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The Team has really lucked out where the weather is concerned. We don’t have the lightest winds in the forecast but we are hoping they stay manageable. We enjoyed another warm night with a spectacular moon following whatever lunar phenomena happened a few nights ago. We are at 18,000’ and enjoying some more tent time. There comes a point where having slightly longer days would be nice, reading 300 pages of a book in two days is quite easy with how much tent time we get. Now that we are at Camp 2, the wait for a summit window becomes more realistic. The schedule is to carry food and fuel to high camp tomorrow and rest the following day. This will get us three nights at this elevation. Ultimately, the forecasted winds might force our hand to move up a day earlier or burn a weather day in hopes of lighter wind. Until then, we have a crowded camp but with a spectacular view. Thanks for following along.

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Dave Hahn reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Dave reported beautiful weather and a challenging route. The team will enjoy the views from the summit before starting their descent. Congratulations to today's team!

All the preparation is finished. We’re healthy and comfy (relatively) at high camp. It wasn’t even such a tough job to get here. We woke to perfect weather at Karanga Camp. The sun hit while we were sipping coffee and gazing down on the now-familiar sea of clouds far below. Kibo was cloud-free and out in all its glory above us. Without a puff of wind, it was easy to put the final touches on our packs after breakfast and to get ready for walking at 9 AM. Our fifty man support staff didn’t want us to walk away all grim and work focused though... they quickly assembled and began clapping and singing -and inevitably dancing and laughing, until we joined in and got our morning stretch session done the fun way. We then set out behind Philibet’s capable leadership. It was easy ground compared to the walls we’ve climbed in recent days. Just a steady and slow altitude gain through progressively less desert vegetation. We had the whole move done in three hours and pulled into 15,000 ft Barafu (Swahili for “ice”) Camp at noon. The team alternated between resting and eating, drinking and packing for the afternoon. The normal lassitude and our fair share of intermittent headaches afflicted us as we whiled away the afternoon, but all in all we’re feeling strong and excited... ready for an “alpine start” and a big day of going to new heights and seeing new sights. Tosha is going to serve up a 5:30 dinner and after it, we’ll try not to stare overly long at the sunset and amazing colors... we’ll zip ourselves into the tents for some crucial rest before the alarms go off at 11:30 PM and the climb to the top of Africa begins. Stay Tuned. RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

It took us an extra try, but ultimately our patience prevailed and the very talented pilots of K2 Aviation were able to thread us through some funky clouds and get us in to Kahiltna Base Camp. We made our first run at 12:30 PM and made it almost all the way before a bank of fog turned us back. We landed back in Talkeetna to heavy rain, took off our boots, and settled back in to our waiting game. Then at 5 PM there seemed to be a break and we got the green light. The flight in was spectacular as always, flying right through the rugged peaks and walls of the Alaska Range. Since we weren't in until evening, we decided to put up camp, make dinner, and spend the night here. Tomorrow we will hopefully have the conditions to move our camp and all of our gear to our Camp 1 at the base of Ski Hill. We are happily tucked into sleeping bags for our first night on the mountain, glad to finally be here! RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and team

On The Map

There's not much to report today. The team enjoyed a calm and warm rest day at base camp. Without much to sort or pack everyone occupied their time relaxing, reading, and hanging out in one of the large dome tents. Some laundry was washed and showers were enjoyed but really we are all eager to head up to Camp 1 and get the climb started. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

The team is back at Aconcagua Camp 1 after a successful carry day. Mike is currently fueling up for a nap with some Pringles and Tang. Most of the crew are a step ahead of him. We take our siestas quite seriously in the Southern Hemisphere. We enjoyed perfect weather today on our carry, with just enough of a breeze to keep us cool, but not enough to even call it wind. On top of the weather's cooperation, we also found excellent route conditions. Firm snow made for quick travel, and gave us an opportunity to use some of the heavy, sharp objects that we've been lugging around. On the way to Camp 2, climbers crest several ridges, each time gaining a slightly more complete picture of the Andes. I could pile on as many adjectives as I could think of, but I would still be unable to communicate the scale of the terrain. It is big out there. Given the weather, we spent about an hour up at Camp 2. Taking in the views, securing our cache, and, you bet, napping. The trip down was quick, with sun softened snow and motivated climbers. Before they all went to sleep, the team sent their best to friends, family, and anyone else following along. RMI Guides JM Gorum and Mike King

The team is resting today at Plaza Argentina which is helping them acclimate for our climb. Most reported that they slept the best thus far, 30ish miles of walking will do that I guess. Goals for the day included eating a fresh breakfast, sorting gear, doing some laundry, taking a hike and eating pizza, not to bad at 13,600'. Their hike went out into a valley where Cerro Ibanez looms. The rocks and soil are an amazing crimson color and one gets the feeling like they could easily be on Mars. Tomorrow we will carry gear and food to Camp 1 and make our first cache. Until then we are trying to stay out of the wind and sun. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

Things were a little breezy at Shira Camp this morning and it looked like it was nuking up on the crater rim of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's main peak. Our team had enjoyed the sunset at Shira, and the stars in the clear night sky, so a little wind didn't keep anybody from loving the sunrise as well. Our packs were on and we were walking straight toward Kibo by 8:20. As compensation for the breezes, we were granted sparkly blue skies above and a bright white sea of clouds below. We gained altitude steadily as today's walking was much easier than yesterday's rock hopping. In just a couple of hours we were up over 14,500 ft and breaking everybody's previous personal altitude records. We kept right at it, cresting at 15,200 ft beside the "Lava Tower" at noon. By this point we were right up under the glaciers and giant walls of Kibo. We'd climbed right out of the Moorland Zone of vegetation and into the Highland Desert Zone. The team had no troubles coming down the steep trails beyond the Lava Tower and so we got rid of about two thousand vertical feet on our voyage down into the exotic vegetation of the Barranco Valley. We checked out the Lobelias and the Giant Senecios as we went. It seemed the perfect afternoon for taking in a thousand new sights, from waterfalls to dark caves in the Lava and Basalt. Our new camp was already built and waiting for us just on the edge of the cloud sea and we were again amazed at the strength and speed of our loc al staff. Now we are settled in at 13,000 ft below the intimidating Barranco Wall... but the wall can wait until tomorrow. Tonight we'll watch the light change on Kibo's glaciers, rock walls, icicles and towers. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The July 15th Russia team has officially begun with a great day touring the great city of Moscow. The team is great and we certainly are looking forward to heading to Cheget to get the climb underway tomorrow. However, today we had a relaxing day seeing some of the highlights of this great city. Check out the video below and we will check back in from the little ski town of Cheget soon. RMI Guide JJ Justman

We're off the mountain and diving to the Anchorage airport. Obviously, we flew off the glacier last night, just before dinner. After some thankless chores of sorting out gear that the team did without complaint, it was off to the Talkeetna Motel where we had to wait again as the owner cleaned out rooms. But still no complaints from one of the nicest groups of folks I've had the pleasure of climbing with. Dinner then drinks and merriment at the Fairview Inn. What went on in that fine establishment I'll leave unsaid. Just know that the two block walk back to the hotel seemed manageable and safe for all. That only half the group made it to breakfast at 9:00 might tell of the fun had that night. It's been a tremendous trip with people I'd love to climb with or at least see again. I hope you've enjoyed sharing the trip in this way with us. Maybe next time you'll be part of our group - it's an amazing experience in an amazing world. It will change your life and be with you forever. From Alaska this last time, so long. RMI Guide Brent Okita & Team