RMI Expeditions Blog
Coming off the plane in Arusha, the city in Tanzania where we base from to go to Kilimanjaro, the first thing that strikes the senses is the smell of trees and vegetation we simply don't have in the northern hemisphere. There, too is a subtle, but pervasive smell of the wood and charcoal many people use to cook with. It smells wonderfully of Africa to me.
Our group all arrived at least a day early to take advantage of their time here in this beautiful country, and so we were able to meet one another earlier than usual. This was a good thing because it allowed some lost luggage to be recovered and a GI problem to resolve itself, two problems I rarely see, but that are not unknown when travelling halfway across the globe.
Our team is a nice mix of veteran climbers with Mt. Rainier under their belt and folks who have rarely spent time in a tent. But everyone is engaging and interesting, and conversation is easy. A good sign of things to come.
While half the group opted to get their equipment check done yesterday so they could get in a day safari in the local Arusha National Park, the other half chose to do their check today and enjoy a leisurely afternoon before we begin our expedition up the flanks of Kilimanjaro. Both great options.
Our team breakfast this morning will be followed up with a group dinner tonight, enjoying the amazing food here at the Rivertrees Country Inn. Normally we would lament leaving such fine food during our week of climbing, but not this time. The chef taking care of our food needs this week is amazing! Gourmet dinners and hearty breakfasts await us at every camp, prepared by an incredibly talented chef by the name of Benson. You'll hear more about this guy later, but for now we're doing well and eager to start our climb.
Word has it that upon making the summit, a couple of our climbers are going to reward themselves with some beautiful Tanzanite jewelry. I love the idea!
Wish us luck as we begin our big adventure! We've been waiting for this climb to all come together for a long time, and in a few hours, we will be taking our first steps up towards the summit of this wonderful mountain.
Jambo!
RMI Guide Brent Okita
July 30, 2023
Posted by: Steve Gately, Devin Guffey, Sam Hoffman, Trevor Katz, Josh Geiser, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four-Day climb led by RMI guides, Steve Gately and Devin Guffey, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team enjoyed nice weather and a busy route.
The team will be back at Basecamp this evening to celebrate their success and all their hard work. Nice job team!
July 29, 2023
Posted by: Mike King, Pete Van Deventer, Leif Bergstrom, Nick Sinapius, Hannah Blum, Will Nash
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four-Day climb led by RMI guides, Mike King and Leif Bergstrom, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams were standing on top at around 5:40am after a quick ascent.
They will descend to Rainier Basecamp this afternoon to bask in their success and enjoy a bit of rest after their hard work.
Great job team!
July 28, 2023
Posted by: Daniel May, Charlie Harrison, Calvin Jiricko
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
The Mt. Baker - Easton Glacier Team led by RMI Guide Dan May reached the summit at 9:30 am. The entire team stood on top! The team is back at camp where they will celebrate, re-fuel, and have a full night sleep before descending to the trailhead tomorrow.
Congratulations Team!
July 28, 2023
Posted by: Casey Grom, Nikki Champion
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Mt. Rainier Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Nikki Champion stood on top of Mt. Rainier this morning! The teams reported clear skies and light winds on the summit. They are currently on their descent to Camp Muir, where they will pack-up and refuel. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Way to go, climbers!
Way to go, Casey, Nikki, and team! Congrats!
Posted by: Lee Hoedl on 7/30/2023 at 10:37 am
July 27, 2023
Posted by: Seth Burns, Sam Marjerison, Lacie Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz team led by RMI Guide Seth Burns reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Seth reported clear skies and light winds on the summit. The Kautz route offers some of the most unique and advanced terrain. The team has spent the week preparing for their summit attempt honing their mountaineering skills such as snow & ice anchors, crevasse rescue, ice climbing, fixed line travel, belaying and other technical skills, before making a summit attempt from high camp.
Congratulations Team!
Congratulations Nic Harkin on your summit today! Woo hoo! Well done
Posted by: Dianne Israel on 7/27/2023 at 2:56 pm
July 27, 2023
Posted by: Hannah Smith, George Hedreen, Bailey Servais, Dustin Wittmier, Nicole De Petris, Tom Skoog
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The July 24 - 27 Four Day Climb teams reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 6:30 am today led by RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Dustin Wittmier. Hannah reported good route conditions and perfect weather. The team enjoyed some time on top, crossing the crater to Columbia Crest. They began their descent from the crater rim just before 8 am. The teams will return to Camp Muir for a quick stop before continuing down to Paradise later this afternoon.
Nice work team! Congratulations on reaching the summit!
July 26, 2023
Posted by: Mike Walter, Emma Lyddan, Josh Geiser, Mitch Valaitis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Mike Walter reached the summit of Mt. Rainier yesterday. High winds delayed their summit alpine start but the team was still able to make a summit attempt and all of the team memebers were able to stand on top. The team returned to Camp Schurman for their final night on the mountain. Today they intend to do a bit of training before descending to the trail head and transferring back to Rainier BaseCamp. We look forward to seeing them later this afternoon at the conclusion of their program.
Congratulations everyone!
Hats off to a super professional team at RMI. Great work navigating some tricky weather Mike. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it. The next time I’m taking a flight over the Andes, I know who I want on my plane!
Posted by: James Coley on 7/27/2023 at 6:36 pm
July 26, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Henry Coppolillo, Erika Birkeland, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Five Day Climb July 22 - 26 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita & Henry Coppolillo were standing on Columbia Crest just before 7 am today. Brent reported a gorgeous day on the mountain with very light winds. The teams began their descent from the crater rim around 7:20 am. They will return to Camp Muir for a short break to pack up their gear. They will then descend to Paradise and transfer back to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Yesterday winds were high so the team did some additional glacier travel skills and explored Ingraham Flats. These photos are from their adventure yesterday courtesy of Brent.
July 24, 2023
Posted by: Steve Gately, Ellison Boord, Nick Sinapius
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
RMI Guide Steve Gately and the Mt. Baker - Easton Glacier team July 22 - 24 reached the summit today. They returned to camp and enjoyed a restful afternoon. The team will continue their descent tomorrow and return to the trail head to conclude their program.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
How exciting!
Wishing you all an enjoyable Day 1 of hiking!
Wishing everyone an incredible experience hiking up to the peak and coming back!
With cheers, good luck, and best wishes,
Suganthi Subramanian
Posted by: Suganthi Subramanian on 7/31/2023 at 10:50 pm
I am so excited for all who are about to embark on this wonderful journey. Wishing you all a great climb and hope this trip is all you hoped it would be and more.
Good luck to all.
Cheers,
Barb
Posted by: Barbara Heck on 7/31/2023 at 1:17 pm
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