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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.

Yet another day for the books on our trek. After a long day yesterday we were all sore, sleepy, and appreciative that the big day was behind us. The unfortunate part is the the back end of this trip tends to feel like a bit of a whirlwind due to the shear amount of things at our disposal to see. So another early morning it is with the breakfast bell ringing at 6:30 AM. 

After our delicious meal at Refugio Grey we walked about 10 minutes down to the waters of Lago Grey and onto the catamaran to buzz past the icebergs and towards the long Grey glacier we ogled yesterday. We rappelled into a couple of ice caves and spent the morning traversing the glacier and taking in the unbelievable weather and views. 

We still had to get to the next Refugio though so after lunch, we hit the trail and enjoyed the vistas along the ridges that our morning glacier had carved years and years ago. 

We are now at Paine Grande, the biggest Refugio on the trek and a taste of civilization in this vast vast wilderness. Tomorrow we’re hoping for the weather to cooperate for our trip up the French Valley, but it’s supposed to rain. We can’t complain too much though. It’s been unbelievable so far. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - 10:16 pm PT

Well, this one is a couple days late. Like most members of the team, I have also been through quite a time warp. As I sit here tonight and am thinking about the trip, it occurs to me that just four nights ago we were still making our way back down to 17,000' Camp from the summit. Time flies when life is just a series of naps in between hard walking, unpacking, repacking and digging up caches. Truly the final 72 hours of a Mt. McKinley expedition is one of the hardest pushes most of us will make in the mountains. In that amount of time we: move from 14 Camp to 17 Camp, sleep, have our summit day, sleep, descend from 17 Camp to 11 Camp, sleep just a couple of hours and then descend from 11 Camp to Base Camp. All of that is assuming good weather.

This time around we had the fortune of great weather for a summit day and for our exit. Upon our arrival to Base Camp we waited only a short amount of time for the planes carrying Dave Hahn's team onto the glacier to arrive and take us off. It's quite a funny position to be in, tired and haggard from 17 days on the glacier and looking at another team with fresh clothes on, perfectly packed and with a bunch of empty CMCs (poop cans) just arriving. It feels like there is so much to tell them, but they will all learn their own lessons in due time.

Anyhow, the next moment you find yourself in a small plane, diving through a hole in the clouds and speeding along at the edge of a cloud ceiling about 1,000 feet above the Tokositna Glacier, which your pilot is using as a handrail as you take a long exit from the range. Your cell phone finds service and depending who you are and where you work, you have some incredible amount of unread messages and emails and normal life comes roaring back in an instant. There is still unpacking to do in Talkeetna, checking out with the National Park Service, returning the full CMCs and a celebration dinner in a town full of tourists, at which I could barely keep my eyes open, the past few days catching up to me.

The next day we all headed for the airport in a van driven by the only guy keeping it low key at the Fairview the evening before. I think Bill is mostly there to sing karaoke and may have just been having a cranberry juice, straight. Having booked a flight just a day prior, both Will and I sat in middle seats for the flight back to Seattle, the people to my right and left having to deal with the sunbaked guy next to them sleeping open-mouthed.

Finally, most of us had our first day back at home or first day of an extended vacation in Alaska today. I'm sure we all tried to find our way back in to some routine, just to be reminded by the burnt lips, tongue and nostrils that we just had one of the wildest and most memorable experiences of our lives. I know that for myself, those nights walking down the lower Kahiltna Glacier to basecamp are forever etched in my mind as some of the most rugged beauty I have ever witnessed.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Friday May 16, 2025 11:10 pm PDT

We had the perfect rest day. It was in turns quite snowy, whiteout and incredibly hot, and blue and calm. We crushed a breakfast hash scramble, then some cinnamon buns, then lingered in the cook tent swapping stories and stretching. That gave way to midday siesta/saunas. Eventually Nick and Ben got motivated and dug a pit to hang skis over and make a passable pull-up bar (#lookatmenowpaul). Video evidence was collected of numbers 100 and 101 from both Ben and Nick. No wasting away and getting weak on Denali for those two. A good dinner, and we’re hoping to wake to weather that lets us make the next move.

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer & Team

Namaste one last time! 

What an incredible journey it has been! And the team is finally out of the mountains safe and sound in Kathmandu. 

Words will never fully sum up the experience we have had here in Nepal. The eight of us have shared something incredibly special while spending the last few weeks together every day. Experiencing all the highs and lows taught us the importance of both, and allowed us to learn lessons of how one truly allows you to see the importance of the other. Enduring those difficult and joyous moment together is what has forever bonded us as a team. 

We are all grateful for the experience and thankful to have the physical ability and support from loved ones back home to undertake such a journey. 

I asked the team for one single word that could best sum up their experience. And here is what we came up with. 

Chapter 

Gratitude

Humility 

Breathless

Awakening 

Blessed

Humbled

Sublime 

In the words of Bob Seger

“ I think I'm goin' to Katmandu,

That's really really where I'm going to

If I ever get out of here

That's what I'm gonna do

Kkkkkk, Katmandu

I think it's really where I'm going to

If I ever get out of here

I'm goin to Katmandu 

Thanks for following! 

Come join us for an adventure sometime. 

RMI Guide Casey and the Best Crew!

Monday, May 26, 2025 - 12:07 am PT

Summit success for the Mt. McKinley May 8th Expedition!  Yesterday Pete Van Deventer and team reached the highest point in North America.  Pete checked in when the team had safely returned to 17,000' Camp.  More details will be coming soon (we hope).

Congratulations team!

Friday May 30, 2025 -5:06 pm PDT

Well, we got everyone ready. Spirits were high, packs were packed, and the skies were crystal clear in town when we woke up… but sadly, the mountain had other plans. Basecamp was totally socked in.

So we got put on standby, crossing fingers and toes for a break in the weather.

And then we waited… and waited… and waited some more.

Unfortunately, instead of a magical clearing, the weather just kept building, and it became pretty clear that our window wasn’t going to open today. So, we shifted gears—found some lodging in town, went on a few sanity-preserving jogs, and then regrouped for dinner as a team.

Wash, rinse, repeat… and hope Friday brings the goods.

Think clear thoughts!

Wednesday May 14, 2025 - 8:52 pm PT

Our first full day in Alaska greeted us with a beautiful and crisp morning. Today was a day of packing and repacking, prepping for the weeks ahead. While at time tiresome, we were laying the groundwork for a successful climb.  By the end of the afternoon, bags were packed, food checked, and our team organized into our two flights.  Excitement is high as we hope to fly to basecamp tomorrow.  

All the best- RMI Guides Seth, Jackson, Ray, and team.

The Four Day Climb with Brent Okita and Henry Coppolillo reached the Summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Brent reported a clear, calm, and beautiful day on top.

The team spent time on the summit signing the summit registry, taking pictures, and celebrating before starting their descent back to Camp Muir.

Congratulations Team!

Saturday May 17, 2025 2:07 pm PDT

Seth Burns and Team checked in from Talkeetna, they are loaded and Flying onto the Kahiltna Glacier. 

Let the climbing begin!