Kilimanjaro Climb Dispatches

Corey Raivio, Lead Guide, February 2 - 16, 2009

February 10, 2009 - SUMMIT!:
Good morning. This is Corey checking in. We are 100% on the summit today, the highest point in Africa (Uhuru Peak) at 19,340'! We are all back at high camp getting ready to eat french toast. We will descend to Mweka Camp at 10,000' for our last night on the mountain and tomorrow afternoon head back to the Dik Dik for some rest before the safari. It was an AWESOME day today! Everyone did a great job. We will talk to you all soon.

February 9, 2009:
Checking in from our high camp Barafu (15,200'). Everyone is doing great! We just had lunch, some of us are now resting, while others are organizing gear in preparation for tomorrow's summit bid. We are all hoping for clear skies as we climb under a full moon tonight.

February 8, 2009:
Hello! We arrived at Karanga Camp about two hours ago. As soon as we arrived we were greeted with nearly two hours of extreme rainfall. However, it didn't stop us from enjoying our hot pasta lunch.
Everyone is feeling well and did a great job going up the Great Barranco Wall this morning. Tomorrow we move to high camp, Barafu 15,000', in preparation of our summit bid the following day.
Corey

February 7, 2009:
Jambo!
We are checking in from our camp in the Barranco Valley 12,800'. We awoke to some unstable weather this morning that continued throughout the day. However, at times we were offered views of the summit of Kilimanjaro "Uhuru Peak" on the traverse towards our high point of the day at nearly 15,000'. As we were descending into the Barranco Valley we were greeted with a heavy afternoon rain that lasted until we arrived at camp. Everyone is drying out while sipping tea and eating popcorn before dinner. We will check in tomorrow from Karanga Camp.
Corey

February 6, 2009:
Greetings from our second camp, Shira Plateau. We awoke this morning to blue skies. After a wonderful breakfast we started our climb to Shira. Immediately after leaving Machame the route steepens through the giant heather, but offers stunning views of the forests below. We had a wonderful trailside lunch at 12,000' before our last two hours to camp. Everyone is feeling great and excited for tomorrow where we will climb to nearly 15,000' before descending to Barranco Valley Camp.
Corey

February 5, 2009:
Good evening from Machame camp at 9,800'. After our breakfast at the Dik Dik hotel, we made the 2 hour drive to Kilimanjaro National Park. After checking in with the park officials at Machame gate 5,900' we started our climb in the rainforest of Kilimanjaro. After about 5 hours of climbing we arrived at our first nights camp. Dinner has already been served and we are all in our tents resting for our move to Shira Plateau Camp 12,800' tomorrow. Everyone is doing well and having fun. We will check in again soon.
Corey

February 3, 2009:
Good morning friends and family, from the beautiful Dik Dik Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. We all arrived with our luggage last night after about 20 hours of flying from the United States. Greeted by 80 degree temps. and a wonderful dinner last night the long flights didn't seem to matter anymore. Today we will organize gear, rest and maybe jump in the pool for a cool down. Tomorrow is the start of our climb to "The Roof of Africa". We are all excited and will check in again from the mountain. Take care and we will give you all an update soon.
Corey

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John Murkowski, Lead Guide, January 30 - February 14, 2009

February 12, 2009:
After everyone made the summit, we had a big celebration party in Arusha. In the morning the safari team said goodbye to those folks just doing the climb.
Now, we have just finished our second day of safari. We are in our own private camp with the migration going on all around us. This morning we had a mock attack on one of the vehicles by a very large leopard. It was very intimidating and left everyone very excited. The Serengeti is full with the migration. Pictures can't do justice to seeing 250,000 animals spread out in front of you. Now it is time for a quick bush shower and a cold beer.
John

February 7, 2009:
As I sit in my tent and think about our summit climb this morning, I am reminded of how strong a group of women can be. We had very challenging weather for our climb and our team of seven women fought thru it all to stand on top of the Roof of Africa! We climbed out of our tents at 11:00 last night to a stiff west wind pushing snow across the mountain. After packing and a quick snack we started uphill, leaving camp in cold snowy conditions with most of the group already in four layers to fight the stiff westerly that was blowing snow into our faces. We quickly climbed thru the first two warm up legs and then got into the meat of the climb. With most of the group in down pants they quickly started passing other teams; showing that the five days of practice had really sunk in. Eight hours after we left the comfort of our tents, our team stood on the very top of Kilmanjaro! Everyone seemed to struggle at some point during the climb, but they all found a way to triumph. The weather quickly recognized their effort and rewarded us with a 15 minute respite from the wind driven snow and ice just long enough for some summit photos. It has been a long time since I last kicked a boot track in the snow up Kilimanjaro. We had a great time on top, but the weather wasn't done with us yet. During the long descent a large thunderstorm rolled in and provided a whole afternoon of hail, African rain and lightening. Nothing seemed to phase the team as they pushed all the way down to Mweka camp (9000') with only a couple of quick standing breaks. Everyone is now in their tents trying to dry out after a celebration dinner here at Mweka.
John

February 6, 2009:
Today our group left camp at Karanga and enjoyed a wonderful hike up to 15,000' and our current camp at Barafu. Everyone is doing well. We enjoyed a nice lunch and are now packing for our summit bid. We will be leaving in 10 hours. The group is very excited and just a touch anxious. The weather today was perfect for climbing and it looks like it will hold thru tonight.
John

February 5, 2009:
Our fourth day on the mountain turned out to be the best day so far. After breakfast we made the climb up the Barranco Wall without difficulty. The team really enjoyed the climb up the wall. We spent an hour on top of the great Barranco Wall enjoying the sunshine, before departing for the karanga valley. We arrived at camp just in time for a wonderful pasta lunch. Tomorrow we will move to high camp at Barafu. Everyone is getting excited as our summit bid approaches.
John

February 4, 2009:
We had our first rain free day todaay and everyone was very excited to walk into camp dry instead of soaking wet. Everyone did great today as we hiked from Shira up to 14,600' and down to our new camp at the base of the Barranco Wall. Everyone got a good look at the Barranco Wall after dinner and seems eager for the challenge. Normally this is a very crowded camp with hundreds of tents. Tonight there are less than 30 tents in camp. In my 13 years guiding on Kilimanjaro I have never seen this few people on the mountain.
John

February 3, 2009:
Today we had our first vistas of the mountain. The trek to the Shira Plateau started with beautiful sunshine, but ended with a dash to camp thru a heavy rain/hail mix. Everyone is doing well as we just finished our dinner here at 12,300'.
John

February 2, 2009:
After a busy day of shopping yesterday, we are now beginning our climb of kilimanjaro.
Yesterday, we had a wonderful breakfast at Dik Dik and then quickly worked thru everyone's equipment to ensure that there would be enough time for shopping. As it was Sunday, several of the shops were closed. Our group of seven persisted aand convinced several shops to open just for them.
Today we had a very pleasant walk thru the rain forest and just finished our first dinner on the mountain. We had several hours of rain today but we are now above the rain forest and we are hoping for better weather tomorrow as we head to the Shira Plateau.
John

Janury 31, 2009:
Hello from Arusha! Our group of seven climbers made it safely to Tanzania. Everyone is excited with just the normal touch of pre climb anxiety.
Our group is comprised of seven female friends (from work or school) who long ago promised to climb Kilimanjaro to celebrate their 50th birthdays and myself John Murkowski.
The last few days the area around Kilimanjaro has had intermittent showers, but a fresh breeze tonight from the east promises a change by morning.
After 24 hours of travel we had a wonderful welcome dinner and a warm welcome from our Swiss hosts. We are now thinking it is time for some shut eye.
John

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Linden Mallory, Lead Guide, January 4 - 19, 2009

January 17, 2009:
Greetings from Kikoti Camp -
We left our lodge early this morning, and traveled south to Tarangerie National Park. It was a great day for game viewing, as the clouds offered some protection from the hot sun and the animals were more active. There were many elephants today, with one coming within a mere 5 feet of our safari vehicle. And we even saw a leopard protecting his fresh kill, hanging in a tree. Getting closer to camp, we saw giraffe, water buck, and Dik Diks.
We arrived in Kikoti Camp just in time to hike out to Kikoti Rock to watch the sun go down over the African plains. Then it was back to our tented camp to watch the local Maasai sing and dance before a Maasai BBQ. What a great way to spend our last night in Africa!
Tomorrow, we begin our journey home, and this is the last dispatch from an amazing trip to Tanzania. Thank you to Team Waki and their families for making this trip such a fantastic experience.

January 16, 2009:
Greetings from the Plantation Lodge -
We rose with the sun this morning and had an early breakfast before making the short drive to the entrance gate of the Ngorogoro Crater. Soon after passing the gate we came to a viewpoint overlooking this 7th wonder of the world. This crater is huge - it is the largest unbroken caldera on earth, measuring 1800' deep, and 26 miles around the rim. With over 25,000 animals calling the crater home, the opportunity for wildlife viewing is unparalleled. We watched a multitude of animals interact in their natural habitat, including cheetah, lion, black rhino, water buffalo, elephant, zebra, wildebeast, and too many types of birds to count. We picniced on the crater floor alongside wallowing hippos and grazing zebra before starting our drive back up to the crater rim. On the eastern side of the crater rim we stopped at a Maasai Village and we caught a glimpse into life inside their distinct round mud and thatch huts and learned about their traditions and customs.
Afterward it was back to the hotel where we had a few hours to relax and enjoy this beautiful area. Now the sun is setting over the hills of the Ngorogoro Conservation Area just to our west and the sounds of birds are beginning to be replaced by the chirping of crickets. Tomorrow we leave the highlands of this area and drop back down the Great Rift Escarpment on our way to Tarangerie National Park. Because of the relative lack of rains in this area during the past wet season we are told that Tarangerie's year round water supply has become a gathering spot for elephants. We are looking forward to seeing them on our way to tomorrow night's tented lodge, located out in the African bush.

January 15, 2009:
Greetings from the Plantation Lodge -
Yesterday, upon our arrival at the Dik Dik Hotel, the husband's of Team Waki had arranged champagne and appetizers for the group. It was a big surprise, and the perfect ending to our climb.
After everyone had a chance to get a hot shower, we sat down to an excellent celebration dinner last night, and we feasted like royalty. We ended the evening by handing out the summit certificates to everyone in the group, and called it a day.
This morning, we loaded up in our safari vehicles and started our drive to Lake Manyara. Team Waki was excited to help support the local economy, and we stopped outside of Arusha to catch up on some much needed shopping time.
In the small town of Mosquito River we stopped at the weekly Maasai market and took the opportunity to see the locals barter for livestock, household items, and jewlery. After wandering amidst the commotion in a sea of red and blue blankets, we left the market and continued to Lake Manyara National Park.
The game viewing today was just a warm up to tomorrow's Ngorongoro Crater. We did not see any tree climbing lions, but did see plenty of animals, including some close face to face time with a large bull elephant, before going to our hotel.
Situated amidst old coffee fields the Plantation Lodge is a beautifully renovated farm and a welcome relief from the hot and dusty safari vehicles. We will check in tomorrow after visiting the fabled Ngorongoro Crater.

January 14, 2009:
Greetings from Arusha -
Everyone slept well last night after our long summit day, and we all benefited from sleeping at this lower altitude. We were up early and ready to start down the trail. Our descent began through the Gaint Heather and continued down through the forest to the end of our trek at the Mweka Gate. We made it to the gate by lunchtime, and said our goodbyes to our hard working mountain staff. We loaded up the bus, and began the drive back to Arusha, where we were all eager to take a hot shower and to have some time at the pool. We are about to sit down to our celebration dinner. Tomorrow, we start our safari. First stop is Lake Manyara where hopefully we will get to see the tree climbing lions.

January 13, 2009 Summit Day!:
Greetings from Mweka Camp --
Our day actually started last night at 11:45 pm. The skies were clear, temperatures in the mid 20's and there was slight wind from the east. Perfect conditions for our summit climb. We left camp at 1:00 am and started the ascent. Despite the winds starting to pick up steadily about 2 hours into our climb, making for some tough climbing, everyone did a really good job pushing on. Seven hours later, all members of Team Waki made it to the summit. We are all tired, but in good spirits and looking forward to hiking out to the gate tomorrow.

January 12, 2009 :
Greetings from Barafu -
Wow! What an incredible morning. We were treated again to blue skies and warmer temperatures as we rolled out of the tents. We even had great views of the setting moon, all of the Southern Breach Wall, and Uruhu Peak as we packed up camp. It was the shortest day of hiking so far, and the team made excellent time making it to Barafu, our high camp. There have not been a lot of people on our climbing schedule, so camp lacks the typical crowds. We have already eaten lunch and are planning an early dinner. The team is busy packing their summit packs for tomorrow, figuring out clothing combinations and resting up for the big day. Team Waki is ready! All eleven team members are feeling good at camp, and all will be going for the summit tomorrow. We will check in after the climb.

January 11, 2009 :
Greetings from Karanga Camp -
After three days on the mountain, we slept in this morning until 7:30. It was nice to have the warm sun welcome us as we got out of the tents. We left camp, and immediately started climbing the Barranco Wall. This section of the trail is a tall series of rock bands that rises an impressive 1200' straight out of camp. Our route picks its way upwards through these bands, at times requiring a few rock climbing moves, before topping out at just over 14,000'. From the top of the Barranco Wall we continued to the east, contouring underneath Kilmanjaro's looming Southern Breach Wall. Unfortunately, the clouds soon moved in and hid it from view.
After dropping into the Karanga Valley we made the steep climb back up the other side and right into camp. Perched on the rim of the Karanga Valley, Karanga Camp has stunning views of Kilimanjaro's summit massif. As we settle into our sleeping bags the full moon is just peeking over the eastern horizon and illuminating the landscape around us. The team is looking forward to a good night's rest before our move to high camp tomorrow.

January 10, 2009 :
Greetings from Barranco Camp -
The clouds disappated after dinner last night, and this morning we had clear skies. It was a little chilly as we got out of the tents, but we were quickly warmed when the sun hit our camp. We continued our climb of the Shira Plateau to our high point of the day at Lava Tower, reaching a new elevation record for everyone in Team Waki.
From Lava Tower we turned to the east and began descending into the Barranco Valley. The afternoon clouds continued to swirl in and out, occasionally enveloping us in a thick fog while at other times parting to reveal the green farmlands far below. The team made great time and we soon entered the thick cluster of tall Giant Senecios just outside of Barranco Camp. These bizarre Dr. Suess like trees are found only on the alpine slopes of East Africa and are fascinating to walk through.
Back at Camp we settled into our tents after a full day. Everyone in the group continues to climb strongly and is looking forward to tackling the Great Barranco Wall first thing tomorrow.

January 9, 2009 :
Hello from Shira Plateau -
We awoke to a cloudless sky, with Kilimanjaro looming above us. Everyone slept well last night, and we were anxious to get on the trail. The climb out of camp is quite steep and we quickly gained elevation before taking a much earned break. The clouds started to roll in halfway through the day, but no rain fell.
After picking our way along a broad ridgeline, blanketed in Giant Heather and flowing Spanish Moss, we reached a flat plateau where we paused for lunch. With the big white-naped ravens keeping an eye out for scraps, we sat down to a delicious lunch of pasta, salad, and fresh fruit. From our lunch spot we climbed the final stretch through several bands of volcanic rock onto the Shira Plateau - the broad western shoulder of Kilimanjaro created when the Shira Volcano collapsed during the formation of Kilimanjaro. With the clouds rolling in we arrived at Shira Cave Camp by mid afternoon. Our team of 11 women - Team WaKi - is thrilled to have our two private toilets accompanying us up the mountain.
The team climbed strongly today and is excited to be reaching new elevations. We are headed to dinner and will check in tomorrow. Everyone sends their love to those back home.

The team in front of the Machame Gate

January 8, 2009 :
After months of preparation and days of travel we began our climb of Kilimanjaro today. It was an early morning at the Dik Dik Hotel as we made our last minute preparations before leaving for the mountain. A strong breeze coming east from the Indian Ocean cleared the skies last night and the mountain was clearly visible as we approached, the glaciers shining brilliantly in the morning sun.
At the village of Machame we reached the edge of the national park and started climbing. The first stretches brought us through the final reaches of the cultivation zone and into the lush mountain forest. The tree canopy hung high above us, shading us from the midday equatorial sun. The landscape is lush from the recent rainy season and the tropical plants are in full bloom, creating an intricate mosaic of color across the forest floor.
Happy to have finally be climbing, the team made great time up the mountain, leaving the forest and entering the giant heather zone at our first night's camp by midafternoon. Perched at 10,000' on the lower flanks of Kilimanjaro , Machame Camp is tucked in amongst the spiney trunks of Giant Heather, thickly covered by flowing Spanish Moss. After settling into camp we sat down to an excellent dinner of fresh talapia before turning in for the evening.

January 7, 2009 :
Greetings -
We have had a busy day getting ready for our departure tomorrow. The morning started with a wonderful breakfast, and our first team meeting of the trip. After lunch the team headed into the town of Arusha to do a little shopping and see the busy, and sometimes outright chaotic, streets of the safari capital of East Africa. On the way back from town we were treated to our first glimpse of Kilmanjaro off in the distance. The weather has been sunny and hot for the last several days, and this pattern is expected to continue for the near future. We are just about ready to meet for drinks in the bar, and finish the day out on the patio with a five course dinner. Tomorrow, we begin our climb.

January 6, 2009 :
Greetings from Tanzania -
Despite a slight delay leaving Amsterdam, everyone has arrived in Arusha. We were greeted with two bottles of champagne and a warm welcome at the airport. After loading up the bus, we headed to the Dik Dik hotel, and sat down to our first of many incredibly prepared meals. It was a long day of travel, but the team is definitely ready for our African adventure. We are getting settled in for the evening, and looking forward to a good night's rest.
We'll check in tomorrow afternoon.

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Linden Mallory, Lead Guide, September 10 - 21, 2008

September 17, 2008 (email received 5:44 a.m.) :
The morning once again started with crystal clear skies and we could see Kilimanjaro's shining mass looming above us through the trees at Mweka Camp. Before we left camp we participated in a closing ceremony, thanking the entire staff for their hard work. We then headed down into the jungle, with the low lying mists quickly enveloping us. We saw monkeys hanging in the trees above us and passed innumerable patches of blooming flowers. After a few hours of walking we reached the gate, where we enjoyed a lunch in the village of Mweka before loading into the bus and returning to the hotel. We just returned to the Rivertrees Country Inn and are enjoying the showers and fresh clothes. Tomorrow we leave on Safari, visiting Lake Manyara and Ngorogoro Crater. We are looking forward to some down time and visiting those sites.

September 16, 2008 SUMMIT DAY!:
The clouds that blew in and out of Barafu Camp yesterday afternoon finally cleared after we went to sleep and we awoke to perfectly clear skies. We woke up at midnight and the full moon was already high by that point. After a quick breakfast we shouldered our light summit packs and began our ascent. The moonlight illuminated all of our surroundings and it quickly became clear that our headlamps were merely extra weight - the moon shone so brightly that we were easily able negotiate the rocky terrain by its light. And so we climbed by moonlight all the way up the Barafu ridge, with Orion rising to the east and our backs to the Southern Cross. A low lying cloud deck reflected the moonlight, with only Kilimanjaro's mass breaking the undulating sea of white. Shortly after 6 a.m. the sun finally found us, only several hundred vertical feet from Stella Point, where the Barafu Route reaches the crater rim. We continued to climb as the sun rose, passing Stella Point and contouring along the edge of the Southern Ice Field to Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro's highest point. The entire team summitted together, a few minutes before 8 a.m. We were fortunate to have the summit virtually to ourselves and the views over the low lying clouds were spectacular. After celebrating our success on the summit, we turned our sights back to high camp and began our descent. The familiar clouds that kept their distance for our ascent returned as we retraced our steps. Thankfully, the kept temperatures fairly cool, allowing for an easy descent back to Barafu Camp. At camp we rested for more than an hour, enjoying a late "breakfast" of fresh fruit, crepes, juice, and coffee. We then packed up our tents amd descended another 5,000' to Mweka Camp, nestled far below at the transition of the heather and forest climate zones. We have just finished a well earned dinner and have once again found our sleeping bags in eager anticipation of some much needed rest. The group is tired but still buzzing with excitement from the incredible summit day we had. Tomorrow we will make the final few hours walk to the Park Gate, and thus end our climb. We will check in from the hotel once we have showered and unpacked.

September 15, 2008 (email received 8:46 a.m.) :
We awoke to clear skies this morning. The cold temperatures that we experienced at Barranco were no where to be found and we left camp in shorts. We made great time today, arriving at Barafu, our high camp, in just over 2.5 hours of hiking. At camp, perched at 15,200' on a long ridge which we will follow to the summit tomorrow, we enjoyed a warm lunch and then spent the afternoon packing, preparing, and resting for our summit bid. The sun is setting right now, casting a brilliant alpenglow onto Mawenzie, a sub-peak of Kilimanjaro. We plan on waking up around midnight here (2pm Pacific) and beginning our climb shortly thereafter. We will check-in after descending to Mweka camp where we will spend the night. Wish us the best!

September 14, 2008 (email received 11:11 a.m.) :
Hello from Karanga Camp. At 13,200', perched on the edge of the Karanga Valley, this camp provides stunning views from Kilimanjaro's impressive southern side to Mt. Meru, off to the east, to the sea of clouds that is covering Moshi and the entire Masai Steppe. The full moon just rose and Kilimanjaro's glaciers are glowing in the moonlight high above us. The clouds that have swirled about us the past few days finally cleared this morning, retreating back down the mountain and hanging there, several thousand feet below us. The morning was crisp and clear, with a brisk downvalley breeze blowing through the Barranco Camp. However, we quickly warmed up as we started up the trail, picking our way through the rock steps of the Great Barranco Wall. After scrambling up the last rock band, Kili's volcanic past clearly visible in the it's texture, we reached our highpoint for the day, at 13,800'. From the top of the Great Barranco Wall we continued traversing to the east, contouring below the magnificent Southern Breach Wall looming above us. Soon we reached Karanga Valley - Swahili for "Peanut Valley" - and climbed the final several hundred feet up to camp. We reached camp at midday and were greeted to a hot lunch of pasta and a delicious bolognese sauce. The shorter day of hiking allows us to rest and prepare for summit day. We spent the afternoon resting, reading, and exploring some of the old lava flows near camp. Tomorrow we have a short climb to Barafu Camp, our high camp. We should arrive by midday and will rest and prepare for our summit bid the following day. The group is doing well and eagerly anticipating our move to high camp.

September 13, 2008 (email received 10:51 a.m.) :
Habari Za Jioni (Swahili for good evening) from Barranco Camp, at 13,000' on the south side of Kilimanjaro. We awoke to clear skies this morning, with sun light filtering through the forest canopy, creating intricate patterns on the sides of our tents. After sitting down to a breakfast of fresh fruit and scrambled eggs, we shouldered our light packs and headed up the trail. We quickly left the forest zone and entered into the giant heather. The narrow trail of the Umbwe route weaves through beds of bright green moss, Spanish moss draping down like sheets from the branches above. The trail climbs quickly, at times walking the narrow spines of the volcanic rock ridges, with the hillsides dropping off steeply to each side yet the heather grows so thick it keeps you safely on the trail. The trail is wild and beautiful, the lush flora combined with the rugged landscape give it a very mystical feel. By midmorning the clouds returned, swirling in and out of the rock spires and giant heather. The heather soon thinned and we entered the moorland zone, home of giant groundsels like the lobelia and senecios, native only to the highlands of East Africa. After making our way amongst their giant trunks we arrived at camp by early afternoon. Upon arriving the clouds briefly thinned, affording us views of portions of the impressive Southern Breach Wall of Kilimanjaro. The afternoon was spent relaxing, playing cards, and visiting the waterfall that flows below Barranco. At Barranco we rejoin the Southern Circuit Trail, used by several other routes including the Machame. Tomorrow we scale the Great Barranco Wall immediately out of camp before traversing a portion of the southeastern side of the mountain to Karanga Camp. The group is feeling strong and eager to be climbing higher on the mountain.

September 12, 2008 (email) :
Jambo! Hello from Umbwe Cave, our first night's camp on the Umbwe route. After a hearty breakfast back at the Rivertrees Hotel we loaded into a bus and made the drive to the Umbwe Gate, the beginning of our climb. The drive took us from the tarmac into the foothills of Kilimanjaro, past fields of coffee, corn, and banana and through little villages where the vibrant colors of the local markets kept us glued to the windows. Upon reaching the gate we checked in with the Park Rangers before heading up the mountain. The first few hours brought us along an old 4 x 4 track before it narrowed to a trail and climbed ever higher into the lush rainforest. We passed local children carrying bushels of grass harvested in the forest down to their family's cattle. They were eager to wave and test their English skills, all the while balancing enormous bushels of grass on their heads, as we crossed paths. Higher up, we walked along the trail under the watchful eyes of white colobus monkeys, their white tails trailing behind them like coat tails as they leapt from tree to tree above us. By late afternoon we reached camp, located at close to 10,000' yet still in the heart of the rainforest. After settling down in camp, we were treated to an amazing dinner of fresh tilapia and vegetables by our chef, Philbert. The group is feeling strong and looking forward to tomorrow, where we will climb through the giant heather and senecio to Barranco Camp, arguably one of the wildest and most beautiful stretches of trail to be found on Kilimanjaro. We will check in tomorrow from camp.

September 11, 2008 (email received 11:21 p.m. PDT) :
Jambo from Tanzania. After a much needed night's rest we spent the day in Arusha preparing for our climb. After a leisurely breakfast we reviewed our gear and made the final packing adjustments to our bags before heading into Arusha to explore for the afternoon. We stopped at the Peace Matunda Orphanage, a school and orphanage run by our outfitter, to visit with the children and see the new school buildings. It was very exciting to see how much the project has come along, due in part to the help offered by RMI climbers.

After exploring the local market where they sell fruits, vegetables, and everything else one could need, we returned to the hotel, enjoyed a few hours of downtime before sitting down for a delicious dinner.

We are leaving for the Umbwe Gate tomorrow morning where we will begin our climb. The group is well rested and looking forward to our adventure.

---

Seth Waterfall, Lead Guide, August 31 - September 12, 2008

September 12, 2008 (9:35 a.m. PDT) :
Hi, this is Seth. We returned from safari this afternoon and are now at the airport waiting for our out bound flight. We had a great time on safari and were lucky enough to witness a lion kill. He stalked and killed a zebra that had stopped along the river for a drink. It was an amazing sight and we watched the whole event unfold from about 20 yards away. We will tell you all about it when we get back. See you soon.

September 10, 2008 (email 5:25 p.m. Tanzania Time/  7:25 a.m. PDT) :
Hello. We have just arrived back at the beautiful Plantation Lodge after a full day of game-viewing at Ngorongoro Crater. We started our day early in order to get the best chance at seeing some of the big cats. We got lucky and were able to spot two lions (one male and one female), a cheetah and a serval. We also saw three rhinoceros and many hippo, elephant, zebra, wildebeest, cape buffalo, warthog and countless varieties of antelope. All in all it was a great day. I would like to make this longer but everyone is relaxing by the pool and I don't want to miss out on the fun. I'll check in from the Dik Dik Hotel after our two day visit to Tarangire National Park.

September 8, 2008 (7:00 p.m. Tanzania Time/ 9:00 a.m. PDT) :
100% Summit! Everyone was successful to the top of Kilimanjaro, the Roof of Africa! The weather was the best the we could have asked for. Halfway between Stella Point and Uruhu Peak, the sun came up. The skies were so clear that we could see all the way to the Serengeti! We are back at the Dik Dik Hotel getting ready for our celebration dinner. Tomorrow we start our safari to Lake Manyara.

September 6, 2008 (voice mail 5:32 a.m. PDT) :
Hi this is Seth checking in from 15,600' on Kilimanjaro. We arrived at Barafu, our high camp, and we have had the best weather of the trip so far and the weather keeps getting better and better for us. Everybody made it and everybody is feeling great. We are about to set up for dinner, have an early dinner tonight, and go for the summit this evening. I'll check in again hopefully from the summit and I'll check in after that from our last camp at Mweka. Everything is going great. Nothing else to add. Hope you are doing well.

September 5, 2008:
Today we hiked four hours to get to the Karanga Valley Camp with good weather and no clouds. Once we arrived in camp, we had a spaghetti lunch waiting for us. One member of our group, Akbar, is wearing a Hannah Montana wristband. He plans on wearing it all the way to the summit for his daughters. We are looking forward to moving to the Barafu hut tomorrow.

September 4, 2008 (7:42 p.m. Tanzania Time/ 9:42 a.m. PDT):
Hello this is Seth calling from our camp beneath the great Barranco Wall. Today was our first big day as we hiked from 12,000' up to 15,000' before descending to the Barranco Camp at 12,800'. The team did great and we arrived into camp after 6 1/2 hours on the trail. When we arrived at camp we were treated to freshly popped popcorn and warm, toasted peanuts. It doesn't get much better than this.  We will check in again tomorrow.

September 3, 2008 (7:35 p.m. Tanzania Time/ 9:35 a.m. PDT):
Jambo! Our team left camp this morning after breakfast to begin our four hour hike to the Shira Plateau Camp (12,000'). We were in the clouds most of the day with a little precipitation and cool temperatures. We did see our first moorland plants with a senecia and giant lobelia.  We arrived at our second camp just in time for lunch and were treated to a hot meal of beef stroganoff. The temperatures are low tonight and the sunset was at 7 p.m. so once the sun when down we put our parkas on to stay warm. Everyone is doing great and we are looking forward to our first big day tomorrow when we hike to 15,000' and get our first views of the great Barranco wall. For now we are keeping warm in our tents and will likely nod off to sleep in no time.

September 2, 2008 (7:08 p.m. Tanzania Time/ 9:08 a.m. PDT):
Hello, this is Seth checking in from our first camp on Kilimanjaro. This morning after a great breakfast at the Dik Dik Hotel we watched the monkeys playing in the orchard as we loaded our vehicles. We drove to the trail head, registered with the park service and started our trek. It felt great to put on our packs and get our legs moving up hill. We started off in nice, warm weather but the clouds were building as we reached camp.  After 4 1/2 hours on the trail we pulled into our first camp, Machame Camp (9,800'), just before the rain began to fall.  We enjoyed a great dinner in our dining tent before retiring to our tents to organize and rest for our continued ascent tomorrow.

September 1, 2008 (7:46 a.m. Tanzania Time/ 9:46 p.m. PDT on August 31st):
Greetings from the Dik Dik Hotel in Beautiful Tanzania!

Everyone has arrived and is looking forward to a nice day at the hotel. We are about to have breakfast and then we will pack for the upcoming trek on Kilimanjaro. Some of us have planned to go into the city of Arusha (population 400,000) to do some sight-seeing and shopping. The rest of us are going to use the afternoon to work on our tans by the pool.

I'll check in again after we begin our trek.
Seth

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Seth Waterfall, Lead Guide, July 30 - August 11, 2008

August 9, 2008 (10:56 p.m. Tanzania Time/ 12:56 p.m. PDT:
Hey this is Seth checking in.  We had another adventure filled day in Tanzania.  We had breakfast this morning at 6:30 in order to get an early start on the day.  We left the Plantation Lodge and drove 20 minutes to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and park gate.  We then went to visit a Maasai village and experience a little of their culture.  They sang songs and did their traditional dancing and jumping.  We also were able to look inside their homes.  Then we went to game view in the Ngorongoro Crater. We saw hippo, giraffe, elephant, hyena and lots of species of birds including ostrich and crowned crane. As we were driving along a lion crossed the road several feet in front of our vehicle.  We saw at least ten big cats throughout the day.  We had another nice dinner at the Plantation Lodge and everyone has retired to their rooms.  We will leave in the morning for more game viewing.

August 8, 2008 (7:56 a.m. PDT):
Hi, this is Seth checking in from the Plantation Lodge. We left the Dik Dik Hotel this morning after a nice breakfast and made our way to Lake Manyara National Park where we enjoyed an awesome lunch in the bush, complete with portable grills.  We spent the afternoon viewing troops of baboon and impala.  We saw over 20 elephant including a baby elephant that was about 6 months old.  We saw many giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and water buffalo.  We are now at the beautiful Plantation Lodge, cleaning up and getting ready for our five course dinner.  We will check in tomorrow after our day at the Ngorongoro Crater.

August 7, 2008:
We finished our climb of Kilimanjaro today by hiking from our Mweka camp to the park gate.  We said goodbye to our mountain staff and drove back to the Dik Dik Hotel.  After cleaning up we enjoyed a celebration dinner. We are looking forward to our four-day safari.

August 6, 2008:
Summit Day! Today members of the team stood on the summit of the Kilimanjaro. The team will descend to 10,000' and spend the night at the Mweka Camp. Tomorrow they will finish their trek out to the Mweka Gate and return to the Dik Dik Hotel.

August 3, 2008:
Jambo! We are now at the Barranco Camp settled next to the great Barranco wall. We ascended from the Shira Plateau today and reached the high point of the trip thus far before descending through the giant lobelia and into camp. The group is doing well and we are enjoying clear skies and great views of the south face of Kilimanjaro.  

August 2, 2008:
Yesterday, we started our climb of Kilimanjaro and hiked through the forest to the Machame Camp, our first mountain camp. The weather was cloudy and there was a lot of rain when we were in the forest.  We are hoping for clear skies today as we make our way to the Shira Plateau.

August 1, 2008 (email received July 31st at 8:29 p.m. PDT/ 6:29 a.m. Tanzania Time):
Hi this is Seth checking in from the Dik Dik Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. It's six thirty AM and we're all set to depart for the Park get at the Machame Village. Everyone is doing great! I'll check in again soon.

July 31, 2008 (email received 1:57 a.m. PDT):
Hi this is Seth checking in from the Dik Dik Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. Everyone arrived yesterday and all is well. We had a nice breakfast this morning at the hotel and everyone is getting ready to start our climb tomorrow. The Dik Dik staff is also busy packing our food and gear for the climb. Right now there is also a troop of monkeys out by the pool trying to distract us from finishing our packing. I'll check in again soon.

July 30, 2008 :
Program begins.

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Corey Raivio, Lead Guide, July 26 - August 7, 2008

August 3, 2008 (email received 5:18 p.m. Tanzanian Time/ 7:18 a.m. PST:
Hey, this Corey checking in from the Dik Dik hotel. We made it back to the hotel early this afternoon. We had a wonderful walk down from Mweka camp this morning after about 12 hours of much needed sleep. Our Tanzanian mountain staff of 47 sang a wonderful song about Kilimanjaro for our good bye. What a great way to put an end to a wonderful trip. I've got to say it brings a tear to your eye. We are all showered and getting ready for our celebration dinner. After that, it's off to bed and we will wake up early for the start of our 4 day safari. Take care and see you all soon.

August 1, 2008 (7:02 p.m. Tanzanian Time/ 9:02 a.m. PST):