It's been another great day on safari. Today we got an early start and headed to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area. This is different from the national parks here in Tanzania in that the Masaai people are allowed to continue their traditional way of life in the conservation area but no one is allowed to live in the national parks.
The entrance to the crater is only 15 minutes from our hotel but then we have to drive around the rim to get to a descent road. So along the way we stopped at a Masaai village where they showed us how they organize the village and what their homes are like. It was all very interesting.
After we got down to the floor of the crater we started to see all of the animals that we came for. We did get the chance to see a female lion and her cubs but it was very hot and they we just relaxing in the shade. After that we got to see two fairly active rhinos fairly close to the road and that was a real treat. But I would have to say the best sighting of the day was a few hippos feeding on grass very close to the car.
Now we are headed back to the Plantation Lodge for the night. Tomorrow we'll sleep in a little and then head to Tarangire National Park and Kikoti Camp which are our last destinations on this trip.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
WOW! Sounds like an amazing experience! Patty, we can’t to see you and hear all about this incredible adventure!! Take lots of pictures… We love you… Be safe…
Posted by: Sally on 2/5/2015 at 4:18 am
Patty—-get as many selfies as you can with ALL of the locals… 2 legged and 4 legged as long as it’s legal, and of course safe! Love you! Regina
Pete Van Deventer and Team called into the RMI Expeditions Office to let us know they reached the summit of Aconcagua and are safely back at High Camp. Pete will send a full report of their summit day after they rest and re-fuel.
Congratulations Team!
The team woke this morning after a wonderful nights sleep despite not being serenaded by the sounds of war drums and a seemingly lost pan flute player. If that wasn't enough we then treated the team to breakfast burrito's and real drip coffee!
Everyone is doing great after yesterday's efforts and today we focus on resting for our move to Camp I (16,200ft) tomorrow. Moving up is always such a good feeling. After 4 nights at Basecamp everyone is excited for a change of scenery and for most, getting to Camp I feels like we're finally starting the climb as we leave the creature comforts of Basecamp behind. Tonight we'll enjoy our last meal with silverware and plates until our descent. The gang sends there.... Well why don't we just let them tell you!
Loving the music here at base camp: Oasis, Bon Jovi, and Ace of Base! -Candace
We are both feeling good and relaxing with quesadillas at base camp on a rest day today. Love to all. - Jeff and Mere
I am taking a break from technology -Sam
I told people at work I didn't have access to email -Rebecca
RMI Guide Steve Gately
Woohoo! Sounds like you all are rocking it up there! So jealous that you get to enjoy the company of Candace!! She’s so much fun :) Be well! ❤️! Tiffany
Hi this is Seth. We are finishing up our first day of safari at Lake Manyara National Park. It's been a good one with tons of monkeys and baboons, elephants, zebra, hippos, wildebeest, cape buffalo and giraffes. We were especially close to a large group of giraffes at a water hole.
The weather is very warm which is a big contrast to the past week we spent on Kili. It is really nice to thaw out for a bit.
Now we are headed to our hotel for the night and tomorrow we will visit Ngorongoro Crater.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
WOW! Safari looks and sounds amazing! Patty, I know you are loving every moment! We look forward to hearing all about this incredible adventure! Miss you, Love you
Posted by: Sally on 2/4/2015 at 3:50 am
Sarah & Jan - hope you are enjoying yourselves. It must seem unreal to have the animals so close. Will make nice pictures & glad the weather is warmer. Love Mom G. Great team and thanks to Seth.
Posted by: Beverly Goodburn on 2/3/2015 at 2:53 pm
"THE GANG CONTEMPLATES DRUM CIRCLE SABOTAGE"
A stint at Plaza Argentina wouldn't be complete without being kept awake by the repetitive and monotone sound of Argentine dance music mixed with improvised drum solos, all accompanied by a Peruvian pan flute.
This amazing melody finally wrapped up around 4am. The Gang took a load of food and equipment to Aconcagua's Camp 1 today in great style, despite the dry and dusty scree slope that must be gained. We spent an hour at 16,200 ft and descended to quesadillas and siesta.
Rest day tomorrow and hopefully a full night's sleep.
It's always sunny at Plaza Argentina!
RMI Guide Mike King
Though the tents shook with the wind again last night, the gusts came fewer and further between. As the sun rose this morning the gusts became rarer, and we decided that this was our day to move to our high camp at Colera (Spanish for anger, not the disease). We were still prepared to face strong winds as we moved into more exposed terrain on the way, but Aconcagua gave us a pass and we climbed with gentle breezes and brilliant sunshine the whole way. We are now settled in, working on heating water for dinner- which takes a long time at 19,600'- before we rack out early to prep for a hopeful summit attempt tomorrow. All of the days of hard work have gotten us here, and everyone is excited to be in place for the final push to our objective. We'll be in touch tomorrow to let you know how it goes.
Best,
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Alex Barber, Juan, and the team
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!
We decided this morning to take a Groundhog Day at Camp 2 on Aconcagua. With gusty winds swirling around camp, the group thought about it and decided that another day of acclimatization would make everyone stronger. We have plenty of extra days to spare, and an important skill here in the mountains is being able to curb our enthusiasm to rush in higher and make the necessary adjustments to set us up for success.
We spent the day sorting snack food, playing cards, and trading food with tent mates. At this point in the trip, the grass is always greener in a neighbor's snack bag, since things that looked so delicious when we were shopping have come to look much less appetizing with too many repetitions. It is exciting to get some new additions, and some of the card games started taking on snack food bets.
Our plan is to head up to camp 3 tomorrow weather permitting, which will put us in place for our summit attempt.
Hasta mañana,
RMI Guides Pete, Alex, Juan, and the gang.
An enjoyable aspect of any rest day is "sport eating", because you know that you will burn through the calories and you get to sort through all the extra food you brought on the expedition. Today we started with Steve's North American scrambled eggs. The team went for a walk to aid in acclimatization and returned to guide made cheese pizzas.
Everyone is relaxing and getting gear ready for the carry to Camp 1 tomorrow. Those minor headaches we had upon arrival yesterday have gone and appetites are strong! The team is excited to see what lies ahead.
It's always sunny in Plaza Argentina.
RMI Guide Mike King
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
WOW! Sounds like an amazing experience! Patty, we can’t to see you and hear all about this incredible adventure!! Take lots of pictures… We love you… Be safe…
Posted by: Sally on 2/5/2015 at 4:18 am
Patty—-get as many selfies as you can with ALL of the locals… 2 legged and 4 legged as long as it’s legal, and of course safe! Love you! Regina
Posted by: Regina on 2/4/2015 at 2:11 pm
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