Entries By ben luedtke
January 17, 2025
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
This morning we awoke up to a beautiful, crisp bluebird morning. A stark contrast to yesterday afternoons snowstorm. We broke camp while the moon set behind the mountains, packed our gear, enjoyed one last base camp meal in our heated dome. Over breakfast we shared a some good laughs about our epic Farkle battles, shared irritations, and how wonderful it must be to fly fish in Patagonia.
We bid farewell to the base camp crew with lots of hugs and encouragement. It’s impossible to overstate how incredible the Grajales team is. Their warmth, attention to detail, and love of this mountain are contagious. In addition to saying goodbye to the people who have supported us for the past few days, we said goodbye to WiFi, electricity, and our heated dome. All small sacrifices for the adventure that lay ahead. The team’s energy is high and everyone is excited for our move to Camp 1.
We started up the mountain, through a glacial gully which lead to a field of glacial debris that I can only imagine is what the moon looks like. We quickly smoked our besties on the way up, which admittedly felt satisfying. We day dreamed of polar plunging in the glacial lakes as we passed by and felt like we were on another planet when we navigated the human sized penetentes. The final push was steep, loose and challenging. Nothing this group couldn’t handle though!
We reached camp just before 1pm and were treated to our tents already put together. I want to give a HUGE shoutout to the porters who ferry our gear up the mountain and help make this experience possible for us. After getting organized and completing our camp set up we relaxed and soaked up some of the beautiful mountain sun.
As the afternoon waned, the temperature cooled and retreated to our tents. Only the promise of Ben’s handmade stew could draw us out. The only thing better than the stew was the conversation on proper blue bag techniques.
Walking through this remote region of our beautiful planet today was nothing short of awe inspiring. I’ve always felt awe is a word that is commonly overused for moments that are often under deserving.
True awe arises as you stand amidst these towering peaks, feeling both insignificant and deeply connected to the vastness of this place. It is in the shared silence, the towering cliffs, the shimmering snow and glaciers, the penitentes, and the endless expanse of sky that you realize the sheer majesty of these mountains. The camaraderie of this team amplifies this feeling, as each step toward the summit becomes a collective triumph, driven by trust, an appreciation of group suffering, a bit of good natured ribbing, and mutual encouragement. Awe is not just about the mountain’s scale but also about the resilience of the human spirit, the raw beauty of this place, and the profound sense of gratitude for being part of something so much larger than ourselves.
RMI Climber Erica Kim
Sign Up For Aconcagua Expedition January 8, 2025 Emails
January 16, 2025
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
Thursday, January 16, 2025 - 5:32 pm PT
I don’t do blogs. We are on day whatever having a rest day here at Aconcagua base camp. We went on a “walk” and now we will hang around all day and eat. We all passed our med check too, so that’s neat.
But enough of this. Let’s chat about things that annoy you. Things like Costco, Buc-ees and people that tell you how old their kid is in months. No one needs a box of 47 microwaveable taquitos, 120 gas pumps and I don’t want to do math to figure out how old your kid is. I was asking to be nice anyway.
Tune in tomorrow for a nicely written blog.
Wait….I thought of more….adults that are obsessed with Disney. People that don’t use cruise control on the highway.
RMI Climber Eric Uncapher
Sign Up For Aconcagua Expedition January 8, 2025 Emails
January 15, 2025
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
Hola, and thanks for tuning back in.
Today, our team completed our first carry of the trip from Basecamp to Camp 1 at 16,500 feet. None of this would have been possible, however, without an amazing breakfast provided by Grajales and a discussion regarding the crispiness scale of bacon. We traveled amongst waves of glacial ice, towers of penitentes, plains of tiny alpine lakes, and hills of what must be the real rocky horror picture show. It was nothing we couldn't handle with some light encouragement from one another. Alas, we reached Camp 1, cached our gear, and descended back to Basecamp.
A note to Tory, Brian's wife, don't worry, he wore his nose guard today, and he looks fabulous. As the day wore on, we continued discovering new things about one another. Some of us speak American real good, or as some might say, more better than others. Nathan has become Basecamp's shower time police, Ethan likes to whisper sweet nothings, Erica has a farkle mouth, and Brian is already discussing future wine tours while Eric is still nursing a wine hangover from Mendoza, allegedly.
All in all, today was a huge success. Dom and I are very excited for this team.
Tomorrow, we get to rest once more before moving uphill to Camp 1 and beyond. The climb has officially begun, and as the funniest person in this group, I would say this team is UP for the challenge. Yeet, yeet!
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke & Team
Sign Up For Aconcagua Expedition January 8, 2025 Emails
January 14, 2025
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
I went to bed tired after three successive nights of little to no sleep. I entered my sleeping bag fearful of seismic disturbances both inside and outside my tent, but fatigue overtook me and I slept with dreams of everything dolce de leche. Woke up to a blue bird day and ready to reset. Not much to say about a rest day- eat, drink, hike a little, eat, play Farkle, talk random minutia, and then eat- you get the picture.
Today I thought would be a good day to share gratitude. I am very grateful for the Argentinian people, so welcoming, huggers and hand shakers, space violators- I love that. I am grateful for the 6 other strangers I am climbing with, thrown together with high individual expectations but how quickly we formed a team of working together for a common goal. Nate- from Illinois, works in the medical device industry and in the Air Force reserves, family man and enjoys a good beer, gentle bear and unable to be poked as he will always laugh it off, always willing to help, not a single swear word in his vocabulary but I am holding out hope. Eric- from Indiana, train engineer, energy is off the charts and he can laugh at himself, authority on rock bands and an avid 4-wheeler, can talk to anybody about anything, always willing to help. Erica- from LA and owns her own business, extremely tough but easy going hanging out with 6 other guys in the mountains with pretty offensive language (outside of Nate), aspiring Farkle master, also quick to contribute productively to a conversation, always willing to help. Ethan- from Indiana, owns his own business, near master of obtuse trivia particularly movies for which he says he never watches them, doesn’t take long for him to get a room laughing, cheats at Farkle, always willing to help. Dom- from WA, our guide and team leader, quick to read a room and join into any conversation from conspiracies on why the world is flat to Farkle strategies, affable, knowledgeable, humble, glad he is leading us. And last but not least, Ben- from a lot of places but most recently I think AZ, our other guide, the uncle every kid wishes he had with his mastery of riddles and bad Dad jokes even though he has no offspring, affable, knowledgeable, humble, also glad he is helping lead us.
I think I am in good hands with these new friends of mine. So on our first rest day, I am grateful. That’s no cap…
RMI Climber Brian G
Sign Up For Aconcagua Expedition January 8, 2025 Emails
January 11, 2025
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 9,000'
Welcome to the blog for our Aconcagua Expedition!
Throughout the trip we’re going to be passing the blog around to the group so make sure to keep an eye out for your climber and leave some comments for our adventure!
We are a couple days in, and boy did we enjoy Mendoza. Wine tours, big dinners, and local markets is one hell of a way to start an expedition. The best part for us? Our dollar goes far here. You don’t have to have a rocket doctor salary to enjoy the fine dining here. But we’re here to climb not JUST drink wine in the city and it’s a welcome change.
The first day on the trail started off almost too good to be true. Sunshine? Check. Warm temps? Check. A cool breeze? Sure, why not. Spirits were high, and we cruised along the trail, soaking in the views. Buuuut that didn’t last forever. We experienced it all. The hot sun and still air, the high winds and exfoliating sand, the cold rain and concussing hail. After the gambit we finally made it to Pampa De Leñas, our first camp, enjoying the amenities here, pondering the origin of profanities, listening to a ukele show from the professor, and saving our appetite for a delicious meal.
Looking forward to climbing one of the best mountains in the world, no cap
RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli
Sign Up For Aconcagua Expedition January 8, 2025 Emails
Ahhh, Orizaba! The climactic conclusion to our Mexican Volcano sojourn.
But before we recount the day I feel it important to regale the dear RMI blog post reader with events of this illustrious RMI sponsored event!
The trip begins with a meeting of strangers, aficionados of adventure if you will, led by our mountain guide whose skill and competence is only exceeded by his devilish good looks and excellent calves.
After meeting in Mexico City, we headed to conquer La Malinche; our mission successful and quite moist, we Summited the beast and befriended a cadre of stray dogs- LFB you have a home in America whenever you see fit.
Our journey then took us to Ixta High Camp in a single day. After a few hours of sleep a few of us conquered the salacious Medusa of a mountain.
Our next two days we spent in Puebla. To be honest, nothing to report but everything was incredible! Unfortunately, it was over too quickly, and we were off to Orizaba.
After a brief stop at an old soap factory run by a lovely old man, we were off to Orizaba base camp….what awaited was an alpine start- for the uninitiated, alpine start is a euphemism for the following “I don’t care if it’s midnight, wake up we gonna go summit that monster”-……after 7 hours of suffering and straight uphill trudging at 5 am in the dark on a glacier with a steep pitch, Orizaba was conquered! The remarkable thing is everyone in our group made it to the top! We headed down back to the soap factory for dinner and now pack to head home on Sunday!
To our new friends I will say this….
It was a true pleasure getting to know all of you. Very rarely does a group of complete strangers absolutely click and find so many commonalities. From sharing jokes to gaining intimate knowledge of each other, it was an experience of a life time. Serendipity never ceases to amaze.
Sure Does!
RMI Client Joe Musial
Sign Up For Mexico's Volcanoes November 2, 2024 Emails
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team checked in today at 6:49 am PST letting us know that the entire team was standing on the summit of Orizaba. When they get settled this evening they will have a great summit day story to tell!
Sign Up For Mexico's Volcanoes November 2, 2024 Emails
After a well-earned siesta and with bellies full of mole, we are off to Orizaba! We left this morning and have arrived in Tlachichuca. We are carefully packing and unpacking and repacking, making sure we have everything we need. After enjoying another nice lunch served by the wonderful Servimont staff, we are ready to hit the 4x4 trail up to Refugio Piedra Grande.
Upon arrival, we will go out for a "light" hike, enjoy dinner, and be off to bed early in preparation for an alpine start on Orizaba.
¡Hasta Mañana!
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team
Sign Up For Mexico's Volcanoes November 2, 2024 Emails
Hola de Puebla! Yesterday, the team woke up early for our summit attempt on Ixta. It was a long day. After having some breakfast and hot drinks, we set out on the Ayoloco route. Crossing some difficult terrain on loose dirt, over boulders, and up a steep snow slope, we eventually made the summit just before sunrise! After enjoying the beauty of the morning sun, we descended back to high camp. Once we were packed up, we continued descending back down to La Joyita, enjoyed some lunch prepared by the wonderful Servimont staff, and loaded the van for our drive to Puebla. We all enjoyed a good rest and much deserved shower.
Today we are enjoying the sights in Puebla for a much needed rest. Stay tuned for one more adventure as we make our way towards Orizaba tomorrow!
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Team
Sign Up For Mexico's Volcanoes November 2, 2024 Emails
RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and team reached High Camp on Ixta yesterday afternoon. It was a long day of travelling from La Malinche.
This morning with an alpine start the team reached the summit of Ixtaccihuatl.
Congratulations to the team!