Entries from Kilimanjaro
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello from Seth and the Kilimanjaro crew.
We are on the trail heading to the Shira Plateau. Today we got our first view of the mountain since we've been in Africa. The 'Snows of Kilimanjaro' are are fully in view. Everyone is enjoying meeting folks from all over the world while we're hiking. We'll check in tomorrow when we are on the way to Barranco Camp.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
On The Map
Jambo! This is the Kilimanjaro team checking in from 9,800' on Kilimanjaro. Today we completed our first day on the mountain and arrived at the Machame Camp in good style. It was a great day for walking with overcast skies which kept the temperature very comfortable. The trail was a bit muddy for a bit today but our camp is nice and dry. We're hanging out in our kitchen tent now having popcorn and tea. After that we'll have dinner and then it will be time to crawl into our tents for our first night on the mountain.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hi, this is Seth with a quick check-in from Arusha, Tanzania. All is well here at the Dik Dik Hotel. Everyone is getting ready to embark on our journey tomorrow. Today we had a great breakfast under mostly cloudy skies. Everyone had a great time getting to know each other and the group is meshing nicely. After reviewing the trip itinerary we moved on to a gear check and a talk about how to pack for the mountain. Those activities took up most of the morning. After lunch we took a ride into downtown Arusha where we visited the local market as well as the 'Cultural Heritage Center' curio shop. The clouds cleared off in the afternoon and the temps warmed up considerably. We are all psyched up to start the trek tomorrow and are looking forward to a great climb on Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Jambo!
Thought you might like to know that the Canucks have just nailed Tonga 25-20 in the rugby world cup competition. Cool aye?!
Hope you’re all well..
From the Kiwi
Posted by: Kristine on 9/14/2011 at 2:02 am
Sending Craig and team all the best from family and friends! Hope you are all enjoying the climb, can’t wait to hear more on the next blog.
Posted by: Glenn on 9/13/2011 at 7:51 pm
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello from Tanzania! This is Seth along with the Kilimanjaro Team. Everyone has arrived on schedule and we have just enjoyed our first evening at the Dik Dik Hotel. The hotel staff is really great and the food they serve here is top notch, which was very welcoming after our long travels.
Tomorrow we will take the first step towards the mountain by prepping our gear and packing. After that we all plan to head into the city of Arusha to experience the market there. We'll check in again tomorrow.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
good luck guys, we will be thinking of you all week
Posted by: catherine on 9/12/2011 at 4:51 am
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello this is RMI Guide Mark Tucker checking in from the Dik Dik Hotel in Tanzania. We completed our safari today after an exciting night at the Kikoti Camp. There were elephants just outside our doors last night and literally brushing up against the tent. We returned to the Dik Dik to collect all of luggage, rest and relax. We had another great meal here before being transferred to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for our out bound flights.
Thanks to all of our team members for a great adventure. We hope to you all another time!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker checks in as the trip comes to an end.
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Jambo!
Today we visited the Ngorongoro Crater. It was a bit cloudy and cool on the way in this morning so we visited with the friendly Maasai Village for dancing and shopping. The hut life may not be for everyone but it is their way of life and they have adapted just fine. Visiting the village is a nice option to pick up some handmade trinkets and support the local economy, then down in the crater we went. Still a bit cool so we were all glad to have brought some of our fine First Ascent warm gear to make the safari vehicle ride more comfortable. The cats and rhino tried to hide but our pro spotter-of-a-driver was able to point out these magnificent animals. We were in awe of all the types of animals that lingered around the beautiful forest of huge Acacia trees. Luckily we spotted some lions just before we left the park entrance just beyond the crater.
The team is doing well and looking forward to our five-course dinner at the luxury Plantation Lodge.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
This group of climbers sure knows how to adapt to safari life.
After breakfast we set good bye to our home-bound teammates and jumped in our vehicle for the plains of Africa. We made a quick stop in the town of Arusha to fill our cool with refreshing beverages and then headed out of town. We arrived at Lake Manyara, our first of three National Wildlife Parks that we will be visiting while on safari. Lake Manyara National Park is not the largest park around but it is easy to get to and has a great number of wildlife. Personally, it is one of my favorite places as it is home to the Strangler Fig tree. Right as you enter the park these amazing trees are all over the place, and are homes for groups of monkey and baboon. When mature the pure size and color of the trees are amazing with huge fluted trunks to boot. We had a picnic lunch in the middle of the bush surrounded by nature and otherwise all to our selves. A few tosses of the frisbe for a little exercise and back to work looking for animals to fall prey to our camera lens. Elephants, zebra, Wart hog, giraffe, Rock Hyrex, Dik Dik, Impala, Water buck, Cape Buffalo, Hippo, Vervet Monkey and loads of birds under clear skies in the afternoon.
When we had taken lots of pictures and explored most of the park we headed off to the Plantation Lodge. We will spend the next two nights at the beautiful hotel near the Ngorongoro Crater. Tomorrow we will head down to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater looking for cats and rhino, and other animals that might cross our path. After a climb of Kilimanjaro this is the life!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Posted by: Mark Tucker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Jambo from the Dik Dik Hotel,
From our last camp on Kilimanjaro we could see the upper mountain in the moon light. It always seems crazy that we were way up there just hours earlier. Probably only about five miles as a crow files but it seemed like a million after our long day.
We had a great dinner at Mweka Camp and everyone quickly retired into their sleeping bags. Sleep came easy back in the thick air of 10,000'. This morning we trekked the final three and a half hours to the Mweka Gate and enjoyed a nice closing ceremony with our mountain staff. It takes many local guides, cooks, porters and mountain staff to complete such an amazing adventure and we are grateful for their help and support.
We completed our paperwork with Kilimanjaro National Park and had a quick lunch in the courtyard before loading our vehicle for the drive back to the Dik Dik Hotel. After nice hot showers we enjoyed a wonderful celebration dinner at the Dik Dik's restaurant.
Tomorrow three of our team members will start their travels back to the U.S. For the rest of us, our adventure continues to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Parks for a game viewing safari. We can't wait! The Dik Dik Staff is already getting our Land Cruiser ready for our morning departure. Great trip so far and still more to come!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Our team had a great summit day on Kilimanjaro. As we left Baranco Camp, our high camp, at 15,000' on our summit attempt there was a thin layer of clouds that insulated us and provided a nice temperature for our midnight climb. The beautiful and bright moon lit our way and our headlamps remained in our pack. As we reached Stella Point, 18,680', the wind picked up and we added more layers of clothing as we continued our ascent. As we reached the true summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak, the winds subsided and we enjoyed spectacular views in all directions.
We have now reached Mweka Camp at 10,000' and our last camp on the mountain. It has been a long day and everyone is tired from their efforts ascending and descending this mountain. I would like to thank the team for a great job on the climb and for the mountain for allowing us to stand on the summit today.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Congratulations on your successful climb. Donna we heard you on the phone call from the summit! Looking forward to seeing you and Doug and hearing (and seeing) about the climb. Have a safe trip home.
Posted by: Ken and Judee Fish on 8/15/2011 at 6:40 am
Congratulations to RMI Guide Mark Tucker and the Kilimanjaro Team for reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro on August 14th! The team had a good summit day with cold temperatures but everyone did very well. This is Mark’s 25th summit of Kilimanjaro, a true milestone.
After reaching the summit the team will descend to Barafu Camp at 15,000’ where they will eat, change and pack their gear to continue down the mountain.
We expect to hear from them later today once they have reached Mweka Camp at 10,000’ for their final night on the mountain.
Congratulations to Mark and the summit team!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker calls from the summit of Kilimanjaro with the team.
Congratulations Dolly (Donna), Doug & team! Been following the blog! So happy you made it!
Love,
Lisa XO
Posted by: Lisa on 8/14/2011 at 10:21 am
Congratulations Team! I loved your comments from the summit. What a thrill for you all. Meri you cannot see your house from there. Can’t wait to hear from you and see some pictures. So far only the initial group picture online. Love you, Mom
Posted by: Sandra Lull on 8/14/2011 at 10:09 am
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looking good guys!! Have fun and be safe!
Posted by: Tanya on 9/14/2011 at 5:38 pm
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