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Our task for the day was simple: carry and cache supplies for the upper mountain at Camp 1. Executing this task, however, was anything but simple, but all team members proved themselves to be fully up to the challenge. The terrain in between Base Camp and Camp 1 is varied and difficult; our team had to negotiate steep scree slopes, blocky towers of snow called penitentes, and sections of unstable talus. Upon reaching Camp 1, we were rewarded with a snack and drink at 16,500 feet, and made sure to diligently weigh down our cache of equipment before heading back downhill to Base Camp. Following the "climb high, sleep low" mantra, our team is looking forward to a well earned night of rest back and Base Camp, and everyone is excited to have laid eyes on the first section of real climbing. RMI Guides Mark Tucker & Pepper Dee

On The Map

Switching gears... We walked hard every day for the last week. Today we rode around like royalty. We pulled out of the Dik Dik hotel by 9 AM and cruised in two modified Toyota Landcruisers through the outskirts of Arusha. Traffic thinned as we pushed westward toward Lake Manyara National Park. We spent a great afternoon seeing hippos, baboons, monkeys, flamingos, storks, giraffes, Cape buffalo and elephants... And of course a pair of Dik Diks... The smallest of the antelope family. Most thought the elephants were the highlight of the day, but they were nearly upstaged by whatever it was that we didn't see. At one point, the monkeys were sounding alarms, the elephants were trumpeting and charging and we found fresh big cat tracks in the road. But we didn't see the leopard or lion causing all the commotion. We looked, but were catless for safari day one. Beautiful day in a Tanzanian National Park though, and a fine evening relaxing at the luxurious Plantation Lodge. We already seem worlds away from our grubby Kili climbing days. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

RMI Guide Brent Okita and the Four Day Summit Climb August 16-19 team checked in at 6:50 am from the summit of Mt. Rainier. Brent reported a very nice day with 10 mph winds. They were a bit chilly waiting for the sun to hit them during their ascent but they know the rest of the day is going to be really warm. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue to Paradise and Rainier BaseCamp. Congratulations to today Summit Climb team!

Hi everyone. Today was a tough day. The team departed camp just before 3AM with moderate winds. As we climbed along the traverse above 17,000 feet the wind was getting dangerously strong. As the the team stopped to clip into climbing ropes for safety, another climber NOT on our team slipped, fell and slid down the mountain nearly a thousand feet. I was relieved to see the climber get to their feet but I am still not sure of their condition. I believe and hope they are ok. Her local guide climbed down and assisted and again, I believe all is fine. I was extremely thankful our team did not get sideswiped as the climber fell. Needless to say, there were a few team members with very shocked expressions. Being roped up for safety we continued to climb higher. As we were approaching the long traverse into the saddle, four hours from the summit at our pace I witnessed another climber get knocked off his feet by the wind. Luckily he slid a hundred feet and stopped. It was at that point that I needed to quit thinking and just trust my gut. Our team turned at 17,700 feet and we focused on getting back down safely. And we did. We are all back at camp and we are now making the decision if we give the summit another shot. The forecast is not in our favor. Either way, up or down, we are focused on safety and I am sure a little fun is in store for us one way or another. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir, led by RMI Guides Eric Frank and Adam Knoff, reached the summit at 7:30 this morning. Eric reported windy but clear weather. After spending some time on the top, the team began their descent and are currently around 13,500 feet. Yesterday the team had fun practicing crevasse rescue. Check out their photos below. Congratulations to the seminar teams!

Its about that time. Our Aconcagua team is ready to hit the trail. We have our duffel bags ready for the mules and light backpacks ready to be slung over our shoulders. Needless to say, the team is anxious to get moving. Tonight will bring us to Lenas camp where we will enjoy hanging out with the cowboys eating steak and sleeping under the stars. RMI Guides JJ Justman and JM Gorum

On The Map

Summit day on Chimborazo. Not only were our bodies still recovering from the two previous big climbs of Cayambe and Antisana, we saved the trickiest and tallest climb for last. Towering over the surrounding landscape at 20,700ft, Chimborazo was our final objective. And boy, did it deliver! Even in the best conditions, this peak isn't an easy target. But coupled with uncharacteristically dry season this year, this climb proved to be the most physically and mentally demanding of the trip. We hiked up yesterday to our High Camp at around 17,500', made some dinner, and hit the sack. Our climb this morning began with our 11pm alarms waking us from our sleep. After tidying up camp, slamming some calories, and chugging some coffee, we pointed our tired feet uphill towards the summit. The climb began with about an hour and a half of walking on trail, exposed ridges, and a couple of 5th class climbing moves. As the trail steepened, we cramponed up and prepared to hit the glacier. Because of the dry spell Ecuador has been experiencing, the glacier was a challenging beast! Steep, firm, icy, exposed. Perfect footwork was required for the entire ascent, but our team delivered! From challenging cramponing to sections of pitched-out steep ice, this team persevered and tackled everything that crossed their paths. After a grueling 7.5 hours, we reached the Veintemilla summit at 20,561', 30 minutes later we had turned tail and began the descent. The steep ice and exposure made the descent as difficult as the ascent, but the team kept their heads in the game and we made it safely back to high camp by 2pm. Our porters had already packed up camp for us, making it easy for us to continue on our final descent back to the bus. The (thoroughly exhausted yet happy) team is now back at Estrella de Chimborazo, enjoying some much earned beverages, and reminiscing about these crazy last two weeks. It's hard to believe we're heading back to the big city tomorrow and flying home! We will have one more update for you guys tomorrow, but we'll all be home to tell you more stories firsthand before you know it! Until tomorrow, RMI Guides Nick Hunt and Adam Knoff

The August 3 - 6 Four Day Summit Climb reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 6 AM PT. After enjoying blue skies and beautiful views they began their descent from the crater rim. They will return to Camp Muir and repack before descending to Paradise this afternoon. They will then return to BaseCamp to celebrate. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team!

Jambo everyone, Today we visited Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is roughly 100 square miles and is home for the 30,000 to 40,000 animals that have taken up residence. We hit the road early with hopes of catching a few more animals before the heat of the day. There were many sightings today of hyenas, jackles, ostrich, and countless other birds. We didn’t manage to see many lions, but did get pretty close to one big male. One of the highlights was seeing not one, but five Black Rhino which have become very rare do to poaching. We wrapped up the day with a visit to a Maasai village not far from the crater rim. The Maasai people are a semi-nomadic tribe that exist almost entirely off of their cattle. The team spent time asking questions and enjoyed being shown around their small and simple village. We have just finished another wonderful meal here at the Plantation Lodge under the stars and the full moon that hopefully everyone back home gets to see too. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Hello, this is Eric Frank and team up on the North Side of Mt. Shuksan. I just wanted to send a quick note and let everyone know that we reached the summit this morning. It was a textbook climb in perfect weather conditions. We intend to descend to Lake Anne later this afternoon, and work our way out to the trailhead in the morning. RMI Guide Eric Frank