Entries from Expedition Dispatches

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!

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Today was a huge day of logistics, travel and climbing uphill to Ixta high camp!

We started early knowing we had a few hours in the car. We said goodbye to our friends at La Malintzi (especially all our new sweet dog friends) and hit the road.

Clear skies prevailed and we had views of Ixta and Popo all day. When we were almost to the national park, we noticed plumes of clouds coming off Popo! So cool to see an active volcano.

We got to the base of Ixta, repacked our bags for the climb and started hiking. With heavy packs and over 12,000ft it was tough walking. Everyone did great and we made it to high camp in three hours. 

After an early dinner, we laid down in our tents as soon as we could knowing that the alarms would go off sooner rather than later - Ixta summit here we come!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team

Monday, February 24, 2025

Malinche day! And Melissa’s birthday!

Well, well, well we had another wonderful day in the mountains. 100% of the team made it to the top of Malinche and we were rewarded with amazing views.

It’s rained every afternoon since we’ve been here so we got an early start on the trail. We were sent off in the dark by a pack of friendly doggos. The trail went up and up through majestic trees and eventually we saw the pink of the sunrise peaking through the canopy. We continued on and before we knew it we could see the ridgeline of Malinche.

The views were amazing - Orizaba shining bright to our left and Ixta and Popo on our right. The skies were clear but there’s been some recent snow so we took our time through steep icy rocks just before the summit.

We celebrated with team photos and enjoyed the moment up there before we headed back down to La Malintzi for the night. 

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser and Los Chivos

P.S. ONE FINAL FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS TO OUR GIRL MELISSA!

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Hello!

This morning, we woke up, ate breakfast and shuffled our duffels back down to the lobby. After a few hours on the road, we arrived at La Malintzi, a beautiful resort nestled at the base of La Malinche. It was a bustling Sunday afternoon, filled with hikers and campers enjoying the outdoors.

We stepped out of the van and took a leisurely stroll on the trail. We desperately needed to stretch our legs and breathe in the fresh, invigorating air. As the weekend traffic cleared, we found ourselves playing like carefree children on the playground. We bounced up and down on the teeter totters, laughing and laughing. It’s always good to let loose and be silly!

After checking in to our cozy cabins for the night, we headed to dinner. Since we were one of the only groups left at La Malintzi, we enjoyed a leisurely meal with soup, the most incredible guacamole we’ve ever tasted, rice, tortillas, and carnes asados. The food kept coming out to the table, and we couldn’t get enough.

With our bellies full and our spirits high, we are all settled in to sleep, preparing for our early morning adventure to climb Malinche.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Josh Geiser, and Los Chivos

Hola from Ciudad de Mexico!

The American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air is off to an exciting start - the team has been arriving over the last few days and I am happy to report that everyone made it.

We spent the day exploring this vibrant city, enjoying endless tacos al pastor and some of us even ventured to the Frida Kahlo museum. 

Tonight we had our first official team meeting. We talked about the itinerary, gear, but the most important part was hearing about all the reasons why this trip matters so much - raising funds and awareness for the American Lung Association and climbing mountains while doing it. The connections to the cause all stem from love, from grief but the team is all united by a need to do something.

One thing is for certain, it’s going to be a special climb with a really special group of people.

Tonight, we sleep with the sounds of the city outside our windows, knowing tomorrow we’re off to our first of three mountains - La Malinche.

RMI Guides Jess, Josh and “LOS CHIVOS” 

Monday, February 18, 2025, 5:19 PM PT

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen we are starting our final approach into Mendoza. We should be on the ground in about 25 mins. Current weather is light winds out of the east, mostly clear skies and a temperature of 29 Celsius. We thank you for coming along on Aconcagua 2025 and have a good day. Ladies and gentlemen that ding means that we have started our descent into Mendoza. At this time we ask you to bring your seats and tray tables to their upright and locked positions. We will be through the cabin one last time to pick up any unwanted items. We also have a great offer for you today. If you call RMI today with a valid credit card we can set up a trip to most parts of the world. So hopefully you will call and take this great offer. Once again we should be landing in just about 25 mins. Congratulations to Ben, Hannah, Yev and Jim for summiting on Valentine's Day.

RMI Climber Nick Hanson

Two Days After the Conquest of Mount Doom:

The morning after a thrilling evening at base camp, where Yev and Jim engaged in an epic battle of Farkle (which ended conclusively in a tie), we embarked on a new challenge. Our weary legs carried us on a 17-mile trek through the beautiful Relinchos Valley and Vacas Valley, winding our way to our next camp at Pampa de Las Leñas.

As we traversed through the two valleys, we crossed rivers by foot and marveled at the majestic peak of Aconcagua as it was slowly obscured from view. Then, quite unexpectedly, we stumbled upon the fabled Fountain of Youth! This natural spring bubbled with crystal-clear water, inviting us to partake in its rejuvenating properties. We solved a mystery that has plagued explorers and adventurers for thousands of years. The fountain of youth is precisely located at coordinates 32.6439307 South, 69.8435342 West.

As we settle into our camp at Pampa de Las Leñas, we can't help but feel grateful for this incredible journey. Yev has conquered his precious summit, we discovered the Fountain of Youth, and most importantly: Nick and Jim have gathered many rusty horseshoes for their collections. A good day.

RMI Climber James Loudin

Saturday, February 15, 2025 - 7:55 pm PT

A Change in Plans Due to Weather
This morning, we woke up to heavy rain at Chimborazo Lodge. Despite the downpour, we followed the plan and drove to the trailhead, hoping for a break in the weather. Unfortunately, the rain persisted, making conditions difficult. On top of that, avalanche danger on Chimborazo is high, and lightning was a real danger on the ridge trail to high camp.

Given these risks, we made the decision to abandon our 2-hour hike in the rain and our attempt to climb Chimborazo. Rather than pushing forward, we chose to head to Baños for a chance at a very different adventure and to explore a different side of Ecuador.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes