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Saint Petersburg!!! We traveled all day and have finally arrived in one of the most beautiful cities of Europe. Things went relatively smooth despite two van rides and two flights. We got checked into the hotel here and then ran out for a quick dinner followed by a short but scenic stroll. Everyone is very excited to explore and see this city tomorrow. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons Team led by RMI Guide Geoff Schellens reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Geoff and team had a great day of climbing with warm temps and clear skies. The team will spend the remaining time on the mountain training before returning to Rainier Basecamp tomorrow afternoon. Congratulations to today's team!

Hello everyone. All is well here in Moscow. Most of the team arrived yesterday evening after some very long flights. As most of us are still adjusting to the massive time change we keep things simple with a little round of introductions and stepped out for a short walk and a nice dinner. Today we meet with our local tour guide and had an outstanding tour of the nearby Red Square, Kremlin as well as visiting several churches including the iconic St. Basil's. We took a short break and then headed out once again for dinner and a nice walk. Everyone is doing great and looking forward to heading to the mountains tomorrow. That's all for now. RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Hey, down there! I have a whole bunch of people on the summit of Kilimanjaro! Beautiful conditions. The team is fantastic. Had a blast; wish you were there. We're going to go ahead and start making our way the other direction. Port of call: Mweka Camp tonight. Thanks for checking in. We'll be talking later. RMI Guide Mark Tucker

On The Map

Monday, July 4, 2016 - 10:35 p.m. PDT Good evening from Huaraz, We descended this morning from Ishinca Base Camp, and by early afternoon, we arrived at the trailhead of Pashpa. After unloading the donkeys and loading the bus, a one hour drive took us back to our hotel in Huaraz. Early tomorrow morning we'll depart for the trail head of Vicos, towards Copa Base Camp. The climbing team is doing well and motivated for the upcoming objective, a Denali sized mountain on a range with more than 100 peaks of that height! We'll be checking in from our camps in the upcoming days. Regards, RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos and team

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons team just called from the summit! All is well with them and they are beginning their descent. The lead guide, Christina Dale, said the team has enjoyed their week on Mt. Rainier with many skills learned and to top it off, a summit on the highest peak in Washington! They will be descending off the mountain tomorrow and working their way back to Rainier Basecamp to cap off their week with a celebration here in Ashford.

This morning we awoke to steady rain in Quito. Despite the conditions and the midnight fireworks disrupting slumber, the team rallied in the lobby of Hotel Mercure excited for our first acclimatization trek up Rucu Pinchincha (15,700ft). As we loaded up on coffee and croissants the rain began to taper to a drizzle and we embarked on a short taxi ride to the Teleferico, a gondola that carried us high above the city to 13,000 feet. We began our trek towards the summit with a light rain and snow mix and good visibility. We may not have had bluebird skies but we did get the unique experience of undercast clouds wafting in out of the peaks around Quito. The team cruised the rolling alpine meadow ridge that makes up the first half of the climb, showing their prowess at the high elevation by chatting the whole way. We stopped to take a break just before the route changes character and shifts to steeper, rockier traversing leading around the spiny pinnacle to a saddle just before the final ridge scramble. As we entered this more challenging terrain we encountered snow that had managed to accumulate, a rare occurrence on Pinchincha. As we continued the snow deepened to about 6”, increasing the challenge of the already demanding terrain. The team took these obstacles in stride and made it to the saddle just shy of 15,300’ in style. We decided to make this our high point having accomplished our goal of acclimatization and not wanting to risk the decreased friction on the third-class scramble to the summit. The wet snow and muddy ground demanded our attention on the descent, but we made it back to the Teleferico in good time with only a few muddy hands and backsides. After some much deserved rest we’re off to explore the local cuisine of Quito. Tomorrow will take us up Cerro Fuya Fuya for another round of acclimatization then our first big one, Cayambe! RMI Guide Jordan Cargill

The team is wrapping up a successful rest day here at Aconcagua Camp 1, 16,400'. The guides know it was successful because while we know the team was restless and at times lacking for entertainment, no one came over and told us so. Light winds in camp after a gusty night, which left several people sleepless until the calm and warmth of the early afternoon. We took the opportunity to send down trash and items carried up but deemed 'not necessary' for the climb with Mauricio, our Argentine guide. Tonight we will dine on mashed potatoes and cheese burritos while we discuss the weather report and the expedition itinerary. Right now there is a weather window 1/11-13 with light summit winds when compared to days previous. The team continues to stay strong with good appetites and getting sleep where they can!  The evenings have provided spectacular heat lightning across the Vacas Valley as clouds build and are held at bay. We might move up to Camp 2 tomorrow or burn a weather day depending on the wind. Regardless, thanks for following along and eat some fried chicken for us, preferably a Bojangles Cajun Fillet Chicken Biscuit with egg and cheese for those south of the Mason-Dixon Line. RMI Guide Mike King

Hello Everyone!! Happy 4th of July from Russia! Our team had a great first day in Moscow. We took in the sights and visited some of the great historical places of this great city. Have a glance at the video to see what you are missing! Tomorrow, we fly to get a little closer to Mount Elbrus…Stay Tuned! RMI Guide JJ Justman

We enjoyed an amazingly perfect day on our first push above Aconcagua Basecamp. Despite the good weather our loads were big and the route up to Camp 1 was quite different than in years past. Lots of penitentes (tall, spiky snow features) made for difficult walking at times and a new route across the glacial remnant below the final scree slopes into camp. Despite these challenges our team remained true to form and moved extremely well ultimately putting in a big cache of gear, food, and fuel at over 16,000'. We are resting/acclimatizing tomorrow in basecamp before we head out on the upper mountain for good. All is well here in Plaza Argentina and the team is looking forward to the coming days. Talk tomorrow, RMI Guide Billy Nugent