Hello from our last camp on Kilimanjaro. I just wanted to send a quick note to say this all the climbers have descended safely from High Camp.
Our climb was warm with partly clear skies but clouds built up on our descent. As we left high camp our old friend the rain returned and stayed with us most of the way to 10,000'. We're all getting ready for our last dinner on the mountain right now. Tomorrow we will walk to the Mweka Gate and then transfer back to the Dik Dik Hotel for celebrations!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Congratulations Karen and JJ what an amazing accomplishment!
Posted by: Courtney Rams on 1/18/2016 at 9:02 am
Congrat!!! Steve and team. Anybody ready for a hike to the top and back a second time? (Maybe next year?) I hope you can take care of those feet, Steve.
8:04 pm Pacific Time
Hey, this is a Seth checking in from Uhuru Peak, the top of Kilimanjaro and the highest point in Africa. Everybody made it to the today, we had a really nice climb, good weather, warm weather I should say, there were some clouds. Everybody hung in and did awesome and everybody did make it all the way to Uhuru Peak, the tippy top. A few parties of started to head down and I'm just up here with the last folks. We're about ready to head on down to our High Camp and then we are going to pack things up and head down at 10,000 feet where plants actually grow right out of the ground, I've heard. And spend one more night on the mountain and then we will be out tomorrow. I'm going to check in when we get down to 10,000, report in and hopefully all will be well, I'm sure it will be. This is Seth checking out.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall calls from Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Congratulations Annie. I knew you could do it! I know how hard you worked for this. I am so happy for you. You are amazing! Now you can really enjoy the rest of your time! I can’t wait to hear all about it and see some pictures too.!
Posted by: Becky Hamilton on 1/17/2016 at 5:31 pm
Woot! Woot! Way to go Annie! What an amazing accomplishment! I am looking forward to the stories. Love you!
Jambo and greetings from High Camp on Kilimanjaro. We are at 15,000' and the team is doing just fine. We were even blessed with nice weather all day today.
We had another easy morning with breakfast at 8:00. Fresh fruit, eggs and bacon sure is a treat at this elevation.
After breakfast we hit the trail and had a mix of sun and clouds but no rain as we climbed the 2,000 feet to high camp. The climb was gradual all the way except for a steep bit pulling into camp. Everyone was feeling good and had a great climb up here.
It's 12:00pm now and we are planning on having lunch soon and an early dinner. After that it is a midnight departure for the summit. Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Jambo! This is Seth checking in from Karanga Valley. Only one more day to high camp!
We have broken out of our daily pattern of clear mornings and rainy afternoons. Today it was cloudy and with rain showers all day. Even though we are not having ideal weather the team is in very high spirits.
Everyone did great on the Barranco Wall this morning. We let most of the people in our last camp get out early and then started up the 800-foot wall. The bottom part of the wall has some really fun scrambling and we all had a blast climbing through that section. We were lucky in that the rain held off until we topped out on the wall.
We hovered around 13,000' all day and the terrain is really cool at this elevation. It's right at the edge of where plants live and so sometimes it looks like a barren waste land. But then you turn a corner and there can be a giant heather forest. It's great trekking here.
Light showers started up after we topped out on the wall and continued to build into a real rainstorm as we pulled into camp. Our tents are nice and dry though and the cook made us a great pasta lunch. We are doing good.
I'll check in again tomorrow from our high camp.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Bobby- we are so proud of you! Just a few days until you can sip tequila!
Love Annie, Grace, Davis and Susan
Posted by: Susan Gallagher on 1/16/2016 at 7:28 am
Annie and team,
I have only seen Kilimanjaro from a distance; cannot imagine the extraordinary experience of being on that awesome mountain and climbing towards the top! Thinking of you today and tomorrow, hoping for fair weather, safety, and boost of energy as you near the summit. Thanks for staying in touch through these blogs and photos!
Posted by: Helen (Gillette) on 1/16/2016 at 7:01 am
Well we have definitely established a rhythm with Kilimanjaro. It was very nice and sunny again this morning and at 9:30am the clouds started building. By 1:30pm it was raining heavily again.
The only thing different from yesterday is that we were out on the trail when the rain hit. It was only for about an hour so not a huge deal really, but it sure is nice to be in a dry tent now.
We covered the longest stretch f the whole trip today, other than summit day and everyone did a great job. We also reached a high point for every climber here at 14,900'. That's always a fun thing.
Now we have two easier days and after that we go for the summit.
That's all for now.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
I am in awe of each of you! Know you are happy to have a few of the high days behind you before summit. Bobby you and all of the team are in my thoughts and prayers each step of the way! JoAnne H
Posted by: Joanne H on 1/15/2016 at 10:18 am
Congrats on reaching a new high in climbing. Didn’t know it rained that much there.
Hope you are having the time of your life. Stay safe.
Hi from Shira Camp at 12,500 ft on Kilimanjaro. It's currently raining cats and dogs!
We started the day under clear blue skies, had a great breakfast and were hiking by 8:30 in the morning. The clouds started to build at around 9:30 but we had sun breaks for our whole hike.
The terrain was fairly steep right from the start but every one handled it well. The vegetation was very different from the lush rain forest we were in yesterday. As we gained altitude the fauna had a more alpine feel that corresponds to our high elevation.
After we arrived at camp the cooks made a great lunch and while we were eating the rain started. It is nice to be in camp for it so we can rest and relax with the sound of raindrops on the tents.
One of our climbers would like to say hello to Mrs. Price's second grade class. Thanks for following along with our climb.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Woo Hoo Eileen!
L&D is keeping tabs on your journey! We are excited and impressed at your sense of adventure and climbing skills! Looking forward to hearing all about your adventure upon your return!
Posted by: Anne & Christine on 1/14/2016 at 10:44 am
Love “tagging along” on your trip - here’s to the journey! Cheers to Team Fuller and everyone else…onward ho… Wishing you all amazing sights and sounds, sweat and laughter… ;)
Jambo!
We are all up at our first camp and everyone is doing good. Dinner ended a little while ago and the team has headed off to the tents for a long night of rest.
We got an early start this morning with breakfast at 6:30 and we were on the road just after 7:30. It took us about two hours to drive to the national park gate where we spent some time getting organized and sorting out the climbing permit.
Once we were all checked in, we started our trek through the rain forest. Everyone on the team was excited to get going and we spent the next several hours hiking and chatting as we gained about 4,000 vertical feet.
Everything went smoothly except for about five minutes of rain right before we hit camp. That's no problem for this team though and anyway our tents were nice and dry inside when we arrived.
Tomorrow we climb up to the Shira Plateau. I'll check in again from up there.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hi,
Seth here. We are all finished with dinner and everyone is off to their rooms to finish the last bit of packing before we head out to the mountain tomorrow morning.
The plan is to meet up for breakfast at 6:30am and be ready to go by 7:30. We have a couple hours of driving to the national park entrance and it's good to be early.
All the gear looks good and tents and food are all set to go. The team is starting to get excited. We are all looking forward to getting the trek under way.
I will check in again tomorrow from Camp 1.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Slow down Eileen… :-) I hope you are having an amazing adventure! Whoop, whoop!!!!
Posted by: Mark on 1/14/2016 at 5:58 am
To the brave and the bold, have a safe and happy adventure that many will dream of but few will undertake. Safe and happy travels to all! Tell Bobby – Love you from Mom
Posted by: JoAnne Hemphill on 1/12/2016 at 9:58 am
Jambo! I've just returned from the airport with the last of the arriving climbers for our first Kilimanjaro Climb of 2016! Everyone has made it and although there were some delays along the way all the bags are here.
The crew is a mix of folks on their own and some that have been friends for a long time. Either way we will all be turning into a big team starting with a meeting and gear check in the morning.
After that we are off to the mountain. Wish us luck.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Hey, this is Seth. We are all headed to the airport to catch our flights home. We've had a great trip and today was no exception. In the morning, as we returned through Tarangire National Park, we got very lucky and saw two leopards . It was a great cap on what had already been a wonderful trip. Everyone is excited to go home but we all wish we could be on safari forever!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Congratulations Karen and JJ what an amazing accomplishment!
Posted by: Courtney Rams on 1/18/2016 at 9:02 am
Congrat!!! Steve and team. Anybody ready for a hike to the top and back a second time? (Maybe next year?) I hope you can take care of those feet, Steve.
Posted by: Phil Sturr on 1/17/2016 at 2:12 pm
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