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.
Jambo from the Arumeru River Lodge. Our last night on the mountain was just what the doctor ordered. Good sleep and plenty of it -at a reasonable altitude. We woke to clear skies and ate breakfast in a forest of giant heather. Afterward, our entire mountain staff regaled us with singing, impressed us with dancing and caught us up in their laughter. We thanked them for their friendship and hard work, shook hands and hit the trail. We descended 4,000 feet down a sometimes slippery trail through the forest. The weather stayed fine and dry, which is not always the case in a rain forest, obviously, but luck was with us (yet again). By midday we'd reached the Mweka Gate and we exited the National Park. Our staff treated us to one final excellent "picnic" lunch before we hit the Tanzanian highways back to Usa River and our lodge. After a week in the mountains, a few of our team expressed the need for showers and so we delayed our celebration dinner to accommodate cleanliness. With a little repacking, reorganizing and relaxing, we're now poised and ready for safari.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Out here in Arusha today it was a little cloudy and sometimes rainy. So we didn't get the high "water tower" view of Kilimanjaro that the Dik Dik hotel is known for, although some of our team ventured about five stories up the steel structure just to check. We had the garden-like grounds of the hotel pretty much to ourselves as we discussed the Kilimanjaro climb and the steps that needed to be taken before departure. We went through gear and clothing and made a few key introductions of personnel from our excellent local staff. Then it was time for getting packed... figuring out what goes on the mountain and what stays at the Dik Dik. This important chore done, the team had ample time to nap, read and recover from endless airporting and frequent flying. We ended the day with some heavier rain showers and a sumptuous dinner. The team was trading laughs and stories as if they'd known each other for years. After about four courses and a couple of toasts, we started wandering off to send last emails and ultimately to hit the sack.
Big day tomorrow, time to walk up a volcano.
Best Regard,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
What a wonderful opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful place. Wishing everyone an exciting and eventful climb. Take lots of pictures. Love you guys.
Posted by: Janet Armentrout on 8/9/2016 at 7:53 am
Thank You Mister Hahn and all the people of your team ! What chance for us to enjoy this climbing . I remember the movie ” The Snows of Kilimanjaro” with Ava Gardner, Susan Hayward and Gregory Peck by Ernest Hemingway ... What beautiful mountain ...! SRECN0—GOOD LUCK
Posted by: Radmila Radovanovic on 8/9/2016 at 4:07 am
Today was a big day for our Aconcagua Team! After loading up our packs with food and supplies for the upper mountain, we set off above Base Camp into the penitente maze separating Base Camp from Camp 1. For those of you in need of a mountaineering glossary, penitentes are chunks of hardened snow molded by the elements into spires, ranging from shin high to-under some conditions-over head high. Negotiating the penitentes, combined with the wind and snow the team encountered at Camp 1, made for a challenging but successful carry day. Spirits are high as we enjoy a potato hash back at Base Camp.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose,
RMI Guides Pepper Dee and JJ Justman
Buenas noches from our camp on Pico de Orizaba!
Today we traveled from Puebla well rested and ready for our next adventure. Arriving in Tlachichuca we rigged for the mountain in the familia Reyes compound, our base of operations. It is always a treat to come here and enjoy the hospitality (and lunch!) of old friends. What a way to start off the climb!
Now we are tucked away in our sleeping bags and off to the night land for a while before launching upward under the moonlight! Wish us suerte!
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Hello!
We're in Namche Bazaar, neurological centre of the Khumbu Region, and capital-of-trading village where Tibetan and Sherpa met with their nomadic goods to exchange.
The journey here is steep, ornamented route that poses some challenges as we start venturing into the thinner air. But we managed it with ease.
Today we had the opportunity to spot, for the first time and among the clouds, the silhouette of the 1st and 4th tallest mountains in the world. We're eager to continue to trek further in and higher up to see more!
That's it for now.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Hey there. It's Eric Frank calling from the North Cascades on our climb. We were able to get up Forbidden Peak two days ago. We walked out of Boston Basin and had a nice rest day in the sun yesterday in Bellingham. Today we are checking in from the north side of Mount Shuksan. We climbed up the Fisher Chimneys Route today, and then depending on what we find in the morning, we may end up climbing the north ridge of Mount Shuksan. Our good weather has gone away for the moment, and we're sitting in a cloud currently. All-in-all things are going really well though. We'll keep you updated tomorrow. Take care.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
RMI Guide Eric Frank calls in from the North Cascades.
Hello from the little Swiss oasis that is Huaraz's Hotel Andino! The Artesonraju team had a full day of acclimating. Early this morning we taxied across the city to a local rock climbing area and snuck in a few pitches before the sun got too hot. By noon we were spent and trekked back into the city to grab some lunch. An afternoon siesta left us refreshed to walk to the city overlook and enjoy the sunset.
We are all packed up and ready to launch into the mountains tomorrow morning. Wish us luck as we embark on this adventure.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
Up early for a crisp and clear day at Shira Camp. Perfect climbing conditions all day long. Kibo, Kilimanjaro's main peak towering over us during the 2,500-foot climb to well over 14,000 feet . A nice gentle grade up to our high point for the trip, then down, down, down, down the Barranco Valley where we are for the night. Glaciers, tall cliffs, giant ice runnels are the view from camp. Pictures at sunset are going to be awesome.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
We'll folks... This is JJ Justman and our Aconcagua team reporting from Camp 1 at 16,400 feet. We are moving in! This dispatch will be brief as there is much work to be done. However, everyone is doing great and we are the only team up here!! We are going to get busy recovering. I believe some hot soup and extra cheesy quesadillas are in order! Tonight...pizza!! Shhh...don't tell the team, it's a surprise.
RMI Guides JJ Justman & JM Gorum
Congratulations to all! Have a safe descent! Can’t wait to see pictures!
Posted by: Christina on 8/9/2018 at 2:18 pm
Congratulates! Another summit down and many more to conquer. Have a safe descent.
Posted by: Jeff & Barbara Jones on 8/9/2018 at 1:35 pm
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