Jambo! We are at Kilimanjaro's high camp, 15,200 feet! We've been in and out of clouds all day but no precipitation.
The team did great coming up from Karanga Camp. We practiced taking nice and efficient breaks today in prep for our summit bid tonight. We came up with plenty of time to relax and get things organized for the night-time departure.
I'll call in when we're headed for the top.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hello from the top of the Karanga Valley. Once again we are having spectacular weather!
We started the day out by climbing the Barranco Wall. The traffic on the wall can really slow you down sometimes but we didn't experience that at all. We got a little later start than normal and that let all the big groups get out of our way, which made for a pleasant climb up the Wall. After that we had a great hike above the clouds.
We're starting to get psyched up for the summit push. Tomorrow we go to high camp.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hi bluebell group! Pictures look amazing. Glad the weather is good. I took Audrey up Eagle Creek with some friends. We had a 2 year old golden retriever with us that she “herded” the whole way. Ha! They jumped in and out of the creek and raced thru the trees. BIG FUN!! Enjoy. All is good here. A & B
Posted by: Anneta glavin on 8/11/2013 at 3:26 pm
What a wonderful adventure! Love following your progress and the pictures!
Hi there. We're having a great day on Kilimanjaro. The weather is perfect and everyone is doing great. We went up to the Lava Tower (elev. 14,900') and now we're dropping down to camp (12,800').
Here's a pic from the trail!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Got your message this am. What a way to celbrate mary Frances birthday. Showed her the message. They say going down is the hardest but know you can do it. Sounds like you have had great weather. Love Mom
Posted by: cornelia miller on 8/11/2013 at 8:08 am
finally figured out the map and the pink dot. Sounds like a great hike. When do you reach snow? Got Mary Ann’s e-mail Thanks Love Mom
Posted by: cornelia miller on 8/10/2013 at 9:33 am
Hello from Shira! We're all in camp and we're relaxing. It was nice and sunny for most of the day which was a pleasant change from yesterday.
It was actually one of the nicer days I've had on this mountain. Usually there is some point in the day that's uncomfortable temperature-wise. Today there was none of that. It was nice and warm in the morning and then as we got higher the clouds came in and out and that kept us from getting too hot.
We had excellent views of Mt. Meru (15,180') and even got a few glimpses of Kilimanjaro's summit.
We all made it into camp in time for lunch and now we're spending the afternoon chilling out in camp.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Well the story of the day was the weather. When we woke up this morning at the hotel it was raining. That didn't seem to bum anyone out too bad though and we were all packed and headed to the gate in good time.
Once we drove up to the gate the rain had turned to mist but we geared up anyway. That turned out to be a good idea since it rained off and on for the first two hours.
As we pressed on the cloud thinned and dried out. We were able to pull off the rain-wear well before camp and even dry out a bit.
The mist has returned but we are all in camp getting ready for dinner. Our tents are dry and we have a really nice dining tent to hang out in. All in all it was a fine day to start a Kilimanjaro climb.
This is a shot of some of the team getting a lesson on the chemical toilet.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide JJ Justman and his team spent today at Ngorongoro Crater viewing some spectacular animals on day two of their safari. Check out JJ's video below.
Jambo! This is Seth checking in from the Dik Dik Hotel. Today was our packing day. We started with a team meeting over a leisurely breakfast and then went into a gear check. It was really fun getting to know each other. Everyone is totally enthusiastic.
While we were going over our stuff the guys from the Dik Dik were packing the food and gear. Our big 4x4 Mercedes Unimog is loaded up and ready to go.
First thing after breakfast tomorrow we'll load the last of the gear and head out to the park entrance. Then our climb begins!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
After spending the night at the Dik Dik Hotel celebrating our summit success, our team loaded into “pop-top” Land Rovers to begin our safari. Today we explored Lake Manyara National Park and saw many animals, which some are included in the video below.
The team is doing great and enjoying the different landscapes that we are experiencing here on safari.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Hi there, we are all back at the Dik Dik Hotel and everyone is getting ready for their flights. In fact the first trip to the airport is about to leave.
We had a nice morning at Kikoti Camp and then made a quick lap back through Tarangire. On the way we saw a huge herd of elephants as well as a pack of jackals, giraffes, impala and a really impressive eagle. We also did some more shopping on the way back to town.
Everyone is talking about what a great trip it was and I have to agree it was a blast. We're all a little bummed that the trip is over but with this group, I know it won't be long before they're all on another adventure.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
This is JJ calling from the summit! Climbing Kilimanjaro we had a lot of wishes, but one of them was that our entire team would reach the summit of Kilimanjaro together. That is where we are right now. I can't say enough great things about this team. The entire gang did a amazing job today! We did a lot of hero shots by the sign at the summit. Going to spend a little more time on Uhuru Peak before we start our descent. The team all says hi to family and friends. We will touch base with you letting you know we are safe at camp. We had a fantastic day. Take care everyone.
Thank you for following a long on our summit day.
Ciao, ciao from Kili!
Update 1:40 a.m. PST
Hi everyone, this post is going to be brief. First, all Kili climbers are back in camp safe and sound. Everyone made the summit on a terrific day. We are now refueling and packing up camp. We will head down to 10,000 feet making tomorrow's exit of Kilimanjaro Park nice and casual.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
You are ” not in Kansas anymore”! Great sights behind and ahead for you!!
Posted by: Frances on 8/12/2013 at 4:53 pm
Only about 4000” to go! If that atlas is correct, that is. Good luck, MA
Posted by: Mary Ann on 8/12/2013 at 2:45 pm
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