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Posted by: Mike King, Avery Parrinello, Dominic Cifelli
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 6:41 PM PT
The Team arrived in Anchorage yesterday and we had a nice drive to the little hamlet of Talkeetna. Today we woke up and got a good breakfast on board before diving into an extensive gear check and packing session. The Team members got to know one another as they sifted through Oreos, nuts, candy and all sorts of other gear we will need to climb this mountain over the next three weeks. Once we were packed and weighed in for our flight there was some down time before dinner. Getting out of Talkeetna is always a bit of a scramble but the process of packing for a big expedition is essential to being organized and prepared for the weather and terrain that lie ahead. Everyone is excited and a little nervous to get started and rightfully so, this really is an experience of a lifetime! 3 weeks in the Alaska Range, traveling among giants to attempt the 20,320’ summit of Denali.
We will be checking in daily, thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello everyone.
We spent yesterday touring Tarangire National Park which is home to many elephants, in fact, it has more per square kilometer than any place on Earth and it didn’t disappoint. There was one point when there was around 150 elephants within just a few hundred feet of us.
There were plenty of other animals as usual, and we got close to a few big giraffes, which was pretty cool.
We ended our day at a remote and off grid camp within the National Park and surrounded by wildlife. The camp has screened in rooms that allow the night sounds and smells of Africa in.
It's been a memorable experience for everyone and great friendships forged. But finally it's time to return home to our families.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!
Wow, what a great experience and memories made to last a life time!! Thanks again for sharing!
Posted by: Judy Koppinger on 2/1/2019 at 4:30 pm
We got close to the top today and we’re trying again tomorrow. A persistent 10 mph wind rattled the tents all night long and carried into the morning as well. That -combined with the cold- made gearing up and getting ready difficult. We hit the trail by 10 AM. At first, it was something of a hassle to keep glasses and goggles from fogging and our faces from freezing, but within about 90 minutes we’d left the wind behind and could just concentrate on good walking. The weather up on Vinson’s peak seemed perfect and we were growing steadily closer. At 3 PM we’d reached 14,800 ft (Vinson is just over 16,000 ft) when one of our climbers made the difficult decision to go no higher. Running the fuel tank dry anywhere is a hassle, but it can be life threatening on a high, cold, remote Antarctic peak. We needed to turn around and get back to high camp. We were down by five and the team immediately set to “work” resting and rehydrating. Four of us will go for it tomorrow while our teammate rests in high camp. The forecast is still looking good for tomorrow and of course we hope to get the job done.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The clouds stayed with us through much of the night at Machame Camp, but it was a treat to wake to clearing skies and our first views of Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s central peak- rising to impossible heights in the distance. We set out at 8 AM on a steeper and rockier track than yesterday’s trail. It was as if we were on an endless staircase through a forest of giant heather. We could see a layer of cloud a thousand feet below us, stretching to the horizons, and there was some cloud up near the top of Kibo, but we were in the clear for big chunks of our journey. Our climb ended up being along the spine of a ridge radiating out -like a spoke in a wheel- from the central peak. We began a leftward traverse toward the Shira Plateau when the clouds caught up with us, making things a bit murky, but not as damp as our cloud-walking yesterday. At 12,000 feet, we began to pick out the giant senecios and lobelias endemic to Kilimanjaro and we got used to the large white-necked ravens performing crazy aerial maneuvers and waddling around on the ground to scavenge for food. By 1 PM we walked into our new camp at Shira at 12,500 ft and quickly got settled. Most enjoyed a good afternoon nap following lunch, but we all came out to watch the sunset and moonrise before dinner. Luckily the clouds faded away again and we could easily pick out Venus, Jupiter and Mars in the brilliant sky. Kibo was lit up magically by the moonlight. Word is that a lunar eclipse will occur between 2AM and 4AM tonight and several of the team vowed to take advantage of their lingering jet lag to get up and witness such a thing in this memorable setting.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Keeping my daughter and her husband (Heather & Brian) as all the team and guide in my thoughts and prayers daily! Safe journey as you continue in your assent !
Posted by: Jean (Mom) Lebo on 7/27/2018 at 2:33 pm
Sounds pretty fabulous!!
Be safe !❤️
Love Aunt Vicki and Nana
Posted by: Aunt Vicki on 7/27/2018 at 1:04 pm
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith, Hannah McGowan, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Our final day on Denali began just an hour after the second-to-last day ended. We were up at 1 AM and walking South by three. The hoped for full-on freeze didn't quite come through. While the glacier surface was a little crunchy under the snowshoes, one still sank in a bit more than we'd have preferred. But half a freeze is better than none when there are crevasse bridges to be crossed. And we crossed about a thousand of them. We did have a few scares as team members broke through to wiggle their legs in the void before hastily crawling topside again. I think all would agree that the morning commute to the airstrip was stressful, brutally tough with big packs, and magically stupendous in terms of scenery and the feeling of accomplishment when it was completed. We were at basecamp no more than ten minutes before the big red beautiful K2 ski otters swooped in and scooped us up at 9:45 AM. The rest of the day was spent in glorious summer down in Talkeetna. We changed into cotton and sandals and sorted stinky gear. Our celebration dinner at the West Rib was a blast. We laughed and toasted for hours. A nightcap at the Fairview and a walk down to the Susitna to see the mountains at midnight made for a perfect ending to a perfect trip.
Thanks for following... we'll do it all again sometime.
Best,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Posted by: Andy Bond, Hannah Smith, Joe Hoch
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guide Andy Bond led the Five Day Summit Climb Team June 8-12 to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. It is a beautiful day on the mountain with winds 10-15 mph and cold temperatures. The cloud deck below is at approximately 8,000' so the team enjoyed great views from the summit. After spending two nights at Camp Muir they will return to camp and re-pack gear before continuing their descent to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Five Day Summit Climb Team!
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater, and considered by many to be the 8th wonder of the world. The crater is what remains of a once massive volcano that erupted and collapsed on itself, leaving behind a giant caldera that's almost exactly 100 square miles. Every time we've visited the crater it's been excitingly different, and today was the same.
We were able to see many lions, some close enough that they actually stopped to smell the tires of our Safari vehicles. However, we were safely inside our vehicle, yet it was extremely exciting to be so close!
As we made our way around the Ngorongoro crater we saw tons of other wildlife, zebras, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, jackals, Giselle, countless raptors and many other large birds. It was quite a day to say the least, and I'm certain one that won't be forgotten by anyone.
We wrapped up the day with a visit to a Maasai village just outside the crater rim. The Maasai people are a nomadic tribe that have lived here for more than 500 years among the wildlife, while raising the cattle that sustain them. The team spent time visiting the homes of these kind and gentle people, with tour guides who shared their history and way of life.
We finished the evening here at the plantation lodge and are looking forward to what tomorrow may bring as we head to Tarangire National Park.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
Today was a day of rest and preparation for our team here at Aconcagua Base Camp. We spent the morning reorganizing and sorting out communal food and equipment for the upper mountain, and the afternoon finding a way to make it all fit into our packs. Along the way, team members found time to take a brief stroll around the base camp vicinity to acclimate and enjoy the perspective, and a few lucky climbers snuck in a nap or two. Everyone is excited to carry a load up to Camp One tomorrow, and officially launch our assault on the mountain!
Bye for now,
RMI Guides Mark Tucker, Pepper Dee and Team
Thanks for the update Mark and Pepper! I can’t wait to hear more. Sending lots of love to my Papa, Dominique. I hope you’re having a great time. Good luck Team!
Posted by: Lindsay Monnet on 1/13/2017 at 3:04 pm
Thank you for the great updates and photos. Enjoy the climb up!
Posted by: Anne Callen on 1/13/2017 at 7:06 am
Posted by: Jake Beren, Katrina Bloemsma, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches
Elevation: 14,200'
June 10, 2016 - 10:35 pm PT
Waking to clear skies and minimal wind was a great way to start our move to 14K Camp. Of course when you walk amongst the clouds sometimes they come say hello. As we crossed the Polo Fields towards Windy Corner, weather set in and the team got their first taste of what Denali can dish out. We managed quite well and rallied through the pass to the calm on the other side, none the worse for wear, but with a few wider eyes to show for the effort.
After an easy camp build (Thanks Jonesy!), we dined and toasted our friend Ryan for his Birthday! Katrina even no baked a cheesecake to celebrate the joyous day.
That's the news from 14K, stay tuned for the next episode.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Jason, we’ve been watching your progress! We saw Isty and Isabelle today at the Women’s Run…can’t wait for you to see their fabulous dress-up pics!
Sophia and Susan—Trailside friends
Posted by: Susan on 6/11/2016 at 11:54 pm
Happy Birthday Ryan!!! :) (this is a great length to go to avoid another surprise party)
Posted by: Jessica on 6/11/2016 at 2:29 pm
Hi everyone. This is JJ Justman and Mike King and Team Mexico. This morning we parted the beautiful colonial city of Puebla. We had a great rest day yesterday in Puebla enjoying a little bit of the good life. This morning we took off and headed to Orizaba, which is where we are right now. We set up camp. We are actually going expedition style, so the tents are up and the stoves are going for some hot drinks. The weather right now is a little little bit cloudy, little bit foggy and a light mist. The weather actually isn't too bad; nice and calm so that's good. Everyone's doing really, really well. We're looking forward to a great summit day tomorrow. Our plan is to have an early dinner, and then wake up and start climbing just after midnight, give or take. It should be a full day for us tomorrow, so stay tuned. We'll give a call, keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully will call you from the summit of the third highest mountain in North America, Orizaba. Thanks for following along. We'll touch base again tomorrow. Bye.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
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RMI Guide JJ Justman calls in from Piedra Grande Hut in Mexico.
Enjoying following the blog. Safe trip and have an amazing time love marie xx
Posted by: Marie Pope on 6/6/2019 at 12:48 pm
GoodLuck! to all the team as you start your Alaskan adventure on Denali. Sue and John Rogers.
Posted by: Susan Rogers on 6/5/2019 at 12:15 pm
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