Entries By nikki champion
May 30, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Monday, May 29, 2023 - 11:12 pm PT
Another, you guessed it, weather day for us. As it snowed almost all night, we slept in and had a slow breakfast of blueberry pancakes. Snow continued to fall throughout the day, and we had very little visibility around camp. Folks did normal rest day activities, like walk around camp, meet other teams, rebuild our bathroom into a new palace and change out our socks. We are waiting for a three day weather window to make our way safely to 17,000', to the summit, and home. Until then we continue to check all the weather resources we have available, and try to stay sane.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion
May 29, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories:
Elevation: 14,000'
Sunday, May 28, 2023 - 10:20 pm PT
It was a mellow rest day in our neck of the woods at 14,000ft. What started as a clear warm morning turned into a stormy, snowy whiteout by early afternoon. We began the day with another round of breakfast burritos, and finished the day off with mac and cheese. The weather doesn't look too favorable, so now we just sit and wait to see what we get.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion
Rest up Robyn! The day will be here soon!! Keep pushing, you got this!!
Posted by: Justine on 5/30/2023 at 9:37 am
Hey Kevin! Rest Strong and dream of the day soon You and your team will be standing on top of America!!!
Farmer Dave
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/30/2023 at 3:20 am
May 28, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,200'
May 27, 2023 10:29PM PT
Today we woke up to brutal cold, and clear skies. We blasted the stoves and rolled into a late morning of granola.
After watching Mike and Pete's teams roll out of camp, we followed suite and began our way up the steep corridor to the base of the fixed lines. We shortened up the rope internals, set up our ascenders, and made our way up the final 700' vertical feet of blue ice to the saddle on the west buttress. Right around 16,100, we crested the buttress and made our way up to our cache site near 16,300'.
After digging a cache hole in the world’s firmest snow, we turned around and made our way back to 14 camp for a late dinner of ramen.
Everyone worked hard and is looking forward to a well-deserved rest day tomorrow.
Nikki, Leif, Lauren and Team
Onward and upward! You’ve got this Kevin!
Posted by: Karie Seubert on 5/29/2023 at 5:37 am
WOW!!! Way to go Kevin and Team! The fixed lines that I have heard so much about and you got to experience it. I know it is tough work but it has to be an incredible reward and experience!!! Climb Strong!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/29/2023 at 3:18 am
May 26, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Thrusday 5/25/2023 10:57pm PDT
What a beautiful day for a rest day. We had a leisurely brunch of breakfast burritos before spending the afternoon building our kitchen for the next few days and learning all the skills necessary for the fixed lines. The weather looks a bit gross tomorrow, so we prepped camp by battening down the hatches and building snow block walls. We are hoping to carry to the top of the fixed lines as soon as weather allows. We will wake up tomorrow and see if that is the day.
RMI Guides Nikki, Leif, Lauren & Team
Hey Kevin! I hope you and the team got some great rest to prepare and refuel to go high! I am sending thoughts of strength and stamina your way!!! All the best weather wishes too!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/28/2023 at 3:07 am
Positive vibes for amazing weather.
Posted by: Tiffany on 5/27/2023 at 5:39 pm
May 25, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
-640x480.jpg)
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - 11:03 pm PT
Another big day in the books. After waking up to snow lightly falling at our 11,000ft camp, we had a quick breakfast and began breaking down camp. Around 10:30AM we finally began our way up Motorcycle Hill. At the top of Squirrel Hill we were met by some brutal winds and blowing snow. We worked across the Polo field, adding layers to combat the wind and blowing snow and worked our way through Windy Corner. After Windy Corner, luckily the winds died down and we were able to roll into 14,000' Camp in slightly better conditions. We joined the other RMI teams, and built our camp before making a rewarding dinner of ramen. Weather looks a bit moody tomorrow, good thing we've got a rest day on the docket.
Eric…Checking in with dad and Jill and cheering you on. Looks and sounds amazing!
Posted by: Addie Lyden on 5/27/2023 at 11:30 pm
Eric…Checking in with dad and Jill and cheering you on. Looks and sounds amazing! From Portland, Oregon
Posted by: Addie Lyden on 5/27/2023 at 11:29 pm
May 24, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 9:05 pm PT
Another mellow day in the books. We woke up late to rest after our big carry yesterday. We made a big breakfast of bagels and smoked salmon before returning to our tents to rest, and prepare to move tomorrow. After spending the day reading, sleeping and preparing gear to leave we had another dinner of quesadillas and crawled into our sleeping bags for an early night.
We hope to check in from 14,000 Camp tomorrow!
Hey Kevin! Sending best wishes for Great rest followed up by Strong Climbing!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/25/2023 at 3:31 am
Reading blogs daily. Glad to know all going well, Matt !!
Posted by: Peter J George on 5/24/2023 at 6:01 pm
May 23, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Monday, May 22, 2023 - 10:50 pm PT
We set an early alarm, and peaked our heads out the tent to see what the weather was doing. Surprised to find clear skies above us, we blasted the stoves and got every up for a quick breakfast of oatmeal. After eating a quick breakfast, we loaded up our packs with the group gear, and personal food we wanted to cache and began the first stretch of the climb requiring crampons. Up until now, we have been on a long rope interval, and primarily in snowshoes. From here on out we will be climbing in crampons, and using an ice axe. Just as sun hit camp, we began our way up the steep Motorcycle Hill, around the corner up Motorcycle Hill, through the broken up Polo Field and around Windy Corner. The morning was cold, the wind was howling for the first few stretches but by the time we got to the corner, the wind had died down and we were warming up. We passed the common cache site at 13,500' and made our way up to 14,000 Camp, where we were greeted by other RMI teams. We buried our cache, and then headed back downhill to 11,000' Camp for the night. We made a big dinner of Annie's Mac and Cheese and bacon, and then promptly crawled into our sleeping bags after a long day. The team did great today, setting us up well. We are looking forward to another slow morning, and rest before fully moving to 14 Camp.
Sounds amazing!. Hope you are having fun, Kevin!
Posted by: Jim Boerger on 5/27/2023 at 3:50 pm
Way to go!! Rest up!!! Cheering from Houston. Go Dawny! Go Robin!! And go team!!
Posted by: tiff on 5/24/2023 at 11:27 am
May 22, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
-640x480.jpg)
Sunday, May 21, 2023 - 9:47 pm PDT
Today was a big day! Our first official rest day of the trip. After a few long hard pushes, we decided to sleep in and take the entire day to recover, and prep for the big carry tomorrow. We woke with the sun, and had a few rounds of breakfast burritos. After a leisurely breakfast, the remainder of the day was spent resting, recovering, reading and napping. Just before dinner we reviewed a bit of cramponing and ice axe techniques to prepare for the terrain above 11k Camp, and then rolled into an early dinner. Tomorrow we'll make our way towards 14k Camp to cache some food, and gear before returning to 11k Camp.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion and Team
Wow! Amazing view!
Glad you got some rest time Kevin and team
Posted by: Karie Seubert on 5/23/2023 at 6:37 am
Climb Strong Kevin and team and rest strong too!!! Spectacular!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/23/2023 at 3:27 am
May 21, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories:
Elevation: 11,000'
Saturday, May 20, 2023 - 11:18 am PT
We woke up to snow lightly falling at camp this morning, and slow rolled into a warm breakfast of toasted bagels and bacon. After enjoying a second cup of coffee, we rigged the empty sleds to our backpacks, roped up and headed out from 11,000' Camp down to our cache at 9,900'. Making quick work with empty packs, we arrived at the cache in just under a half hour. We dug up the cache, divvied up the group gear, re-rigged our sleds and traced our steps from yesterday back to 11,000' Camp. It was short, but hard stretch to roll back into 11 Camp. We spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of snow storms, and enjoying the afternoon to recover. After a few hours of down time, we had a festive dinner of beef burritos with salsa verde and then prepared to potentially carry tomorrow. We will see what the morning brings, check in tomorrow!
Keep us updated!! Climb Strong Kevin!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/22/2023 at 3:33 am
Love the updates! Such an epic adventure!! Cheering you all on from Seattle!
Posted by: Mary Upton on 5/21/2023 at 10:34 pm
May 20, 2023
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,200'
-640x480.jpg)
Friday, May 19, 2023 10:22pm PDT
After a long night’s rest, we woke up to clear skies, and warm temperatures. We had a quick breakfast of pop-tarts and grits as the sun began to shine onto ski hill. After our quick breakfast, we worked to tear down camp and begin our journey towards 11,000’ camp. We strapped into the snowshoes, and made our way up ski hill, through the 9,500’ camps, past our cache and finally up the final hill into our final destination for the night.
After a short break, we found a nice spot to call home for the next few days and spent the next few hours building camp and moving in before a warm dinner of ramen. Looks like a little bit of weather is coming in, but we are hoping to wake up with the sun and go get our cache tomorrow morning. Looking forward to a mellower day tomorrow! Check back in after the back carry.
RMI Guides Nikki, Leif, Lauren & Team
Hey Kevin! Great Job!! Climb Strong!!!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 5/21/2023 at 3:29 am
Hoping the weather cooperates and you are soon on your way to the top! Good luck Matt and team, thinking of you all!
Posted by: Kathleen George on 5/31/2023 at 5:36 am
Hi Leif and Team - thinking of you and wishing you a safe successful Summit climb as soon as weather permits-
Posted by: Erika Whittaker on 5/30/2023 at 5:50 pm
View All Comments