January 25, 2012
Chimborazo
Kurt, Russ, Romulo and Jorge just emailed from the town of Banos to let us know that they all stood on top of Chimborazo this morning. Heck of a job, gang. This is a long, serious climb and the gang did well. They’ll head back to Quito tomorrow and fly home early Friday. Perfect end to a great couple of weeks for all in Ecuador.
Next departure date is June 7, 2012. Be there with us.
Phil Ershler
January 25, 2012
Craig John called in from safari. After an exciting flight to Serengeti, they were treated to some pretty great viewing right off the bat. Leopard and lion sightings almost immediately. Not too shabby! They’ll stay in the Serengeti area tonight before moving to the Ndutu area tomorrow. Lot’s of well deserved R&R is in store for the next couple of days!
Adam Angel
Lion near Seronera River, Serengeti (Photo by Adam Angel)
January 25, 2012
Staying In Shape In The Off Season
By Jess Culver
Lets face it, it’s hard to stay in shape between seasons. It starts when the Halloween candy comes out, gets even worse come Thanksgiving, and hits its peak somewhere between Christmas and New Years. Then, the 1st of the years rolls around and you’re a few pounds guiltier & several pounds heavier. Finding the motivation to shed this weight can be tough; here are some tips I use between seasons.
For me, I know I have to be in good shape when the Rainier season opens, which is probably in the back of a lot of your minds as well. With that in mind, I’ve found that setting smaller goals between big goals really makes the time go by a lot quicker than the alternative: 4-5 days a week on the hamster wheel. I like to sign up for a few running races in the winter & spring. I’ll start small, maybe a 5k, then work up to a 10k and eventually a half-marathon and then the full 26.2. There are countless programs out there that will set you up for success at these races; they work if you’re honest with yourself and stick to the program. And don’t be intimidated by the people that run these races, they are all smiles and are super supportive to all shapes, sizes and speeds. Trust me, you’ll have a blast.
This year I completed some of my biggest races yet. I ran a local 30K trail run here in Montana. I drove over to Spokane, WA for my first ever marathon and finished in under 4 hours (goal achieved). And knocked out another marathon a couple weeks ago in Arizona.
Remember: things don’t get easier; you just get better at them.
Jess Culver
January 24, 2012
Hear No Evil. See No Evil.
Josh Tapp called in from Camp 1 today with good news – they carried to C2 without issue. Their feathers were ruffled a little in last night’s storm that handed them 50mph+ winds, but in the end everything held up nicely. They’re a fit crew. They’ll move to C2 tomorrow.
And Eben called in one last time to report that they are officially off the mountain. Just an 18 mile hike out today down a dry river bed. Wind at their backs and heads held high after a great Aconcagua Expedition. They capped the day off with a nice steak sandwich in Penitentes (hot sauce optional).
Tye Chapman
January 24, 2012
The hut on Cayambe.
Phil called from Houston, TX today. Almost home. We lost an email in cyberspace over the weekend but suffice it to say that through some persistence and route finding, most of the team tagged the top of Cayambe. A quick photo, and like horses to a barn, they cruised downhill to the hut. From there it was a seemingly short bus ride (nap-time!) to the Hot Springs of Papallacta.
They soaked their bones and raised their glasses in celebration!
Congrats on a great trip!
Tye Chapman
January 23, 2012
Craig John called in this morning from Mweka Camp (10,000′). Everyone is safely down and content. They’re super tired from the cold and windy climb and ready for a well deserved rest. A few family members are arriving in Moshi today to join the team for safari. Tomorrow they’ll drive to the trail-head to meet the climbers at the park gate. Can’t think of a better place for a family reunion! One more short day for the climbers and their summit is in the history books.
Adam Angel
Hiking down through the forest on the last day of the climb. (photo: Ivan Wright)
January 22, 2012
Craig John just called in from the summit of Kilimanjaro. This was his 19th summit, and he reports the coldest and windiest conditions that he’s ever seen on Kili. They climbed in down parkas pretty much the whole way. Nice work team! They’re heading down now, and eagerly anticipating a hot lunch back at Barafu. From there they’ll descend to their camp in the forest for a well deserved rest. It’s all down hill from here.
Adam Angel
IMG team on the summit of Kilimanjaro (photo: Ken Gomez)
January 22, 2012
Tomorrow's destination for Eben & Co. Plaza de Mulas.
We received some good news from Aconcagua this afternoon. Eben called in from High Camp after he and most of his team summitted. Cold temps but generally a nice summit day. They’ll rest up tonight and head down to Plaza de Mulas tomorrow, then it’s just an 18 mile hike out to the trailhead on Tuesday (ho-hum).
Tapp called in as well. No issues on their carry to C1 today. A few snow flurries but nothing to worry about.
Tye Chapman
January 21, 2012
Craig John just called in from breakfast at Karanga Camp, and said that the group had a great night’s sleep and are gearing up for the short climb to high camp (Barafu, 15,000′). They’ll go to sleep as early as possible and try to get a few hours of rest before they start climbing around midnight. If all goes well, they’ll step onto the crater rim as the sun rises. Almost time for the main event!
Adam Angel
IMG climbers ascend to Barafu Camp. (Photo by Adam Angel)
January 21, 2012
High Camp on Aconcagua.
Josh Tapp reports that he and his team had a great rest day and are fired up for the carry to C1 tomorrow.
Eben called in from High Camp and aside from the bitterly cold temperatures, they’re all doing just fine and are looking forward to givin-it-a-go tomorrow. They’ll likely get a later start than normal to climb in the sun as much as possible, given the current temps up high on the mountain. We may know more tomorrow, but like always in the mountains – ‘no news is good news’.
Tye Chapman
