Today we woke to African birds singing in the trees and dik diks and monkeys roaming the garden-like grounds of our hotel. We got down to the business of preparing for tomorrow’s departure. But it was a leisurely business, to be sure. A morning meeting gave us the chance to get to know one another and to understand how we’ll tackle a 19,340 ft mountain together. A round of gear checks followed and the team then got into packing, sorting and organizing. We checked the weight of our bags after lunch and a bit of free time followed. Kilimanjaro broke through the clouds in early afternoon and many of the team climbed the observation tower on the hotel grounds to get a view. Some walked into the nearby village of Usa River to stretch their legs and some napped away the jet lag. We gathered for a fine dinner together and laughed through a few shared stories and misadventures. We’ve got the morning planned out -departure at eight, Kilimanjaro awaits. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

The trip has just begun, but we’re already declaring success! Each and every climber -and that would be eleven of us- made it from the far flung corners of the United States of America to the outskirts of Arusha, in the heart of Tanzania, without missing a flight or losing any luggage. A fair percentage of the team goes by the name Mike, or Robert or Dave -which made introductions pretty easy. Since all are sleepy after such extensive travel, we haven’t gone much beyond introductions yet. Tomorrow we’ll get to the nuts and bolts of prepping to climb Kilimanjaro. Tonight it was all about getting settled at the Arumeru River Lodge and getting some rest. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn