RMI Expeditions Blog
Gangs all here! There are six of us in total this time. Everyone is doing well and we have enjoyed the RiverTrees Lodge that is nestled in between Arusha and Moshi and not so far from the base of Kilimanjaro.
Today was officially Day 1 for us. So we had our usual round of introductions and then discussed the upcoming program for the days ahead. The team spent the remainder of the day getting our gear packed up, exploring the grounds of our peaceful lodge and getting adjusted to the nearly 12 hours of time change.
Tomorrow we hit the trail and everyone is looking forward to seeing the mountain and stretching the legs after those long flights!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Kili crew number 2!
September 11, 2022
Posted by: Joe Hoch, Abby Westling, Evan Sather
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,131'
RMI Guide Joe Hoch reported beautiful views from their climb of Mt. Shuksan yesterday. Joe reported the following message from the summit: "Despite ominous smoke plumes all around us, we had a spectacular summit with a clear sky, warm temps, and views of so many mountains!"
The team has made it back to their cars and are headed home after their successful summit of Mt. Shuksan.
Congrats team!
Looking back on this trip, I’m grateful to the team at RMI for their knowledge and approach to getting us to the top of Mt. Shuksan safely. Joe’s avalanche/snow experience combined with Abby’s big mountain and Evan’s rock knowledge were key to helping us make good decisions, learn and summit safely.
Posted by: Tyler Welch on 2/1/2023 at 7:07 pm
Hello everyone,
We spent today touring Tarangire National Park which is home to more elephants per square kilometer than any place on earth, and a huge diversity of other animals, it was amazing to say the least.
We saw elephants, giraffes, warthogs, impala, mongoose, baboons, ostrich, and a lot of other animals, and 13 lions! Several of them were cat napping in trees and even one that was still dinning on last nights feast by the looks of things.
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. Hopefully everyone sleeps well tonight!
This is our last dispatch as we will exit the park tomorrow and head back to our lodge near Arusha for a quick break and shower. Then it’s off to the airport to return to our loved ones.
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!
Thank You letting us take this amazing trip with all of you. Great blog and beautiful pictures. Enjoy your last day!
Posted by: Kim Scogna on 9/8/2022 at 1:58 pm
What an amazing adventure! Thank you for taking us all along for the journey.
Posted by: Linda DuPertuis on 9/8/2022 at 12:11 pm
Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater, and considered by many to be the 8th 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 and it was exciting to see two other cats, a Seval cat and a Caracal! 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 quite a 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
September 6, 2022
Posted by: Jack Delaney, Roland Scott
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 10,781'
Tuesday, September 5, 2022 8:10 am PDT
SUMMIT!
RMI Guide Jack Delaney called in at 8:10 am PDT from the summit of Mt. Baker. The team climbed via the Easton Glacier route. The early morning temperatures were cool, but great for climbing! The team is on the descent and will be back at their high camp at about 6,800' where they will spend the night, and plan to descend early tomorrow.
Congratulations Team!
Monday, September 5, 2022 5:06 pm PDT
Greetings from the team with the two tallest guides at RMI!
We hiked into Sandy Camp on the flanks of Mt. Baker yesterday. The hike in was slightly overcast but great temperatures for hiking with a heavy pack. Once we got to camp we quickly set up tents as the overcast clouds had become dark and threatening. Lucky for us the rain started as soon as we moved into our tents. The rest of the night was spent hunkered down inside our nice dry tents except for a brief lull in the rain that we took advantage of to boil water for dinner. This morning we awoke to dry weather with partly sunny sky's. Today we'll practice all the mountaineering skills necessary for our ascent of Baker starting in the wee hours of the night this evening!
RMI Guides Jack, Roland & Team
Today was our first day of safari and we headed west to visit the beautiful Lake Manyara. The lake is a brief stopping ground for many migratory animals and home to more than 350 different birds. Everyone enjoyed the day cruising around in our safari vehicles with cold beverages in hand while seeing a few animals up close.
We didn’t see a ton of animals today, but we did get up close to a few elephants, baboons, and a number impalas. Also managed to see a couple of zebras and warthogs off in the distance.
It was a nice introduction to the incredible diversity of wildlife that Africa has and the team is looking forward to seeing more tomorrow.
We wrapped up the evening with a wonderful meal at the Plantation Lodge.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari Crew
Today we started our day at 6:30 refreshed after a much needed nights sleep, we had breakfast, then hit the trail one last time. It took just under three hours to reach the Kilimanjaro National Park gate where the team had lunch and said our final goodbyes to our amazing crew 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.
Stayed tuned, Safari starts tomorrow!
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
September 5, 2022
Posted by: James Bealer, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,200'
Strong winds overnight kept the teams at Camp Muir. Telemetry shows wind gusts in the 50-60 mph range. RMI Guide Henry Coppolillo reported a nice morning at Camp Muir as the wind continued to decrease. Around 7 am, the teams were going to ascend to Ingraham Flats to explore the terrain above Camp Muir and enjoy the sunshine. The teams will return to Camp Muir, pack their gear and descend to Paradise later this morning.
September 4, 2022
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Abby Westling, Joey Manship, Jenna Burkey, Lily Emerson, Nick Sinapius
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,200'
The Four Day Climb September 1 - 4 teams led by Dave Hahn and Abby Westling climbed to Ingraham Flats this morning and were able to enjoy the sunrise. The teams were unable to climb higher due to route conditions. As of 7:45 am all climbers had returned to Camp Muir. They plan to begin their descent from Camp Muir to Paradise around 9:30 am. Thus the teams should reach Paradise around noon today. Once back at Rainier BaseCamp they will conclude their program.
Great trip and experience with “Team A.” Thanks to our guides and the positive energy and helping us maximize our time. Will definitely travel with RMI again.
Posted by: Timothy Josephs on 9/6/2022 at 6:45 am
I had a great time spending a few days on Mount Rainier. Sure, the route was cut short, but Dave, Joey and Jenna pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable climb and make me appreciate the many facets of the mountain!
Thank you,
Alex
Posted by: Alex Schmidt-Warnecke on 9/5/2022 at 8:20 am
September 4, 2022
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 19,340'
Sunday, September 4, 2022 - 12:45 am PT
Team is all safely back at high camp, a little tired but full of smiles.
Everyone did an amazing job climbing and stayed positive even though it was a tough climb. It was a cold night and busier than we would have liked, but the team persevered and we were able to get 9 out of 10 climbers to the summit!
We spent about about 30 minutes on the summit celebrating, taking photos and even made a few phone calls to loved ones back home.
We are headed down the mountain to our final camp in the thick warm air at 10,000 ft, where we’ll have dinner then head off to bed for some well deserved sleep.
Also to note…Buckeye’s won! O..H
RMI Guide Casey Grom and a happy Kilimanjaro summit crew!
Amazing photos! Congrats to all!
Posted by: Brigid Miller on 9/4/2022 at 5:06 pm
Woohoo congratulations team! Well done! To hear the elation and excitement in Karl’s and Derek’s voices from the summit sent shivers down my spine and tears to my eyes as I was so filled with happiness and thanksgiving to God. Cheers to all!!!
Posted by: Kim on 9/4/2022 at 11:55 am
Best of luck to all of you and Cory Klein! What a great experience!
Posted by: Valerie on 9/14/2022 at 9:23 am
Good luck Scott. Thanks for sharing with us.
Posted by: Marilee Schutte on 9/13/2022 at 7:06 pm
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