigging, we walked out of base camp and on to the lower Kahiltna. We made great time, and now we are snugly tucked into camp after an eventful day. Time to catch some Zzzz. We'll be in touch tomorrow. RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Josh Maggard, Robby Young, and team

On The Map

This is the RMI Aconcagua team checking in from Casa de Piedra on day 2 of our trek to base camp. We had a sweltering five-hour day trekking into camp. Fortunately, we got the winds within a half hour before reaching Casa de Piedra. We saw our first glimpse of Aconcagua today with stellar views of the South Face and Polish Glacier! The team is learning valuable expedition skills such as, setting up tents in the wind and relaxing in a tent. We are looking forward to a big dinner and a good night's sleep before heading up to 13,800ft tomorrow. Everyone is healthy and in good spirits. RMI Guide Mike King

Walter Hailes Rejoins Group! .... or so the headlines read for this team of hearty mountaineers. Ho ho ho! Another day of hiking in perfect weather has brought us to our second camp at Casa de Piedra. Today's walk saw only a slight gain in elevation but took us further up the deep and breathtaking Vacas Valley. Huge amounts of relief, enormous floodplains, intense sun, sapphire skies were among the visual treats along the approach. Spirits are high and we look forward to reaching our basecamp at Plaza Argentina tomorrow afternoon! Rock n' Roll, Billy, Walt, Andy, & Dan.

Today the team left the lively Zona Rosa district of Mexico City bright and early to make our way to the mountains. A beautiful drive through the Mexican countryside took us up through a cloud layer that blanketed the City to sunny skies above. Once we arrived at our home for the night, La Malinche, the team began our first big step towards getting our bodies acclimated for the peaks to come by hiking up to 13,700 feet. Here, we got our first views of the surrounding volcanoes including our next objectives Ixta and Orizaba. Tonight we will enjoy a much deserved authentic Mexican dinner, sleep at 10,000 feet and try to catch a glimpse of the Lunar Eclipse. RMI Guide Grayson Swingle

The Four Day Summit Climb September 7 - 10, 2018 led by RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer and JM Gorum were unable to make a summit attempt. High winds and precipitation kept the groups from making their summit attempt. They will be descending from Camp Muir to Paradise this morning and will return to Rainier BaseCamp in the early afternoon.