Entries By dustin wittmier
Thanks everyone for following along and once again, a shout out to Farmer Dave for all the encouragement!
Climbing Orizaba is never easy. We ended up having a great weather day and route conditions were also favorable. But it still felt like a hard push after the long week of being rained off of big mountains and spending hours drying gear. The team can take pride in their perseverance and their summit of Pico de Orizaba, the third highest peak in North America.
Last night we celebrated in Tlachichuca at the Servimont hostel, where there is always a nice meal and cold drinks. Most people were in bed by 8pm, it was quite the party. Now we are on one final bus ride, to the airport this time, and will return to normal life tomorrow. The muddy, dusty gear we are bringing home will remind us of the good times we had in Mexico.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
October 14, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 18,491'
Saturday, October 14, 2023 7:11 am PDT
Summit Orizaba. High clouds, cool, light breeze. Nice day!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier & Team
Way to Go Dustin and Team!! Great Job !!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/15/2023 at 3:50 am
You did it!! Congratulations!
Know you are all stoked it worked out! Well done!
Posted by: Judy collins on 10/14/2023 at 5:17 pm
October 13, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,000'
Alright, we are rested and have pressed the reset button. A rest day in Puebla is always well deserved for a group that has been tromping around in the mountains and enduring long bus rides. Rest day activities included all the standard stuff: museums, sampling local coffees, the bouldering gym, walking around the historic city center and a nice team dinner.
We are now on the bus, headed for Tlachichuca and it's a nice morning. Everyone is hopeful that the weather will be better than on Ixta, where we were slammed by rain and wind associated with the category 2 Hurricane Lidia, the eye of which passed just to our north. That was certainly an experience. We're looking for something less dramatic on Orizaba. Stay tuned for an update tomorrow afternoon!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Hey Dustin! I hope you have the weather I had on Orizaba….Perfect!! I hope you all get to see the shadow of Orizaba in the valley below!!
All the best!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/13/2023 at 1:29 pm
October 12, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,430'
Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 6:10 pm PT
Well, that was a thorough soaking. On night one of Ixta we camped at the trailhead. It rained all night without a break. In the morning it was still raining, but showing signs of clearing so we packed up and headed towards high camp. About an hour in to our hike, the sun came out, revealing our surroundings. We were treated to views of Ixta proper and Popo with a dusting of snow. However, around 5pm the clouds rolled back in and it rained hard again.
It rained throughout the night, a very cold rain. When I woke up to check the weather on a few occasions I was pelted by sideways sleet. Oh right, it was quite windy as well. Sustained moderate winds and precipitation throughout the night thwarted any chance of making a summit attempt. But we can chalk the whole experience up to more acclimatization and for some members of the team, 15400' was a new altitude record or sleeping altitude record.
This morning we descended from high camp, following the direction of a new dog friend. If not already soaked from the night prior, this hike ensured everyone was completely wet. Needless to say, we are all looking forward to some good meals and rest in Puebla tonight and tomorrow. We are keeping our optimism alive for Orizaba and are honestly feeling prepared. Hopefully this weather pattern clears out before Saturday.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Great update and photos :). I hope the weather treats you right for Orizaba! Have fun B!
Posted by: Heather Collins on 10/12/2023 at 9:34 am
October 10, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,430'
Tuesday, October 10, 2023 3:17pm
This is Dustin and Team checking in from high camp on Ixta. It rained constantly last night and we almost pulled the plug on climbing Ixta. However, we started uphill into the rain this morning and eventually ended up in the sun. We're now at high camp and the weather still looks iffy in the distance, but if we can thread the needle again we at least have some chance!
Wish us luck!
All the Best Dustin!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/12/2023 at 5:32 am
October 9, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,440'
Yesterday we hiked almost all the way up La Malinche. At 14,440 feet, just a few minutes from the top, the park security emerged from the cloud to inform us that the mountain was closed due to the threat of lightning. My own assessment of the lightning risk was lower than his, but this guy didn’t seem in the mood to discuss and I wasn’t going to bring my rudimentary Spanish skills and a trekking pole to a gun fight. Oh well.
On the way down, we got thoroughly soaked and were happy to hop in the showers at the La Malintzi Resort before eating a hot meal and getting to bed early.
At the moment, we are in route to La Joyita, the trailhead for Ixtaccihuatl. We will spend the night there and head to high camp tomorrow.
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
Hey Dustin! All the Best to you and your team!!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/10/2023 at 3:26 am
October 8, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 7,300'
¡Hola!
Yesterday the entire team arrived for the first RMI trip to the Mexico Volcanoes for this season. We have all bags in tow and are now on our way to La Malinche for some acclimatization. Today is mostly cloudy, so we will see what the mountain gives us, but more importantly we are getting out to move the legs and exercise the lungs. Check back tomorrow for details on how our day went!
RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier
July 31, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, George Hedreen, Bailey Servais, Mitch Valaitis, Evan Redman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Five Day Climb teams reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 7:45 am today led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Dustin Wittmier. Dave reported very pleasant climbing conditions for the morning. After enjoying some time in the crater the teams will descend to Camp Muir for the second and final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will descend the remaining 4.5 miles to Paradise and conclude their program at Rainier BaseCamp.
Nice work team!
Congratulations to you all! Proud of you and your hard work!!
Posted by: Chrissy M. on 7/31/2023 at 11:36 am
Congratulations!! So proud of the hard work this crew has put in! Incredible grit and dedication, y’all rock!!!
Posted by: Angela Govila on 7/31/2023 at 9:31 am
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 20, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Bailey Servais, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,200'
The American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air team was unable to reach the summit due to route conditions. The team climbed to Ingraham Flats to watch the sunrise before starting their descent. This team spends the year raising funds and supports the mission of the American Lung Association to saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.
Congratulations Team!
Hey Dustin! Way to go getting your Team to the Top!!! Brought back Awesome memories!!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 10/15/2023 at 10:33 am
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