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Wednesday, June 20th - 8:18 pm PT We woke to clouds and snow at 14K Camp today. We were hoping for clear weather to make a carry to 17K Camp; unfortunately, the winds up high prevented us from getting on the fixed lines. We eventually went for a walk up towards 15,000' to stretch our legs and lungs. The Team got a spectacular view of Genet Basin and the lower Kahiltna Glacier. We are back in camp now and continue to hang out at 14K. The forecast has been accurate for 17K and above but not so for 14K Camp. We'll need to see decreasing winds up high to make our move and if we don't get that in a few days the only option will be to descend. RMI Guide Mike King

We woke up in clear and cold splendor down in the Barranco Valley. Kibo seemed directly overhead with glaciers and icefields hanging at impossible angles. We were done with breakfast and packing our packs when our entire staff... forty porters, guides, camp and kitchen boys surprised us with a singing and dancing session. Led by Mbongo... a highly talented porter in an “American” costume, the team laughed their way through five or six sing-alongs while we joined in, clapping, dancing and cracking up. It was good fun and also served to ease any anxiety folks might have had about tackling the imposing Barranco Wall right out of camp. We set out at about 9:30 and within just a few minutes were putting hands on cold rock to pull ourselves up from one set of ledges to another in order to negotiate the wall. Traffic was pretty light -there have only been a handful of other teams sharing camps with us- which made things a good deal easier. By 11 AM we were atop the wall and the sky was clouding over -repeating the pattern of the past few days. We crossed down into the next valley to continue our traverse of the south side of Kilimanjaro. By the time we hit the steep sides of the Karanga Valley, we were enveloped by swirling mists again. A final thirty minute climb out of the valley brought us to Karanga Camp at 13,160 ft. We ate a late lunch and relaxed in camp for a few hours while the clouds and a few sprinkles came and went. Stepping out after dinner, we discovered the clouds were gone and that a million stars were out overhead while a carpet of lights far below pinpointed Moshi and a few other towns. All in all, we thought it was a pretty good Super Bowl Sunday even without TV. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

After a calm night under the stars the Team woke and began breaking camp. We had approximately nine miles to cover, mostly rolling terrain and the Vacas Valley continues to widen. Today was a little cooler then yesterday but honestly the song remained the same. This camp isn't remarkable except for the old stone building built into a giant erratic boulder, which is the namesake. Everyone is trying to beat the heat, some in their tents and some down by the river. We got to see Aconcagua for the first time and there is a lot of snow up high. Tomorrow we will arrive at Aconcagua Base Camp, there the climb begins in earnest. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

Hola, we are checking in from above the marine layer here at about 15,000ft, just below the Refugio de los Cien on the Southern flank of Ixta. We woke up early this morning and after a breakfast of champions slowly but steadily logged the vertical feet from our Altzomoni hut up to here. The day started hot, sunny, and steep, but everyone just kept their nose to the grindstone. Light clouds rolled in around noon though and cooled the air and our efforts, until we reached our final steep ascent to the base of the very aptly named Arista del Sol ridge. We set up camp which now looks like our little village above the clouds, chatted summit day over a spicy alpine dinner, and are back in our sleeping bags ready for our early start tomorrow. Folks are feeling good and excited to get up high! RMI Guides Walter Hailes, Jessie Poquerusse and the team

On The Map

May 20, 2017 We were all excited at breakfast with the thought of flying on to Denali today. With cloudy weather in town nothing was certain, so when the flight service greeted us with a big thumbs up, we jumped into action. When we hit the glacier the team climbed like they were born to do it. We had a flawless climb to camp, without any of the hiccups that are just normal as we get our feet wet starting out on a big expedition with the loads we're sporting. This sure made carrying these outrageous loads easier. So now we're in the tents resting up for another big day. The crew is psyched to get up to camp at 9600', and has certainly demonstrated the strength to do it. I'm lucky to be in the company of such a strong, nice bunch of climbers. Talk to you from 9600'. RMI Guides Brent Okita, Christina Dale an JT Schmitt

On The Map

Tasi Delek! Greetings from Tibet. We were delayed on our flight to Lhasa, but managed to land a couple hours before dark. It was a surreal change to leave the chaotic yet controlled scene of Kathmandu, and in less than one hour, experience on the other side of the Himalaya the somewhat quiet and broad Tibet. Tired from the hurry up and wait, we checked into our hotel, had an amazing dinner, and then settled in to our rooms for the night. Everyone is really excited to finally start covering the ground towards Shishapangma. Before we start the drive tomorrow, we'll have time for a quick visit to the Potala. Soon after, we'll set off for Shigatse. More tomorrow!!! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Team Aconcagua is getting down to business! This morning we awoke to windy but clear skies. After we loaded up on coffee and waffles we threw the backpacks on and climbed uphill. The team did a fantastic job reaching Camp 2 at 18,000 feet. We emptied our packs into a duffle bag and zipped it shut. Our second cache of gear is done and the team is now even more acclimatized. We are now back at Camp 1 and we just finished a round of hot soup. The guides are busy melting snow for water. Needless to say, the team is tired. Tonight is pizza night so I need to start making the dough. RMI Guides JJ Justman and Christina von Mertens

On The Map

Hola from Ecuador! After some very long flights and a little bit of sleep the team is doing well. We started our day with a team meeting where we did our usual round of introductions and discussed the game plan for our upcoming adventure. After the meeting we headed out on the town to explore this beautiful historical city with our tour guide Daniela. She first took us to the older part of town where we visited several old cathedrals, then to the colonial town square. Next we headed up to a small hill called La Panacia that over looks this beautiful city before heading north to visit the equator from which Ecuador gets its name. We finished the day with a small break and then a quick gear check to make sure everyone has all the gear needed for our climbs. Then it was off to dinner at a nice Ecuadorian restaurant where we enjoyed getting to know each other better. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

We are at Karanga Valley. That's one camp below high camp. We had another great weather day and the crew is strong. I'm going to hand off the rest of the dispatch to some of the folks on the trip. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall Barranco Camp was one of the most gorgeous places on earth. Today's climb was fantastic. We prefer our rocks scrambled, so we took the opportunity to have fun on the Barranco Wall (tell your friends). Looking forward to moving on to high camp tomorrow and then making the summit push starting tomorrow at midnight. #chillimanjaro

Greetings from Huaraz! We have arrived to the Andean capital of climbing after our standard eight-hour bus ride from Lima. Everyone is doing great and growing in excitement to get into the range soon. The highlight of the day was to see the Cordillera Blanca as clear as it could be from about two hours out, on a strategic bus stop; a few gasps of amazement were audible. Tomorrow we'll start our acclimatization process with a morning hike on the surrounding hills, to be continued by a packing session before hitting the trails for good the next morning. That's it for now from Huaraz, RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team