Most Popular Entries

Last night was full of gigantic fireworks set to the tune of the Star Wars anthem…on YouTube…on my laptop! But heh, it was a great way to spend Fourth of July and with great company. We spent today finally stretching our legs and getting into the high altitude zone. Our team had a beautiful day trekking up to 12,000' on Peak Cheget. Don’t take my word for it…check out the video! RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

June 26, 2016 - 9:54 pm PT Hello, Today we woke to our clearest morning yet, with stunning views down the Kahiltna Glacier and onward into the Talkeetna Valley. With a hot coffee and granola breakfast in our bellies, we were ready to turn the corner at Kahiltna Pass and head higher on the mountain. The entire team rocked the four-hour journey to 11,000-foot camp even with the continued burden of big sleds and packs. After our tents were pitched we settled in for an afternoon siesta as the sun blazed above. By the time dinner was served things had changed as the clouds had built up around us and it was starting to snow. Now as we head to bed it seems to be coming down at a rate of 2ish inches per hour! The plan for tomorrow is to break up the loads and carry some supplies and food to 14k. This will give us a taste of the crisp thin air of the high Alaska Range and help us in our acclimatization process. We'll let you know how it goes! RMI Guide Ben Liken

On The Map

May 21, 2016 - 10:52 am PT Well today our team got to practice a Denali soft skill that may be one of the most crucial; How to occupy your mind when the weather keeps you stagnant. We woke up inside a Ping pong ball and this strange snow that turned to rain as soon as it touched us. The team spent most of the day inside the kitchen telling stories, laughing and tying 50 meters worth of knots on our climbing rope. At times it was a tough lesson but the team stood strong. After dinner the skies started to break and eager for some activity, we broke camp and made a move back to base camp. It was eerily calm to have the glacier all to ourselves in a whiteout. It's just past midnight now and we have just crawled into our tents. Tomorrow we are really hoping for some sun! RMI Guide Leon Davis

May 11, 2016 - 1:25 pm PT Well, the forecast was correct and we had snow and wind overnight. So we decided to stay at 11,000' camp and enjoy a rest day after our carry to 13,700' yesterday. Most of today is being spent lounging around in our tents. Hopefully the forecast will continue to be correct and the rest of the week will see improving weather so that we can move up to 14,000'. Spirits are good, and are embracing these rest/weather days as we know they are making us stronger and more acclimated to the altitude. We'll check in again tomorrow, hopefully from 14k on Denali. RMI Guide Mike Walter

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Jake Beren reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team spent some time on the summit before starting their descent at 9:47am. Jake reported light winds and warm temps at the top of the mountain, with a cloud deck around 11,000'. Congratulations to today's team!

Greetings from Nevado Copa Basecamp, one of the most beautiful places on earth!(seriously) We all climbed this morning to this idyllic place, and ever since, our eyes have been put on the slopes of this Andean giant that sits before us. All is ready to launch tomorrow towards high camp, and our forecast is telling us we'll have the best weather possible. Everyone is really well acclimated, and the good sports reign amongst the crew. Stay tuned for the progress of the graduation climb of this 2nd edition of our Peru Seminar. RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

What a day, what a day! We woke early in the AM to a star filled sky and only an occasional light breeze. Hot water was served up for oatmeal and coffee before we packed up our summit packs. Several other teams started uphill before us. You could see their headlights shining on the slope. By time we hit first break, we no longer needed lights. We watched the sunrise, showing off its beauty. Although the sun was up, we wouldn't enjoy its warmth for several more hours. The lack of snow on the route created some challenging walking conditions. Scree, sand, loose rocks were our walking surface. We put one foot in front of the other until there was no where left for us to go. The summit was perfect, barely a breeze, sunny, warm. After taking photos and flying a kite (we are wondering if we broke any records flying a kite at 22,800') we made our way back down. Going up is just half the journey. The other half is getting down safely. Safely back at camp, we filled our bellies with Ramen and tried to catch up on hydration. Tomorrow is a big day as we descend 6,000' back to Basecamp. With a big day ahead, its time to get horizontal and let the body rest.

Thank you for all the support,

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team

The Team is all assembled with bags in tow here in Mendoza. We broke the ice with a meeting that was followed by gear check and permit registration. Since we are here to attempt Aconcagua the team opted for dinner and an early night to get caught up on sleep from the two days travel instead of a night out on the town. Tomorrow we will head to Los Penitentes to pack for mules and the trek into base camp. We have a great group with a varied collection of personalities, experiences and mountains under their belts. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

At some point in the early morning hours, the clouds cleared away, the full moon and stars came out, along with the great volcanic cone of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's central peak. First light was our first sighting of the mountain we've been climbing. All were thrilled to see it, but it must be admitted that some were a little intimidated by the steep icy mountain flanks rising into the sky. We ate our breakfast and got walking toward the peak at about 8 AM. The walking was pretty easy compared to the tricky trails we'd become accustomed to, but it was taking us steadily higher. Within a few hours of marching through the high desert vegetation, we were breaking altitude records. In fact, by our high point of the day, the Lava Tower, at 15,200 ft, we'd crushed records for Cory, Jen, Don, Syd, Carol, Naomi and Curt. Only Sarah and Martha had been to greater altitude. Cumulus clouds formed up with the heat of the day to rob us of some views, but generally, we were blessed with a fine, calm and dry day for hiking. We worked our way down into the Barranco Valley-back down into the garden of giant Senecios and Lobelias. We reached camp at 13,000 ft by three o'clock. Our staff of porters, cooks, camp boys, waiters and guides seemed pleased with our performance. A few men began clapping, and within minutes, fifty of our best mountain friends were clapping, dancing and singing. Eventually, we all joined in -some of the team managing to get down and shake it while still wearing packs. Not bad after a seven-hour hike and a trip to new heights. We rested away the afternoon, listening to stories and Swahili at the foot of the Great Barranco Wall. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

All is well here at 10,000ft Machame Camp, Camp 1, on Kilimanjaro. We left the Arumeru Lodge this morning and enjoyed the views of the local community and lots of farms growing bananas, coffee and corn. The flanks of Kilimanjaro provide very fertile grounds for all of these great crops. After a couple hour drive we arrived at the Kilimanjaro Nation Park gate. We registered our team and paid our entrance fee to the Park Staff and with permit in hand, we loaded our packs and began our climb. We had a steady ascent of 4,000ft and in just less than five hours arrived at our first camp in fine form. Perfect conditions in the cloud forest made for an enjoyable climb. We all settled in to our tents and discussed camp life and our prperations for tomorrow's ascent. Dinner is now complete and we are certain to enjoy many more great meals thanks to our wonderful chef and staff. Everyone is returning to their tents as we are still adjusting to our new time zone and catching up on a bit of jet lag. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

On The Map