February 17, 2010
We made it back to Mendoza late last night after the long hike out. We’ll have our celebration dinner tonight and then most of the team takes off tomorrow. All is well.
-Mike Hamill
Day 4 On Orizaba
February 16, 2010
Phil Ershler called from Mexico. The Orizaba team is currently settled in at the Piedre Grande Refugio (hut). It’s a little windy with gusts of about 25 mph, but not to worry the group will be staying at the hut for the next day and a half. They’ll be training tomorrow and will get to bed early. The plan is to get up and climb in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Everyone is doing well and in good spirits. A full day of acclimatization and rest will prepare everyone for the long summit day, which is at least 12 hours round trip: hut – summit – shower (oh and they’ll need one too!).
We wish the team luck!
IMG Office
Aconcagua Team Summits!
February 14, 2010
Mike Hamill, Aconcagua team leader called in the past two days during the holiday weekend. On February 13 he called at approximately 3pm PST. He reported that all was well on the mountain. A couple of team members were feeling some mild effects from the altitude and overall effort of the trip, but everyone was OK. If weather permits, the team will summit in the morning.
On February 14 Mike called to report that the team was back at high camp having successfully reached the summit! 9 of 13 team members reached the actual summit, but all gave it their very best and are now resting at high camp after a safe descent. Tomorrow the team will head down to Plaza de Mules Base Camp. All is well and the team sends their love and good wishes to friends and family back home.
Congratulations to the team for a job well done!
George Dunn
Weather Holding As Climbers Reach C2
February 11, 2010
It’s always nice to hear from our teams in the field when there’s good news to report. Mike Hamill called in this afternoon (our time), just prior the team’s dinner (their time). Camp 2 is in, everyone’s there and weather is still holding. One camp remains and then it’s time to take a stab at the summit. This is when things start getting tough. Aconcagua is a VERY big mountain. It tends to wear people out. Heads, stomachs, lungs and legs have taken a lot of abuse already and there’s more to come. Such is the nature of high altitude mountaineering. Camp 2 is high, pushing 18,000 ft. Getting there is an achievement in itself. Each member is trying to do their share for the team and part of that means taking care of themselves. You have to work at drinking, eating and generally doing all those things which allow you to get up the next morning and keep climbing.
Mike also reports that the weather is still holding. It can’t last forever, but it doesn’t have to. It just needs to last long enough. That’s the big variable which is hard to control. So, you work hard to put yourself in position to take advantage of any good luck the mountain gives you. It’s the old idea of opportunity meeting preparedness.
We’ll hear next when the team hits high camp. It’s almost crunch time.
Phil Ershler
IMG Kilimanjaro Team Completes Climb & Heads For Serengeti
February 10, 2010
IMG Kilimanjaro leader Eben Reckord reports that the team enjoyed a celebration dinner back at the hotel in Moshi, after their successful climb and descent. Now they are heading for the Serengeti! Over the next three days they will experience world class wildlife viewing and some amazing luxury lodges and tented camps as they visit Serengeti and Ngorongoro, two of the world’s most spectacular game parks. So far so good!
Eric Simonson
Aconcagua Team Moves To C1
February 8, 2010
The news continues to be good from Argentina and the slopes of Aconcagua. Team leader, Mike Hamill, just phoned in. The team has made their move to C1 at 16,200’. The weather is perfect and everyone’s doing well. It has been quite windy the last couple of weeks. Weather now is excellent and forecast is favorable for at least another several days. All that’s excellent news. Lots can change between now and the summit bid, but all’s as good as we could hope for at the present. We’ll take it.
Phil Ershler
IMG KILIMANJARO TEAM HAS A SUPER BOWL SUMMIT
February 8, 2010
Congrats for IMG guide Eben Reckord and the Kili crew, who called on the satellite phone from the crater rim, with news of their success.  Eben reports that the climb went well, with 10 of 12 members reaching Uhuru Peak, the top of Africa. Before signing off, they wanted to know the score of the Super Bowl. Congrats to both teams! A long descent today brought the Kili crew all down to Mweka Camp, at about 11,000 feet, where the team is now enjoying thick air, a fine dinner from our Chagga cook team, and an incredibly satisfying and well deserved rest tonight. Tomorrow morning they will be heading down through the forest to the Mweka Gate and the hotel in Moshi.
Eric Simonson
Kilimanjaro Climbers Reach Barranco Camp
February 5, 2010
IMG guide Eben Reckord reports by satellite phone that the IMG team had a good trip up from Shira, passing below the Lava Tower (over 14,000 feet) and then dropping down into the Great Barranco and the campsite at about 13,000 feet. From the Barranco Camp the members look down on the town of Moshi and up at the Breach Wall, one of the most famous features of Kilimanjaro, first ascended by Reinhold Messner and Konrad Renzler in 1978. Tomorrow the team ascends the steep trail to the east, climbing out of the canyon and traversing below the hanging glaciers. So far so good!
Eric Simonson
And They’re Off
February 5, 2010
Team leader, Mike Hamill, just called in from Casa Piedre. The crew is now 2 days into their 3 day trek to base camp. Casa Piedre is around 10,000’. This is where the team gets their first really good view of the mountain. The word is – so far, so good. It’s been clear and sunny but a tad on the breezy side. Probably a good thing they’re not high on the mountain now. People above are probably getting a bit blasted. But breezy works just fine during the approach. They’ll cross the Vacas River first thing in the morning and then head up the Relinchos River to base camp. That’s when we should hear next from Mike. These early days are critical to a good acclimatization process. And Mike reports that everyone is doing well. That’s about all we can ask for now.
Phil Ershler
February Kilimanjaro Team Reaches The Shira Plateau
February 4, 2010
IMG guide Eben Reckord reports that all is well with the February IMG Kilimanjaro team. After two days of climbing through the forest and scrub of the lower slopes of the mountain, the team has now reached the expansive Shira Plateau, at about 12,000 feet. This wide volcanic plateau covers the southwest side of the mountain, and marks the beginning of the long traverse the team will make around the south side of Kilimanjaro. The next three days will be excellent acclimatization and is some of the most spectacular high altitude hiking anywhere in the world. From Shira, they trek east below the glaciers and ice falls to Barranco, Karanga, and Barafu camps! We’ll keep you posted on the team’s progress.
Eric Simonson