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Today we made our first steps towards
Alpamayo. After an early start from Huaraz we drove north for about three hours with the entire Cordillera Blanca Range glistening in the morning light. Truly spectacular. After reaching Cashapampa, we disembarked from our van, met our cook and helped load the donkey with our gear for the trip. Finally the whole expedition starts. Excitement was high as we began our approach to base camp. The first hour and a half of the hike was up steep switchbacked terrain after which it mellowed and became a gradual meandering trail up the Santa Cruse Valley. Our camp tonight is called Llama Corral, 12,300 feet, and about halfway up the valley. Tomorrow we should reach base camp by early afternoon.
The team is doing very well, everyone is climbing strong, staying healthy, and excited for what's to come.
Thanks for following along with us!
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the Alpamayo team
Our climbing team had a great morning climbing to within a few hundred feet (16,500') of Iliniza Norte's summit (16,818'), before the wind was too intense and we had to turn around. Climbing up the rocky, exposed ridge from the climbing hut, the clouds would momentarily part, affording us intermittent views of Iliniza Norte's austere summit, covered in rime ice. The climbing was a very enjoyable 3rd class rock scramble and everyone did great. The wind was literally making it hard to stand up, much less climb a high altitude mountain. So we retreated back to the safety of the climber's hut. After a bowl of soup and a cup of tea, we descended back down the trail to our vehicles. Now we're at the beautiful hacienda Chilcabamba, outside of
Cotopaxi National Park, where we're resting before heading out to climb our final objective, Cotopaxi. We'll keep you in the loop...
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Our final day on the mountain!
Today the team got up at 6:30 mostly refreshed after a much needed nights sleep, we had breakfast, then hit the trail one last time. It took just around 3 hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch and said our final goodbyes to our amazing Tanzanian crew of 51 that took such great care of us on the mountain.
We finished with a little celebration singing from our crew and by handing out their well deserved tips, then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge.
Finally we are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting 7 day journey up and down Kilimanjaro.
Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!
Casey and Crew
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Kilimanjaro Climb & Safari September 2, 2025
Monday, August 26, 2024
Good evening,
Checking in from high camp - we summited today around 11:30am! We had sun, clouds, a bit of rain, and even a rainbow on our climb. Now we eat and sleep hiding from the rain. Hoping for clear skies and sun tomorrow! Special shout out to James for his first summit of Mt. Shuksan.
RMI Guide Sam Hoffman
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Well, it was another day of waiting in Talkeetna for the weather to improve enough to fly into
Kahiltna Base Camp. The FAA webcams looked socked in all day, but every once in a while some clearings would emerge. Finally, around 3 pm, we decided to round up the troops and don our climbing clothes and boots to be ready to board if a flight was possible. After a recon report from another K2 airplane on a scenic flight confirmed that it looked like we could land at Base Camp, we boarded the two Turbo Prop Otters and launched for the Alaska Range. A beautiful flight with partly cloudy skies took us all the way to Base Camp …but a small but thick cloud hung over the landing strip. We held in a waiting pattern for as long as we could and the conditions did not improve. Finally we regained our elevation and pointed back south for Talkeetna. An awesome flight, and oh-so-close. We’ll try again early tomorrow, with a more promising forecast.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Three days ago we were summiting Aconcagua. Last night were laying in the dirt looking up at the stars. Today, we are eating at a restaurant surrounded by people and cars, and longing for our beds at the hotel. So quickly we have left the solitude of
Aconcagua and rejoined the hustle and bustle of the city. We all look like new people - showered and in street clothes. It has been quite a journey, certainly a cause for celebration. As this adventure winds down and we all fly back to our homes, we will reflect on this time together and what we accomplished. Hopefully after some rest and while flipping through the photos, another adventure will be planned and the process will start all over.
Till next time,
RMI Guide
Hannah Smith and team
Hello again everyone
After a good nights rest and a short hike up to 15,000' we’ve finally arrived at our
High Camp. Thankfully the weather broke and today was sunny with great views of Kilimanjaro and our intended route for tomorrow’s climb.
The team has just wrapped up lunch and discussed in great detail the plan for tomorrow’s climb. Everyone knows what what we’ll be wearing, what will be in the pack, as well as the schedule.
Our game plan will be to wake at 11 pm and have a quick breakfast at 11:30, then hopefully hit the trail right at midnight. The team has been doing great thus far and I’m expecting us to reach the summit in 7 to 8 hours if things go according to plan.
Also to note!
There have been several rounds of trivia with the winners getting a chance to make a satellite phone call from the summit. So everyone back home please keep your phones handy and if you receive a call from a strange number please answer. We are 7 hours ahead of the east coast time zone.
So a 7 am arrival at the summit will mean a midnight phone call and 9 pm for pacific time.
Wish us luck! And thanks for sending the good weather just in time!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the sunshine Kili crew!
On The Map
The
Four Day Summit Climb August 27 - 30 were unable to reach the summit today due to high winds and deteriorating weather.
RMI Guides Mike King and Gloria Roe led their teams to the top of Disappointment Cleaver before making the decision to turn back as the winds were high and the cloud cap that had formed around the summit began to creep lower on the mountain. The teams returned to Camp Muir and will descend to Paradise this morning.
Good afternoon from the Root Canal Glacier! We just descended from a successful, safe and adventurous climb up the Ham & Eggs Route on Moose's Tooth. We left yesterday at 6am, with great weather and enthusiasm. The route started very well, in great condition. The upper half, though, was bullet proof ice, which slowed our progress a bit. But we managed to maintain our calfs alive pitch after pitch of relentless intermediate angle blue alpine ice. After finishing, we stuck to our plan of spending the night at the col; perched at 10,000ft, on the exposed and corniced saddle that greets the few mortals who venture up this, one of the most impressive granite massifs of the Alaska Range. After a true alpine bivi, with our ropes as sleeping pads for the bottom half of our bodies, a two-person tent for three, and a belay to go to the bathroom, we woke up to questionable weather this morning, and so, we started our descent; some 16 rappels back down to the glacier. Now we’re back to our fresh vegetables, steak and beverages of choice at our camp. Our next report will be after we fly out from Talkeetna.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
The team is all here in Quito! We began our day by enjoying our breakfast along side an abundant spread of fresh fruit and overloading on coffee while we made some group introductions. We had a number of stops during our city tour, some of the highlights include visiting the Equator monument, a panoramic view of Quito from the top of Panecillo Hill, the colonial Center and touring some of the historical churches. Today in Quito is the celebration of the capital’s foundation so many shops were closed and the plazas were busier than normal with locals celebrating the holiday. We are back at the hotel for a quick siesta before we head out together for dinner. This evening we will prepare our day packs for our first acclimatization hike up to Rucu Pichincha and we are hoping for the clear, sunny skies we had this morning so we can get our first view of
Cotopaxi and Cayambe!
RMI Guides Steve Gately &
Bryan Mazaika
I’m glad you guys are doing well…. However, I would like like to hear more about the DONKEY!!! PHOTO PLEASE!
HAVE FUN…STAY SAFE!!! Sending lots of love and WARM WISHES from the 100 degree San Joaquin valley!
Posted by: Patty Stenderup on 7/25/2015 at 3:46 pm
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