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Hello again everyone: Today we had a very nice hike to help with our acclimatization on a nearby peak called Pichincha. It is one of the many local peaks that is situated above Quito and is used by many climbers to help adjust to the higher altitude here in Ecuador. We made use of the gondolas to help us gain access to around 13,000ft then hiked the additional 2,500ft to the summit. It took our team roughly three hours to gain the top after a little scrambling up the final bit to reach our high point thus far. It was a personal high point for a few of us, and the entire team did a fantastic job. After spending a bit of time on the summit and getting our photos, we descended all the way back to our hotel for a brief nap before dinner. Everyone is in good spirits and looking forward to tomorrow. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

Hey, Billy here checking in again from our Expedition Seminar out on the Sulphide. All is going well. Our team is enjoying a significant improvement in the weather. We spent the morning doing some anchor systems, and we learned how to move around, how to manage rope on rocky terrain- both blocky rock and more fifth-class rock. That was pretty exciting and then we sort of changed gears for the afternoon. We headed out to a crevasse where the team honed their skills on crevasse rescue, so we had a great day. We're hoping to take a crack at the summit tomorrow, but we're not super sure if we're going to do it tomorrow or wait another day. There's a lot of new snow up on up on the summit pyramid and the next couple of days are supposed to be quite warm, so we might let some of that snow melt off. We'll give you a call tomorrow and let you know what we ended up doing. Check in and let you know where we're at. Alright. All for now. Talk later. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

Hola from Mexico City! The team and I did some last minute shopping today in town to support our adventure ahead. It's a perfect summer day at 7,200 ft, which is a good altitude to start at. It's not too busy here in the Zona Roza area. People are enjoying life all around. We are going after three big hills on this trip and will be filming along the way. This will be a fun! More news tomorrow, RMI Guide Mark Tucker

Hello again everyone! All is well here on Kilimanjaro after a good nights rest. Today the team woke at 7 am to coffee and tea being served at our tent doors by our gracious staff. We had breakfast with healthy serving of fresh fruits, bread, assorted meats and cheeses, and fried eggs. After filling our bellies we hit the trail shortly after 8 am and slowly made our way along the ever winding trail towards the Shira Plateau. Our team did great on the rocky trail as we ascended higher up the mountain, stopping to take breaks and let the never end line of porters pass us. It took about 5 hours to reach our new camp, which our staff had already set up before our arrival. Clearly we are not roughing it too much! Everyone is doing well and seems to be enjoying the climb thus far. We'll spend the next few hours resting in our tents and taking in the splendid view we have from just over 12,000'. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

Battery recharge accomplished! It is so important to be good at resting when climbing a big mountain; and boy can this team sleep! How about a perfect weather day? It was tough but that is what we had to deal with today. Fantastic views of the upper mountain got the teams attention as we continued our journey upward on Kilimanjaro. It sure looks like along way up and it is so we are taking it one day, one stretch, and one step at a time. In addition to the jaw dropping views, the team spent today's climb focusing on their fundamental climbing techniques. We are now settled into our camp at 12,570' on the Shira Plateau. Adjusting to this kind of altitude is always a challenge but this team is up for it. No headaches, good appetites, and great attitudes confirm that this team is doing well and enjoying the climb. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

On The Map

The sun rose and crawled across the camp warming the tents as it hit them. Once the sun's rays fell onto ours, we woke to begin our day. Today we carried to Camp 3, our high camp. The morning started clear and sunny, but soon clouds started to build to the east. The clouds were dark and ready to release some precipitation. Mother nature taunted us with some flurries but luckily kept the clouds at bay and allowed us to make our journey to Camp 3 in the sun. At 19,600' the air is thin and everything is exhausting, but the team handled it like pros. Their performance today gives confidence for a good summit push in a few days. But before we go for the summit we are gonna rest tomorrow at Camp 2. Tomorrow will be our last relaxing day for when we leave here it will be go go go. Keep on keeping on, RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team

When Luis posed the question last night if we could sleep in until 8:00, I just had to say yes. After all, we'd been going strong for days on end and were due some slack. The whole table erupted in celebration on hearing my response. So, at the civilized hour of 9:00 we left our wonderful hotel en route for some souvenir shopping, to check out a Masaai Village and then on to our last full day safari. Tarangire National Park has not disappointed. The sheer numbers of animals seen right off the bat were amazing. Plus we got to see animals we haven't yet seen: giraffes, elands, and a few other critters. We also got to see numerous elephants. After all, this park boasts the highest density of elephants around. Our day was made complete when we got up close and personal with a big old giraffe, maybe 20 yards away. How cool! Now we're at our last 'hotel', Balloon Camp. Yes, from the outside these structures look camp like, but given the polished wood floors, marble topped bathroom, queen sized bed, it's not 'camp'! Our group was seated outside for dinner with a full on barbecue buffet that did not disappoint. What took place before was pretty cool too. As we were enjoying a drink in front of a huge bonfire, all of the sudden a group of Masaai came dancing into our midst. They put on a well done show, even drawing us Westerners out of our comfort zones to join in the dancing. Interestingly, the hotel has a policy that after dark everyone needs an escort to and from the main lodge and their rooms/ cabins. The staff was also very attentive to the bush just outside our outdoor seating, continually pointing their lights into the Bush. We did spy an impala looking in on the festivities. Some of us were secretly hoping for a lion to check out at close range, but no such luck. Still, seeing the fresh elephant dung just outside my cabin was a great reality check. We're in their world at this place. I must admit I'm hoping to see/ hear a big old elephant go walking by my cabin tonight. As the trip draws to a close we're all looking forward to seeing loved ones again. But I, for one, will miss Africa. Getting up early tomorrow we're going to see some lions up close, and anything else that wants to show its beautiful face in the morning. All for now, RMI Guide Brent Okita

Monday, May 28th - 12:20 am PST It was a perfect day to cruise up to 11K Camp and find a new home. Where most of yesterday was dead calm and pretty warm with strong sun, we had a light but really cold breeze running through camp in the morning. It died right before we started walking and suddenly we were cooking in the solar oven. Just as we were about to explode into flames, the breeze came back, from straight ahead, and we went the direction of ice cubes. We dug quickly into our mountains of clothing and were back in comfort land. Having previewed the terrain yesterday, today was a breeze, and we cruised into camp like a hot egg salad. Now we are nicely installed in our new home for the next few days. It's snowing lightly, and beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Everyone is healthy and psyched. Tomorrow, we chill, then we will keep looking upward. RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer

On The Map

RMI Guide Mike Walter checked in with us from Mt. Shuksan. He and his team reached the summit via the Southeast Ridge in 3 1/2 hours. They are back at their high camp and will descend Fisher Chimneys tomorrow as they finish their climb. Congratulations to the team!

The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb, led by Eric Frank and Andy Bond, reached the summit at 6:15 a.m. With good weather and light winds, they are on their way back to Camp Muir. Congratulations to today's summit climb teams!