December 28, 2016

Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater (Dustin Balderach)

We just heard from IMG senior guide Max Bunce over on the Serengeti. This morning (Tanzanian time) the team will leave the Serengeti for their next stop, the Ngorongoro Crater. The team has seen a lot of wildlife so far and more is on the way! With the leopard they saw the first day, and lions today, they’ve now seen 4 of the ‘Big 5’. Hopefully they’ll be able to check that last one off the list over in the Ngorongoro Crater later today. Rhinos are tough to spot, but the Crater is a great place to sneak a peek at one. The Crater is absolutely packed full of wildlife and its one of my favorite places on the safari. After an afternoon exploring the Crater, the team will head out of the Crater and to their luxury accommodations for their last night. I know they’ll have some stories to tell over dinner tonight! Tomorrow the team will head back to Arusha for some final shopping before their flights home. What a trip it has been!

Dustin Balderach

December 26, 2016

Seronera Airport (photo: Eric Simonson)

Max reports that the Kilimanjaro team flew to Seronera Airport in the middle of the Serengeti today and are ensconced at a nearby beautiful safari lodge.  There are lots of animals in the vicinity.  The team had some nice viewing between the “airport” (the pilots need to watch out for animals while landing) and the hotel.  Tomorrow is a full day of game viewing and everyone is looking forward to it!

Eric Simonson

December 25, 2016

The Kilimanjaro team finished their descent this morning and have now made it back to the hotel in Moshi,  from where Max was able to send us their summit photo.

IMG team on the summit of Kilimanjaro (photo: Max Bunce)

Everyone is in good spirits and looking forward to their celebration tonight.  Well done team. Tomorrow morning they fly to Serengeti to begin their safari.  There is nothing like a few days of luxury safari, after a completing a hard climb.  What a great way to put the icing on the cake!

Eric Simonson

December 24, 2016

Max Bunce called on the sat phone to report the Kili team are all back down to the Mweka Camp, enjoying the thick air at 10,100 feet after a big day at high altitude.  Congratulations!  After their dinner everyone crawled into their tents for some well-deserved sleep.

Looking back at Kilimanjaro from Mweka Camp (photo: Eric Simonson)

Tomorrow they have a couple more hours of downhill hiking to the Mweka Gate trailhead.  We have several people flying in today to join the safari, and they will be able to come up to the Mweka Gate to meet the descending team tomorrow.  Then, it’s down to Moshi for showers, beers, and a celebration BBQ dinner.  The following day they will fly to Serengeti for their safari.  We’ll keep you posted!

Eric Simonson

December 23, 2016

IMG Guide Max Bunce called on the sat phone from the summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. The weather is good and everyone is doing well.

The view looking from Uhuru Peak back across the Crater with Mawenzi Peak in the background (photo: Eric Simonson)

After some photos, they are starting their descent to Mweka Camp.  We’ll look forward to hearing from them this evening (Tanzania time) after they get down to the camp.  So far, so good.  Well done team!

Eric Simonson

December 23, 2016

It’s game time! IMG senior guide, Max Bunce, just checked in from Barafu High Camp on Kilimanjaro, and the entire team is super excited! The team enjoyed a short day today hiking from Karanga Camp (13,300 feet) to Barafu High Camp (15,200 feet) — a really nice hike on good trail and with amazing views! The team had excellent weather today and reached camp in under 4 hours which allows plenty of time to enjoy a hot lunch, some incredible views, and get some rest this afternoon. This camp is unlike any other on Kili. It’s rugged. No vegetation in sight. Perched on a ridge with the summit of Kili right in your face. It’s wild. And there is a terrific buzz about camp because everyone is excited for summit night!

Kili from Barafu High Camp (Dustin Balderach)

After lunch the team will repack their bags for the summit push tonight. Food, water, and lots of warm clothes. They’ll try to get some time off their feet and enjoy the view and buzz of high camp. Then, after an early dinner, they’ll try to get a few hours of shut-eye. It’s difficult to get much sleep this night because you are so excited about the summit, but time off your feet and on your back is really all you are looking for here, as well as staying hydrated and fed for the big day.

Looking down on Barafu High Camp (Dustin Balderach)

The team plans to wake up at 11pm and be hiking by midnight. A dark, cold, but beautiful night following the glow up headlamps up the mountain filled with all kinds of emotions. I love it! It’s a slow, steady pace resting briefly every hour to eat and drink. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work they’ll hopefully be standing on the summit between 7 and 8am. We wish the team luck, and we’ll be looking forward to a phone call from the summit. Go get ‘em Team!

Dustin Balderach