Hello from Huaraz!
Your ESS-Peru team is back safely in Huaraz after a week in the Ishinca Valley. Two successful summits, a lot of learning, a dash of weather and adversity, and several spectacular sunrises and sunsets were experienced during the last week in the mountains. We're happy to be enjoying this bustling beautiful city this evening, eating our favorite traditional Peruvian dishes, enjoying local cervezas, and watching the sun set over this spectacular mountain range. This evening brings us much needed rest and relaxation before our final four-day climb of 6,000+ meter Nevada Copa beginning tomorrow. We'll hike to base camp in the morning, with our exceptional cook staff in tow, ready to attempt our biggest objective of the trip. We'll keep you updated, wish us luck!!
RMI Guides Robby Young, Steve Gately, and your ESS-Peru Team
Team, guys and the GIRL, so exciting to follow your progress! You are strong! Have fun, good weather and best of luck! Looking forward to photos from the amazing summit of Copa!
Posted by: Martina Kalusova on 7/11/2017 at 8:36 am
Greetings RMI Blog loyal followers. This is your ESS - Peru team and we are standing on top of Urus Este at an elevation of 17,600 or 17,700 ish disputed. We are in the sunshine. We're loving life on this really dramatic beautiful arrest of a summit and we are all enjoying the sunshine up here before we start going downhill and the group has something to say. (Cheers) Tomorrow we return to Huaraz and then on to Copa. Until then we will keep you in the loop. Bye.
RMI Guide Robby Young
RMI Guide Robby Young and team call from the summit of Nevado Urus, Peru.
Hey Jason. Sorry Brian couldn’t complete the trip.
I’m sure the pictures don’t do justice to the real views you are experiencing.
Love you and look forward to your safe return.
Mom and Dad.
Posted by: Steve Gehrke on 7/10/2017 at 3:27 am
Hi Jon! How’s the air up there? Your family at sea level misses you, especially Cala, who misses her Uncle Jon so much she cries every day. We wish you and your climbing team the best, stay healthy and safe.
Hugs,
the Crabbies and Mom
Greetings from the Cordillera Blanca!
As climbers, we learn that things are constantly changing here in the mountains. Our bodies, the weather, climbing conditions, among others. For us, our ability to adapt and change plans was our alpine exercise of the day. In lieu of a summit attempt, we took another day to rest, acclimatize, and watch billowing clouds envelop the surrounding mountains this morning. We traded a climbing day for an educational day. We dove into the depths of crevasse rescue systems, and gave our bodies one more day of R&R before our summit attempts. Tonight, we begin our climb of Ishinca. Anticipation and excitement filled our dinner tent, and we're ready. Stay tuned.
RMI Guide Robby Young and your ESS-Peru Climbing Team
We were greeted this morning by another beautiful Peruvian morning! Our agenda today would take us to the toe of the glacier at about 16,000ft to review and learn climbing techniques that we will use on our ascent of Ishinca tomorrow morning. The approach takes about 2-3 hours and follows a track through old glacial moraine, remnants of when the glaciers used to flow deep down these valleys. At the toe of the glacier we all donned our climbing equipment and began the days learning. Our training site gives one massive view of the surrounding peaks and glaciers. Many of which are above 6000 meters. The team did fantastic today and we're all feeling really good about our climb tomorrow. We are all back at camp now where we'll take a short siesta before dinner and an early night in preparation for tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for following along. Tune in tomorrow for more!
RMI Guide Steve Gately
Hello from 14,200'!
Life is good here in the Peruvian Andes. Acclimatization and technical training were the name of the game today. After a good night's rest, a pancake breakfast, and some warm morning sun, we dove right into knots and hitches; the foundation for some of the technical systems we'll learn later on. Chicken soup and beat+potato salad were a welcomed lunch break before a short hike to the top of the moraine at 15,200'. The views didn't disappoint. From our perch we could see all the real time glaciation on Tocllaraju, as well as our future route up Urus Este. We're back in camp awaiting what is surely to be an incredible dinner spread in our dining tent. Life is pure, simple, and beautiful here in Peru, and our entire team is feeling great. We'll update you tomorrow from the Ishinca Glacier during our on-snow training day. Until then, hasta luego!
RMI Guide Robby Young and team
July 4, 2017
Greetings all!
Happy 4th of July from the Ishinca Valley at 14,000'! We had great weather for our walk up the Quebrada (Valley) this morning, with outstanding views of the snow and ice covered pyramid of Tocllaraju. And here we are, having built home for the week, ready to start training and climbing in the high peaks around us. And as we thought the day couldn't get any better, we were provided an incredible dinner of TROUT! Our cook, Coronel and Pablo really pulled off an incredible feat. What a treat for us! We're looking forward to an acclimatization day tomorrow. We'll spend some time training in the grass here at Base Camp, as well as go for a short hike to take in the views. Until then, happy 4th, and we'll keep you all in the loop.
RMI Guides Robby, Steve, William and your ESS-Peru team
I climbed Tocllaraju in 1965 from base camp in Ishinka Valley. Fabulous glacier climb. But in those days we were all sick from drinking bad water. Hope your water is better now!!
Berg Heil!
Posted by: Keith Gunnar on 7/5/2017 at 11:03 am
Are you guys climbing Tocllaraju? It is one of the most beautiful mountains to climb. I will
never forget it. Be safe.
Greetings all!
Your Peru Expedition Skills Seminar Team has safely arrived in Huaraz City, perched in the high Rio Santo Valley of the Cordillera Blanca. It was a long journey by bus, 8 hours in total, from the hustle and bustle and modern amenities of Lima, to the humble mountain city of Huaraz. We enjoyed an incredible dinner tonight at Hotel Andino, the nicest spot in town. Alpaca steaks, Lomo Saltado, and numerous classic Peruvian dishes filled our table. Everyone is excited to be in a new country, and looking forward to some trip preparation, and further acclimatization tomorrow. Until then, thanks for following along; the best is yet to come!
RMI Guides Robby, Steve, William, and your ESS-Peru team
Hi Jon!
We are enjjoying the 4th of July and waiting for the fireworks. The Crabbies say hi and Cala’s first words are Hi Uncle Jon. I hope you are having fun. Good luck to you and the entire team.
The Four Day Summit Climb June 23 - 26, 2017 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning with cold temperatures and slight winds. RMI Guide Tyler Jones and team were on their descent by 7:15 am and returning to Camp Muir. The team will take a short break to eat and re-pack before continuing their descent to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team!
June 16, 2017 11:35 pm PST
Well everyone, we hung on as long as we could at 17 Camp. We woke to high winds and blowing snow and waited patiently for them to dissipate. They did not. After dragging our feet in vain, still hoping for some workable weather, we finally began our descent back to 14 Camp. Arriving around dinner time, the team wolfed down what could (hopefully!) be our last Mac and Cheese meal for a while and racked out for what will be a few short hours before we head downhill for this season.
While we did not stand on top of Denali this year, we are lucky to have tried and happy to be heading home none the worse for wear. It has been a real treat to all climb together and we will be checking in from further down this beautiful mountain. Wish us good luck and fair winds on the last legs of our adventure, it ain't over yet...
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Waiting to hear you all arrived safely at base camp and are flying back to hot showers and a good meal! Praying for you Steve!
Mike and Pat
Posted by: Mike and Pat Lurakis on 6/19/2017 at 9:48 pm
Steve. A disappointment for sure. What do they say about mountains - getting to the top is optional but getting down is mandatory. Denali denied you the top so be safe getting back down. Safe travels .
June 15, 2017
Hello from 17 Camp, this is Jake Beren calling in for RMI's Denali team. We woke this morning to high winds up high and quite cold temps again. So we decided to pump the brakes and cross our fingers for tomorrow. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but we are hoping to give her a go tomorrow. So that's it from 17 Camp, a little bit more of the same, but we're all happy, healthy and hanging tough up here. So we'll give her a shot tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Bye.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
RMI Guide Jake Beren checks in from 17,000 ft on Denali.
Lindsay, it’s unfortunate that you could not summit ... I would still think that the journey to 17K was an amazing experience anyways. There is always another time!
Posted by: Manish on 6/17/2017 at 5:38 am
Cheryl so sorry to hear that you weren’t able to summit but I’m sure this has been a very unforgettable experience. Wishing you a safe trip home and can’t wait to see you.
Team, guys and the GIRL, so exciting to follow your progress! You are strong! Have fun, good weather and best of luck! Looking forward to photos from the amazing summit of Copa!
Posted by: Martina Kalusova on 7/11/2017 at 8:36 am
Congratulations on your summit!
Posted by: Sarah Turner on 7/11/2017 at 8:30 am
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