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RMI Guide Mike King and the Mexico's Volcanoes team reached the summit of Ixtaccihuatl (17,340') early this morning. Mike reported a clear and windy day with many climbers on the route. The team left early from their High Camp and their reward was enjoying the sunrise from the summit. We will get a full report from Mike once the team has descended.
Congratulations team!
Posted by: Tyler Jones, Zeb Blais
Categories: Guide News
RMI: That night you left Camp Muir with the intention of skiing Liberty Ridge. Were you able to ski that line?
Zeb Blais: The key to skiing big exposed lines is always the snow conditions. When you're looking at skiing a line like Liberty [Ridge] you can only know what the conditions are like when you get there. We were hoping that the north and northeast facing snow would be chalky, smooth, and wind packed, but when we looked at the entrance to Liberty it was clear that it wasn't going to be skiable. The Liberty Ridge Route looked like mid-summer, maybe good for ice climbing, but certainly not skiable. The Liberty Cap Glacier was down to blue ice with lumps of rime glued to it, which I imagine is fairly common since it is so steep, but the skiing below looked the same. Rappelling the Liberty Cap Glacier and skiing the rest of the line did not look like an inviting option.
RMI: What did you end up skiing instead?
Zeb Blais: After realizing that Liberty was not suitable, we turned our focus to the Mowich Face - an amazing, steep face on the northwest side of the mountain. This looked tempting at first, but it was heavily rimed with blobs of water ice. It was not a place to be on skis! We retreated back to the ridge above and decided we needed to focus on warmer, spring like-snow. We decided on the Sickle, a west-facing chute on the Tahoma Glacier. The snow in the Sickle was prime for skiing!
Tyler Jones: On our ski we had nice soft spring snow down to 8,500 feet. From there we were able traverse to our objective for the next day: Success Ridge between the South Tahoma Glacier and the Success Glacier. We spent the night on the ridge, getting some well-deserved sleep, with the magnificent 4,000-foot Success Glacier Couloir above us waiting to be skied. The conditions on the Success Glacier were superb. The snow was firm for climbing and soft for skiing. After the amazing fall line decent, we continued traversing to [the trailhead at] Paradise. As we hit the Nisqually Glacier we added more vertical to our trip and finished at the Nisqually Bridge. In total Zeb and I traveled 24 miles, gaining 19,000 feet and skiing 21,000 feet in 3 days.
RMI: How does being a Guide help prepare you for trips like this?
Tyler Jones: Being a guide helps to develop your intuitive mountain sense, which is very important for making good decisions in the mountains. It is that gut feeling that can make all the difference.
Zeb Blais: Guiding also gives me a good base-line fitness for doing long days in the mountains. Mountaineering is a unique sport that requires specific techniques and fitness to be efficient. The more you do it the better you get!
RMI: What was your favorite part of this ski trip?
Tyler Jones: My favorite part of this trip was seeing a few new places, skiing a new run, and enjoying the views of the Tahoma Glacier from Sunset Ridge.
Zeb Blais: A huge part of the trip was sharing it with Tyler. Moving in the mountains with a partner who you enjoy and trust makes all the difference. There are thousands of big and small decisions to be made when doing a trip like this, from what gear to bring to what line to ski to 'do we go left here or right?' Making these choices and learning from other experienced climbers or guides is always something I enjoy.
Can't forget skiing! Maybe I should have said this first, but the skiing was awesome! Steep, exposed skiing with great snow is one of the most exhilarating things a person can do.
RMI: What adventures do you have planned next?
Zeb Blais: I am guiding a mountaineering trip on Shasta at the end of the month, and then I'll be back on Rainier for the climbing season with a Denali West Buttress trip at the end of June.
Tyler Jones: I am guiding a Denali trip in June. After that I am planning on flying back onto the mountain for a ski trip with my fiancé Laura. After that I will return to guiding on Rainier and the Grand Teton. Then, I am getting married in September!
Great trip guys! Serious vertical.
Zeb let me know if you’re still trying to unload those Spatniks. This is Steve, the splitboarder in Spatniks. We chatted on the way up Ellery Bowl back in April.
get me at stevebrezovec at the jeeeeeeemail dot com
Posted by: Stevee B on 6/19/2013 at 5:50 pm
Hello everyone!
Right out of camp we were faced with the only significant technical obstacle for this climb. This hurdle is the great Barranco Wall, which rises about 1,000 ft and looks as intimidating as it sounds. Thankfully there is a nice narrow trail that weaves its way up and through the wall and all the way to the top. Most of it feels more like steep hiking, but there are a few places that require the use of our hands to help us climb up.
The team did a good job of moving steady and allowing a few porters through with their loads precariously balanced on their heads. Which was astonishing to see!
After reaching the top we took a nice break and enjoyed the amazing views of the ice-ladened south face and valleys below. The team continued our hike for a few more hours up and down through a few valleys before reaching today’s endpoint.
All in all, it took only about 4 hours for us to reach our next camp called Karanga, named for the big and beautiful valley which it overlooks.
Casey and crew
You’re reaching new heights of both the mountain *and* your life. Way to go, and keep those steps humming!
Posted by: Gloyboy on 9/3/2022 at 5:17 am
Congratulations on scaling Barranco wall! Continued prayers for all the crew.
Posted by: Elaine on 9/2/2022 at 2:25 pm
Posted by: Joe Horiskey
Categories: 50 Years of Climbing
August 25th, 1967 - Joe Horiskey, age 16, on the Mt. Rainier summit. Mt. St. Helens, pre-1980 eruption, in the background.
Occasionally over the years I have wondered if I blocked our descent from memory; was it that much an ordeal?! I recall very little, other than being incredibly thirsty. In retrospect, we took some wrong turns on the DC (Disappointment Cleaver), which necessitated backtracking uphill (killer). At Muir we were plied with Kool-Aid. The descent to Paradise took forever, but at the parking lot I was one happy, exhausted 16-year-old.
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1968 - Jim Whittaker, Joe Horiskey, and Lou Whittaker on Mt. Rainier. Joe's first year working for the guide service, which became RMI the following year.
I didn’t play organized sports in high school; I grew up with parents who hated camping (but enjoyed road trips and appreciated National Parks); to suggest I wasn’t particularly studious is a gross understatement; but I had just discovered something I loved, that would stay with me for the rest of my life: climbing. Over the next winter I bothered Lou incessantly about becoming an Apprentice Guide (I even applied for work at Paradise Inn, but evidently lacked a requisite talent). At some point (maybe just to put me off), Lou and/or John Anderson said to show up at Paradise in June, and see if there was work. I did; there was; and, there still is!
RMI Guide Joe Horiskey
Great story and still kicking it after all these years. Really cool that you still have the picture of your first summit. You and Link were the guides on my first RMI climb in ‘85. Still my best memory. Congratulations and thanks for helping me and others with that accomplishment. Trace Leffler.
Posted by: Trace Leffler on 10/29/2019 at 7:33 am
How is it that I’ve known you for some 40+ years, worked with you at RMI for 17 years and still have never heard this account of your first ascent of Rainier. It’s so you!
(Great seeing you a couple of days ago). Carry on, my friend.
Posted by: Jan Parcher on 6/4/2019 at 10:03 pm
Posted by: Lindsay Mann
Categories: Guide News Guide Grant
Posted by: James Bealer, Roland Scott, Michael Murray, Bryan Mazaika, Dominic Cifelli, Evan Sather
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides James Bealer and Bryan Mazaika led their Five Day Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams reached the crater rim at 6:15 am. It's a beautiful day with blue sky and no winds. After taking in the views and getting all the photos the team started their descent. They will return to Camp Muir, pack their gear and continue the remaining 4.5 miles back to Paradise. We look forward to greeting them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon where they will celebrate their efforts and good fortune before completing their program.
Posted by: James Bealer, Luke Wilhelm, David Price
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,300'
We huffed and puffed our way up to Camp 2 today, which sits at 18,300 feet. The team did a great job with the move! Arriving at camp this afternoon, everyone felt a major sense of accomplishment. Ear to ear smiles, and hugs all around! Our hard work today will be rewarded with a much deserved day of rest tomorrow. We have now situated ourselves perfectly for a summit attempt in the coming days.
Till next time,
RMI Guide Luke Wilhelm and team
I have wonder and excitement for you on what it must feel like for this to be accomplished. What a life changing event for you. I am so excited for you all. Keep going! Love you Tim!
Teri
Posted by: Teri Derr on 2/1/2022 at 8:43 am
Richie, you da man! I’m super proud of you for pursing your life passions and adventuring to new epic heights. I’ve been reading the blogs and it sounds like you’re surrounded by amazing human beings with enormous hearts. Keep blazing upward! GO TEAM!!!
Posted by: Joey Collazo on 2/1/2022 at 5:55 am
Sunday, December 5, 2021 - 8:26 pm PT
We were back to high camp at 10:45 PM for a round trip time of just under 13 hours. Pretty normal for Vinson. Great views, fine weather. We had dinner back in camp and ran stoves forever to melt snow for water. Now 1:30 AM, the end of another long but magnificent day.
Awesome Dave!!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 12/7/2021 at 3:28 am
Posted by: Andy Bond, Dustin Wittmier, Devin Guffey, Kiira Antenucci, Nathan Delmar, David Shuer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Today's Mt. Rainier teams reached the summit at 6:00 a.m. They reported windy conditions with clear skies. The teams began their descent back to Camp Muir at 7:08 a.m. where they will pack up the rest of their gear and continue down to Paradise.
Congratulations to the summit teams!
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jeff Martin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Northside
Elevation: 18,510'
On The Map
Well done Johann & all the team.
Posted by: Jackie Melllo on 8/14/2014 at 4:03 am
Job well done Jessie and Team!!!!
Posted by: Len and Cathy Gagliardi on 8/13/2014 at 6:41 am
Awesome Mike! Congrats to You and the Team!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 11/11/2021 at 2:47 am
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