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Definitely the nicest day of the trip so far. We spent it resting at Low Camp. Rest was welcome after the big effort yesterday, but the day would have been a bit more relaxing had we not received the news that the wind would come back tomorrow. Things worked out well for the other teams on the mountain. While we all climbed the fixed lines to High Camp yesterday, ours was the only group electing to carry and return to Vinson Low Camp. The others stayed up and went to the top today. Of course we are happy for them, but we’ll be truly happy when we’ve gotten equally lucky with a calm day of our own up high.
We enjoyed the profound quiet today, without people and without weather. We read and rested, cut a few snow blocks for walls and ate a few more meals in our kitchen tent. We’ll enjoy the late sun on the tents tonight and we’ll hope the weatherman and the weather have both had a change of heart by tomorrow.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Our final team member arrived this morning just after breakfast and just in time for our round of introductions. What timing, though the poor guy felt as we all did not long ago. A bit frazzled and jet lagged from all the flying.
This morning was a busy one as we previewed what we can expect on our Kilimanjaro climb then did a thorough equipment check. Everyone's gear checked out fine and we were able to get pretty packed up by lunchtime.
What a relief to have some relaxing down time before we hit the mountain tomorrow morning.
The weather's been a perfect temperature, though overcast here in town. This has allowed us to eat most of our meals on the patio. We had a monkey hanging around this morning and the tiny, little deer called dik dik have been brousing around everywhere. Africa!
All for now. We've got a big day ahead. I'll be back tomorrow night writing from 10,000' as we ascend almost 4000' to our first camp.
Goodnight,
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,000'
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 - 7:45 PM PT
Another day of beautiful weather let us descend back down to ~10,200' to dig up our cache of supplies and haul it back up to our 11,000' camp. The rest of the day was spent hydrating, resting, and preparing for the next step of this climb: establishing a cache at ~13,700', just past Windy Corner. If the weather holds, that will be our plan for tomorrow.
We're making good progress now, and we are all excited to exchange snowshoes for crampons and trekking poles for ice axes. Stay tuned as our progress continues.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Monday, February 20, 2017 - 5:32 pm PT
The Team continues to enjoy the food and rolling countryside here in Mexico. We are spending the night at the Altzomoni Hut, at 13,200' that overlooks Popo, the neighboring volcano. While today was mostly a travel day between La Malinche and Ixtaccihuatl, we did manage to hike for 2 hours through the lower slopes surrounded by dry bunch grass and a cool breeze.
We spent the afternoon sorting gear and getting ready for our move up to high camp in the morning. Everyone is acclimating well and eager to start our first climb of the trip. The mountain is dry this time of year and we have some high winds forecasted. We will keep our fingers crossed for clear skies and calm winds.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches
Greetings from the land of the "big legged ones", (term used by Magellan to refer to the natives of the Australmost part of the American continent during the Spanish expedition of 1519 trying to reach Asia going west) aka Patagonia.
We are currently in Puerto Natales, resting in our hotel right across from the agitated waters of the "Última Esperanza" (last hope) fjord.
Our bodies are tired from 24 hours of international traveling, but after a quick layover in the southern hub that Punta Arenas is for the region, we drove to the gateway of Torres del Paine National Park.
The views of the salt water meeting the towering mountains are astonishing, and the feel of being in our antipodes' "last frontier" is very real.
Sheep farms gave way to wilder land populated by foxes and "ñandúes" (ostrich like birds) and the human shelters are getting smaller and further apart.
Everyone is very excited for the adventure we start tomorrow. We will be posting next from the trails of our circuit... in the mean time, sit back and imagine what being in summer, surrounded by friends, good food and better landscape would be right now; well, we're there!
RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos
Hey Mom, your the greatest!!!!!!
Looks like a fun group, and posted pictures are beautiful. We hope your phone stays charged so you can take a lot of pictures. Dad is playing w us a lot but weather not good enough for the park yet, hopefully tomorrow. We miss you and I know Dad does too. Can’t wait to get your next text. Make good choices
Posted by: Max + Brooks on 1/26/2017 at 6:52 am
Looks awesome, are ya’ll gonna have to eat one of those little camels to survive?
Posted by: Charlie Munford on 1/25/2017 at 1:27 pm
The Team has arrived at the Altzomoni Hut on Ixta, 12,000'. The goal today was to pack for our approach to high camp, get a walk in to continue acclimating and relax. While our drive today included a few detours, a late breakfast and some electrical storms, the team is doing well. So much of climbing in the big mountains can be' "hurry up and wait". Patience is tested, storms blow in making everyone stir crazy and it becomes easy to let the scenery just pass by without taking in your surroundings.
Our drive to the hut took us through beautiful countryside with acres of corn being harvested and up through dense forests of evergreen trees and shrubs. After passing through rolling pampas filled with grass we saw Popocatepetl, the neighboring volcano who watches over Ixtaccihuatl. Popo was on display today with steam and ash rising from it's caldera.
Tomorrow we will move up to 15,000' and hope the weather cooperates for a summit attempt on Wednesday.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
OK: Weather Prayer.
Waltero
Posted by: Walter Glover on 10/18/2016 at 6:57 am
Following your progress, plan to follow in your footsteps next month (Nov.5-13). Wishing everyone strength (mental and physical) as well as good weather!
Posted by: Sierra Orr on 10/18/2016 at 5:50 am
Posted by: Jake Beren, Christina Dale
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Jake Beren and Christina Dale led their teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Both teams reported clear skies and warm temperatures with great climbing conditions. The teams began their descent from the crater rim around 7:45 am PT. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue down to Paradise later today.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climbers!
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Elevation: 15,200'
We have settled in to high camp at Lenz Rocks after a beautiful day of climbing. Warm sun, and a cloudless sky at breakfast let us dally a bit longer than had been our want, and then we set to packing up camp, paring down our gear to the essentials, and getting ready to climb to 15,000'. The climbing is very smooth, mostly walking straight up a broad shoulder of the glacier, and everyone performed well. The scale here is pretty large, and difficult to get a grasp on, and it was quickly apparent that it was better to focus on one's steps than looking up, as things took much longer to approach than it seemed like they should.
With camp built, we're headed to bed early in anticipation of an earlyish start for the summit tomorrow. With any luck, we'll be calling in from the summit tomorrow!
Dobrye din,
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, JM Gorum, and team
On The Map
Congratulations all on reaching the summit! Wonderful news.
Gayle
Posted by: Gayle Hitton on 8/13/2016 at 6:06 pm
Greetings from Mt. Elbrus!
We're nicely settled into our rustic huts here at around 12,600'. This morning we did the gondola shuffle - loading all of our duffle bags and skis onto a moving gondola, and then unloading all of that stuff from a moving gondola...multiplied by three gondolas! We were pros by the last one. This afternoon we went out for an acclimatization ski tour and reviewed some of the skills we'll need for our summit attempt. It's great to be here on the mountain!
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
On The Map
WAY TO GO TEAM!! VERY IMPRESSIVE! This beats last tracks at McCall!
Posted by: Jeanne Mack on 6/26/2016 at 9:35 am
Looks like fun. Pictures, please!
Posted by: Wendy Serbonich on 6/24/2016 at 1:57 pm
Posted by: Geoff Schellens, Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
June 18, 2016 - 7:51 pm PT
We woke up this morning at 3:00 AM to a wet snow fall on the lower Kahiltna Glacier. I personally stayed up all morning waiting for it to taper off. Finally at 6 we decided to push to the runway and see if we could get a flight out today. After a couple hours of walking we turned the corner and started up the Southeast Fork, aka Heartbreak Hill. At this point we heard some planes began landing and with the shear excitement of beer and burgers we made our way up to the landing strip. The weather was in and out so we didn't all get flights out immediately but throughout the early afternoon we all got off the glacier and flew back to Talkeetna. We are currently having dinner at the West Rib and preparing for a big night of celebration.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
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Mike,
I hope the weather Gods are good to you this year. If you have room in your packs going down, rather than throw all that valuable stool down a crevasse, ship some to me for my fecal transplants. Business is booming.
Buenas suerte amigo.
Posted by: Dr Dave on 5/23/2018 at 5:40 pm
Hello Dave Head, Shane Kidd and Team hello from Las Vegas we love you guys so proud and love you stay safe we will continue to pray for your safety and good weather KEEP ROCKING !! you got his.
Love Mom and Dad #2
Posted by: Ken peterson on 5/23/2018 at 1:42 pm
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