June 22, 2011

IMG guide Eric Remza reports that the team made it back to the hotel in Moshi in good shape, and enjoyed their celebration barbeque dinner.  After a good night sleep at low altitude, this morning they headed for Arusha, and a flight out to Serengeti.  One minute you are in a busy city, and a few minutes later you are in the middle of a pristine National Park, with animals roaming everywhere. They will take a game drive this afternoon, on the way to their lodge, to see if they can start checking the critters off the must-see list!

June 20, 2011

Kili summits!

IMG guide Eric Remza reports that the team had good weather and conditions today for their ascent of Kilimanjaro, and they were able to make it to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Africa!  They left Barafu at about midnight and summited shortly after dawn.  They are now on their way down to Mweka Camp, and are doing well.  We’ll expect to hear from them tomorrow when they reach the Hotel in Moshi for their celebration.

Eric

At Stella Point looking across at Uhuru Peak

June 18, 2011

IMG guide Eric Remza reports by sat phone from Karanga Camp (13,000 feet) that everyone is doing well and the weather has been staying good.  Today the team enjoyed one of the most spectacular days of trekking on the trip, as they climbed over the Barrancco Wall and traversed below the famous glaciers on the south side of Kilimanjaro.  Tomorrow the team will be heading up to the Barafu Camp, for their last night before the summit bid.

Eric Simonson

June 15, 2011

Machame Camp with Mt. Meru in the background.

IMG guide Eric Remza reports from Machame Camp at about 10,000 feet on the slopes of Kilimanjaro that the team is all tucked in after dinner, and a good first day of the climb.  The weather was good today and they took it nice and slow going up through the forest, and pulled into camp with everyone feeling good.

Now, there is a big full moon rising up Africa and they are waiting for the June 15 eclipse to begin  (East Africa will have 100% lunar coverage!!).

Eric Simonson

June 14, 2011

All packed up and ready to go!

IMG guide Eric Remza reports by sat phone from Moshi that the June Kili team has all arrived on schedule.  Sounds like the team had to take a longer routing, flying east over Saudi Arabia on the KLM flight from Amsterdam, to avoid the plume from the volcano in Eritrea!  Everyone made it OK, though, and they are all set to start hiking tomorrow.

Today they had a group meeting after breakfast, then travelled into town to visit our friends at the Kilimanjaro Porter Assistance Project which we support.  This afternoon they finished packing up the gear, and then weighed all the duffel bags (max weight for the porter loads is 30 pounds).  After dinner at the hotel it’s off to bed and ready for the trail tomorrow!

Eric Simonson