Entries from Expedition Dispatches
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
RMI Guides
Jason Thompson and
Tyler Reid led their
Four Day Summit Climb teams to the summit of Mt. Rainier today. At 7:15 am PT the teams were enjoying their time on top with nice conditions and no winds. The teams will descend to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing to Paradise later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
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
On The Map
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
The Four Day Summit Climb led by
RMI Guide Leon Davis reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning at approximately 7:25 am. Leon reported steady winds from the N/NW at 10-15 mph, cold temperatures and a cloud deck below at 10,000'. The Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise led by
Adam Knoff also reached the summit this morning. The teams spent approximately one hour on the summit before starting their descent.
Both teams will return to Camp Muir to repack their gear and take a short break before continuing down to Paradise this afternoon. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
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
On The Map
Today team
Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise was relieved to crawl out of our tents to clear skies and warm temps. Last night, directly after arriving in camp after crevasse rescue training we were graced with a purifying rain burst but then rudely interrupted by a brief but intense lightning and thunder storm. It cleared in time for dinner and a peaceful sleep.
After packing up camp this morning, a stimulating walk through a large crevasse field and icy section brought us to Camp Muir at 10,060 feet. Here we will rest and prepare for our summit climb tonight. Folks are happy to be moved into the bunk house here and even happier to hand off some group gear to a guide heading down hill. Yea for lighter packs!
Wish us luck tonight on our climb.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
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
On The Map
Today's
Four Day Summit Climbs led by RMI Guides
Brent Okita &
Billy Nugent reached the summit crater of Mt. Rainier just before 7 am PT. Brent reported clear skies, a windless and gorgeous day. The smoke from the Eastern Washington fires seems to have cleared and the cloud deck is below Paradise at about 5,000’.
The teams will return to Camp Muir in the late morning and then continue their descent to Paradise. We look forward to seeing the teams at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
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Woohoo!!! So inspiring and well, just freaking awesome!
Posted by: Michelle la Cour on 8/3/2013 at 7:41 pm
So proud of you Bro & extra bonus for me taking care of the babies - we are all so excited for you & the whole Why Fork Mountaineers!!!
Posted by: Wendy on 8/3/2013 at 4:42 pm
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