Entries from Kilimanjaro
Hello from
Barafu Camp,
We had another gorgeous morning when we woke up. Since it was a fairly short hiking day we took our time packing up camp and had a nice leisurely breakfast. We walked out of camp at 9:00 and made very good use of the trail to continue working on our rest stepping, pacing and breathing so we will be ready for tomorrow. The group did great and we made it to camp in just over two hours.
We took full advantage of our afternoon by talking about all the details of the climb ahead as well as discussing what gear to bring and what gear can stay at camp.
Now we are getting ready for an early dinner so we can be in bed by 7:00. The alarm clock is set for o'dark thirty and the plan is to be walking out of camp at 1:00 am. Hopefully we will be calling in from the summit of Kilimanjaro around 8:00 am.
The entire team is strong and healthy and doing well. We all appreciate the comments that have been posted on the blog, thank you for sending the encouraging words.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
On The Map
Jambo from Karanga Camp,
The team did great again today and the good weather continues. Right out of camp this morning we started our climb of the
Barranco Wall. While viewed by most people as one of the more difficult parts of the trail, it was a breeze for this group. And it wouldn't be a stretch to say that they actually enjoyed it! We had the usual stopping and starting along the trail as climbers and porters negotiated some of the more tricky sections, but this did not slow us down and we topped out in just 1 hour and 20 minutes.
With the elevation gain behind us, we continued east towards Karanga Valley, traversing below the last of the southern ice fields. We also took advantage of some good terrain along the way to practice some walking techniques that we will use on summit day. By 1:00 we were pulling into camp, just in time to sit down to a spaghetti lunch. Such a treat! Now we are continuing the routine of the past few afternoons and just hanging out in camp enjoying our time on the mountain. The sun has been battling the clouds for most of the day. Lucky for us, the sun is refusing to give up.
Tomorrow is a short climb to Barafu Camp, our high camp. We'll get into camp by early afternoon with plenty of time to get ready for our summit day.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
On The Map
Hello from Barranco Camp,
Today was another perfect day for us. We got out of camp early and made great progress to Lava Tower. We were there by lunch time and everyone felt great, despite being at almost 15,000'. While we had a cloudless sky in the morning, the clouds had started to roll in and we decided to begin our descent to
Barranco Camp. The highlight of the descent was seeing all the giant groundsels as we approached camp. It is hard to describe their unique appearance, but suffice to say that you could just as easily have been on another planet.
We were in camp by 2:00 and after settling into our new accommodations, we headed to the dining tent for tea and snacks. Now we are just hanging out and enjoying the impressive views around camp and taking advantage of some idle time to write in journals, do some reading, send some texts, or just relax.
The team has been climbing strong everyday and everybody remains healthy. We'll send the next dispatch from Karanga Camp tomorrow.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
On The Map
Hello from Shira Camp,
When we woke up this morning, it was crystal clear and the mountain was completely visible. The group wasted no time packing up camp and we were walking by 8:00. With the early start we completely avoided all the trail traffic and pretty much had it to ourselves for most of the day. We gained about 2,500' total, reaching our high point at 12,500'. Everyone did extremely well today with both the terrain and the altitude. We stopped en route for a nice lunch before traversing up to the west to gain the
Shira Plateau. We were in camp by 1:00 and had the whole afternoon to enjoy our new camp. We mostly sat around the dining tent talking about past adventures and tried our best to keep up with the tea and snacks that were being delivered non-stop. We'll head back to the dining tent around 6:00 for dinner and then settle into our tents for the evening.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us as we are trekking to almost 15,000'. Lava Tower will be the high point for tomorrow, and then we will begin our descent to Barranco Camp. Even though we are gaining almost 2,500' in the morning, we will be back to almost the same altitude that we are right now. And this is exactly what our bodies need and is key for proper acclimatization. We are ready for the challenge!
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
On The Map
Greetings from
Machame Camp,
We could not have had a better day today! This was the first day on the trail and the group did great. We had the trail to ourselves and perfect weather. We heard some very distant thunder but made it to camp without any rain. It was barely an hour later when some light rain started to fall, but fortunately we were already warm and dry in our dining tent, snacking on some tea and popcorn.
We started the day at 6,000' and made it up to camp in just under 4 1/2 hours, a solid pace. We are now settled in at camp and the mountain is teasing us with grand views as the clouds roll in and out. The team is feeling really strong and happy to finally be on the mountain.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
On The Map
Jambo,
We are now a full team. Our last climber was delayed in getting here last night but was able to re-route through Nairobi and arrived here by mid-day.
This morning we focused on getting ready to leave for the mountain tomorrow. Everybody went through their gear one last time to ensure that nothing was missed and more importantly, to make sure that the kitchen sink was not thrown in by accident. We enjoyed the rest of the day hanging out at the pool and exploring the area around our hotel. We just finished an incredible five-course meal, and are frantically writing a few last emails before going to bed.
We head to the Machame Gate (6,000') in the morning and will be checking in from
Machame Camp (10,000') tomorrow night. Now with the months of training and planning behind us, we are just a few hours from starting our climb. Everybody is excited to get on the trail tomorrow and ready for the challenge that lies ahead.
Best regards,
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
Greetings from Arusha, Tanzania,
Our
Kilimanjaro climb has officially started! After some quick introductions and a champagne toast, it was time to complete the very last leg of our long travels - a short drive to our hotel.
We had a nice three-course meal waiting for us when we arrived and we sat out on the patio enjoying the fine dining and the sights and sounds of a new destination.
We are waiting for one more climber to join the team later tonight, and then we will start tomorrow with a team meeting after breakfast, discussing all the details of our climb.
La la salama (good night),
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
It's another great day on safari! Right now we're in
Tarangire National Park and the animals are out in full force. There have been tons of elephants of course as this is 'the garden of the elephants'. In addition to the animals there are tons if really cool Baobab trees. We're all having a blast on the penultimate day of our trip.
RMI Guides
Seth Waterfall and
Peter Whittaker
This is Seth checking in from
Ngorongoro Crater. We've been having a spectacular day of game viewing. The main event was getting to see two lions, one male, one female, right next to the road. We have also seen tons of other stuff. Tonight we're staying at the Plantation Lodge and tomorrow we will visit Tarangire National Park.
RMI Guides
Seth Waterfall and
Peter Whittaker
Jambo from
Lake Manyara! We've just finished a great afternoon game drive. The elephants were out in full force today. We got extremely close to several of the amazon creatures. Another highlight of the day was seeing several baboon and monkey babies. All in all it was a great first day on safari.
RMI Guides
Peter Whittaker and
Seth Waterfall
Almost there Daddy (Rob)!! I’m so excited for you!
Posted by: Samantha Golomb on 2/2/2014 at 5:55 am
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