RMI Expeditions Blog

Namaste - we made it to Kathmandu!

The Lobuche climbing team has all arrived in country. We hit the ground running today with our first team meeting followed by a round of gear checks.

Before we knew it, it was time to head out to experience the sights and sounds of Kathmandu. We loaded the van and were propelled by the honks, horns and beeps from the cars and bikes around us as we made our way to the Boudhanath - our first of two UNESCO world heritage sites we visited.

We strolled around the gleaming white dome and visited an ancient silk Thangka painting school where we learned more about this vital part of the Tibetan Buddhist culture and took in the detailed and vivid paintings.

Next thing we knew, we were at Swayambhu also affectionately known as the “monkey temple”. We reveled in the views over the city and snapped wayyyy too many photos and videos of monkeys being cute as heck. Don’t worry! We kept the proper distance and no phones, water bottles or snacks were snatched by the smart little guys.

The jet leg started to hit about then so we headed to Thamel - a vibrant area of town full of shops, restaurants, trinkets and treasures galore. We powered through an early dinner, picked up some last minute gear and headed back to the hotel.

We’re all doing some final packing before we fly to Lukla early tomorrow morning. Cross your fingers for good weather!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

Greetings from the Khumbu Valley!

All is well here at 14,000ft and the team is doing great.

Today was a planned rest day to help our bodies adjust to the ever thinning air up here.  And that’s what we mostly did. We split into two groups with one exploring around camp and seeing what yaks do when they’re not carrying loads on their backs, and the other went off in search of Yeti’s. Which took us up a nearby hill and just over 16,000ft. Unfortunately we didn’t see any yetis, but we did have some amazing views of the Valley and could see Cho Oyu, and Makalu (both 8000m peaks) in the far off distance.

The remaining part of the day was spent reading, writing, and napping in the warmth of the sun room of our tea house.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp crew!

Hello again everyone.

What an amazing day we had here today in the Khumbu. It started off with views of Everest right out our dining room window at breakfast.

We then hit the trail and headed uphill to old Pangboche to visit a friend and climbing legend Ang Kami Sherpa. As we sat and had tea with him and his wife, we learned he has 18 Everest summits, and has also climbed K2, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Shishapangma, Manaslu, Makalu, Ama Dablam 16 or more times, on over 45 Himalayan expeditions. Obviously, we were all totally impressed, especially by his humble demeanor. It was an honor to share time with him for all of us.

If that wasn’t enough, we visited the Pangboche monastery built in the 16th century and home to a supposed Yeti skull and hand. If you believe in that sort of thing, it was shocking to see, although we have a few doubters in our group.

We then slowly made our way uphill while walking right under Ama Dablam shining above us the whole way. Ama is considered the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas” and is a proud step climb at 22,500ft. Although small by Himalayan standards, she (Ama means mother) is often considered more difficult than many of the other 8,000 meter peaks.

The team is currently relaxing in Pheriche sitting around the yak dung burning stove warming our bones.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the trekking crew!

It was another beautiful day here in the Khumbu valley, and we had some nice views of Ama Dablam as we headed out of Namche, but high clouds keep us from seeing Everest today. Normally that wouldn’t be ideal, but the clouds and light breeze made for ideal hiking weather and we’ll certainly see Everest again soon enough.

We hiked for about 6 hours today up and down, dropping all the way down to a river called Dodh Koshi, which is a stunning turquoise, then climbed slowing up the hill to the famous Tengboche Monastery.

Traditionally we have gotten a blessing from a famous lama in Pangboche, but that lama has moved on to a higher calling. So today we were able to request a private Puja with another lama at Tengboche and each received a blessing. The Puja is a Buddhist ceremony where the lama chants a Buddhist prayer and gives us a blessing to protect us from harm. Everyone receive a silk scarf called a khata and a sungdi, which is a string we wear around our neck that embodies the prayer.

We've since settled into a nice and warm tea house called Rivendale that is hosting a handful of trekkers from around the world.
Hot showers and good conversations have rounded out the evening and now it's time for a little rest.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the newly blessed crew.

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!