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
Hey this is JJ Justman with the Kilimanjaro team here at High Camp. It is about 11:30 at night, and we are up and at’em! We’re getting some hot drinks and a little bit of breakfast. It is a beautiful night to start climbing Kilimanjaro, everyone is doing great. We are going to get headed out on the climbing route and hopefully in about seven hours from now we will give you a call and let you know we are on the summit and on top of the roof of Africa. We hope everyone is doing well back home. We will touch base will all of you soon.
Bye from Africa,
RMI Guide JJ Justman and Team
So glad the weather is clear for you all to begin the summit climb. Know it will be an experience of a lifetime. We are so proud of all the team- WOW!
Look forward to hearing all about it from Kalani and Dom!
Greetings from Kikoti Camp!
It was a great day on safari. We started at the Plantation Lodge with a nice relaxed breakfast and then hit the road for a little shopping before we began our game drive in Tarangire National Park. Once we went in the park our chef made us another terrific lunch. After that we started the game drive and it was excellent. We got very lucky with the cats today, seeing both lions and leopards. The giraffes were the highlight of the day for my car while the other car sniffed out an extra leopard. Of course the elephants were plentiful as they always are in Tarangire.
Tonight is our last night together and we're all telling stories about the trip. The last two weeks have literally flown by but we all feel like, paradoxically, it's been a long time too. The venue here at Kikoti Camp is perfect for bringing the trip to a close. It's very comfortable and it has a distinctive African flair. It's a beautiful 'camp' for sure.
Tomorrow we start heading back. Most people are flying out tomorrow night, the rest leave the day after. As for me I'll be staying on for another trip. Hopefully it's every bit as fun as this one was!
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
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