Jambo! The group is all down at 10,000' at our last camp. The weather was great for our summit push but we walked into a misty cloud above camp. It's drizzling a little as I type this.
We started our climb with an 11:30PM wake up call and 12:30AM departure. There wasn't much wind all night but we did get a little chilly. We hit the crater rim just before sunrise and watched the sun come up from just below the summit. After our summit pics the team descended well and we were back in camp before 10:00. Tomorrow we have a few hours of hiking in the morning and then back to the Dik Dik Hotel.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall[Audio from the summit below]
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall calls from the Roof of Africa!
Team Orlando arrived at Shira Camp 12,570 feet. Today hiked the trail which became steeper and rockier as the vegetation thinned away. The gnarled trunks of heather disappeared and we entered the moorland, the grasses and rocky terrain unique to Eastern Africa,
After we ascended the wide ridge we gained the Shira Plateau. We descended a few hundred feet along the edge and into our camp that is tucked among sparse vegetation and volcanic rock bands. We have beautiful views of Kilimanjaro's upper slopes as well as Mt Meru.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Today we traveled to Lake Manyara. It was the first day of our four day safari through Tanzania and we had a great day. Here is what the team had to say about our day in the bush.
TOP TEN LIST
One comment about today?
1. The hippos fighting in the pool - Peter
2. The first sighting of a herd of Zebra right next to our vehicle - Chelsea
3. Observing the silver billed horn bird take a dust bath - Bonny
4. Take off and landing of a huge flock of yellow billed storks - Mark
5. Taking in the sights of land and people on the highway while standing up with head out off open roofed Land Rover - Nate
6. Baby Baboon riding on the back of it's mother, with cute ears - Elizabeth
7. Bargaining skills of local guys trying to sell a necklace - Jonathan
8. Vista of the Great Rift Valley from on top of the escarpment - William
9. Diversity of wild life in the field of vision at one moment - Allidah
10. The over easy eggs at breakfast - Madison
Carl and I went on our own safari to Highclere Castle today. Not only is the Castle breathtaking, but the grounds are truly amazing. BUT, I think I would trade in a minute for YOUR safari! Love the comments. Soak up every minute! xo Allison
Posted by: Allison Muller on 7/16/2015 at 12:12 pm
Thursday June 25th 10:15 pm PT
Our exit from Talkeetna was nearly as smooth and easy as our arrival in the Alaska Range turned out to be. We had our traditional Roadhouse breakfast and then headed for the hangar. By 10:00 AM we were loading onto K2 Aviation's ski planes and taking off for the mountains. We had a couple of good views of Denali and Foraker, the giants of the range, despite a fair amount of cloud and forest fire smoke in the air.
Basecamp at 7,200 feet on the Southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier was nearly deserted when we came in... just the way we like it. We set camp, reviewed glacier travel techniques and got used to fabulous views when the clouds lifted. By early evening a few other guided teams flew in and we chatted with the leaders, since we'll likely be seeing each other a bit in the weeks to come. There was a lot to get done on this day- there always is at the start of a big climb. But we got it done and the team is now resting. We were early to bed and we'll be early to rise tomorrow in the hopes of catching easier and safer conditions for travel in the cold part of the day. From what we could see from the airplane, the first part of our climb will be made easier by excellent snow coverage on the glacier surface.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Gary R and all of you: Best wishes for great weather, safe travel, magnificent views, a fun time and victory in attaining the summit. I’ll be following the posts throughout. - Rob R
Three days ago we were summiting Aconcagua. Last night were laying in the dirt looking up at the stars. Today, we are eating at a restaurant surrounded by people and cars, and longing for our beds at the hotel. So quickly we have left the solitude of Aconcagua and rejoined the hustle and bustle of the city. We all look like new people - showered and in street clothes. It has been quite a journey, certainly a cause for celebration. As this adventure winds down and we all fly back to our homes, we will reflect on this time together and what we accomplished. Hopefully after some rest and while flipping through the photos, another adventure will be planned and the process will start all over.
Till next time,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
We started our morning with a simple question: coffee or tea? I am a coffee person along with most of the members of the team, so we say coffee, black coffee. Our meanings of black coffee are different. In Nepal it seems all black coffee means sugar water with a hint of coffee...so we take our shot of hot sugar water and prepare for the day (tomorrow morning we will make our own coffee with my MSR windburner stove and Starbucks Via). Today was another day of driving on the windy, one and three quarter lane road. As the bus bumped along the road with horns sounding our presence around the turns, you can't help but zone out. Thoughts of how simple life is here, with minimal distraction from social media and media in general...it seems nice, but then the mind floats to the mountains and what you should climb next. We arrived in the town of Chainpur where we were once again greeted to the town by dance, scarves and flowers. But this greeting was different for this time we got to meet the four Nepali women that will be joining us on our climb. They range from the age of 19 to 25. They have been training for this climb the last four months by trekking into the basecamp and in Kathmandu. They are all very excited and eager to climb and learn some more, just as were are excited to climb, teach and learn ourselves. We took an afternoon stroll to the top of the foothills to stretch our legs before we sat down for a delicious dinner of fried rice. We are definitely eating our weight in rice on this trip. As the evening winds down, we enjoy our last chance on the wifi and get ready for bed. Tomorrow brings our last day of driving and the start of our trekking.
Climb on,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith
RMI Guide Steve Gately radioed in at 7:00 AM PT this morning to report a successful summit climb. The team was spending some time enjoying the crater and views of Mt. Rainier before gearing up for their descent. Steve reported light winds and good conditions.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
Yahoooo!!! Congrats boys!! Not sure if this is your group, but it has to be one of the ones reported! Love and miss you! Can’t wait to hear all about it!!
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 5:01 PM PT
Today is a rest day for our team after good long day yesterday establishing a cache at 17,200 ft. We woke early yesterday to a clear but bitterly cold morning (~ -20F), ate breakfast, packed our packs and launched. We were the first team to leave camp and the only team to continue all the way to High Camp (17,200') to establish our cache. The weather and climbing conditions were excellent, and the views were unmatched.
Now we're resting, acclimating, and getting stronger in preparation for our summit bid. The weather forecast looks promising and we will likely move to High Camp in the next day or two. We will keep you posted with the latest.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
OMG you are really getting up there. Luckily beautiful weather! Stay safe, and stay warm…..
Posted by: Marilyn Riede on 5/30/2018 at 9:42 am
What amazing luck with the weather and views! Thank you for this great update and we are happy to hear everyone is doing well! Fingers are crossed for continued great weather and a safe summit climb! Tom M, Myrna and Sheila are enjoying the updates! Be safe and we are sending big hugs!
Susan
Larkspur, CA
I glanced down at my watch, 11:44 PM. One minute before my alarm was to go off. I silenced it and slipped out of my bunk and flipped the light switch. It was time for our Cotopaxi (19,347') summit day.
The team quickly got out of their sleeping bags, one of the most challenging tasks of the day, and began efficiently putting together their summit kits. After topping off water bottles and wolfing down some oatmeal and cinnamon buns we moved outside to gear-up and were greeted with light snow fall. The winds were calm and the cloud cover made for pleasant climbing temps so we set off in high spirits hoping the snow would pass for a clear sunrise on the summit.
One hour in and we stopped for our first break just shy of 17,000' at the toe of the glacier to rope-up. The team arrived together in good style showcasing their increased acclimatization from Cayambe and immediately putting to use the skills learned in the previous day's training. The current route is very direct but that also means gaining a lot of elevation very quickly. The next section had almost no switchbacks and was characterized by a series of steep 40+ degree pitches with very brief benches in between. The team methodically tackled these pitches where flawless technique was required not to slip-out in the steep loose snow draining valuable and limited stores of energy.
The team arrived at the final break before the summit looking tired but determined. Cotopaxi would not give up the goods too easily. The last stretch to the summit was guarded by some of the steepest sections of the climb. After forcing down some calories the snow stopped and the stars popped out shedding faint light on the summit 1,000' above us. Restored by the calories and motivated by the opportunity for a clear summit the team set out on the final push. An hour and a half later the entire team crested the crater rim and was greeted with an alpine sunrise for the record books. A massive steam plume from the crater was bathed in pink alpenglow and the mountain shadow of Cotopaxi stretched into the western horizon. All smiles, the team embraced and congratulated each other. This summit was accomplished as much through individual grit as was through an extraordinary display of exemplary expedition behavior. When the going got tough the team propped-up and encouraged each other, just as determined to get their rope team member to the the top as themselves.
After basking in the equatorial morning glory for about 45 minutes the team descended back to the hut with no wind and clear sunny skies. After one final meal at the Refugio we boarded the bus and went to have lunch and celebrate at a local pizzeria. We just arrived at the gorgeous Hacienda La Cienega and are settling in for some well deserved afternoon naps. Tomorrow will take us to the base of Chimborazo and the start of the tallest objective of the trip. Stay Tuned!
RMI Guide Jordan Cargill
Good evening from Shishapangma Base Camp! What a day... beautiful blue skies, no winds and a bright sun seemed like the prize we were awarded for yesterday's journey on not-such-fun conditions. A somewhat restless night (it was our first of many nights at 5,600m) gave way to excitement building up as our Sherpa team started to get our puja altar together for a nice morning ceremony. Climbing in the Himalaya without an offering or asking permission to the divine, is considered a sacrilege. The rest of the day was dedicated to getting acquainted at Base Camp, organizing gear, and receiving the second yak load (we have so much gear, that some of our kit had to wait yesterday.) We're heading to dinner as we speak. Tomorrow we're taking a walk to the so called "crampon point" or Depot Camp, in order to cache some gear and continue to build on our acclimatization process. Everyone is doing well, and eager to start climbing!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
Nice job Molly. Seth and team enjoy some beers in the truck. Mark
Posted by: Mark Miller on 8/12/2015 at 6:20 am
Wow, Molly, so proud of you. You did it! Congratulations to all.
Posted by: Ann Regan on 8/11/2015 at 6:26 pm
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