Greetings from Huaraz... Alpamayo expedition is kicking off!!!
Everyone arrived yesterday in Lima on schedule, and we made it to Huaraz less than 24 hours later. After checking into the Hotel Andino, early to bed was almost mandatory. Today we woke up to the clearest skies ever, and soon after a copious breakfast, we jumped in the van that took us to the Quebrada LLupa, where we'd venture on a morning stroll. What a better way to start acclimatizing than an active hike? Huaraz sits at 3,000m of elevation. Two hours after the van stopped, we found ourselves at the beautiful Churup Lake, "just" 100m above the summit of our beloved Mount Rainier. Lunch by the water with a casual talk and laughter to exercise the lungs without effort at such elevation, and back down to allow the body to rest and start adapting.
We packed our gear, took a nap, went for dinner and got excited about what's ahead... tomorrow we'll leave early towards Cahsapampa, to start the hike in towards Alpamayo BC. Our next post will be from the satellite phone. Stay toned and cheer for the team!!!
Best,
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and the RMI Alpamayo team
Hello! Today our team had a great day acclimatizing on Peak Cheget. We had gorgeous views of Mt. Elbrus the whole way up and we are excited to head on up to the mountain tomorrow. Here is a video of our day. Enjoy!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
The Expedition Skills Seminar Muir led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Joe Hoch spent a week honing their mountaineering skills in preparation for future big mountain objectives. This starts with ice axe use and cramponing techniques, and moves on to more advanced skills such as anchor placements, various self and team crevasse rescue techniques, steep technical ice climbing, belays, rappelling, knots, route finding, avalanche forecasting and fixed rope travel. Evening discussions included such topics as mountain weather, medicine for mountaineering, altitude wellness and equipment. The team climbed to Ingraham Flats, but were unable to travel higher on the mountain due to unstable snow conditions.
Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 8:47 PM PT
We thought we’d take advantage of the 24 hour light to catch up on our sun tans today and decided to stay put. Between the umbrellas in our Espolón drinks and the Hawaiian shirts, it was well worth it! Alright, I guess that’s only half true- we did in fact stay put, but unfortunately it was hardly a choice- strong winds and precipitation continued through the night and all day. It seems Mother Nature is in a fighting mood! It’s a good thing we built such high walls! Even still, the snow is piling up and nearly spilling over. We’ve got a whole crew of superstars though and we’ve gone all hands on deck to reinforce our camp a couple times throughout the day. Between shoveling frenzies, we spent the day laughing in the kitchen tent, napping, sport eating, and marveling at how quickly our outhouse keeps filling in with snow. Spirits are high despite the hard work required to thrive in conditions like this, and the whole team is currently snuggled up in big sleeping bags and down booties. The storm is forcasted to begin clearing tomorrow, but unfortunately that could mean anything here in Alaska.
For now rest assured we’re hangin tough and taking care of each other.
With love,
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the Super Crew
Waiting is always hard but having a fun, supportive team around you makes it easier. Sounds like a lot of snow even for a Colorado transplant. All of us back home are cheering for you.
Posted by: Nancie Summerlin on 6/17/2018 at 5:32 pm
Stay strong. Enjoy each other’s company. Laugh. Work hard. Take in every moment no matter what. Be safe. Know that you are loved. Love you Shannon. Mom.
RMI Guide Brent Okita radioed at 6:52 am PT as the Four Day Summit Climb teams were approaching the crater rim. Brent reported chilly temps and light winds. They will enjoy some time on the summit before starting their descent. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team!
Absolutely amazing climb!!! Can’t say enough about RMI and to all our guides. You guys really set the tone for my passion for mountaineering. Many a climbs to come with you guys!!! Ecuador, Mexico, Denaili and many more to come!!
Congrats to my new climbing friends on the successful summit!!!
Posted by: Tanner Morrison on 6/7/2018 at 1:35 pm
Amazing Heidi!!! We are all impressed back here at zero elevation. Can’t wait to hear all about it. I hope someone is takin pictures.
Stay warm. Love Eloise, Max and Marco
Monday, June 4, 2018 - 9:27 PM PT
We woke to mostly clear skies, with some visible wind above us. With very cold temps we waited a little to let it warm up and to see if the winds abated. Temps did warm but the winds remain...not atrociously strong, but something to keep an eye on.
Leaving camp at 10:00, along with about 100 of our best climbing buddies, we headed up the "Autobahn" towards Denali Pass. The temps were cold and winds made it chillier. By the time we reached Denali Pass and turned the corner, the winds were in our face, colder and stronger than before. We pressed on, in the hopes that the winds would decrease. But as we gained more altitude, the winds kept increasing and getting colder; it was challenging to stay warm--especially our hands, toes, and fingers. So we turned around at the top of Zebra Rocks (~18,800') and headed back to High Camp. We climbed for seven hours and got back to our tents cold and tired. We'll check the weather forecast to see what our next move will be. Hopefully we will get another chance to go for the top.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Champion effort! May you be well rested for another summit run and may she,the Mountain,help make it so. Many Blessings, Hujo and Katie.
Posted by: HUGH DE PENTHENY O KELLY on 6/6/2018 at 9:08 am
You fellas have fun up there. Maybe have Robby eat some more torts and ride him to the top like a rocket ship…. I don’t know, maybe??? Just think about the 8 cases of beer buried at base camp!
Friday, June 1, 2018 - 6:33 PM PT
From the top of Radio Tower to the bottom of the crevasse on the Kahiltna, your guides; Christina, Lucas, and Alex thank the Alaska Seminar team for bringing a sense of humor and awe to the 9 days spent together. We are now off the ice and onto burgers and brews.
Guess who's back, back again...we are. We finished the walk out to Penitentes this morning, and are now eating hamburgers, french fries, and salads, believe it or not. After lunch, we're going to load up our bags, and fall asleep on the van ride to Mendoza. Once we get to Mendoza, we're going to eat even more. The summit is great and all, but this is the best part of the trip. Time to gain back all that weight we lost.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
RMI Guide Brent Okita checked in from Columbia Crest at 6:45 am today. The Four Day Summit Climb August 22 - 25 teams enjoyed a beautiful morning on their way to the summit crater of Mt. Rainier. They will spend some time soaking in the views before starting their descent. Once back at Camp Muir the teams will re-pack and continue to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Our assault of the Barranco Wall was relentless and the team finally conquered its mighty face with no loss of limb or life. The same can't be said for the poor, hapless porter who lost his load a third of the way up, which meant beating a hasty retreat down to the valley floor to retrieve it. Luckily, said porter was below us and not above, which might have been a whole other story.
The climbing up that part of our climb today was fun and exciting, but we were all humbled as we watched the porters scaling the same terrain with forty pound loads balanced on their heads or shoulders, and arriving to camp two plus hours before us.
The rest of the route undulated into and out of valleys, always under the shadow of the steep flanks of the upper mountain. We ended up only a little higher than our previous camp, so everyone's feeling strong and we're all becoming well acclimatized.
After arriving to camp and 'washing up' another incredible lunch was served: schnitzel with warm German potato salad, followed by apple pancakes and banana fritters. Wow!!!
While in our dining tent the clouds finally unleashed a little rain. We've been so fortunate with the weather so far, that this little precipitation has not dampened anyone's spirits. And now, after thirty minutes of wetness, it has abated.
We're all comfortably sheltered in either our personal tents or the mess tent playing cards, so not really affected by the vagaries of the weather. Quite nice.
Until tomorrow, we'll try to suffer on. Wish us luck.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Weather looks beautiful! It is great to see the videos of the trip. Good luck on Mt. Elbrus tomorrow. Go Pete!
Posted by: Ken Collins on 7/14/2015 at 2:56 pm
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