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Posted by: Mike King
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
This is Mike checking for the last time. The Team finished the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu today and we're fortunate to see the sunrise over the Citadel from the Sun Gate.
It is always a bit of a culture shock when you have spent 5 days hiking in the remoteness of the Andes and arrive at Machu Picchu where some 3000 people visit each day. Today was a light traffic day and we enjoyed a 2 hour tour of the highlights. The scale and shear amount of earth moved leaves people speechless.
The Team is currently at the hotel and enjoying some rest after a hot shower. They will have tomorrow morning to visit the site before we catch our train back to Cusco via the Urambamba River valley and high plateaus. Our trip will culminate with 1 last day seeing some more Incan sites around Cusco. Thanks for following along and RMI's next Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is July 2018, come join us!
Posted by: JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside
The team made it to St. Petersburg yesterday. We went out to a nice team dinner, and a few folks left early this morning to get back home. The rest of the group spent the day touring the wonderful city of St. Petersburg. The cathedrals and palaces here are ornate beyond measure. We spent the afternoon cruising through the canals on our own private boat, and finished the evening with an excellent dinner at the historic Astoria Hotel, complete with a celebrity appearance.
Most of the team leaves early tomorrow morning for the U.S. It's been a great trip all around. Thanks to all of the team, and to everybody following along.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
May 27, 2017 11:51 pm PST
Denali loves to tease. We poked our heads out early this morning to frigid temps and a big, dark cap above us. It was enough to quickly convince us to bury our heads back in our sleeping bags for a bit. At our next check though, the cap was thin, the sky clear, and things looking decidedly in our favor. We jumped out, endured the -30 temps' effects on our toes, and fired stoves for breakfast. The sun broke across camp and we were making moves to get ready to carry. We watched instead however as the cap built, winds started to blow along the West Buttress, and we weren't so sure. All across camp, folks had taken down tents, were packed and ready to walk, and leaned on snow walls staring uphill, exchanging doubts with their neighbors. In short order, we pulled the plug on our carry, other teams' tents went back up, and everyone settled in for another rest day. Such is the rhythm of Denali.
After a few rest days in a row, the tents aren't quite as inviting, the novelty having worn off. So we spent a few hours this afternoon looking at crevasse haul systems, and comparing, exchanging ideas and broadening our skills.
We're in the waiting game. We've got plenty of food and tonne, so we aren't in a rush. We're enjoying the beauty of where we are right now, sure that our chance will come soon.
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Jenny, and Team
Hello from 17,500' above sea level! We moved to our High Camp on Chimborazo today, getting ready for our last summit attempt of our trip. At 20,800', this peak promises to challenge us and we're taking the rest of the afternoon to rest and prepare. We'll be hitting the sack early tonight and getting up early. Wish us luck! The weather is looking promising at the moment, so the team is optimistic. We'll let you know how it went tomorrow.
Ciao,
RMI Guide Nick Hunt and the rest of the Ecuador team!
This is Mike and JM checking in from our Camp 2 after a good carry to Cholera High Camp located at 19,600'. The camp gets its name from the wind that swirls around and attempts to destroy your camp.
The Team took in fantastic views of the Andes and enjoyed some warmer temperatures after yesterday's cold and blustery conditions. There is some sort of an Andean hawk that has been hanging out taking people's Oreos.
Quite and calm in our tents, an update you might be tired of reading but the Team is taking every moment of available rest to apply towards summit day.
Tomorrow we move up to Cholera and will keep our fingers crossed for accurate weather reports and a trail of compacted snow to the top of the Southern Hemisphere!
RMI Guides Mike King & JM Gorum
On The Map
Good weather and safe travels on summit day
Posted by: Mark and helen on 1/12/2017 at 11:39 am
Best wishes to you guys and praying for clear and good weather to the summit.
Posted by: Kevin Stone on 1/12/2017 at 8:03 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
Rain, rain, rain that's the name of the game on Kilimanjaro this month. The unseasonably wet weather has continued for another day. We only had it for the last 45 minutes on the trail though and we were eating lunch in camp for some heavier showers that came through.
Despite that the team is doing really well. We all came into camp together after a 4.5 hour hike today. The start of the hike was sunny and warm and the views were great for a couple hours. Before it got a chance to get too hot for us the clouds moved in and that kept the temps mild. That was perfect as today's hike is up a fairly steep ridge formed by an old lava flow. The vegetation is pretty low to the ground too so if the sun is out you can really cook.
There's a couple of scrambling sections that we did in the rain so that added a little challenge at the end of the day. Everyone handled those like the champs they are so no problem with slippery, steep terrain for these folks.
As I type this the sun is poking back out and warming our tents. Most of the team is relaxing and letting their bodies adjust to our altitude of 12,500'. Tomorrow we will head up again to 14,900' before dropping to below 13,000' to the next camp.
I'll check in again there.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
On The Map
Posted by: JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro...Kilimanjaro!!! Team Orlando is in full effect!! The entire team flew together to Tanzania and we just finished a great dinner. I am going to let you know why I love guiding here in Africa...The People!
It has been two years since my last trip here and as soon as I arrived I was welcomed with the kindest smiles and warmest hugs. Our local staff are like family to me and it's so nice to see how lovely they treat our teams.
We are so happy to be here!!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
All smiles after arriving, continue your great adventure and enjoy!! keep posting pics, they’re wonderful.
Be safe~all
April Winchester (xoxo Whitney)
Posted by: April Winchester on 8/7/2015 at 8:46 am
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Robby Young
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Peru Seminar
Elevation: 20,301'
Hello, this is the Elias calling from 200 meters below the summit of Copa, which we just tackled about half an hour ago. We wanted to get out of the wind and we're taking a break, heading down. It is 10:16 am local time and we've had a really, really hard day of work to get to the top - intricate navigation and steep trail breaking to 6,200 meters which is the top of Copa (roughly the same as Denali). Now we're heading down; we're pretty happy. And we look forward to sending you a dispatch from our camp. We're going to try to make it down to base camp, if we can, but our first objective will be high camp. So hope all is well at home and we'll keep you posted in a few hours. Bye.
RMI Guides Elias de Andres Martos
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos calls from just below the summit of Copa in Peru.
Congratulations to the entire group! Sounds like an exciting and exhilarating climb! A special hello and congrats to my dad, Larry. Looking forward to hearing more!! -Jen
Posted by: Jen on 7/10/2015 at 6:17 am
Congratulations to Elias and whole team upon reaching summit of Copa - - what a week!
Posted by: Laura Voisinet on 7/9/2015 at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, June 17th
Our Ecuador Seminar trip is officially under way. We met this morning for breakfast and group introductions, and then hit the ground running. First on our to-do list was head out to the Panecillo, a statue and view point overlooking Ecuador’s capital city, Quito. Surrounded by mountains and sitting at nearly 9,000’, the views were beautiful, including a glimpse at tomorrow’s objective, Volcano Rucu Pichincha.
Next up, we toured the streets of colonial Quito. Here we got history lessons from our local guide and visited churches, the presidential palace, independence plaza, and more.
Finally we were off to the Equator to simultaneously place a foot in both the northern and southern hemisphere. At the Equator we visited an ethnographic museum and learned about the various cultures of this diverse country. We also saw some simulations explaining the Coriolis Effect and the significance of being at mitad del mundo …literally at the middle of the world.
The evening ended with a team dinner with traditional Ecuadorian food. One bold team member ordered the local delicacy, cuy, or guinea pig.
With day one in the books, we’re eagerly awaiting our first acclimatization hike tomorrow. We’re headed to the Volcano Rucu Pichincha, one of the major volcanoes forming a geographical boundary of Quito. We’ll be in touch tomorrow!
Ciao,
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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Hello, Amazing Mountaineers! So sorry that the only thing you have exercised the last few days is your patience. Hoping and praying for good weather. Pete, Jess and Jenny, we can’t thank you enough for keeping the team’s safety as your top priority. We are impressed with your creative efforts to keep boredom and impatience at bay. It seems you are all using this break to get to know one another and build comradery. I doubt you had much time for this the first part of the trip as you practically sprinted up to the 14 camp! Your meals sound good. Hope Mark didn’t whine too much about the lentil, kale and quinoa stew!
Rachel, is that you in the snow hole in the picture posted on May 20th?
Will the team ahead of you have to complete their summit and return to 14 or 17 before your team can start?
Posted by: Sue Shoemaker on 5/28/2017 at 10:29 pm
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