Entries from Kilimanjaro
Hello,
This is RMI Guide Mark Tucker checking in from the Karanga camp on Kilimanjaro, situated at about 13,160', or 4011 meters above sea level. We are looking so good. Having a gas - wish you guys were here. We have the most amazing night out. The moon is getting fuller and brighter as we speak. We are poised for our next push to the Barafu Camp tomorrow which will be our high camp. Things worked out very well today, we timed our selves perfectly for the ascent of the Barranco Wall, which is right out of camp, some step traverses, some ledges and face, several rock bands. Just really fun climbing. Everybody did great and we took some really nice hero photos. Then we did a traverse, only a couple miles today, and into this camp. And we're on the impressive south side of Kilimanjaro with the Diamond, Heim, Kersten, Decken Glaciers hanging right above us. It's quite a sight. So, the weather is holding and everyone on the team is healthy. They are definitely keeping our kitchen staff busy keeping those pots filled. No loss of appetite for this crew. We are doing so well in and we are psyched up. We had a bit of a summit talk today, passing along some information going over some tactics that will be useful in the near future. So all is well, and we will check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker calls in from Karanga Camp, 13,160 ft, on Mt. Kilimanjaro
On The Map
RMI Guide Mark Tucker checking in from Camp 3 Barranco camp on Kilimanjaro. Yet another beautiful day of hiking and climbing for the group, lucky, lucky, us. We are at about 12,800 feet now. We did get up to almost 15,000 feet today and broke a lot of people's altitude records. Everyone did just fine. We are staring up at the Barranco Wall which we will tackle in the morning. It's actually a very fun part of the climb, a little bit of scrambling. For tactical beat we are going to drag our feet a little bit in the morning. There are a few other teams up here so we will let them get a head start and hopefully have the wall pretty much to ourselves which will be great photos and just a bit more fun. It will be a little bit of a shorter day tomorrow getting to our next camp. Some of the folks on a six day climb will push all the way to high camp tomorrow. But we'll go ahead and split that into two days. It really helps out for the success ahead. So, its a beautiful night outside. I am staring up at the glaciers, what's left of them - they have been dwindling, but who knows that could change. I can't ask for a better group of folks, we are having a fun time and everyone is just doing really well. So fingers crossed, couple of more days of this and we will be heading for the summit. Can't wait.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker checks in from Barranco Camp at 12,800 ft on Kilimanjaro,
On The Map
Mark Tucker checking in from Camp 2, the Shira Plateau, about 12,200 feet. We had a nice breakfast and a leisurely pace. A bit of an ascent from our Machame Camp. But a step at a time, a break at a time, and a traverse through a very mystical-kind of environment in and out of some riverbeds. A pretty enchanting walk and everybody's doing very well. I'm very pleased with the performance of the team. We're all happy and healthy. We just finished a fabulous 3-course meal and people are crawling into the tents. We're having this moon interrupt a little bit of our star gazing. It's a little bright because no clouds, clear skies. There was a bit of marine layer type sea of muck below us, but not a cloud in the sky today, perfect conditions. A little bit dusty on the trail but a little handkerchief over the nose at times worked out just fine. We're having a gas. One of our team members, Alberto, wanted do a shout out to his Pops. So, "Hey to you." He's having a good time doing really well. It will be another 6:30 up, and hopefully breakfast at 7:15, hitting the trail by around 8:00. Great day tomorrow, break some altitude records. We are hoping to go just over 15,000 feet and then back down to 12,800' for the night. Very great opportunity for acclimatization. Climb high, sleep low. It is just setting us up for success. So all is well. We'll check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker checking in from Shira Camp.
On The Map
Mark Tucker calling from camp number one on Kilimanjaro, Machame Camp, about 10,000 feet. What a great day. Got out of our low lands, slick-slick. Team was already, packed, started our hike at the gate under perfect conditions. A little bit overcast, kind of cool in the canopy of the lower flanks of Kilimanjaro. What a group. So thrilled with performances today. Everybody did fantastic. And right towards the end of the hike coming into camp, the mountain started to show the upper reaches. That just thrilled one and all and gave us that last little boost to come into camp. Bit chilly right now. It's 9 or 10 in the evening and we're all bedded down after real nice meal. Everybody's got a good appetite. I have quite the international crew: three Norwegians, a Puerto Rican, a guy from Mexico and a few US on the team. Really fun getting to know them; we are all having a gas and will check in tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker calls in from Machame Camp.
On The Map
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
The team, as well as our luggage, is here at the Dik Dik Hotel. We caught up on some jet lag with one member saying, "Best sleep ever." After a nice breakfast, we had an orientation meeting then went straight into equipment checks. So important to take the time to start a climb with what you need for any mountain. The team came well prepared as very little was missing.
Once the team was organized for the climb, we had time to check out the local sights. Some of the team made a trip to Arusha, a nearby city, while others hiked around our neighborhood visiting shops, schools and an orphanage. We are all doing well and looking forward to the start of the climb tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today we visited Tarangire National Park, home to more elephants per square mile than any place on earth. No luck with the leopard or cheetah today, but we did see plenty of lions and elephants. We even managed to rescue another party who got their 4x4 stuck in the river. We'll finish the trip off with one last night here in Africa listening to the sounds of nature in a tented camp that sits along the Tarangire River. The last three days have been a great way to relax after all the effort to climb Kili and everyone has had a great time. Tomorrow we'll head back to Arusha and catch our long flights home.
Thanks for following!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today the team visited the famous 2 million year old Ngorongoro Crater. A steep walled caldera that is home to The Big 5. We only saw 4 today and are hoping to see the last (leopard) tomorrow. It's quite surreal riding around in our Toyota Land Cruisers looking at all these beautiful animals in their natural habitat.
On the way back to our lodge we stopped off at a working Maasai village to take a look at their semi-nomadic lifestyle.
Everyone is having a great time!
RMI Guide Casey Grom
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Our first day on safari brought us to Lake Manyara. A small national park that borders Lake Manyara known for its tree climbing lions. The team spent about four hours driving around the park and saw an abundant amount of wildlife. Elephants (so close at time we could almost touch them), giraffe, zebra, hippos, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, hundreds of baboons and lots of other monkeys. Everyone had a great day and enjoyed just relaxing while taking in the views.
To top the day off we arrived at our home for the next two days at an amazing lodge called Ngorogoro Lodge.
The team just finished a wonderful meal and are off to bed.
Enjoying the icing on the cake, so to speak!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and Crew
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Freshly showered and doing well! Our team is safely off the mountain and enjoying a celebration dinner back at the Dik Dik Hotel.
Safari starts tomorrow.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
As planned we were up early and started climbing just before 1 a.m. The weather was clear, calm and not too chilly. Surprisingly we were one of the last groups out of camp this morning and thankfully had little traffic issues on the ascent. The weather stayed nice all morning and it was just a little breezy on top. After a long 8 hours of climbing uphill we had the entire group on the summit of Kilimanjaro. We only spent about 20 minutes on top before heading back to high camp. Where we spent about an hour eating, drinking, and getting things packed up and have all safely descended down to our last camp of the climb.
Tomorrow is hot showers and clean clothes, then we're off to safari!
RMI Guide Casey Grom
On The Map
Maria and Peter - way to go!!! Envious and very proud. Enjoy (a much deserved) glass of wine or three xxx Jane
Posted by: Jane on 2/18/2013 at 8:42 pm
Maria & Peter - FAB well done you amazing nutters….enjoy a little luxury when you decend love and hugs H xx
Posted by: Helen on 2/18/2013 at 10:53 am
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What a relaxing way to go on safari. No walking, no carrying a heavy gun but instead just sitting in a vehicle and gazing at all the wildlife. That’s for me!
Welcome home on Feb. 23rd, safe and healthy.
Posted by: Gerri Seaton on 2/20/2013 at 10:06 am
Larry and crew
Congratulations! So good to hear that you had a wonderful adventure and are doing well. Great to hear you are all safe! Have fun on the safari!!! I hope your traveling and flight home goes well.
Fred
Posted by: Fred Klingbeil on 2/19/2013 at 7:43 am
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