Ang Jangbu reports that everyone is down to the Mweka Camp at treeline, tired, safe and sound. Tomorrow the team will be heading back to Moshi to wrap up the climb with a barbeque dinner with their Chagga guides. Well done team!
July Kili climbers on Uhuru Peak (Ang Jangbu)
July 15th, 2024
On the climb with the lights of Moshi in the background (Ang Jangbu)
Ang Jangbu called on the sat phone from Uhuru Peak to let us know that everyone was standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro. Well done! They had a nice climb up and are now in the process of descending to Mweka Camp. Additional summit photos will be forthcoming, but in the meantime he sent us one amazing photo from the team’s departure from Barafu Camp at midnight, with the lights of Moshi and the stars of the southern sky in the background. Wow!!
July 14th, 2024
The team spent last night at Karanga Camp (13000 feet) the third night in a row at that approximate elevation, as they have traversed around the south side of Kilimanjaro. Now they are ready to push higher! Today they climbed up to Barafu Camp (about 15000 ft) which left the afternoon for eating, hydrating, resting and getting packed up to for the summit climb. Their plan is to depart about midnight, which will hopefully put them on top shortly after dawn. So far so good, best wishes to everyone for their climb tonight!
July, 13th 2024
Ang Jangbu reports that the team had a nice day, with good weather and everyone doing well. This is one of our favorite days of the trip, first climbing the steep trail up the Barranco Wall, and then traversing for several hours below the Southern Glaciers (or what is left of them) until reaching the Karanga Valley, and the camp just beyond it. The small creek in the valley is the last water source on the ascent, so the porters will carry water tomorrow from Karanga up to the Barafu Camp.
July 12th, 2024
Ang Jangbu reports that team had a good hike today, ascending to 15000 feet at Lava Tower (where they took their lunch break) and then descending down to 13000 at Barranco Camp. This is the perfect acclimatization profile: “climb high, sleep low”. The day started clear as a bell, but on the descent from Lava Tower to Barranco the clouds rolled in and delivered an afternoon rain shower. Then, by the time they went to bed it was clear as a bell! Everyone is doing well, and they are looking forward to heading to Karanga Camp in the morning.
July 11, 2024
The whole team at Shira Camp (Ang Jangbu)
On the way to Shira Camp (Ang Jangbu)
Ang Jangbu reports that the weather was great today for the team to continue climbing to the Shira Camp, located on the edge of the Shira Plateau. After leaving the forest at Machame Camp they ascended through a “forest” of giant heather bushes, and along the way got their first views of the Lobelia and Giant Groundsel plants that only live at altitude near the equator. Now they are at about 12,500 feet, a perfect elevation for acclimatizing. Tomorrow the plan is to go to Barranco Camp. Well done team!
July 10, 1974
Eric on Denali 7-10-74 (Pat Lathrop)
Fifty years ago today I made my first ascent of Denali, the culmination of a successful 41 day “Denali Traverse 1974” expedition. I was 19 years old with over 20 Rainier ascents and one season as an RMI guide under my belt, but was already very experienced at suffering. We started in early June from Kantishna on the north side of the Alaska Range, where legendary bush pilot Don Sheldon dropped us off. It was a total epic, crossing the tundra, carrying loads up the Muldrow Glacier, an attempt at the Taylor Spur approach to Pioneer Ridge, climbing the Karstens Ridge instead, a vicious multi day storm up on the Harper Glacier that caused most of our food and fuel to be avalanched away, and finally a 5 day long storm spent in a snow cave at Denali Pass with 2 days of food. When we reached the top I was completely out of food except for a fist size chunk of frozen Velveeta cheese, with the descent to Kahiltna Base Camp still to contend with. I remember we got buzzed on the summit by two F4 Phantom jets, pilots waving flying upside down, a hundred feet over our heads, At 17 camp we dug up Ray Genet’s old snow cave and found some ramen noodles. The entire expedition we were alone on the mountain until we got to Kahiltna Base Camp and met a Polish team that gave us some food. I lost 25 pounds, it was a great trip! Thanks to my fellow Tacoma area climbers Larry Heggerness (leader), Jerry Hasfjord, Carl Fabiani, Tim Gage, and high school buddies Mike Reed and Pat Lathrop. It’s amazing to remember what it was like to be young and strong and immortal, unwilling to take no for an answer.
Eric Simonson
July 10, 2024
uly Kili team at Machame Camp (Ang Jangbu)
Kili climbers in the forest on the way to Machame Camp (Phunuru Sherpa)
Kili climbers loading up for the Machame Gate trailhead (Ang Jangbu)
Ang Jangbu reports the team made a clean getaway this morning, heading for the Machame Gate and the trailhead. Upon arriving at the Gate, they did the mandatory permit checks with the Park Rangers. Loads were distributed to the Chagga porter team and it was time to hit the trail for the hike up through the forest zone to the Machame Camp. It took the team about 6 hours (including breaks) of forest hiking to reach the camp, located near the treeline at a little below 10,000 feet elevation. So far so good!
July 9, 2024
The July Kilimanjaro team is ready to climb (Ang Jangbu)
We are happy to announce that our fourth Kili trip of 2024 is now starting, led by IMG senior leader Ang Jangbu Sherpa. Ang Jangbu reports from Tanzania that the whole team arrived on schedule yesterday and today they did their gear checks, secured any missing items, and got the duffel bags weighed and ready for the trailhead (the porter load limits are strictly enforced by the National Park). The plan is to depart at 8AM tomorrow morning for the Machame Gate. All’s well in Africa!
July 6th, 2024
IMG summited the holiday weekend with 4 summits on 4 different routes: Emmons Glacier Climb – Fuhrer Finger Climb – Kautz Glacier Climb – 3.5 Day Summit Climb
What a great finish of the Forth of July Holiday Weekend! Thanks to our highly experienced guides, and adventuresome clients!
