RMI Expeditions Blog
The climb is underway. We were up early today, carrying bags and packs to the magic bus/truck for the ride to Kilimanjaro. We enjoyed a last comfortable breakfast at the Dik Dik Hotel and said our goodbyes to the staff there as we climbed on board the great expedition vehicle. We were on the road just after 7 AM and at our destination, the
Machame Gate to Kilimanjaro National Park by around 9 AM. Our expedition staff sorted loads and hired porters as we snacked, drank water and shooed monkeys from our staging area. Our climb began around 10:15 as we set out through the forest at nearly 6000 ft above sea level. Gaining 4000 feet over the course of about five and a half hours, we were encouraged to be on dry ground and good trail. There was significant cloud cover, but no rain until we'd very nearly reached Machame Camp at 9890 ft. Even then we only had a few minutes of sprinkles as we moved into our tents. An afternoon snack and a delicious dinner in our dining tent took us to darkness and the end of a fine first day. We were all happy to be finally walking in a pretty place after so many less than fun days of packing, traveling and preparing.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide
Dave Hahn & Team
The
Four Day Summit Climb led by
RMI Guides Mike Walter and Pete Van Deventer turned at Disappointment Cleaver due to fresh snow on the route with high avalanche conditions. The teams have left Camp Muir and are en route to Paradise.
Our
Kilimanjaro climbing team has come together at the Dik Dik Hotel on the outskirts of Arusha, Tanzania. The team actually assembled 24 hours ago, but it took until today for the guide to catch up and join the party. Couldn't get my rickety old 747 to start for the hop across the Atlantic. The team, in the drowsy grip of jet lag and the tranquility of the Dik Dik gardens, barely noticed my absence. Today was a day of rest and recovery... and of preparation for a great adventure. Eleven of us introduced ourselves and began the fun "work" of building a climbing team. We went through the various details of packing and getting organized for a journey through multiple climatic zones and a hoped for shot at the 19,340 ft high point of Africa. With just a few wonderful meals together, we're well on our way to being spoiled by the kitchen and dining staff at the Hotel. Our intention is to break away from all of this luxury in the morning...To get on the road by 7 AM, with the hope of being walking a few hours later. It will be great to replace the images of crowded airports and long security lines with visions of paths in lush forests and glimpses of distant snow-capped peaks.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide
Dave Hahn & Team
RMI Guides Casey Grom and Leon Davis along with their
Four Day Summit Climbs remained at Camp Muir overnight due to high winds. The teams were unable to make a summit attempt and will start their descent from Camp Muir later this morning. We look forward to seeing the teams at BaseCamp later today.
9:00 am PST
Guide Casey Grom checked in with the RMI office. With a bit of a break in the weather the team was going to take a walk on the upper mountain and plan to depart Camp Muir at around 11:30 am today.
The
Four Day Summit Climb teams led by
RMI Guides Jake Beren and Mike King turned around at Camp Comfort on Mt. Rainier this morning. While climbing, the teams encountered moderate winds and knee to thigh deep snow. We look forward to greeting the climbers in Ashford this afternoon.
RMI Guides Brent Okita and Zeb Blais lead their
Four Day Summit Climb teams to approximately 11,400 on the Disappointment Cleaver route before turning around due to avalanche danger higher on the route.
The teams returned to Camp Muir and will begin their descent to Paradise this morning. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later today.
Poor visibility, high winds and heavy precipitation forced the
Five Day Summit Climb led by
Lindsay Mann to stay at Camp Muir last night and they were unable to make a summit attempt. Camp Muir received about 6 – 8 inches of new snow. Lindsay and team will be packing up and starting their descent back to Paradise shortly. We expect the team to arrive back at Basecamp in the early afternoon.
The
Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide
Pete Van Deventer reached the top of Cathedral Gap last night before having to turn back due to high winds of about 60 mph. The team is safely back at Camp Muir. They will wait for a bit of a break in the weather before starting their descent. We expect the team back at Rainier Basecamp in the early afternoon.
The
Four Day Summit Climb teams led by
RMI Guides Mike Walter and Mike King were unable to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier today. Last night the teams left from Camp Muir but decided to turn back at Cathedral Gap due to high winds. The teams returned to Camp Muir and will begin their descent to Paradise around 8:30 am
Our
Four Day Summit Climbs led by
Nick Hunt and
Ben Liken reached the top of Mt. Rainier this morning at around 7:06 am. RMI Guide Ben Liken reported sunny skies and light to moderate winds. The team will spend some time on the summit before starting their descent.
Congratulations to today's teams!
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Kate and Erwin: the pictures are already amazing. Texts came through from Bill. All the family send love and are checking the blog daily. All the best to the entire group! Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth on 9/5/2015 at 7:17 am
What an amazing journey both physically as well as spiritually! Safe travels to you all!
Posted by: Kelly Smith on 9/4/2015 at 9:31 am
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