Sean Kristl's Posts

Update from lead guide, Esteban “Topo” Mena for the Alpenglow expedition team on Alpamayo: “We are in Base Camp, tomorrow we carry on to Moraine Camp. All is good.”

Day 5: Today the team continued trekking past the Santa Cruz Lakes and turned up into the hanging valley that sits beneath Alpamayo. They established Base Camp at treeline, approximately 13,500′ /4,115 m. Tomorrow the team will carry equipment to Moraine Camp (16,000 feet/4,877 meters), at the edge of the glacier. After stashing their gear they will return to Base Camp for one of Alfredo’s famous feasts.

Follow along on our social channels (Instagram and…

Donner Summit (located near Truckee, California) has some of the best climbing that California has to offer! There is an incredible range of options and challenges for all levels of climbers. Alpenglow offers full day and half day private rock climbing. The best part about booking a private day of climbing is that you choose your group, your location, and your dates.

We also guide private rock climbing in the High Sierra (off hwy 395 near Bishop) as well as Lover’s Leap (off hwy 50 near South Lake Tahoe), which are also great locations but not…

Text & Photos: Esteban “Topo” Mena

“Day 2: Yesterday we went to Antacocha, climbed a 5 pitch 5.10-route called Noches de Adrenalina (13,451′ / 4100m) First summit of the trip!

We are having second breakfast at Cafe California. The plan is to leave Huaraz today, 3hr drive to the trailhead (Cashapampa), and tonight we sleep in Llamacorral.

Day 3: We got to Llamacorral in 4hr from Cashapampa. Team is feeling good. Tomorrow base camp! Yesss!”

For more information on our Alpamayo and Quitaraju expedition, or any of our other international expeditions check out our website. For any questions call our office…

Text & Photos: Ben Mitchell

“Day 2: Fun day here. Went on a tour of the city this morning. Focused on the Kremlin and Red Square then drove around looking at greater Moscow. This city is amazing for the history, excellent infrastructure, and beautiful modern section as well. We have been blown away at every turn by what Moscow has to offer.

We sampled the metro by traveling across town in an effort to get tickets to the confederations cup soccer match, only to end up watching in a local bar. However, I…

Earlier this week our Ecuador Climbing School had a fun acclimatization hike on Rucu Pinchincha (15,700′ / 4785m). The team rode a teleférico from the city of Quito, they hiked for two hours to the rock ridge, and then climbed the ridge to the summit. This climb is a proud peak on its own and it is also important for acclimatization before the other peaks on this expedition.

Today was a successful summit on Cayambe (18,996′ / 5790m) for our Ecuador Climbing School team members, Daniel and Alex. After a midnight wake-up call, they began their climb. Most of the climb was…

Their patience paid off! Both teams had a successful climb and summit of Everest during an almost perfect weather window.

The summit push really began when the teams left Camp 3 (27,390′ / 8300m). The #EverestNoFilter team (Adrian Ballinger, Cory Richards, “Topo” Esteban Mena, Mingma, Palden, and Pasang-Rinji) left C3 at 11:30pm on Friday May 26, Cory and Mingma left at 1:30am Saturday May 27.

Our Mount Everest North Side Rapid Ascent expedition team (Brooks Entwistle, Zeb Blais, Chad Peele, PaNuru, Dorji, Phurba, Nawang) left Camp 3 (27,390′ / 8300m) at 12:30am Saturday May 27 for their final summit push!

SUMMIT  at 5:43am on May 27…

The teams have been watching weather all month, and on May 21 the #EverestNoFilter team left Base Camp (17,000′ / 5200m) to begin their summit push!! Next stop was ABC (21,300′ / 6400m). Adrian and Cory were able to join the Alpenglow Rapid Ascent expedition team and celebrate Brooks Entwistle’s 50th birthday with him in ABC on May 22.

The teams are making good progress on their summit push! They left Advanced Base Camp yesterday (May 23) and arrived at North Col camp today, May 24.

“This is all that’s left. Climb. We leave ABC tomorrow. 24th…

Photos: Zeb Blais

Yesterday the Rapid Ascent team went for a ski tour up the East Rongbuk Glacier on Mount Everest. A fun way to pass time and train while they wait on a weather window!

Both teams, Rapid Ascent and EverestNoFilter, are still waiting for a good weather window for safe and successful summits. This is something that cannot be rushed.

Patience, respect, and experience lead to good decisions for the team as a whole. Working with the weather is part of the game on Everest and that’s one of the main reasons why…

Photos & Text: Zeb Blais

“Flames shot up, licking the delicate nylon fabric of Bali’s jacket.  He was not dissuaded as another ball of fire came dangerously close to his flammable clothes.  Evidently this wasn’t his first time serving flambe chicken at Everest Base Camp.  I realize you’re thinking “why the &@#$ are they having flambe in the middle of the Tibetan plateau?  What is this place?”

I’ll admit that I was simultaneously impressed, terrified and curious why the &@#$ we were having flambe in the…

Text & Photos: Zeb Blais

“My heart pounded in my chest, overpowering the music blaring through my headphones.  I was skipping between large granite boulders, ascending a ridge line 3,000′ above Everest Base Camp.  I wasn’t scared.  I wasn’t moving fast.  At sea level, my heart wouldn’t have bothered itself to increase more than a few beats per minute.  At 6,000 meters (20,000′) on my first high hike above camp, it was a different story.  I could feel the thin air slowing me down and taxing my body.  If moving at 6,000 meters is this…