Hello again everyone.
We had a early departure from the Dik Dik Lodge and drove east for about two hours to reach Kilimanjaro National Park. Our drive took us through the rural country side of Tanzania which is full of banana and coffee plantations, markets and plenty of people headed between home and the local water well. It was very surreal to see so many folks who depend on these wells for their water, especially watching them walking with 5 gallon jugs carefully balanced on their heads.
Once at the gate we took a short break to sign in and allow our team to arrange all the loads and hire all of our porters for the seven-day climb. Our team started with 11 climbers and quickly grew as we acquired all the support of cooks, waiters, camp crew and porters and we ended up at a total of 68!
Just before 11 a.m. we set off on the trail that ascended through the forest and slowly climbed all the way up to just shy of 10,000'. It took the team a little over four hours to reach our camp and everyone did fantastic and enjoyed the hike.
The team just finished dinner and are all comfortably resting in our warm sleeping bags- thanks to the hot water bottles our gracious crew prepared for us.
Not quite roughing it yet!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Hi Chris and Jess,
Love following the climb and your progress ... I can only imagine how awesome it must be. Everything is looking up for you guys ): , haha. Enjoy, stay safe and I look forward to seeing the photos!
Love you guys,
Lorraine
Posted by: lorraine bocci on 8/22/2013 at 7:16 am
Chris - Jess sending extra energy your way—the next 9,000 feet is a breeze…enjoy… you two rock.
The Four Day Summit Climb August 17 - 20 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier just after 7 am PT this morning. RMI Guide Brent Okita led the team. Brent reported a gorgeous day with clear skies and light winds averaging 15 mph. The teams will spend some time on the summit before beginning their descent to Camp Muir. After a short rest, the teams will continue to Paradise later this afternoon.
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Eric Frank reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning shortly before 8 am PT. The team will spend time enjoying the views and then return to their high camp for their final night on the mountain.
Congratulations to today's summit climbers!
Hello everyone and welcome to RMI Expeditions' fourth Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari of the 2013 summer! The whole team arrived last night after some very long flights and have been comfortably resting here in Africa just outside of Arusha, Tanzania in the wonderful Dik Dik Hotel.
After catching up on some much needed sleep we started the day with a nice breakfast of fresh juices, fruits, eggs and delicious bread while watching the local monkeys play in the yard. We then had our official team meeting where we had a round of introductions and discussed the intricacies of our upcoming climb. We spent the remainder of the afternoon packing and enjoy the beautiful grounds of our hotel. We wrapped up the night with an amazing five-course meal that finished with everyone favorite: bananas and chocolate ice cream!
Everyone is doing great and we are all very excited about the adventure that lies ahead.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and Crew
Jess… Forget Poppy’s idea about bringing the monkey home for Shorty. Look who’s left with Shorty now. I can see it being the three of us next year when your climbing again. I don’t think so ! Give mom my love and lighten her load for her. Tread on.
Tom
Posted by: Tom on 8/21/2013 at 9:20 am
Chris. And Jess- what an awesome experience!! Thinking about you every day. What a way to celebrate a Birthday! Love you both
MB
Hi there, this is Seth wrapping up a month in Africa. Most of my recent team has flown out of the Kilimanjaro area, with some folks headed home and others to Zanzibar. A few hardy souls headed back into the wilderness early this morning to join some bushmen on a hunt.
As for myself, I spent the day handing the reins here over to my buddy and fellow RMI Guide, Casey Grom. He's just beginning back-to-back Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari adventures like I just did.
Everything is running great with our local team from the Dik Dik Hotel. I'm a little sad to leave them but other adventures await. I'm headed straight to Moscow to meet a new team. We'll be tackling the north side of Mt. Elbrus and that should be a grand adventure!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
I bumped into Solveig on the way up to Muir on Saturday. She was her usual smiley self in a lime green puffy and pink vest. Couldn’t miss her!!! She told me you were off to Elbrus. Lucky you! One of these days I’ll get myself on a travel adventure with RMI and hope you are the guide! Hope to catch up when you sit still long enough. Cheers, Jo
Posted by: Josephine on 8/20/2013 at 4:17 pm
Seth, thank you for your daily updates. I know Mark Miller had a great time and what an experience for you all. Thanks to RMI for their help in us that could not to. Cornelia Miller
Posted by: Cornelia Miller on 8/19/2013 at 11:29 am
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer braved the winds to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. After a short rest on the summit, the team began their descent shortly before 8 am. They will return to Camp Muir to refuel before descending to Paradise later today. We look forward to their arrival in Ashford this afternoon.
Congratulations climbers!
RMI Guide Eric Frank and the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons continue to spend their days training. Today the team moves from their camp on the Inter Glacier to Camp Schurman in preparation for their summit attempt.
Flexibility and stretching is often overlooked in mountaineering training and climbing. Keeping your muscles loose and relaxed is more efficient: relaxed muscles help you perform better, recover more quickly, and make climbing for multiple days easier. Dedicated stretching may also help you avoid overuse injuries from the volume necessitated by mountaineering training and climbing.
Lower Body
The movement in mountaineering and training can be particularly linear, especially on long approaches to climbs where we hike for several hours with little lateral movements. Stretch the main quadricep, hamstring, and calf muscles, but try to also stretch the smaller muscles, especially in the hips, to keep the joints relaxed from that repetitive motion. Be aware of your footwork during your training and when you are climbing in order to climb efficiently and not strain those small stabilizer muscles.
Upper Body
Although a properly fitted pack shouldn't carry too heavily on the shoulders, your upper body will likely still feel the burden. Aim to keep the shoulders, back, and core muscles loose and limber. Keep in mind that tightness in the upper body often can be the result of poor climbing technique as climbers stoop or hunch their shoulders to focus attention on foot placements while climbing. In addition to compressing the chest and inhibiting full breaths, this can put unnecessary strain and on the shoulders and back. Focusing on an upright, balanced, and efficient climbing technique can help avoid tension in the upper body.
"The Home Stretch", outlined by John Colver of Adventx, outlines a good series of stretches for mountaineering to add to your standard training routine. If you have a particular area of concern, work with a physical therapist or personal trainer to help you find the best stretches to relax those areas.
Remember that developing a good stretching routine doesn't begin and end before the climb. It is easy to let go of those routines once in the mountains, right when your body needs it the most! During your training find the stretches that work to relax your muscles and keep doing them during the climb. By loosening your muscles you will recover more quickly, sleep more comfortably, and climb better the following day!
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
The Sahale Mountain - Quien Sabe Glacier climb led by RMI Guide Geoff Schellens was unable to summit yesterday due to a combination of poor route conditions and poor weather. The team spent last night at their camp in Boston Basin and are hiking back to the trailhead this morning.
The Mt. Shuksan - Fisher Chimneys team led by Mike Walter was also unable to summit. Mike reported wet, foggy conditions on the Fisher Chimneys route. The team team spent last night at their camp on the White Salmon Glacier and are making the four mile hike back to the trailhead this morning.
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall and the Five Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide JJ Justman reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Solveig and JJ both reported moderate, gusty winds; clear skies; and warm temperatures. The teams began their descent back to Camp Muir around 8:30 am. The Five Day Summit Climb will return to Camp Muir for their final night on the mountain while the Four Day Summit Climb will rest and refuel before descending to Paradise. We look forward to greeting the Four Day Summit Climb team in Ashford later today.
Congratulations to today’s climbs!
Our Four Day Summit Climb teams failed to reach the summit this morning due to a team member falling ill and needing assistance. The teams reached 12,300’, the top of Disappointment Cleaver, before they needed to turn around. Everyone is now descending back to Camp Muir and we expect their arrival at Ashford Base Camp around 4:00pm.
Hello -
We are checking in on our penultimate day. We're in Tarangire National Park also known as the garden of the elephants. It's been a great day and we've been fortunate to have gotten close to many large animals. Tonight we'll be having our last dinner together before we all start heading home.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hi Chris and Jess,
Love following the climb and your progress ... I can only imagine how awesome it must be. Everything is looking up for you guys ): , haha. Enjoy, stay safe and I look forward to seeing the photos!
Love you guys,
Lorraine
Posted by: lorraine bocci on 8/22/2013 at 7:16 am
Chris - Jess sending extra energy your way—the next 9,000 feet is a breeze…enjoy… you two rock.
Posted by: Bocci clan on 8/21/2013 at 10:13 am
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