Kilimanjaro Photos Up Now
Photos from Mt. Kilimanjaro have been posted on the Expeditions page!
Photos from Mt. Kilimanjaro have been posted on the Expeditions page!
Congratulations to Kaylee Moniz who now holds the world record for being the youngest woman to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro! What an accomplishment! We are so proud of Kaylee!
At approximately 12:00 p.m. (local time), Matt, Kaylee, Mike, Dee, Jennifer and Angelo summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. The team reached the summit in 6 hours – much faster than originally planned. They spent 45 minutes on the pivot (hopefully taking lots of pictures!) and then cruised back to Barafu camp in 2 hours. Yes, TWO HOURS – the kids ran back to camp.
The final hike to the summit was made easier by Tusker’s porters and guides singing native African folk songs. The rhythmic music made everyone feel a part of a Paul Simon video. Having a beat can really keep the feet moving!
The team decided not to camp at High Crater camp due to the deteriorating weather. At 18,810 feet, it’s difficult to sleep and eat and this was not the day to take that chance. Tomorrow the team will hike back to Millennium camp where they will rest a bit before continuing to explore Africa.
Congratulations!
I spoke to Mike just as the team was going to bed on Thursday night. They had made camp at Barafu after acclimatizing all day.
Everyone will be rousing at about 4:00 am and leaving for the summit around 5:30 am. For those keeping track in real-time, that is 8:30 pm in Denver. The plan is to hike 8 to 9 hours to reach the summit. Descent is roughly 3-4 hours but if that staminas are flagging, the team will camp at High Crater Camp and descend in the morning. The weather shows highs about 18 F and clear and sunny skies all day.
I will keep updating tomorrow as I get information.
The acclimatization process continues – after spending today at over 15,000 feet, the team is spending the night at Karanga Camp and will be departing early Thursday morning at about 6:30 to head to Barafu. The team will spend the doing acclimatization hikes to over 16,200. The current debate is whether or not to push from Barafu to the summit on Friday or to spend Thursday night at High Crater Camp.
The advantage of staying at High Crater Camp on Thursday is that the distance to the summit is fairly short. The disadvantage is that High Crater Camp is at 18,810 feet and mighty cold. We’ll know what they decide when the team reports in tomorrow.
Everyone is doing well and having a great time. Matt and Kaylee are learning Swahili and the entire team is getting a first-hand, in-depth education on the receding glaciers. Mike confirmed that due to technical difficulties there won’t be any pictures until the team gets back. In the meantime, we’ll just imagine the beauty!
Due to satellite phone issues, the team was only able to check in this morning after hiking solidly for three days. Travel to Kilimanjaro was uneventful – a welcome change after the stress of Russia. The team is taking the Lemosho climbing route which is roughly 35 miles (56 km). They are camping at the Lava Tower tonight at over 15,000 feet.
The past several days have been the acclimatization portion of the climb. Today they ascended to 16,200 and returned to the campsite. Tomorrow will be another ascent then small descent with a reascent to Base Camp on Thursday.
Mike reports that everyone is doing well and are amazed with the beauty of the surroundings. The climb started in a rainforest where they were enveloped in perpetual clouds and mist. They emerged from the rainforest into a high alpine desert looking over the valleys and plains. They were so high that the land was obscured under a blanket of clouds – Mike said you could almost see the curvature of the earth. Weather on the other routes was torrential rainstorms – inevitable under all the clouds – but the team was already above them. Nice place to be!
The group is incredibly fortunate to be climbing with Tusker. Mike said that the guides are incredibly well-trained and professional. They are treated to a sit down lunch every day in the dining “hall” – a tent outfitted with tables, chairs and even white tablecloths! Everything about this company – from their pre-climb follow up to their attentiveness on the trail – speaks volumes about their expertise and experience on this mountain.
The weather looks great with clear skies, sun and temperatures in the 16-19 F range. I believe the summit attempt will start on Thursday or Friday. Mike will try and send pictures tomorrow and hopefully more news.