Most Popular Entries

RMI Guide Mike Walter and team reached the summit of Mt. Baker via its iconic and forbidding North Ridge yesterday. Mike reported 100% team success and fantastic climbing conditions! Today, the team took in their last few views of Mt. Baker before beginning their descent back to the Heliotrope Ridge trail head and the comforts of town. Congratulations to today's team!

Despite a very blustery morning, we had a great time climbing on Ixta today. We moved through the night under a waning gibbous moon and caught the sunrise from 17,000' above sea level! The team climbed well, making wise decisions, on a windy day to the cumbre (summit) of Ixta! Now we are relaxing in a hotel in Puebla, enjoying significantly less wind, before heading out to celebrate over dinner. Tomorrow we will rest and relax, getting ready for the big one -Pico de Orizaba on Friday. RMI Guide Jake Beren

On The Map

Saturday, June 25, 2022 - 11:14 pm PT

Today was the epitome of doing nothing, which are team excelled at.  It was a 10:30AM wake up, breakfast and a whole lot of lounging around as we adjust to the thin air at 14,000’.  The team is doing great and we are set to do a carry up the fixed lines tomorrow to 16,400’. As we go to bed we’re enjoying the views of Mt. Hunter and Foraker off in the distance.

Don’t worry the crew will be back tomorrow writing a more exciting dispatch.  We truly did excel at doing nothing today which is a great thing when it comes to climbing a big mountain!

RMI Guide Andy Bond

Thursday, May 11, 2023 - 12:01 AM PT

Sorry for the delay of game blogoneers! Yesterday was so jammed packed and busy with doing nothing that I forgot to blog. We awoke at 6am with high hopes of starting our summit day but instead when we poked our heads outside it looked like we were inside of a marshmallow. The lighting was so flat that up was indistinguishable from down. Suffice it to say, those are not ideal conditions for going uphill and assessing unknown avalanche terrain from the bottom up. So we stayed put and waited, and waited, and waited… until around 1pm we got sunshine for a whole 20 minutes! Then back into the clouds.

The team had high spirits and we enjoyed our weather day as best we could with movies, podcasts, music and books. Today was a new day! The skies were clear and we had a long way to go ahead of us. We packed up camp and descended from 747 Pass in great time compared to what it took us to come up it. Clouds started to pour over from the next valley and soon we had an overcast sky above us. We made it back to our cache we had left behind two days prior and had a nice, leisurely lunch. Then we reshuffled all our gear to make use of the sleds again and started tromping up glacier. A vicious headwind and snow hampered our progress but only slightly as the team was strong and motived to make it back to the airstrip. After a grueling climb of the final glacial hill, we were back where we started. What seems like a life time was only a week ago. The team expertly and quickly assembled camp, downed a tasty meal of garlic siracha bacon Mac and cheese, and promptly fell asleep. A well deserved rest after a long and arduous day. Assuming the clouds clear by morning, we’ll be back in Talkeetna tomorrow!

Cheers,

RMI Guides Jack, Mike and the team

Today I was surprisingly asked a question that, as far as I can tell, is as old as human curiosity, parental affection and plain ol’ sibling rivalry. This may seem strange because I only have one child, and my somewhat unhinged three wingnut dogs can’t speak and honestly don’t care about the answer as long as they are fed and played with. As you may have guessed, the question so abruptly put on me this morning was: “daddy, who’s your favorite?” Harder to guess was, who asked it? Things started normally enough; I made breakfast for my kiddo before packing him up and carting him off to preschool. I fed my dogs and chickens, cleaned the kitchen, and prepared for a day of light recreating before my afternoon duties began. It was when I entered the garage, home to my all important man cave and location of all my beloved fly fishing and climbing gear that things took a bizarre turn. Standing in front of me (I kid you not!) side by side, with puppy dog eyes looking up, stood my 12’6” Echo spey rod and my carbon fiber, oh so beautiful, Cobra ice tools. These sorts of things don’t just happen so I double checked my reality button. Dreaming? No I don’t think so. I have been up for three hours, had my coffee, and still felt the throb in my left big toe where I slammed it into the chest at the side of my bed. Ok, I’m awake. Drugged? No, I quit taking hallucinogens in high school and my wife, I think, genuinely cares about me. Then what? My two favorite activities in life, swinging flies for big trout with my spey rod and ice climbing, which is now doable in Bozeman, Montana, have come to a head. With a few free hours, my fishing rod and ice tools came alive and wanted me to pick favorites. Sheeesh! What’s a guy to do? As time stood still, I began to reflect on the week long steelhead fishing trip I took just two weeks prior to the Grand Rhond, Clearwater, and Snake rivers. Ohhh, the joy of that trip made me quiver. It made me want to reach out, grab my spey rod child and declare my love for him. 28 inch ocean run rainbows on the swing, the thrill of the next hook up, not wearing a heavy pack; the reasons almost overwhelmed me. Yes, yes, you will always be my favorite!!! Then I saw my ice tools. Hyalite Canyon is in! I can’t wait for the thrill of running it out on newly formed thin ice over a stubby ice screw, waking up before the sun, and realizing this day was bound to hold everything but the predictable. Ohh, ice tools, you are my favorite, “let’s go climb something!” I think you understand my dilemma. Parenting has taught me much in the five years that I’ve been at it. Love, patience and compassion are always at the forefront of dealing with children. Frustrations always arise. Liam spills my wine on the new rug, my spey rod whips bullets at the back of my head leaving welts the size of cheese curds on my scalp, ice tools rip out unexpectedly and send waves of sudden panic through me that make me want to puke. All part of the landscape I guess. So how did I answer the question, “who is your favorite”? Here I leaned on the invaluable lessons gleaned from seven years of blissful marriage. I compromised. That day I took the ice tools out for their first climb of the season. I packed them up with the rest of my climbing gear all the while psyched I had just promised my fishing rod we would get out tomorrow. It’s a difficult web we weave, balancing work and play. I honestly felt troubled that I had to recreate two days in a row, climbing then fishing, but then again parenting is also about sacrifice. As readers of the RMI Blog, most of you are probably cracking a smile but are also curious how this story is relevant to the mission of mountain climbing, training, and/or preparing for an upcoming goal. Here is how I connect the dots: Fishing for me is the yin to my climbing yang. It is a glorious mental escape which allows me to shelve my daily stresses and exist purely in the moment. Everyone needs this periodic meditation to reset and clear the mind. For many, exercise accomplishes the same release but regular exercise does not necessarily constitute “training”. The expectations I put on myself when climbing on my own are very high and the specific training schedule I follow can at times be demanding, painful, and sometimes unpleasant. Here is where we tie in sacrifice. Everyone’s life is managed by time. Somewhere on that big round clock is time you can utilize for yourself. If you have a goal of climbing a mountain, running a marathon, or bench pressing a Ford truck, you need to prioritize and then commit! Finding enjoyment and purpose in life comes when these commitments are made. Being a husband and father keep me grounded. Being a passionate climber and guide keep me psyched and motivated, and the hunt for big fish calms me down. In the big picture I think I have found some balance. Remember it takes the black and the white, the yin and the yang, to complete the circle. The web you weave and balance you seek are your own, but seek it with conviction and purpose and you will be just fine. __________ Adam Knoff is a senior guide at RMI, husband, father, and fish wrangler. A versatile and talented rock, ice, and big mountain climber, Adam has climbed and guided throughout the world, in Alaska, the Himalaya, and in his backyard of Bozeman, MT. Adam is guiding an upcoming Mexico's Volcanoes trip, Expedition Skills Seminar - Ecuador, and will be leading a team on the West Buttress of McKinley next June. Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!

Today we got started around 8:30 after a light breakfast. We had a windy and rainy night but woke to some sunshine and a light breeze in camp. Our walk took us through rolling fields interrupted by dense thickets of brush and small stunted and twisted birch like trees. We followed the Paine River and eventually towards its headwaters at Lago Dickson which is created by the Dickson glacier.

We had clouds, wind, rain & sun, or some mix of the three for 12 miles. As we approached Lago Dickson, we got views of the glaciated peaks and valley glaciers that carved and continue to dominate this landscape.

The camp lies on a peninsula filled with dense trees and a large field. We ducked into the Refugio as the rain intensified. The group is having a fun time, lots of laughing and a few sore feet.

Tomorrow we head for Los Perros camp. Getting a message out from Perros can be difficult as we are in a tight valley with large alpine peaks on each side. If you don’t hear from us, we’ll check in Friday once we reach Refugio Grey.

Thanks for following along,

RMI Guide Mike King and Team

May 22, 2017 Hello from the shores of beautiful Lake Titicaca. This morning the team fought our way out of La Paz traffic, and made the stunning three hour drive to Copacabana, a small beach town nestled on the Peruvian/Bolivian border. We spent the afternoon learning about local history, dining on fresh caught trout and climbing a small nearby peak to gain an over look of the city. It started raining in the early evening, so we retreated to our lodge for a cozy dinner and an impromptu foosball tourney. We know it all sounds like fun and games, but our bodies are working hard acclimating right now. Starting the trip at over 12,000 feet means that we need to take the time to work into things. We are laying the groundwork to perform well in high ascents later in the trip. Wish us luck! RMI Guides Eric Frank, Caleb Ladue and the Bolivia crew

Our Five Day Climb June 16 - 20 led by RMI Guides Walter Hailes and Taylor Bickford reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today.  The team delayed their departure from Camp Muir due to a few inches of new snow and cold temperatures overnight.  Once they reached Ingraham Flats, 11,200', on their ascent they were enjoying sunshine and no winds.  The cloud deck was below them as they continued their ascent.  The teams reached the summit and will return to Camp Muir for their second and final night on the mountain. Tomorrow, they will descend to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Thursday, June 2, 2022 - 9:45 pm PT

We did it! We’re here! The Alaska Range! After a stressful day and half of packing we’ve finally arrived. We took off first thing in the morning to avoid a hot mushy landing strip. The flight was beautiful, cloudless and most importantly smooth. The views were spectacular and plane ride mostly silent as we looked on with awe at the majestic mountains wearing glaciers as hats. Once we landed at base camp we set to unloading our nearly 1,500lbs of gear. Then began the real fun, setting up camp. We dug caches, a kitchen, a dining room and 4 tent platforms. Then we erected our tents and got moved in. After that we did what smart mountaineers do best, lounged in our tents to avoid the heat and intense sun. Eventually it cooled down and we did a delightful burrito dinner. Now we’re laying down for an early (and short) night as we’ll be walking in the wee hours of the day in order to have firm snow and reasonable temps.

Spirits are high! Our elevation is low! And the team is excited to move up the mountain.

RMI Guides Avery Parrinello, Jack Delaney, Liam Weed and team

Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - 8:31 pm PT

Hey-O,

A long day indeed. We woke at 17K Camp and are now resting at 11K Camp. We have changed our focus of going up the mountain to going down the mountain. The focus is always on going higher and higher but the most important part is the downhill. Our trip is coming to an end and we are making our way back to basecamp. These long days walking gives plenty of time to reflect on the trip. It's been a long one, with today marking day 21. Many experiences and memories have been had. We may have not gained the summit but we have gained stories on stories of our time out here. And really the summit is just the cherry on top of an experience of a lifetime. Tomorrow we walk the Kahiltna Glacier with the final bit called Heart Break Hill. Its only a quick nap at 11K before we hit the glacier around midnight. Caffeine is going to be our friend.

Oh how sweet the air is,

RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team