Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater, and considered by many to be the 8th natural wonder of the world. The crater is what remains of a once massive volcano that erupted and collapsed on itself, leaving behind a giant caldera that's almost exactly 100 square miles. Every time we've visited the crater it's been excitingly different, and today was the same. 

We were able to see several lions up close and two still feasting on last night dinner! As we made our way around the crater we saw tons of other wildlife, zebras, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, jackals, Giselles, countless large birds. It was an incredible day to say the least, and I'm certain one that won't be forgotten by anyone. 

We finished the evening here at the Plantation Lodge and are looking forward to what tomorrow may bring as we head to Tarangire National Park. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew

I had a reprieve from the blog yesterday as I was focused on my wife’s birthday…and I forgot to write it . Happy birthday again Tory, I love you and miss you and never want to be this far away from you, we all send birthday wishes from South America! 

Today we moved to Camp 2 at 18,000' feet, Camp Guanaco, and we could not be more pleased. I think Dom’s description yesterday of the wind at Camp 1 can be expanded upon and I would contrast it to each sorry climber having their own miniature tornado that follows you and continually gut punches you while yelling the the lyrics of Achy Breaky Heart over and over for which you cannot escape. Trying to relieve yourself of #1 merely winds up on your boots regardless of the direction you are facing, leaving you with a frozen reminder of your wonderful experience at Camp 1. 

Anyway, today I woke up to less wind and clear skies. I unzipped my sleeping bag fully taking in the aromas that I had deposited there over the last several days, too afraid to search my foot box for a dead Guanaco. After wiping the tears from my eyes and checking my pulse, I exited my tent to experience these clear skies. No headache and feeling cocky, I walked 30 feet up a ridge line to celebrate my fitness, only to experience my heart rate jumping from 70 to 130, altitude humbling me again. We had Argentinian bagels with bacon and cream cheese, a familiar flavor I thought I may have experienced before (yesterday). We packed up and headed out, feeling stronger than the previous day. Porters passed us without effort, carrying so much gear they looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Our carry was leisurely, a lot of photos and selfies, and pats on the back. Major daily decisions were beginning to materialize: should I brush my teeth today, weather windows to relieve ourselves, drinking, eating, should I use my wet wipes or help my team out by signaling my presence so they don’t lose track of me- my daughter and I share similar views on these important questions in the wilderness. 

We arrived at Camp Guanaco early afternoon. We were welcomed by the German team (not really) broadcasting their Rave music across camp with a beat totally out of sync with our slow deliberate movements sparking visions of some remote college parties gone terribly wrong that I will go into no further detail. Privacy and individual space were no more, tents packed together, no one using their inside voices, and now sharing common areas/domes with other climbers- but no one yearned for the miniature tornadoes again. 

There is an international feel to Camp 2, and with that comes an international difference in manners and hospitalities. I felt a need to share my thoughts on proper etiquette by covering up when sneezing or coughing, yelling in close proximity contributes to mountain sickness, and if a person is standing in front of you you can’t just walk through them. My attempt at conforming behavior inside the dome was brushed off, so after I took the non-conformists out at the knees and made them kiss the hand, I quietly exited the dome a champion celebrated by my team, like something out of a Marvel movie. We ate our dinner, breaking down the flavors and spices of our culinary experience, shared our desired and current superpowers, if you could drink only 5 drinks the rest of your life out of your fingers what would they be, then resigned to our tents for reading, audio books, and movies on our phones. 

I don’t know if any of the above events actually occurred as the altitude is clearly impacting my thought processes and disinhibiting my frontal lobe. But I will share with you that my chosen Marvel name is Land Shark, and my alias is Jack Handy. My team are Thanos killers, but will settle for summiting Aconcagua if she smiles on us and deems us worthy. In the end, I don’t even know who plays Land Shark and puts on that androgynous hood, but I love that Saturday Night Live lore and I am bringing it back, much to the dismay of my coworkers and family. Goodnight everyone.

RMI Climber Brian Goltry

Three for three! The seminar team had another successful climb this morning, topping out their last climb of the trip and Ecuador’s tallest peak: Chimborazo (20,561’). Fresh snow and cold temps made for challenging climbing conditions, but the team was rewarded with a calm summit sunrise and spectacular views of the surrounding volcanoes. Now off the mountain, the team is enjoying some rest and relaxation at Abraespungo before making the migration back to Quito for a final wrap up of the expedition. 

RMI Guide Mike Bennett

Last night, after a successful arrival, our Mexico Volcanos team assembled at our lovely Hotel Geneve in the Zona Rosa district of Mexico City. 

We ran through intros and headed out to the local taco bar. 

The team is stoked and ready to head to our first volcano, La Malinche!

RMI Guides Joe Hoch and Lacie Smith

Day 1 of Safari took us to Lake Manyara, which is known for its tree climbing lions, more than 400 different species of birds, and it’s close proximity to Arusha.

We had a nice day viewing the wildlife that hardly seemed to notice us, despite being only feet away at times. Thankfully our safari driver Frank assured us it wasn’t dangerous.
We didn't manage to see any of those famous lions, but we had several very close encounters with many elephants, they passed close enough that we could have almost touched them. It was surreal to say the least.

We did manage to see a few giraffe, hundreds of Baboons, Impalas, Zebras, Cape buffalo, Warthogs and many birds. It was a pretty nice introduction to the incredible animal diversity that Africa has, and everyone enjoyed the day riding around in our safari vehicles with the top popped up and the wind on our faces.

We wrapped up the evening here at the beautiful Plantation Lodge with a wonderful meal and reminiscing about the day.

Check out our beautiful lodge!


RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari team.

Saturday, January 18, 2025 - 3:35 pm PT

We are settled into bed at Chimborazo High Camp. The afternoon was a little stormy, with off and on graupel storms and a few lightning strikes in the distance. However, right now it is only partly cloudy and the mountain peaks out from time to time.

The road has gotten long, and we have done a nice job of adapting to the uncertainty of climbing big mountains in a country with sometimes precarious infrastructure. Challenges have included BUT HAVE NOT BEEN LIMITED TO: bumpy car rides, food-borne illnesses, rapid ascent to high altitude, trying to get a table for 15 weary people to eat lunch and so on.

Now, we face one last mountaineering challenge, and the group is up for it. If the current weather holds, we will make our attempt tonight! However it shakes out, the group can be proud of everything they have learned throughout this trip.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier

Yesterday’s blog was about awe; this one is about how awe-full the fricken wind can be sometimes. As we nestled into our sleeping bags for the night we traded the guitars, laughter, and bustle of Basecamp with freight train after freight train of wind roaring down valley at us in Camp 1. It’s such a unique thing to hear, wind a couple kilometers away from you raging at you until finally WHOOSH you get the brunt of it all at once. I’d look over at Ben every once in a while as I held up my side of the tent with my hand. Nothing but log cutting as flaps of fabric tapped him on the head like an impatient toddler. “ Good for him” I thought.
We awoke with wind still howling and a full day of climbing ahead of us. Cold, cutting wind ever present as we saddled up and head out for our carry to camp 2. The wind only intensified as we worked our way up the switch backs to The col between Ameghino, a towering 19,300 ft peak, and Aconcagua, the stone sentinel. But eventually reaching beyond the col and catching our first glimpse of this side of the mountain. La Mano, Mercedario, Link, Fitzgerald, they just keep going, each a staggering peak in their own right and eye candy for the remainder of our climb to camp 2. We reached our destination, said a quick happy Birthday to Tori, and headed back down to the “comfort” of our camp 1 site. We can’t wait to be up at camp 2 and were hoping for a little less wind tonight.

To all family members or blog followers, we’re pretty trivia obsessed right now so give us your best.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli
 

Saturday, January 18, 2025 - 6:23 am PT

We’re back!

Yesterday’s climb was tough. Possibly the hardest climb of Kilimanjaro I’ve had out of 34 trips. It was very windy and cold all night as we tried to rest at high camp and unfortunately it continued howling for the majority of the climb. It took us about eight hours to successfully stand on the “Roof of Africa” and this team fought courageously the entire time. 

After a few photos, phone calls, and just catching our breath, the team descended back down to our high camp where we greeted by our staff with songs and a little dance. It brought smiles and a much needed boost after all the hard work. We then descend for a few more hours to reach our last camp on the mountain. Amazing how 10,000' can feel so comfortable after such a big day.  

Our final day on the mountain! 

Today the team got up at 6 am mostly refreshed after a much needed nights sleep, we had breakfast, then hit the trail one last time. It took about 3 hours to reach the park gate where the team had lunch and said our final goodbyes to our amazing crew of 35 that took such great care of us on the mountain. We finished the little celebration by handing out their well deserved tips and then hopped aboard our awaiting bus for the ride back to the lodge. 

Finally we are all safe and sound, cleaner, and smelling fresh after an exciting seven day journey up and down Kilimanjaro that has no doubt bonded us from the experience. 

I also asked the team for one word that best described their experience on this adventure. 

And he’s what we all came up with. 

Strength 

Pride

Gratitude 

Teamwork 

Defining 

Fortitude 

Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

This morning we awoke up to a beautiful, crisp bluebird morning. A stark contrast to yesterday afternoons snowstorm. We broke camp while the moon set behind the mountains, packed our gear, enjoyed one last base camp  meal in our heated dome. Over breakfast we shared a some good laughs about our epic Farkle battles, shared irritations, and how wonderful it must be to fly fish in Patagonia.  

We bid farewell to the base camp crew with lots of hugs and encouragement. It’s impossible to overstate how incredible the Grajales team is. Their warmth, attention to detail, and love of this mountain are contagious. In addition to saying goodbye to the people who have supported us for the past few days, we said goodbye to WiFi, electricity, and our heated dome. All small sacrifices for the adventure that lay ahead. The team’s energy is high and everyone is excited for our move to Camp 1.  

We started up the mountain, through a glacial gully which lead to a field of glacial debris that I can only imagine is what the moon looks like. We quickly smoked our besties on the way up, which admittedly felt satisfying. We day dreamed of polar plunging in the glacial lakes as we passed by and felt like we were on another planet when we navigated the human sized penetentes. The final push was steep, loose and challenging. Nothing this group couldn’t handle though!  

We reached camp just before 1pm and were treated to our tents already put together. I want to give a HUGE shoutout to the porters who ferry our gear up the mountain and help make this experience possible for us. After getting organized and completing our camp set up we relaxed and soaked up some of the beautiful mountain sun. 

As the afternoon waned, the temperature cooled and retreated to our tents. Only the promise of Ben’s handmade stew could draw us out. The only thing better than the stew was the conversation on proper blue bag techniques.  

Walking through this remote region of our beautiful planet today was nothing short of awe inspiring. I’ve always felt awe is a word that is commonly overused for moments that are often under deserving. 

True awe arises as you stand amidst these towering peaks, feeling both insignificant and deeply connected to the vastness of this place. It is in the shared silence, the towering cliffs, the shimmering snow and glaciers, the penitentes, and the endless expanse of sky that you realize the sheer majesty of these mountains. The camaraderie of this team amplifies this feeling, as each step toward the summit becomes a collective triumph, driven by trust, an appreciation of group suffering, a bit of good natured ribbing, and mutual encouragement. Awe is not just about the mountain’s scale but also about the resilience of the human spirit, the raw beauty of this place, and the profound sense of gratitude for being part of something so much larger than ourselves.  

RMI Climber Erica Kim 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the ENTIRE Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari team reached the summit of Kilimanjaro this morning. Casey reported cold and windy conditions on the summit. 

Way to climb!