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Yesterday our exodus from the beating heart of Mexico City brought us to the cloudy base of La Malinche, an extinct Volcano and site of our first foray to altitude. The clouds stayed saturated with moisture, but didn't really unleash on us for the bulk of the hike. We were able to make it to around 12,500 feet before the wet cloud was accompanied by some wind and it became clear that we weren't going to get much benefit by soaking ourselves for a few hundred feet more of elevation. Keeping things civilized, we returned to our cabin in the hills for a little R&R, some gear sorting and a nice fire after dinner. The team is doing great and we are now enjoying a fantastic breakfast next to a waterfall before getting rustic on Ixta. The weather looks to clearing up a little and just in time! Keep those fingers crossed for some good weather for our team and we will check in from high camp on Ixta!
RMI Guide Jake Beren
On The Map
RMI Guide Brent Okita and the Four Day Summit Climb reached Columbia Crest, the highest point on Mt. Rainier and in Washington State this morning. Brent reported gorgeous weather and an improved route. The team will spend some time on the summit before beginning their descent to Camp Muir. At Camp Muir the team will rest and repack before continuing their descent. We look forward to seeing them in Ashford this afternoon.
Congratulations climbers!
Posted by: JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside
Hello from St. Petersburg!! Today our team had an incredible tour of some of the beautiful sights of the city. No doubt it is the perfect way to end a great adventure here in Russia. We visited several cathedrals as well as The Hermitage, which holds some of the greatest art pieces in the World! Enjoy the video below but to be honest...it doesn't do it justice. You have to see it for yourself!!
Also stay tuned for Part Two...the team will be taking a boat tour of the gorgeous canal systems that makes St. Petersburg known as "The Venice of The North".
RMI Guide JJ Justman
JJ / Team. ..Congratulation on successful climb. ..JJ you are quickly becoming my favorite cinematographer…Elbrus was 2010 for me…Your videos made me feel like I had returned. ..Best + Bls…Waltero
Posted by: Walter Glover on 7/22/2015 at 9:57 am
We decided this morning to take a Groundhog Day at Camp 2 on Aconcagua. With gusty winds swirling around camp, the group thought about it and decided that another day of acclimatization would make everyone stronger. We have plenty of extra days to spare, and an important skill here in the mountains is being able to curb our enthusiasm to rush in higher and make the necessary adjustments to set us up for success.
We spent the day sorting snack food, playing cards, and trading food with tent mates. At this point in the trip, the grass is always greener in a neighbor's snack bag, since things that looked so delicious when we were shopping have come to look much less appetizing with too many repetitions. It is exciting to get some new additions, and some of the card games started taking on snack food bets.
Our plan is to head up to camp 3 tomorrow weather permitting, which will put us in place for our summit attempt.
Hasta mañana,
RMI Guides Pete, Alex, Juan, and the gang.
On The Map
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,127'
RMI Guide Elias deAndres Martos and Team reached the summit of Mt. Shuksan via the Fisher Chimney route early this morning. The team started their ascent from Lake Ann, scrambled to the base of the Chimneys and worked their way up the 3rd and 4th class rock, reaching the Sulphide Glacier moving up the steep snow, ice, and rock to reach the Summit Pyramid. The team is on their descent and will spend the night at Lake Ann this evening trekking out in the morning.
Congratulations Team!
After an early breakfast and some last minute packing we loaded up our shuttle and said good bye to Huaraz. We headed north out of town for over an hour before leaving the paved road for the washboard dirt road taking us east to the village of Casha Pampa. Here we unloaded our van and helped load the mules that will carry our mountain of gear into base camp for us. Now in the mid-morning sun we started our hike into the Santa Cruz Valley, the first hour and a half was dusty and hot but soon the dirt and rock gave way to beautiful rolling meadows. Beautiful streams trickled down from the surrounding hills and soon we began to see the tops of stunning snow-capped mountains emerging from above the valley walls. By late afternoon we reached our camp at Llama Coral where we set up tents, had a delicious dinner, and settled in for the night.
The team is doing very well and we are happy to be on the trail.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the A Team
Posted by: Leon Davis, Mike King, Jessie Poquerusse
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Seminar
Elevation: 7,300'
Some people spend the day after Cinco de Mayo in bed nursing a hangover. We spent it by packing gear, trading street shoes for climbing boots and flying onto the Kahiltna glacier. Our team arrived prepared and by 2 pm we were stomping out camp on the hill overlooking the airstrip. The team worked quickly and here we are ready for bed at 8 pm. Great weather today and great views of the surrounding peaks.
Tomorrow we will begin our skills training and fortify camp for some potential weather moving in.
RMI Guide Leon Davis & Team
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Elevation: 12,300'
Our first clue that things had changed was that it was COLD this morning. Still cozied in our sleeping bags, we peeked out of the tent, and couldn't find a cloud in the sky anywhere. Psyched to have a break from the rain, we layered up and headed out to fire up breakfast and get our train rolling uphill.
The climbing above Camp 1 follows a broad glacial shoulder almost straight up to Lenz Rocks above us. As fast as we can tell, most Russian climbers don't believe in switchbacks. There is a wide trail punched into the snow, but it goes straight up. We made some switchbacks of our own, cruising up to our next camp in style, where we deposited a load of food and a bit of fuel, before returning. The downhill trail couldn't be any better for making good time, and quickly we were back at our tents at 12,300'. The rain even stayed away for us to have a nice dinner outside together, and take some night shots of the moon rising over Elbrus' twin summits.
If all goes well, we'll pack up camp tomorrow to move to Lenz for the night and start our summit bid. The next couple of days should be busy!
Best from way up here,
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum and team
On The Map
Today was a great day for the first day of our RMI Artesonraju Expedition- incredible landscape on the acclimatization hike, a stellar crew, and great weather. We hiked up to 14,400’ to our traditional destination of Lake Churup, and we had incredible views of the range, the glacial lake and the mountain of the same name. We hiked back to town and had a team lunch before returning to our hotel for some packing and relaxing. We’re heading tomorrow to the trailhead, at the town of Vaqueria. Everyone is doing great and is very excited.
We’ll be checking from the trail tomorrow, as we camp on our way to Base Camp.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
So happy you have such a great team. Enjoy! Rich, I love you. Xo
Posted by: Christina on 8/3/2016 at 7:38 am
So glad to know you’re doing great and had wonderful views! Wish I could see them.
Posted by: Kay Roberts on 8/2/2016 at 7:17 am
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Buenas tardes from High Camp of Alpamayo! We arrived one hour ago and are currently resting and making water and dinner. The word out is that we might go for it tonight! Everyone did a terrific job getting to here, and this year is no joke, as the bergschrund to gain the col (to then drop to the northside of the mountain) is as broken and steep as l have ever seen it. Climbing 200 meters of steep, broken glacial ice with heavy packs at 17,000 feet is a task, but now that's behind us. Now we have the joy of straight up 70-degree ice, on one of the most beautiful runnels in the world, with no packs, lays ahead. It is beautiful up here, folks, we just can't get enough.
Stay tuned,
RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team
Hi to all the expedition members, Martín is following and suporting Elias from Spain!!!!
Take care and enjoy!!!!!! good luck
Posted by: Martín de Andrés on 7/20/2016 at 12:36 pm
WOW! You guys are killing it. Sounds like a strong group.
Staying close to my phone hoping David wins a Summit Call!!
Posted by: Katrina Stainton on 7/20/2016 at 10:53 am
Way to go! So excited for you!!!
Posted by: Paige on 8/16/2015 at 11:56 am
Great achievement ! Come to Colorado- w have 54 fourteeners!
Go Craig!
Posted by: Beth on 8/16/2015 at 11:13 am
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