Right out of camp the team was faced with the only significant technical obstacle for this climb. This hurdle is the great Barranco Wall, which rises about 1,000ft and looks as intimidating as it sounds. Thankfully there is a nice narrow trail that weaves its way up and through the wall and all the way to the top. Most of it feels more like steep hiking, but there are a few places that require the use of our hands to help us ascend. Everyone enjoyed the challenge and were breathing hard climbing here at 13,000ft.
The team did a good job of moving steady and allowing a few porters through with their loads precariously balanced on their heads. Which was astonishing to see!
After reaching the top we took a nice break and enjoyed the amazing views of the ice ladened south face and valleys below. The team continued our hike for a few more hours up and down through a few valleys before reaching today’s endpoint.
All in all, it took a little over hours for us to reach our next camp called Karanga, named for the big and beautiful valley which it overlooks.
We’ve just wrapped up an amazing lunch and are relaxing in our tents before dinner.
Kudos to the team!
The group climbed quite well on this first day of our Kilimanjaro Expedition. The 4,000' of ascent was accomplished with relative ease, and now we're enjoying an afternoon that has become warm and sunny.
Our day began with an early breakfast and quick departure for the Machame Gate, where a heavy drizzle kept us company while we waited for our porters to organize our gear for transport uphill. Rain should not be unexpected in a rainforest, but nobody likes starting their day in the wet. Luckily, by the time we started the rain had mostly abated and we were able to shed that Gore tax layer fairly soon after we started.
At camp our mountain staff worked tirelessly getting tents set up and cooking arrangements working. The magic happened quickly and camp life began for us.
As always, dinner was superb, starting with a savory zucchini soup and followed by pan fried steak, potatoes, rice and a cardoman/ coriander vegetable dish. Though we thought the nutella banana fritters were dessert enough, a special cake was brought in, lit up with candles, for Patti's birthday celebration.
What a party it was as we were regaled with song and dance in honor of our birthday girl. Such a special night!
A chill is in the air as we prepare for tomorrow's climb to Shira Camp.
All for now,
RMI Guide Brent Okita
The June 10 - 13 Four Day Climb teams led by RMI Guides Andy Bond and Steve Gately reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Andy reported light winds, sunshine and clear skies. The teams began their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 AM. Once back at Camp Muir they will repack and continue down to Paradise. Their program concludes at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Saw the groups departing the other day. Excited they were successful! Hoping I’ll be one of those folks making the trek next year. Congrats on an amazing achievement!!
Posted by: Michelle on 6/14/2019 at 7:22 am
Andrew & Kyle. You made it!!! Hope you had a beautiful view!
Congrats!!!
Posted by: Barbara Nahmias on 6/13/2019 at 11:52 am
Greetings from Temuco, Chile! The whole crew has arrived after traveling from Washington State, New Mexico, Illinois, and all the way from Sydney, Australia. All is well and we are excited to go skiing tomorrow. Stay tuned...
Cheers,
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
Greetings from Ecuador! Our team all arrived in Quito, Ecuador yesterday, and we met for our first official team meal this morning. After introductions and reviewing trip logistics, we departed the hotel and spent the day on a city tour of Old Town Quito. We visited the Basilica, the presidential palace, and various other historically significant locales while learning about the foundation and history of Quito and Ecuador from our very knowledgeable local guide, Jorge.
After lunch we headed north to the Equator, and visited an ethnographic museum where we were able to straddle the Equator, as well as learn about various native cultures of Ecuador. A fun day of sight seeing was just what we needed, as we get used to the altitude of Quito (9,000') and recover from a long day of travel yesterday.
Tomorrow we will venture out on our first acclimatization hike up the Volcano Rucu Pichincha. We'll keep you posted with updates along the way.
Hasta luego!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Today the Four Day Summit Climb June 2 -5 and the Five Day Summit Climb June 1 - 5 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The teams reported great climbing conditions and a beautiful day. Congratulations!
If you follow mountaineering much, you already know that climbers often don't do what they said they were going to do. And I assure you that there are good reasons for such contradictory and inconsistent behavior. For instance, yesterday I said that I would lead my sub-team of Erica, Seth, Kent and Ang Kaji in an effort to get up early and go on up the hill to ABC. I lied. We did get up early...at 3AM...and we did give it a try, but then we came back down to BC.
It was a beautiful night and each of us got up and out of the tents professing to have slept well. There was a massively full moon lighting things as we swallowed coffee and rice porridge. There weren't any headlights already in the Icefall, and in fact we were the first to venture onto the route this morning. This didn't surprise me as many potential summit climbers are well down valley in the tea houses right now, taking a rest before their final bids on the mountain. Their Sherpa teams have, for the most part, already carried all the equipment that is needed for those final bids. So things are quiet on the climbing route at the moment and we seem to be the only folks still thinking of going up for practice and acclimatization. Being slightly out-of-synch with the general mob is exactly to my liking though. As we strapped on our spikes, I was pleased to contemplate cruising through the Icefall route without any traffic considerations. I led the way and began to experience a strange fringe benefit of being first. The glacier kept popping and snapping with my passage...sometimes playfully, sometimes with a rifle-crack that made one want to duck and cover. Lots of daytime melt water runs on the surface of a big glacier in Spring and it freezes solid in cracks and seams at night...whoever puts weight on it first breaks the new bonds. Knowing this intellectually and being surprised out of your socks by a loud CRACK on a quiet night are two different things.
We'd been walking for just a half hour when the International Space Station whizzed through the dark sky over Lhotse's summit. Out to the West, the full moon was crashing dramatically to earth over Cholatse's summit. It was yet another very beautiful morning. But we all knew something was wrong, just the same. We weren't coming close to our intended pace for the day. Our initial hope was that Erica was just having a slow start, but after a couple of hours, it was clear that she was having more of an "off" day that we needed to pay attention to. Her knee was aching from an old twist and every awkward step up in the ice was a little slower as a result. These things happen to all of us...even when we've got big plans for the day. We'd already passed through the big avalanche scar on the route and were in the "popcorn" section when I did the math and figured it just didn't make sense for us to try getting to ABC as planned. We'd all be too tired, overworked and dehydrated from so much extra time spent out on the trail with packs on our backs. Better to get on back to BC, have Erica's knee checked by the HRA docs and with a green light, go for it again tomorrow...hoping for an "on" day. It was a little strange to be back in basecamp in time for the regularly scheduled breakfast with the gang, but I don't see it as too big a setback. Certainly not as big a setback as a grindingly slow day through the Icefall would have been. The rest of our team is still in a holding pattern, trying to get over minor ailments and trying to get enough exercise in so as to stay sane in this weather-waiting period. Luckily for their sanity, things clouded over and got cold, mean and nasty for the afternoon at BC. It is easier waiting for good weather when one feels like one is actually in bad weather, but of course the weather perceived from basecamp is not always the actual -and more significant- weather at 8000 meters. It doesn't take too much imagination and extrapolation today though to believe that things are rough and grim at 8000 meters, but rumor has it that climbers are camped at the South Col and gunning for the summit tonight. Good luck to them...if they happen to do what they said they were going to do, that is.
Here we are, situated nicely at Camp 2 (19,200 ft) after a long move from Camp 1. Tomorrow will be another rest day that should allow our bodies to make some final adjustments before we take a crack at the summit. The team is in good spirits and is looking forward for our chance to stand on top!
Should be soon!
Early this morning, the Five Day Climb team, led by Seth Burns and George Hedreen, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier via the iconic Disappointment Cleaver route. The ascent was graced with stunning views and crisp mountain air.
As they stepped onto the summit, smiles and cheers filled the air.
At 7:00 AM, they departed the crater rim and began their journey back to Camp Muir. From there, they’ll continue to Basecamp later this afternoon, bringing with them stories, memories, and a well-earned sense of accomplishment.
Congratulations to Seth, George, and the entire team on a successful summit and a safe descent!
Today we woke at 6:30 feeling good, had breakfast, then enjoyed a goodbye song and dance from our gracious crew of posters, cooks, and local guides numbering 37. We finished the little celebration by handing out their well-deserved tips and then hit the trail one last time.
It took a little over three hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge.
Finally we are all safe and sound, and a little cleaner after an amazing seven-day journey up and down Kilimanjaro.
The team is currently relaxing and looking forward to Safari which starts tomorrow!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and a happy Kilimanjaro crew
Go Team! Keep on trekking. Mary so proud of you, you are may champion, my hero! Can’t wait to have you in my arms!
Posted by: David Workman on 7/24/2019 at 6:56 am
I can’t wait for that bright, bright Mary light to shine from the top of that peak. Light up the world my Soul Sister! Sending much love!
Posted by: Katie Hollland on 7/24/2019 at 6:49 am
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