Entries from Kilimanjaro
Another big day out in East Africa. It was tough to leave the comfortable Plantation Lodge this morning, but we had things to do and places to see. We stopped for some plain old tourism in the morning--shopping for gifts and souvenirs. Next up was a visit to a Maasai village. The Maasai are famous among the many tribes of Tanzania for holding onto their traditional ways. The villagers demonstrated their chanting and singing. They showed how high they could jump and invited our team to join in the competition. They brought us into the central corral, built of thorny branches and trees arranged in a tight circle, where their cattle are protected from predators each night. After demonstrating building a fire without matches, they explained a little of how their families are structured and welcomed us into their well-built but very small homes made of sticks, mud and dung. Our team tried bargaining for some of the handmade craft pieces the Maasai women were offering and then we got on the road for Tarangire National Park.
Tarangire is a vast park encompassing three parallel river courses. As soon as we were past the giant baobab trees that mark the park entrance, we began seeing zebra, impala and wildebeest in such numbers that we began taking these animals for granted. We got selective, only wanting to slow down for giraffes and elephants. None of us were casual or blasé about seeing a big sleepy leopard draped over the branches of an acacia tree. He or she (there was some debate) was exceedingly beautiful. We spied a lioness watching the world from a camouflaged clump of brush on a riverbank. And we saw many elephant families of mothers with their young ranging from 6 months to a year or two. We watched them feed and rest in the shade, we saw them using their trunks as straws to pull water from underground. We saw grassy savannas and thickets of trees and palms. Essentially we saw wildlife and wilderness from horizon to horizon. When we were deep within the park, we entered Balloon Camp, our lodging for this, our final evening together. We savored an evening watching sunset, moonrise and “bush television” (a campfire) before dinner.
The adventure isn’t finished just yet, we still hope for new discoveries in the morning...but everyone has airplanes to catch at some point tomorrow.
Best Regards,
Dave Hahn
It was cloudy and cool at Plantation Lodge when we set out at 7 this morning. And it was cloudier and cooler still when we reached the rim of the giant collapsed volcano that we intended to spend the day inside of. We each had jackets or sweaters on as Fabian and Godson brought the Landcruisers down the steep and exposed road into the Ngorongoro caldera. We began seeing wildlife immediately. Herds (big herds) of wildebeest, zebra and Cape buffalo. We went on the prowl, looking for big cats and rhinos. This would be our only opportunity to see black rhinos... but we came up empty on that score. Those guys were a little too shy to come into range of our binoculars. We did see some cats -big and small- there was a serval cat and there were some lions. We got a look at a lioness staring intently through the grass at some unsuspecting buffalo. And ultimately we saw two full grown male lions lounging on what turned out to be a sunny afternoon. We saw hippos and elephants and secretary birds and bustards. There were hyenas and jackals and vultures. By day’s end, we were barely turning our heads to see gazelles as they’d become too run of the mill and common. We saw plenty of other Toyota Landcruisers -it is high season for tourism after all. We crisscrossed the crater and bounced over darn near every dirt road, still standing with our heads out the tops of the vehicles at 5 PM trying to see every last critter and geological wonder we could. Finally we escaped the caldera and came home to our comfy hotel. We watched the sun set and the moon rise, had a relaxing and reminiscing outdoor happy hour before a fine dinner in the dining room.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Beds are a wonderful invention. That seemed to be the consensus view shared over breakfast at the Arumeru River Lodge this morning. Leaving for Safari was certainly easier and more casual than leaving to climb Kilimanjaro was. We drove west through Arusha starting just after 8 AM and after all the traffic and stoplights it was a relief to break into the open countryside beyond the city. Our two Landcruiser drivers are also our two naturalists and guides. Godson and Fabian began educating us on Tanzania in general, on the Maasai Tribe (since we are passing through much Maasai territory) on trees and animals and geography.
It took the morning to reach Lake Manyara, our National Park for the day. We popped the tops on the cars and stood hanging over the edges with cameras and binoculars in hopes of seeing exotic critters. We weren’t disappointed. There were Cape Buffalo and a few shy elephants. There were giraffes and wildebeest and zebra. Storks, pelicans, flamingos, vultures and ibis. We saw monkeys and baboons. Folks liked the hippos out rolling in lily-covered wallows, yawning and grunting and flipping their tails.
After a great picnic lunch, we drove a few more rough dirt road laps through forest and the lake shore and then in late afternoon drove out of the park and up the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley to our hotel -the Plantation Lodge. The contrast with our dusty camps of the past week could not be greater. Plantation is a beautiful garden surrounding with tastefully constructed and furnished rooms. The dining room and bar are comfortable enough, with such friendly service, that a few of our team are now considering simply living here indefinitely. They can do that after tomorrow though, because we’re going out exploring again... Ngorongoro Crater is calling us.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
A night at "low" altitude in 10,000 ft Mweka Camp did us a world of good. The team showed up at 7 AM breakfast rested and ready for anything. What we got was more perfect weather. We did our "gratitude ceremony" with our 49 man staff just before setting out for our final walk. The lead guides made a few speeches, gratuities were distributed, hands got shaken and then we got to the good part... our staff sang, danced and clapped hands as we joined in. We got on the trail at 8:30 and instantly were back into the thick and shady forests. The trail was about as good as it could be, but there were still slippery and slick stretches on some steep inclines. We each navigated these obstacles with great care but invariably up to a dozen porters carrying heavy loads on their heads would come thundering down the wet trail at flank speed to pass as we slowed down. It only took us about 2 1/2 hours to drop the four thousand feet to the Mweka Gate. We were lucky enough to see a few black and white Colobus monkeys up in the big trees on the way. Our bus was ready and waiting to take the team a few minutes away from the gate for a fine picnic lunch before the big drive back to the Arumeru River Lodge. Each of us was happy to be finishing, but sad to be saying goodbye to the staff who’d helped us in immeasurable ways.
After a few hours on the highway -studying Tanzania from the windows- we rolled into our lodge at 3 PM. Folks went straight for the showers and then stayed pretty busy for the rest of the first afternoon back in the comfortable world. We prepped a bit for Safari, some visited the mountain staff in their nearby homes, some went through e-mail and photos. We got together for a victory dinner outside on a patio under the stars. The hotel surprised us with a celebratory Kilimanjaro cake and some fine singing.
Everybody is excited at the prospect of sleeping in a bed tonight... but we won’t be sleeping late in the morning. Our Safari begins bright and early.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
August 11, 2019
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 19,340'
--Update--
Wake up was at 11:30 PM last night, breakfast was at midnight. We set off for the summit at 12:45 AM in perfect conditions for climbing. It was cool at 15,000 ft Barafu Camp, but not terribly cold. The sky was clear and the air was calm. As expected, there were plenty of teams going for the top, but we didn’t encounter much in the way of traffic jams. We went 90 minutes before our first rest break and then kept it to just ten minutes so as not to get too cold. Basically, we climbed for nearly six hours in the dark with the air getting progressively thinner and colder. The team handled it all quite well and we rolled onto the crater rim at Stella Point at 6:30 AM, just as the sun tipped over the horizon. We had a magnificent walk along the crater rim in the light of the new day, arriving at the true summit, Uhuru, at 7:24 AM. It was time for a few hero shots and handshakes. We spent nearly a half hour at Africa’s highest point and then began the big descent to thicker air. We dropped down dusty scree fields and pulled back into high camp at 10:45 AM. It was a relief to get out of all the cold weather clothing, since it was now hot, and back into hiking clothes.
Our staff served us up a great “brunch” and then we packed up once again and skedaddled. We got headed down at 12:30 PM and dropped a further 5,000 vertical feet to reach Mweka Camp at the start of the forest. To be sure, our gang worked hard and folks were tired, but everybody made it in to camp by 4:00 PM, which is quite a respectable finish to a big day. Appetites are returning, headaches are fading and hopes are high for a full night of sleep in low altitude, well humidified air. People are starting to talk about showers...the end is near.
We did great things today, but not without a huge boost from our local staff. From our guides, to the kitchen crew, and porters.. many went the “extra mile” in every sense to help us achieve, and enjoy, our dream.
Best Regards,
Dave Hahn
--Original Post--
Hey this is Dave Hahn calling from Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. We summitted today. We were on top of Uhuru, the highest point in Africa, at about 20 minutes after 7 this morning 25 minutes after 7. Pretty good - excellent conditions, nice and calm, beautiful day. Now it's ten minutes after 11 in the morning and we are back at High Camp. We are going to rest up here a little bit and then go down to Mweka Camp, way down there at 10,000 feet. That will be a full day. We have been up since 11:30 last night. I'll check in when w are down at Mweka Camp. We are all good here.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls to report reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro.
On The Map
August 10, 2019
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 15,200'
Another day of perfect weather on Kilimanjaro. We’re starting to feel lucky. A few of the team ventured out in the dark last night to capture long exposure shots of the night sky and the moonlit mountain. At dawn we were far above the clouds and in perfectly calm and clear conditions. We set out from 13,300' Karanga Camp around 9:00 AM on a moderate but steady grade. Before long we reached the end of any vegetation and came into the Alpine zone. Without tree cover, we could see all of our neighboring expeditions and all of their associated porters moving as if in some mass migration. Hundreds of people with loads on their backs and or heads, all moving steadily toward Barafu Camp (Swahili for “ice”) at 15,000'. We arrived in short order at 11:30 AM, with everybody feeling strong. Our purposely easy afternoon was spent lounging about, eating, drinking and prepping for tonight’s summit bid. Normally folks lose their appetite at altitude, but Chef Tosha prepared a fine spaghetti dinner and none of our team let it go to waste. After dinner, it was a tough thing to quit watching the beautiful sunset and fading light, but the gang retired to the tents early. We’ll be up in just a handful of hours for our alpine start and a climb to the Roof of Africa.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The climb sounds like so much fun. Wish I could traveled with you all. Wishing all well as you reach the top.
Posted by: Cynthia Chitwood on 8/11/2019 at 5:54 am
I am enjoying the blog and what an incredible journey! Can’t wait to hear all about your experiences especially reaching the summit….Michael Shannon!
Posted by: Dona Marrah on 8/10/2019 at 10:52 am
August 9, 2019
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 13,160'
We slept in this morning... to the decadent hour of 7:00 AM. The idea was to let the majority of porter traffic get out ahead of us so as to reduce traffic jams on the route up the "Great Barranco Wall". It was easy to go for the slow start in such a beautiful place. The morning light show as the sun found its way into our deep valley and the surface of the cloud sea below us was magical. We left camp at 9:30 and promptly found the traffic jam we’d hoped to avoid. The route begins with a system of rock ledges and small but steep scrambles so there are a number of natural "choke points". Generally we try to let porters have the right of way since they are balancing heavy loads on their heads and moving much faster than we will go. But it is high season and there were hundreds of porters and climbers tackling the wall at once. We waited on a few of the more spacious ledges and eventually made it to the more open middle sections of the wall (where the climbing is really just steady uphill hiking). It was a thrill to top out the wall and have the big views of Kibo and the hanging ice fields and glaciers above us. Then the hiking became routine and beautiful as we traversed under the mountain’s south side and came to the steep-sided Karanga Valley. It didn’t take us very long to go down one side and up the other to get to Karanga Camp at 2:00 PM. This camp is on a broad and open slope with unobstructed views of both the mountain above and the world around us. Mt. Meru, our 15,000 ft volcanic neighbor is prominent out to the West. Our afternoon followed a now familiar pattern, meals and naps interspersed. Coming out of the dining tent after dinner, we were all mesmerized by the stars above and the lights of Tanzania below.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
August 8, 2019
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 13,030'
Morning at 12,600 ft was cold and frosty... and beautiful from Shira Camp. Partway through our breakfast, the sun found its way over Kilimanjaro and warmed us right up. Conditions were perfect for walking when we set out at 8:20 AM. Our route took us directly in toward Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s towering central peak. The terrain was easier than the rocky narrow track we were on yesterday. This was gently rising, wide open juniper and sagebrush. Within a few hours we were breaking altitude records as we passed 14 and then 15,000 ft. At 15,200 ft we’d reached our goal, the Lava Tower. Clouds had come over, making us notice the cool air, but the weather wasn’t unpleasant, by any means. We sat for a good half hour, enjoying a fine lunch spread presented on a Maasai picnic blanket by our camp staff. Then we shifted gears and walked downhill for a couple thousand feet into the garden-like Barranco Valley full of Sceneccios and Lobelias. We pulled into camp at 3:20, making for seven hours and our biggest day yet. Then it was time to snack and rest and gaze up at tomorrow’s challenge... the Great Barranco Wall.
After dinner, our staff surprised Mike Winiarski with a perfectly prepared and presented birthday cake. The guys sang in English and Swahili as we all laughed and clapped along. Mike admitted that it was a birthday he wouldn’t soon forget.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
So proud of both Bob’s and the view of the stars above and the city below must be amazing. Tried to make u both out in the pics, but its hard to do, except for the glimpses of one set of hands moving in a very animated manner and that has to be my husband. Miss u both!
Posted by: Cindy Gervey on 8/9/2019 at 1:22 pm
Thanks for the updates and photos. Good luck tomorrow and a special big shout-out to Bob Brothers! Keep having fun!
Posted by: Iwona Piatkowska on 8/8/2019 at 5:19 pm
August 7, 2019
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 12,600'
We were treated to another clear morning -above Machame Camp at least- there was a sea of clouds below, but that didn’t bother anybody. We enjoyed a 7:15 breakfast and by 8 AM we were ready for walking. John, the lead guide on our local staff, formally introduced us to the fifty man team of porters, cooks, tent builders, waiters and guides helping to get us up Kilimanjaro. The team sent us off with a song as everybody clapped and danced along.
The trail started out immediately more steep and rugged than yesterday’s route. We gained altitude quickly in a forest of giant heather. Ultimately we reached a ridge crest and followed it for several hours, still steadily gaining height. The final hour involved a traverse out to the left where the hike became a mild scramble requiring good hand and footholds on the rock. We reached a high point at around 12,900 ft as we turned a corner onto the Shira Plateau and then it was an easy downhill stroll into camp at 12,600 ft. We reached Shira Camp near 1:00 in the afternoon and so had most of the afternoon for resting, eating and drinking. As with yesterday, things clouded up by midday and this time we had brief rain showers in the afternoon, which just made it a little easier to nap inside the tents. The clouds melted away by evening and we were treated to a fine sunset and great views of 15,000 ft Mt. Meru off on the western horizon.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
From first light this morning at the Arumeru River Lodge, Kilimanjaro could be seen towering in the distance, free of the normal cloud cover. The purists in the group maintained that the air was still "a little hazy" but the rest of us were simply thankful for the view and the chance to start our climb without rain in the air and mud on the trail. We’d finished breakfast and the “duffel shuffle” by 8 AM and so we loaded up on our bus for the 90 minute ride to the park entrance. The team stayed alert for the ride, alternating between staring at the rapidly growing mountain on the horizon and watching the Tanzanians beginning their day in the towns and villages along the highway. The bus began to climb as we drove up through banana and coffee plantations at the base of the big volcano. At the 6,000 ft Machame Gate to the park, we hopped out and got ready for walking. We were on the trail in perfect conditions at 10:40 AM. Freddy -one of our most experienced local guides- led the way and set the pace. We followed, marveling at the thick and lush forest. Eventually, in the early afternoon, cumulus clouds formed just above us and took away the sunlight that had been sneaking down through the foliage. The air got quite humid and although we were climbing steadily and getting into cooler air, we each did a fair bit of sweating. We took rest breaks each hour or so and in about five hours time we rolled into Machame Camp at nearly 10,000 ft. The team was a little amazed at how much work had been done by our support staff in building camp and making things comfortable and easy for our arrival. We enjoyed afternoon tea and ultimately Chef Tosha’s excellent dinner in the dining tent. The clouds cleared away and we came out to find a display of stars and moon and Milky Way that far exceeded the home view many of our team have access to. Day one went just fine in every way.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Previous Page
Next Page
Well done!! Jeff Tracy, we willl celebrate at Boma at WDW in your honor tonight!-Team Falls
Posted by: Team Falls on 8/12/2019 at 4:57 am
Congratulations, Mike, to you, your team, your RMI guide, and the staff on reaching the summit!
Posted by: Pat Winiarski on 8/11/2019 at 2:12 pm
View All Comments