Entries from Expedition Dispatches
The clouds were right down on top of us again as we started the day at the Arumeru River Lodge. We were ready to go soon after breakfast and so we set sail at 8:15 in the bus with a collection of duffel bags strapped to the roof.
The hustle and bustle out on the highway was continually interesting to us as a window into Tanzanian life. We studied the crops in the fields, the shops at roadside, the signs and vehicles and the people. This partially compensated for our inability to see
Kilimanjaro in the distance. After nearly two hours we reached the busy Machame Gate to the National Park at 6000 feet. After an hour in a chaotic mix of climbers, porters, buses, trucks, monkeys and backpacks, we set out walking with our local guides. John, Eric, Philip and Philbret led us up a path in the thick rainforest. By this point we were in the clouds and things were just barely drizzly enough to justify wearing rain jackets. The trail was a little greasy, but nobody slipped or tripped as we steadily gained elevation. We marveled at the giant camphor trees, decorated with vines and hanging moss. In six hours, we saw a few birds, but no other animals as we transitioned to a different type of forest in the “heather and mooreland zone”. At 10,000 feet we came into camp and were happy to see that our incredible staff had tents in place and all ready for us to move into. We retired to the dining tent for delicious food, some adventure stories and a little bragging about past trips... and of course some scheming as to a plan for the present trip. We look forward to a well-earned rest tonight.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The
Mt. Rainier Kautz Seminar, led by
Kel Rossiter, reached the summit with his entire team in tow! They will stay one more night on the mountain before continuing their descent back to Paradise tomorrow.
The
Four Day Summit Climb July 23 - 26 led by
RMI Guides Christina Dale and JM Gorum, were turned around today at 12,700' due to route conditions. The teams are currently en route to Camp Muir. They will continue their descent and arrive at Paradise this afternoon.
The team met after breakfast for an introduction and strategy session. We discussed short and long term plans for climbing the mountain, gear and clothing needs, timing and itineraries and finally, the staffing by our outfitter, Barking Zebra Tours. The climbers then endured a rigorous, detailed and demanding equipment check by their lead guide before a lunch out on the covered patio of our dining room. Clouds were right down low and drizzly for most of the day, obscuring any views of
Kilimanjaro and Meru -the two big and prominent volcanoes in the neighborhood. We focused on the scenery closer at hand -the immaculate and lush gardens of the hotel grounds. We watched and listened to exotic birds, monkeys and a small herd of Dik Diks roaming the grass and chewing the shrubs. The afternoon plan was a bit easier once things were packed and duffel bags were labeled and weighed. We simply relaxed and tried to recover from so much travel and the many time zones crossed in the process. We got together for dinner outside again, with most opting for a sweater or two since things were a little chilly (it being mid-winter, naturally). We’ve got plans for setting out early tomorrow and for getting started on the mountain of our dreams.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
The
Five Day Summit Climb July 21 - 25 enjoyed two nights on the mountain before making their summit attempt today.
RMI Guide Jess Matthews and team reached the summit this morning under clear skies and warm temperatures. The team will return to Camp Muir, pack up their camp and continue their descent to Paradise.
Congratulations Climbers!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the
Four Day Summit Climb July 22 - 25 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 6:30 AM. They enjoyed gorgeous weather and a light breeze on the summit.
The team started their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 AM.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climbers!
Against all odds... we each made it through the highways, security checkpoints, airplanes and airports, baggage carousels, and immigration officers lacing together half the globe to assemble in little Usa River, Tanzania. Eight climbers and one guide dribbled in over the course of 24 hours to form a
Kilimanjaro climbing team. We still haven’t all seen each other in the same place... that will happen at 9 AM tomorrow after we’ve stretched out in the comfy beds and bungalows of the Arumeru River Lodge for a night. That is when we’ll get serious about preparations for our week-long Kili climb.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
The
Expeditions Skills Seminar - Emmons July 20 - 25 led by
RMI Guide Bryan Mazaika ascended to Camp Schurman yesterday and after setting up camp did a bit of training and preparation for their summit attempt. The team reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 7 AM. They will return to Camp Schurman for their final night on the mountain.
Congratulations to the Emmons Seminar Climbers!
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer along with 100% of his climbers on the
Four Day Summit Climb July 21 - 24 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Pete radioed in just before 7 AM PT as the team was approaching the crater rim.
Congratulations to the team!
The
Five Day Summit Climb led by
RMI Guide Andy Bond tagged the summit bright and early this morning. Andy radioed in 7:10 AM PT reporting clear skies, warm weather and team stoke level of 14,410'. The team will return to Camp Muir and continue to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team!
I’m so proud of y’all!! Well done
Posted by: Austin Savoy on 7/27/2018 at 4:34 am
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