RMI Expeditions Blog

Greetings from 10,000 ft on the flanks of Kilimanjaro. My team hasn’t actually seen Mt Kilimanjaro yet, they are taking it on faith that there is a big volcano hidden somewhere in the clouds. From the Arumeru River Lodge at 7 AM breakfast, there was no sign of the mountain and we didn’t get even a hint of a sighting during our 1.5 hour drive to the Machame Gate of the National Park. Along the highway and under the clouds, there was plenty to see. We watched Tanzanian kids going off to school and their parents heading off to work. We saw people laboring in corn fields and vegetable gardens. We watched plenty of buses and taxis stopping to let folks on or off. As the road steepened closer to the mountain, people were tending to banana groves and coffee plants. The park gate itself was a busy place as trucks and buses unloaded and porters were issued loads and signed up for their week of hard work. We got signed in with the National Park and were issued our permit. At 10:20 AM it was finally -after months of planning and training and after days of travel, packing and prepping- time to start walking. Our local guide staff, Naiman as leader, Freddy and Philibet, Jorome and Gamma led us up a road into the big trees. The road became a trail after 30 minutes and the trail eventually started going uphill steadily. It was all made slightly easier by the cloud cover keeping the sun off of us. In fact it was a perfect temperature for walking. We came up 4000 vertical feet in five hours, which included a few lunch/rest breaks. In the process we got out of the big, lush forest and into the “giant heather” of the Moorland vegetation zone. The team took it all in stride -so to speak- and we pulled into Machame Camp close to 3:30. We were pleased and surprised to see the fine camp our staff had already built while we hiked. Our sleeping tents were ready for us to move into and a snack and hot drinks were waiting for us in the dining tent. There was time for a welcome rest between tea and our 6:30 dinner. Chef Tosha came into the tent as darkness fell and dinner was served to greet the team and introduce his assistant cooks and wait staff. We were amazed and pleased to have such a fine meal halfway up a mountain... assuming again that we really are on a mountain. Maybe we’ll see it tomorrow. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Andy Bond and Alan Davis reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. When asked how conditions are on the summit, Andy reported that it was a "beautiful day." The teams began their descent from Mt. Rainier's crater rim around 7:00 AM. They will return to Ashford this afternoon.

This was our prep day for Kilimanjaro. We got started with introductions and itineraries at 9 AM in the hotel "boma" -the meeting place. There was plenty to cover regarding what to expect on the climb and how we’d tackle various challenges along the way. We followed the meeting up with equipment checks and packing... and lunch on the outside patio of the dining area. After lunch all that remained was to weigh the bags and to catch up on some rest. Some chose to walk the garden-like grounds of the hotel, checking out the Dik Dik (smallest of the antelope family) population and the vervet monkey troupe that came to visit. We didn’t get a view of Kilimanjaro itself today although our morning overcast eventually broke up... things stayed murky to the north and east. We enjoyed dinner on the patio to finish the day and turned in by around 9 to get plenty of rest for the start of our adventure. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

RMI Guide Mike Walter reported that it is a beautiful day on Mt. Rainier with clear skies and moderate winds. Mike and the Four Day Climb August 16 - 19 reached the summit early this morning and after enjoying some time in the summit crater started their descent. Those of us in Ashford and the lower elevations are below a heavy marine layer, Camp Muir and the upper mountain have mostly clear skies and sunshine. The team will descend to Paradise later today and celebrate their accomplishments before concluding their program. Congratulations to today's Four Day Climb team!

The Five Day Climb August 15 - 19 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning led by RMI Guide Nikki Champion. It's a beautiful day on the mountain with moderate winds and cool temperatures. After enjoying two nights on the mountain before their summit climb, the group will return to Camp Muir to pack up and then will continue down to Paradise. Their program will conclude with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Congratulations to today's Five Day Climb team!

Wonder of wonders, all ten climbers made it through to Tanzania and Kilimanjaro International Airport without missing flights or losing baggage. We’ve got the team assembled at the Arumeru River Lodge on the outskirts of Arusha...folks have eaten dinner and are now attempting to sleep away some of their jet lag. In the morning we’ll meet to get into the nuts and bolts of preparing for a Kilimanjaro climb. Best Regards, Dave Hahn

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guide Robby Young reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Robby reported a beautiful chilly day of climbing. The current route taking his team 6 hours to ascend. Congratulations to today's team.

The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides JM Gorum and Ben Ammon climbed above the clouds and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Ben reported clear skies and chilly temperatures. The team has started their descent and are en route back to Camp Muir. Congratulations to today's team!

I am back from four incredible days in the North Cascades. I was fortunate enough to a day of training at Mount Erie, then three days on a successful ascent of the Fisher Chimneys on Mt. Shuksan with one guest. Here are some photos of the experience. RMI Guide Eric Frank

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Four Day Climb August 13 - 16 enjoyed clear skies this morning as they made their way from Camp Muir to the summit of Mt. Rainier. Although it was a bit breezy and there was a cloud deck below Camp Muir, climbing on the upper mountain was nice. The teams enjoyed spending some time in the crater rim before starting their descent. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue down to Paradise and complete their program this afternoon with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp. Congratulations to today's climbers!