March 5, 2012

All members returned to the US yesterday afternoon.  Flights home are long – at least 2 legs in the 8-9 hour range.  They’re tough but maybe they’re a good thing.  We had time to catch up on sleep and time to reflect on the previous two weeks.  I was fortunate to have a team of 12 very prepared, very strong, very motivated and very friendly climbers.  They demonstrated all those attributes daily.  From the moment we started the climb, I knew Sue and I would be shaking hands with each one of them on the summit.  Even a summit day which brought perhaps 10 cm of snow and then stiff breezes all along the crater rim, did nothing to slow or deter even one of the team.  Their strength, resolve and cooperation never wavered.  What a team.

Kili Team on Safari (Photo: Phil Ershler)

Safari was simply a continuation of the teamwork on the mountain.  We drove out to Ngorongoro because everyone wanted to see this part of the country at ‘ground level’.  The good times simply continued right to the Crater.  Beers en route, shopping and gin and tonics at the Crater kept the smiles coming.  We were at the late end of the season and we got rain each night on safari but that only set us up for some great game viewing.  The Crater was green and we saw pretty much everything.  Olduvai Gorge, a Masaai Village stop and bumpy dirt roads put us in position to hopefully get good views of the migration.  The wildebeest had been hanging up in the Serengeti later than normal because there hadn’t been enough rain.  I was sweating it because we’d planned to stay in the Ndutu area to catch the migration.  We had a long game drive planned for the next day.  Wildebeest and cats were the goal.  Olotu, one of our guides/drivers, asked me how many wildebeest I’d like to see that day.  ‘Half a million’ was my response.

Wildebeest & calves (Photo: Phil Ershler)

We drove northwest through Ndutu for about an hour before coming upon one of the more amazing sights I have seen.  Wildebeest and their calves, in lines, for miles.  Olotu killed the engine on the stretch Land Cruiser as we started taking pictures.  ‘Start counting’ was all he said.  500,000 wildebeest later, I quit counting.

Thanks to my team members for trusting IMG to put their trip together.  I’ll be traveling with Dan, Meribeth, Jay, Cindy, Ann, Emily, Bill, Linda, Rick, Carly, Brett, Bonnie and Sue before long.

Phil Ershler

March 2, 2012

Phil & Co.  wrapped up their last day of game viewing after spotting several cheetahs &  lions along side several other predators who were all taking full advantage of the annual wildebeest calving season.

Safari's Current Location

Next stop for the team will be Arusha where they’ll have some time to shop around for some souvenirs and grab a bite to eat before a couple of long flights home.

Tye Chapman

February 29, 2012

Phil checked in to report that all is well on Safari. After some last minute shopping in Arusha, they made to the Ngorongoro Crater just in time for a gin & tonic at sunset.

Giraffes.

Though the official game viewing begins tomorrow they’ve already spotted storks, baboons, giraffes, monkeys and dik-diks (small antelope).

Tye Chapman

February 28, 2012

If the Big 5 were measured in height, the Giraffe would be a proud member.

Phil checked in this morning to report that the team has been fed and watered and are now anxious to get out and check out the Serengeti.

Among all the other animals, they’ll keep a close eye out for the Big 5: Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, Lion, &  Cape Buffalo.  The Leopard and Rhino are the most elusive of the Big 5 but they’ve got a few days and a lot of eyes on the horizon.

Tye Chapman

February 27, 2012

Busy weekend for Phil & team on the slopes of Kilimanjaro!

Sunday saw the group arrive & into tents at Barafu Camp (15,000′), just ahead of afternoon snow showers.  After some gear prep and a hot dinner, they snuck in a few winks before the 11pm wake up call.  It was time to make the summit bid.  A good amount of snow and wind added to the challenge, but despite the snowin’ and blowin’, the team hung in and got the job done – 100% on top.

Sunrise over Mawenzi on summit day

After taking in the nice views, the team descended to Mwecka camp at 10,000′, and enjoyed a hot meal and some well deserved rest.  Tomorrow they’ll continue down the mountain, catch a ride back to the hotel and share in the celebratory dinner.  Couldn’t have got better.

Becky Kjorvestad