Entries By emma lyddan

The Mt. Rainier Four-Day climb led by RMI guides, Steve Gately and Emma Lyddan, turned around near 13,000’ this morning. After a cold morning and a light dusting of flurries, the team made the decision to turn back. The climbers are currently on their descent and will be back to celebrate their hard-work this afternoon in Ashford.

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Emma Lyddan reached to summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team had low visibility, and light snowfall and only spent a short amount of time on the summit before starting their descent.They will be back at Rainier Basecamp in the early afternoon to celebrate their success.

Congratulations team!

Sunday, June 4, 2023 - 11:33 am PT

Well, Denali didn't disappoint, nor did it ever relent, but we've wrapped up a safe and successful expedition. Stormy weather bookended our trip, delaying flights both onto and off of the glacier. Not to be outdone, we endured snowy and windy weather throughout the trip, taking advantage of the sunny days in between to climb and get into position for a calm and warm (albeit cloudy with no views) summit day. 

Our team was elated to see K2 Aviation's de Havilland Otters approaching Basecamp to pick us up. As excited as we were to get to town, there's always a little sadness watching the beauty of the Alaska Range, our home for the past twenty-three days, disappear underneath the wings of the ski plane. 

Thanks for following our adventure. Now we're off to climb in the Cascades!

RMI Guide Mike Walter and team

June 1, 2023, 5:13 pm PDT

After a successful summit day we descended from high camp to 14k Camp for the night. After a hearty burrito breakfast we descended to base camp, a 10-hour trek. We had excellent weather and perfect snow conditions for our lengthy descent. Unfortunately, snow returned in the morning and we were unable to fly off the glacier. K2 Aviation has pilots and planes on standby to come pick us up when the weather breaks. Who knows when that will be, but until then our climbers are dreaming of hot showers, cold beers, real food, and flush toilets. Nothing is easy about climbing Denali, and this final hurdle is testing our climbers'mettle. Hopefully we'll see the skies soon and the dreams will come to fruition. Fingers crossed. 

RMI Guide Mike Walter and team
 

The RMI May 7th Denali Expedition led by RMI Guide Mike Walter, reached the summit of Denali Monday May 29th. The team has safely returned to their 17,000' and will continue their descent to the airstrip over the next few days.

Congratulations to all the climbers!

May 28, 2023 12:01 PM PT

We hoped for a repeat of yesterday's weather, but instead we got light snow and wind. Definitely not a summit day.

So we're resting inside our tents inside a ping pong ball. Spirits are high despite today's weather wrinkle. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to climb.

We stocked our camp with plenty of food and fuel, so we're able to wait it out a few days. Until next time, we'll be counting the ripstop nylon squares in our tents, dreaming of a sunny and calm day for climbing.

Mike

May 27, 2023 8:44PM PT

The weather was spectacular today: sunny with very light wind. We took advantage and moved to high camp at 17,200'. Six hours of climbing and another few of building camp and we're all situated. After hydration, lots of calories and some rest, we're hoping to try for the top tomorrow, weather permitting. Fingers crossed!

Mike

Friday 5/26/2023 3:15 PM PT

Clouds and light snow are making a perfect atmosphere for a lazy rest day here at 14k. 

Strong winds high on the mountain are occasionally visible through breaks in the clouds. The warmth of our tents is conducive to lazing, reading, listening to music, and occasionally drifting off into a dreamy state of consciousness. 

Meanwhile, we're hoping that favorable weather allows us an opportunity to climb higher and push for the summit soon. 

Until then, we're embracing the tranquility of the mountains. 

Mike
 

Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - 8:23 pm PT

We had a wonderfully serene rest day today. It started with a prolonged breakfast scramble brunch, transitioned to hours of lounging, and culminated in a few hours of practicing fixed rope travel and running belays. Now we're fixin' for a burrito dinner. Tomorrow we hope to establish a cache up high so we're ready to make a summit bid if and when we get a good weather window, which could come in as little as a few days. The forecast is promising, but we won't hold our breath at this altitude.

We're taking it day by day.

RMI Guide Mike Walter

Monday, May 22, 2023 - 7:55 pm PT

The weather was gorgeous today. We retrieved our cache from Windy Corner, so we're all set here at 14,000'. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and socializing in the sun. Meanwhile, the guides excavated a palacial cook/dining tent for the team. Our plan is to review fixed rope travel and rest tomorrow, taking advantage of another day/night to acclimate to the altitude, and then establish a cache up high on Wednesday. A little weather might move in Thurday, but we're optimistic for a good window for a summit push this weekend.

RMI Guide Mike Walter