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Checking in from
Guanacos Campo 3, or Camp 2 for us at well over 18,000'. We are moved and settled in, enjoying yet another perfect afternoon with coffee, cribbage, prosciutto, and of course, siestas. We felt the altitude before but with this most recent move higher we are all moving a bit slower and scratching our heads a bit longer when trying to figure out where that one stuff sack with our snacks went. The team is staying positive despite a tough looking weather forecast and we are hoping that Mother Nature will give us an opportunity to sneak in a trip to the top. Not much else cooking up here besides our broccoli and rice dinner...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
On The Map
Hi this is Seth checking in from the lobby bar at the Dik Dik hotel. Everyone is already in party mode.
We awoke to mostly cloudy skies this morning but no rain. After a french toast breakfast we enjoyed a song from our awesome crew and then hit the trail. The group shows out a little on the decent as everyone was anxious to get down but some caution was still required on the slick rocks and roots.
We had a quick lunch at the
park gate and then loaded up in the truck. After driving back to the hotel everyone has cleaned up nicely and is getting ready for our celebration dinner.
I'll send some summit pics from yesterday as well.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Brent Okita and all of his climbing team were descending from the Mt. Rainier's crater rim at 6:33 am PST. Brent reported good conditions with some high clouds and winds 15-20 mph. The team will return to Camp Muir, repack and then continue their descent to Paradise.
We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to the entire
Summit Climb team!
We had an unusually warm night last night, the drainage near our tents was running with water until early morning. With a light wind in camp, we headed for our
Camp 2 located at 18,000’. The camp is technically called, Guanacos 3 since it is located on the now closed Guanacos Route. A guanaco is part of the South American camel family consisting of the llama, vicuña and alpaca. The route today takes us into the Ameghino Col with amazing views of the central Andes here in Argentina. The peaks of La Mano and Mercedario standout the most.
Today is a shorter day and since we are back in camp by 2 pm the Team gets to enjoy a casual afternoon in the tents. Tomorrow we have a scheduled rest day to continue our acclimatization. The weather is forecasted to be dry with 20-30 mph range. Everyone is doing well and glad to be moving higher up the mountain.
RMI Guide Mike King
May 25, 2018 - 10:01 AM PT
Our bags are packed, we're ready to go...and here our patient and excited group waits with boots on in the K2 hanger. The skies are clearing and we'll be airborne momentarily. Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
Monday, May 21, 2018 - 11:51 PM PT
Our upward progress on
Denali continues, this time moving camp up to 11,200'. Snow and weather conditions were near perfect with scattered clouds, a few snow flakes, and a light breeze to keep us cool.
Now that we've established a nice camp here, our plan is to go back to 10,000' tomorrow to pick up our cache of supplies; this will set us up for moving up onto the upper mountain. Everyone is doing well and we're hoping the good weather continues.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
The general consensus was that last night -20 degree sleeping bags were more then warm, they were down right hot at times. In a three-person tent filled with enough goose down, it can look like one of those ball pits at a McDonalds... Good luck finding anything your looking for.
We woke with the sun hitting our tents and not even a hint of wind the entire night. The first night at a new altitude can make good sleep difficult and the Team was feeling the effects of this and the move up from Aconcagua Base Camp.
Our task today was to move food, fuel and some summit gear up to
Camp 2, located at 18,000'. The trail takes us up to Amegenio Col (saddle) with spectacular views of the Central Andes. Glaciated peaks like El Mano and Mercedario dominate the skyline. The group did well with the carry and even better showcasing their downhill skills.
Rest, water, food and some cards is all that remains of the day. We'll take a rest day tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike King
The team is settling in after a lovely dinner here at 18,000 ft. Everyone did an excellent job getting out of camp this morning, and we were the first ones to hit the trail. It turned out to be a good thing, because the circus was hot on our heals. We were the first team to arrive at
Camp Two, which guaranteed us some choice tent spots at this often crowded locale.
We arrived a little before 1 pm, and have just been relaxing, eating, and drinking since we got here. It's a pretty simple life. This camp stays in the sun for a few hours longer than Camp One, so we're all doing our best to photosynthesize before summit day. We will rest tomorrow, and finalize our summit plans based on what the weather gives us. We are within striking distance now, and everyone is excited. Bye for now.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
On The Map
We are at
WinayWayna 8,700' for the night. Today the Team enjoyed some spectacular views of the high glaciated Andes juxtaposed against the semi-tropical orchids and song birds.
Our campsite is located near an incredible Incan ruin that has a series of 10 fountains and more terracing. The Team has been in awe of the manpower and resources needed to build let alone maintain this network of trails and sites that stretch from Ecuador to Northern Argentina.
Tomorrow morning we will get an early start in hopes of catching the sunrise as we walk into Machu Picchu.
RMI Guide Mike King
Greetings from the
Cordillera Blanca!
As climbers, we learn that things are constantly changing here in the mountains. Our bodies, the weather, climbing conditions, among others. For us, our ability to adapt and change plans was our alpine exercise of the day. In lieu of a summit attempt, we took another day to rest, acclimatize, and watch billowing clouds envelop the surrounding mountains this morning. We traded a climbing day for an educational day. We dove into the depths of crevasse rescue systems, and gave our bodies one more day of R&R before our summit attempts. Tonight, we begin our climb of Ishinca. Anticipation and excitement filled our dinner tent, and we're ready. Stay tuned.
RMI Guide Robby Young and your ESS-Peru Climbing Team
Doug,
Man! We sure hope you guys can at least take a crack at the summit. Always in our prayers. I know I’m a day late on this post, but just know we have been actively thinking and praying for your adventure. Enjoy your time and keep that mind of yours sharp! That altitude is no match for my babers!
We love you so much and miss you lots!
Char and kids
Posted by: Charlyn on 1/23/2016 at 8:29 pm
Hi Heather
Amazing to think you’ve gone so far. Hope you get a weather window for your attempt on the summit.
Love Brian, Mary Lou, David and Sarah
Posted by: Brian Macfaden on 1/23/2016 at 10:50 am
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