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Our final day on the mountain!

Today the team got up at 6:30 mostly refreshed after a much needed nights sleep, we had breakfast, then hit the trail one last time. It took just around 3 hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch and said our final goodbyes to our amazing Tanzanian crew of 51 that took such great care of us on the mountain. 

We finished with a little celebration singing from our crew and by handing out their well deserved tips, then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge. 

Finally we are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting 7 day journey up and down Kilimanjaro. 

Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!

Casey and Crew

Summit Success!
Our entire team reached the top of South Twin Sister with big smiles and perfect weather. It was a stunning day of climbing, and everyone crushed it! We made it back late last night, safe and sound, and spirits are high.

Now we’re gearing up for our next adventure: ice climbing on the lower Coleman Deming Glacier. Conditions look promising, and we’re excited to get back out there.

— RMI Guide Ben Luedtke & Team

May 30, 2014 - 11:12 pm PT The view from the vestibule this morning was not what I'd have called heartening. Clouds and snow dominated the picture, adding visual texture to the soft but incessant howl of the winds coming from the Buttress above. We could still see most of the landmarks around camp, but in the shadow of the early morning it didn't look promising for our carry. So, after talking with Leah and Nick, I happily crawled back into my warm sack. We later awoke at the more reasonable hour of 9:00 to get the stoves fired up and start our day. No one complained about not climbing. I think having a real rest day was welcome by all. So what do we do on these days? First of all, we hang out in the Posh an extra hour or two, then we cut a few snow blocks to further reinforce the walls we built around our tents yesterday. It was impressive seeing the team rally and build some really good walls. I think everyone was feeling good and happy to be doing something. Twelve hours in a tent can do that to a person. But a rest day is a rest day and some good tent time is a must. A group was playing an animated game of BS next door to us in the Posh. Others were catching up on things on the radio. Naps are never a bad thing, and in this tent a few games of cribbage were contested. We even got in a bit of rope craft review and knot tying practice. Such is life for the climber hanging out at 14,200' waiting for Mother Nature to offer us a little friendlier weather to continue our climb up the flanks of one of her most beautiful mountain creations. We're all doing well and happily waiting this little set back out. Cheers, RMI Guides Brent, Leah and Nick

We woke not so early today (this mountaineering gig is rough) had a nice breakfast from the kind folks at Casa Sol and jumped in the bus for the famous Otavalo open air market. We spent a few hours cruising the stalls with food, jewelry, meats, produce, grains, spices, and of course handicrafts for sale. There's even a livestock market which is quite a sight (and smell). Clark and Garrett wanted to go looking for a live monkey to bring home but there was no such luck. I wonder what kind of papers a monkey needs to come back to the states. Anyway, we skipped Otavalo and finally headed for Cayambe where we are settling in up at the hut over 15,000'. The air is thin but everyone's doing great so far. I'll let y'all know how that notorious first night at really high altitude goes... RMI Guide Billy Nugent

We awoke from our first night under the stars to another beautiful day in Valle de Vacas. The early morning light brought the return of our mules, who patiently awaited our heavy loads. Fortunately for us, and the mules, the weather quickly changed to scattered clouds and some reprieve from the scorching sun that successfully torched a few of us yesterday. We had a great day walking to Casa de Piedra (11,000 ft) and we were able to catch our first glimpse of Aconcagua, or more correctly, parts of the mountain as it poked through the clouds. Everyone is doing great and we are all looking forward to pulling into base camp tomorrow since life is so rough down here. Too much steak and packs that are way too light! RMI Guide JJ Justman

This is the last day of the trip for us. We've had a really nice day here in St. Petersburg. We kicked off the morning by beating the crowd to the Hermitage Museum. Once we got in we disbanded and everyone took in the seemingly endless art works at their own pace. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the experience there. Now we've all met up again for a boat tour on the canals. The weather is really nice here with plenty of sun and just a little crispness in the air. Tomorrow we'll all head to the airport for our flights home. It's too bad the weather kept us from getting to the top of Mt. Elbrus but this group has really made the most of the situation. Pete and I feel really lucky that everyone had such a positive attitude throughout the trip. Thanks guys! RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

The Four Day Summit Climb September 12 - 15 led by RMI Guide Billy Nugent reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team reported calm winds and cold temperatures with high cirrus clouds above. Shortly after 9 am PT they began their descent from the crater rim. They will return to Camp Muir and then continue down to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them in Ashford later today. Congratulations to today's summit climbers!

It's a little soupy here at 11,000' camp this afternoon, but we're sitting pretty after retrieving our cache from 10k earlier today. A frosty morning greeted us when we woke, but a hearty round of hot drinks & breakfast burritos (eggs, cheese, salsa and hot sauce all wrapped in warm tortillas) soon chased the chill away and fueled us up for the quick trip downhill to our gear buried in the snow. Within minutes after arriving at the cache, we were packing all the food and personal luggage into our backpacks and sleds for the short uphill stretch to camp. The team moved smoothly back up and is now settled in for another afternoon of rest. We're hopeful that the weather holds for a carry to 14k tomorrow, which will be the biggest test of strength and stamina so far. But the crew continues to impress with the collective performance so we're confident about what lies ahead. Last night at dinner, we shared some of your comments with the group. Everyone says thank you very much for keeping the team in your thoughts, and they appreciate your interest in our trip. Keep the positivity flowing as we continue our adventure! Cheers, RMI Guides Tyler Jones, Erik Endert & Garrett Stevens

Good morning!

Today we made our way from Lobuche high camp down to Pangboche. On the quiet trail down from high camp we ran into a posse of “Nepali Chickens” these shy little animals are often heard but rarely seen. We stopped and took the time to watch them move through the valley.

We stopped for lunch in Pheriche and said goodbye to the fields of yaks as we headed down valley. We all got to walk our own pace, take in the views and reflect on an incredible trip. This is one of my favorites parts of walking back to Lukla - time to breath in the thick air and feel how incredibly special these mountains are.

We made it to upper Pangboche in the early afternoon and our tea house is located right behind the monastery with views looking out to Ama Dablam. We had an early dinner because we are all still tired from our Lobuche climb! Off to bed. Tomorrow we’ll head to Namche.

RMI Guides Jess, Sam and the Lobuche Crew
 

Well, it's a cloudy day on the trail but the group is hanging tough. We're having lunch at the Lava Tower (15'000'). That means we are setting new altitude records for just about every one. Tonight we will camp at Barranco where some of the giant plants that are unique to Kilimanjaro are concentrated. RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

On The Map