Here we go!
Our team is set at 15,000 feet at Barafu Camp on Kilimanjaro. Everyone is getting excited for a great summit day. The prediction is for sunny and clear skies. So it's down to business as usual here in camp. We are recovering with hot drinks and a great lunch prepared by our Camp Chef.
It is at this point that all our physical preparation pays off. However, as I told my team, at a certain altitude the physical shuts off and it turns all mental. You have to stay positive and have the strength to overcome adversity to summit the highest mountains in the world. And Kilimanjaro is no different.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Hi! We're all back at the Plantation Lodge after a great day in the Ngorongoro Crater. It was a lovely, if slightly cool, day there. The crater is truly one of the wonders of the world and the game viewing did not disappoint what-so-ever.
We're all loving the relaxed pace of the safari after a long climb on Kili and tomorrow we continue on to Tarangire National Park.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
We had our best day yet climbing on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro today. By no means is it vertical rock climbing, however, ascending the Great Barranco Wall really makes you feel like you are climbing!
After we reached the top of the wall we traversed at an altitude of 14,500'. The weather didn't turn on us. However, the clouds rose up and engulfed us in a light mist as we climbed the final section into camp. We are now nestled in at Karanga Camp and the entire team is doing fantastic!
Tomorrow is high camp. An then the summit so don't go too far. We will have a summit report for you Sunday!!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Kalani and Dom, wow! Way to go, so proud of both of you and happy to be able to follow your adventure and cheer you on from afar. Be safe and enjoy! We miss you!!! Warm aloha…Sioson ‘ohana.
Posted by: Kimi Rapada on 8/2/2013 at 6:46 pm
Dom and Kalani, Awesome climb so far, huh? Can’t wait to hear all the details. Be safe. Debbie V
We're on safari!
We didn't sleep in too much today. We left the hotel just after 9 AM and spent some time in the city of Arusha. We did some shopping and stocked up on drinks for the road. After about 2 hours of driving we had lunch and entered Lake Manyara National Park. The game viewing here is always great and the lake is very full these days. Here's a shot of a large elephant crossing the road in front of us.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Today was a fantastic day for the team as we achieved greater acclimatization. We entered the dry and rocky terrain of the Highland Desert Zone where large volcanic boulders dot the landscape. Our trail gently ascended the Shira Plateau and we the reached our high point near Kilimanjaro's Lava Tower at 14,900'.
After a long break to soak up the thin air we descended into the Barranco Valley. We are now comfy and cozy in our SlingFin dining tent drinking hot tea and eating popcorn at 12,800'. Everyone is having a great time and we are looking forward to another great day on Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Kalani and Dom-
We are watching your progress and ascent with great excitement! Wow- way to go!
Susan and LHPS
Posted by: Susan Clayton on 8/2/2013 at 8:01 am
Dom and Kalani, thinking of you every day, every step of the way!! Living vicariously through the two of you. Enjoy every magnificent moment! Hugs, Diana
Everyone is back at the Dik Dik hotel safe and sound! It was a whirlwind past few days on Kilimanjaro as we went from 15,200 feet up to 19,340 and all the way out in just over 24 hours. The team did really well and the weather was good, even though we got rained on a bit after the summit.
The weather for our climb was amazing and we all had great conditions on the summit. We started just after midnight under a partly cloudy sky. It was a windless night and that kept the temps from dropping to extreme lows. That said we did climb to over 18,000 feet before the sun came up so staying warm required us to be vigilant with our gear. Everyone kept their focus though and we all made it up. We summitted in a big wave spread out over about 45 min which was really cool for me as I got to spend a lot of time on top.
After returning from high camp we resisted the urge to relax too much as we still had a decent hike down to our last camp. As we snacked on french toast the clouds came up and we started to get some light rain. The rain picked up as we hiked down to Mweka camp and that added some challenge to the day but our excellent staff had dry tents and hot tea waiting for us. After dinner we dropped onto our sleeping pads for a well deserved rest.
This morning we woke up to more cloud cover. After another excellent meal we had a wrap up celebration with our mountain staff. The guys from the Dik Dik do an amazing job and we all wanted to make sure that they know we greatly appreciate the hard work. Then we hit the trail. A few hours of hiking was nothing for this crew and before we know it we were down at the gate.
We will have dinner in a couple of hours and toast to the great times we had on Kilimanjaro! Tomorrow it's safari time!!!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Today the trail became steeper on Kilimanjaro and rockier as we left the Giant Heather Zone. The team did a great job as the terrain got rockier. We even climbed some large rock bands testing our solid footwork on the slippery rocks.
We now are in the Moorland consisting of unique grasses and beautiful wild flowers unique to East Africa including Lobelias and Senecios.
After climbing a wide ridge we gained the broad and sloping Shira Plateau. It was a terrific day and we would love to include photos but the heavy mist kept the distant views out of sight. However, now at Shira Camp (12,200') we are hoping it clears offering our first view of the upper stretches of Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Dear Nat, John and Dave, looks like things are going well!!!! So happy for you all to be sharing this experience. Can’t wait to hear all the stories. Happy trails. Beth,Bill,Rachel,Lauren&Maria; :)
Posted by: Mastros on 8/1/2013 at 9:49 am
Way to go Samantha!! So very proud of you and Team Junell! A couple more days and you will be at the Summit and it will all be worth it. Enjoy yourselves and have fun. Lots of Love!
Today we traveled to the entrance of the Kilimanjaro National Park at the Machame Gate. We registered as a team and began climbing up from 5,900 feet.
We left the Cultivation Zone, where bananas and coffee plants grow and we made our way through the Forest Zone. It's lush rainforest made a beautiful day walking in the cool mist.
We kept our eyes out for the occasional Colobus monkeys in the canopy above but we only heard their screeching love songs.
Approaching camp at 9,800 feet, we entered the Giant Heather of the Heather and Mooreland Zone. Some of the heather grows over 30 feet tall. We are now sitting in our dining tent eating popcorn, drinking tea and relaxing.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
July 30, 2013 at 9:35 a.m. PST
Hi, this is Seth checking in from Mweka Camp. The summit was great today and I'll be emailing a pic out as soon as we get back to the hotel tomorrow. Everyone is tucked into their tents now listening to the pitter-patter of rain. We're hoping the morning brings some sunshine!
July 29, 2013 at 9:34 p.m. PST
Hey, this is Seth calling from Uhuru Peak, tallest point on Kilimanjaro, highest in Africa at 19,340'. The whole team made it, at least to Stella Point. We had a beautiful day with a few high clouds but zero wind for the whole climb and everyone did very well. We are going to take a few minutes, take some photos with the big sign and then head on back down. Tonight we will be dropping all the way down to 10,000 feet, which will feel great for us. Summit of Kilimanjaro for our team!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall calls from the summit of Kilimanjaro!
Things are getting pretty darn exciting here. Our team is packed and ready to go! Everyone had a casual morning catching up on some well-deserved sleep.
After a hearty breakfast and for me...one too many cups of coffee, we packed our personal gear in two categories. One, we arranged our mountain duffels, which will be carried by our team of porters. This duffel holds all the items we don't need until we get to camp. And two, we packed our day packs we will carry on our backs as we trek. It's nice to have a lighter pack full of water and a few clothing items. Hey! Don't judge. It's just the way we do things on Kilimanjaro. And believe me, we put the luxury, in luxury travel.
We are super excited to hit the trails and enjoy the beauty of Kilimanjaro. For now it's another great gourmet meal at the lodge.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Good luck to you all! You guys are amazing! Dom and Kalani we are all cheering for you here in sunny Florida!
Posted by: Bill and janella on 8/4/2013 at 7:57 am
Good luck everyone!! We are excited for you all! Dom and Kalani we are all cheering for you here in sunny Florida!!
Posted by: Janella and bill Raymond on 8/4/2013 at 7:52 am
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