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
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
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
I am so excited to relive my Kilo moments through you and Jeff. Behind every successful team is a very successful woman! Cheers to all the team. Elsie Bemiss
Posted by: Elsie Bemiss on 1/29/2014 at 6:58 pm
Cheers to Barrie on hanging with what looks to be like a lot of testosterone. Wish you all the best and enjoy each day of the hike as they are all so different.
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
Robert, So excited for you and your team. Missing you and looking forward to more updates!
Love Shelley
Posted by: Shelley on 1/27/2014 at 9:11 am
LOVE seeing this photo of the beloved Dik Dik. Best wishes to Barrie on this wonderful adventure ahead. Jeff is the man! Am so excited to read your blog and think of you all.
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
Now you can all relax and really enjoy yourself! Must be beautiful actually seeing the animals in their natural habitat. Sam take lots of pictures of those giraffes.
Posted by: Terrianne Riga on 10/15/2013 at 1:05 pm
Hello from the Dik Dik. Â This is Seth with a quick check in letting you know this we are all off the mountain safe and sound. Â We had a nice walk down from our last camp this morning and we're back at the hotel before 1pm. Â After some well deserved showers we had a great celebratory dinner. Â Now were all psyched up for our safari. Â That's starts tomorrow with a visit to Lake Manyara. Â We'll check in after our game drive.
- RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
The Kilimanjaro Family Climb reached Uhuru Peak this morning, the summit of Kilimanjaro and the highest point in Africa! Watch their video dispatch from today's climb:
Congratulations team Kilimanjaro Family Climb!!! It was very fun watching your progress on facebook. I especially enjoyed the caption contest and winning the trekking poles-thank you! My new poles will be going along on my hiking and climbing adventures!!! Wonderful memories for both dads and daughters, as I have when I hiked and climbed with my father many years ago!!!
Posted by: Lynette Alber on 11/4/2013 at 2:30 pm
You’ve conquered Kilimanjaro!!! Everest next??? Congratulations to the team especially the Golden ones!
Enjoying following your progress and viewing the photos!! Go, Barrie!!
Posted by: Debbie on 1/30/2014 at 12:44 pm
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