Entries from Kilimanjaro
Yesterday we had a wonderful albeit long day climbing to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
The team woke at 11pm to thankfully clear skies after a very cloudy evening that had us wondering what lay ahead.
We had a quick midnight breakfast of porridge, tea and coffee before hitting the trail at midnight.
The weather turned out to be pretty nice with just a little bit of wind, but it was a little chillier than previous climbs. The climb took about 6 1/2 hours to reach the top, and thankfully the sun had risen shortly before reaching the top to help warm us and boost morale after climbing through the chilly night. Once there, we hugged each other, enjoyed the view and took plenty of pictures while we waited in line to get our photos of the sign that adorns the summit.
It was a true test of endurance for most of the crew, and I'm really proud of everyone. We descended back to high camp, had a quick lunch, repacked and continued further down the mountain to our final camp on the mountain, where we had dinner and then headed to bed for some well deserved sleep.
Today we woke at 6:30 feeling good, had breakfast, then enjoyed a goodbye song and dance from our gracious crew of porters, cooks, and local guides numbering 48. We finished the little celebration by handing out their well deserved tips and then hit the trail one last time.
It took a little over three hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge.
Finally we are all safe and sound, and a little cleaner after an amazing seven-day journey up and down Kilimanjaro.
The team is currently relaxing and looking forward to Safari which starts tomorrow!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and a happy Kilimanjaro crew
January 27, 2019
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 15,000'
Saturday, January 27, 2019 - 11:04 PM PT
100% on top!!!!
The Roof of Africa!
All is well.
Sadly, the sat phone was too cold and died as soon as I turned it on. Bummer.
We are all safely back at High Camp after a cold climb of Kilimanjaro.
Short break here before we head down to our last camp.
Can’t wait to share pictures.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
On The Map
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. Can’t wait to see pictures and give you hugs. Enjoy the rest of of the adventure.
Posted by: Barbara Sluboski on 1/27/2019 at 7:23 pm
Way to go, Joe! Congrats to all of you on the expedition. Safe travels coming back!
Posted by: Aaron Williams on 1/27/2019 at 6:26 pm
January 26, 2019
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 15,000'
Jambo amigos!
Well we’ve finally arrived at our high camp, after a good night's rest and a short hike up to 15,000ft. It was mostly sunny all day with great views of Kili and our climbing route for tomorrow. The team is doing great and feeling well at this new altitude which is a good sign for things ahead.
We’ve just wrapped up lunch and discussed in great detail the plan for tomorrow’s climb. Everyone knows what we’ll be wearing and what will be in the pack as well as the schedule. Our game plan will be to wake at 11pm and have a quick breakfast at 11:30, then hopefully hit the trail right at midnight.
I’m expecting the team to reach the summit in seven hours or so if things go according to plan, and if the weather is in our favor.
The team is planning on making satellite phone calls from the summit to loved ones back home. So if you have a loved one with us please keep your phones handy and if you receive a call from a strange number please answer.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the summit bound Kili crew
On The Map
All the best on this last leg. Good weather and safe footing. From Ma, GG and Dawn
Posted by: Barbara Sluboski on 1/26/2019 at 8:22 pm
We are all sending good thoughts your way for tomorrow!
Posted by: Angi Merlone on 1/26/2019 at 2:58 pm
January 25, 2019
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 13,600'
Hello again everyone.
We had a slower start today to allow the many porters to hit the ever narrowing trail. Right out of camp we were faced with the only real technical obstacle right out of camp. This hurdle is the great Barranco Wall, which rises about 1,000 feet and looks as intimidating as it sounds. Thankfully there is a nice narrow trail that weaves its way up and through the wall and all the way to the top. Most of it feels more like steep hiking, but there are a few places that require the use of our hands to help us climb up.
The team did a good job of moving steady and allowing a few porters through with their loads precariously balanced on their heads. Which was astonishing to see!
After reaching the top we took a nice break and enjoyed the amazing views of the ice-ladened south face and valleys below. The team continued our hike for a few more hours up and down through a few valleys before reaching camp.
All in all, it took only about four hours for us to reach our next camp called Karanga, named for the big and beautiful valley which it overlooks and the peanuts that are grown far below in the valley.
We spent the remainder of the day relaxing and playing cribbage, which has been quite the hit.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the 2nd Kili crew
On The Map
Wow. Climbing that rock wall is more like crawling up. Wicked.! Wishing you all the best the rest of the way. Godspeed !!
Posted by: Barbara Sluboski on 1/25/2019 at 8:32 pm
Go team, go! Enjoy the views - the photos are great. Good work getting up the Wall! Safe travels -
Posted by: Rebecca Brown on 1/25/2019 at 3:31 pm
January 24, 2019
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 15,000'
All is well here on Kilimanjaro!
Once again we woke to beautifully clear skies with even better views of Kili and clouds obscuring the valleys below. Our morning ritual has been waking around 6:30 and getting everything in our tents packed up before heading into our very spacious dining tent for quite the feast. It was a bit chilly this morning, but soon enough the sun had us hiking in just our light layers.
We hit the trail once again around 8am and hiked for an hour before taking our usual 15 minute break, then back on the trail for another hour. All total today we hiked for just over six hours before reaching camp which is set up and ready for us. Eventually the clouds rolled in and obscured the mountain for the final few hours.
Along the way we passed around the famous and beautiful Lava Tower reaching just over 15,000ft setting new altitude records for some of the team. Everyone enjoyed the day and there was plenty of good conversations amongst the crew.
All in all it was a really nice day!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew
On The Map
Jambo everyone back home
We had much better day day on Kili today, thankfully waking to mostly clear skies. Seemed like everyone slept pretty well after a bit of exercise and 9hrs of tent time too.
We started the day waking at 6:30 to begin packing up before moving into our dining tent for a nice breakfast with porridge, fried eggs, toast, avocado and even some fresh fruit, and most importantly plenty of hot coffee.
We hit the trail shortly after 8 am and slowly made our way up the rocky trail that leads out of camp in the warmth of the sun. The trail climbs up a old volcanic ridge and eventually out of the trees and allowed for some nice views of the valley below. The team hiked for about four hours before reaching our next camp that sits on an old lava flow called the Shira Plateau. This plateau which formed a few million years ago sits just above tree-line, it was a bit cloudy when we arrived, so we had to wait till almost dinner to see some of the view and of course Kilimanjaro looming above us. Once settled at camp we were treated to a nice warm lunch and then hopped into our tents to relax.
The evening was full of great stories and another amazing dinner prepared by our more than gracious staff.
RMI Guide Casey Grom
On The Map
Awesome! So good to hear that you’re safe and had fun on your hike. Thanks for updating us. Felt like I was also with you on your adventure. Do you have blogs where are there are tips before climbing the mountain? Just like what I read in this post https://goshenisafaris.com/climbing-mt-kilimanjaro/ Would be really nice to read about it. Anyways, keep safe on your adventures!
Posted by: Krisan Sablaon on 4/26/2019 at 8:46 am
Following you all the way up…....safe footing God bless
Posted by: Barbara Sluboski on 1/23/2019 at 3:11 pm
January 22, 2019
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 9,890'
Hello Everyone:
The team got off to a moderately early start this morning leaving behind our beautiful lodge and have headed to the mountain towards the start of the climb.
We left around 8am and drove along the rural country side and small villages for two hours to reach the park entrance. Most of the area surrounding Kilimanjaro has been cultivated and primarily used for coffee production and for a variety of other agriculture needs, but there are still some areas that have been untouched and resemble more of a savannah that Tanzania is known for. The base of Kilimanjaro is more forested and looks more jungle like and is called a cloud forest.
Once we arrived at the gate we had all of our gear weighed and divided into loads for our 48 porters and other staff to carry before hitting the trail. Once everything was in order we started our climb slowly making our way up the winding trail that ascends continuously through the thick forest. The canopy is quite dense thankfully, which provided some cover from the rain that arrive around midday.
The team hiked for a little over five hours and managed to not get too wet before we reached our camp for the night that sits around 10,000ft.
After settling into camp and getting situated, the team was served a nice warm meal for dinner consisting of soup, rice, potatoes and steak.
Everyone is doing well and looking forward to a good night's rest.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and Kili crew
On The Map
Happy climbing…..wishing you good weather and sure steps on this wonderful adventure . Keep us posted. Godspeed !
Posted by: Barbara Sluboski on 1/22/2019 at 8:54 pm
Wishing you a safe and exciting adventure, thanks for the updates!!
Posted by: Judy on 1/22/2019 at 8:36 pm
Kilimanjaro trip number 2 for 2019 is underway!
The team arrived late last night after their long flights from the US and after a short drive to our lodge the team had a quick dinner and then headed for bed.
Today after a hearty breakfast the team met for RMI's official orientation where we did a round of introductions and discussed the upcoming plan for the next few day and the gear essential for our climb.
We spent the remainder of the day packing and relaxing here at this tranquil and private lodge that has numerous wild animals roaming the grounds. There are two different types of monkeys here, the Velvet and the Blue. Several Dik Dik that have been rescued, a few Guinea fowl, and we even managed to see a mongoose sneaking around today.
We are being well taken care of here at the Arumeru River Lodge by their gracious and kind staff.
Everyone is doing well and looking forward to a little uphill exercise tomorrow as we head to Kilimanjaro.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and Kili Team 2
Safe decent, to the team and my nephew Joey Merlone.
Uncle Chris.
Posted by: Chris Williams on 1/27/2019 at 6:05 pm
Be safe and enjoy.
Posted by: Louis Sikora on 1/22/2019 at 10:36 am
Hello everyone
We spent yesterday touring Tarangire National Park which is home to many elephants, in fact, it has more per square kilometer than any place on earth and it didn’t disappoint.
There were plenty of other animals as usual, and we got close to a few big giraffe, which was amazing plus a leopard sighting too.
We ended our day at a remote and off grid camp within the National Park and surrounded by wildlife. The camp has screened in rooms that allow the night sounds of Africa in and also last night's big thunderstorm.
It's been a memorable experience for everyone and great friendships forged. But finally it's time to return home to our families.
Jambo from RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!
Hello again everyone
After a good nights rest and rain all night, we were not sure what to expect after all the rain from the famous Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is roughly 100 square miles and is home to roughly 30,000 mammals that reside here year round, as its one of the few places that has natural springs and water year round. We started early with hopes of catching the big cats as they are more nocturnal animals.
We saw many hyenas, jackles, ostrich, plus countless other huge birds, and even manage to get close to a pride of 12 lions with very full bellies. There were 3 Black Rhino spotted also which was a highlight.
We wrapped up the day with a visit to a Maasai village not far from the craters rim. The Maasai people are a semi-nomadic tribe that exist almost entirely off of their cattle. The team spent time asking questions and enjoyed being shown around their small and simple village.
We have just finished another wonderful meal here at the Plantation Lodge and the team is off to bed after a long, but very rewarding day on safari.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the safari crew
Thanks so much for your regular blogs. They were wonderful for those of us who had a loved one in your group. You did a great job of reporting!
Posted by: Peggy Phipps on 1/18/2019 at 1:52 pm
You guys are awesome!! Looks like a great time, I love the updates and photos!! Thank you
Posted by: Judy Koppinger on 1/30/2019 at 6:57 am
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