Hello again everyone.
We had a early departure from the Dik Dik Lodge and drove east for about two hours to reach Kilimanjaro National Park. Our drive took us through the rural country side of Tanzania which is full of banana and coffee plantations, markets and plenty of people headed between home and the local water well. It was very surreal to see so many folks who depend on these wells for their water, especially watching them walking with 5 gallon jugs carefully balanced on their heads.
Once at the gate we took a short break to sign in and allow our team to arrange all the loads and hire all of our porters for the seven-day climb. Our team started with 11 climbers and quickly grew as we acquired all the support of cooks, waiters, camp crew and porters and we ended up at a total of 68!
Just before 11 a.m. we set off on the trail that ascended through the forest and slowly climbed all the way up to just shy of 10,000'. It took the team a little over four hours to reach our camp and everyone did fantastic and enjoyed the hike.
The team just finished dinner and are all comfortably resting in our warm sleeping bags- thanks to the hot water bottles our gracious crew prepared for us.
Not quite roughing it yet!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Hi Chris and Jess,
Love following the climb and your progress ... I can only imagine how awesome it must be. Everything is looking up for you guys ): , haha. Enjoy, stay safe and I look forward to seeing the photos!
Love you guys,
Lorraine
Posted by: lorraine bocci on 8/22/2013 at 7:16 am
Chris - Jess sending extra energy your way—the next 9,000 feet is a breeze…enjoy… you two rock.
The Four Day Summit Climb August 17 - 20 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier just after 7 am PT this morning. RMI Guide Brent Okita led the team. Brent reported a gorgeous day with clear skies and light winds averaging 15 mph. The teams will spend some time on the summit before beginning their descent to Camp Muir. After a short rest, the teams will continue to Paradise later this afternoon.
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Eric Frank reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning shortly before 8 am PT. The team will spend time enjoying the views and then return to their high camp for their final night on the mountain.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Hello everyone and welcome to RMI Expeditions' fourth Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari of the 2013 summer! The whole team arrived last night after some very long flights and have been comfortably resting here in Africa just outside of Arusha, Tanzania in the wonderful Dik Dik Hotel.
After catching up on some much needed sleep we started the day with a nice breakfast of fresh juices, fruits, eggs and delicious bread while watching the local monkeys play in the yard. We then had our official team meeting where we had a round of introductions and discussed the intricacies of our upcoming climb. We spent the remainder of the afternoon packing and enjoy the beautiful grounds of our hotel. We wrapped up the night with an amazing five-course meal that finished with everyone favorite: bananas and chocolate ice cream!
Everyone is doing great and we are all very excited about the adventure that lies ahead.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and Crew
Jess… Forget Poppy’s idea about bringing the monkey home for Shorty. Look who’s left with Shorty now. I can see it being the three of us next year when your climbing again. I don’t think so ! Give mom my love and lighten her load for her. Tread on.
Tom
Posted by: Tom on 8/21/2013 at 9:20 am
Chris. And Jess- what an awesome experience!! Thinking about you every day. What a way to celebrate a Birthday! Love you both
MB
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer braved the winds to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. After a short rest on the summit, the team began their descent shortly before 8 am. They will return to Camp Muir to refuel before descending to Paradise later today. We look forward to their arrival in Ashford this afternoon.
Congratulations climbers!
RMI Guide Eric Frank and the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons continue to spend their days training. Today the team moves from their camp on the Inter Glacier to Camp Schurman in preparation for their summit attempt.
The Sahale Mountain - Quien Sabe Glacier climb led by RMI Guide Geoff Schellens was unable to summit yesterday due to a combination of poor route conditions and poor weather. The team spent last night at their camp in Boston Basin and are hiking back to the trailhead this morning.
The Mt. Shuksan - Fisher Chimneys team led by Mike Walter was also unable to summit. Mike reported wet, foggy conditions on the Fisher Chimneys route. The team team spent last night at their camp on the White Salmon Glacier and are making the four mile hike back to the trailhead this morning.
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall and the Five Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide JJ Justman reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Solveig and JJ both reported moderate, gusty winds; clear skies; and warm temperatures. The teams began their descent back to Camp Muir around 8:30 am. The Five Day Summit Climb will return to Camp Muir for their final night on the mountain while the Four Day Summit Climb will rest and refuel before descending to Paradise. We look forward to greeting the Four Day Summit Climb team in Ashford later today.
Congratulations to today’s climbs!
Our Four Day Summit Climb teams failed to reach the summit this morning due to a team member falling ill and needing assistance. The teams reached 12,300’, the top of Disappointment Cleaver, before they needed to turn around. Everyone is now descending back to Camp Muir and we expect their arrival at Ashford Base Camp around 4:00pm.
Hello -
We are checking in on our penultimate day. We're in Tarangire National Park also known as the garden of the elephants. It's been a great day and we've been fortunate to have gotten close to many large animals. Tonight we'll be having our last dinner together before we all start heading home.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hi this is RMI Guide Seth Waterfall checking in from inside Ngorongoro Crater. We've had an amazing morning! First thing after we drove into the crater we came upon several lions including a large male that walked right in front of our truck. After that we found a spot where a female rhinoceros was lying down. After waiting patiently we were treated to the sight of her getting up and coming within a few hundred feet of the car. That's as close as I've ever been to a rhino in the wild! We're headed for lunch now and then off to a Maasai village.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
We've started our safari with a great day. We got an early-ish start from the Dik Dik and headed out of town. On the way we stopped to pick up some stuff for the road. We made good time on some rough roads and through some construction zones. It's actually great to see the government investing in infrastructure here.
Once we got to Lake Manyara National Park we had an amazing lunch at a nice little picnic spot and then headed out on the game drive.
The drive was excellent! I've been convinced for years that the 'tree climbing lions' of Lake Manyara do not exist but today I was proven wrong. It was just a glimpse of the hind quarter of the lion but now I know they're real.
We're done with the game drive now and enjoying cocktail hour at the Plantation Lodge. It's a great change of pace from the mountain. Here's a pick of the grounds at the lodge. It's a beautiful spot to spend a couple of nights on safari.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall and Team
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Hi Chris and Jess,
Love following the climb and your progress ... I can only imagine how awesome it must be. Everything is looking up for you guys ): , haha. Enjoy, stay safe and I look forward to seeing the photos!
Love you guys,
Lorraine
Posted by: lorraine bocci on 8/22/2013 at 7:16 am
Chris - Jess sending extra energy your way—the next 9,000 feet is a breeze…enjoy… you two rock.
Posted by: Bocci clan on 8/21/2013 at 10:13 am
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