Entries from Kilimanjaro
Hello from Karanga Camp,
The team is doing great and we are happily nestled in at Karanga Camp. The weather has been having a hard time making up it's mind the last few days, and today was no different. The mornings start out clear, but by mid-afternoon, the clouds roll in and stay around until dinner, and then it clears out again. Fortunately, there has not been much rain and the trail conditions have been great.
This morning when we got up, every trekker in camp was looking up at the Barranco Wall. It would be hard to miss this almost 1,000' wall rising up towards the sky, but it is when you see the first few porters working their way up the trail is when you really take notice. You can hear the nearby groups talking about the Wall followed by "we have to climb up that". The vantage point from camp makes the trail appear to be near vertical, but once you start the climb, it is very straightforward trail. In fact, most find it a lot fun and our group cruised right up it.
With most of the elevation gain for the day done while climbing the Barranco Wall, it was easy hiking the rest of the way to camp. We had a spaghetti lunch waiting for us when we arrived and then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. Now it's time for popcorn and tea.
We are all excited to be moving up to our high camp tomorrow and will check in from there.
RMI Guide Jeff Martin & Team Simba Sita
On The Map
Jambo from Barranco Camp,
Everybody did extremely well today on our move to Barranco Camp. It was the longest and hardest day so far of the trek, but the team was more than up for the challenge. We started at 12,500' this morning, with clear skies and a magnificent view of the mountain. But this was short lived as the clouds soon took over and stuck with us for the rest of the day. We even had a little rain as we approached Lava Tower Camp, our high point for the day at 15,200'. The clouds parted briefly so we could see Lava Tower and a glimpse of the Western Breach Wall. But more important than the view, was the fact the team was strong and handled the altitude well. It was downhill from here and we made great time descending down almost 2,500', the entire amount of elevation we had spent the better part of our morning climbing up. But that is why today is so important for our acclimatization, and will pay big rewards on our summit day.
Tomorrow we tackle the Barranco Wall, and will check in from Karanga Camp.
A few comments from the Team -
Cal and Grayson - We will not fail.
Pam, Jaiden, and Carson - Miss you and love you.
Susan, Jennifer, and Craig - Still standing
RMI Guide Jeff Martin & Team Simba Sita
On The Map
Jeff is the best!Love those hot water bottles. Guvu coma Simba!
Posted by: The Honey Badger on 2/17/2012 at 7:24 am
Way to go Hegmans, but don’t forget to mark your territory before bedtime!
Posted by: Bradley Hegman on 2/16/2012 at 9:32 pm
Hello from Shira Camp,
Today the team moved from Machame Camp to Shira Camp for our second night on the mountain. The morning started out with clear blue skies as we continued the climb up and out of the giant heather zone. Within a few hours, most of the climbing for the day was done and we started a long traverse. At the end of the traverse the trail cuts through several sections of lava rock and we finally crested out on the Shira Plateau. This is at almost 12,500 feet, an altitude record for most of the group. We descended a couple hundred feet and walked right into camp. The clouds rolled in shortly after lunch and have been with us since. We are all hanging out in our tents now, resting a bit and working on our appetites for a big dinner.
Tomorrow will be the biggest day of the climb so far and we will be adding another 2,500 feet to those altitude records.
The group remains strong and are all up for the challenge tomorrow.
RMI Guide Jeff Martin & Team Simba Sita
On The Map
What a great experience! Good hard work with rewards of delicious meals, good company, and awesome vistas. Enjoy! Mom Wick
Posted by: Elaine Wick on 2/15/2012 at 2:38 pm
Happy Valentine's Day from Machame camp.
When we woke up this morning, it was sunny and warm and the perfect day to start our climb.
After a quick breakfast, we loaded up in the vehicle and drove to the park gate, about an 1 1/2 drive from our hotel. With our park registration complete and the porter loads weigh, we were all more than ready to start walking.
With not a cloud in the sky, shorts and t-shirts were all that were needed today. As soon as we started on the trail, we began a steady climb up through the forest zone, the most dense section of forest on the mountain. After we climbed several thousand feet, the forest started to thin and the flanks of Kilimanjaro came into full view. A short stretch later, we were walking into our first night's camp at 10,000. With our tents already set up and a snack waiting for us, it was a nice ending to our first day on the trail.
The team did great today on the hike and everybody is feeling strong and healthy. Tomorrow we will be checking in from Shira Camp.
Team Sima Sita
On The Map
Posted by:
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Greetings from Arusha Tanzania,
Our adventure has begun! The team arrived last night at Kilimanjaro International Airport and we headed directly to the Dik Dik Hotel. It's a welcome relief to go from our long flights to a delicious meal and a soft bed.
No early risers in this crew, so it was a nice relaxing start to our day. After breakfast we started talking about the details of the days ahead and to sort through our gear to get ready for our departure. With our gear packed and weighed, we took a nice walk down to a nearby town to stretch our legs and to check out the area.
Tomorrow we have an early departure for the Machame Gate where we will begin our trek. With our travel days behind us, it is time to start walking! We'll check in tomorrow from the mountain.
Till then ....
RMI Guide Jeff Martin and The Simba Sita (The Simba Six)
Great job! Knew u could do it even with the old geezer Bob. Just kidding. We are proud of both you.
Posted by: M and K on 2/16/2012 at 3:10 pm
Hi Hegmans!!! We are so proud of you!!! Glad to see ODU representing in the picture:) Good luck and make it to the top so you can bore us with stories about it for years to come!! We love you! Jodi, Jackson, and Max
Posted by: Jodi, Jackson, and Max on 2/16/2012 at 6:53 am
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Jambo!
The Safari Team is back at the Dik Dik! We've had a great couple of weeks but our trip is just about over. Last night we stayed at Kikoti Camp, an amazing safari camp that has tons of wildlife literally right in the middle of it. We went on a great little hike to a rock outcropping where we had drinks delivered while we enjoyed the sunset. It made for a great finish to an outstanding trip. Now everyone is busy getting ready for their respective flights home.
Thanks for a great trip guys!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
This is Seth and the safari crew checking in from the Kikoti Camp at Tarangire National Park. This was our last full day of safari and it was a good one. We managed to see several big cats again including a leopard. That was the last one we needed to complete our finding of the 'Big Five'. The Big Five includes: lions, elephants, water buffalo, leopard and the rhino. The game viewing has been outstanding for us. Tomorrow we are heading back to town as several folks have an afternoon flight from Arusha heading home.
Our trip has been awesome and we will enjoy this last day before we board planes tomorrow and head back to our friends and family.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
It's been a great day for viewing big cats in Ngorongoro Crater. This huge caldera is home to thousands of animals and usually the cats will rest in the heat of the day. But today the weather is cool enough for the cats to be mobile. We had a young male lion walk right in front of our cars as soon a we pulled into the crater this morning. We've also seen a cheetah and caught a rare sighting of a serval, a smaller, spotted cat that hunts in the grassy plains.
Tonight we are staying at the Plantation Lodge again before heading to Tarangire National Park tomorrow.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall & the Safari Crew
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
The RMI Kilimanjaro Team is now the African Safari Team! We have just spent the afternoon viewing wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park. After our celebration dinner last night everyone was happy to sleep in an actual bed for the first time in a week. After breakfast this morning we left the Dik Dik hotel and drove a few hours to Lake Manyara. Once we were there we rolled the tops back on our Land Cruisers for optimal animal spotting. The safaris here never disappoint and today was no exception. Elephants, giraffes, water buffalo and more monkeys and baboons than we could possibly photograph were just some of the animals we saw.
Now we are on the way to the Plantation Lodge where we will spend the night. Tomorrow we are off to Ngorongoro Crater!
-Seth and the Safari Crew
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello from the village of Mweka! The group is all doing great. We started the day at our last camp, elevation 10,000 feet, with a great breakfast followed by a closing ceremony with our whole team. After that we hit the trail for a 3.5 hour hike down to the park gate. After signing out we had lunch and now we are riding in the truck back to the Dik Dik hotel. Everyone is psyched to hit the showers and start the celebration party.
After tonight our trip will shift gears as we start our four days of Safari! That's all for now.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
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David and Heidi,
We are following your trek each day. Congratulations
on your progress this far.
Best wishes,
Dad
Posted by: Craig Berkman on 2/17/2012 at 6:49 pm
I think I can, I think I can, Your almost there. Awesome pictures!
Posted by: Bradley Hegman on 2/17/2012 at 12:58 pm
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