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Kilimanjaro Dispatches
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February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 13, 2010
Group departs US to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport on February 14th.
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 15, 2010
Hello everyone,
After our long flights half way around the world the team arrived in Tanzania. We had a short ride to our hotel and after a quick dinner it was off to bed to recoup from the travel and time change. Today the team woke to beautiful sunshine and summer like temperatures (a nice change from the weather back home), we had a team orientation and thorough gear review for our climb to the "Roof of Africa", Kilimanjaro. We are currently nestled in between Arusha and Moshi in a rural area at Hotel Dik Dik.
After our group meeting we explored the grounds and had a great lunch before we headed off to sample some of the local culture. A short drive brought us to the city of Arusha where we spent a few hours visiting the cultural museum, local market and grocery store for a few last minute things. We finished up the day with good stories and an amazing 5 course meal.
Everyone is doing great and is excited for tomorrow start to our climb.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 17, 2010
Hello,
Everyone is doing well as we finished our second day of the trek. We left the forest and climbed through the Giant Heather zone to the Shira Plateau at 12,000'. We had a nice hike but were in the clouds most of the day which didn't allow us the beautiful views of the Great Rift Valley which we generally see on today's hike. However, we did pull into camp just before the afternoon rains began so we were thankful for that.
The Dik Dik Staff is taking great care of us as usual. We finished a fantastic dinner and everyone has headed to their tents to rest and relax. We will check in again soon.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 18, 2010
Really lucky today!
We started early today with hopes of beating the rain to camp, and boy were we lucky. We arrived in camp literally seconds before one of the hardest rains I have ever seen started. One of our local guides said it's the most rain he has seen in his 15 years of working here. A big thanks to our hard working crew for having everything setup for our arrival.
Our hike today went really well and we even set a new altitude record for some as we climbed to almost 15,000'. The trail was rather straight forward and had a nice easy decent into camp after the teams highpoint.
We are currently at our 3rd camp called Barranco. It's situated just below the Barranco wall and the Arrow glacier around 13,000'. We are nestled in between giant lobelias and beautiful Senecios trees. It an amazing place even in the rain.
Everyone is doing well and we are thankful to be dry.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 19, 2010
After another great breakfast of fresh fruit, porridge and spanish omelets we started the next leg of the climb. Today our first obstacle was the towering Barranco wall. It's a 1,000ft high wall that mostly involves steep hiking with the occasional use of hands to ascend. It was enjoyed by all and even left a few of us with a feeling as if we were truly climbing and not just hiking Kilimanjaro. It took us a little more than an hour and half to reach the top of the wall were we took a nice restbreak. The rest of the way was mostly a traverse with a little up and down to reach camp.
We are currently at Camp Karanga which sits at just over 13,000ft and overlooks the Karanga Valley. Normally there are spectacular views of the upper mountain and of the beautiful valley
below but the clouds continue to tease us.
Once again we reached camp before the afternoon showers arrived. Thankfully the rain was moderate and we stayed dry.
The team is doing great and everyone is excited about moving to high camp tomorrow.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 20, 2010
We woke this morning to mostly clear skies and a beautiful view of Kilimanjaro. Shortly after breakfast the clouds returned as we started our hike up to high camp. It was a relatively short hike (only about 3 hours) and was enjoyed by all as the cloud cover made for good hiking temperatures. Once again our crew of 48 porters and staff had everything setup upon our arrival. Just like clockwork we pulled into camp, climbed into our tents and the rain/snow started to fall. Lucky for us! Again!
Our high camp sits just over 15,000ft and will be the starting point for our summit attempt. We will get an early start tomorrow with hopes of reaching the summit in the clear weather that we have seen most mornings. Everyone is still doing great and we are very excited about our climb ahead. Hopefully we well get a little sleep after dinner.
Please keep your fingers crossed for us.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 20, 2010
Hello, this is Casey calling from the Africa trip. We are currently on the "Roof of Africa". It was a great day but pretty long. It took us eight hours. Everyone did really well and we have eight of nine climbers on the summit this morning. We had relatively good weather. It was beautiful hiking up but now there is a cloud on top and our visability is obscured a little bit.
We will check in later today.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 21, 2010
Hi, this is Casey calling from high camp. We have returned safely. Everyone is pretty tired. We will spend a little time here before making our descent to Mweka camp. Tonight will be our last night on the mountain.
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 22, 2010
Hello Everyone,
Success!
We had a great climb of Kilimanjaro yesterday. We started early with hopes of getting to the top to enjoy the good weather, and it worked.
Our climb was a little cold and the new snow that had fallen made for slow climbing, but after 8 hours of hard effort we stood on the "Roof of Africa". Just before we reached the top we saw one of the most beautiful sunrises that I have seen in years. After a few minutes of hugging and taking pictures we headed back down to our high camp for a short break. We had a quick lunch and then continued further down the mountain to our last camp of the climb at 10,000ft. The thick air was welcomed by all as were our sleeping bags after a 15 hour day spent on our feet. After a good nights rest we had a short decent to the park gate where we said goodbye to all of the porters that had worked so hard on this trip. A big thanks to them for helping us along the way as it would have been really tough if camp had not been ready when we arrived, especially with the weather we had. The rain has finally subsided and we have all returned safely to our wonderful hotel. Everyone has showered (thankfully) and we are getting ready to have our celebration dinner.
Tomorrow we start our four day safari. I like to think of it as the icing on the cake!
Casey and crew.
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 23, 2010
Hello again,
What a great day we had here in Africa!
Today we started our Safari by driving to the Great Rift Enscarpment for a tour of Lake Manyara. It's has a year round water supply that is home to a host of wildlife. Today we saw elephants, baboons, blue monkeys, hippo, giraffe and were even lucky enough to see several lion. All while standing out of the top of Toyota Landcrusiers and needless to say it was a fantastic day.
We have just returned from our day out and are currently relaxing at the wonderful Plantation Lodge.
Hope everyone back home is doing well and wish you were all here to enjoy the beauty and summer like weather.
Casey and crew.
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 24, 2010
It keeps getting better!
Today we left early and headed for Ngorongoro Crater and what some consider to be the 8th wonder of the world. It's a 2 million year old caldera that is full of all of the great wildlife of Africa. Picture a large soup bowl filled with African animals and that's where we went today. We spent most of the time driving around in our roofless vehicles looking at nearly every animal, so close sometimes I thought I would be able to touch them. Again we saw lions, elephants, cape buffalo and even saw rhinos and a cheetah. It was absolutely majestic to be so close to these beautiful creatures and to get to see them comfortable in there own environment. Priceless!
We also enjoyed a little local culture today by stopping by a Masaai village. They are famous for fighting lions in Africa, and after seeing their homes I know why they are so brave. They live a tough nomadic life and exist on nearly nothing. It was humbling to say the least.
Life is good!
Casey and crew
February 13 - 27, 2010
Kilimanjaro Trek & Safari
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
February 25, 2010
Today was our last day of this great adventure we have been on. We started the day by heading to Tarangire National Park. It has more elephants per square mile then anywhere else in the world. We must have seen more than 150 in just a few hours. We also saw many giraffe and even six lion cubs that were less then 20ft from us. It was another amazing day!
We are spending our last night in Africa at a place called Kikoti Camp. It sits just outside the park in the African bush. Our lodging is in beautiful elevated huts that are screened in and allow us to hear the sounds of nature.
Everyone has had a great time and are looking forward to returning home tomorrow. That's all for this trip, thanks for following.
Casey and crew
RMI Guide
-
Casey Grom
Climbing Team
Mark, Sarah, Athena, Stuart, Mary Alice, Tony, Mike, Nick, and Thomas
Itinerary
Day One: Depart U.S.A. Depending on flight times and connections, travel to Arusha, Tanzania typically takes over 24 hours from the U.S. Most people fly from Amsterdam directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Another option is to fly from London through Nairobi with a connecting flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Day Two: Upon your evening arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, you are met by your RMI Guide and transferred in our private vehicle to the enchanting Dik Dik Hotel near the town of Arusha. Overnight at the Dik Dik Hotel. (D)
Note: Our transfer times follow the KLM schedule, if you
are arriving on another carrier a private transfer can be
arranged for you at an additional cost.
Day Three: Following the morning team orientation meeting, we spend most of the day organizing and packing all of our gear. We will have some time in the afternoon to relax by the pool and recover from our long flights. Overnight at the Dik Dik Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day Four: Our day begins with a beautiful drive to Kilimanjaro National Park. The starting point of our trek is at the Machame Gate (5,900') where we enter the Park. After registering with the Park Rangers, we begin hiking through the dense forest to the Machame Camp (9,800'), where we spend the first night. Hiking time is approximately 5 - 6 hours. (B, L, D)
Day Five: We continue ascending, headed towards the Shira Plateau at 12,000 feet. After leaving the forest and traveling through the "Giant Heather" zone, we set up camp on a bench overlooking the majestic Great Rift Valley and if the weather is clear enjoy spectacular views of the summit of Kilimanjaro. Hiking time is approximately 4 - 6 hours. (B, L, D)
Day Six: Our day begins with a traverse of the mountain, taking us underneath the Arrow Glacier and Western Breach Wall. We walk among the giant lobelias and groundsels, vegetation that unique to the high altitudes of East Africa. Our camp is set at the base of the great Barranco Wall, a steep canyon emerging from Kilimanjaro's southern side (12,800'). Hiking time is approximately 5 - 6 hours. (B, L, D)
Day Seven: An early departure after breakfast allows us magnificent views as we traverse beneath the Southern Breech Wall. Our traverse takes place at elevations between 13,000 and 14,500 feet. Our camp is situated on the edge of the Karanga Valley nestled below the glaciers of Kilimanjaro. Hiking time is approximately 4 - 5 hours. (B, L, D)
Day Eight: The vegetation gradually disappears as we work our way towards high camp. We establish camp at approximately 15,000 feet near the Barafu hut. After an early dinner and a team meeting to discuss our summit attempt, we retire to our tents in preparation for our summit bid. Hiking time is approximately 4 - 5 hours. (B, L, D)
Day Nine: Summit Day on Kilimanjaro! Today we ascend to the Roof of Africa at 19,340 feet! We will get an early alpine start, planning to arrive at the crater rim by sunrise. We continue hiking along the crater rim, and in one more hour find ourselves standing on the highest point in Africa, Uhuru Peak. After a short summit celebration and photo session, we start the descent back to high camp. We will pack our camp and continue descending to Mweka Camp, which is located down in the lush forests at 10,000 feet. Hiking time is approximately 12 - 14 hours. (B, L, D)
Day Ten: After a much needed night's rest the team continues the descent down through the forest, finishing our trek at the Mweka Gate. After we load up the gear, our bus takes us back to the Dik Dik Hotel to rest and celebrate. Hiking time is approximately 3 - 4 hours. (B, L, D)
Safari:
For the next four days we explore the wilds of Africa in "pop-top" Land Rovers driven by professional safari guides. The ecosystems we visit are home to herds of wildebeest, zebra, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, cape buffalo, topi and gazelles, as well as their predators like lions, cheetahs and the elusive leopards. Each day we awake to witness the spectacular African sunrise while enjoying a cup of fresh Kenyan tea or coffee, before embarking on our wildlife game drive. During our drives we may witness a lion's kill, follow a cheetah or watch a pack of hyena on the chase. On one of our days we plan to visit a Maasai village. Evenings are spent relaxing, sharing stories, or just listening to sounds of the African night in luxurious tented camps situated in the African bush.
Day Eleven: Lake Manyara National Park. After breakfast we leave the Dik Dik Hotel and drive to Lake Manyara National Park. This Park, located about 75 miles east of Arusha, sits right at the base of the Eastern Great Rift Escarpment-a truly dramatic setting! Although small compared other game reserves, this 125 square mile Park has a year round water supply that supports numerous animals. The close proximity of a variety of distinct vegetation zones is a perfect environment for viewing all sorts of animals. In the lush forests, we will see troops of baboons and blue monkeys. While traveling along the shoreline of Lake Manyara, we can see the large number of elephant, hippo and some of the 450 species of birds that call this area home. If we are lucky, we might even be able to spot a tree climbing lion. We have lunch overlooking the Lake before driving to our first safari lodge. (B, L, D)
Day Twelve: Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. Today we head for the Ngorongoro Crater. Often referred to as the "eighth wonder of the world", this is the largest unbroken and unflooded caldera in the world. It is home to more than 30,000 mammals, and offers some of the best game viewing opportunities in Tanzania. The reputation it has earned as one of the world's most unique ecosystems and premier game viewing areas is well deserved. We spend all day exploring the unforgettable crater floor before returning to our lodge. (B, L, D)
Day Thirteen: Tarangire National Park. Tarangire is home to more elephants per square mile than anywhere else in the world. This Park boasts the highest concentration of wildlife during the dry season of any area in Tanzania outside the Serengeti/Ngorongoro ecosystem. It is well known for it's river valley, wetlands, gently rolling hills, rocky outcrops, acacia woodlands and numerous baobabs (the upside down tree). We enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush before driving to our second safari camp, Kikoti Camp. This secluded luxury tented camp is located on a ridge with incredible views overlooking the Tarangire National Park. (B, L, D)
Day Fourteen: After breakfast, we reluctantly leave our stunning safari camp and drive back through Tarangire National Park as we make our way back to Arusha. En route we can stop at a local market to purchase any last minute souvenirs. We check into the Dik Dik Hotel for the afternoon, giving us plenty of time to clean up and repack our bags. After an early dinner, we are transferred to the airport for our evening flights. (B, L, D)
Day Fifteen: Continued flights and arrival to U.S.
Key: B, L, D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.