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Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 10:04 pm PT

Today was windy from start to finish, which we weren't quite expecting from the forecasts. There was plenty of sunshine though and so it wasn't uncomfortable. But we mostly hung in the tents, just coming out occasionally to look at the world stretched out below. And to look at the route to Denali Pass, over and over. The avalanche hazard still exists and we can't will it away by staring at the slope. The team is agreed that we'll look at it one more time -tomorrow morning- but then, without some dramatic change, we'll descend, as the teams around us have done.  The forecasts are calling for strong winds up high now in any case. 

It is a tough situation.  Luckily we are climbing with tough people.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Thursday, June 19, 2025 9:27pm PDT

Today was, oxymoronically, an “active rest day.” Yesterday, we endured a grueling move of 3,200 feet with half our gear and established a new camp at 14,200 feet, so our bodies needed rest. But as any fitness enthusiast or doctor will tell you, it’s important to move a little even during recovery so your gears don’t get rusty.

We woke up to our first frost at 6:30 a.m. A quick granola bar for breakfast, and by 7:30 a.m., we were on the move. Our first task of the day was a back carry. We took a quick 15-minute jaunt down to our cache site at 13,500 feet, where we had stored half of our gear three days ago. Our dutiful guides dug out our belongings, and then we returned to camp in an hour.

We had a leisurely breakfast of pan-roasted bagels with cream cheese and bacon—a method of warming my Tarrytown bagels I’ll definitely adopt upon my return. After a brief respite, our second task at noon was to refine our campsite. Snow walls were built around our tent structures to protect us from high winds, and the bathroom and kitchen structures were spruced up.

The third activity of the day was a mid-afternoon refresher on how to walk along fixed lines with an ascender. By dinner, many of us were questioning whether we had experienced “active rest” or rather “restful activity.”

This location has me, a psychiatrist, reflecting on the psychological challenges people have spoken of during this trip. Retracing your steps on a back carry day can be a bit of a mind trip. Above us looms the steep hill that the fixed lines run along, rising 2,000 feet to the ridgeline of the West Buttress. It harkens to the long journey ahead.

However, two things keep me inspired and motivated. The first is the story of Barbara Washburn, who was the first woman to summit Denali in 1947. While at Camp 2, I read her memoir The Accidental Adventurer, which recounted her pioneering journeys. I tell myself that if she could accomplish so many feats with initially little experience and training, surely I can dig deep and find that grit too.

The second is remembering my emancipated ancestors on today, Juneteenth. So many people of that time, over the centuries, and even today, take long journeys of hundreds to thousands of miles seeking a better life. My journey on the mountain is pleasure-seeking and limit-pushing, but there are parallels in that the conditions are inhospitable and decisions here have life-or-death implications. Therefore, I am motivated to keep going despite my fatigue, trepidation, and excitement—knowing that my ancestors couldn’t stop, and I’m summoning their strength now.

Onward to more adventure.
Happy Juneteenth.

Adjoa Smalls-Mantey

Saturday, May 3, 2025 - 10:33 pm PT

First couple days were spent meeting up in Anchorage and shuttling our way to Talkeetna via the scenic drive toward the Alaska range. After arriving we quickly got to packing, sorting gear and setting ourselves up for when the weather would allow us to get into the range. Sadly today wasn't our day in that regard but time was still well spent. Rest, rope and camp skills were the name of the game to further put as at advantage once on the great Ruth Glacier. 

We are hopeful that tomorrow's weather will grant us passage into the amphitheater to begin our days amongst the peaks.

The RMI Guides Dan May & Joey Manship and the Ruth Gorge Team 

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - 9:03 pm PT

Top Ten Things Happening at 14,000' Camp right now:
10. Snow on the inside of the tent and blue skies outside the tent
9. Running out of snacks and entertainment (but we’re good on toilet paper)
8. Secret Aardvark
7. Buzz Lightyear sightings around camp
6. Walking laps and laps on the 14k Main Street
5. Walking out to the Edge of the World, which overlooks the Valley of Death, to take precarious photos*
4. Texas dice and Wizard
3. Welcoming the next RMI team coming up from 11,000' camp
2. New flavors of bowlines—on a bight, snap, etc.
1. SPAM

RMI Climber Nate Brunner
*While roped in

RMI Guide Casey Grom led the Four-Day Climb from May 30 to June 2, reaching the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning.
Casey reported breezy and cold conditions, but the team was rewarded with a rare and stunning view of the northern lights. The group climbed well, with six of the eight climbers successfully reaching the summit.

At approximately 7:15 a.m., the team began their descent from the crater rim, and is making their way back to Camp Muir. After a brief rest and repack, they’ll continue the final 4.5 miles down to Paradise. The team is expected to return to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Great job, team!

PC: Layne Peters

We made it to the summit of Lobuche!

With an alpine start, we headed up the mountain. The first half of the climb we ascended slabby rock, up and up we went. Climbing below a moonless sky with stars forever. Although the forecast had called for high winds, it was still and quiet.

Soon we crossed the ridge to what is normally crampon point near 18,400 feet but it’s been a very dry winter in the Himalayas so we continued on a rocky ridge to nearly 18,800ft where we finally dawned our crampons and got on the steep snow and ice. First light of day was just beginning to show the outline of the mountains around us and it was beautiful. The colors of the sky changed and soon the sun came up! After a lot more steep climbing up the face of Lobuche we reached the summit.

We’ve now descended to Pheriche where we reunited with our other two team members and plan to all walk out together over the next few days.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche team

Monday, June 16, 2025 - 7:53 pm PT

Our sled companies:

The Happy Cappy’s Express

Sled Dawg Logistics

Snow B.E.T.S Supply Co.

are here at 11,000 feet, ready to help you will all your needs.  We even offer cache back.   Please note: Trail breaking to retrieve a lost water bottle in the Polo Fields comes at an additional. 

Today we got to visit the top of Motorcycle Hill, Squirrel Hill and the Polo Fields before caching our food and gear for the move to 14,000' Camp.  Unfortunately, the excursion brochure was wrong.  Motorcycles were not included, no squirrels to see on the hill and no Polo was being played.  The trek was worth the views and will still give a 5 star on Google Review. As we venture into new markets and camps, our logistic companies look forward offering our services at 14,000 camp very soon.   Just remember, you call, we haul. 

Shout out to our amazing leaders; Dom, Ben, and Mike.   It’s hard to put in words how much we appreciate all the warm drinks, hot chow, dressed ropes and everything between. 

On a personal note, Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, Lauren.  Wells and Winn please give her an extra hug and kiss from me.   

Love and miss yall.  

- RMI Climber Andrew

June 15, 2025 - 8:38 pm PT

Gooooood evening Denali blog followers and welcome back to your personal tell all of mountain news, gossip, and glory. Today, just like the itsy bitsy spider we climbed that spout again. We were gently awoken by our guides at  5:30 and left for a 6:45 start back down the mountain to our cache below. At 10,000 feet we… and by we I mean our relentless guides…  dug out our cache filled with snacks, solar panels, clean clothes, and summit gear. And thank god I was reunited with my cheese. ‘Twas a short jaunt back up to 11,000' Camp where we enjoyed bagels with bacon and honey jalapeño cream cheese. Contrary to yesterday’s blog, the American Canadian peace balance now falls in the hands of the Oilers and Panthers. 

We then got a quick refresher course on how moving up the rest of the mountain will go as we ditch our snow shoes and move into crampons. A few of us gathered in a big circle and traded cheeses of all kinds until we made certain none of us would ever poop again.

Tomorrow we await to see what the weather brings in hope of moving more gear up to the next cache.

I continue to think about and question why a person takes on an effort such as this. Perhaps there’s answers we think the mountain holds, perhaps a bottomless pit of an ego we are trying to fill, the need for contrast from our everyday lives, or maybe it’s just the love of mountains and pushing ourselves to the jagged edge of our capabilities. No matter the reason, it’s an honor to be here with such talented and kind human beings. Sitting here at 11,000 ft our team has no idea what the future holds, to that I raise a toast to my fellow climbers at all stages on Denali… To the mountains we are meant to summit, and the ones we are not, may we enjoy the company, the views, and the climb either way.

I want to say thank you to my parents, I wouldn’t be here without you, and a special shout out to Moose Hockey Alaska, and the 525 bulldogs, YBYSA!

Love,

RMI Climber Mikayla

Hi there!

We left base camp early this morning and made our way to Lobuche high camp. We said goodbye to everyone that made our stay so wonderful.

The trail was crowded with yaks and trekkers but we ducked and dodged and eventually made it back to Gorek shep and then on to Lobuche.

After a quick lunch, we headed uphill to Lobuche high camp! It was a windy day and the forecast looks like the wind will continue for the next few days. We plan to climb tonight and see if we can safely make it to the top and back down.

We’re headed to bed early to try to get some rest before an early wake up.

Two of our teammates that planned to just trek made it safely back to Pheriche where they will wait for us to get down from the climb.

Cross your fingers the wind dies down!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team
 

Monday, June 9, 2025 - 10:21 pm PT

Today was a long day. Around midnight the snow finally stopped and the skies begun to clear. This morning we woke up to lingering clouds, but a few hints of sunshine and finally, a day without snow. After a quick breakfast and hot drinks, we began to shovel out our camp, that had taken a real beating over the last few days of really heavy snowfall. Once we shoveled our camp, we began to pack up the gear we needed for 14,000' Camp, and gather the gear we were going to leave at 11,000' Camp until we came back through. This included snowshoes, one trekking pole, and for everyone besides the guides - the dreaded sleds. We also left behind trash, and food we realized a week in we might not eat in the remaining two weeks. Once our cache was buried and left, we strapped on our crampons and began the slow trek up Motorcycle Hill. It was no easy feat, the trail breaking was close to waist deep in places. We continued our way up Squirrel Hill, across the Polo Fields, and around Windy Corner - which was less windy than a few days ago. And finally made it to the promised land, 14,000' Camp. Greeted by friends and sunshine, it was nice to finally make it to our launching point for the rest of the mountain. We quickly built camp, and eventually enjoyed a late dinner of ramen. The team did great, everyone pushed themselves, and showed up.

Tomorrow we will sleep in and take a well deserved rest day at our new camp.

RMI Guide Nikki Champion