Entries from Locations

It was a crystal clear and bright morning in Phakding.  We started walking at 8AM along the charging, frothing, roaring river.  Before long we could see Thamserku towering 10,000 feet above us.  The rock and ice was in stark contrast to the lush farmland we walked through.  A couple of hours in, we reached the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park.  The team ate an early lunch at a tea house in Jorsalle before getting on with the big work of the day -climbing the Namche Hill.  It began with a walk across a very high cable bridge and then we set ourselves to walking slow and steady up switchbacks in a thick pine forest.  Things clouded up -predictably- as the day went on. We gained 2000 feet and finally turned the corner into Namche Bazaar at around 2PM.  We were relieved to pull into Camp De Base. Calling it a tea house doesn’t really do the place justice as it has become a fine hotel by any standard.  We rested and rehydrated for the afternoon and evening, getting used to life at 11,300 ft. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Things went a little smoother today.  Weather in Kathmandu was improved. There were still some clouds but no rain when we got to the airport at 6 AM.  In no time at all we were getting on board the AStar B3 helicopter bound for Lukla.  It was exciting and exhilarating to get up out of the Kathmandu Valley and to see the Himalayan peaks rising in a line to the North.  They were impossibly big and steep and beautiful with the first rays of the sun finding them.  We flew for about 45 minutes and caught a clear -but brief- glimpse of Mount Everest stabbing into the sky before we landed in the shadows down in Lukla. 

Our trek began with a good breakfast.  We set out walking at 9:30 and started downhill.  This part of the valley is all forest and farmland with a big violent river charging through the middle.  There was plenty to see as we followed our Sherpa guides, Dawa, Tenzing and Tsangdu.  Finally we crossed the river a little after noon and pulled into Phakding.  We lunched and then napped away the afternoon at 8600 ft of elevation.  By dinner time the tea house had filled with trekkers recounting their exciting first day on the trail. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Not so much to report today.  We were up early and off to the airport to begin our Gokyo trek.  But it was raining as we passed through the streets of Kathmandu.  It turned out that it was rainy and cloudy at our destination -Lukla- as well.  Our gear was loaded on the helicopter and everyone and everything was ready… except for the weather.  There were periods of clearing at either Kathmandu or Lukla, but never at both.  And ultimately, by 2 PM (we’d been at the airport since 6 AM) the weather was still bad at both ends and getting worse.  We called it quits for the day.  So we finished back at the comfortable -and increasingly familiar- Yak and Yeti hotel.  We’ll give it another try tomorrow. 

Best Regards

RMI Guides Dave Hahn

We began the day with a team meeting over breakfast.  The intention was to get everybody squared away on the details of preparing for our Gokyo trek.  But the coffee was good and plentiful, so our business meeting just turned into a story-telling session as caffeine levels rose.  At 10 AM we set out with Naraj for a tour of the city.  During the ride through busy streets, Naraj explained the mix of Hindu and Buddhist religions and the various ethnic groups making up Nepali Society. 

Our first stop was the Swayambhu Temple -known as the monkey temple for the great number of monkeys scaling the stupas and Buddha statues.  We  were lucky -on this partly cloudy day- to get great views of the city from the hilltop temple.  Next stop was Boudinath Stupa.  We made a circuit and then visited a school for artists constructing mandalas.  We finished our outing with a relaxing lunch on a rooftop overlooking the giant stupa. 

Back at the Yak and Yeti, we used the afternoon to finish organizing gear for an early trip to the airport tomorrow morning.  With all preparations complete we set out in a downpour bound for dinner.  Luckily the walk was only 5-10 minutes.  An impressive amount of monsoon rain fell while we were eating.  And an even more impressive amount fell as we were walking back to the hotel afterward. 

Best Regards

RMI Guides Dave Hahn

The 2023 RMI Gokyo Trek Team hasn’t accomplished much yet… but we sure are tired.  We each arrived in Kathmandu, via separate routes, in the last day or so.  By modern travel standards, we are lucky!  No flight cancellations, no hijacked luggage.  We all made it.  But those deluxe, extra length flights and passing over half the planet’s time zones has us sleepy.  We started the program with an easy and enjoyable dinner in our hotel “The Yak and Yeti”.  Perhaps tomorrow we’ll have more bandwidth for looking around the dining room and lobby to recognize the climbing celebrities present.  This evening we just needed a little sustenance before turning in.  Kathmandu was rainy today.  Tomorrow, when we’re rested and ready to explore our surroundings, it will certainly be better. 

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Hello everyone,

We spent our final day yesterday touring Tarangire National Park, which is home to more elephants per square kilometer than any place on earth and it didn’t disappoint. There were plenty of other animals as usual, and we got pretty close which was amazing. There were also plenty of the other large African mammals, including a bunch of Giraffes and even a leopard napping in a tree.

We ended our day at a remote and off grid camp within the National Park and surrounded by wildlife. The camp has screened in rooms that allow the night sounds and smells of Africa in.

It's been a memorable experience for everyone with great friendships forged. But finally it's time to return home to our families and loved ones.

Thanks for following!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!

Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater, considered by many to be the eighth natural wonder of the world. The crater is roughly 100 square miles of what was once an enormous volcano similar to Kilimanjaro that erupted and collapse on its self. It is known for its abundance of animals that call the crater home with some estimates as high as 30,000 mammals.

We hit the road early with hopes of catching a few of the big cats before the heat of the day.

There were many sightings today of hyenas, zebras, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, ostrich, and countless other birds. We managed to see several lions, including one huge male very close.

We also saw a few Black Rhinos far in the distance, which have become very rare due to poaching.  

We have just finished another wonderful meal here at the Plantation Lodge.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Today was the start of our safari adventure and we visited the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park. The lake is a brief stopping ground for many migratory animals and home to more than 350 different birds. Everyone enjoyed the day cruising around in our safari vehicles with cold beverages in hand while seeing a few animals up close. 

We didn’t see a ton of animals today, but we did get up close to a few elephants, baboons and 6 beautiful lions! Also managed to see a couple of zebras and a giraffe off in the distance. 

It was a nice introduction to the incredible diversity of wildlife that Africa has and the team is looking forward to seeing more tomorrow. 

We wrapped up the evening with a wonderful meal at our new lodge www.plantation-lodge.com see for yourself!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew

Our final day on the mountain!

Today the gang got up at 6:30 refreshed after a much needed nights sleep, we had breakfast, then hit the trail one last time. It took just around three hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch and said our final goodbyes to our amazing crew that took such great care of us on the mountain. 

We finished the little celebration by handing out their well deserved tips and then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge. 

Finally we are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting seven day journey up and down Kilimanjaro. 

Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

 

The RMI Kilimanjaro September 16th team reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, 19.340'!  All team members climbed strong and were all at the summit together.

The team has descended and is currently at Mweka Camp, 10,000', their final camp of the climb.  

Way to go team!