Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Hello again everyone! 

It was another beautiful day here in Cusco Peru. The team spent the morning visiting several more interesting Incan archaeological site above the city with massive stone structures and panoramic views of the valley.

We then headed to the old town and visit the Sun Temple and then made to the beautiful basilica that sit in the main square of Cusco.

It was another busy day and the team spent the remainder of the day packing up and then headed out for one more fantastic Peruvian fusion dinner.

It’s off to bed we go as tomorrow we head out early for the start of our Trek!!!

RMI Guides Casey Grom, Jess Wedel and the Inca crew

Tuesday, August 6, 2024 - 8:09 am PT

Today was the first day of our safari following a well-deserved night of sleep. Our drive to Lake Manyara offered up the sights of Arusha and the Masai land the lie between the Park and our hotel. Life and commerce is just so different from what we have at home. So much more personal and social. So much happens on the street. 

Our safari guides, Jafari and Comfort, are huge reservoirs of information and ready to speak on just about anything. But of course, they shine when they speak of the flora and fauna we're seeing. 

Jafari indicated up front that the rains and flooding of winter and spring have led some animals to leave Lake Manyara National Park, and have forced the closure of some roads elsewhere, but that didn't keep us from being entertained by baboons and elephants, up close and personal. (Have you ever heard an elephant pass gas? A first for me!). Monkeys, cool birds, more elephants and an excellent lunch followed. And now we're at our hotel, the Plantation Lodge. Check it out. It's wonderful!  So nice to be able to relax in perfect weather at this amazing lodge.

Truth be told, I'm writing this from a comfy chair poolside where Jeff, Alan and Kevin just stopped by after their run. 

Next up: an early start for the Ngorongoro Crater, which is truly a wonder of the world for the wildlife that calls the crater home. We're psyched!

RMI Guide Brent Okita

The six day Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise August 1 - 6 led by RMI Guide Jackson Breen has enjoyed beautiful weather for their week of training, climbing and camping on Mt. Rainier. Yesterday, after several days of practicing anchors, crevasse rescue, glacier travel and snow camping the team packed up gear and ascended to Camp Muir. Today the teams left Camp Muir with an early alpine start and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 5:30 am.  They enjoyed an hour in the crater before starting their descent back to Camp Muir. The team will continue down to Paradise later today and conclude their adventure with a celebration of their accomplisments. 

Nice work team!  We hope you enjoyed your time on the mountain.

The Four Day Climb August 3 - 6 led by RMI Guides Steve Gately, George Hedreen and Robert Whyte reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 5:30 am PT today.  The team enjoyed some time in the crater before starting their descent. They are currenly making their way back to Camp Muir. After a short break, they will pack up and continue another 4.5 miles to Paradise. Their program concludes today with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

RMI Guide Seth Burns and team checked in from the summit of Mt. Shuksan this morning.  It looks like they had a beautiful blue bird sky and excellent conditions for their climb of Fisher Chimneys. They will descend back to camp and continue to the trail head later today to complete their adventure.

Nice work team!

Greetings from Peru everyone.

Today the team started our day with a nice hearty breakfast full of fresh baked bread, local jams, fresh fruit, eggs and an assortment of cheese. Happily washed down with more coffee than most of us needed.

We then boarded our awaiting bus and headed into the surrounding mountains and made our way the beautiful Sacred Valley to visit several massive Inca archeological sites. The first stop was to Ollantaytambo, an ancient Fortress with massive stonework, cobblestone roads and massive terraces used for farming. It was incredibly impressive learning about the area and that all the of massive stones were only moved by hand. We then continued up the Sacred Valley to visit Pisac which is another large and beautiful Incan archaeological site that was equally as impressive. After exploring for a while we made our way back to a nearby local market for some lunch and a little shopping.

It was long but wonderful experience and we wrapped up the evening with another delicious Peruvian meal not far from our hotel. Everyone is doing great and excited for what tomorrow will bring.

RMI Guides Casey, Jess and the Machu Picchu crew!

PC: Jess Wedel

Monday, August 5, 2024 - 7:47 PM PT

After a slippery walk down from Mweka Camp we made it to the Mweka Gate in good shape. Legs were feeling the 13,000' descent of the past two days but smiles were broad as we knew we had done it.

A celebratory lunch and fun farewell festivities with our mountain crew closed out this wonderful climb. Riding back to the hotel thought of a shower was not the only thing on the team's mind as I know I wasn't the only one thinking back on our time on the mountain. 

After we exhausted the hotel of all its hot water washing off layers of dust from our bodies, we enjoyed a dinner celebration to recognize our huge accomplishment. Yes, we climbed a big mountain but more, we had an incredible experience where we made new friends, shared time with folks from a very different culture and maybe even learned a little something about ourselves too.

Then we headed to the soft, cushy bed our tired bodies craved after a week of sleeping on a 1" pad. What luxury!

And now... another beginning: the safari!

RMI Guide Brent Okita

Monday, August 5, 2024 - 5:25 pm PT

It was an early start but not an early exit as we left La Paz this morning.  A gasoline shortage in Bolivia left us scrambling to find a spot to fill up our van as we headed to Isla del Sol.  After several hours of navigating La Paz and El Alto traffic we finally made it to the highlands with views of the Condoriri mountains and Huayna Potosi.  A quick ferry and a failed short cut down a dirt road eventually led us back to the standard route through the town of Copacabana which sits right on Lake Titicaca. Yet another curve ball was thrown our way as a fiesta in the town for the Bolivian independence day shut down our route to the boat that was awaiting us to bring us to the island.  After several detours and side roads we finally made it to our private boat that would bring us to the Island of the Sun. 

Isle del Sol is a special island for the Andean people as it is the center of creation for them.  On our walk from the boat to the Eco Lodge we passed by a pre-Incan Temple, and terraces built in the 1300's for farming.  The island itself does not have cars and provides spectacular views of 6,000m peaks that we'll be heading to shortly.  It is also a perfect place for us to acclimatize at 13,000' and enjoy the laid back island life compared to the hustle and bustle of La Paz. After an excellent dinner of fresh caught trout from the lake and local beef we are settling in for bed. As I write this we are being treated to views of a massive lightning storm over the mountains, feeling thankful to be here in our comfortable casitas and headed towards the high peaks in a few days when the weather is forecasted to improve. 

RMI Guide Andy Bond

PC: Andy Bond

The Four Day Climb August 2 - 5 led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Josh Geiser reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The teams enjoyed a bit of time in the crater before starting their descent from the crater rim aroun 7 am.  Dave reported sunny skies and a steady SW wind of 30 mph. The teams are on their descent to Camp Muir.  Once back at camp, they will pack up and continue another 4,500' down to Paradise.  There program concludes this afternoon with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Hello everybody back home!

You’ll be glad to know all of your loved ones have safely arrived in Cusco.

We spent the day getting settled in at 11,152 feet. Yes, you read that correctly, 11,000 feet! Cusco is located high in the Peruvian Andes. We were welcomed to town by a parade of people — dancing through the streets in vibrant costumes to the beat of drums, trombones, flutes and more.

Everyone has remarked on how colorful and alive this city is and we are all looking forward to learning more of the culture and history in the next couple days before we begin our trek. After a team meeting, we headed out for our first team dinner. Peru is known for their food and so far it hasn’t disappointed. 

We’re all back at the hotel now, ready for a good night’s sleep after long travel days. Tomorrow we head to the Sacred Valley.

RMI Guides Jess, Casey and team