Entries from Kilimanjaro

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - 1:55 am PT

Jambo from 10,000 ft on Mt Kilimanjaro.  The start to our expedition went just as smoothly as it could possibly go.  We were up and eating breakfast at Rivertrees by 7 AM and on the road by 8:15.  Traffic on the main highway wasn’t too bad and we made fine progress, reaching the Machame gate to the National Park by 10 AM.  There, at 6000 ft, we made final preparations for walking and we waited while the finishing touches were made on our climbing permit.  By 11 AM, everything was set and we set out walking.  We followed VV -one of our four local guides- into the rain forest.  The weather was cloudy and humid but as we walked, there was enough clearing that we had occasional blue sky and sunshine through the big trees.  Gradually the trail steepened and we began to make real progress.  We stopped for snacks and rest breaks several times over the course of the five and a half hours it took to reach Machame Camp.  Just out of the rainforest, we’ve graduated to the Giant Heather zone.  Our support team established a fine camp and welcomed us in late afternoon.  The blue skies were gone by then and the clouds had thickened up again.  We got settled in for dinner in our dining tent at 6:30, just as it got dark.  In the end it was a big day from start to finish and nobody lingered for very long following dinner.  Between lingering jet lag and all of the hard work, the team was quite ready for a first night in the tents. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

After a few days of unsettled weather on the mountain, the Four Day Climb August 5 - 8 was able to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier led by RMI Guides Alan Davis and Jack Delaney.  The teams reached the crater rim around 6:30 am PT and enjoyed an hour in the crater.  They will return to Camp Muir for a quick stop before continuing down to Paradise this afternoon.  We look forward to seeing the teams back at BaseCamp later today.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Monday, August 7, 2023 - 6:48 pm PT

Our team got busy with getting ready today.  We met after breakfast in the garden-like compound of our hotel  -Rivertrees.  The huge fig trees along the Usa River throw plenty of shade and make for a fine playground for various troupes of monkeys.  Our meeting delved into the particulars of how the climb on Kilimanjaro will flow and just how we will prepare for it.  The team then dispersed to their rooms for gear checks and ultimately packing and weigh-ins.  The afternoon was spent in this way, and with a few naps and cups of tea in the garden thrown in.  Having mostly come from the west coast of North America, our gang is thoroughly jet-lagged.  It was exciting in the evening to greet Brent Okita and his successful team of Kili climbers as they returned to the hotel.  We then enjoyed our dinner -the last before the big event- while on the other side of the dining area, they enjoyed theirs as a victory dinner. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Aug 7, 2023 1:55PM PT

A sound sleep and much needed recovery was had by the team after our descent to Mweka Gate and the thin air of 6,000'. Negotiating a slick, slippery path down the 4000' to our waiting bus and celebratory lunch proved tricky, but no casualties were had.

We said our goodbyes to our new friends who supported us this week on Kilimanjaro. We all welcomed the showers, dancing, and comfort at our hotel - plus the ability to connect with friends and family.

Tomorrow our safari begins the second half of our adventure. Catch you then!

Brent

August 6, 2023 12:28PM PT

By late afternoon, our Kilimanjaro climbing team had formed up in Usa River, Tanzania.  Not without some missed flights and reroutes of course… and the airlines are still hanging on to one duffel bag of gear, but the team is together and ready to launch this adventure.  We began with a pleasant dinner outside in the garden of the Rivertrees Inn.  There were certainly some yawns and bleary eyes from jet lag, but we also shared some good laughs and a few somber and serious moments as the nine of us introduced ourselves and tried to explain why Kilimanjaro has come to mean so much in our lives.  We’ll get into the nuts and bolts of packing and prepping for the mountain tomorrow…

after a little sleep and some morning coffee. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Summit day! Waking up at 11:30pm the moon and stars were in full force. Everyone was nervous and excited to start climbing. After breakfast we began. As we ascended the altitude and cold really challenged us.  Finally, the horizon started getting light as sunrise greeted us. As we got to Stella Point fantastic views of the crater showed up, bathed in the early morning sun. The climb to the summit, Uhuru Peak, was beautiful as we traversed past the summit icefields. The climb was tough, but to be expected of a 19,340' mountain.

RMI Guide Brent Okita

Saturday, August 5, 2023 - 9:38 pm PT

Hey, this is Brent Okita with the RMI Kilimanjaro team. We are on the summit of Kilimanjaro right now. It's, oh, I don't know what time it is, a couple of hours after sunrise.  We have a beautiful day up here. Everyone did great and we are looking forward to coming down and celebrating. Congratulations to the whole team. All right, that's all for now from the summit of Kilimanjaro, 19,340'. We will talk to you later.

Barafu Camp 15,200’

We're here! High camp on Kilimanjaro where we'll be going for the summit tonight.

The walk here was straight forward and everyone is in good shape. We again walked like the seasoned climbers that we have become.

It's busy on the mountain and even our amazing camp staff couldn’t hold the prime spot we usually use this time around. It's hard work supporting us climbers. Not only is our entire camp transported each day, but something as simple as water needs to be brought in from someplace. Today at Barafu, the porters must go back to Karanga Camp, then another 30 minutes just supply us. How amazingly strong and hard workers our porters are, and so kind and generous too! 

Today we’ll have a hearty lunch, followed by a very light dinner so we can hit the sack by 6:00. Our plan is to wake up at 11:30 pm and be walking at 12:30 am. This should allow us to hit the summit rim around sunrise, and the summit, Uhuru Point an hour later.

Wish us luck! I'll be in touch at the summit.

RMI Guide Brent Okita & Team

We awoke to clear views around camp, a nice change from yesterday's cold, wet cloud that enveloped us. On stage was the Baranco Wall, our first climb. The crew had no problem with the 8:00 start, though there was some anxiety because the trail up the Wall seemed to cling to a vertical rock face. Only after getting onto the Wall was it clear that the climbing is pretty manageable, with just a handful of spots that demanded our keen attention. To safeguard the passage of each team member we always had a guide or two present at each of these spots. By the top of the Wall big smiles were plastered on everyone's faces. I think we all had fun on this stretch. As a reward we had a surprise at the top. Our camp staff had set up a table with tea and snacks for us, which we enjoyed under the mighty presence of the Heiman glacier and the upper reaches of Kilimanjaro. Two hours later we rolled into camp.

Another wonderful lunch is sitting in our bellies as we spend a relaxing afternoon reading, writing, or just relaxing. We're saving energy for our hike to high camp and our climb tomorrow night.

The summit is getting close!

RMI Guide Brent Okita & Team

Our day started in the cloud layer we were hoping to escape, but clear weather seemed imminent. An hour later we finally found sunshine. What was really cool today was that Ken was able to rejoin our team at Shira Camp last night after his health improved following a major GI problem.

The Shira Plateau we were ascending was far gentler on our legs and lungs than yesterday's climb. This was nice since we had a long way to go today. Our destination: Barranco Camp. But first we had to get past Lava Tower, 15,200'. The team climbed well on this terrain and by noon we were feasting on the sack lunches prepared by our kitchen staff. The descent into the Barranco Valley proved just as beautiful as I recall. We're hoping this cold mist at camp goes away with the coming evening so we can enjoy this beautiful camp. This might be my favorite.

Goodnight from Barranco Camp. The dinner bell is about to sound.

RMI Guide Brent Okita and Team