RMI Expeditions Blog

Our last morning of camping was just as comfortable as the previous five, but we were ready to get down and off the mountain.  We set out before 8 AM and got walking down through the rain forest. The clouds were thick and right down on us with occasional mist and light rain.  There were hundreds of heavily loaded workers barreling down the steep and slippery slope at flank speed.  We tried not to impede their progress as we picked our way along a bit more cautiously.  It was a relief to reach the National Park gate after four hours. In a pleasant surprise we were met by family who are joining the team for Safari. Following the reunion there were papers to be filed and signed and scanned as we checked out and went to a celebration lunch with our mountain staff. The team got into some spirited singing and dancing afterward as we passed out tips and said goodbye. We made it back to Rivertrees Inn by 5 PM where we showered and repacked for Safari. Our dinner was both a celebration of the climb and a welcome to the new members of the team.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Our luck held. Yesterday afternoon’s clouds went away by evening and we had a clear and perfectly calm night for climbing. The team got going out of Barafu Camp at 12:09 AM. It was a big night for climbing Kili and so there were plenty of other teams leaving at the same time. Even so, Naiman led the group with minimal traffic jams. He and Thomas, Gaudence and Omari… our dream team of local guides kept finding open stretches of trail while other teams stopped to rest or trouble shoot problems. It wasn’t so cold -at first- but it got that way as we got higher and closer to daybreak. Ultimately we had everything on when we hit the crater rim. We had a magical walk along the crater rim as the sun rose. There was quite a crowd at Uhuru, the true summit, when we arrived at 6:55 AM.

We dutifully waited our turn for photos with the sign, but we also enjoyed the summit with handshakes and hugs.  After 30 min we got started on the descent, which put us back at Barafu at 10:15.  Tosha -our chef extraordinaire, prepared a deluxe brunch to power our continued descent to Mweka Camp way down at 10k.  We were in camp just after 4PM, having beat the light rains that began to patter on the tent walls. We’ll sleep well tonight.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

We made the move!  Karanga was nice but we couldn’t stay down there.  At 8 this morning we got on the trail for Barafu -ice, in Swahili- The terrain was pretty simple compared to the days we’ve already put in.  Just a steady uphill for a couple of hours and then we were walking up the long rock buttress that is Barafu Camp.  We were lucky enough to have another calm and sunny day for walking, although now -in late afternoon- things have clouded up a bit. That doesn’t concern us too much for our planned summit climb in the night.  We intend to get an early dinner before turning in with bags all packed at 6:15 PM.  The alarms will be set for 11 PM and with luck and a lot of hard work we are hoping to be on the roof of Africa just after sunup tomorrow. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Our timing was perfect today.  The Great Barranco Wall is known for having great traffic jams as hundreds of climbers and porters squeeze through choke points along the way.  We were just plain lucky this morning as we got our hands on the rock and picked our way up the various ledges and steps of the wall. There were plenty of people around but traffic flowed just fine, making for a stress free couple of hours to start the day.  Our amazing crew hosted tea and snacks on the magical flat atop the wall.  We lounged in the sun for nearly an hour, looking up at the magnificent south Face of Kilimanjaro.  Then we strolled along the relatively easy ground to Karanga Camp.  It is sunny and calm again as we rest through the afternoon.  But a giant column of wildfire smoke out to our west has us a little concerned for the valleys we inhabited a few days back.  It doesn’t threaten us in the least but of course we worry for the ecosystems we’ve come to love on Kilimanjaro’s slopes.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Barranco Camp, 13,100 ft.  We broke everybody’s altitude records today!  It was another perfect day, weatherwise, and we took advantage -leaving Shira Camp at 8 AM.  The terrain was less steep than yesterday as we walked straight toward Kibo.  The massive cliffs and hanging ice fields grew closer and more grand as we approached the Lava Tower, our altitude goal for the day.  We celebrated 15,200 ft by having lunch and a leisurely break.  Then it was time to try out the going down muscles.  We dropped 2000 vertical feet into the Barranco Valley and enjoyed the Giant Senecios and Lobelias that make the valley so special. 

We came into another perfectly built camp, patting ourselves on the backs for a 7.5 hour day on a big mountain.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier & Team

Barranco Camp, 13,100 ft.  We broke everybody’s altitude records today!  It was another perfect day, weatherwise, and we took advantage -leaving Shira Camp at 8 AM.  The terrain was less steep than yesterday as we walked straight toward Kibo.  The massive cliffs and hanging ice fields grew closer and more grand as we approached the Lava Tower, our altitude goal for the day.  We celebrated 15,200 ft by having lunch and a leisurely break.  Then it was time to try out the going down muscles.  We dropped 2000 vertical feet into the Barranco Valley and enjoyed the Giant Senecios and Lobelias that make the valley so special. 

We came into another perfectly built camp, patting ourselves on the backs for a 7.5 hour day on a big mountain.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn, Dustin Wittmier & Team

Our final program of the Mt. Rainier season wrapped up with an action-packed Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir! The team experienced a true taste of mountain conditions, with a wide variety of weather—including fresh snow—providing excellent opportunities to learn.

Throughout the seminar, climbers practiced essential skills including crevasse rescue, rappelling, glacier travel, and rope techniques, building confidence and gaining valuable experience on the mountain.

The team also made a summit attempt but ultimately turned around due to route conditions. While the summit wasn’t in the cards this time, the experience provided some great lessons in mountain decision-making and safety.

As we close out another season, we want to extend a huge thank you to all of our climbers and guides who made this year so memorable. We appreciate your hard work, enthusiasm, and commitment to learning and adventure. We’ll see you on the mountain next season!

We caught a nice sunny day for our move out to Shira Camp. Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s central peak- was shining in the morning sun when we took off from Machame Camp. The team seemed to have no trouble with the steeper hills we confronted right off the bat.  We climbed up rocky steps through a forest of Giant Heather to attain a ridge crest, then we walked straight toward Kibo for a while before making a turn to the west.  We got to use our hands on the rock in a few places as we traversed some cliff bands on the way out to the Shira Plateau.  By 1:30 PM we were in our new camp.  It was a relaxing afternoon of eating, drinking and resting at this new and significant altitude.  The team is getting ready for a beautiful sunset out towards Meru, the fifteen thousand foot volcano on our western horizon. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, September 6, 2026 - 8:30 am PT

Machame Camp, 10,000 ft.  Our team of nine set off precisely on schedule this morning at 8 AM.  Our bus driver negotiated the busy highway to get us to the Machame Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park in a tidy two hours.  There were papers to be filed and permits to be issued and finally we set out walking through the big forest at 11 AM.  The team crushed it today, cruising from 6000 to 10,000 ft in 5 hrs, 20 min.  We took a few breaks, listened to a few birds and surprisingly, saw the mountain.  We began the day under thick clouds but they dissipated as we climbed and we ended up with blue skies and great views in our new home.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Saturday, September 5, 2026 - 10:10 pm PT

We’ve got the makings of another fine expedition to the highest point in Africa.  Nine of us got together at Rivertrees Inn yesterday to plan and pack for the mountain.  This morning we are setting out!

RMI Guide Dave Hahn