Hey everybody, this is Casey Grom checking in from the Kilimanjaro Climb. Just wanted to let you know that everyone's doing great today. Today was our big move. Today we left the Dik Dik Lodge and actually headed to Kilimanjaro itself. We drove for about an hour and a half to get to the park entrance where we spent a little bit of time getting our gear sorted and getting all our porters together and getting signed in. After all that was taking care of, we had a nice, leisurely hike, where we gained about 4,000 ft today as we hiked up to Machame Camp. So the entrance is at about 6,000 feet and we hiked up to just a touch under 10,000 ft and everyone's feeling great and doing really well.
The weather today was incredibly nice. We had mostly and overcast day which is really, really enjoyable for hiking as it kept the temperatures down. Just as we were pulling in the camp, we did get a small break and we got see a little bit of the upper mountain and some of the glaciers up high on Kilimanjaro. That was a pleasant surprise for everybody.
We just wrapped up our dinner and everyone is crawling into our tents. And by the sounds of it, I'm guessing we're gonna have quite a few folks sleeping well tonight. I think everyone worked hard and looking forward to [transmission lost].
RMI Guide Casey Grom
RMI Guide Casey Grom checks in after a successful first day on Kilimanjaro.
Our team reached the summit of Kilimanjaro this morning in good style and we have now arrived at Mweka Camp at 10,000 ft for our last night here on Kilimanjaro. This group I have had the pleasure to climb with excelled in all phases while on the mountain. I have a high level of confidence they will be able to handle phase two, our game viewing safari. But for now we will enjoy a well deserved night's rest and tomorrow make our way down the to the trail head.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Congratulations to all of you - what a great family outing - much bigger than the usual picnic. Thanks to your dad for making this experience and these memories possible and for bringing all of you along in the great mountaineering tradition he loves. Have a safe trip down. Love, Meg
Hello everyone and welcome to RMI's second Kilimanjaro's trip of the season.
The team arrived late last night after our very long and tiring flights from the U.S. We were greeted by the wonderful staff from the Dik Dik Lodge with warm smiles and a little champagne to toast our arrival.
After a short and quiet ride to our lodge we had a quick dinner then headed off to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep.
The team met this morning at breakfast with fresh fruits, homemade bread and jam, and plenty of good Tanzanian coffee.
We then got together for a formal round of introductions and an overview of the upcoming adventure. We discussed our plan for the climb and made sure everyone has all the necessary gear to keep us safe and warm on Kilimanjaro.
After a short break some team members took a short stroll on the beautiful grounds hoping to catch sight of some of the monkeys that often visit and some even managed to spot Kilimanjaro in a break in the clouds. The rest of us did a little packing and caught up on a little more sleep to help get adjusted to the big time difference.
We have just wrapped up an amazing five-course meal with great conversations, and everyone is squared away and looking forward to hitting the trail tomorrow as well as stretching the legs a bit.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Another day of nice weather...YEAH! A few hours of hiking and here we are at Barafu Camp at 15,000 ft. The team got busy upon arrival preparing for the early morning departure from here toward the summit, sorting through the stay and go gear since we will come back thru this camp on our way down from the summit. We all pooled together our favorite treats and made up some tasty looking lunches. We took a short hike up to get familiar with the start of the climb that will confront us with our alpine start from High Camp to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
It's nap time now before our early dinner then we will take another short rest before starting our summit attempt. The team continues to do well, wish us luck!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team
Can we have a couple more beautiful days please?! I don't like to beg but if we can continue with weather like this we would greatly appreciate it.
A nice lazy start to the day was our plan in order to miss the traffic while climbing the Barranco Wall. The Barranco Wall is a series of rock bands just out of camp that gets your attention and requires your hands from time to time. At the top of the Wall we took some photos and gave each other some high fives before continuing on our way. We then traversed below the upper mountain for a couple hours to end up at Karanga Camp (13,160') for the night. Camp is situated on a bit of a slope but our staff did a fine job of finding some pretty flat ground for the tents.
We continue to adjust both mentally and physically to this extreme environment; we're meeting the challenges head on. This team did there homework, taking training to heart prior to the climb and the investment is paying off. What a great group to climb with on Kilimanjaro!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
It was a BIG day, but not so enormous for this tough team. We woke up early and put in a solid six hours of climbing in good style. At one point on the trail we reached just under 15,000 ft, our current trip high point. We are now at 13,030 ft at the Barranco Camp. The plan of climbing high and sleeping low is in place for acclimatization and seems to be working well; everybody is in good shape. The upper mountain towers above us at this camp and the beautiful weather will make for a fantastic sunset tonight.
Tomorrow we tackle the Barranco Wall as we continue our ascent of Kilimanjaro. We will check-in and let you know how that goes.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Whoo Hoo! 13,000 ft and climbing so excited for you all can’t wait to see the summit photo. Go team go! Xox
Posted by: Diane on 7/11/2015 at 7:00 am
Go team go!!! Everyone is doing great!! Sounds as if ya’ll are having great weather. Stay strong and know that ya’ll are all loved very much!!!
Edi and Tim
Battery recharge accomplished! It is so important to be good at resting when climbing a big mountain; and boy can this team sleep!
How about a perfect weather day? It was tough but that is what we had to deal with today. Fantastic views of the upper mountain got the teams attention as we continued our journey upward on Kilimanjaro. It sure looks like along way up and it is so we are taking it one day, one stretch, and one step at a time. In addition to the jaw dropping views, the team spent today's climb focusing on their fundamental climbing techniques.
We are now settled into our camp at 12,570' on the Shira Plateau. Adjusting to this kind of altitude is always a challenge but this team is up for it. No headaches, good appetites, and great attitudes confirm that this team is doing well and enjoying the climb.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Great report. Go team go!!! Keep up the awesome job!!! Glad ya’ll had beautiful views and great weather. Prayers for safety and good health sent your way. Love and hugs,
Edi and Tim
Gortex was the outfit of choice when we arrived at the Kilimanjaro National Park Entrance Gate this morning. Lucky for us, the rain stopped and we had nice conditions as we climbed through the rainforest on Kilimanjaro's lower slopes and the giant heather in the Moorland Zone to reach Machame Camp. The team did well and we're all our tucked in for the night at ~10,000 ft on this beautiful mountain.
Jet lag still prevails and we are looking forward a good night's sleep for our first night on the mountain. We will check in again tomorrow with our progress towards the Roof of Africa.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Love the pictures and hearing where you are on the climb, looking forward to the next instalment
Posted by: Emma and Alex on 7/12/2015 at 8:11 am
Mark’s blog is great - didn’t know we’d get pictures too! Y’all look like a scout troop standing by the bus after a ‘dressing down’ by the scout leader (what did you guys do?) except for Bonny who can’t help but smile. (Was she the informant?) Love to you all. Best wishes for a great climb, from the Lowlanders.
The entire team has arrived in Tanzania. We spent last night at the Dik Dik Hotel in Usa River and have been enjoying the great food and hospitality.
After a leisurely breakfast, part of our team traveled to a local orphanage to pass along some items they brought from the US. It was well received and very much appreciated.
Our equipment checks went smoothly, thanks to the great preparation made by the team. We should be all set for our time on the mountain.
We have experienced a bit of light rain this afternoon and cool temperatures in the lowlands of Usa River at around 4,000'. Unfortunately it wasn't warm enough for anyone to appreciate the beautiful Dik Dik swimming pool.
We will get to bed early tonight to help recover from our long flights and so that we are rested and ready to head into Kilimanjaro National Park tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned,
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Hi! It is our last day on safari and we are back in Arusha doing some last minute shopping. Our next stop is the Dik Dik Hotel to repack, shower and then head to the airport. We will of course be squeezing one more fantastic dinner in as well.
Kikoti Camp was a great place to spend our last evening in Tanzania. The sunset was spectacular and the scenery there is great. This morning we had a nice game drive with tons of elephants playing in the Tarangire River.
I think we are all psyched to head home but it has been a real fun group and everyone has gotten along together amazingly well. All of us will be flying out overnight so for the family and friends following along... See you soon!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Time to bring it on home Patty. We want the stories! Be safe til we see you.
Posted by: Bill on 2/6/2015 at 1:27 pm
Safe travel home, Team!! Patty, looking forward to seeing you and hearing all about your African adventure! I am ready for a long run:)
Be safe… see you soon
Congratulations to all of you - what a great family outing - much bigger than the usual picnic. Thanks to your dad for making this experience and these memories possible and for bringing all of you along in the great mountaineering tradition he loves. Have a safe trip down. Love, Meg
Posted by: Meg Race on 7/14/2015 at 6:37 am
Woot woot! Congrats guys!
Posted by: Amelia Muller on 7/13/2015 at 7:53 pm
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