Happy Valentine's Day from Machame camp. When we woke up this morning, it was sunny and warm and the perfect day to start our climb. After a quick breakfast, we loaded up in the vehicle and drove to the park gate, about an 1 1/2 drive from our hotel. With our park registration complete and the porter loads weigh, we were all more than ready to start walking. With not a cloud in the sky, shorts and t-shirts were all that were needed today. As soon as we started on the trail, we began a steady climb up through the forest zone, the most dense section of forest on the mountain. After we climbed several thousand feet, the forest started to thin and the flanks of Kilimanjaro came into full view. A short stretch later, we were walking into our first night's camp at 10,000. With our tents already set up and a snack waiting for us, it was a nice ending to our first day on the trail. The team did great today on the hike and everybody is feeling strong and healthy. Tomorrow we will be checking in from Shira Camp. Team Sima Sita

On The Map

Greetings from Arusha Tanzania, Our adventure has begun! The team arrived last night at Kilimanjaro International Airport and we headed directly to the Dik Dik Hotel. It's a welcome relief to go from our long flights to a delicious meal and a soft bed. No early risers in this crew, so it was a nice relaxing start to our day. After breakfast we started talking about the details of the days ahead and to sort through our gear to get ready for our departure. With our gear packed and weighed, we took a nice walk down to a nearby town to stretch our legs and to check out the area. Tomorrow we have an early departure for the Machame Gate where we will begin our trek. With our travel days behind us, it is time to start walking! We'll check in tomorrow from the mountain. Till then .... RMI Guide Jeff Martin and The Simba Sita (The Simba Six)