Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Hello!

Today we had another great day exploring Cusco city. We started at the Temple of the Sun and then headed above the city to Sacsayhuamán! The quality of the stone work tells you the importance of a site and it was exquisite.

After, we headed back down into Cusco proper where there was a huge parade happening in the town square. Music, dancing and lots of colors! A sight to see. We got to explore one of the main cathedrals in the city square before lunch.

We had the afternoon to pack and do some last minute shopping before we hit the trail tomorrow.

We’re all headed to bed for a very early wake up and very much looking forward to starting our trek.

RMI Guide Jess and the Machu Picchu Crew

It's been a whirlwind of a last couple of days for us,

Once we arrived at basecamp of Illimani and saw the conditions up close, we realized how icy, firm and steep conditions were on the route.  Our local IFMGA guide Javier who has been guiding in Bolivia since 1982 said it was the worst conditions he's ever seen.  Climbing Illimani is a serious undertaking that has taken the lives of numerous climbers over the years.  With the conditions we were faced with, it was clear then that the risks associated with making a summit attempt were simply too high, and that Illimani would have to wait.

We decided as a group to not attempt the climb but take the next day to all climb to high camp at 17,800' (called the Condor's Nest). On our hike up the rocky ridge, we were graced by a rare sighting of an Andean Condor overhead. We enjoyed another beautiful night in basecamp next a peaceful creek, where llamas grazed in the fields around our tents.  

The next day we made the long trip back on the windy dirt roads to La Paz where we enjoyed some really good pizza and not so good beer (unless you like sours).  With the program drawing to a close a day early, it gave people an extra day to explore everything Bolivia had to offer.  Most of our time here had been spent in the high mountains and the highlands that are typically over 14,500'.  Yesterday we made the long descent some 3500m down into the rainforest and jungle on the eastern side of Bolivia, where we wound up at a wildlife refuge. Breathing the thick heavy air at 4000' and lush green jungle and coca farms it felt like we had entered a different country.  

Although we weren't able to summit our last peak, the group was able to climb Pequeno Alpamayo and Huayna Potosi, which are two impressive peaks in one of the most underrated parts of the Andes. Bolivia is home to some of the most amazing mountains and friendliest most welcoming people.  It was great to be back here after 5 years and to share it with such a great group of people.  We're looking forward to returning to Bolivia in 2025!

RMI Guides Henry and Andy

Today was big in every way.  We woke at 11 last night and got climbing at midnight, as planned.  It was a beautiful night with a big moon and not much wind. There were plenty of other climbing teams on the move at the same time. It looked like a big Christmas parade with all the headlights.  Thomas, our lead guide, did a wonderful job weaving our team through the traffic on the route. 

It was progressively colder as we got higher and closer to dawn, so of course we were interested in keeping moving.  We took short rest breaks to add more clothing and to take in food and water.  It was still dark as we hit Stella Point on the crater rim a few minutes after 6 AM, but the sunrise was imminent. We enjoyed the victory lap along the rim over to Uhuru (the true summit) as morning broke.

The team hit Uhuru at 7:05 AM. We took pictures and gazed around in wonder from the continental high point. By 7:30 we were headed down.  About three hours later, we were back in Barafu being serenaded by our staff as they sang a few traditional Kilimanjaro songs. We repacked and ate a great lunch before taking on one of the bigger challenges of the day - dropping another 5,000 vertical feet to reach Mweka Camp.

It would be a rough hike on fresh legs, which ours were not. But by 5 PM, we'd all made it. Life is considerably easier way down here at 10K.Especially with the excellent dinner our team put together. Quality sleep is next.

Best Regards, Dave

Did you know that the Andes are the longest mountain range in the world? Stretching from southern Colombia all the way to the southernmost point of the continent in Tierra del Fuego.

Or that Peru has 84 out of the 113 different climates found in the world?

Or that the potato was originated in Peru? And there are over 4,000 species of potatoes here!

Did you know there was at least 6,000 years of development prior to the Inca reign and many of the terraces date back to 4,000bc?

Today was an awesome day learning about ancient civilizations to current day Peruvians.

We were led by an awesome guide, Cristian, that graciously shared about religion, agriculture, politics, history and answered our millions of questions while touring the Sacred Valley.

We took it at all in like sponges and there were so many moments of awe - how in the world could they have gotten boulders this large, this high? And so perfectly slotted together?

The Andes are the most rugged set of mountains you could ever find - but instead of seeing these mountains has obstacles the Peruvians and the Inca turned them into possibilities. By building cascades of terraces, from the bottom of the valley to the summit. Building canals for water and over 10,000 miles of trails connecting to each other.

These sights were amazing to see but the best part of the day was the wealth of knowledge and openness from Cristian to share the culture of his ancestors with us.

Jess and the Team

Hola!

Everyone has arrived in Cusco with all our duffels. We’ll take that as a win and a good way to start off this incredible adventure.

We met together as a team this evening, sharing about all the different ways we found ourselves in Peru - one group celebrating a big birthday, an anniversary and others because this has always been on their bucket list.

No matter what  — we all left families, friends and big, full lives to spend nearly two weeks stepping out of our comfort zones. Trekking through revered mountains and learning the rich history of the Incas from Cusco to the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu.

It’s going to be a challenging and epic experience but first, first we need sleep!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Machu Picchu Crew

Barafu. High Camp, 15,200 ft, poised for the summit push.  We are into some nice weather now.  It was calm and clear and not all that cold this morning at Karanga Camp.  After another of chef Tosha’s wonderful mountain breakfasts, we set out for high camp.  Naiman led the way today, taking us up broad and easy terrain for the first hour or so.  Above 14,000 ft the trail got a little more rocky and narrow in places but it wasn’t giving our seasoned team any real trouble.  We took a couple of long and lazy rest breaks today so that our staff of porters and camp builders could get out ahead.  Even so, we were walking into Barafu by 11 AM.  This gave plenty of time for resting and rehydrating and strategizing for tonight’s climb. 

It’ll be an early dinner and then early to bed for this team.  We hope to launch for the summit at midnight.  All systems are go. 
 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

The Five Day Climb led by RMI Guides Same Marjerison and Nick Sinapius turned at 13,100' on their summit attempt of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team climbed into a cloud camp with low visibility and unstable weather. They are back at Camp Muir and will descend to Paradise soon.

We took on the Great Barranco Wall today. It was a wonderfully clear night and calm clear morning at Barranco Camp. We got all ready for some rock scrambling and set out behind Thomas - our lead guide - at 8 AM. Naturally, everyone else in Barranco Camp took off at the same time. Before long we were rubbing shoulders with an extremely diverse mix of climbers and porters as we reached for lava holds and footholds connecting the various ledges. Inevitably, there were some traffic jams and bottlenecks at the spicier features of the route. We were patient and eventually we were through the crowds and moving well.

Our staff beat us to the top of the wall and had a table set with tea and snacks when we topped out. Since Karanga Camp wasn’t so far away, we lingered at the top of the wall, people watching and mountain gazing.  We used the final hours of today’s journey to practice some efficient techniques for our hill climbing. By 2 PM we were eating lunch in another perfectly constructed camp - Karanga at 13,200 ft. We rested and ate our way through the afternoon. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

We were in clouds from daybreak at Shira Camp today. We could still see Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s central peak, from time to time but mostly we saw clouds and more clouds. It was not necessarily bad for walking though. We got on the trail just before 8 AM and walked up gently inclined slopes toward Kibo. The trail was much less steep than yesterday’s workout, but we still gained altitude steadily. By noon we’d reached our intended high point for the day, 15,200 ft at the base of the “Lava Tower” we were denied the big views as the clouds were particularly thick and a little cool there.  That did not stop us from enjoying a picnic lunch provided by our amazing kitchen staff.

We were certainly ready to get lower, so we followed Omar down the steep track leading to the Barranco Valley. Omar is one of our five local guides. Yesterday we followed Happyson and the day before that Godlove. It didn’t take the team long to go from the “Alpine Desert” vegetative zone to the Moorland. We came down into a garden of Giant Senecios and Lobelias. Dropping to 13,000 ft we rolled into Barranco Camp at about 2:30 PM. Eventually the clouds parted to reveal Kibo with its hanging glaciers and ice fields as well as the Great Barranco Wall -our challenge for tomorrow morning. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Dominic Cifelli and Jackson Breen reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning and were walking off the crater rim at 6 am PDT. Dominc reported clear skies above 7,000' feet, and no wind. The team is making their way back to Camp Muir and will be back at Rainier Basecamp to celebrate this afternoon.

Congratulations Team!