RMI Guide Mike King called this morning at 7:06 a.m. The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb team turned at Ingraham Flats due to difficult route conditions. The teams are planning to begin their descent from Camp Muir between 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Update: 4:04 am PTRMI Guide Mark Tucker reports from Everest Base Camp that the climbing team has safely returned to Camp 2 (ABC). They will spend the night resting, eating and recovering from the summit climb. Tomorrow, Mark is looking forward to welcoming the team back to Base Camp.
A crux for improvement in most any athlete lies in maintaining motivation; maintaining the drive to begin, practice, and persist at a task until you have reached your goals. In a 2009 piece in Psychology Today, Jim Taylor wrote that there are three factors that affect performance: Ability, Competition, and Motivation. Motivation is the only factor over which you have control. Ability (both physical, tactical, and mental) is something that you are born with. Other outside factors influence performance as well such as the away game crowd in sports, or temperature, weather, wind, and conditions in mountaineering. Again, these factors are all beyond our control, and can only be anticipated and dealt with as they appear.
This leaves motivation as the key component to success. When we are motivated, we train and practice in order to maximize our given abilities. This probably isn’t news to anyone, but how do you maintain motivation day after day in a training process that can take well over a year to reach its culmination? How do you maintain your motivation in the face of cold and wet conditions in the winter, hot and muggy in the summer, or when other elements in your life are pressing in and tempting you to skip a day of training? This is the point that sports psychologists refer to as “the grind”, the point at which training and practice cease to be fun or pleasurable and begin to sap at your motivation. How you respond to the grind is what separates a top performance from a mediocre one.
When you feel your training and motivation beginning to suffer, be willing to admit it and decide what direction you are going to take. You can continue on your current trajectory, or you can redirect yourself toward your goals and redouble your efforts. Once you decide on a path, dedicate yourself to it and recognize that your training needs to hold a place of priority in your daily schedule. At the same time, take a moment to evaluate your training and decide what is working and what isn’t. If running is hurting your knees and causing you to dread your workouts, reduce the number of running workouts in your training and shift those workouts to a lower impact activity such as cycling. When the gym becomes claustrophobic, take your core workouts outside to the local park or woods.
It’s something of a cliché to say that the difference between athletes and great athletes is their dedication to the game. Pelé once said that, “I used to train very hard. When the other players went to the beach after training, I was there kicking the ball.” While most climbers don’t have the time to dedicate themselves singularly to climbing like Pelé did, try to practice that same mental dedication. Ask yourself in the morning what you can do that day to improve and give yourself the best chance on Rainier or any other peak. Before you head to bed, ask yourself if you did everything you could that day to achieve your goals. Finally, if you have a novel trick that you use to stay motivated, post it in the comments below. Your trick may be just the ticket for another climber!
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
First, I just want to say I am looking forward to meeting everyone on this climb! I hope we will be able to summit and the weather doesn’t stop us from achieving that goal.
Kevin M.-when do you and your brother fly in to Seattle? I live in Washington and might be willing to pick you both up at the airport if you arrive at a decent time. Let me know.
See you all in July. Safe travels to you all.
Steph
Posted by: Steph on 6/13/2014 at 2:53 pm
Hello all, My brother and I are coming from out of town for this climb but we are running into issues with getting out to Rainier. I’m curious, How are the rest of you reaching the park? and also, would any one be willing to carpool?
The Four Day Climb August 25 - 28 was approaching the crater rim of Mt. Rainier at 6:40 am led by RMI Guides Alan Davis and Seth Burns. Alan reported climbing time from Camp Muir to the summit was 6 1/2 hours for the teams this morning. It's a beautiful day to be in the mountains with clear skies and light winds. The teams will enjoy some time at the summit today before retracing their steps and returning to Camp Muir. After a short time at Camp Muir, they will continue the final 4,500' to Paradise and conclude their program at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
The team’s success in summiting Mt. Rainier is truly inspiring. Congratulations on a remarkable achievement and an unforgettable experience! Well done!
Posted by: Right Angle Developers on 5/21/2024 at 2:12 am
As Dave Hahn wrote yesterday, my attempt at trying to climb this monster called Mt. Everest is over. I wanted to write today about what went into that decision.
Over the past several weeks we have made several "rotations" on Mt. Everest to higher and higher camps and elevations. During these rotations I have felt quite strong for the most part, and in fact, our entire team has been strong. One of the keys to climbing this beast is that the group work together, and move efficiently and rapidly through the most dangerous parts of the mountain. We have in fact been doing that.
One of the key objectives of our rotations is to acclimatize. What this means is to allow the body to adjust to higher and higher altitudes by moving up the mountain slowly, by climbing "high" and then sleeping at a lower altitude, and then descending to a lower altitude (Everest Base Camp) and starting the pattern all over again.
About a week ago I started to notice that my body was not acclimatizing like the other members of the team beginning at about 22,000 feet. At night at this altitude, when I was attempting to sleep, I would be drifting off to sleep and then I would have to sit up and gasp for air. I would then pant for a minute or two, and then the entire process would repeat itself. This occurred for 4 to 5 nights ALL NIGHT LONG. I tried Diamox (a medicine used for acclimatization), but it didn't help me. During these nights I would look over at Sara (my daughter) who was restfully sleeping in her sleeping bag, and curse her (just kidding).
At about 22,000 feet my body simply stopped acclimatizing like it had been from the beginning of the trip. The result of this was that during the day I would not be rested. During our climbs I would be panting hard, and I would be slower than I had been, and now slower than the rest of the group. I tried hard to figure out how to sleep and get my acclimatization going again, but I just couldn't do it. I was getting weaker (not stronger like the rest of my teammates) every day above 22,000. Sara, on the other hand, would be getting stronger each day that she spent up there. I told her she was never going to get a car and she was grounded (just kidding again).
After our last rotation we returned to Base Camp. I went to bed and woke up LIKE A NEW MAN. Simply descending to Base Camp (which is still at 17,500 feet) allowed me to get a 10 hour night sleep, the first night sleep I had in 6 days. I slept like a rock, and I felt great (and feel great right now). So it's a weird feeling to be sitting at Base Camp, feeling extremely strong, and yet knowing that my attempt at the summit is over.
But, I made the decision that my attempt to climb Mt. Everest is over, and I know it's the correct decision. And here are my considerations:
1. I do not want to be a burden to my teammates. I think the hardest decision a person can make is to evaluate himself (or his children). It is very difficult to make these comparisons. I feel that I am a strong climber below 22,000, and still, above 22,000, I still think that I am an "okay" climber. I can climb forward past many people on the trail, but still, I can not keep up with my teammates, and I can not climb the tallest mountain in the world. These are tough assessments, but must be done honestly and candidly (so, next time one of your kids is cut from a team let it be known that I CUT MYSELF FROM MY OWN TEAM!)
2. This mountain is over 29,000 feet tall. At Camp 2 I would still be 1.5 VERTICAL MILES below the summit. If this mountain were 24k or 25k feet tall there is no doubt in my mind I would make myself summit. But, this is a monster. I have no interest in "high pointing" at Camp 3 or Camp 4. If I can't climb this mountain to the top, then I am done.
3. Sara. I am not simply a member of a typical team of, say, 8 guys. I am also the father of another member of this team. Another consideration that I must always have is what is in the best interest of Sara. And that's easy - to eliminate from the team its weakest member (me) that might cause the team to move slower, or - if I pushed myself beyond my limits - that might cause the team to have to stop to medically rescue me off the mountain. I know that with 6 professional members of our team, and one client (Sara), that, with me dropping out, Sara is in a better place. She will have an entire team of the best climbers in the world working with one client - her.
4. People die on Mt. Everest every year. It's a brutal, unforgiving place. There are many motivations for climbing this mountain (ego, personal challenge, etc.) and sometimes those motivations drive people to ignore the signs that their bodies are giving them and then they push themselves well beyond their limits. Its protocol in these blogs not to write about what you see on Mt. Everest. There are many other teams, many other climbers, and many other people making decisions about whether to proceed with their climb or to end it. Many continue to keep climbing. I am choosing to make sure that I don't die on Mt. Everest. I have a great family, great friends, and a great community, (and many things to do with the rest of my life) and I am looking forward to all of these things in the years ahead.
Dave Hahn and Linden Mallory are terrific guides. Dave has made this my decision, and has said repeatedly that I can "take another shot" and I can keep climbing (this trip is pretty expensive). But there really would be no purpose to trying again. I have been up to about 22,000 feet before and have struggled beginning at that altitude. Before this trip I thought that it was other factors that caused my lack of acclimatization (lack of water, not eating enough, etc.). But now I know that my body is just not made for climbing 8000 meter peaks.
I have climbed a lot of tall mountains (Aconcagua, Denali, Kili, etc..) and I really enjoy the experience. But if you hear of me planning to give an 8000 meter peak another try please GRAB ME BY ME ANKLES and stop me. My body is just not built for it.
I will be hanging out in Base Camp for the next 3 weeks (like a parent on the sidelines at Tophat) cheering on my daughter and the rest of the team. There are many things to do at Base Camp - last night I lost in Jenga, but came in second in a big Yahtzee tournament. And most every night there is a late night poker game (guides from many teams and countries like to play Texas Hold em, it turns out). And I am surrounded by the tallest and most beautiful mountains in the world. So, all is good here at Everest BaseCamp.
I am disappointed that I will not get a chance to summit, but I am happy that I made this journey, that I made it with my 16 year old daughter, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I will remember it forever.
Love and peace to all.
Bill M.
I just finished reading your blog (sorry I was a bit late checking the update), and was blown away by the fortitude and conviction you displayed in making your decision.
It had to have been an incredibly difficult one for you to make- and at the same time, NOT. The reasons you listed were, needless to say, all overwhelmingly outweighed the decision to carry on up the mountain. although I’m sure the pull was and is still strong, you showed even greater strength in staying put at Base Camp and “taking one for the team”.
This extra time at Base Camp also provides you with an opportunity to win back the expedition fees via the late night Texas Hold ‘Em winnings you are bound to take in! Don’t forget to play the “Oh woe is me, I’m all alone down here at base camp while my daughter is up there on the summit without me” sympathy card! That should be good for a few extra chips or let you pass on the ante a few times…
Anyway, on behalf of the Benno Group congrats on your achievement. You’re an inspiration to us mere mortals down here at sea level.
See you in August?
Best,
Marc
Posted by: Marc Reiter on 5/11/2011 at 1:38 pm
Bill- I haven’t checked in for awhile. We met in Gorak Shep. I was on the Island Peak team. Just wanted to weigh in. When we all met a few weeks ago, I sensed something pretty unique between you and Sara. The fact that you made the decision you did speaks volumes of the kind of person you are.
Dzum Dzum!
Tim
Today was officially a rest day. Our team had different definitions of what that means but all in all we are going to bed content.
If you haven’t already guessed we had breakfast at 7:30 am, drank tea and coffee until 9 then prepared to go on a short walk. Being a lazy day, three out of the five departed by 10:15 while two others stayed back to enjoy some down time in the lodge. The weather started cloudy but improved by late morning offering new views of Makalu, the world’s fifth highest mountain and the north side of Ama Dablam which we have been viewing from its more popular side on the west.
Two members of the team hiked to a small summit at 16,600' for some extra acclimatizing while the others went back to the lodge for lunch.
Overall it was a pleasant day here in Pheriche which should set us up for our next stretch to Lobuche tomorrow.
The team led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier and Matias Francis reached the summit of Mt. Triumph today! The team climbed Triumph's northeast ridge to the summit where they enjoyed views deep into the North Cascades, including Mt. Baker. The team is making the most of their time in the North Cascades and plan to climb Thornton Peak tomorrow before their program concludes later this week.
June 4, 2014 - 7:43 pm PT
Hi, this is Brent from the RMI Okita McKinley Expedition. I am super psyched to report that we just summitted Denali about an hour ago, about 5:30 [Alaska time] this evening under perfect conditions. Minimal wind, hardly anything, and clear, blue skies. Everyone did a great job getting up to the summit. Was a fantastic effort by everybody. Right now, I'm calling down from the Football Field. We wanted to get off the summit, because there are a bunch of other climbers coming up and we wanted to get out of the crowds, as they say. Now we're back on the Football Field, taking a little break before heading back to camp. And everyone's doing super well. I'll give an update on our progress when we get back down to Camp 17 in a little while. All you friends and family who are listening, you guys should be awfully proud of these folks. They did a great job today. Alright, talk to you later. Bye Bye.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
RMI Guide Brent Okita calls in from the descent of Mt. McKinley's summit.
Leah, thank you for taking our picture on the summit.
Brent, as one of your former clients on a skills seminar I just wanted to say thank you for teaching me the skills to allow me to summit Denali. It was an honor and privilege to meet your team on the football field and share the summit with you all.
Great job team RMI!
Posted by: Dan Crouch on 6/10/2014 at 5:25 am
Congratulations to the entire team. JOB WELL DONE. Continued safe travels in your entire journey home. Godspeed to you all.
Yesterday I decided to end my quest to summit Mt Everest, and although I am still torn and wondering whether or not it was the right decision, I thought that I would try and explain to you why.
Dave Hahn always says that he wants to climb mountains with people who climb with their head. Now, I don't always understand everything that Dave Hahn says (ha) and he says a lot of things (ha again), but what I think he means by this is that he wants team mates and climbers who think about the repercussions of their actions, who think about how they are physically feeling, and who don't push themselves into dangerous situations.
Secondly, my dad ended his trip between Camps 2 and 3 (he says its closer to Camp 3, but whatever - ha). The end result is that after May 3rd he wasn't climbing with me anymore. So, for the first time in all our adventures, I had to be climbing by myself. Its been a bummer. Why I climb is for fun, and to be with my dad. And over the past 3 weeks its turned from being a fun experience to really more of a chore. Dave and Linden are awesome guides and great people, but they are not my dad.
So, part of my job as a climber is to think (I know this sounds funny, but I know that a lot of climbers don't think). I have to think about how I am feeling, how strong I am, how much energy I have, and how much I "want it." As we started out our summit bid climb yesterday (the 17th), I was feeling physically strong, but I started to doubt that risking so very much was worth the summit to me.
I don't expect others to understand why I lost my desire to go for the summit and to take the risks needed to do so. All I know is that you just can't manufacture desire to do this. So, as we got to our first break through the Ice fall I told Dave and Linden about my thoughts, and we decided to re-assess and walk back down. What I also didn't want to happen was to push myself to a very high point on the mountain, say 26,000 feet, have the winds blowing at 40 miles per hour, and me not wanting to go on. Then I would have not only have put our entire teams' summit chances in jeopardy, but I would have also created a huge safety situation. People would have had to put their lives on the line to get me off the mountain, and I wasn't going to allow that to happen.
After we got back to Basecamp yesterday, I knew I had to make a decision. The more I thought about it, the more the right decision became clear - but repercussions of that decision were so scary to me that it took me awhile to make it. I'm was (and am) afraid that people will be disappointed in me, that people will believe that I gave up without trying. As I sit here I struggle with the same thoughts, did I give it my best shot? Am I just giving up? The more I think about it though, the more I am reminded of the reason I love going on expeditions so much, and that is because I love to climb, not because I love to summit. The summit is the icing on the cake, but you can still have a great cake without icing. I've done some amazing climbing here, and I think the difficulty of the climbing and the way I've climbed safely and quickly on this mountain has been as good as anyone.
However, I still have a lot of regrets. The repercussions of my decision have made this last day a hard one. I feel horrible everything that has been "invested" in me over the last year to get me to this point and I will not summit. For a year I have been training, buying gear, ice climbing, backpacking and getting ready for a summit bid on Everest, and then when it comes along I have decided not to go. I know my teachers at school have made great sacrifices and invested a lot of time outside the classroom with me to allow me to go on this trip. I thank all the people who have been rooting me on, and sending me messages encouraging me on this climb.
But I also know that it is the right decision. I do have regrets about this, and I know in the coming months that I will have even more, but I just don't think that I am willing to risk what you have to risk to try to summit this mountain. I also think that it is just too difficult for me to access those risks up high without my dad being there. And if I assess those risks incorrectly, the costs are just too much.
So, all I ask of you is to know that I tried my hardest and please don't be disappointed in me for not reaching the summit. Sometimes its really not about the summit of the mountain, but what you've learned and experienced along the way.
Perhaps climbing a mountain isn't really about the mountain at all.
Sara McGahan
Sara, when I first heard about your decision not to summit, I wanted to jump to conclusions however, our friends helped me to understand what a strong person you are and we are all DEFINITELY SO VERY PROUD OF YOU. All of us were waiting to hear the story from you before being disappointed, and we all know the sacrifices you made and if you are happy, we are happy. Although summiting would have been an amazing experience, if you are okay without it, so are we. We are so proud of how far you made it and you will definitely go down in history maybe not for the summit but for the smart decision you made. You will be an example and a legend for future climbers. Hopefully when you come home, we can all catch up and you can fill us in on all of the wonderful memories you have made and you can reminisce on the climb. Yeah, we will wonder what could’ve happened but our curiosity is trumped by our happiness that you are safe and sound at home with us. Just know that we are all proud of you and you are a fantastic person and everyone who is disappointed in you, does not know your story. You know I am a harsh person and I hold you up to the highest standards, and even I am totally okay with your decision and GOT YOUR BACK.
I love you, Sara and hope you have some quick flights home because I cannot wait to see you!
Love, Kathryn M.
Posted by: Kathryn M on 5/20/2011 at 8:14 am
Sara and Bill,
We have all been following your blog and praying for you.
All we have to do is look at the incredible pictures to see that you have ACCOMPLISHED more than most of us ever would dream of even attempting. So, congratulations on your climb and the successes you experienced along the way. I think there are many folks in Atlanta who will be happy to have you back safe and sound a little earlier than the original plan.
Posted by: Jennifer Leinweber on 5/20/2011 at 6:50 am
A "fun" and challenging training session experienced in military training was the "heavy bag". It took the form of a duffle bag full of rocks, gravel, and sand and the goal was to pick up this bag and carry it over a specified distance. The problem was, it weighed about 120 lbs. Just getting it over a shoulder was a challenge sometimes requiring help. I used to think that the purpose of the training was to cause discomfort for the entertainment for instruction staff, but that training was very effective in helping to reframe the concept of what “heavy” actually means. This can be very useful in preparing yourself to carry a pack while mountaineering.
To fit this into your training for climbing, try picking a mid-week stair session and carry a pack which is significantly heavier than your mountain pack for an hour during the session. Exactly how much heavier you choose to make your pack is up to you. Remember to be careful not to overdo it and run the risk of hurting yourself (and be careful to not damage your pack when filling it with extra weight). As a suggestion, if your Mt. Rainier pack will weigh 35 - 40 lbs, try a session carrying 50 - 60 lbs.
Remember that the goal is not to see how much you can carry but to train with a weight that will make your regular pack lighter in comparison.
Try it out! I’d bet that the next time you shoulder your “normal” weight pack, it won’t feel so heavy and you’ll notice a spring in your step!
- John Colver
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle.
_________
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Beautiful picture! Hope to go there in a few weeks and praying for good weather.
Posted by: Joseph Huang on 8/31/2021 at 10:09 pm
Proud of you team! Great effort!
Posted by: Rachel Zimmerman on 8/30/2021 at 7:49 am
View All Comments