Entries By seth waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hi there, we are all back at the Dik Dik Hotel and everyone is getting ready for their flights. In fact the first trip to the airport is about to leave.
We had a nice morning at Kikoti Camp and then made a quick lap back through Tarangire. On the way we saw a huge herd of elephants as well as a pack of jackals, giraffes, impala and a really impressive eagle. We also did some more shopping on the way back to town.
Everyone is talking about what a great trip it was and I have to agree it was a blast. We're all a little bummed that the trip is over but with this group, I know it won't be long before they're all on another adventure.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Greetings from Kikoti Camp!
It was a great day on safari. We started at the Plantation Lodge with a nice relaxed breakfast and then hit the road for a little shopping before we began our game drive in Tarangire National Park. Once we went in the park our chef made us another terrific lunch. After that we started the game drive and it was excellent. We got very lucky with the cats today, seeing both lions and leopards. The giraffes were the highlight of the day for my car while the other car sniffed out an extra leopard. Of course the elephants were plentiful as they always are in Tarangire.
Tonight is our last night together and we're all telling stories about the trip. The last two weeks have literally flown by but we all feel like, paradoxically, it's been a long time too. The venue here at Kikoti Camp is perfect for bringing the trip to a close. It's very comfortable and it has a distinctive African flair. It's a beautiful 'camp' for sure.
Tomorrow we start heading back. Most people are flying out tomorrow night, the rest leave the day after. As for me I'll be staying on for another trip. Hopefully it's every bit as fun as this one was!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hi! We're all back at the Plantation Lodge after a great day in the Ngorongoro Crater. It was a lovely, if slightly cool, day there. The crater is truly one of the wonders of the world and the game viewing did not disappoint what-so-ever.
We're all loving the relaxed pace of the safari after a long climb on Kili and tomorrow we continue on to Tarangire National Park.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
We're on safari!
We didn't sleep in too much today. We left the hotel just after 9 AM and spent some time in the city of Arusha. We did some shopping and stocked up on drinks for the road. After about 2 hours of driving we had lunch and entered Lake Manyara National Park. The game viewing here is always great and the lake is very full these days. Here's a shot of a large elephant crossing the road in front of us.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Everyone is back at the Dik Dik hotel safe and sound! It was a whirlwind past few days on Kilimanjaro as we went from 15,200 feet up to 19,340 and all the way out in just over 24 hours. The team did really well and the weather was good, even though we got rained on a bit after the summit.
The weather for our climb was amazing and we all had great conditions on the summit. We started just after midnight under a partly cloudy sky. It was a windless night and that kept the temps from dropping to extreme lows. That said we did climb to over 18,000 feet before the sun came up so staying warm required us to be vigilant with our gear. Everyone kept their focus though and we all made it up. We summitted in a big wave spread out over about 45 min which was really cool for me as I got to spend a lot of time on top.
After returning from high camp we resisted the urge to relax too much as we still had a decent hike down to our last camp. As we snacked on french toast the clouds came up and we started to get some light rain. The rain picked up as we hiked down to Mweka camp and that added some challenge to the day but our excellent staff had dry tents and hot tea waiting for us. After dinner we dropped onto our sleeping pads for a well deserved rest.
This morning we woke up to more cloud cover. After another excellent meal we had a wrap up celebration with our mountain staff. The guys from the Dik Dik do an amazing job and we all wanted to make sure that they know we greatly appreciate the hard work. Then we hit the trail. A few hours of hiking was nothing for this crew and before we know it we were down at the gate.
We will have dinner in a couple of hours and toast to the great times we had on Kilimanjaro! Tomorrow it's safari time!!!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
July 30, 2013 at 9:35 a.m. PST
Hi, this is Seth checking in from Mweka Camp. The summit was great today and I'll be emailing a pic out as soon as we get back to the hotel tomorrow. Everyone is tucked into their tents now listening to the pitter-patter of rain. We're hoping the morning brings some sunshine!
July 29, 2013 at 9:34 p.m. PST
Hey, this is Seth calling from Uhuru Peak, tallest point on Kilimanjaro, highest in Africa at 19,340'. The whole team made it, at least to Stella Point. We had a beautiful day with a few high clouds but zero wind for the whole climb and everyone did very well. We are going to take a few minutes, take some photos with the big sign and then head on back down. Tonight we will be dropping all the way down to 10,000 feet, which will feel great for us. Summit of Kilimanjaro for our team!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall calls from the summit of Kilimanjaro!
On The Map
Seth checking in from Barafu Camp, high camp on Kilimanjaro. We've had exceptional weather today and we hope it continues for the next 24 hours. We'll be getting up in the middle of the night for our summit bid!!!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
On The Map
You are more woman than I ever dreamed of. You go girl! Thanks for sharing your adventures. . <3
Posted by: Kim Beaney on 7/31/2013 at 7:35 am
Good luck Kalin and Emily! May the weather hold! Love, Helen, Adam and Pinocchio!
Posted by: Helen on 7/29/2013 at 9:45 pm
This is Seth checking in from the top of the Barranco Wall. We've been climbing in a cloud all morning which has kept the temperatures nice and comfortable. The team is doing well and we're all looking forward to spending the afternoon at our next camp, Karanga Valley.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
On The Map
Hope you are having a great time! We miss you! Caleb and Joshua say “HI” to Daddy and Pop!
Posted by: Teri on 7/28/2013 at 8:22 pm
Hello to Emily and Kalin!
Posted by: Carrie Rabasa on 7/28/2013 at 9:47 am
We're at Shira Plateau Camp! We had another great day on the trail and everyone is adjusting to mountain life. We got up with the sun and had a great breakfast. Fruit and eggs and of course the wonderful bread from the Dik Dik is a great way to start a day.
Unfortunately for us though one of our team had to head home due to a work emergency. We'll miss him sorely and feel bad that he had to leave the trip.
After our goodbyes we hit the trail for a 4 hour and 45 minute hike to camp. The weather was mostly cloudy which meant we were inside the clouds all day. That is until we hit the top of the Shira Plateau where we moved out of the cloud deck. Once we topped out we were greeted with an amazing view of the summit. It's still a long way off but tomorrow we'll get right up under it!
A message from team member Gayle: She wanted to say hi to her Mom.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
On The Map
Happy birthday to our beautiful daughter! And a big Hugo Kalin as well. Enjoy every minute of this trip of a lifetime! Love, mom and dad
Posted by: Mary Beth Denefe on 7/26/2013 at 8:28 pm
Well, we just pulled into Machame Camp, elevation 9,900'. It was a beautiful day here with plenty of sunshine. We climbed through the cloud forest today, although there were some muddy sections we did not get rained on at all. The temperatures were pleasant all day. Our camp is situated right where the forest gives way to the giant heather and it is a beautiful spot for sure. Once we move into our tents we'll have a little tea before dinner and a relatively early bed time. That's it for now.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall and Team
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What a way to celebrate your 40th birthday (with your Dad)! Miss you Don and Chris! lu
Posted by: Teri on 7/31/2013 at 10:21 am
Wonderful you all made it! So exciting—congratulations! Sounds like the weather was incredible making for some beautiful photos.
Posted by: Mary Beth Denefe on 7/31/2013 at 9:34 am
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