Hey there. This is Seth calling in from Kikoti Camp way on the far side of Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. We are on the last part of our trip here. Today on safari was great with lots of elephants very close to the car and plenty of other stuff to see in Tarangire. Weather was really clear today. No rain insight for us that's for sure. About 90 degrees in Tarangire and totally clear skies almost all day long. We're going to all meet up for dinner around 7:00 for our first evening celebration as a team. Tomorrow we'll get up fairly early to head back into the city of Arusha back to the Dik Dik Hotel. We'll have one more dinner together tomorrow night before we all head to the airport to be on the same flight out on KLM at about 10:00 tomorrow night. Closing in our last day of the trip. It's been great. Not sure if everybody wants to leave but we are getting back to the USA. I'll check in when we are heading out to the airport from the Dik Dik Hotel.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall calls in from Kikoti Camp, Tarangire National Park.
Jambo from Africa everyone!
We have had an exciting last two days as we made our way to Tarangire National Park, known for their abundance of elephants, and we weren't disappointed.
Yesterday we spent about four hours driving through the park which is mostly a savannah with a river running through it. We saw hundreds of elephants and more giraffes than I've ever seen, and plenty of other wildlife too.
We spent the night out in the African bush in a remote tented camp called Kakoti that overlooks Tarangire Park.
We arrived to watch the beautiful sunset one last time and then enjoyed yet another wonderful meal.
Today we finished our safari with a drive back through Tarangire where some of the team caught a glimpse of a leopard as it crossed the road before it disappeared again. There were plenty of elephants again and everyone enjoyed our last day as we made our way back to the Dik Dik Lodge before quick showers and then it was off to the airport.
Thanks for following!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
The Five-Day Climb led by RMI Guides Casey Grom, Tatum Whatford, and Brooks Ordway-Smith reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today at 12:50 p.m. Taking advantage of calm winds and clear skies, the team successfully ascended to Columbia Crest at 14,410 feet. They spent about an hour on the summit soaking in the views before beginning their descent.
The team is now safely back at Camp Muir, where they will spend one more night before continuing their descent to Paradise in the morning. Congratulations to all climbers on a fantastic summit day!
We woke up this morning with the feeling that we would fly today and in the end we were right. A little after noon we got the call we had been waiting for. And quickly got into our boots. After a circuitous and beautiful flight we landed on the Kahitna Glacier. Despite the later hour, with good weather and high stoke, we quickly left base camp and made our way to Ski Hill. The team is very happy to be on the mountain and making our way up.
When Luis posed the question last night if we could sleep in until 8:00, I just had to say yes. After all, we'd been going strong for days on end and were due some slack. The whole table erupted in celebration on hearing my response. So, at the civilized hour of 9:00 we left our wonderful hotel en route for some souvenir shopping, to check out a Masaai Village and then on to our last full day safari.
Tarangire National Park has not disappointed. The sheer numbers of animals seen right off the bat were amazing. Plus we got to see animals we haven't yet seen: giraffes, elands, and a few other critters. We also got to see numerous elephants. After all, this park boasts the highest density of elephants around.
Our day was made complete when we got up close and personal with a big old giraffe, maybe 20 yards away. How cool!
Now we're at our last 'hotel', Balloon Camp. Yes, from the outside these structures look camp like, but given the polished wood floors, marble topped bathroom, queen sized bed, it's not 'camp'!
Our group was seated outside for dinner with a full on barbecue buffet that did not disappoint. What took place before was pretty cool too. As we were enjoying a drink in front of a huge bonfire, all of the sudden a group of Masaai came dancing into our midst. They put on a well done show, even drawing us Westerners out of our comfort zones to join in the dancing.
Interestingly, the hotel has a policy that after dark everyone needs an escort to and from the main lodge and their rooms/ cabins. The staff was also very attentive to the bush just outside our outdoor seating, continually pointing their lights into the Bush. We did spy an impala looking in on the festivities.
Some of us were secretly hoping for a lion to check out at close range, but no such luck. Still, seeing the fresh elephant dung just outside my cabin was a great reality check. We're in their world at this place.
I must admit I'm hoping to see/ hear a big old elephant go walking by my cabin tonight.
As the trip draws to a close we're all looking forward to seeing loved ones again. But I, for one, will miss Africa.
Getting up early tomorrow we're going to see some lions up close, and anything else that wants to show its beautiful face in the morning.
All for now,
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Hey, this is Eric Frank with the Shuksan Seminar. Just wanted to let everyone know we're doing well. We moved up to the toe of the glacier had a good day of training today, and now the weather is turned a little bit the clouds are rolling in. I think we're in for a little bit of rain. We are tucked in and we have a nice camp and we're planning to train tomorrow as much as we're able given the weather. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Eric Frank
RMI Guide Eric Frank checks in the Shuksan Seminar.
Today we continued our trek up the Vacas Valley to Los Piedras. The sun was scorching for most of the walk, but luckily, we are now enjoying a gentle drizzle as we relax in our tents. We did manage to get our first glimpse of Aconcagua right before clouds began to roll over the peak. I think the opinion is entirely unanimous that it is a stunning and dramatic mountain! Spirits are high and despite a sunburn or two, everyone is in excellent health and relishing in the beauty of the Vacas Valley. Tomorrow we will start up the Relinchos Valley, where we will conclude our trek to base camp.
If you're thinking of us, then I'm sure someone here is thinking of you too.
Warmly,
RMI Guides Steve Gately, Hannah McGowan and the Aconcagua team
Well today was a very relaxing day in base camp here on Alpamayo. We slept in until 8, drank lots of coffee with bacon and eggs, and then did some laundry and lounged in the sun. Around mid day we made the arduous 20 minute stroke to the nearby lake for some more chilling. A couple of the team were brave enough to go for a dip in the beautiful alpine lake, there is a glacier pouring into the water at the far side. After they warmed up on the sunny rocks we wandered back to camp for lunch and then a siesta in the afternoon. We have now just finished another amazing dinner and we are heading to bed soon for some rest before our move to Moraine Camp tomorrow. Though the rest day was well deserved everyone is very excited to be heading up hill again.
Thanks for following along on our incredible expedition in the beautiful cordillera Blanca here in Peru.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
July 1, 2016 - 10:19 pm PT
A hint of storm moved in last night, with some more cloud, some more snow and a little wind. It looked like more wind up above on the crest of the West Buttress, but we aren't going up that way to find out until things improve. It was a quiet and restful storm day at 14K. Instead of carrying loads up high, we ate long meals in our dining tent, let our blisters heal and took naps. Call it an acclimatization day. We'll hope for some improvement tomorrow morning that allows us to sneak a carry in.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Monday, May 9, 2016 - 10:37 p.m. PDT
Today was our last full day on the lower slopes of Denali and it was a beautiful one. We had hopes to give Kahiltna Dome another shot but the weather remains the same with snow and low visibility. So we packed camp and made our way down the Kahiltna Glacier towards base camp. We passed a few teams on their way up, slowly moving under their heavy loads and exchanged the customary greetings. We had the nine mile trek down glacier almost all to ourselves and the silence was sublime! Things are quiet here on the lower Kahiltna as no team has flown on in a few days. It is indeed a rare day to have such silence and solitude, without the drone of the planes that regularly come and go. It has been a great trip with a great crew and many are counting the days until their return to give Denali a try.
RMI Guides Leon Davis and Mike King
What an amazing journey to the summit of Mt. Rainier, a majestic treasure of the lower 48.
Posted by: Lyn on 5/28/2025 at 3:46 pm
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