We woke in the shadow of Denali, but the skies were clear and promised sun. Bagels and lox got everything started, and since the sun was shining we made hay. We grabbed 34 bags of food, 17 days worth, and a bunch of gas and moved it all uphill to 10,600 or so, just below 11,000' Camp. The loads were heavy and Ski Hill made us work for it, but compared to yesterday, the loads didn't even compare. Today's work set us up well to move to our 11,000' Camp with reasonable loads and establish our new home! 7,600' Camp has been fun, but we are ready to move on. Loaded quesadillas for dinner have us feeling the oncoming food coma, so for now, over and out from the Kahiltna glacier.
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Jenny, and the team
G’day from Sydney Australia,It’s 20degC and we feel cold !Well on schedule so far- hard work but hopefully enjoying the experience in particular such surroundings.In retirement we feel part of the adventure but without the pain thanks to the regular messages from Mark and Rachel and the great RMI updates - especially the photos - keep safe - we are with you all in spirit.
Posted by: Philip and Yvonne Calvert on 5/19/2017 at 12:14 am
Hi all!
Pete Bilodeaus sis here… Just wanted to say hi! Looks like beautiful weather and unbelievable scenery! Love the blog updates…you all are bad ass!!!
Today the group woke up having spent the night at 15,300ft. Now I don't usually let team members drink while we are on the mountain, and last night was no exception, but that did not keep the team from waking up with a solid hangover.
In the game of high altitude mountaineering, no one ever looks forward to the first night at a new height. Headaches, upset stomach and simply feeling like bad is very common the first morning after moving up. So in short, a hangover.
This unpleasant start to the day was quickly cured with caffeine, breakfast and preparing for our walk to the glacier. By 8am the group had sprung to life and we made our way from the Cayambe hut to the toe of the glacier at 16,000 feet. Another new altitude record for all but one climber. Once on the glacier Nick, Cosme (our local guide), and myself reviewed the core skills to safely get us up and down this giant volcano.
For the first two hours we enjoyed sunny skies with swirling clouds but by noon the clouds had swallowed up the good views and the temperature dropped.
Back at the hut we took a shot nap, worked on some more training skills and ate dinner by 5:00. It is 6:30 now and we are all tucked in trying to get some sleep before our 11pm wake up call. We will call tomorrow with details about the climb. Wish us luck.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
Hey, This is RMI Guide Eric Frank calling from the south side of Mt. Shuksan on a week long skills seminar. Just wanted to let everyone know that we are in our camp for the night had a great first day. We made it up just to the edge of tree line and it started to rain, so we made camp here. Everyone's doing well. Tomorrow Weather permitting we're hoping to go up to the glacier and do a little training for the day. Wish us luck and thanks for following along!
Eric Frank & Team Checking in from Shuksan Seminar.
We had a successful day traveling by planes, trains and automobiles! After a long day we have arrived in the little ski town of Cheget. It is raining cats and dogs so our evening dinner is inside the warmth of our comfortable hotel. The team is having fun as we slowly ease into the adventure. Tomorrow we will get out and stretch the legs with a good acclimatization hike. Stay tuned for some action packed photos and videos.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
June 15, 2016 - 12:02 A.M. PDT
Weather forecasts in the mountains can change wildly. Last night we heard a report of 70 mph winds on the summit and heavy snow forecast for today. We ended up with perhaps the clearest and calmest day we've had on the whole trip. The winds did pick up this evening as spindrift whipped off the upper mountain but we were quite comfortable in our camp at 14,200'. We rested today, organized gear, drank coffee, and relaxed in the sunshine. The forecast is showing a good weather window for the next three days so our plan is to move up to the Balcony Camp, around 17,000' tomorrow and then make a summit bid on Thursday. Everyone is doing great and very excited about the prospect of moving higher on this beautiful peak. Thanks for following along with us.
RMI Guides Geoff Schellens and Steve Gately and team
Good luck tomorrow guys! Hoping you get clear skies and no wind. Andrea mou, love you!
Posted by: GSD on 6/15/2016 at 8:09 pm
Jim, Trying a message again. Mom and I are sure enjoying the beautiful sights you and your team are sharing. Stoked that you are doing so well and soon to try a summit. We pray you have a safe climb, enjoy a fabulous view when you reach summit, and all come home safely. Godspeed! to you, Ben and the whole team.
May 22, 2016 - 9:43 p.m. PDT
Our first day of climbing as a complete team went really well. Although clouds obscured our views of the incredible scenery around us, we had much better visibly than we had yesterday. Plus, our efforts yesterday lightened our loads just enough that today's climbing was quite manageable. Our camp here at 7,800' is nice, but the snow that's been falling since we got here has made our kitchen/dining tent a most popular place. Our Posh House is always the center of community here; it's the place we can eat and share a hot drink or two and be out of the elements. The conversations that come out of that place...
With luck, we'll move camp to 9,600' tomorrow, but we sure would like some improvement in the weather! Everyone is doing great and looking forward to moving up the mountain. Hopefully we'll be talking from 9,600' tomorrow.
RMI Guides Brent Okita, Christina Dale, and Chris Ebeling and the crew
Mike - Mark Winter says he is not concerned about you as long as you stay away from bicycles.
Your scuba family is watching each day and sharing your adventure - although vicariously.
Jim
Posted by: Jim Pearson on 5/25/2016 at 10:08 am
Hey Paul, SO incredibly proud AND jealous of you! Just know that I am living every step vicariously through you and you make your journey to the top! You make training for Whitney seem like a walk in the park - at sea level! Be safe and ENJOY!!
May 18, 2016 - 10:22 p.m. PDT
Hello all who may be reading!
A beautiful morning made for a pleasant exercise in breaking down our large camp and preparing our sleds for hauling up glacier. By 11:00 a.m. the team made their way down Heartbreak Hill to the main Kahiltna Glacier and upstream we paddled in snowshoes. Veering from the main trail we split off further west into a small basin tucked between a long black ridge and a peak known as Farine. We made camp on a high snow roll overlooking the Kahiltna to the south and it is a truly awesome sight. Tomorrow we will wake early for an attempt on the west ridge. Good luck and good night!
RMI Guide Leon Davis and Team
Hi Chip! We hope you’re having an amazing time and it’s been everything you hoped it would be. We’ve enjoyed seeing the pictures posted so far, but look forward to hearing all about it. Love you! Mom and Dad
Posted by: Chris Nunan on 5/20/2016 at 2:11 pm
Chip,
We are so excited for you! I’m sure it is everything you have dreamed! We are all good at sea level…no worries!!! We miss you and can’t wait to see all the pictures and hear all the stories!
Love,
Your Family
Posted by: Alexis, Izzy, and Logan Nunan on 5/20/2016 at 4:18 am
RMI Guides Jackson Breen and Mike Bennett lead their Mt. Shuksan - Fisher Chimneys July 14 - 16 team to the summit with 100% of their team. They climbed the SE ridge to the summit on Monday and plan to descend via the Fisher Chimneys route today.
We all slept under the stars last night. No tent, just a sleeping pad and sleeping bag. You feel like a cowboy. The moon shone so bright you didn't need a headlamp to see anything. The morning came, we packed up, and continued our walk down the Vacas Valley. An hour into our walk we saw our first guanaco, the Llama of Argentina. After walking for a handful of hours we arrived at Casa de Piedra. We set up our tents and relaxed in the sunshine or down by the river until dinner. With the sun down and well fed we are all turning in. Tomorrow is big, we finally arrive to basecamp where we get to settle in for a few days.
Hasta luego,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
Well, the summit is still very far away, but we are headed in the right direction. We left Penitentes this morning at 10:30 am with perfect weather. Temperatures were warm but not scorching, and there was a nice breeze to keep things bearable. Everyone was excited to get some blood flowing after long travel days, and we made it to our camp at Pampa de Leñas in about four and a half hours. It always takes me a few days to adjust to the desert climate, but everyone else seems to be fitting right in. No sunburns, no blisters, just efficient movement through a giant valley.
The only snafu of the day occurred when a localized dirt tornado blew through camp and sucked one of our sleeping pads into the stratosphere. If it entered restricted airspace no one noticed, or no one cared. Against all odds, it fluttered back down to camp. A casual stroll and a quick inspection revealed that it was no worse for the wear.
We’re about to sit down for one of the best meals of the trip. A traditional Argentinian asado, with meats of all kinds cooked over an open flame. Then we’ll go to sleep under the stars, and continue the journey tomorrow.
RMI Guides JM Gorum, Hannah Smith, and Avery Parrinello
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G’day from Sydney Australia,It’s 20degC and we feel cold !Well on schedule so far- hard work but hopefully enjoying the experience in particular such surroundings.In retirement we feel part of the adventure but without the pain thanks to the regular messages from Mark and Rachel and the great RMI updates - especially the photos - keep safe - we are with you all in spirit.
Posted by: Philip and Yvonne Calvert on 5/19/2017 at 12:14 am
Hi all!
Pete Bilodeaus sis here… Just wanted to say hi! Looks like beautiful weather and unbelievable scenery! Love the blog updates…you all are bad ass!!!
Have fun and be safe! Thinking of you all..
Carol
Posted by: Carol Goetz on 5/18/2017 at 7:08 pm
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