Entries By dustin wittmier
June 20, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Michael Murray, Sam Marjerison
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Monday, June 19, 2023 - 10:07 pm PT
At 5 AM there were already some signs of the storm coming in up high but thankfully it was calm where we were. We left camp at 7:30 and gained 1,000' in 90 minuntes. We put up camp at 11,000' right next to Dom's RMI team and dug in deep. By midday it was snowing and the wind was coming up. We sat out the afternoon in tents. Dinner was in our dining tent in reasonably good shelter as it got a bit meaner outside. We saw a number of unsuccessful teams passing through headed down.
June 19, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Sam Marjerison, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 10,000'
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Sunday, June 18, 2023 - 10:02 pm PT
A much better start to the day today. We made good use of it and were on the trail by 6:50. Glacier conditions continue to be excellent with few crevasses. We intended to move to 9,500 ft but the team was doing so well that we pushed on up to 10,000 at Kahiltna Pass. Word is that a storm will hit tomorrow evening. We wanted to be closer to the shelter of 11,000' Camp and took the precaution of sending Dustin, Michael and Sam up with food and fuel to lighten loads tomorrow. They were back in camp at 6pm. We enjoyed dinner together in the dining tent. The fathers on the team told of their children as we marked Father's Day on Denali.
June 18, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Sam Marjerison, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,800'
June 17, 2023 10:50 PM PT
It was snowing again at 4 AM when we hoped to get up for climbing. We checked it repeatedly in the following hours but didn't feel good about what we saw.
Eventually, the snow quit, but by then we'd have been pushing up three hours of hill in the hottest part of the day. We decided to call it a rest day instead.
It ended up sunny and hot in the tents and we napped, read and snacked our way through the day. We'll try again tomorrow.
June 16, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Sam Marjerison, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 9,800'
It was snowing at Kahiltna Base last night when we wanted to get going, so we pushed back the wake-up time to a leisurely 4 AM. Conditions improved as we ate breakfast in the shadows. We were climbing by 6:50 AM. Conditions were excellent due to recent snows and cold temps.
The dreaded crevasse crossings of the lower Kahiltna Glacier were practically nonexistent. Sled pulling was quite easy (relatively speaking), though everything was heavy as usual. We reached our intended camp at ski hill in five hours and built a fine home. We dove into tents to beat the afternoon sun.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn and team
June 16, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Michael Murray, Sam Marjerison
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,300'
Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 9:20 pm PT
We couldn't hang around Talkeetna long enough for breakfast this morning. Denali was calling and we heeded the call. We snacked as we were gearing up to fly. The planes took off at 9 AM and at about 9:45 we were in basecamp unloading. We built camp. It is pleasantly cool for mid June. We made it a training day. We watched airplanes and helicopters come and go as we reviewed glacier travel techniques. Tomorrow we're going climbing.
June 15, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Sam Marjerison, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 348'
Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 7:38 am PT
Talkeetna was cloudy and sometimes rainy but our team used the day to get all set for a Denali expedition. We started with a team breakfast meeting and then moved out to the hangar on the Talkeetna airstrip for getting organized. Guides and climbers set to work organizing both group gear and personal equipment. Finishing touches were made to the 22 day food supply. We stood outside for a briefing from National Park Service rangers on safety and environmental procedures.
We were happy to watch our fellow climbers in Dominic Cifelli’s RMI team load up and take off for Kahiltna Base as the weather improved. Our day finished with a weigh-in and final division of the supplies into two piles for two airplanes. We met for dinner in town to relax and talk once more on strategy for the climb.
Best Regards
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Mark Twain says to go slay this mountain already!
Posted by: Tam on 6/15/2023 at 3:17 pm
June 14, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier, Sam Marjerison, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 348'
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - 11:11 pm PT
All present and accounted for in Talkeetna, Alaska. Most of us came together in the Anchorage airport this afternoon. Some traveled today, others in the proceeding days. We joined forces for the van ride up to Talkeetna under overcast and sometimes rainy skies. We busted up the three hour drive with a pause in Wasilla to round out provisions. All of this got us in to Talkeetna by about 7 PM. We did an easy evening of pizza downtown and came back for a rest at the Swiss Alaska Inn. The real business of the expedition starts tomorrow morning.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Just keep climbing.
Posted by: Shannon on 6/16/2023 at 10:17 am
June 8, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Trevor Katz, Michael Murray
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons June 4 - 9 stood on the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. RMI guide, Dustin Wittmier called from Camp Schurman to report their success. The team has spent the last few days making their way from camp to camp before their climb this morning. Along the way, the team enjoyed many training oppurtunities to prepare them for larger expeditions like Denali or Aconcagua.
The team will do some more ice climbing tomorrow morning before beginning their descent back to Basecamp in Ashford tomorrow afternoon.
Nice work!
Awesome Dustin!!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 6/9/2023 at 4:05 am
May 30, 2023
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Ben Luedtke, Sam Marjerison, Charlie Harrison, Bailey Servais, Mitch Valaitis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier & Ben Luedtke led their Five Day Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Dustin reported broken clouds and light to moderate winds as the teams were ascending the Ingraham Direct early this morning. The teams enjoyed some time in the crater before beginning their descent. The climbers will return to Camp Muir for a short rest and to pack their gear before descending the remaining 4.5 miles to Paradise later today.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Congratulations all! Excited to follow in your footsteps this weekend!
Posted by: Keith on 5/30/2023 at 4:27 pm
Congratulations to Devin and the team. Can’t wait to hear about the adventure!
Posted by: Karm on 5/30/2023 at 9:53 am
May 21, 2023
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Ben Luedtke, Dustin Wittmier, Lacie Smith, Nicole De Petris, Will Ambler
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb May 18 - 21 led by RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Ben Luedtke reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Dave reported broken clouds above with some sunshine coming through and warming the team as they started their descent from the crater rim. There is also a cloud deck below them at around 8,000' this morning. Once back at Camp Muir the teams will repack and take a quick break before continuing down to Paradise. We look forward to their return to Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Congrats to the summiteers. Especially Vaughan and Zaid
Posted by: Paul Andrews on 5/21/2023 at 3:59 pm
Way to go, Team Hahn! We are thinking about you and praying for each of you. Mitch, I’m so happy your knee is holding up! I love you!
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the Father’s up there!!
Posted by: Leslie vance on 6/18/2023 at 8:17 am
Hey Dustin! All the Best to You and Dave and your team! I’m following along.
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 6/18/2023 at 3:19 am
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