Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Hello friends and family!

The team made a strong move today, climbing from Camp 1 to Camp 2 in great form. It was a challenging push, but everyone handled the route with grit and determination. Now, at over 18000 ft, we’re resting at Camp 2, which will be home for a little while as we wait for the right weather window to move up to Camp 3 and prepare for our summit push.

Camp 2 is buzzing with activity. Climbers from different expeditions are coming and going, creating a lively atmosphere. Despite the hustle and bustle, we’ve managed to carve out a little corner of the camp for ourselves. We made the best (and flattest) tent platforms possible by “reading the green” - I’ll be honest, that’s a new term for me but not for all the golfers in the group!

Of course, space is tight up here, which makes our usual card and dice games a bit of a challenge. Finding a flat spot where things don’t roll away is harder than you’d think! But we’re getting creative and working on a setup that’ll keep the fun going as we rest.

The team is doing great—strong, motivated, and full of positive energy. For now, it’s all about resting, fueling up, and staying sharp. The summit is getting closer, and we’re ready for the next step when the mountain says it’s time. Stay tuned for more updates from Guanacos Camp.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Team

Hello again 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 1,000ft 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 great job of moving steady and allowing a few porters through with their loads precariously balanced on their heads, while we clung to the wall like scared cats. 

After reaching the top we took a nice break and enjoyed some hot tea and fresh snacks. The team then continued our hiking for two more hours before reaching camp. 

All in all, it took only about four hours for us to reach our next camp called Karanga, named for the big and beautiful valley which it overlooks. Unfortunately it mostly obscured by the thick clouds that seem to be following us and we ducked into the tents right before the rain arrived, lucky us. 

Spirits are high and there have been few complaints from this tough crew, even though it’s been more cloudy and damp than we’d like!

RMI Guide Casey and the Kili crew!

A lovely day out.

After a night of less than stellar sleeping due to gusty winds and adjusting to the altitude we awoke to still skies and lovely sunshine. We ate a quick breakfast and we packed up all the gear we would carry up to cache at Camp 2 (Guanchos 3). The slow trudge uphill was a test and a new highest altitude reached for a majority of the team. Even though the air was thinner by the step we moved smoothly and efficiently. 

Once we arrived at Camp 2, we sorted our gear and lounged about for an hour stressing our bodies to ready them to stay at this new altitude of 18,000'. Tomorrow we will move to up to make this camp our home, but today we followed the tried and true acclimatization method of climbing high and sleeping low. After returning to Camp 1, everyone relaxed for the rest of afternoon and enjoyed the now thick seeming air. After a hearty dinner of loaded mac and cheese it was off to bed for what will hopefully be a more restful night of sleep.

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the team

Hello Blog people!

Oh the weather is a changing!

Sadly the clouds and rain have found us. Today we had a a few views of Kilimanjaro and all of the new snow that has fallen on the upper mountain. 

We hit the trail once again around 8 am and hiked for an hour before taking our usual 15 minutes break, then back on the trail for another hour. In total today we hiked for just over 6 hours before reaching camp which is set up and ready for us by our incredibly hardworking and gracious crew of 31. 

Along the way we passed by the famous and beautiful Lava Tower reaching just over 15,000ft, setting new altitude records for some teammates. Weather-wise, it was a bit of everything. Rain, sleet, snow and even a touch of sunshine. Not enough to cause any concern, but enough to have us hiking in our gore-tex and questioning if we were on a trail or riverbed. Good times!

Everyone is doing well and in good spirits. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and team Kili

Monday, January 27, 2025 - 11:43 pm PT

What a proper effort that was. Every member of our team pushed themselves today and some reached the summit of Cayambe, while others reached personal high points. Overall, the climb was a great learning experience.

It was a pretty challenging climb. We sat in the hut for most of the day yesterday because it was too rainy to go outside. Then knowing we needed to get an early start, we left the hut with wind and a light mist, wearing hard shell jackets and pants. We had to push towards the upper mountain gambling on some clearing in the weather and we got just that, SOME clearing. We faced moderate winds for most of the remainder of the climb as well as clouds that obscured visibility at times. Everyone had a thin layer of rime ice.

We're now headed to a hacienda for two nights of rest before heading off to Cotopaxi!

RMI Guide Dustin Witmier

Hello!

Checking in from a breezy Camp 1 after a great day on the mountain - everyone is doing well!

We said goodbye with big hugs and lots of encouragement from the incredible Grajales base camp team. Back on the trail with heavy packs, but this time we knew what to expect as we weaved our way through steep scree and rocks. We made it to Camp 1 in about 3.5 hours - almost an hour faster than our carry day which means our bodies are adapting to the altitude well!

We worked together to get the camp set up and Jack and I soon began making dinner. Though we were not alone as everyone on this crew is always pitching in to help in whatever way they can - getting water for tent mates, offering up extra hot drinks - we have each other’s backs out here and that’s a good feeling. Even though the cold wind is blasting through camp, we’re all tucked in and warm in our sleeping bags.  Tomorrow we’ll carry loads and acclimatize up to camp 2 and back down to sleep at camp 1.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Team

RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier and Mike Bennett and the Ecuador Volcanoes team reached the summit of Cayambe earlier this morning. 

Way to climb!

As we slowly bounced our way up the 4x4 road to Pico de Orizaba high camp at 14,000', a thick wet fog started to coat the windshield and then our tents. I semi jokingly asked our local guide Allan when the fog would clear. ‘11pm’ he replied, laughing. 

Sure enough, when we woke around 1230am, we were greeted by a starry sky and cold! A 12,000' freezing level on an 18,500' mountain had us leaving camp in pretty much all our layers, and I for one stayed in my summit parka from camp to the summit. 

We were treated to great conditions on our climb of Orizaba. The Labyrinth, commonly a confusing and tricky walk through loose then smooth then loose rock, was all easy snow. And as we passed 16,000' onto the upper mountain, the cramponing was easy. 

Our team pushed hard toward the summit, and was welcomed by a beautiful sunrise and the classic Orizaba pyramid shadow over the lowlands. We gained the summit ridge, and warm sun greeted us at the top of Mexico. 

We spent a pleasant half hour on the summit, carefully made our way back to camp, and eventually were treated to a delicious dinner in Tlachichuca. 

Congratulations to the team on a long week and some strong climbing!

RMI Guide Joe Hoch

Here’s what our daily routine is like. 

We wake up around 6:30 to start packing up before moving into our dinning tent for a feast of porridge, fried eggs, toast, avocado and even some fresh fruit, and the most important thing, hot coffee!

Starting with clear skies and a view of the mountain looming in the distance. We hit the trail making our way up the rocky trail that climbs up a blunted ridge and eventually out of the trees and allowed for some truly spectacular views of the valley below. The team hiked for a little more than four hours before reaching out next camp that sits on the Shira plateau, at around 12,500 feet. 

Everyone is doing very well and enjoying being on the mountain. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Today was a well-earned rest day, and the team made the most of it. After yesterday’s tough carry, a day to recharge was just what we needed. We kicked things off with a short walk to a local bouldering site around basecamp and stretched out our tired legs. The rest of the day was low-key and full of laughs as we hung out together, played cards, and got to know each other even better.

Of course, rest days aren’t just about relaxing. We also took care of some camp chores to set ourselves up for success tomorrow. Laundry being taken care of around camp, and gear was shuffled and repacked as we prepped for the move to Camp 1. After feeling the weight of yesterday’s packs, everyone was eager to pare down and lighten the load wherever possible.

The team is in great spirits and feeling ready to tackle tomorrow’s move. Rest, good company, and a bit of laughter really are the perfect combination to recharge after hard days on the mountain.

RMI Climber Tom