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Tashi Delek!

We made it to Pheriche and we’re officially in the Khumbu valley. That feels good to say.

We had such a special day with a stop at the Pangboche Monastery - it’s one of the oldest monasteries in the region and was founded in the early 16th century.

We were lucky enough to receive a blessing from the llama (Tibetan word for monk) and we all agreed it was a really memorable experience. Sitting on the floor surrounded by intricate woodwork, murals painted centuries ago as the llama chanted and made offerings for our safe passage in these mountains. Pangboche and the monastery is a haven of ancient wisdom and natural beauty with Ama Dablam beaming in the background.

After we received our katas (traditional white scarves) conveying wishes for a safe journey from the Llama, we said goodbye to Pangboche and made our way to Pheriche. Ama Dablam and the big mountains shining all around us the whole way.

We’re at 14,000 feet now and we’re feeling the altitude a little bit as our bodies are working hard to acclimate. Good news for us is we have 2 nights here to help that process!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche team

P.S. how could I forget? We also got our first views of Lobuche. Ooooo, she’s looking so pretty!

Friday, June 13, 2025 9:24pm PDT

Déjà-vu: both for climbing Ski Hill and blogging about climbing Ski Hill. So here we are again. Same same, yet also different. I put in my headphones and cue up the Hadestown OCR. “Road to Hell” begins playing.

We awoke at 2:30am. So close to the arctic circle, Denali never gets dark in June. But the movement of the sun across the skies nevertheless plays a big role in our schedule each day, as the temps - and thus snow conditions - change readily with its absence or appearance.

Today’s itinerary is to move part of our food and gear up the mountain, dig a hole in the snow - our “cache” - dump our food and gear, cover it back up, and head back down to our camp. In a few days, we will hike back to our cache from our next camp and retrieve it. This allows us to move our 22 days of supplies up the mountain in stages while we acclimate to the altitude by following a “climb high, sleep low” methodology. So, we load approximately 16 days of our food and any gear we won’t need until the upper mountain into our sleds and head up Ski Hill to Kalhitna Pass just after 4am. Ski Hill is the first significant elevation gain of our climb. Even having climbed it - twice - before, it’s surprising how interminable it seems. It’s a cold morning. With the sun still below the horizon, there’s enough light to walk by, but none to spare for warming us. Any warmth is self-generated. After several hours of marching uphill, we arrive at the base of Kalhitna pass and relieve ourselves of our burdens. The sun peeks over the ridge, and before long our shivering will become sweating as we race back downhill, unencumbered by load or slope. Matt + Kim “Don’t Slow Down” plays in my headphones.

Climber Sophia Bishop & Team

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - 10:59 pm PT

Sunshine!

It was great to see the sun today. After a leisurely breakfast we got our one main task done for the day, going to pick up our cache at 10,200ft. Despite some annoyingly cold wind and deep trail breaking, we got this done in a short three hours.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing and resting up. Tomorrow we hope to climb higher, putting in a cache just above Windy Corner around 13,500'.

RMI Guide Seth Burns

Thursday, June 19, 2025 9:36pm PDT

We were up and at ’em at 3 a.m., trying to beat the heat. This had us moving up the glacier from our 8,000 ft camp by 5 a.m. First up was Ski Hill—a steeper and longer incline than anything we’ve tackled so far. It was tough, but conditions were excellent after a solid overnight freeze.

It took about four hours to reach our goal: the head of the Kahiltna Glacier at 10,000 feet. There, we dug a deep, raven-proof hole in the snow and cached food and fuel.

The descent was pleasant, with lighter loads and easy walking. The team rolled back into camp at 11:30 a.m. and sheltered in the tents to escape the afternoon sun.

Tomorrow, we’ll move past the cache and camp at 11,000 feet.

RMI Guide Sam Hoffman & Team

Friday, June 20, 2025 10:02pm PDT

You must go up to go down, and go down to go up.

The team started the day with a simple yet efficient breakfast of cereal and coffee before donning their crampons, roping up, and beginning their walk out of camp at roughly 8:30 a.m.

The climb out of 14 Camp quickly gains elevation, built up by rolling slopes that offer brief stretches of reprieve before reaching the base of the fixed lines. A steep and icy headwall, the fixed lines provide both access to the upper mountain and a formidable challenge to anyone seeking passage. Installed each season by climbing rangers and maintained by guides, the fixed lines serve as a two-lane highway to Denali’s flank—the West Buttress.

The team made great progress, gaining elevation quickly as they found a rhythm in the often awkward and unfamiliar technique of fixed-line travel. After nearly 1,000 feet of “jugging” up various rope sections, the team broke through to the ridge, rounded a corner, and found shelter at the base of the Buttress—the high point for the day. Sheltered by rocky outcroppings, the team took a well-earned break while the guides collected gear to be left behind and dug out a cache.

Once the gear was stashed, the team turned and began the quite different, yet equally challenging, descent down the lines. Using arm wraps and steady footwork, they made their way down in a timely and stylish fashion.

Good snacks, a cozy tent, and the promise of a rest day awaited them upon return to 14 Camp.

RMI Guide Michael Bennet & Team

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - 10:29 pm PT

Things started to turn nicer up on our big hill. The snow and clouds blew out today, winds quieted, and we spent the day addressing logistical hurdles. The first was that we found out last night that the downline of the fixed lines hadn’t been freed of its icy tomb, so there was a rope going up but not down- recipe for a traffic jam. We made a plan with teams from AMS to send a couple of guides from each team up to sledge hammer out the lines. Accordingly that meant we couldn’t go for a carry as a team. Additionally another guided team needed a guide loan to get their back carry in. So, Nick helped another team with their carry, got back in time for Ben and Pete to head uphill, then Nick took the group to the Edge of the World to look down on the lower Kahiltna Glacier and our first camp at Ski Hill. We were all reunited this evening over a tortellini dinner, and we’ll assess whether to get our carry in tomorrow!

Full team day.

RMI Guides Pete, Nick, Ben, and team

PC: Pete Van Deventer, Edge of the World. From Previous Expedition

Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater, and considered by many to be the 8th natural wonder of the world. The crater is what remains of a once massive volcano that erupted and collapsed on itself, leaving behind a giant caldera that's almost exactly 100 square miles. Every time we've visited the crater it's been excitingly different, and today was the same. 

We were able to see several lions up close and two still feasting on last night dinner! As we made our way around the crater we saw tons of other wildlife, zebras, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, jackals, Giselles, countless large birds. It was an incredible day to say the least, and I'm certain one that won't be forgotten by anyone. 

We finished the evening here at the Plantation Lodge and are looking forward to what tomorrow may bring as we head to Tarangire National Park. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew

Sunday June 29, 2025 - 10:49 pm PT

It was the ultimate luxury to lie in until the sun came around this morning. We ate our last bagel breakfast and lounged about in the sunshine. We rested, but we also schemed and plotted our ascent for the next few days, and that scheming got tougher as the day progressed. We became aware that the teams at 17K had turned around from their summit bids after finding avalanche conditions on the "autobahn". Of course we will need some improvement in that condition by the time we reach the same terrain, so the team will have the challenge of trying to remain optimistic and positive while acknowledging that a problem lies ahead. We said goodbye to Dom's RMI team as they descended through 14 camp, we ate our dinner and we prepared to climb. 

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 9:21pm PDT

Hello world! Checking in from camp.

1. Patience is the name of the game up here. We’re soaking in the surroundings — even if it’s continuous snowfall and low visibility. White on white on white. Quiet and peaceful, contrasting with the surreal weather that accompanies this part of the world.

2. We woke up today and had to dig ourselves out of our tents. We wandered into the kitchen tent to get caffeinated and enjoy some delicious blueberry pancakes. Since the weather has taken a bit of a turn, we got the news that we’d need to hunker down here for the second day in a row.

3. Today was different from yesterday in the sense that the wind and snowfall picked up — around half an inch per hour. So, our time outside was limited.

4. We spent some time clearing snow from the gear bags and around the tents, making sure it wasn’t creeping into places it shouldn’t be. A couple of us even began building what essentially became the Great Wall of Snow to protect our tents from the elements.

5. To pass the time, we snacked, practiced tying knots, and, more than anything, had conversations with the team — getting to know each other better, telling stories, and understanding where everyone comes from.

6. Although we all have the same goal, we come from different backgrounds. That’s the beauty of mountaineering — it brings together different souls from different walks of life.

7. Tomorrow, we’re planning to carry some gear and supplies up to around 9,600 feet, then return to sleep at our current camp. Hopefully, the following day, we’ll continue moving upward.

8. Spirits are high, we’re all hopeful, and we’re looking forward to having this beautiful mountain grace us with more of her presence.

- Connor Michalek 

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 - 9:21 pm PT

We’ve Landed

We’re officially on the glacier.

After spending, as Dom puts it, “the right amount of time in Talkeetna,” we loaded into the Dehavilland Otters this morning and flew into the heart of the Alaska Range.  Jack, our pilot, confirmed that “of all the RMI groups this year, this is the nicest day to fly.”  Jack was kind enough to take us around for a view of the climbing route.   It is difficult to describe the scenic majesty of the jagged snow-capped peaks as we circled around and made our landing approach.  We have base camp practically to ourselves, and it’s very peaceful and quiet, with a few clouds drifting in the blue sky above.  After setting up, and spending time learning how to rig the sleds, and how to pack as to not look “like traveling merchants on the Kahiltna glacier,” we settled in for a break.  

Tonight we’ll have some pizza for dinner, the last trace of civilization (apart from the 9 inReach units our group brought along. . . )

For now, the focus is rest. We’re planning to head out with our sleds sometime around 3 a.m., taking advantage of the firm snow and cool conditions for travel on the lower glacier.

Signing off from Kahiltna Base camp,

RMI Climber Nate Brunner