Entries By chase nelson
Posted by: Solveig Waterfall, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,000'
Good Evening!
We are all doing great here at the Piedra Grande Hut at the base of El Pico de Orizaba. After a bumpy and dusty 4x4 drive, we arrived today around 3:30. Up next was setting up tents and getting our gear together so we could all settle in and enjoy a delicious pasta and garlic bread dinner before tucking in for the night.
It's cold here at 14,000', and everyone is settled in for the night. We had beautiful weather on our climb of Ixta and also on our rest day, but here at camp we are in the clouds and we've been receiving mixed precipitation types of rain, snow, graupel, and hail. Cross your fingers this system moves out and allows us a shot at the summit!
RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall and the Team
On The Map
Posted by: Solveig Waterfall, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
After yesterday's hard work and success, today was spent as a well-deserved rest day for the team in Puebla! We kicked things off with a full night of sleep and a casual start, and folks were free to spend the day exploring what the town has to offer. It was a very relaxing day for everyone, and a few members of the team even went for massages!
We gathered in the evening for a nice dinner at el Mural de los Poblanos, a short walk from the hotel. There we shared photos and reminisced about the days adventures and the climb. Spirits are high, and tomorrow we leave the city for Orizaba.
RMI Guide Chase Nelson
Posted by: Chase Nelson, Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 17,340'
We wanted to let you know that our team reached the summit of Ixtaccihuatl today! Six of our climbers reached the summit. We had good weather today, although it was a little windy up high.
We have arrived in Puebla and it's been a long day. We are looking forward to a good night's sleep and a day of rest and exploration of this great town.
RMI Guides Solveig Waterfall & Chase Nelson
On The Map
Posted by: Chase Nelson, Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
After waking up to a nice breakfast of huevos Mexicanos at the Altzomoni Hut, we loaded up our packs and departed for our Ixta high camp! We hiked under mostly cloudy skies and chilly weather but were greeted by some sun breaks in the afternoon. Great views all day of Ixta's actively erupting neighbor Popo, as well as the cities surrounding the mountain. We made it to the Refugio with plenty of time for some last minute prep and an early evening. The team is looking good and acclimatized for a summit bid tomorrow, it should be an exciting day!
RMI Guide Chase Nelson
On The Map
Posted by: Solveig Waterfall, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 12,000'
Good evening everyone!
We are all nestled in here at the Altzomoni Hut, which is subsequently nestled between the summits of Popo and Ixta, just above the Paso de Cortez.
We started off the day with a buffet breakfast at the Mission Tlaxaca, the last in-town meal before the climb. After meeting our local guide Cato and going for an acclimatization hike up the first few hundred feet of the route to high camp, we returned to the hut for rewarding hot drinks and a chips and salsa fiesta!
The rest of the evening has been spent organizing gear, practicing with our crampons, harnesses, and learning to set up expedition tents. We are all excited to get up to camp tomorrow and get our eyes on the upper mountain!
Thanks for following along and we'll check in tomorrow night!
RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall and the Team
On The Map
congrats Will W. and team on a great climb, keep safe and enjoy!
Posted by: sherril jarosch on 2/18/2015 at 12:12 pm
Posted by: Solveig Waterfall, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 12,000'
We awoke in Mexico City this morning to clearing skies, warmer temperatures, and relatively quiet streets. Leaving town early on the Sunday morning of a holiday weekend has its benefits!
The team enjoyed a delicious traditional Mexican style breakfast provided by the hotel, and after efficiently transferring our mountain of luggage into the vehicle to go to the actual mountain, we stole a few extra moments prior to loading our bus to make a final run to the closest Starbucks. This last minute luxury is one which instantly triggers my Seattleite soul into an irrepressible mental fist-bump!
We sailed through the streets of District Federal with ease, making quick work of our exit from the metropolitan area. We had discussed the need to "roll with the punches", so to speak, at our evening meeting, as the logistics of traveling in this part of the world can sometimes be an exercise in patience. Soon after we left the city center behind we were met with our first mental challenge of the trip!
Our driver pulled off the highway, jumped out of the bus, and made a break for the nearest field and distant buildings in what at first appeared to be either a desperate trip to get to the restroom, or an oddly-timed opportunity to get in a quick jog...either way we all followed suit and hopped off to snap a few quick selfies and capture the views of Ixta and Popo.
To our delight, our driver returned, with tools and additional man-power, and we soon discovered we were not being abandoned, but rather beginning the process of repairing a punctured tire.
After an hour of relaxing roadside, we re-boarded and continued toward La Malinche, eagerly anticipating stretching our legs on the slopes of the long-extinct volcano. Once we arrived here at the La Malitzi Resort, we quickly moved into our Cabanas, organized our day packs, hit the trail, and hiked at a casual pace ascending to our high point of just over 12,000ft.
Back at the resort just before dark, we are enjoying a beautiful sunset here at 10,000ft, awaiting our dinner reservation and a hot shower to wash off the trail dust.
Tomorrow we head to Ixta to continue the acclimatization process and prepare for our first summit bid in a few days!
Buenos Noches!
RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall and the Team
Posted by: Solveig Waterfall, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Hi Everyone!
Chase and I have been in Mexico City since last night and spent this afternoon grocery shopping and sorting equipment in preparation for the start of our program. Climbers arrived throughout the afternoon and evening, and by 9:00 PM we were a complete team around the dinner table at the Holiday Inn here in the Zona Rosa.
We spent the evening discussing logistics, gear, and getting ourselves prepared to hit the trail, starting with our first acclimatization hike tomorrow. We are all excited to leave the sounds of the city behind and get into the mountains! Our first objective will be an afternoon stroll on the flanks of La Malinche.
Thanks for following along and we'll check in again tomorrow evening!
RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall
Posted by: JJ Justman, Steve Gately, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000'
Team 1 is back!!! Thanks to Steve's genius technology skills. The team is resting today at Camp 2 which is at 18,000 feet. Everyone is doing great! As a matter if fact, I can't remember another team that was on equal level in terms of strength. If all goes well we should have a fantastic summit day. We are shooting for the summit on the 28th so keep your fingers crossed!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
On The Map
Posted by: JJ Justman, Steve Gately, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 15,500'
December 24th, 11:30 am PT
The team is enjoying Christmas Eve this year at 15,500ft on the tallest mountain outside of the Himalaya, not to shabby, eh? Temperatures are still warm and the winds mild. Today we rest and prepare for the real work of moving up to Aconcagu's Camp 2 tomorrow. Keep our climbers in mind tomorrow, Christmas Day, as we'll be hauling 50-pound packs to 18,000ft. I know the team wishes they could be home with.... Well why don't I just let them tell you themselves....
Wishing all of my Hawaii peeps a blessed holiday season! I'm in good spirits and feeling well physically (and more important, mentally) to summit soon. Let's celebrate when I return! Love, Del.
All's well! Wishing a Merry Christmas to Taegan, family and fellow climbing buddies hanging at lower elevations for the holiday! Love you all--Matt
Having a great time. All is well! Enjoying the views, steaks and a great team. Merry Christmas to all! Love Nigel
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! Wish I could join you but Christmas at 18,000 is not too bad. Claud - I hope you're behaving yourself! Love,
Marek
I AM ON AN ADVENTURE!!!
Mammut
Pogoda przepiekna, super samopoczucie, towarzystwo wysmienite!!! Wesolych Swiay i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku - Pawel
Missing you very much this Christmas Bea! Wish I was there with you and the girls and Grant. Keep those good thoughts coming my way. Love ya, Jemes.
My dear Alex, you motivate and encourage me every step of the way, as always in front of me leading the way. Thank you for being the most amazing part of my life. Merry Christmas my love. I'm yours always. Ruben
Posted by: JJ Justman, Steve Gately, Chase Nelson
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000'
Hey everyone. This is JJ and Steve here with Team One on Aconcagua. Merry Christmas everyone. Happy Holidays. We had a great day moving camp from Camp 1 to Camp 2. We made it here early afternoon at 18,000 feet, set up camp and have some hot soup on the stove. And now we're just relaxing and taking it easy on a nice sunny day here on Aconcagua. The team is doing really, really well. The weather is pretty darn nice and we have a decent forecast. It's looking like after the 28th, the winds might pick up a little bit, so hopefully, we're knocking on wood, keeping our fingers crossed. We have a little bit more work to do but the team is really, really strong and really, really fun to hang out these guys on Christmas and we of course want to say hi and hello and give our love to family and friends back at home. We will send another dispatch here on the days to come. But tomorrow our plan is to take a nice rest day and relax here at 18,000 feet. Take care everyone. Again, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and stay tuned.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
RMI Guide JJ Justman calls in from Aconcagua Camp 2
On The Map
Merry Christmas JJ from Kalani and Dom
Posted by: Dom on 12/26/2014 at 11:35 am
Shane,
We wouldn’t recommend trying to reach the hut by car. The road is very rough, and especially in wet conditions, can be extremely muddy. Clearance is an issue on the road, so a 4x4 vehicle would be a necessity.
Posted by: RMI Team on 11/3/2016 at 12:08 pm
Hi,
I was wondering if it is possible to make it up to the Piedra Grande hut by car. I have been on plenty of 4x4 roads in a car and am a pretty experienced 4x4 driver, so just being a 4x4 road doesn’t tell me too much. Just curious if a car is even possible, doesn’t matter how well I know how to drive if the car cant clear certain sections. Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Posted by: Shane on 10/31/2016 at 11:25 am
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