Hello everybody, Casey Grom checking in. Just wanted to let everyone know that those of you who didn't receive a phone call from the summit of Kilimanjaro, we had 100% success today!
Like I said last night, we left pretty early to beat some of the traffic, but unfortunately I think many of those people have the same idea as well. It was a busy day on the trail for us which wasn't too much of an inconvenience, but it definitely made things a little more challenging with breaks and trying to keep a nice steady pace. But the team did fantastic and as they know that goal number 1 is to take care of yourself, and they did a fantastic job today of taking care of themselves. A little after about 7 hours of climbing, we were able to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro along with most of those other people that started the night with us. So there was I'm guessing close to 100 people on the summit, some before us, and a handful after us. Up there all the same time, it was a little bit of a struggle to try to get people in to get their photos at the actual sign. It's pretty painless on Kilimanjaro, but we managed to get quite a few.
Unfortunately still no cell service, so I haven't been able to get any pictures out. And that's going to happen tomorrow for sure, as we have descended all the way back to the Mweka Camp tonight. We're at about 10,000'. Tomorrow we get to the park gate...our hotel and freshly showered, at about 3-4 in the afternoon.
Anyway, all is well; team's doing great. Everyone's very tired after a very long day, but again 100% success and looking forward to sharing some of those pictures with you guys alright.
RMI Guide Casey Grom checks in after the team reaches the summit of Kilimanjaro.
After a 1 am sharp departure, climbers topped out on the Roof of Mexico just after 8:30am, the ascent lit by alpenglow and spiced up by loose rock near the summit. After half an hour admiring the steep summit crater and a quick descent in deep sandy “polvo” (dust/dirt), we all reunited at camp for our long descent back down and reflections over dinner at Dr.Reyes’ in Tlachichuca. What a circuitously adventurous week, and what a phenomenally engaged team of climbers.
RMI Guides Walter Hailes, Jessie Poquerusse & the fantastic Mexico volcanoes team
Hello down there. Mark Tucker checking in from our High Camp on Aconcagua. Climbers are all tucked in and we are here hanging around our stoves for another bit of time. It's a challenge to get water, we are melting snow now, and it is chilly. Everyone is doing very, very, well. We came in looking strong and we're going to leave looking strong. (Lost call).
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Today was our first day climbing this huge mountain, up till now it's been a luxurious trek. We carried up a cache of food, fuel and a few personal items to our Camp One at 16,400'. The terrain is scree for as far as the eyes can see along an ancient glacial moraine, monotonous at times but beautiful in it's own right. The Team had been picking the brains of groups in camp about what to expect and once we were back all agreed that it was a tough day, then again the first day with heavy packs above 14,000' is always tough. We are all back in camp and will enjoy a good dinner followed by a rest day tomorrow. We'll keep our fingers crossed for clear skies and decreasing winds.
RMI Guide Mike King
Hi friends and family this is Walter Hailes from the summit of Orizaba. We had a really, really tough time this morning, but we have beautiful weather. We're standing on top, enjoying the sunshine, getting pictures, having a great day. We will call or send you an email as soon as you get back down to camp. We will talk to you soon and see everyone we love very soon. From the summit of Orizaba - will talk to you later. Bye.
RMI Guide Walter Hailes
RMI Guide Walter Hailes calls from the summit of Pico de Orizaba.
Hello everybody, this is Casey Grom checking in again from Kilimanjaro. We woke up to beautiful clear skies again today, which was very, very nice after a bit of rain and snow showers that we got last night. And, to be honest, that has kind of been the trend the last few nights. We've been able to get in to camp generally before any little clouds roll in and we've been getting some sprinkles and there were some snow in the evening, but we have been waking up to clear skies thankfully every morning. Today we left Karanga Camp which is about 13,200 feet or so and we hiked up to our High Camp, which is called Barafu and sits up at about 15,000 feet. Everybody did fantastic and again, we had super nice weather getting up here shortly after arriving at camp. same thing as the last couple nights, we had clouds roll in and start spitting a little moisture on this, but thankfully our gracious crew already had camp set up and lunch waiting on us so we able to pull in and stay dry and then fill our bellies full of good food up here. We took a little nap and then had dinner and then we also discussed the upcoming game plan for tonight's climb. Finally we're here and ready to do it. So everybody's all packed up squared away. They know what they got going on and what they're going to be wearing and bring with them tomorrow. The plan is going to be for us to wake up at 11 p.m.. It's a little busy up here so we're going to try to get out ahead of some some of the groups. So we're going to get up at 11. We're going to try and hit the trail about midnight or so after a small light breakfast with some porridge, and some maybe some fresh fruit and some toast and obviously plenty of coffee. Then we'll hopefully be walking uphill at midnight. If all goes well we should be at the summit somewhere between 6 and 8 hours. I'm guessing we'll be around 7 or so will be ideal and like the last trip. We can all get to get up there to bring the satellite phone and everyone's going to give a call to their loved ones back home, so if your following the blog and this makes it to the blog before we get to the summit, keep your phone handy again. We should be near this summit somewhere between 7 and 8 o'clock Tanzanian time. So if your phone rings, and you get a funny number, it's probably a satellite phone and someone is calling from the summit to say they miss you and wish that they had you there with them. Anyway, that's all for now time to get some sleep, and we'll check in hopefully from the summit and certainly when we make our way back down. Have a good night.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
RMI Guide Casey Grom checks in from High Camp on Kilimanjaro.
Congratulations to the team for the successful summit. A special congratulations to my amazing duo, my husband Stan and son Conrad. I’m beyond proud of you two both for your accomplishment and for your special bond. Good job guys. Keep going! Waiting anxiously for your stories and photos.
Love,
Elena
Posted by: Elena Golovac on 1/28/2018 at 4:30 am
I want to give a big shout-out to my amazing father Randy DeBoer! While most guys retire and take up golf, my pop casually decided to take up mountain climbing and hasn’t looked back since. He always has been and continues to be an inspiration to his family and friends. We love you dad! Can’t wait to hear all about your amazing trip.
Love,
Ty, CC and Margot
Posted by: Ty, CC and Margot on 1/27/2018 at 5:22 pm
Today we departed from the warm showers and soft beds of our Puebla hotel to rough it one last night up high. After a luxurious breakfast at our host Dr. Reyes’ re-purposed home (from an ancient soap factory) followed by a three-hour stomach-churning ride through local farms and a long windy road up to Pico de Orizaba National Park, we settled straight into our camp site for the night, sitting well above the clouds at 14,900ft. Everybody has been working well, setting up camp and prepping meals, but we’re also very grateful for the efforts and support of our local porters and guide, who have been fantastic resources and friends. Burritos and more laughter on the dinner menu, then an early bedtime for us in order to be fully charged to tackle our final objective tomorrow, the roof of Mexico, the Pico de Orizaba.
RMI Guide Jessie Poquerusse & the crew
The Team took advantage of a quiet camp last night and got some good rest and woke energized. We spent the day packing and sorting gear, eating pizza and laughing at funny stories. All in all a very casual day here at Plaza Argentina. Tomorrow the plan is to carry a load up to Camp 1 and then return to base camp. Thanks for the blog comments, the Team really appreciated hearing from family and friends!
RMI Guide Mike King
Hola Dawn! It looks so pretty and peaceful where you are! Wow you even get pizza and a shower! I hope you are enjoying every minute of this great adventure! ☻-☻ kim
Posted by: Kim on 1/27/2018 at 4:16 am
Steve- Looks beautiful and exciting so far! Wishing you continuing good weather and success as you continue on. Miss and love you.
Buenos Dias amigos!
Not a whole lot of news to report today. We rested at Camp 2 and went on a small hike around camp. Everyone is fine tuning their kit for our move to Camp 3 tomorrow. Today is our last chill day. Every day from here on out will be go go go till we are back in Mendoza enjoying warm showers. Next time you hear from us we will be getting ready for our summit push.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker and team
Ady Peterson
I summited Mt. Rainier a few years ago with RMI. I won’t lie to you: it is to date the HARDEST physical challenge I’ve ever taken on (even as a collegiate athlete, and a yoga, barre, and spin instructor). But, I can also tell you, it was COMPLETELY worth it.
And I can tell you what got me to the top: the right preparation.
First of all: STAIRS, stairs, and more stairs. Whether you find them at a local stadium, in your apartment building, or even the stair climber at the gym, stairs are a must (I lived in Seattle when I summited, but I’m in Texas now. I know that you might have to get creative depending on where). Put some weight in your pack (immediately) and just start climbing. You can increase the weight in your pack as you get stronger.
One thing that I wish I had known as I trained on all those stairs is the “Rest Step”. The Rest Step is exactly what it sounds like: you take a step, rest, take another step, rest. Over and over at a quick tempo-- rest, step, rest step, rest, step. If you’re not familiar, do a quick search on YouTube for “Rest Step Climb” for a visual. With just a little practice, you’ll have the Rest Step down—it’s a vital technique for conserving energy, and that’s what an endurance climb is really all about.
Which leads me to my next training tip: YOGA. Yoga helped me develop a greater awareness of my breath and lung capacity. When the air gets thin 14,000 feet up and you feel like your lungs are collapsing, you’ll be grateful for your practice breathing deeply and evenly. I was doing yoga about 3 times a week leading up to my climb, and I had very little trouble with altitude.
Speaking of altitude—that’s what breaks new climbers down the most. It shows up as shortness of breath (see above), but also as fatigue and nausea. For these last two, help yourself: pack REAL FOOD—ideally food that you LOVE, so that you’ll be willing to eat, even when you don’t want to (trust me, at times you WON’T want to).
All those goop packs you can get at REI are great, but they’re not meant for 2-4 day adventures. I’m gluten-free and vegan, so I packed dried fruit, trail mix, LARA bars (or homemade date balls! My favorite!), and pre-made quinoa. I also had some rice tortillas. Remember, this is mountain climbing, not a walk in the park—calories are your friends: get a good balance of sugar, carbs, and protein, however works for you. I’ve done quite a bit of hiking, so I had an idea of what go-to foods I’d want on the climb. If you don’t, I’d recommend taking some test-foods out with you on a few hikes or stair workouts, so you can see how your body reacts to certain foods or proportions in the middle of long workouts.
Stairs, Rest-stepping, breathing, and food prep. If you’ve been preparing with marathon runs and Olympic weightlifting, these training methods might sound like small things. But then…“It’s not the mountain ahead that wears you down, it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali
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Hi! I'm Adrianne. I've been an athlete my whole life, starting as a dancer at age seven. Eventually, I danced at the Olympics in Sydney 2000, but after juggling dance and soccer for years, I eventually chose to focus on soccer. Soccer got me a college scholarship, and I played for four years as I earned my degree. After college, I desperately sought to maintain my sports brain (and body) and soon I discovered yoga. Before I knew it, I'd completed three yoga teacher trainings--I've been teaching yoga since 2010! My love for teaching grew exponentially during this time, so I sought other ways to grow as an instructor. That's how I discovered FlyBarre--on the first class, I was HOOKED! I then began teaching Indoor Cycling at Flywheel in Austin and cannot imagine my life without a coaching aspect to it.
I summited Mt. Rainier in the midst of all of this and can honestly say it was the hardest thing I've ever done and my 3rd most accomplished (after the Olympics and soccer scholarship). I love the outdoors and anything to keep me out there is always forefront in my mind. I would love to help you on your journey to summit ANY mountain you have your sights on. You can follow me on Instagram @thirtyish_ and check out my blog thirty-ish.com.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
I’m glad somebody finally realized that actual stairs need to be done, not just walking on a Stairmaster since it doesn’t reproduce the motion of lifting one’s whole body against the gravity exerted by Earth, just the legs. But while I’m on legs, think of adding ankle weights to this workout to simulate the weight of boots/socks/gaiters/crampons/whatever else you’ll have on your feet.
Posted by: Jim Pasterczyk on 3/4/2019 at 10:00 pm
Thanks for these comments from the two re: climbing Mt. Rainier!! I have done hot yoga for a few years, awesome to hear it will be helpful :-) It helps and enhances EVERYTHING; so…great news re: that. I do have a question re: Ady saying “throw weight in your pack now”. I am JUST getting started on working on my leg and back muscles to strengthen them…I have questions re: do I go rent/buy a pack now (was planning on renting one for the hike), or? I have heard another good way to train is a weighted vest…Anyway..a little feedback re: the rationale of throwing weight in a day pack now…I don’t think it would be distributed evenly, etc. I have NEVER backpacked; and honestly carry any weight when bike riding on paniers/ NOT on my back if I can help it..thanks!
Posted by: Shelby Schneider on 10/1/2018 at 5:14 pm
Congratulations to the team on a successful summit!
Posted by: Bob & Dottie on 1/28/2018 at 10:42 am
Wishing you all strength and great conditions on your trek toward the summit!
Posted by: Diane O'Connor on 1/28/2018 at 7:23 am
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