Our Mt. Shuksan team checked in with us last night. They were at camp eating dinner and all is well. The team will train today and start their alpine start to the summit in the early morning.
Here are some photos of the view from their camp.
RMI Guide Steve Gately
Packing for Safari is far easier than packing for a climb. Getting up and getting on the road from our hotel was a low stress enterprise... we headed west at 8:30, squeezing between Arusha and Mt. Meru. Most of our 3 hour drive was through fairly dry and dusty cattle habitat. As we neared Lake Manyara National Park, the change in climate was dramatic, with water easy to find and lush vegetation everywhere. Animals like that sort of thing, as we discovered. Immediately within the park we saw baboons and monkeys aplenty. Before long we'd graduated to elephants -up close and personal, so that one could hear their big ears swishing back and forth in the air. Manyara is known for harboring tree-climbing lions, but when we got to see the king of the jungle, he was lounging and in no mood for trees. There were hippos and thousands of exotic birds enjoying the shoreline and bordering marshes of the Great Lake. Toward the end of the afternoon we encountered warthogs among the zebra and cape buffaloes. Lake Manyara was a fine primer for tuning up our game sighting reflexes. From the park exit, it just took 40 minutes to drive out of the great rift and into the highlands, where we found the beautiful and luxurious plantation lodge. We unwound and refueled in immaculately clean and comfortable buildings set in a lush garden. We'll strike out bright and early tomorrow for Ngorongoro Crater.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Jambo from the Arumeru River Lodge. Our last night on the mountain was just what the doctor ordered. Good sleep and plenty of it -at a reasonable altitude. We woke to clear skies and ate breakfast in a forest of giant heather. Afterward, our entire mountain staff regaled us with singing, impressed us with dancing and caught us up in their laughter. We thanked them for their friendship and hard work, shook hands and hit the trail. We descended 4,000 feet down a sometimes slippery trail through the forest. The weather stayed fine and dry, which is not always the case in a rain forest, obviously, but luck was with us (yet again). By midday we'd reached the Mweka Gate and we exited the National Park. Our staff treated us to one final excellent "picnic" lunch before we hit the Tanzanian highways back to Usa River and our lodge. After a week in the mountains, a few of our team expressed the need for showers and so we delayed our celebration dinner to accommodate cleanliness. With a little repacking, reorganizing and relaxing, we're now poised and ready for safari.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Solveig Waterfall reached the summit of Mt. Rainier and are now on the descent. Brent reported clear and beautiful skies with winds of about 25 mph.
Congratulations today's team!
This is Mike checking for the last time. The Team finished the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu today and we're fortunate to see the sunrise over the Citadel from the Sun Gate.
It is always a bit of a culture shock when you have spent 5 days hiking in the remoteness of the Andes and arrive at Machu Picchu where some 3000 people visit each day. Today was a light traffic day and we enjoyed a 2 hour tour of the highlights. The scale and shear amount of earth moved leaves people speechless.
The Team is currently at the hotel and enjoying some rest after a hot shower. They will have tomorrow morning to visit the site before we catch our train back to Cusco via the Urambamba River valley and high plateaus. Our trip will culminate with 1 last day seeing some more Incan sites around Cusco. Thanks for following along and RMI's next Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is July 2018, come join us!
Hey! Dave Hahn & Team calling from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro! We are at Uhuru 19,340'. We got up here at 6:49 in the morning, nine of our ten climbers. Everybody is doing really well, everybody is happy and healthy. It is an absolutely beautiful morning. It is way clear above us, and it's way clear down below to about 4,000' and then there's a sea of clouds below us. It is a really great day up here. We're going to do a dispatch when we are back to our camps to let you know we are all safe. Bye now!
Sunday, September 10th 10:57am PST
Greetings from Mweka Camp, down at 10,000 ft, down in the forest, down from the summit of Kilimanjaro.
We got walking out of high camp at just after midnight on a perfect night for climbing. It was clear, calm, moonlit and sparkling with stars. As expected, things got progressively colder as we got farther up the hill and into the night/morning. We kept adding clothing and tried our best to keep moving. Eventually, a good chunk of the team had "everything" on and the sun was still hours away. We might have stressed over the cold, but the altitude was kicking in with new stresses with every step higher. The entire team surpassed previous personal altitude records today, so it was very much a voyage of discovery. We hit Stella Point on the crater rim just before 6 AM and caught a magnificent sunrise when we were part way to Uhuru -the true summit. We tagged the top at 6:45, spent a glorious 30 minutes up there... surprised to be in perfectly comfortable temps already. The descent to Barafu took three hours, and we commenced our further descent to Mweka at 12:15, reaching this delightfully low camp at 3:45. All are safe.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calling in from summit of Kilimanjaro.
Curt, Syd and Carol, Congratulations! What an accomplishment! Cannot wait to hear the stories! Travel down safe, and revel in your amazing journey…
Posted by: Judy Gadlage on 9/11/2017 at 6:05 am
Congratulations to the entire team! What an awesome accomplishment! Curt, I shared your journey with your classmates from RBHS at last night’s reunion. We’re all incredibly proud of you!
Posted by: Marilyn Blunier Ott on 9/10/2017 at 10:04 pm
The Four Day Summit Climb Team led by RMI Guides Pete VanDeventer and Andy Bond reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Pete reported winds of about 40 mph, but clear skies as they climbed above the marine layer. The team has started their descent and are en-route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team!
We are at WinayWayna 8,700' for the night. Today the Team enjoyed some spectacular views of the high glaciated Andes juxtaposed against the semi-tropical orchids and song birds.
Our campsite is located near an incredible Incan ruin that has a series of 10 fountains and more terracing. The Team has been in awe of the manpower and resources needed to build let alone maintain this network of trails and sites that stretch from Ecuador to Northern Argentina.
Tomorrow morning we will get an early start in hopes of catching the sunrise as we walk into Machu Picchu.
RMI Guide Mike King
We began and ended the day far above a sea of clouds. But of course, our end to the day was farther still above the clouds, since we are now at 15,200 ft. High Camp. Last night's camp -Karanga- was kind to us. It was calm and quiet through the night and into our 8 AM breakfast. We were on the road to Barafu -the "Ice" camp, before nine and into our new digs by about noon. There were no longer any pretty plants to linger over as we've entered the Alpine zone. We concentrated on the steady walking and breathing techniques that we'll employ tomorrow. The afternoon was spent in strategizing our summit bid and streamlining our packs. We rested and ate and ate some more before turning in early. Most could not resist staying up for the sunset though as the big ball of fire sank into clouds between Mt. Meru in the distance and Kibo up close. We are ready for an early start and a big day tomorrow.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Don and Jennifer, it’s been so great to follow along on your incredible adventure. You are both rock stars.
Posted by: Tina Mooney on 9/9/2017 at 7:42 pm
I am so proud to call Naomi my Friend and Sista. I’m so excited for you. The pictures and blog have been amazing and inspirational (emotional). Fair Winds, TeamKili. Keep your minds in the trail and all will be well. The Celebration is already starting for your great success. Cheers & Hugs
The Four Day Summit Climb September 6 - 9 teams led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Robby Young reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The guides reported winds along the crater rim but calm conditions for the lower elevations. The teams starter their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 am en route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb Teams!
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Curt, I can only imagine the photographs you will get on this leg of the trip. Don’t hold back!
Posted by: Judy Gadlage on 9/13/2017 at 6:03 am
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