Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Hello again Everyone,

Today we woke to beautiful clear skies and astounding views right out our tea house windows. There are huge mountains in all directions and it’s very surreal being here at 11,000' and seeing just how incredible the Himalayas look in person.

This morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then went on a short hike to access a view point where we could see Everest, Lhotse (4th tallest) and Ama Dablam. Everyone enjoyed the views and spent time taking it all in. We then headed to a nearby mountaineering museum which was also throughly enjoyed.

The team then did a little exploring on our own and eventually met up at the amazing “Eat Smart” cafe where we had fresh juices and a delicious lunch with fresh salads, a rarity in this remote part of the world.

The remainder of our rest day was spent shopping and getting knock-off down pants to keep us comfortable and warm when we get higher in mountains.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the puffy pants crew!

Namaste everyone.

This morning we left our tea house in Phakding and headed up the valley toward Namche Bazaar, which is the central village in this famous valley. We hit the trail just before 8 am along with a few other trekkers. Everyone did really well on the hike, and no one seemed to mind pausing often for the endless mules and Zopkyo’s (cross between a Yak and a cow) carrying loads headed up valley and basecamp as we made our way up the trail. It was moderately busy on the route with trekkers and porters alike, but thankfully the traffic seemed to flow pretty smoothly.

The team crossed a number of high suspension bridges without a problem, and thankfully it was a little breezy which made our hike up the Namche hill pleasant. Overall it was a really enjoyable day as we climbed up to just over 11,300' where Namche sits.

We also were fortunate enough to glimpse Mount Everest far off in the distance on our hike today!!!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp crew

Greetings everyone, 

Today the team left behind the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and have made our way to the beautiful and peaceful Khumbu valley. 

We had an early start to the day (5:30) so we could hopefully catch better weather for flight into the mountains. Thankfully it paid off as we were one of just a few flights that made it to Lukla before the clouds closed the flying routes. We flew via helicopters on the appropriately named “Everest Air”. 

The first day on the trail was pretty quiet and not busy at all, which was a pleasant surprise for all of us. There are no roads here, only a simple trail that leads all the way to Everest Base Camp, and it was mostly downhill today. 

Everyone is doing great and enjoying the fresh mountain air, incredible views, and the simplicity of hiking in the mountains. 

We have just finished dinner and are headed to bed after an enjoyable meal here at our tea house located in the funny sounding village called Phakding. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp Crew

Namaste!

The team finally has arrived after some very long and tiring flights. Everyone is doing well after a well deserved night of rest here at the peaceful and appropriately named Yak & Yeti Hotel. 

We started our day with lots of coffee and a nice big buffet breakfast, then had a team meeting to discuss all the gear and review the details of the adventure that we are about to head out on. After our meeting we headed out on a brief tour of Kathmandu where we visited the beautiful Monkey Temple, and the famous Boudhanath Stupa.

We also celebrated a special someone’s birthday today!!!

It's quite the culture shock visiting this busy city packed with nearly 4 million people. The streets are packed with people, motorcycles, and cars that honk endlessly. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to peace and quietness of the Khumbu where we head tomorrow.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp crew

We did it! Everyone made it to the top (and safely back down) of Pico de Orizaba  - what a day! We climbed for the third time this trip in perfectly calm, bright conditions and then got to watch a storm build from a single wisp of a cloud.

100% on top for all three very difficult mountains is not normal. I wish I could say it’s good guiding but the reality is it’s the character and determination of this crew.

It’s not been smooth sailing, have I see the biggest blister in my guiding career? Yes. Have we depleted the Imodium reserves? Also yes. Did we have not 1 but two pairs of boots break apart in seemingly unfixable ways? Why yes, yes we did. (shout out to duct tape and voile straps)

But it speaks to the resilience of every person on this team. I see in each of these team members an understanding of what it’s like to go to the depths of pain and suffering and move in it and through it with grace. 

As we talked about at the beginning everyone on this trip has a connection to the American Lung Association - we climbed every step for the loved ones we’ve lost, for the hope of something and some cure someday. And in the midst of it all - pain and suffering - we found hope and a belief in ourselves that we could make it through - just one more step, just to the next break. Moment by moment we live in the mountains and in our lives - keeping hope alive for what’s to come no matter how we feel in the now.

Thank you to each of you at home that donated and supported these 8 team members to believe in something bigger than themselves (a world with clean air, a world where there is a cure for all lung diseases) and to have the chance to do something hard along the way.

And thank you to mis Chivos (I know you all are reading this!!) it’s been a trip of a lifetime getting to know each of you, your incredible stories, your compassion and care for each other (and every animal we came across), your willingness to let loose and laugh on playgrounds and your trust in Josh, Allan and I to push you and challenge you in all ways in the mountains.

With so much gratitude,

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

UPDATE: Saturday, March 1, 2025 - 8:52 am PT

We received a quick note from RMI Guide Jess Wedel this morning: 

100% on top. We just walked off the summit of Pico de Orizaba. Beautiful clear day, but snow and clouds are on their way.

They will check in later today when they off the mountain and are back in Tlachichuca.

Congratulations to all the ALA climbers!  Nice work everyone! 

Friday, February 28, 2025 - 5:20 pm 

Checking in from just over 14,000' on the side of Pico de Orizaba!

We said goodbye to cutie Puebla this morning and drove to Servimont (our local outfitter) headquarters. 

We were greeted with big smiles by Dr. Reyes adn team We reshuffled our gear (one duffel to the mountain, and one duffel stays behind), had a delicious lunch and then loaded the 4x4 vehicles for what would be an adventurous drive up to Orizaba base camp. 

Everything was going as smoothly as possible while on the wildest 4x4 road until it wasn't. The steering on hte truck we were in snapped and next thing know we were standing on the side of the road coming up with a new plan. Some of us started walking toward camp and some of us waited for the new truck. It was there before we knew it and we were off. We picked up the walkers along the way and finally made it to base camp. We got the tents set up, dinner cooked and ended with a summit talk about what to expect for the climb.

Everyone is doing well and we are all excited to see what the mountain has to offer tomorrow.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Hola friends and family!

We have a rest day in Puebla - yay! The day started without any alarms and that was something we were all excited about. Everyone leisurely made their way to breakfast sometime after 9:00 am.

We all sat there together reminiscing on the trip so far - our good luck with weather, the challenge of both climbs, how many dogs we’ve accidentally fallen in love with, etc. 

We kept refilling our coffees and green juice; sipping and chatting for nearly two hours. It was a lovely and relaxed time.

But that’s where the relaxing ended for this crew as they opted for a more “active” rest day. Everyone took off to enjoy as much of the city as possible and lead by Vanessa (who had done all her Puebla research) they saw over nine different sights and interesting spots in town. From art galleries to Mezcal tasting to historical sites, they never stopped walking.

It was so fun at dinner to hear about what treasures people found and how we all spent our day.

We quickly marched back to the hotel for some last minute packing before we have an early start tomorrow to Pico de Orizaba.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Today the whole team stood at 17,160 feet on the summit of Ixtaccíhiuatl. It was a near perfect day with sunshine and no wind. 

Even with great weather it was a hard-fought summit on Ixtaccihuatl today. Everyone fighting through a host of maladies trying to hold them back - blisters, rumbling tummies, headaches and more. It will be no surprise to family and friends at home that every single person on this crew has serious GRIT!

One of the most special moments was the sunrise just as we were topping out onto the ridge - right before the final push to the top. It had been a particularly steep and icy stretch getting there. Just when we were all thinking we didn’t know if we could do it - we topped out to the golden glow of dawn. We sat and took it in for a few minutes, the boost we all needed to keep on.

Thirty minutes later, we were all standing on the summit together in perfect daylight.

After a long descent back to our camp, we packed up and continued downhill to the base. We were greeted by the awesome Servimont team with lunch and cheers!

After a little more packing (we’re expert packers now), we loaded the van and took off for real beds and showers in Puebla! As we were driving, the sun set outside our windows over Ixta and it was a perfect end to the day.

As we drove in the van, I heard conversations recalling the huge day and frequent “that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done” which is saying a lot coming from this experienced team.

Tomorrow we’ll have a well-earned rest day exploring the charming and historical city of Puebla. 

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 6:04 am PT

RMI Guide Jess Wedel checked in at 6:04 am PT today to let us know the whole team was on the summit of Ixtaccihuatl at 17,340'.  They will send a blog later today once they descend to the trailhead and make their way to Puebla.  

Way to go team! Congrats!