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Hello! We have started the safari with a real treat. After being in
Lake Manyara National Park for about 20 minutes we had a herd of elephants walk right in between our two cars. Enjoy the close-up video below.
They are really amazing animals and our group was really happy to see the giant pachyderms up close. We'll continue on our game drive for another hour or so before heading to the Plantation Lodge for the evening.
Tomorrow we will head to Ngorongoro Crater and visit a Maasai Village. I'll check in again tomorrow.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Well we have definitely established a rhythm with
Kilimanjaro. It was very nice and sunny again this morning and at 9:30am the clouds started building. By 1:30pm it was raining heavily again.
The only thing different from yesterday is that we were out on the trail when the rain hit. It was only for about an hour so not a huge deal really, but it sure is nice to be in a dry tent now.
We covered the longest stretch f the whole trip today, other than summit day and everyone did a great job. We also reached a high point for every climber here at 14,900'. That's always a fun thing.
Now we have two easier days and after that we go for the summit.
That's all for now.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
On The Map
Elephants are among the “Big Five” most dangerous animals to hunt—if you’re into that kind of thing. We simply wanted to see the five, and Ngorongoro Crater was our best chance of accomplishing that. So there we were, up on the rim of the giant caldera, bouncing like crazy in the Land Cruiser on a washboard road. We came around a blind corner in the fog and skidded to a stop because an enormous bull elephant was squarely in the middle of the road—and not inclined to move for us. In fact, he made it quite clear that we needed to show some deference to resolve the situation. Johnson, our driver and guide, wisely put the cruiser in reverse while the big guy took a victory walk. So we had one of the five before even dropping into the gigantic “crater” full of wildlife.
We’d barely hit the crater floor before notching up numbers two and three. We immediately saw Cape buffalo and sleepy lions. Then came gazelles, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, jackals, hyenas, ostriches, and hippos. It was a bit overwhelming.
By afternoon, we were trying hard to spot rhinos. We scored number four by spotting four sleeping rhinoceroses at a distance. Full disclosure: we saw them because a bunch of other Land Cruisers were stopped and pointing. But we also got to see a rhino that no one else saw, thanks to Arthur’s sharp eyes.
We tried to find a leopard—number five—on our way back out of the crater, but didn’t luck out. A visit to a Maasai village on the rim rounded out our big day.
Best regards,
Dave
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New Post Alerts:
Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari August 5, 2025
We had cold temperatures and moderate winds this morning when we woke up. The upper mountain was engulfed in a dark grey cloud with snow eventually spinning lightly through the air. Our
high camp at 19,600’ was visible so we drug our feet getting camp broke down. The weather didn’t seem to be getting better or worse, so we headed up. Cold gust of wind and overcast skies followed us up. We are at camp, hunkered down in our tents. The process of making water keeps the guides busy for the remainder of the day and well into the night. Our fingers are crossed that since the precipitation arrived earlier then expected, it will blow out overnight. If that doesn't happen, we’ll likely have a weather day here at Colera and attempt on the 27th. You all will know more, when I know more. Good night from 19,600’.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
The August 3 - 6
Four Day Summit Climb reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 6 AM PT. After enjoying blue skies and beautiful views they began their descent from the crater rim. They will return to Camp Muir and repack before descending to Paradise this afternoon. They will then return to BaseCamp to celebrate.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb team!
RMI Guides Brent Okita & Andy Bond radioed from Columbia Crest this morning with the Four Day Summit Climb teams July 5 - 8. Brent reported a fantastic day with very little wind and great route conditions. Both Summit Climb teams saw 100% of their team members standing on the summit today!
The teams will return to Camp Muir for a quick break to repack before continuing down to Paradise.
Congratulations to all
Summit Climb team members!
Hello Everyone,
All is well here in Tanzania as 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 tucked in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of
Kilimanjaro. The team had a quick but delicious dinner and headed for bed as the jet lag is in full effect. Thankfully all our bags and essential gear made it too.
Today we had our first official team meeting after breakfast. We did a round of introductions and then discussed the program for the coming days ahead, along with a review of all the necessary gear.
We spent the second half of the day getting our gear organized, packing up, and exploring the grounds of our Lodge, as it’s an incredibly peaceful lodge with monkeys and Dik Dik roaming the grounds. The weather was nice today and we even managed to see Kili off in the distance.
We finished the evening with another delicious meal and enjoyable conversations and are now off to bed to get a good nights rest before heading to Kilimanjaro bright and early tomorrow morning.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
We made it to
Plaza Argentina today! The first RMI team of the year is blazing a path uphill. We left our camp at Casa de Piedra early this morning to beat the heat, and to cross the Vacas and Relinchos Rivers before they swelled with snowmelt. A few brave souls crossed the Vacas on foot, surprised at how cold the pre-sunrise water felt on their unsuspecting toes. The rest of the team, less brave maybe, though certainly smarter, decided to take a free ride across the river courtesy of our mule drivers. Some were more comfortable astride our equine friends than others, but nobody fell in.
Once across the river, we started up the Relinchos Valley. Unlike the Vacas, which is wide and expansive, the Relinchos Valley is narrow and has steep walls. The relief is more dramatic here, and the elevation gain becomes less subtle. The team made quick work of it though, and after a few guanaco sightings we were lounging in the sun less than an hour from basecamp. We lounged as long as we could bear it, and then finished off the last stretch into camp. Since arriving, we've set up our tents, organized some gear, and done a lot of eating and drinking. We ate as much dinner as we could, and even enjoyed a welcome cake courtesy of the basecamp staff. It's good living here at basecamp, and we plan to live in style for at least a few more days.
RMI Guides JM Gorum, Hannah Smith, and Avery Parrinello
Turned out to be a great day to carry group and personal equipment to our high camp of
Aconcagua at 19,600ft. We made good time up and down and round tripped it in about five hours. At one point I was down to just a thin poly-pro top. Not bad for being exposed to the elements at 19,000ft.
Big decision time tonight. Weather reports are calling for some unsettled pattern ahead. Need to put all the factors in the hopper and come up with a plan. Excitement is rising and a major buzz going on around camp. My team continues to be a solid unit and so proud of what we have accomplished so far. All is well up on the hill.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir led by
RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Billy Nugent attempted to summit Mt. Rainier early this morning, but snow instability forced the teams to turn at the top of Disappointment Cleaver today. The is headed back to Camp Muir and will spend their remainder of their time on the mountain training before descending to back to Rainier Basecamp tomorrow afternoon.
Congratulations to today's team!
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I am in awe of each of you! Know you are happy to have a few of the high days behind you before summit. Bobby you and all of the team are in my thoughts and prayers each step of the way! JoAnne H
Posted by: Joanne H on 1/15/2016 at 10:18 am
Congrats on reaching a new high in climbing. Didn’t know it rained that much there.
Hope you are having the time of your life. Stay safe.
Love, VaLinda
Posted by: VaLinda Novak on 1/15/2016 at 7:58 am
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