A standard-issue aborted summit attempt with RMI.

Atypically strong 100-mph wind gusts pounded the Muir Camp hut all night; it felt like the hut was going to blow off the mountain. Our guide told us that his tent had almost been swept down the glacier with him inside... he had almost been forced to self arrest through the tent wall! See the photo of his tent remains.

Unfortunately the winds were too intense for a normal alpine start time of 1-2am and by the time we were finally off it was 5am. As is well known, RMI is EXTREMELY formulaic in its ascent schedule so with a super late 5am start the writing was on the wall... we wouldn't be summiting. Still, we went through the motions, roped up in the dark, and made it up to Ingraham Flats at 11,100 ft at the base of the DC. By that time, even though winds had chilled out and it had turned into a blueby day, RMI turned us around due to a policy of not guiding through an the icefall danger zone too late in the day. Totally support that decision.

Not summiting was a good reminder that 99% of what brings me to the mountains is the journey spending time with friends in the outdoors. But yeah, I wish we’d made it. Will we be back? Maybe. But there are so many peaks to explore, so little time…