December 23, 2017
Phunuru called from Mweka Camp to report that everyone is down safe and sound. Sounds like a cold and windy climb. Phunuru said that many other teams did not reach Uhuru today due to the conditions. Well done team! That’s why we require a warm parka for our IMG Kilimanjaro climbers!
Eric Simonson
December 22, 2017
IMG guide Phunuru just called on the sat phone from the summit of Kilimanjaro with the news we have been waiting for. He reports that all of the team members have summited, and they are now making their way down. They had a great climb and were elated to be standing on ‘The Roof of Africa’ together.
Crater Rim of Kilimanjaro (Dustin Balderach)
They have a long descent ahead of them, as they will stop briefly at Barafu High Camp for a hot lunch and then continue on down to Mweka Camp at 10,000ft. A long but incredibly rewarding day. We will hear from Phunuru again when they are all down at Mweka Camp. Congratulations to the entire team on their summit!
Dustin Balderach
December 22nd, 2017
Big Country
News from Aconcagua continues to be good. Weather for the approach has been warm and dry. Jonathan’s team should arrive at Plaza Argentina today, which is base camp on the Polish Glacier side and Robert’s team is making their carry to C1 on the Horcones Valley side. Kind of interesting to have groups approaching the mountain from the two sides at the same time. Everyone seems to be strong and healthy and that’s about as much as we could hope for right now. Jonathan’s crew will take a day off tomorrow at base camp and Robert’s crew will likely move up to C1.
The teams seem to be in a pretty favorable weather pattern right now. Forecasts don’t call for any precipitation currently through the end of the month. We’ll take it.
Phil Ershler
December 22nd, 2017
It is just about ‘go-time’ over on Kilimanjaro. We just heard from IMG guide Phunuru who is up at Barafu High Camp with a very excited team. As expected, they made easy work of the 3-hour hike up to high camp this morning. The Team is now packing up for summit night and relaxing in their tents. An early dinner and then they will try to grab a little sleep. But sleep is scarce up here. Not only is the air thinner at 15,100 feet, but the excitement of the night looms in the front of everyone’s minds. Not to mention you lay down in your tent at 6pm knowing you’ll be waking up at 11pm. This combination is not especially conducive to a good night’s sleep for anyone climbing Kili. Doesn’t really matter though as all the preparation is behind them at this point and all they need to do is get some time off the feet and continue hydrating. Another unique camp, Barafu – meaning ‘ice’ in Swahili which is fitting – sits on a rugged, rocky ridge with excellent views. Its also cold here after dark. During the afternoon, you can watch weary summit climbers passing through camp knowing that you’ll be in their shoes (or perhaps ‘boots’) the same time tomorrow. Tonight all the hard work of training and prepping will be put to good use as the Team sets off for the summit around midnight (Tanzania time). We wish the Team good luck and a great climb and look forward to hearing from Phunuru from the summit early tomorrow morning.
Dustin Balderach
December 21st, 2017
IMG guide Phunuru just checked in over on Kilimanjaro from Karanga Camp. The Team had just enjoyed a hot lunch at camp after a great hike this morning. The Barranco Wall was challenging yet fun and the Team made excellent progress today. It was a relatively short day (around 4 hours) and Phunuru and team arrived at Karanga Camp in the early afternoon. Sitting on a broad ridge above the Karanga River, from this camp you can look over and see Mt. Meru to the east. Looking the other direction the (remaining) glaciers of Kili are in full view for all to see. Its another neat spot and the sunrises here are spectacular. Thats one of the things I love about Kili is that each camp is different and provides unique views of both Kili and the surrounding geography. Everyone continues to be in good health and it looking forward to the short day up to high camp tomorrow. Its only about a 3.5 hour hike tomorrow from Karanga (at 13,300 feet) up to Barafu High Camp (15,100 feet). Pretty easy walking, even in the thinning air. The team is making excellent progress and I know there will be a lot of excitement at camp tomorrow! All continues to go smoothly for Phunuru and team over on Kilimanjaro.
Dustin Balderach
December 20th, 2017
Another great day on the trail is the report from IMG guide Phunuru over on Kilimanjaro. They were just about to sit down to a nice hot dinner when Phunuru checked in to say that everyone was happy and healthy. Thats what we like to hear! The Team had a big day today on their hike from Shira Camp, up to the base of Lava Tower, and then down to Barranco Camp where they are resting comfortably now. This day on Kili is the second longest and its always a great feeling to get into Barranco Camp after the hike. Situated in a valley at 13,000 feet, Barranco Camp enjoys some of the best up-close views of Kili and its southern glaciers. Because its in a valley the sun sets early and rises late here so the Team will be crawling into the tents right after dinner as the evening chill sets in. One of my favorite places on Kili is the grove of Giant Groundsel trees you pass through just before entering Barranco Camp. These trees are wild looking! Tomorrow is another neat day on the trail. The Team will get to tackle the Barranco Wall right out of the gate in the morning. Intimidating from afar, its not nearly as bad as it looks once you are on it. And its often mentioned as one highlights of the entire climb. An hour and a half, maybe 2, and they will be at the top of Barranco Wall with another amazing view. Another couple hours and they’ll be enjoying hot lunch at Karanga Camp. Yet another great acclimatization day as the Team will “climb high and sleep low.†We look forward to Phunuru’s report from Karanga Camp tomorrow.
Dustin Balderach
December 19th, 2017
Aconcagua season is underway for IMG guides and teams. Robert Jantzen, along with Leandro Villegas, are taking their small, custom team up the Horcones Valley approach while Jonathan Schrock, along with Nickel Wood and Martin Lucero, are approaching the mountain via the Vacas and Relinchos River valleys. Both teams are ready to accept the challenge of attempting Aconcagua. While not technically the most difficult of climbs, at 23,000 ft., Aconcagua is certainly one of the more physically demanding trips we offer. Wish them both luck.
Phil Ershler
December 19th, 2017
Phunuru just checked in from Shira Camp over on Kilimanjaro and reports that the Team had a great day on the trail and are now resting comfortably in camp. Situated on a broad plateau at 12,600 feet, the views from Shira are simply terrific. To the north looms Kilimanjaro’s upper reaches and to the west you look out to Shira Ridge and Mt Meru off in the distance. Wide open views in all directions from here and the nights will be a bit colder now as well. The Team has a great hike up from Machame Camp today. They broke out of the forest and enjoyed not only their first real glimpse of Kili, but also some amazing plants such as the Giant Groundsel and Giant Lobelia. Its a pretty neat day on the trail and I really enjoy the hike up to Shira. They arrived to camp in the early afternoon and were able to rest, enjoy the views, and – most importantly – hydrate! Tomorrow is another superb day on the trail. They will hike up to the base of Lava Tower (15,100 feet) for lunch and then descend down to Barranco Camp (13,000 feet). It a long day but the views are terrific and its a perfect acclimatization day. We’ll hear from Phunuru when they get to Barranco Camp tomorrow.
Dustin Balderach
December 18th, 2017
IMG guide Phunuru Sherpa reports that the team had a good day today and that everyone is doing well. Â They are on their way!
First was a jeep ride from the Hotel in Moshi up to the Machame Gate (about 6000 ft) where they got checked in with the National Park. Then, it was a nice hike for them up through the forest, gradually climbing to the Camp which is situated at treeline, just shy of 10,000 ft. Phunuru said they had a little rain during the day, but that it was sunshine by the time they reached the Camp. Now they are settling in for dinner and their first night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will be climbing on up to Shira Camp.
Eric Simonson
December 17, 2017
IMG guide Phunuru Sherpa is over in Tanzania leading our holiday Kilimanjaro climb. He just called in and reported that all the clients are packed up and ready to hit the trail tomorrow. They were just finishing up with dinner and about to head to bed. (Tanzania is 11 hours ahead of us here on the west coast).
The Kili Team at the hotel in Moshi (Phunuru Sherpa)
After gear checks earlier in the day, the team went and visited the city of Moshi where they got some last minute snacks for the climb and visited a local vegetable market. This small colorful market is always good for photos.
The team is excited to get out on the trail tomorrow. After breakfast they will head up to the Machame Gate at around 6,000 feet and get the necessary permits for the climb. It’s just under an hour’s drive to get there from the hotel with interesting scenery, including coffee and banana farms, along the way.
Then it’s a nice 5-hour hike through the forest up to Machame Camp at 10,000 feet. If they are lucky, they might see some monkeys hanging out in the trees.
We will hear from Phunuru again when they get up to Machame camp tomorrow. We wish the team happy hiking!
Dustin Balderach
