Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Both summit climb groups led by Dave Hahn and Billy Nugent were leaving the top of the summit at 7:35 a.m. They had a beautiful climb this morning with sunny and clear skies, and moderate wind. They are back to Camp Muir and will descend to Paradise early afternoon.
Hello from New Shira Camp,
We have just had a great day. Everybody slept well last night and we awoke to blue skies and a view of Kilimanjaro above us. Tea was served to us in the tents and followed by a bucket of warm washing water.
We packed up camp in good time and hit the trail at 8:30 a.m.. The first stretch out of camp is fairly steep but we got immediately into a solid pace and climbed right up the first 1,000 feet of the day. A short stretch later and we were on top at a beautiful viewpoint. It is here that the actual size of the mountain can be seen for the first time since we started the trek nearly 6,000 feet below. Since the weather was perfect, we stopped an hour later for a long lunch break and ate until were stuffed.
The elevation gain for the day was done this morning, so after lunch we only had to climb a few hundred vertical feet to gain the Shira Plateau. Then a short descent and we arrived in camp. We just finished our afternoon snack and are hanging out in the dining tent sharing stories of past travels and adventures.
The whole team did great today and are all psyched for tomorrow's push to almost 15,000 feet. We would also like to give a big shout out to Sean. You are missed.
Tomorrow we will check in from Barranco Camp.
RMI Guide Jeff Martin and team
On The Map
Hello from the Karanga Camp at about 13,000 feet. We had a great climb to get here. Right out of camp this morning is the famous Barranco Wall. We left camp at 9 a.m., which put us in a good spot to avoid some traffic on the steep part of the climb. In a few places you use hands and footholds with some exposure below. While climbing carefully and taking advantage of many photo opportunities along the way, the team got back to more level terrain. For the next couple of hours we enjoyed views of the upper mountain and interesting terrain under foot. We arrived here at 1 p.m. and were greeted to a hot lunch of noodles and sauce. Not a scrap was left on any plate after a great day on the trail. Some cloud cover now but no rain.
We are getting busy with preparing food and gear for the move to high camp tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
GO BRO! Your Razorback crew is praying for a safe and spectacular climb for Uncle John and the team.
Posted by: Jane on 7/29/2011 at 8:06 pm
Yesterday we made our first big jump to altitude, from sleeping at roughly 10,000' to 15,000' and everyone seemed to handle it quite well. It's a good sign that everyone is acclimatizing.
Today we were greeted with moderate winds and blowing snow. Not what we were hoping for but we'll keep our spirits up regardless. We spent a little time outside today reviewing some basic climbing techniques to prepare us for tomorrow's summit attempt. We mostly enjoyed the comforts of the hut here on Cayambe. It's more of a house than a hut and sleeps about thirty climbers. It has two small kitchens and most importantly, indoor plumbing.
Everyone is doing great and are anxiously awaiting tomorrow's summit attempt. If all goes well we will try to leave here early in the morning and hope to reach the summit just after sunrise.
Keep your fingers crossed and wish us luck!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Thinking about you. Cheers for a wonderful adventure. Be safe. See you when you get back.
Posted by: L on 7/28/2011 at 7:35 pm
Greetings from Machame Camp,
We had an early departure from the Dik Dik Hotel this morning and arrived at the Park gate at 10:00 a.m. There were only two other groups registering at the same time, so the process went very quickly and we were walking by 10:30 a.m. We had been skeptical all morning long and thought for sure that we would be walking in the rain, but by the time we put our packs on, it was only misting. And by the time we made it to camp, it was all sunshine. The trail through the cloud forest has seen a lot of work over the last year and trail conditions could not have been better. We also had the trail to ourselves which is a rarity on this popular route. As we ascended through the cloud forest, we spotted some black monkeys in the canopy above.
We made it to camp in 5 hours total today and had plenty of time to enjoy the afternoon sun. After a little rest and some popcorn, we rolled right into dinner. The team is looking and feeling strong tonight. Tomorrow, we head up to our next camp at the Shira Plateau.
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
On The Map
Hi Rusty!
I hope you and Sarah are having a wonderful time ascending the mountain. Be safe and enjoy every minute of this amazing once in a lifetime experience. I can’t wait to see your photos and hear all about your wonderful travels.
Posted by: Nancy Guntly on 7/29/2011 at 1:07 pm
I think you all know how fortunate you are to be ascending Kili. My admiration of Kili grew out of my friends Rusty and Sara’s planned climb. Having learned so much I feel I should be climbing with you all. I wish you all great health and great strength!. Soak up every inch, scent and sound. Let the mountain pull you up with its amazing beauty. Eat,Pray,Climb!
Gummi Worm Man
Posted by: gummi worm man on 7/28/2011 at 1:04 pm
The Four Day Summit Climbs led by Peter Whittaker, Ed Viesturs and Leon Davis reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning at 6:30 a.m. The teams reported a beautiful day up top: sunshine, clear skies and calm winds. The teams will return to Camp Muir and complete their descent to Paradise later today.
At 9:00 a.m., the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by Pete Van Deventer also made the summit via the Emmons Route. They began their descent shortly after and will be descending back to Camp Schurman for the evening and returning to Rainier Basecamp tomorrow.
The Four Day Climb of Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades led by Andres Marin reached the summit yesterday and will descending to the trailhead this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
Another great day here on Killimanjaro. We had about 12 hours in the tents last night. The team used them well, for a strong group of climbers met the challenge to our new camp at 13,000 ft Baranco camp. We did have to climb up to a high point at 14,700', an altitude record for a lot of the group, to get here. No rain today which was very nice and everybody is resting and enjoying peanuts and popcorn in the dining tent.
The groups performance is all I could hope for. If we keep this up, with a little luck, we will soon be standing on the roof of Africa.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Hello, this is Maile and Casey checking in from Ecuador and the climber's hut on Cayambe. Everyone is settling in for a good night sleep at 15,500 feet. This morning we woke up to a beautiful morning at the Hacienda San Luis and had a leisurely morning down there, we drove in to the town of Cayambe and had a local lunch before heading up to the mountain. We were able to drive up to 13,500' before the road become too rough for the vehicles. We then walked up to the climber's hut. Everyone is doing well, it is a beautiful night and we will check in again tomorrow and we hope everyone is doing well back at home!
RMI Guides Maile Wade & Casey Grom
Load up on Snickers, Swedish fish and whatever they are serving. Remember there are TWO summits this trip. Know you are very well prepared. Praying for good weather and be safe. We are anxious to hear about it. Kathryn
Posted by: Kathryn on 7/28/2011 at 1:49 pm
Hope the Snickers hold out! Wishing you much love and good luck. Renee
Posted by: Renee on 7/28/2011 at 11:36 am
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Jambo,
After the long day of travel, we decided to take full advantage of sleeping in this morning. We sat down for breakfast around 9:00 am, and then started in with our first team meeting of the trip. The last member of the team arrived this morning, which makes a total of eleven in our group. For most, this will be their first climb. For everybody, this climb will break all previous trip altitude records.
We spent much of the morning going over the details of our Kilimanjaro climb, covering the route, distances, and elevations of the camps, how to best pack all of the gear needed for the mountain, and the daily routines that we will need to use in order to climb efficiently at altitude. We ended the meeting with a thorough equipment check for each climber just to make sure we have everything needed for the next seven days.
We headed into Arusha after lunch and spent several hours exploring the main market, with its many vendors selling everything from Maasai medicines to some of the biggest avocados one has ever seen. Then we made our way to the tourist part of town to buy some small souvenirs and local handicrafts.
By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already dinner time and we sat down to a wonderful 5 course meal. It's early to bed tonight as we have an early wake up call in the morning. Our hope is to be driving to the Machame Gate at 7:30 and walking the first stretch of trail by 10:30.
We'll check in tomorrow from Machame Camp.
RMI Guide Jeff Martin
Jambo!
We had a great first day and night on Kilimanjaro. We awoke this morning to perfect climbing conditions. After our team breakfast we packed our bags and set out for our next camp on the Shira Plateau.
We ascended to 12,000' traveling through the "Giant Heather" zone to our camp over looking the majestic Great Rift Valley. Before reaching camp the afternoon rains began so we grabbed our rain gear and continued on. With our dining tent and all our sleeping tents set up by our great mountain staff when the team reached camp, we have remained dry throughout the afternoon and evening. We will have a nice team dinner before retiring to our tents for the evening.
The weather already looks like it is starting to clear so we'll hope for clear skies by morning when we set out on the trial again.
We will check in again soon!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Dr. Fletcher…everyone at work is asking about you and if I’ve heard from you. I’ve shared the info on this blog and we’re ALL SO EXCITED! Can’t wait to hear all about it when you return. Go Tucker & Team and GO PIRATES!!
Posted by: Sandy Nobles on 7/28/2011 at 8:47 am
...sounds like you are having a great climb so far…shout out from middle tennessee to dr fletcher…:o)...
Posted by: doreen schulz on 7/27/2011 at 9:30 am
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Blue skies and a view of Kilimanjaro?! How magical…and Way, Way, Cool!
Bailey and I are thinking about you, wanted you to know that we are with you!
Posted by: L and Bailey on 7/29/2011 at 7:50 pm
Jeff paints a beautiful picture. So happy to read about your progress everybody. Keep on keepin’ on!
Rusty and Sara make sure you touch the roof of Africa for me when you reach the summit.
Eat, Pray, Climb! Slow down Sara, geez.
Posted by: Gummi Worm Man on 7/29/2011 at 5:20 pm
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