RMI Expeditions Blog

Our time spent in Puebla amongst the dozens of beautifully lit cathedrals, vibrant colonial architecture and calming atmosphere is never enough. But our two nights in the lovely Hotel Colonial and a full day of rest were just enough for the group to refresh from La Malinche and Ixta. 

After a laidback day of trinket shopping, napping and sightseeing, our group of newly relaxed climbers met for a dinner of steak and gold plated burgers last night above Puebla’s main square. The stoke was high and there were smiles all around and excitement for our final and largest mountain. 

This morning we reloaded the van and set off for Tlachichuca and 18,500’ Pico de Orizaba.

Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Joe Hoch

The Ecuador Volcanoes team continued their acclimatization journey yesterday, making an ascent of Ricco Pichincha just outside of Quito. For many of the climbers, this was a new altitude PR (15413’). Today, the team will start their drive toward Cayambe, stopping to do a moderate acclimatization hike around Laguna de Cuicocha before stopping at a hacienda for the evening. Folks are beginning to settle into the trip, getting into the flow of the expedition and enjoying the diverse culture Ecuador has to offer. Meanwhile, excitement grows as the start of the first major climb grows nearer and the team begins to feel more and more acclimatized. 

RMI Guide Mike Bennett

Friday, January 24, 2025 - 2:48 am

Hola!

We awoke early in the morning with the beautiful southern hemisphere stars shining above us. I attempted to point out constellations like the southern cross. Odds are I have lied to everyone because my memory for constellations is as bad as my Spanish. The day starts out with the team stylishly dressed in various water shoes for the crossing of the braided streams of the glacially cold Vacas river. This ice bath for our feet and calves is stronger than any cup of coffee. Everyone is now very much wide awake. Then we begin our slow but steady ascent up the Ralenchos valley. I will not bore you with all the fine details of the stunning geology, the panoramic views of Aconcagua and various sightings of adorable guanacos. All you need to know dear reader is that the trek was hard but we suffered well surrounded by incredible beauty.

Do you remember when you came home from college for the first time and your mom kept hugging you and then made all your favorite foods but like way too much? Our arrival at Plaza Argentina was just like that. We spent the rest of the afternoon waddling around camp getting settled in while taking many deep breaths as our bodies adjusted to our new altitude of nearly 14,000 feet. Finally after another incredible dinner provided by the always stellar Grajales staff, everyone was ready for sleep. It was a long day. 

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the Sassy Six (Anne, Bill, Chris, Elburz, Jess and Tom)

P.S. they don’t know I call them that

After a beautiful day on the mountain  yesterday bookended with exhaustion and adrenaline, we awoke to the reality that Aconcagua can be an incredibly uninviting environment.  The 25 feet of snow that feel the previous night was being drifted by intense winds into every corner of our tents, packs, boots and any other unfortunate item we had left out. Any hint of moisture inside our tents had turned to ice and snow making the inside of our tents look like a winter wonderland.  

After staying in our sleeping bags as long as possible, we all eventually summoned the courage to peel ourselves out, put on our cold boots, break camp and get out of Cholera as quickly as possible.  As soon as we descended over the ridge,conditions improved.  The winds calmed some and the fresh snow made for a relatively quick decent to Camp 2.  

When we reached Camp 2 we were welcomed by a group of climbers headed up the mountain.  After some R & R and good conversation we grabbed our bags and proceeded down to the mountain.  We took in the last, beautiful views and bid farewell to the mountains before we cruised down the scree to Camp 1.  There the oxygen was more plentiful and our spirits were high. We enjoyed a few laughs in the shade of the Grajales dome, shed some unnecessary layers, ditched our boots and welcomed our sneakers as we readied for the final push to base camp. 

Boy was Basecamp a welcome site! We were greeted with the same enthusiasm we had parted with, hugs and congrats all around!  We quickly shed our packs and were treated with what may be one of the best meals in recent memory.  As we sat in our warm dome, indulging in empanadas, meats and cheeses, cerveza, and a variety of other goodies we reminisced about the adventure we had just experienced.  We talked about how a challenge such as Aconcagua is as much mental as it is physical.  

This conversation made me think about what brings five people from varying backgrounds together,  thousands of miles from home for this common, incredibly challenging goal.  We all have our individual reasons, but it’s undeniable we are all individuals that enjoy type 2 fun.  

Type 2 fun climbing Aconcagua means embracing an experience that is challenging, uncomfortable, and even miserable in the moment, but immensely rewarding in hindsight. It’s about pushing through biting winds, freezing temperatures, and altitudes none of us are accustomed to that left us feeling breathless and our legs aching. Each step up the mountain tested our  physical limits and mental resilience, forcing us to dig deeper than we thought possible. The grueling ascent, from the trek all the way to the summit, with its long days and unpredictable conditions, made us each question why we chose this journey. Yet, it’s the camaraderie with each other, our fellow climbers, the breathtaking views of the Andes, and the profound sense of accomplishment upon reaching the summit (or close to) that make it all worthwhile. Type 2 fun transforms suffering into triumph, and while some of us may swear off such adventures mid-climb (as I do everytime), we’ll likely find ourselves  craving the next challenge as soon as it’s over. 

So to all of you like minded, type 2 loving, crazy souls who have shared this adventure: thank you for an unforgettable experience.  

Now let’s play some Farkle!  

RMI Climber Erica Kim 

After leaving La Malinche we drove towards Amecameca to gather last minute supplies before starting our climb to Ixtaccihuatl 17,340.’ 

We drove up a windy rode to the national park gate, then continued up a bumpy dirt road to La Joya, ~ 13,047’.  There, we were greeted with warm soup and tacos (great fuel before a big climb!) 

The team tidied up their packs -and spent the afternoon climbing to high camp ~ 14,500ft. 

We ate ramen, fresh quesadillas and made a plan to have an alpine start of 1:30 am. The little hours we layed horizontally was just enough to rest our bodies and minds for the summit push. The morning shuffle included coffee, oatmeal, perfect weather and many constellations in the sky to keep us company. The climb was tough and long but all worth it once we gained the ridge in time for sunrise! From the summit we were able to see where we came from, La malinche, and our next goal, Pico De Orizaba!

The team now arrives in Puebla for some much-needed rest, site seeing and great food! 

RMI Guides Lacie Smith, Joe Hoch, and Team 

Today was just all-around lovely!

We woke up with the sun, packed our tents and headed to breakfast. We have discovered this wonderful thing called Dulce de leche and now we smother all of our toast in it.

We hit the trail on our way to our next camp, Casa de Piedra. We weaved up through the valley for 10 miles today - always keeping our eyes out from Guanacos. Just when we were convinced we might not get a glimpse, we looked up and saw three majestic Guanacos staring right back at us. Yay!

Soon after, we popped up over a little hill and saw the yellow and white dome tents of our next camp. Just before we walked into camp, we were greeted with our first views of "The Stone Sentinel", Aconcagua.

Tomorrow we’ll head to Base camp where we can’t wait to greet our fellow RMI climbers who stood on the summit today.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Magnificent 7.

Whenever someone would ask me what my favorite mountain to climb was. I’d beat around the bush, answering in vague “it depends” that guides often use to avoid concrete answers in an ever changing arena. Nowadays, it’s Aconcagua. Something about the amalgamation of the people, the food, wine, expedition demands, and luxurious accompaniment makes me come down every year. It’s hard to describe, but in the theme of our early Gen Z style posts, it’s a vibe. You just have to come see it for yourself before you believe me. 

We set out today to summit said peak. “The Stone Sentinel” it’s commonly referred to. It was a breathtaking morning, altitude pun? Still, crisp air, the Milky Way painting the sky with a dull hint of moonlight. Excitement, nerves, anxiousness fill these summit mornings too as you watch fellow tents and teams gearing up to face the same hardships you will. A certain sense of camaraderie is palpable, even if that climber was yelling to their tent mate 2 ft away from them about juice or something.  

Our climb starts at 19,600ft and it certainly feels it as we switchback up toward Piedras Blancas, Independencia, and then onto the grand traverse. A bitter cold wind trap that chills me just typing about it. But we chose today for the lack of wind, and it didn’t disappoint. The usually windy traverse was calm and snowy, making for easy foot placements even if the climbing itself was anything but. Just our Luck. As we ascended and climbed we then reached the cave, the canaleta, and the shoulder of Aconcagua. All daunting and hard features in their own right,  but combine to make one hell of a final push. 

I am happy to say that we did summit today, right before the clouds rolled in. And even though we couldn’t share the summit with all of our teammates, we expect them to be back and we can’t wait to hear about their version of summit day. 

We’re safely back at Colera (High Camp) in our bags listening to the heavy snow fall from above. We’ll head down to see our friends at Basecamp tomorrow and we can’t wait. 

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli 

January 22, 2025 - 7:24 am PT

Good news!  RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli along with climbers Eric, Brian, and Ethan reached the top of Aconcagua at 12:15 local time. Reporting light winds and sunny. Beautiful day.

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke

At our first break, I walked over to Tom and said “how are you doing?” and he looked up at me from the only bit of shade we had seen in the last hour and said “good, this feels like home.” And that’s the best way to describe this whole day.

We’re finally on the trail - after all this time planning, all the big travel days and this morning’s final packing shenanigans. Even though the first few hours were hot, hot, hot there was a sense of ease.

Sometimes we walked in silence and I’d look back and see everyone just taking it in, sometimes we chatted about life and our jobs as we strolled along surrounded by vivid cliffs of rosy rock.

I’ve laughed more in the last few days than in the last few months combined as we’ve gotten to know each other. A few days ago we were all strangers and now we are a unified team ready to climb, ready to face the excitement and unknowns of the mountain.

After five hours of hiking, we arrived at our first camp, Pampa de las Lenas, just as some (welcomed) clouds rolled in. At dinner, we peppered Bill with questions about teeth (he’s a dentist) and he gleefully educated us. We decided maybe every night we’d just deep dive into someone else’s profession. There’s so much curiosity and so much life!

Off to bed we go for our first night of many in our little tent homes.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Aconcagua climbing team

Hello darkness my only friend. 

Today I woke up feeling it the hardest. Tossed and turned all night, couldn’t breathe through my nose, and headaches was part of the nightly routine. Our modern motivation to obtain charging stations was first of the list. Battling all of the other climbers only to find out that there wasn’t any electricity. Soon after, Ben arrived with spam and bread.. the only way to start your day proper.

After breakfast, we decommissioned our camp with high hopes for Camp 3 at 19,600.’  It was a slow and steady pace to the top with breathing techniques that would only be found in a yoga class. We arrived to our new home around 2 pm and were greeted with stunning views all around. Our group quickly got to work to stake our claim and raise our tents.

After some nice R&R, we ate our mountain house meals to fuel ourselves for our biggest and main objective of the trip… an Aconcagua summit. So sleep tight everyone our job is not done yet. We hope to have dreams of celebrations back at base camp and home with family and friends. In the words of Lion King, “can you feel the love tonight.”

RMI Climber Ethan Pickett