Greetings from the Dik Dik hotel. We're off the mountain safe and sound. This morning we woke up at 10,000' but now we are back down to a more reasonable altitude.
We meet up for breakfast at 7 AM and everyone had a great appetite for the french toast that the cooks made. Immediately after breakfast the whole support staff gathered around and we handed out the well deserved tips for the crew. Our climb truly would not have been possible without the great food and hard work of the support team. We are all very grateful for all of their efforts.
After that we dropped 4,000' down to the trailhead where our vehicle was waiting with lunch and cold drinks. This team has a voracious appetite and lunch was gone ASAP.
Now we are all gathering up and getting ready for dinner. We move on our stomachs!
Tomorrow we start the safari portion of the trip and that is always a good time.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Congratulations Patty and team SW!!! Eat early and often! Enjoy every single second and share your pictures so everyone back home can live vicariously through you!!! Hugs and love!
Posted by: Regina on 2/3/2015 at 8:02 am
Patty and Team,
Congratulations on your summit! Awesome picture and enjoy that safari! You are amazing, beautiful, and so strong!
I agree with Sally on the good meals. Eat hearty!
February 1, 2015 6:00 am PT
Seth here checking in from our last camp on Kili. We are down at 10,000' and boy does the air feel thick and good. We started our summit push yesterday, technically, with an 11:00pm wake up call. We hit the trail at two minutes past midnight and reached Uhuru Peak (Kilimanjaro's summit) at 6:44am. The climb was pretty cold with a strong wind out of the Northeast. The climbers buckled down though and made a great effort in tough conditions.
After returning to high camp we packed up, had a late breakfast and started down to Mweka, our camp. At the halfway point we started to get some rain showers that made the tough trail a bit tougher. True to form though the team rallied and we made camp in good time.
Everyone is relaxing now after a late lunch and looking forward to the hike out tomorrow.
RMI Guide Seth WaterfallJanuary 31, 2015 8:00 pm PT
Hey, this is Seth calling from the top of Kilimanjaro! It's 7:00 a.m. our time. Nine of the climbers went to the summit today. One of our group decided to hang back in high camp and wait for us to return, but everybody else is up here on Uhuru Peak, the very highest point of Kilimanjaro. The tallest peak in Africa and one of the largest free-standing mountains on Earth. It has been one of the coldest days I've had up here. We've had a wind blowing at us and put a little rime ice on our parkas and whatnot. But now that the sun's been up on us a little bit and having fun up here, we're gonna take finish taking pics and swing back down through high camp and to our camp at 10,000 feet tonight. I'll check in from there. That's it from us from the top of Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall calls in from Uhuru Peak.
Way to go Patty! You did it! So very proud of you. Congratulations and safe travel back home.
Posted by: Dave on 2/2/2015 at 7:41 am
Patty - You did it!!! Congratulations and the best to all on the team. I am very happy for you and proud of what you just accomplished. Watching you persevere through all the training and planning and then reading about the cold and wind on the final ascent to the top to reach your goal - You amaze me!!! I love you!!! John
Hello! We are all up at high camp as of 12:00pm our time. We had a fairly mellow hike up here today. We took another relaxed morning with breakfast at 8:00. Some excitement during breakfast came in the form of a helicopter landing in camp. It circled a few times and touched down twice. Then it stayed on the ground for a few minutes and took off again. That's the first time I've seen a helicopter on Kilimanjaro.
Our hike was super smooth and everyone is doing well with the altitude. We are about to have lunch and discuss the climbing plan. After that we'll relax, get an early dinner and then wake up and climb.
If all goes well, my next check in will be from the summit.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Sending good thoughts and prayers from the mountains in Whisller to the BIG mountain in Africa. So excited for you! You are the perfect example of setting goals and coming up with a plan for flawless execution. I think John is going to write a book about it. Love you!
Posted by: Regina on 2/1/2015 at 8:43 am
Patty Kudla & Ernest Hemingway linked for eternity! Go Patty go. Can’t wait to hear that you saw the face of Africa from the top. Best to all the adventurers everywhere.
Hi this is Seth.
The team is all up at Karanga Valley (13,200'). We started the day at a really relaxed pace with a later breakfast than we are used to. After that we enjoyed the views and sunshine, some dancing and a little frisbee while most of the other climbers jammed up the climbing route. After almost the whole camp moved out we climbed up the steep Barranco Wall by ourselves. After a lunch break on top we hiked to Karanga Valley. The cook made us an amazing second lunch in camp which was well received by this crew. Things really get rolling tomorrow as we head to high camp.
I'll check in when we get there.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall & Team
WOW!! You will soon be on the summit!!! YAY! Patty, thinking of you as you soon ascend to the top of Africa! It looks AMAZING! Wish I were there! Eat well…Stay strong… and enjoy your summit climb! God Bless you and your team! Love ya
Posted by: Sally on 1/31/2015 at 1:34 pm
Very soon now & you will be Summit bound. So exciting! May the sunshine and clear skies crown your BIG accomplishment! Go Team! Go Carrie! Xoxo
Hi from 13,000' on Kilimanjaro!
Today was a long day on the trail for the team but we did great. It was a little chilly when we woke up at Shira Camp with ice on the ground and some frost. After the sun came up we started to warm up and after the first hour of hiking everyone was in one or two layers of clothing only. We spent about 4 hours getting to our high point at 15,000' and by the time we reached it the skies has clouded over. No rain or anything for us but it was a bit chilly. It's warmer down here at camp but the clouds are still in and out. Everyone is feeling just fine and we are all looking forward to heading out again in the morning.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall & Team
Hi from Kilimanjaro! Everyone is up at our second camp, Shira Plateau. We were on the move just after 8:00 this morning and spent about five hours on the trail. We gained over 2,300' from our last camp so that puts us over 12,000' above sea level. The altitude hasn't effected anyone's appetite just yet, we all wolfed down lunch here at camp. Our plan from the afternoon is to rest and hydrate up for tomorrow's big push to the Lava Tower at 15,000'.
That's all I have for now.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hello, we have reached Machame Camp at 10,000ft on Kilimanjaro. We left the hotel just after 7:00 am this morning. The drive to the trailhead was about two hours. That's a little bit longer than normal but the mountain was so clear this morning that we had to stop and take a few photos. The check-in process was smooth and we were on the trail just after ten. The trail is in great shape and after about six hours of hiking we made it to camp. The cooks are preparing dinner as I type this while the team is out taking photos. Our next stop is the Shira Plateau. I'll be checking in again from there.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Jambo from the Dik Dik Hotel. The team for this Kilimanjaro trek is all here, packed and ready to go. We've got folks from all over the US and even a couple of Canadians.
Everyone seems to have made the long trip from North America without any problem. Although we did have a couple of missing bags, those did arrive so no real worries there.
The food and tents are packed, the crew is ready and the weather forecast is looking good. It is pretty much all systems go. I'll check in again from the mountain.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hi, this is Seth. We are all back at the Dik Dik Hotel where the team is getting set for the flight home.
We woke up this morning way out in the bush at Kikoti camp. After a great breakfast we split the group in two. Half the team went quickly back through Tarangire National Park and spent some time at Peace-Matunta Orphanage and school. The other half tried to find some leopards but they proved to be elusive. The elephants and giraffes were out in full force, though, so all was not lost.
We are all back together now and after an early dinner I'll be taking everyone to the airport where they will depart for the USA. As for me however; I'll be starting another trip shortly and that means another journey up Kilimanjaro and more wildlife viewing in Tanzania's beautiful national parks.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hey There this is Seth calling in from Kikoti Camp.
The internet is down here and there is no cell phone coverage, so I am calling in from the sat phone. We have had a great day on safari. Right after getting into the park we just happened upon three lions one male and two females. Literally within 30 seconds of being inside the National Park. We've seen about 150 to 200 elephants today and a bunch of giraffe. We got so close to an elephant, I could almost reach out and touch it! It was a great way to wrap up the trip. Out here at Kikoti camp it is nice and secluded. We've got the whole place to ourselves. They have accommodated us nicely, great folks out here. We looking forward to catching the sunset at the fire pit and saying goodbye to this trip. Everybody is going to be flying out tomorrow. We have a little bit of safari going on in the morning and then it is off the the hotel in Arusha, the Dik Dik. Everybody will get cleaned up, have some dinner and then all catch our flights home.
Great trip, good times! I'll check in again tomorrow.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Thank you Seth for keeping us at home with all your blogs and pictures. You made it most enjoyable for us back home. Glad the climb was a success. Your are a great blogger and send great information. Say hi to Chris and we will be glad to see him and hear all his experiences and see all the pictures.
Posted by: Diane Sadler on 1/22/2015 at 9:34 pm
I’ve enjoyed each and every update and appreciate the effort to keep those of us at home informed about some of the things our family member is seeing and doing while on this grand adventure. The whole team rocks and congrats to all for a successful trip.
Congratulations Patty and team SW!!! Eat early and often! Enjoy every single second and share your pictures so everyone back home can live vicariously through you!!! Hugs and love!
Posted by: Regina on 2/3/2015 at 8:02 am
Patty and Team,
Congratulations on your summit! Awesome picture and enjoy that safari! You are amazing, beautiful, and so strong!
I agree with Sally on the good meals. Eat hearty!
Posted by: Arlene on 2/2/2015 at 7:12 pm
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