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Casey Grom here checking in with RMI's Kilimanjaro Climb!
All is well here in Tanzania and most of the team arrived late last night after some very long flights. It was a short and uneventful ride to our Lodge that is nestled in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of Kilimanjaro. The team had a quick dinner and headed for bed as the time change has us all feeling just a little off and pretty tired after all the traveling.
Today we had a leisurely morning with our official meeting at 10, where we did a round of introductions and then discussed the upcoming program for the days ahead. We spent the remainder of the day getting our gear packed up and exploring the grounds of our peaceful lodge.
We wrapped up the evening with another delicious meal and plenty of friendly conversations. Everyone is doing well and excited to hit the trail tomorrow and get a little bit of exercise.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew!
Hola Amigos!
All is well here in Ecuador.
Today we had a very early start to try our luck climbing
Illiniza Norte. We left our hacienda just after 3am and after a short ride to the trailhead, the team was hiking uphill just before 4am. We hiked for about three hrs to reach the Refugio or climbers hut that sits in the saddle between the two mountains where we ducked inside for a little hot tea and coffee.
Unfortunately the weather made a turn for the worse while we were relaxing inside. However, we suited up in our climbing gear and made a valiant effort to see if we could push through anyway. But today the mountain won as the snow falling only thickened as we made our way uphill. We reached about 16,000' before calling it good.
The team quickly descended back to our hacienda were we packed up and headed for a nice warm lunch.
We are currently relaxing in another wonderful hacienda close to Cotopaxi called Chilcabamba.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
Sunday, June 2, 2019 - 10:07 PM PT
11 Camp is now officially home! We back carried this morning and finally brought all of our food and gear to camp. It’s a short saunter down to our 10,000’ cache and we make quick work, two hours round trip to be exact. After some afternoon naps and much needed rest this afternoon, we were back up and attem for dinner. The Sriracha Ranch Chicken wraps were a home run! Our 5 star meal was followed up for 5-star views when, for the first time all trip, we finally had a break in the snow and had views of the incredible mountains surrounding us here in the
Alaska Range. It was a day for the books. We’re settling into the routines of expedition life and all is well. Tomorrow, we have our sites set on shuttling some gear up to a cache at 13,600’, but as we do here in Alaska, we’ll pole our heads out of the tent in the morning and see what Mother Nature has in store. Until then, keep it classy out there in the real world.
RMI Guides Robby, Joe, Nick and Team Sriracha
On The Map
Good evening from Icchi Coccha "Small Lake", where we have pitched camp for the night on our way to
base camp, at 3800m. We had a very pleasant day, perhaps the best this guide remembers, as it is usually a pretty hot day climbing up the valley in the lower elevations. But the cloud cover provided the best temps to do the hike, so we're happy we didn't bake! We shared the trail with a few dogs, cows and of course, our donkeys. But the highlight was the curious fox that ventured into our camp. We're now about to enjoy the first of our meals from our cook, Emilo, in our dining tent. That's all for now, stay tuned for more!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
It was another beautiful day here in the
Khumbu Valley, and we had some nice views of Everest. Just above Namche you can see Everest far off in the distance, still about 20-30 miles away. You can also see the fourth highest mountain, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam, which is one of the Himalayan's most iconic peak.
We hiked for about six hours today up and down, dropping all the way down to a river, which is a stunning turquoise, then climbed slowing up the hill before the famous Tengboche Monastery.
Traditionally we have gotten a blessing from a famous lama in Pangboche, but sadly that lama has moved on to a higher calling. So today we were able to request a private Puja with another lama at Tengboche and each receive a blessing. The Puja is a Buddhist ceremony where the lama ask Buddha to protect and keep us healthy and safe.
We've settled in to a nice and warm tea house called Rivendale that's full of trekkers from all over the world. Cribbage and good conversations have rounded out the evening and now it's time for a little rest.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the blessed crew
On The Map
We enjoyed yet another perfect day of climbing. After a nice four course breakfast at the Shira Camp the team shoulder their packs and ascended to over 14,500', a high point for all team members. After a nice break and taking in some great views above and below we then had to descend into our new camp,
Barranco. Situated in an amazing valley at just under 13,000' we are here enjoying more fantastic vistas. As usual our fabulous local outfitter had camp and snacks all set upon arrival. We have had a few intermittent showers of a mixture of snow and rain but overall it's not too bad. Everyone is doing well and we are enjoying our time on the mountain.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
I just wanted to touch base with everyone that has followed our expedition. We flew off of the mountain yesterday, June 3rd, and we're working our way back to our normal lives.
We reached the summit on June 1, the first guide service of the season to step on
top of Denali! The weather could not have been better, and we took advantage of it by spending nearly an hour on top of the highest point in North America.
We endured lots of weather during our trip, but we endured and got it done. It was a super rewarding summit with dedicated climbers.
We're already planning our next trip!
RMI Guide Mike Walter
The
Winter Seminar aborted their summit attempt this morning. At 13,000' the team came upon a crevasse making that elevation their high point. RMI Guide Brent Okita reported that winds were about 30-35 mph and some blue skies were peeking through cloud layers above and below them on the mountain.
The guides said everyone on the team did an amazing job and all are safely back at Camp Muir enjoying some hot drinks. Once the team refuels, they are going to do some more training before calling it a day.
RMI Guides
Brent Okita and
Elias de Andres Martos
June 8, 2015, 6:16 pm PT
Not too much to report from
camp today. The weather was moderate, but not good enough to coax us out for a walk or carry up hill.
At this point the team is just focusing on resting, meeting the neighbors and getting ready to utilize the next window of good weather.
Speaking of neighbors, the most exciting news of the day is that we are joining Tyler Jones' team for dinner tonight. After ten days on the glacier together, the whole team is ready to interact with some new faces and hear new stories. Tyler's team was nice enough to invite invite us over for a round of loaded quesadillas. The only remaining question is what we should take as a house warming gift.
RMI Guides Geoff Schellens and Eric Frank
On The Map
Thursday, June 4, 2015 6:45pm PST
The snow is still falling and the winds continue to blow here at 11k camp. This morning, the
Upper West Rib team woke to another six inches of accumulation and drifts ranging from mid-calf to mid-thigh. We quickly shoveled our camp back into shape, then lingered over breakfast bagels for several hours while we discussed potential future schedules.
Overall the team is doing an excellent job of staying busy and motivated while utilizing these imposed rest days. Between bouts of shoveling, we are able to sneak in hours of reading, naps and movie watching. Once the weather improves we will be strong and ready to cruise uphill.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
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Hi Casey, Rene and crew! We’re so excited for all of you! We wish we were there with you for this amazing trip. We look forward to more dispatches and will be following you the whole trip. Have a great hike!
Posted by: David and Angel on 1/6/2020 at 7:46 pm
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