Most Popular Entries

RMI Guide Brent Okita checked in from Columbia Crest at 6:45 am today. The Four Day Summit Climb August 22 - 25 teams enjoyed a beautiful morning on their way to the summit crater of Mt. Rainier. They will spend some time soaking in the views before starting their descent. Once back at Camp Muir the teams will re-pack and continue to Paradise. Congratulations to today's climbers!

May 16, 2017 We had another productive day yesterday, as we put in a cache of food and fuel all the way up to our high camp at 17,200'. We crawled out of the sleeping bags early and braved a bitterly cold morning (-20F) to get a head start of the day. We climbed in the shade for our first hour and enjoyed the first rays of sunlight at our first break. Everyone climbed smoothly up the fixed ropes up to 16,200'. The next 1,000' was climbing the ridge top on the West Buttress with thousands of feet of relief on either side of us. We spent about an hour at 17,200', digging a cache hole and breathing the rare air. It was a long, hard day and everyone did well. Now, we are taking a much deserved rest day. We are now in position to move to high camp and take a shot at the summit. The weather will dictate the next move, but right now the forecast looks good for a summit bid in the next few days. We'll keep you posted. RMI Guide Mike Walter

On The Map

Some people spend the day after Cinco de Mayo in bed nursing a hangover. We spent it by packing gear, trading street shoes for climbing boots and flying onto the Kahiltna glacier. Our team arrived prepared and by 2 pm we were stomping out camp on the hill overlooking the airstrip. The team worked quickly and here we are ready for bed at 8 pm. Great weather today and great views of the surrounding peaks. Tomorrow we will begin our skills training and fortify camp for some potential weather moving in. RMI Guide Leon Davis & Team

Early adventure through Tarangire as we made our way back to The Dik Dik Lodge. The team put a good dent In the waffle iron before we left the Kikoti property. It's those little things that really make a difference out in the bush and a good waffle can set the tone for a fine finish to an amazing Safari. How appropriate to see our little mascot, the Dik Dik, just before leaving the park, a touching send off if you ask me. Some gear shuffle, a shower and one last delicious dinner here at the lodge before the team starts making their way home. A few will visit Zanzabar, others a stop in Amsterdam. Overall a feeling of accomplishment rounded out with a nice sense of connection to the basic elements of nature are packaged nicely for the travel abroad. Sad to have it come to a close, excited to start yet another chapter in the book of life soon! RMI Guide Mark Tucker

After meeting up for a phenomenal opening dinner of sushi and ceviche in Lima last night, the Artesonraju-Frank team was back up early this morning. We caught a 5:30 a.m. cab to the Lima airport, and had anticipated being in Huaraz for breakfast- a quick one hour flight away. Instead, our carrier LC Peru, had oversold our flight and despite having confirmed reservations we were told there were not any seats available for us. A terse hour of back and forth conversation with the ticket agent about finding additional seats for us, and the exact definition of of the phrase "confirmed reservation" yielded nothing. Eventually we gave in and did the only thing we could in such a situation - took a series deep breaths, bought a couple cups of burnt airport coffee and started looking for other options to cover the 300 miles to Huaraz. Three cab rides, four bus stops and ten hours later, were finally here in Huaraz only slightly worse for the wear. In many ways, developing world travel is a lot like the mountains. Things are always changing and if you wanna succeed, you have to stay on your toes! Thanks for following along. We be out of the city, and into the mountains in a couple days, headed for a ultimate objective- Artesonraju! RMI Guide Eric Frank and the Arteson Crew

After a spending five days on the mountain honing their alpine mountaineering techniques the Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. RMI Guide Mike Haugen radioed in to let us know that his team is climbing strong and the weather couldn't be better! The team is on their descent and will be back here at Rainier Basecamp early this afternoon. Congratulations to Today's Team!

Safari time! Today was the first day of safari for us and we headed east to visit the beautiful Lake Manyara, which is know for its tree climbing lions, pink flamingos, and abundant species of birds. Unfortunately we missed those famous lions, but everyone enjoyed the day cruising around in our safari vehicles. It’s pretty hot here in Africa, so I'm sure that kept many of the animals hiding in the shade. However we did manage to see a few wildebeest, zebras, Cape buffalo, giraffe, hippos, baboons, impalas and many birds. It was a pretty nice introduction to the incredible wildlife diversity that Africa has and the team is looking forward to seeing more tomorrow. We finished the day spending a few hours relaxing and exploring the grounds of our amazing lodge. Check it out for yourself. www.plantation-lodge.com RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew

RMI Guides Brent Okita and Jess Matthews led their Four Day Summit Climb August 15-18 to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams enjoyed blue skies and cool temperatures. Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Elias de Andres Martos climbed to 12,700' this morning, but were forced to turn due to icy and firm route conditions. The team has started their descent and are en route to Camp Muir. Congratulations to today's team!

An attempt at the summit was not to be had given the avalanche conditions up high. So, instead we learned how to evaluate these conditions and deal with an avalanche rescue. In the afternoon we worked on some ice climbing skills, lowering folks into a large crevasse so they could claw and fight their way out. Everyone did great, and nobody was left in the hole. When we got back to Camp Muir, the team was still excited to do more, so we worked on advanced cramponing technique and belaying. I think everyone was psyched with how the weather has finally settled out and granted us some blue sky and mild winds. Tomorrow we address a few more skills, then head down to Basecamp in Ashford, and perhaps a beer and burger to celebrate a great week, and a fantastic crew. RMI Guide Brent Okita