Kilimanjaro Winter 2007-2008 Cybercast

February 7, 2008

This is the final cybercast for Team Roaring Forties on Kilimanjaro. We recovered enough overnight to descend the 4,000 feet to the Mweka Gate from our camp. Although our bodies were tired everyone made it to the gate without any problems aside from general aches and pains. After an excellent celebratory buffet and lunch and tip giving ceremony we were off to Arusha, showers never felt so good. The entire team left on flights this evening and thus the trip came to a close. It has been an incredible experience with an amazing team; sadly this is also the last trip of the season for Kilimanjaro. I wish everyone on Team Roaring Forties safe travels and all the best, thanks for making this trip the extraordinary, successful adventure that it was.

February 6, 2008

This is the summit day cybercast for Team Roaring Forties. We awoke at 11pm to warm and calm weather, there was a thin cloud layer and this contributed to the warmer than usual weather. We set off at midnight for the summit, as we climbed the weather cleared. It was a tough climb for all but everyone dug in and preformed really well. By the time that we reached the summit at 7:40 am we had perfect weather and every member of our team reached the summit at the same time. Although we were all extremely tired from the effort it was an incredible combination of summit success and stellar weather. The hike from the summit to our eventual resting place tonight, took the better part of the day and covered nearly 3,000 meters. It was a joyous occasion to reach our camp at Mweka, everyone managed to stay awake through dinner but just barely. At the moment the team is sleeping, enjoying some well earned rest, it has been an excellent and extremely successful day for Team Roaring Forties and we are sending our best to everyone tuning in.

February 5, 2008

This is the Super Tuesday cybercast for Team Roaring Forties on Kilimanjaro. We awoke to cold and clear weather and absolutely amazing views from our Karranga camp. After the usual tea and coffee drinking mixed with a good level of laughter, we finished our day’s packing, ate a tasty breakfast and set off at 8:30, bound for high camp. We had spectacular views of the upper mountain during most of the morning, around late morning the clouds had fully moved in luckily we made it to our 16,000 foot high camp just as it started to hail. Safe from the weather we had a fine lunch and spent the better part of the afternoon relaxing and making final summit preparations. The hail has turned to snow and currently there is approximately five centimeters of new snow on the ground and it is still snowing. We are hopeful that by the time that we set out for the weather will have cleared and that we will be treated to a great summit day. The team is healthy and all are anxious to head towards the summit, wish us luck and we are sending our best to everyone tuning in.

February 4, 2008

This is the Kili cybercast for Monday, February 4th. Our team has arrived on a name and henceforth will be known as Team Roaring Forties, we have a crazy team of forty somethings and the coupling of craziness and age lead us to the naming inspiration. We have had an awesome day of hiking, after surmounting the mighty Barranco Wall that rises 1,000 feet directly out of camp, we traversed two prominent valleys. Our final ascent out of the Karanga River Valley led us to our current camp, Karanga. We made great time and were in camp early. An incredable lunch welcomed our weary bodies, as this is one of shorter days and our last day of rest before our push to high camp tomorrow, folks took the opportunity to nap and relax throughout the afternoon. Everyone is doing really well all be it tired and all team members are healthy. We enjoyed another day of stellar weather and only had a brief bit of rain this afternoon while in camp. Here are some messages from team members.

This is from Andrew and Rebecca – having a fantastic adventure, missing you all Molly, James, Trevor and Susanne - love Mom and Dad.

This is from Larry – Jeff, Bob (… transmission break…) miss you and wish that you were here, the views are fantastic – Love Dad.

Phil- sends his love to his three wonderful girls.

Jimmy: to family and friends – having a blast even though a little harsh for my taste. Love to all.

February 3, 2008

This is the cybercast for Sunday, February 3rd. We awoke to cold, clear weather after a night of somewhat better sleep than the previous night at our Machame camp. The views were gorgeous, by the time the sun crept over the horizon we were all grateful for its warmth. The hike from Shira to Barranco was one of our longest days of the climb; we ascended 2,800 feet to our lunch site just below the Lava Tower. After lunch and the few final feet of climbing to Lava Tower, half the group opted to climb the tower while the other half began the 2,700 foot descent to our camp at Barranco. The clouds had already moved in by the time that we climbed but those who climbed the Tower had a good adventure none the less. The descent is long and taxing on the knees and everyone was tired and thankful upon finally arriving at camp. It rained briefly in the afternoon but over all it was a splendid day. Another exceptional dinner left our appetite satiated and quickly led us to retire to the warms of our sleeping bags.

February 2, 2008

This is the Kili cybercast for Saturday, February 2nd. We awoke to amazing weather and enjoyed our first morning in camp, not all slept especially well but the good weather and tasty breakfast got us off on the right foot. The climb consisted of 2,700 feet of steep, rocky trails. After leaving camp we soon left the cover of the forest behind and enjoyed spectacular views of the plains below and Mt. Meru off in the distance. Around lunch time the clouds had official moved in but we managed to avoid any rain until after we reached our camp at Shira. In camp by 2pm we were able to enjoy some rest, relaxation and cards. By the time the rain hit we were cozy in our tents. It was a great day on the trail.

February 1, 2008

The final Kilimanjaro expedition for the season is underway. We have a diverse group of climbers that hail from New Zealand, Australia and the US. Our time in Arusha was relaxing with a focus (…transmission break…) eating copious quantities of food and taking care of final mountain preparations. After last minute details in Arusha this morning we were off heading to the Machame Gate by 9:00 am. The gate was bustling with activity but it didn’t take long to fulfill the permit requirements and begin our climb. It was a gorgeous hike through lush forests, we managed to avoid any rain and all climbers hiked really well today. Arriving in camp today in good time and good style we were able to relax and enjoy the evening. A tasty meal of steak, potatoes and homemade soup toped off the evening. It has been an excellent beginning to our climb.

January 29, 2008

This is the last cybercast for Team Mpingana-Bob and its exploits on Kili. We hiked through lush and incredibly beautiful forests as we descended 7,000 feet from our camp at Millennium to the Mweka Gate. We experienced terrific weather and saw loads of animals in the forest including (…transmission break…). At the gate we were greeted with singing and dancing and tasty (…transmission break…) buffet lunch. A two hour drive brought us back to the bustling town of Arusha where we were welcomed with hot showers and clean showers. A final celebratory dinner at the Arusha Hotel was a fitting and memorable end to our climb on Kilimanjaro. Tomorrow Mpingana-Bob embarks on the safari adventure. It has been an outstanding adventure and I wish all members of Team Mpingana-Bob the best in the future, long live Mpingana-Bob.

January 28, 2008

This is the summit day cybercast for Team Mpingana-Bob. It has been an awesome all be it long day and everyone reached the official summit of Uhuru. After yesterday’s rain and snow the weather cleared and we set out for the summit, conditions were perfect; warm clear and no wind. We all savored the views from a well earned summit. The descent back can be taxing as the total descent from the summit to Millennium Camp is almost 7,000 feet; we all made it yet with varying degrees of exhaustion. Everyone has crashed after a tasty meal and are getting some much needed rest after our big day.

These are some notes from Kathleen: JOI Folks- wow this is some beach, Michael –hugs an kisses I miss you, Franky-hugs and kisses to you and the family.

This a message from Carol: To Lynn- almost there turn on the hot tub.

That’s it for now from Mpingana - Bob.

January 27, 2008

This is the cybercast for Team Mpingana – Bob on Sunday, January 27th. It has been a wet and rainy move from Karanga to high camp, around 4 am it began to rain and it heavily rained and snowed all day. The winds have been mild and we are hoping that the storm will clear by later this evening. As is it shouldn’t hamper our summit attempt too much it will just make our climbing conditions more challenging. It is difficult to ascertain at this moment what conditions are like on the upper mountain as visibility is around 50 feet, we will just have to wait and see. Currently we are all dry and settled into our tents at 16,000 foot high camp making finally preparations for our summit bid tonight at midnight. All are healthy, all be it tired and excited for the summit. We will eat early at 5pm and try to sleep for 4 to 5 hours before we wake at 11 and then head out on our midnight departure. We will be thinking of you all up there, wish us luck.

January 26, 2008

This is the Kili cybercast for January 26th. We woke up at Barranco Camp to overcast skies and warm temperatures, we thought for sure that were bound for a day of rain. After breakfast we set out climb the mighty Barranco Wall. The Barranco Wall rises 1,000 feet above our camp and looks intimidating but once in the thick of the wall it is actually quite manageable, the team did really well and we made good time. After topping out we traversed east towards our current camp, Karanga; it was a beautiful hike though surreal (…transmission break…). Towards the end of the day we dropped steeply into the Karanga Valley and then ascended to the other side. Our camp is perched at the edge of the Karanga Valley at 13,000 feet. At the Karanga River is also incidentally our last source of water before high camp and all water must be carried to high camp from this river. We arrived early at camp and feasted on an excellent lunch. The afternoon was spent playing cards, napping and relaxing. Tomorrow we head to high camp and it is nice to have this day to rest. We have settled on a name for our team henceforth we will be known as Team Mpingana-Bob; Mpingana means knife fight in Swahili and Bob is a crazy cat that belongs to one of the members of our team, it is a fitting yet odd name for our crew and it has provided lots of amusement and laughter for our team as we ascend the mountain. All are healthy and excited for the summit and despite earlier predictions for rain we made it through today without a drop. Here are a few messages:

This is from Carol: amazing, miss you, love you Lynn. Love to (…transmission break…).

These messages are from Kathleen: to Saundra and Max – glad I came here instead of golfing with you in cold and rainy Austin. A-player thanks for recommending this trip. Kate, Adeal, Coco and Chris – this isn’t the ranch baby.

Good night all.

January 25, 2008

This is Mark with the Kili cybercast on Friday, January 25th. The hike from Shira to our camp below the great Barranco Wall was one of our longer yet also one of our more rewarding and beautiful days. As we hike away from Shira camp and towards Lava Tower we come ever closer to the massive upper slopes (…transmission break…). The upper mountain is snow and ice covered and is absolutely breathtaking. For most of the day we enjoyed spectacular weather; warm, sunny and with a little wind, the views were great. Just before Lava Tower we feasted on a tasty lunch before we ascended the last couple of feet to Lava Tower. Half of our group took the side climb to Lava Tower while the other half began the near 2,500 foot descent to camp. We were doused with a short yet intensive hail and rain storm that was almost refreshing, camp was an incredibly welcome site and we all greedily ate and than crashed in our tents. It has been a tiring yet rewarding day.

Here are a couple of messages from Kathleen: Michael-miss you lots wish you were here. Jean-you missed a very pleasant trip. Papa-you are right about why it is named Kilimanjaro.

Good night all.

January 24, 2008

This is the Kilimanjaro cybercast for Thursday, January 24. Today we enjoyed an excellent day on the mountain hiking through beautiful terrain mostly along a steep ridge. As we left the forest behind we climbed higher along the ridge and had spectacular views of Mt. Meru and the rolling plains below. As the day progressed the clouds thickened, serendipitously it didn’t begin raining until we were warm and dry in side the dinning tent with lunch. We had about 1 ½ hours of strong rain as we finished our hike to Shira Camp. 2,500 feet later the weather returned to being not that bad with a little bit of fog. All afternoon we were able to relax and read in our tents. A tasty feast and lively discussions wrapped our day and now we are snug in our bags.

Here is a note from Kathleen: Mom and Papa, I am doing great, I love you. (…transmission break…)

This is from Carol: Love to Lynn, George and family

January 23, 2008

Hi this is Mark calling in with the official start of the Kilimanjaro climb. We drove 1 ½ hours to the Machame Gate, the gate was remarkably quiet today with fewer groups than normal climbing at the moment. After check in and permitting, we began the 4,000 foot climb to our current climb at Machame. The forest is beautiful and lush and the hiking is truly spectacular. We did experience quite a bit of rain but nothing too intense. Arriving at camp is always a welcome event and today was no different; fresh popcorn, hot drinks, warm clothes and an excellent dinner fed our bodies and souls. It was a great first day and it is always great to start a climb on the mountain, we are all looking forward to further our climb on the mountain tomorrow. Good night to everyone tuning in.

This message is for Donna: Hope that everything is okay, wish you were here.

January 22, 2008

This is Mark with the first cybercast of the forth Kili trip for our winter season. It has been a relaxing and enjoyable day for our team and everyone is packed and ready to begin our climb tomorrow. The team is small and we are looking forward to the dynamics this intimacy will foster. We just wrapped a nice dinner together and we will try to overcome the jet lag, sleep well tonight and then awake for an early start on the mountain tomorrow. Stay tuned as the adventure begins.

January 20, 2008

This is the final cybercast for Team Climb for Cancer on Sunday January 20th. From our Millennium Camp we descended 7,000 feet to our final destination at Mweka Gate. It unfortunately rained most of the day but folks managed to make it down in good time and in good spirits. Everyone was excited to finally be finished, we enjoyed a celebratory lunch at the gate and held our tipping ceremony with the local crew. The generosity of the team towards the local crew was impressive and everyone was very happy and appreciative. In Arusha we savored hot showers and clean clothes and had one last celebratory dinner together. It was a truly special climb and the team as a whole was very inspirational. It was an honor to be a member of Team Climb for Cancer – thank you and I wish you all the best. Members of Team Climb for Cancer are now either on their way home or on Safari. Stay tuned to Team 4 on Kilimanjaro coming in a couple of days.

January 19, 2008

This is the summit day cybercast for Team Climb for Cancer. The feat was impossible as sustained seventy mile an hour winds nailed our camp ceaselessly beginning shortly after dinner. By 9:30 pm the crew was out taking down dinning tents and two porter tents otherwise they would be totally destroyed. Despite intense winds the air temperature was tolerable and it was only snowing lightly. Between 10pm and midnight we left in three different groups, aiming for the summit. After two hours of hiking the winds remained so strong that many members of the group simply couldn’t stay on their feet and were getting blown around. At around 3am around 17,000 feet six members of our team were forced to return to high camp, it was a difficult decision. The other members headed upwards unsure if they would reach the summit, miraculously nine out of ten battle their way to the summit and one reached Stella Point. Most teams on the mountain that day tuned around and only about 20% of all summit goers of other mountain teams reached the summit. The winds never abated and after battling our way back to high camp we quickly packed and left for Millennium. All were at Millennium by early afternoon, exhausted and happy to finally have some respite from the wind. It was a big day with some intense weather, were sad not to have everyone reach the summit but considering the extreme conditions we are all happy with our successes. This is a message from Dave and Lindsay: we made it, tired and looking forward to a shower but for now just thrilled with our success.

January 18, 2008

This is the cybercast for Friday, January 18th Climb for Cancer. The rain and snow that we missed during the day hit us hard during the night. Everyone faired okay, yet many did not sleep that well. The dinning tent had to be resurrected this morning but otherwise everything was okay. A quick breakfast fueled by the anxiety from the strong winds had us out of camp by 8:00 am. The hike was smooth and most folks are feeling well and ready to tackle the summit. We modified the location of our high camp slightly to give us better protection from the wind. It was quite an ordeal getting camp set up today but eventually it all came together. Folks are now resting and packing for tonight’s summit attempt. Many if not most teams couldn’t make it to the summit today, although the weather and wind have abated they are still very strong up high and at camp. We all hopefully optimistic that the weather will continue to improve and we will have a successful summit bid. Our team is ready and after our traditional high camp pasta dinner at five we will try to steal a few hours of sleep before we wake up at 11:00 and leave for the summit at midnight. Wish us luck and we will be thinking of you. Here are some notes from people:

Dear Tom, Melissa, Clay and Hanna – I love you – Mom.

To: Jeffery, Kim, Barry- doing okay, love you – Mother.

To: Nick – still strong, summit attempt tonight – Mary T.

From: Georgie – Love to all, I am still kicking.

To: all those watching Andersons – we are doing great and excited to head to the summit tonight.

This is from David and Lindsay – Hi to family and friends, we are both healthy and feeling strong and ready for the summit, Mom stop worrying.

This is to the Byrds – resting at 16,000, waiting to summit, I can’t wait to share the details, I love you all - Mom.

Goodnight.

January 17, 2008

This is the Kili cybercast for Thursday January 17th. Our team has settled on a name and we are going to be henceforth known as Team Climb for Cancer. Four members of our team are cancer survivors and one member of our team is currently undergoing cancer treatment, furthermore another member of our group started a foundation called Climb for Cancer. The foundation has raised over 750,000 dollars to date through climbers fundraising efforts on expeditions such as this one throughout the world.

It has been a great day for Team Climb for Cancer and we actually managed to avoid any rain. All members of the team are feeling strong and healthy and the strength of the team is building daily. The hike to Barranco Camp to our current camp at Karanga is one of our shorter days yet, it offers dramatic views and some of the most challenging hiking. We didn’t get to savor a lot of the views due to the fog yet we did get to climb the mighty Barranco Wall. After arriving at camp early, we had an incredible lunch, followed by a well deserved and leisurely afternoon. A good night of sleep should set us up well for our move to high camp tomorrow. Here a bunch of messages from the team members:

Travis and Rick want to say hi to everyone and want to let them know that we are doing fine. A big kiss to Deb, Laura, Sarah and Kathy.

David and Lindsay: The weather has been tough but we are tougher, we are both feeling good and looking forward to our summit attempt. PS: Hi to Mrs. Sculberg’s Class.

Randy sends his love to his family.

This is from John: Linda I love and miss you, having a great time, thanks to all the people who supported me through Climb for Cancer. Hello to my co-workers at Ganseco.

Robin, Alice, Julian and Friends, I am well,I love you and tomorrow night we head for the summit – Harriet.

To : Patty, Will, Bear and T-Bone – still doing great and still missing you. Will good luck in Rhode Island, go Clippers – Love Dad.

Herb says hi to Debbie, Lorie, Ryan and Margareta and all his supporters. We are climbing strong, two days until summit- Herb Doyle.

Good night everybody.

January 16, 2008

This is the Kili cybercast for Wednesday January 16th. Someone must have brought the rain with them because this is turning out to be a rainy trip. We awoke to a layer of ice on our tents and cool temperatures. The hike from Shira to Barranco is one of our longer days as we gain over three thousand feet as we head over to Lava Tower after which we descend over to two thousand feet to our at 13,000 foot Barranco camp. Although we had some brief moments of sun at the beginning of the climb, it rained on us for the better part of the day. Everyone did really well and we were in camp before five despite the weather dampening the spirits slightly. Warm tents and dry clothing were a welcome sight for all, it wasn't long after dinner that folks went to bed and got some sleep. We are sending our thoughts to everyone tuning in.

Here are a couple of notes:

Dear Houles – sun, rain, sleet and steep but your thoughts keep me feeling good, your notes keep me inspired, I love you - Mom.

Birds, creeks and friends, having a blast despite the crazy weather, wish you could see it, its unbelievable – Love Eny.

January 15, 2008

This is the Kili cybercast for Tuesday January 15th . The hike from Shira to Machame is one of the shorter days of our climb and it is usually straightforward. One climbs a relatively steep trail along a beautiful ridge before making an ascending traverse to the Shira camp. The climb gained approximately 2,600 feet, this turned out to be a challenging day for our group, it rained steadily through out the day which always makes this more challenging. But we all arrived in camp with the entire team intact and after a good night rest folks should be feeling more energized in the morning. More from us tomorrow as we climb from Lava Tower to our Barranco camp.

Here is a note from Ron: to Patty, Will, Marie and Teddy – doing great, I love and miss you guys – love Dad.

January 14, 2008

Our first day on Kili has come and gone and the team as a whole has done really well. Leaving town is always somewhat hectic but we managed to hit the road around 9:00 am. A 1 ½ hour drive brought us to Machame Gate and the official start of our climb. The Machame Gate is a circus of activity with porters preparing loads, climbers registering at the ranger station and last minute preparations being made by all. Once on the trail the way is gorgeous, we climbed 4,000 feet through lush forests to our current camp Machame which lies at 10,000 feet. We had a few rain showers but over all the weather was great. After changing into warm clothes and un packing we all feasted on a tasty dinner. Sleep was on everyone’s minds and tonight should be one of well deserved rest.

This is a message from Aileen: hi birdhouse I am doing great, I am doing great, love you so much, miss you – Leeny.

Good night everybody.

January 13, 2008

This is Mark with the first cybercast of 3rd Team on Kili, on Sunday January 13th. The entire group arrived without problems although the time difference and two days of traveling takes its toll. Hopefully after a good night sleep everyone will be on track with their schedules. We have a full team with 16 intrepid climbers from throughout the US and Canada. The group is diverse and the age spans between 31 is the youngest and 61 is the oldest, it is nice to have such a diverse mix. We began with the trip orientation and then spent the majority of the day on individual gear checks, relaxing, packing and exploring the city of Arusha. We all had a tasty lunch at the Cultural Heritage Center to break up the day. On the evening we went out on the town for a pizza, beer and wine and got to hang out and got to know each other a bit more. Our group was entertained by an acrobatics troop that was quite impressive, some team members were brave enough to perform the fire limbo themselves. It was a rather full yet rewarding day and everyone is looking forward to starting on the mountain tomorrow.

January 11, 2008

This is the final cybercast for Team Harambee, calling in Friday, January 11th. It has been an incredible journey and we have all made it back to Arusha. The hike from Millennium camp to the Mweka Gate was lush and beautiful and our team savored their last hours on the mountain. It was a descent of 7,000 feet which tends to punish the knees but everyone did really well. A delicious buffet along with soda and water awaited us. Team Harambee was very generous with their local mountain crew and they were in turn very appreciative. A final celebratory dinner in Arusha after changing into fresh clothes and showers topped off the trip. Half the team decided to embark on an adventure to a local disco, this experience was nothing short of memorable for all who attended. It has been a great trip for Team Harambee and the camaraderie will be missed. Thank you all for a wonderful time.

January 10, 2008

This is Mark with a summit day report from Team Harambee on Kili. The usual 11pm wake up came all too early with some folks having slept reasonably well while other folks didn’t sleep at all. It was a beautiful clear night and the stars were amazing, it was cold but not extreme with a slight wind the entire evening. Everyone climbed really well and the entire team reached the summit of Uhuru Peak at the same time. The total climb took only about seven hours from camp to summit which was an amazing experience in its self; it is a rarity that the whole team summits together. Back at the high camp spirits were generally good, all the exhaustion from the day was setting in. A quick lunch in camp, followed by a two hour hike down to our camp at Millennium for the evening rounded out the day. Everyone is tired yet completely content, one cannot ask for a better day in the mountains.

January 9, 2008

Team Harambee has made it to their high camp on Kili, it was a great day. We have made all of the last minute preparations and are ready to give this mountain our best effort. It is early but we are all in our bags hoping to catch a few hours before we wake at 11 and head for the summit at midnight. We will be thinking of you all.

Here is a note from Tom: For Charlotte, feeling great, looking forward to you to seeing you in Nairobi – Smiley.

Take care everybody.

January 8, 2008

Here is a report from Team Harambee for Tuesday, January 8th on Kilimanjaro. We woke up to cold, clear, beautiful weather, taking in the incredible views of the Breach Wall. After some tasty breakfast we were off, headed straight for the imposing Barranco Wall. The Barranco Wall was steep but a lot of folks said that this portion of the climb was their favorite part so far, everyone enjoyed climbing the wall. Once up top we traversed east through stunning terrain, finally dropping down into the Karanga River Valley, from there we ascended a moderately steep trail to our current camp which is perched in the etch of the Karanga Valley. More singing and dancing greeted our arrival until we were settled into camp, feasting on delicious lunch. We rested in the afternoon, ate heartily again in the evening and began to mentally prepare for the rigors of the next two days. Everyone is healthy and excited for summit day.

This is a message from David: Denica I miss you so much sweetheart, Mom the radio is working and a godsend all so far so good.

From Z: for Mom and Dad, Ev, Diggy, Shlomi and Mireck as well as Lena and Augusta, tomorrow is for you.

That’s it now, take care folks.

January 7, 2008
It has been another stellar day for the Kili Team. We have settled on a team name that is very fitting and represents our team of climbers as well as our extensive African porter team totaling 63 people. Thus hence forth our team will be known as Team Harambee. There is not an English word for the direct translation but harambee means, ‘if we all come together we can make this work’, awesome and inspiring. On that note our team is working well together and spirits are high. Moving our Shira camp to our current camp Barranco is one of the longest days of the climb. From Shira we climbed steadily to 15,200 feet and the base of Lava Tower, climbing a total of 2,600 feet. Half of our group opted to scale the 200 feet Lava Tower, while the other half began the nearly 2500 decent to Barranco. All told it was nine hours of hiking for the group; beautiful singing and dancing welcomed us into the camp, cheering our tired spirits. Everyone is healthy, another incredible feast for our bellies and the team is now retired and hopeful for another sound and long night of sleep. Here are a couple of notes from team members:

Emma sends her love to pun, mum and papa.

Gary says hakuna matata from Barranco – spectacular but grueling. Love to Linda, JJJJJ, Ken, Amy and Dave and all of my Nanuet and port and work friends. He says love and miss you very much.

That’s it signing out from Team Harambee

January 6, 2008
This is Mark with a report from Kilimanjaro, it is Sunday January 6th. It was an incredibly warm and sunny morning and everyone took advantage of the first opportunity to take a look at the upper mountain. At breakfast we all bravely sampled Emma’s vegemite and as one person summarized, you either love it or hate it. The hike from Machame sure was breathtaking, as one climbed to the ridge the forest was quickly left behind and the views are nothing short of spectacular. It was shorter day and the hike was steep and some folks were feeling the burn. All enjoyed some relaxing during the afternoon at camp, some opted to venture out on an hour hike to the Shira Hut. Our dinner was nothing short of extraordinary and all went to bed content. Here are a couple of messages:

From David- sending all my love to Denica, family and friends can’t wait to see you soon.

From Mats- rosy ox ox baby

From Steph and Rich – hi to our family and friends, go buckeyes.

January 5, 2008
This is a report from Mark and the team on Kilimanjaro. It has been an awesome first day in the mountains, leaving the hectic travel, pack and preparation logistics behind, we are finally living freely and simply on the mountain. We enjoyed amazing weather all day and did a great job hiking to our current Machame which lies at 10,000 feet. We feasted on an incredible dinner of vegetables, homemade soup, fries and sirloin steak. Mountain life has been treating us well. Folks are resting and enjoying some well earned sleep. Here are a few special notes:

Al tells Darleen, I love her and got here safe and sound.

This is from Mats, yes mom am all bundled up.

That’s it for now folks, good night.

January 4, 2008
Hi there this is Mark with the first report of the second team of the season. Despite political unrest and rioting in Kenya, everyone made it to Arusha safely and with all of their luggage. It is a long and tiring journey, yet folks were in high spirits and did not seemed fazed by the two day journey and jet lag. After a leisurely breakfast and trip orientation the rest of the day was spent on individual gear checks, touring the city, taking care of the last minute odds and ends and most importantly relaxing. To break up the day we enjoyed an excellent buffet at the Arusha Cultural Heritage Center, we then toped off our day with some good old fashion wood-fire pizzas, beer and wine and a great time hanging out together over dinner. It really seems like we have an excellent team and everyone is excited for the adventures ahead. More news soon and tomorrow we begin our climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Good night everybody.

January 1, 2008
Hi this is Mark with one final report from Team Bear. From Millennium Camp we descended 7,000 feet through increasingly lush forest to finally arrive at the Mweka Gate. The descent was fatiguing but everyone did really well and was excited to be done. We were greeted at the gate with singing, dancing and a beautiful buffet. Team Bear was very generous to our local crew, mountain support team and everyone was happy and excited. After a two hour drive back to Arusha we were finally able to take a hot shower, put on some clean clothes and relax. We celebrated the New Year in style with a grand New Year’s Ball at the Hotel called the Fire and Ice Ball. It was packed with live dance performances, magicians, a dj and tons of great food, dancing and general merriment. Although folks were tired we all had a great time and a great last night together. Team Bear is now in route to Lake Manyara and other wild locals for their safari. It has been a wonderful trip and I thank you all for your efforts in contributing to such a great expedition. Trip two begins on January 4th so tune in then, until then, I wish all the best. Take care.

December 30, 2007
Hi this is Mark with a report from Team Bear, summit day on Kilimanjaro. Summit day proved to be all that and more for Team Bear; after waking at 11 pm, packing and eating the little food that we could, we set out for the summit at midnight with a beautiful, clear and starry night and not too cold. The summit push in general is a very long and tiring day. All was well and then one of our climbers began to struggle with the climb, soon after another climber came down with acute AMS and descended with her father. Thus at the end of a very long summit day, we had four reach Uhuru Peak, one reach Stella Point and two turn around mid way. Back at high camp every climber was exhausted and dreading the hike down to Millennium Camp, almost four thousand feet lower. After a bit of rest and some much needed lunch, we packed and sent out for Millennium. (…transmission break…) Kilimanjaro is indeed one of the most underestimated mountains. Now at a much lower elevation and lounging at the Millennium camp spirits are high and all are resting relaxing and chatting. Despite the exhaustion everyone is healthy and well. The urge for a shower and fresh clothes is strong, I am sure that the hike to Mweka Gate tomorrow will be swift. It has been an interesting, tiring and rewarding day for all. Good night from Millennium Camp.

December 29, 2007
Greetings from Team Bear on Kili, we are nice and settled into our high camp after a moderate and beautiful day of hiking. Although today was not one of our longer days folks are definitely feeling the effects of hiking in higher altitude and what that all means. The weather was outstanding and we currently have a clear and starry sky. The team is healthy and strong and is poised for a successful summit bid tonight. After an early dinner and some last minute preparations we are all trying to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before we wake early and depart at midnight. We are sending our thoughts to the mountain and look forward to some post summit news tomorrow. Goodnight everybody.

December 28, 2007
Hi there this is Mark with a report from Kilimanjaro. Team Bear made further progress today on their climb of Kilimanjaro. Members are tired and nervous about the challenges ahead. But spirits and morale are high and everyone is excited to meet those challenges. Nestled in our camp at 13,000ft high above the Karanga valley we all spent the afternoon resting and enjoying some down time. Our travels took us over the mighty 1000ft Barranco Wall. After getting around some obstacles we traversed the mountain of Kili heading east and descending into the Karanga river valley. The short steep climb deposited us into our camp for the night. We all hardily enjoyed today’s lunch and most of us overstuffed our very hungry and tired bodies. We’ll feast again shortly and then retire for the evening. The weather is unsettled but not menacing. Our move to high camp tomorrow should be great. A note from Richard to Gayle, Clare is well and still has not broken a sweat. Good night from the Karanga Camp.

December 27, 2007
Howdy Folks, this is Mark Fisher calling in for a report on Team Bear on the slopes of Kilimanjaro.  Currently we are camped right below the Barranco Wall.  Ahead of us we can see the great and famous Breach Wall.  It’s been a beautiful but arduous day as we traveled from our Shira Camp up the lava tower and down to our current camp, Barranco Camp.  It was a great day folks definitely felt the rigors of what is altitude aside from the longest day on the mountain.  Half our group made the ascent of lava tower while the other half decided to continue to head down and make it back to camp just in time to avoid a rainfall shower.  All are doing well yet tired.  And everyone is wrapped up in their bags trying to get some sleep for the night.  It has been a great trip so far and team is having a really good time together, telling jokes, bonding and making the most of the rest of our days on the mountain.  Looking forward to more reports tomorrow and I hope that everyone out there is tuning in and doing well.  Take care.

December 26, 2007
It’s an awesome day on Kili.  Overall, the team is doing very well.  Going from Machame to Shira camp is one of our shorter days so we got a slighter later start after devouring our breakfast of fresh coffee, fruit, eggs, toast, oatmeal and sausage, we set out.  The hike is interesting and offers incredible views.  We left the forest zone and traveled through the foggy, primeval feeling of another zone, heather zone, to our next camp at 12,700 ft which lies in the moorland zone.  Feels like walking on the moon with dominant vegetation being the giant acacias and trees.  Despite having great weather thus far, it’s currently raining and we’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.  Most of our team relaxed in camp this afternoon but a few of us opted to take a short day hike and stretch our legs.  We finally agreed upon a team name, Team Bear and it will be our guiding inspiration.  Steve and Chris send their love to Nena and Papa.  Take care everyone out there and more adventures to come tomorrow. 

December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas it’s been a non-traditional year but a highly memorable Christmas for this Kili team.  Hiding presents under the tree and relaxing with coffee we loaded the jeeps and drove 2 miles to the Machame Trailhead.  Instead of lounging all day and napping in the afternoon we hiked for 6 hours and gained 4000 ft. of elevation to our present camp, the Machame Camp located at roughly 10,000ft.  Our feet skipped the roof landing and mint jelly instead we enjoyed steaks, homemade cucumber soup, fresh steamed carrots, beans, homemade French fries and homemade chocolate cake.  It was an unbelievable day.  We managed to avoid the rain and the stars are now out and the night is gorgeous.  It’s nine o’ clock and everyone is tired and fed, satisfied and comfortably set up in their tents.  They would like to send all their love and well wishes to their friends and family on Christmas Day.  Here are a few special greetings from some of our members.  Hey Mom and Alex, Merry Christmas.  Love you, Clare and Dad.  Love to the Cody Family in Pepper Collins from Steve and Chris.  El, Mom, Leah and the Huchitals, Merry Christmas.  El, we’ll see you in a few days. Bill No-Bag (that’s from Brad).  Merry Christmas from Kili to Mom and Dad, Bo, Sis, Lindsey, Hock, Cy, Brody and Banks.  That’s it for now folks, we’ll talk tomorrow.

December 24, 2007
Hello cyberworld, this is Mark Fisher calling in for the first cybercast of the 2007-2008 Kilimanjaro winter season.  Our first trip is upon us and our group of intrepid climbers arrived last night, excited, weary but ready for the adventures ahead.  We had a great day and took the day to relax preparing ourselves for the next couple of weeks, we did some gear checks and hang out with eachother and kick our feet up by the pool.  It was nice to be able to recover from the long flight and have some time to prep for our trip on the mountain tomorrow.  We had a great Christmas Eve dinner and everyone in the group is sending out a lot of love to their family and friends out there tuning in and that they can’t be with during Christmas.  We will leave tomorrow from the hotel and head out to the Machame Trailhead, where we will begin our climb and we look forward to giving everyone updates from our climb starting tomorrow.  Merry Christmas to all tuning in and everyone from Team 1 is sending their love from Arusha and looking forward to sharing stories.  Take care.