Entries from Kilimanjaro

Hello everyone 

Right out of camp we were faced with the only significant technical obstacle for this climb. This hurdle is the great Barranco Wall, which rises about 1,000 feet and looks as intimidating as it sounds. Thankfully, there is a narrow trail that weaves its way up the wall and all the way to the top. Most of it feels like steep hiking, but there are a few places that require the use of our hands to help us climb up.

The team made incredible time and we were rewarded with tea and cookies on top. We took an extra long break to take in the amazing views of the ice laden south face of Kilimanjaro above and green valleys below. 

The team continued our hike for a few more hours up and down before reaching our end point. 

All in all, it took only about four hours for us to get to our next camp called Karanga, named for the big and beautiful valley which it overlooks. 

We enjoyed a restful afternoon - taking naps and playing cards to the sound of rain on our tents, made more sweet by the fact that we were inside and staying dry.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

Hi family and friends!

We woke up rested this morning finally starting to leave that jet lag behind.

After a delicious breakfast complete with fresh avocado, eggs, local yams and of course, pitchers of coffee, we hit the trail up a rocky ridge. The sun was shining but we watched the clouds build behind us all morning, crossing our fingers we’d make it to camp before the rains.

We walked above the trees, seeing our first views of the lush rainforest below and the snowy upper slopes of Kilimanjaro above. Everyone moved steady and fluid. We saw wild flowers and the first of many senecios trees. Making sure to take all the photos.

Just before arriving to camp, we stopped to put on our shell jackets and pants as the rain came. It was our lucky day because by the time we arrived at camp - the clouds had passed and the sun was peaking through. After a wonderful lunch at Shira Camp, we worked to dry out all our wet gear in preparation for a big day tomorrow.

This team is special and we know this experience is as well. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Casey Grom and the crew

We awoke early today and left behind the comforts of our beautiful lodge and have headed to the mountain towards the start of the climb. Starting shortly before 8am we drove along the rural country side for about an hour and half 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 resembles a jungle or cloud forest. Traditionally it supports a large part of the banana production for this area.

Once at the gate we had all of our gear weighed and divided into loads for our porters to carry before hitting the trail. Once everything was in order we started our climb slowly making our way up the winding trail. The team hiked for a little over five hours to reach our camp for the night. Everyone did great and enjoyed finally getting some much needed exercise.

Unfortunately there was some more rain, but thankfully not as much as last weeks climb had to deal with. 

After settling in the team was served a nice warm meal and then headed off to bed for a nice full night of rest.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the # 2 Kili crew.

Casey Grom here checking in with RMI's Kilimanjaro Climb # 2 of 2024!

All is well here in Tanzania and most of the team arrived yesterday morning after some very long flights. It was a short and uneventful ride to our Lodge that is nestled in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of Kilimanjaro. The team spent the day relaxing and getting adjusted to the nearly 12hr time change.

We had a leisurely morning today and had our first official meeting at 8:30 where we did a round of introductions and then discussed the program for the coming days ahead. We spent the remainder of the day getting our gear packed up, exploring the grounds of our Lodge, which is incredibly peaceful and has monkeys running around keeping us entertained.

We wrapped up the evening with another delicious meal and plenty of friendly conversations. Everyone is doing well and excited to hit the trail tomorrow and get a little bit of exercise.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew # 2

Hello everyone!
After a bit of 4 wheeling and stellar driving we made our way through Tarangire National Park, which is known for its abundant elephants. In fact, it has more per square mile than any place on earth. However, with all the rain Tanzania has been receiving lately, there weren't nearly as many gathered around the river that flows through Tarangire, but we still saw a few. 
There were plenty of other animals to see though. We saw a few Giraffes, lots of Impalas, 7 lions, and a ton of birds, including a pair of the rare Verreaux's Eagle Owl. We ended our day at a beautiful and remote off grid camp. It's a tented camp that lies inside the park with medium size screened in rooms that allow the night sounds of Africa in. 
Tomorrow we’ll have an early departure to increase our chances of seeing Cheetahs and Leopards, as they have still eluded us. 
Casey and the Safari crew!

Today, we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater, considered by some to be the 8th wonder of the world. The crater is roughly 100 square miles and is home for more than 25’000 animals that have taken up residence. We hit the road early with hopes of catching a few more animals before the heat of the day sent them in search of shade.

There were many sightings today of hyenas, jackals, ostrich, and countless other birds. We manage to see a ton of Lions including one large female up close.

The team also managed to see quite a few Black Rhinos, although not as close as we would have hoped for.

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.

Casey and the safari crew

Safari time!

Today was the first day of safari for us and we headed east to visit Lake Manyara, which is know for its tree climbing lions, flamingos, and more than 400 different species of birds.

We had a nice day viewing the wildlife that hardly seemed to notice us, despite being only feet away at times.

We didn't manage to see any of those famous lions, but we had a very close encounter with Elephants. Nothing dangerous, but they passed close enough that we could have almost touched them.

We did manage to see zebras, Cape buffalo, giraffe, baboons, impalas and so many birds we lost count. It was a pretty nice introduction to the incredible bio-diversity that Africa has, and everyone enjoyed the day riding around in our safari vehicles.

We wrapped up the evening here at the beautiful Plantation Lodge with a wonderful meal and great conversations.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the safari team

It’s a miracle!!!

Rain and snow clouds. But this team stuck with it. 

100% on top

Everyone doing well and headed back to high camp. 

All team members safely down to high camp and doing well. 

Everyone is tired, which feels about right. 

Packing up, then a huge lunch, then we’ll make our way down to some thick air at Mweka camp. 

It’s also raining again! 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the summiteers

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Greetings from High Camp!

Today we woke to the sound of rain drops on the tent. Which you’d think we’d be accustomed to at this point, but thankfully the rain stopped as we were having breakfast. We had a relatively nice three hour hike to High Camp with a brief view of Kili looming high above. Everyone did great and the team is feeling good. 

The team has just wrapped up lunch and discussed in great detail the plan for tomorrow’s climb. Everyone knows what we’ll be wearing, 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. The team has been doing great thus far and I’m expecting us to reach the summit in seven to eight hours if things go according to plan.

Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kilimanjaro summit bound team!

Hello Everybody. 

Team is still moving uphill here on Kilimanjaro. We thankfully had a few hours this morning of dry weather before the rains returned. It was a blessing for sure, since our only major obstacle for the climb was right out of camp. The Barranco wall was mostly dry and allowed the team to navigate this steeper section more comfortably. 

The team hiked for about four hours plus a few short breaks to reach our new camp for the night called Karanga, which overlooks a large beautiful valley. Unfortunately everything is obscured by the thick clouds and rain. But it’s good to be at camp where there is plenty of hot drinks and warm food to help make us more comfortable. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the swim team!