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The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Geoff Schellens did not have the weather window they hoped for last night and were unable to make a summit attempt. Geoff reported that there was about 6 inches of fresh snow on the route. The team will be finishing out their week training on many alpine mountaineering skills before heading back to Rainier Basecamp tomorrow afternoon. Congratulations to the Emmons Team!

May 21, 2016 - 1:18 am PT For most of today it huffed and puffed and the snow fell heavily. We haven't been able to see much, and the wind has been gusting pretty strongly. We made the easy choice to take today as a rest day and fortify our camp, which proved to be the right decision as the gusts grew stronger as the day went on. Instead, we ate a great brunch of smoked salmon and bagels, then set to work reinforcing our compounds with big walls (some wondered how much of a rest day it was carrying a couple hundred 20 pound blocks of snow). With our camp solid, we retired to the tents for naps and rest, before a delicious dinner of Mac and cheese with bacon. It's still snowing hard, though the winds are starting to calm. We're expecting to still wake up to some snow, but hopefully the winds abate, the visibility improves, and we take a quick walk back to retrieve our cache. If not, we still have plenty of delicious food up here and we'll continue to acclimate and get strong in the thinner air of 14. Best RMI Guides Pete, Robby, Jess, and our stellar team of high altitude athletes

On The Map

RMI Guides Casey Grom and Chase Nelson and team reached the summit of Mt. Baker via the North Ridge. Casey checked-in from the summit reporting a great route, strong team, and beautiful weather with a steady breeze. Congratulations!

Saturday, June 21, 2025 - 8:30 pm PT

Hello!
And welcome back for another installment of Doing Really Hard Things for Fun-Denali Edition.
I'm Aspen, and today I will be your host.
Previously, the team has gone up, up and down, up, down and up, up and down, up, down and up, and finally up and down again on their quest to climb The Tall One, the highest peak in North America, Denali.
After the most technical day yet, climbing up and down the fixed lines to cache gear and food for their summit attempt, the eclectic team looks forward to a day of rest.
Today, on the longest day of the year, we sleep in, tired not only from a physically taxing day at altitude, but also from staying up late watching. movies, like Deadpool, in our tents or playing the most riveting game of Texas Dice yet. Shout out to Etienne for stealing the win from not one, but two other players with his final roll of nearly 3,000 points. 
The day started out with delicious blueberry pancakes, made by Dom, after which the group split to relax in various ways. Some of us went on a walk or two to warm our toes, while others snuggled back into sleeping bags where good books and knitting await. We chat, we nap, we do some self care. The cook tent serves as a gathering place. People come in and out throughout the day. Sometimes to share snacks; other times to play games or read in the company of others. Without any defined tasks for the day, we are forced to slow down and take in the views. The mountains around us look different today, like they seem to every day. I am filled with a sense of adventure and awe. This is what I love about climbing. The amazing views, the good company, and the incredible sense of pride I get from doing really hard things.
After having such perfect weather thus far, the winds have blown in clouds. They pass over and through camp throughout the day leading to constantly changing temperatures and visibility. Snow falls and taps on the tent walls, and so the waiting game begins.
Do we have enough toilet paper? Does anyone die of boredom? Do I get so sick of my hair that I shave it off? Tune in next time to find out.
A special thank you to Jake and Nomad for all their love and support of this Happy Cappy.
Until next time, 

RMI Climber Aspen Hansen out.

Last night, after a successful arrival, our Mexico Volcanos team assembled at our lovely Hotel Geneve in the Zona Rosa district of Mexico City. 

We ran through intros and headed out to the local taco bar. 

The team is stoked and ready to head to our first volcano, La Malinche!

RMI Guides Joe Hoch and Lacie Smith

The word of the day is casual. We woke up casually. We ate brunch super casually. It started around 9:45 and ended around 12:30pm. We casually devoured breakfast burritos fortified by wild Alaskan game sausage provided by the legendary Bleys. Food comas quickly afflicted much of the crew. Everyone casually waddled to their tents for the afternoon to indulge in naps and further snacking. Some folks managed to stay conscious enough to read books and watch TV or movies. Eventually the dinner bell was rung and the tents casually began to rustle with life. Dinner tonight is a repeat of a classic - ramen but this time with the addition of some newly acquired Korean spice paste. It added some much needed flavor as our ability to taste is deadened at this altitude. Another weather day has passed uneventfully, but each day we wait we get more clarity about the weather for our potential summit window. Anticipation is slowly growing amongst the team as the day to begin our summit push gets closer.

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the Bond Girls

We switched gears today... waking up -not to hiking/climbing- but to a day of being entertained and educated in the back of a Safari vehicle. We piled into two modified Toyota Land Cruisers just after 8 AM and left Usa River heading west. First there was the hustle and bustle of traffic on the outskirts of Arusha. The city has nearly 2 million inhabitants, so our guide/drivers: Juma and Edson had their work cut out for them getting us out to the wide open countryside beyond the city. We cruised dusty roads between herds of Maasai tended cattle as we made our way out to Lake Manyara. This National Park purports to be the home of the tree climbing lions... who weren't actually home today. We didn't see lions, but we saw baboons, blue monkeys, hippos, Cape buffalo, zebras and wildebeest. The elephants we got to see munching on trees were a highlight, as were about a thousand new species of bird, each accurately identified and described by our amazing guides. At the end of a fine day out in the bush, we headed for the Plantation Lodge and an evening of relaxation and dinner conversation in an extremely comfortable setting. Tomorrow we'll get up early to see what we can see in Ngorongoro Crater. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

After a week on honing their alpine mountaineering and expedition skills on the Paradise Glacier, RMI Guide Christina Dale and the Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise team successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Christina reported clear skies, warm temperatures, and light winds on the summit. The team started their descent and will be back at Ashford Basecamp later today. Congratulations to today's team!

Today our team bid farewell to the thick air and running water of Aconcagua Camp 1 and headed uphill to Camp 2. We spent the majority of the afternoon digging in solid tent platforms, making sure to securely fasten our tents to the mountain with the biggest rocks we could find. We were treated to a beautiful day during the move-in process; the views of neighboring Andean peaks have kept many team members busy with photo opportunities. We're just getting ready to crawl into our tents before the sun dips below the horizon and it gets COLD. More tomorrow! RMI Guides Mark Tucker and Pepper Dee

On The Map

We had to put up with perfect weather again today. A quick 3 hour hike to the park gate where we said good-bye to our mountain adventure. We all boarded our monster truck that held about 30 of us including all mountain gear on the roof. A stop along the way for a lunch to break up the 3 hr drive and we are back at our lodge. The Dik Dik lodge welcomed us with open arms and has done an outstanding job assisting us with desired creature comforts. They are going to supply us with our safari guides and vehicles for the next phase of our adventure tomorrow. Tonight we just finished up a great celebration dinner. Now we are off to bed, everyone is doing well and we are looking forward to starting our safari tomorrow. RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team