Hello, this is the Peru Seminar and Elías and Robby and Peter with the team at High Camp on Copa. We are currently at 5,200 meters. The crew climbed really well this morning. It took us slightly less than 4 hours to move from Base Camp to here, and we are currently settled in, cooking dinner, replenishing water, and getting ready for what's ahead tonight: the biggest of our objectives, Copa, at 6,200 meters. We'll be checking in tomorrow, hopefully from the summit, and stay tuned for more. That's it for now. Everybody's doing really well, and we wish everything is good at home. Bye!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos calls in from High Camp on Copa, Peru.
We finally hit the trail! It felt real good to get the legs going and get some miles behind us. The trail was mathi tala, up down, up down. We walked uphill to just walk back down, then wind around a jungle peak to walk back up another. After many miles and nine hours of walking we arrived at a village. We aren't sure we are in the right village and we don't know where our mules are, but we are in good spirits eating cookies and crushing orange soda. Its gonna be a cold night of sleep without our duffels, but it's all apart of the adventure. Tomorrow we will find the rest of our team and start a new day.
Good night,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith
The Four Day Summit Climb June 29- 2 July turned around at 13,200' today due to high winds and poor weather conditions. RMI Guide Steve Gately and the team will return to Camp Muir to repack and then will continue to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Sunday, June 24, 2018 - 9:45 PM PT
We busted out of camp at 9,500 ft by 7:10 AM. There was still plenty of cloud out and about, but not so much in the direction we wanted to go. Of course things were a little cooler at the lofty heights we were reaching, but not unpleasantly so. We reached the corner at Kahiltna Pass in just over an hour’s time and left the mighty Kahiltna Glacier. A couple of tough uphill pushes then brought us to 11,000. Conditions were sunny, calm and nice as we built camp -we’re starting to get good at this stuff. The afternoon was spent napping and prepping for tomorrow’s carry to 13,500. In the late afternoon and evening we got a heavy and hot snow shower. We dodged it eating burritos in the dining tent. After dinner, things got fun and busy as RMI Guide Mike King’s victorious climbing team came down to share camp for an evening. They’ll head downhill in the early morning and we’ll be looking upward.
Best Regards
Dave Hahn
Sue- we are with you on every step! We are there pulling the sled with you, hauling the pack, and climbing! You so have this!!!
-Lots of love, Your crazy tent mates from downtown Kahiltna 2017!!
Posted by: Patty Kudla on 6/26/2018 at 7:07 am
Margaret and Jon, Amy just told me about your climbing adventure and who it honors. What a special tribute to your father, Margaret. Wishing you and all of your team a safe climb. We are cheering you on from Melbourne! Go Go Go!!!!
The pattern finally changed. It was cloudy and a little cool when we set out this morning. Which was actually just fine. The entrance to Ngorongoro Preserve was a short drive from Plantation Lodge. Juma and Edson drove us up to the rim of the great collapsed caldera and we got out to stare in wonder at the “crater”. Then it was back in the Landcruisers for the rough dirt road along the rim... Juma said it was time for our “African Massage” as we bounced along the ruts and rocks. A Jeep track down through umbrella acacia trees took us to the valley floor where we immediately began to spot crater critters by the hundreds. First were the armor plated Cape buffalo, next a gang of Eland. We began to spot so many gazelles, zebra and wildebeest that they only merited a stop if they’d been born in the last few hours. Warthogs came and went. Bustards and Secretary Birds strutted past. Then came the lions. We parked near a beautiful male and female and our guides described -accurately- the process by which they’d get frisky with each other every ten or twenty minutes for an exhausting week. We watched for a few cycles, fascinated. The big cats paid no attention whatsoever to spectators. Next we saw herds of elephants in the distance and a black rhino a couple hundred meters away. Four of the “big five” before lunch. (We were missing leopards, which aren’t commonly seen down in the crater). Lunch happened to be within sight of about 20 hippos and a bunch of waterbucks. Despite the cloud cover, it was getting pretty hot in the afternoon. We kept spotting game -ostrich and hyenas... more lions and more elephants as we headed for the rough roads out of the crater. By 4:30 we were back at the ridiculously comfortable Plantation Lodge, amazed by what we’d seen but also ready to relax. We looked a little like a gang of teenagers at happy hour, focused intently on our smartphones as we shuffled pictures about. Tomorrow is another day and another national park.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
We packed up and left Cusco at 6 am and headed for the Salkantay trail head near Soraypampa. The drive took us over some high passes and down a very scenic river valley filled with eucalyptus trees and small subsistence farms.
When you describe to people the quality of food we eat on these Treks you get some doubtful looks, seeing is believing. Our Team feasted on guacamole and bread only to be followed by a pumpkin soup and rounded out with a main course of vegetable and cheese stuffed trout. That was only lunch, who knows what is for dinner.
Bellies full we set out into grey skies with a spectacular view of Cerro Salkantay and Humantay. Gradually the glaciers and snow covered faces disappeared in a light rain as we walked into camp, Ichupata at 14,846'.
Rain is coming down quite heavily now, the team is getting warm in their tents and we will check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike King
After a week on honing their alpine mountaineering and expedition skills on the Paradise Glacier, RMI Guide Christina Dale and the Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise team successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Christina reported clear skies, warm temperatures, and light winds on the summit. The team started their descent and will be back at Ashford Basecamp later today.
Congratulations to today's team!
The RMI Artesonraju team made a summit attempt yesterday, reaching 5,600 meters. Technical difficulties kept them from continuing, but the team is giving it another try tonight. Stay tuned!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Turned out to be a great day to carry group and personal equipment to our high camp of Aconcagua at 19,600ft. We made good time up and down and round tripped it in about five hours. At one point I was down to just a thin poly-pro top. Not bad for being exposed to the elements at 19,000ft.
Big decision time tonight. Weather reports are calling for some unsettled pattern ahead. Need to put all the factors in the hopper and come up with a plan. Excitement is rising and a major buzz going on around camp. My team continues to be a solid unit and so proud of what we have accomplished so far. All is well up on the hill.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Loved the audio message from Elias. Wish all a productive night’s rest before attempting your highest and final pinnacle!
Posted by: Laura Voisinet on 7/9/2015 at 8:40 am
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