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June 2, 2016 - 8:31 p.m. PDT Twas a day to rest here in ol' Talkeetna. Our team practiced crevasse rescue in the hangar. Scaling ropes like we would to get ourselves out of a crevasse, should we fall into one on the Kahiltna. To cover our bases we then reviewed how to pull a teammate out of a hole using a jungle gym in the yard outside our piles of gear. Then we all solemnly swore not to fall in a crevasse, the most important part of the deal. Post training we settled in to wait for a weather window decent enough to fly the 50 miles to Kahiltna Basecamp. Unfortunately we were unable to fly today. The team has done well with the uncertainty and though we are raring to go, we know that getting to the mountain safely is a step we mustn't skip. Wish us luck for tomorrow and hopefully we will be checking in from the mountains! RMI Guide Jake Beren

Today we woke to slightly milder winds that allowed us to breakdown our camp at 16,400ft and move Guanaco 3 camp, our second camp at 18,000' on Aconcagua. All teams above Base Camp are trying to figure if the current weather system will allow for a summit bid. The Team has been updated on the weather pattern that is moving onto the mountain. From the beginning of the expedition the guides have been stressing taking care of daily items that are in our control like hydration, rest, proper clothing choices and breathing, a lot. At the same time this expedition has been marked by items we have no control over, for example, tall penitentes to navigate, hot temperatures, wind and a deteriorating weather pattern. We will continue to evaluate our options, in the meantime, It's New Years Eve on Aconcagua. We'll miss the party at base camp, but not the pan flute chiming in during the porter drum circle until 4am. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

The search for the missing bag ended late last night. The bag finally caught a flight from the Netherlands to Tanzania and was returned to its proper owner. This morning after a delicious breakfast, the team and all of our gear made the drive from the DikDik Hotel to the Machame Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park at 5,900 ft. After registering with the Park, we spent five hours on the trail enjoying great weather and trail conditions. Thanks to our local staff a fine camp was in place when we arrived at 9,890 ft Machame Camp, our first camp on the mountain. Our team did a nice job by the team getting to our first camp in good time and with fine technique. Everyone is doing well. It is time for dinner. We will check in again tomorrow. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Mike Walter and Pete Van Deventer turned at Disappointment Cleaver due to fresh snow on the route with high avalanche conditions. The teams have left Camp Muir and are en route to Paradise.

Sunday, October 26, 2026 - 6:05 pm PT

Welcome to Ecuador! 

The team made their arrival and assembled this morning for their first time as an expedition. After morning introductions, the team talked through trip details before heading out to explore the lovely city of Quito. The team explored the city and visited the equator, getting our first taste of the beautiful South American culture that is Ecuador. 

The afternoon lead into a team gear check before heading off to dinner and resting for the evening. Tomorrow's day will be an early start for our first acclimatization hike, Rucu Pichincha. 

RMI Guide,

Mike Bennett 

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 8:44pm PDT

If we thought yesterday was weathery, today topped it. After we went to bed last night, we were lulled to sleep by the sound of blowing winds and drifting snow — a soundtrack that carried on through the morning and well into the day.

We had a slow roll into the morning, enjoying eggs and hashbrowns before spending some time shoveling and fixing up the bathroom tent. The rest of the day followed a familiar rhythm: a bit of sport eating, followed by rounds of napping.

Around 5 PM, some familiar faces rolled through camp — another RMI team guided by Seth, Jackson, and Ray. We welcomed them into our cook tent for some hot water and shelter while they thawed out. Once everyone was warmed up, we whipped up a big batch of mac and cheese with bacon bits, then tucked in for the night.

We’re prepping our gear and feeling optimistic about making the move to 11,000 feet tomorrow.

— RMI Guide Nikki Champion & Team

Here’s what our daily routine is like. 

We wake up around 6:30 to start packing up before moving into our dinning tent for a feast of porridge, fried eggs, toast, avocado and even some fresh fruit, and the most important thing, hot coffee!

Starting with clear skies and a view of the mountain looming in the distance. We hit the trail making our way up the rocky trail that climbs up a blunted ridge and eventually out of the trees and allowed for some truly spectacular views of the valley below. The team hiked for a little more than four hours before reaching out next camp that sits on the Shira plateau, at around 12,500 feet. 

Everyone is doing very well and enjoying being on the mountain. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Tuesday, September 17, 2019 - 8:51 PM PT Jambo Everyone The team got off to a moderately early start this morning leaving behind our beautiful lodge and have headed to Kilimanjaro. We left around 8 am and drove along the rural country side and small villages for two hours to reach the park entrance. Most of the area surrounding Kilimanjaro has been cultivated and primarily used for banana and coffee production as well as a variety of other agriculture needs, but there are still some areas that have been untouched and resemble more of a savannah that Tanzania is known for. The base of Kilimanjaro is more forested and looks more jungle like and is called a cloud forest. Once we arrived at the gate we had all of our gear weighed and divided into loads for our 37 porters and other staff to carry before hitting the trail. Once everything was in order we started our climb slowly making our way up the winding trail that ascends continuously through the think forest. The canopy is quite dense thankfully, which provided some cover from the rain that arrive around midday. The team hiked for a little over 6 hours and managed to not get too wet before we reached our camp for the night that sits around 10’000ft. After settling into camp and get situated the team was served a nice warm meal for dinner consisting of soup, rice, potatoes and steak. Everyone is doing well and looking forward to a good nights rest. RMI Guide Casey Grom and Kili crew

On The Map

RMI Guide Hannah Smith checked in from the summit of Aconcagua. She reported that the team did a great job climbing to 22,841' feet. The weather is great and everyone is doing well. We expect to hear from the team again later today when they are back at camp. Congratulations to the team!

On The Map

Our coldest night this trip and it still wasn’t that cold. The sun hits camp closer to 8 am so after breakfast and a little time in the tents to warm up we headed for 19,600’. Our High Camp is called Colera, named after the fierce winds that frequent that part of the mountain, not the contagion. The Team definitely noticed the 1,600’ difference in how their lungs and legs felt. We spent about 45 minutes there and headed down for a restful afternoon. Paperback books have been read and are now being passed around the group. We will have our last scheduled rest day tomorrow so that we can sleep one more night at 18,000' before moving up. The weather is holding steady with 20-30 mph winds forecast. We need to take advantage and not wait for a “better” day that might not materialize. Thanks for following along, we are all eager for our summit bid on the 26th. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map