July 30, 2011

Team Summit Life! has achieved 100% success on Kilimanjaro. It has been a long difficult day, we climbed through the night and crested Stella Point at 6 am to be rewarded with an amazing sunrise over Africa. We made it to Uhuru peak (the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet) at 7am. It was very crowded for summit photos. We shared lots of tears and hugs.

The descent was tough. We got back to high camp at noon and are now going down to Millenium camp. Everyone did very well.

Scott and The Summit Life! team.

July 30, 2011

Team Summit Life! has achieved 100% success on Kilimanjaro. It has been a long difficult day, we climbed through the night and crested Stella Point at 6 am to be rewarded with an amazing sunrise over Africa.  We made it to Uhuru peak (the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet) at 7am. It was very crowded for summit photos.  We shared lots of tears and hugs.

The descent was tough. We got back to high camp at noon and are now going down to Millenium camp. Everyone did very well.

Scott and The Summit Life! team. 

July 29 Evening

We are off at 11:30am to try to beat the crowds. No wind, clear sky, hovering around 0. Looks good.

Summit Life team off!

July 29, evening

We are off at 11:30am to try to beat the crowds. No wind, clear sky, hovering around 0. Looks good. Summit Life team off!

July 29, 2011
A.M.
It was a beautiful night last night. The sky was filled with countless stars with the ‘milky way’ streaking through the middle. It was 3 degrees in my tent last night.

Everyone is strong and doing well this morning. As we prepare to depart for high camp, the plains of Africa below us are covered in a blanket of clouds. But above is crystal clear. This is an exciting day as we descend into the Gorge, then climb the eastern wall with views of the ice fields. We will continue to trek up through the Valley and up the lava ridge to Barafu Camp (15,500ft). It should take about four-five hours trek. From Barafu we will make the summit push.

P.M.
We left camp at 9 am and arrived at Barafu (15,230 feet) at noon. It was a great walk with beautiful views. Some clouds and a little cooler, but nice weather. The team is doing very well. Our schedule for the day is: lunch, rest, dinner, rest and go for top at midnight.

Scott.

July 29,  A.M.

It was a beautiful night last night. The sky was filled with countless stars with the ‘milky way’ streaking through the middle. It was 3 degrees in my tent last night.

Everyone is strong and doing well this morning. As we prepare to depart for high camp, the plains of Africa below us are covered in a blanket of clouds. But above is crystal clear. This is an exciting day as we descend into the Gorge, then climb the eastern wall with views of the ice fields. We will continue to trek up through the Valley and up the lava ridge to Barafu Camp (15,500ft). It should take about four-five hours trek. From Barafu we will make the summit push.

P.M.

We left camp at 9 am and arrived at Barafu (15,230 feet) at noon. It was a great walk with beautiful views. Some clouds and a little cooler,  but nice weather. The team is doing very well. Our schedule for the day is: lunch, rest, dinner, rest and go for top at midnight.

Scott.

The

We hiked only 5 hours today from Barranco Camp with minimal overall elevation gain and easy pace. Just out of camp we faced the Barranco Wall ... a more vertical section of the climb that requires some attention to where you put your hands and feet. The route is narrow and there is less opportunity to pass. It became a bit of a traffic jam with all the porters and a few pushy climbers in a rush to get to our next camp. Once the crowd went away though it was really fun and we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. There were lots of ups and downs before we arrived at Karanga Valley Camp (13,900 feet).

We had a huge lunch today. Vegetable soup, grilled vegetable sandwiches, fresh chicken and French fries, and for dessert ….deep fried banana. Everyone is very full now. We have a free afternoon to hang out at camp and rest. It’s a beautiful day on the mountain ... sun and cloud, and about 60 degrees Fahrenheit . Everyone is doing well.

Scott

July 28
We hiked only 5 hours today from Barranco Camp with minimal overall elevation gain and easy pace. Just out of camp we faced the Barranco Wall ... a more vertical section of the climb that requires some attention to where you put your hands and feet. The route is narrow and there is less opportunity to pass. It became a bit of a traffic jam with all the porters and a few pushy climbers in a rush to get to our next camp.  Once the crowd went away though it was really fun and we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. There was lots of up and down before we arrived at Karanga Valley Camp (13,900 feet).

We had a huge lunch today. Vegetable soup, grilled vegetable sandwiches, fresh chicken and French fries, and for dessert ….deep fried banana.  Everyone is very full now.  We have a free afternoon to hang out at camp and rest. It’s a beautiful day on the mountain ... sun and cloud, and about 60 degrees Fahrenheit . Everyone is doing well.


Scott

Lava

We left Shira camp this morning and continued to hike towards Kibo Peak. It is a big day today as the trail becomes steeper. There is a lot of elevation gain as we climbed past Lava Tower, a distinctive tower of rock jutting out of the high desert plateau. We topped out above 14,000 feet before descending again to Barranco Camp (13,800 feet) where we’ll sleep tonight. The strategy of ‘climb high, sleep low’ should help in our acclimatization.

We’ve had rain and hail today, adding to the drama of the strenuous climb. The team is doing well but we have some altitude sickness beginning to show. We will welcome our rest and acclimatization day tomorrow.

Scott

July 27
We left Shira camp this morning and continued to hike towards Kibo Peak. It was a big day today as the trail became steeper. There was also a lot of elevation gain as we climbed past Lava Tower, a distinctive tower of rock jutting out of the high desert plateau. We topped out above 14,000 feet before descending again to Barranco Camp (13,800 feet) where we’ll sleep tonight. The strategy of ‘climb high, sleep low’ should help in our acclimatization.

We’ve had rain and hail today, adding to the drama of the strenuous climb. The team is doing well but we have some altitude sickness beginning to show. We will welcome our acclimaization day tomorrow.
Scott

Porter

July 26, 2011

After a good night’s sleep and a great breakfast we were on the trail early today. Upwards, ever upwards in light rain and cooler temperatures. We are still making good time. The heath and moorlands at this elevation are not unlike the Scottish highlands. Our 6 hour hike brought us to Shira Camp at 12,500 feet. This is far from a solitary experience. There are 500 climbers on the mountain plus guides and porters. There are groups from the UK, Norway and the US to name a few. Everyone on our team is doing well and enjoying the experience. A longer hike is planned for tomorrow.

July 26

After a good night’s sleep and a great breakfast we were on the trail early today.Upwards, ever upwards in light rain and cooler temperatures. We are still making good time. The heath and moorlands at this elevation are not unlike the Scottish highlands. Our 6 hour hike brought us to Shira Camp at 12,500 feet. This is far from a solitary experience. There are 500 climbers on the mountain plus guides and porters. There are groups from the UK, Norway and the US to name a few. Everyone on our team is doing well and enjoying the experience. A longer hike is planned for tomorrow.

Scott

Machame

July 25
Today we drove to the park gate to begin our climb. It is quite a process obtaining permits and meeting our local guides and porters. The hike to our first camp, Machame, took us 4.5 hours through beautiful rain forest. We had anticipated a 6 hour hike so everyone seems strong and is doing well. At 10,000 feet we are already starting to feel the altitude though, so we will have to pace ourselves and walk slowly as we continue up the mountain ... pole pole as the locals say, which means “slow, slow” in Swahili.

Machame camp is at the upper reaches of the rain forest with only drier scrub forest beyond this point. Tomorrow we go to Shira Camp, 2,500 vertical feet above us.

Summit Life! Scott

July 25

Today we drove to the park gate to begin our climb. It is quite a process obtaining permits and meeting our local guides and porters. 
The hike to our first camp, Machame, took us 4.5 hours through beautiful rain forest. We had anticipated a 6 hour hike so everyone appears strong and is doing well. At 10,000 feet we are already starting to feel the altitude though, so we will have to pace ourselves and walk slowly as we continue up the mountain... pole pole as the locals say, which means “slow, slow” in Swahili. Machame camp is at the upper reaches of the rain forest with only drier scrub forest beyond this point. Tomorrow we go to Shira Camp, 2,500 vertical feet above us.

Summit Life! Scott

We arrived in northern Tanzania last night, tired from the flight and ready for a good rest. Our amazing lodge, Kilemakyaro Mountain Lodge (www.kilimanjarosafari.com), did not disappoint, and today we were ready for a great day.

We got up for a 7:30 am breakfast, had a brief team meeting and left at 9:00 am for a safari in Arusha National Park. This is a high mountain park, with a mix of montane forest, savannah and lakes, and home to many species of African wildlife. We saw troops of monkeys and baboons, flocks of flamingos, herds of antelope and dozens of water buffalo, giraffes and warthogs. We spent until 7:00 pm on safari, immersed in classic Africa, with Kilimanjaro and its slightly lesser cousin, Mount Meru (14,90 feet) standing by. We were very ready for dinner when it was served at 8:00. What a great way to recover from the flight and squeeze in a bit of acclimatization before meeting the mountain face to face tomorrow.

We are all tired but excited to begin this journey. Once we finish packing our bags tonight we will have another team meeting to make sure we are ready for tomorrow’s early morning departure for the mountain.

Summit Life! Scott

Kilimanjaro:

Today I am leaving for a climb of Kilimanjaro. I have organized and will be leading 10 great people up the mountain. This trip all started about 2 years ago when a couple of good friends asked if I would help them climb Kilimanjaro. As we talked about it we decided to see if there were others who were also interested. Without much looking we found 9 others to join us. Our group consists of me, Janicke, Tanya, Deb, Stuart, Mike, Kelly, Irene, Mimi, Sue, and Sarah. Many of them have altitude experience and it would be hard to find a more fit group. I am looking forward to climbing Kilimanjaro with them.

This will be my second climb of Kilimanjaro and part of a warm-up for my climb of Mt. Vinson in Antarctica starting in mid November of this year. Vinson will be the last of the 7 summits for me (the highest point on all 7 continents).

While we are climbing Kilimanjaro I will be sending messages back to keep you updated as to our progress. Since I will be sending text messages the content will be simple. I will post a full trip report when I get back.

This afternoon we fly to Amsterdam and then on to Kilimanjaro International Airport. This is an exciting trip and one that we have all been looking forward to for a long time.

Out of the African plains, Kilimanjaro rises majestically to 19,340 ft. Mount Kilimanjaro is a study in contrasts. Starting out from dry savannah, we ascend through a series of different ecosystems - rainforests and moorlands - to emerge at a mile-wide volcanic caldera, covered in snow. A hike up Kilimanjaro is climatically a walk from the equator to the North Pole. Few mountains match the majesty and mystique of Kilimanjaro. While in Tanzania we will also explore Arusha National Park on a one day safari.

Our trek up the mountain avoids the frequently touristed path in favour of the more picturesque Machame route. The climb will take us through swiftly changing conditions while revealing remarkable views of east Africa's peaks and plains. On the eve of our summit day, we will depart our camp at 15,000 ft and make our way through the dawn, reaching the summit peak by early morning. In this rare setting, we can savour the view of a new dawn over Africa - Kenya to the North, Tanzania to the south. Having seen it before I can attest to the beauty.

I hope you will follow along on our trip.
You can also follow along at http://www.facebook.com/adultessentials and http://www.adultgummies.com/upcoming-events.aspx. Fitness and nutrition are a big part of our success and Adult Essential vitamins will be with us all the way to the top of Africa.

While on Kilimanjaro I will be wearing Sherpa Adventure Gear products. I first discovered this amazing company while in Nepal training for Everest. Founded by Tashi Sherpa (yes he is a real Sherpa), they produce great outdoor adventure and lifestyle gear and a portion of the profits go back to support the Sherpa people of Nepal. Check them out at www.sherpaadventuregear.com

Leaving for Kilimanjaro July 22, 2011

Today I am leaving for a climb of Kilimanjaro. I have organized and will be leading 10 great people up the mountain. This trip all started about 2 years ago when a couple of good friends asked if I would help them climb Kilimanjaro. As we talked about it we decided to see if there were others who were also interested. Without much looking we found 9 others to join us. Our group consists of me, Janicke, Tanya, Deb, Stuart, Mike, Kelly, Irene, Mimi, Sue, and Sarah. Many of them have altitude experience and it would be hard to find a more fit group. I am looking forward to climbing Kilimanjaro with them.

This will be my second climb of Kilimanjaro and part of a warm-up for my climb of Mt. Vinson in Antarctica starting in mid November of this year. Vinson will be the last of the 7 summits for me (the highest point on all 7 continents).

While we are climbing Kilimanjaro I will be sending messages back to keep you updated as to our progress. Since I will be sending text messages the content will be simple. I will post a full trip report when I get back.

This afternoon we fly to Amsterdam and then on to Kilimanjaro International Airport. This is an exciting trip and one that we have all been looking forward to for a long time.

Out of the African plains, Kilimanjaro rises majestically to 19,340 ft. Mount Kilimanjaro is a study in contrasts. Starting out from dry savannah, we ascend through a series of different ecosystems - rainforests and moorlands - to emerge at a mile-wide volcanic caldera, covered in snow. A hike up Kilimanjaro is climatically a walk from the equator to the North Pole. Few mountains match the majesty and mystique of Kilimanjaro. While in Tanzania we will also explore Arusha National Park on a one day safari.

Our trek up the mountain avoids the frequently touristed path in favour of the more picturesque Machame route. The climb will take us through swiftly changing conditions while revealing remarkable views of east Africa's peaks and plains. On the eve of our summit day, we will depart our camp at 15,000 ft and make our way through the dawn, reaching the summit peak by early morning. In this rare setting, we can savour the view of a new dawn over Africa - Kenya to the North, Tanzania to the south. Having seen it before I can attest to the beauty.

I hope you will follow along on our trip.

You can also follow along at http://www.facebook.com/adultessentials and http://www.adultgummies.com/upcoming-events.aspx. Fitness and nutrition are a big part of our success and Adult Essential vitamins will be with us all the way to the top of Africa.

While on Kilimanjaro I will be wearing Sherpa Adventure Gear products. I first discovered this amazing company while in Nepal training for Everest. Founded by Tashi Sherpa (yes he is a real Sherpa), they produce great outdoor adventure and lifestyle gear and a portion of the profits go back to support the Sherpa people of Nepal. Check them out at www.sherpaadventuregear.com

July 24

We arrived in northern Tanzania last night, tired from the flight and ready for a good rest. Our amazing lodge, Kilemakyaro Mountain Lodge (www.kilimanjarosafari.com), did not disappoint, and today we were ready for a great day.

We got up for a 7:30 am breakfast, had a brief team meeting and left at 9:00 am for a safari in Arusha National Park. This is a high mountain park, with a mix of montane forest, savannah and lakes, and home to many species of African wildlife. We saw troops of monkeys and baboons, flocks of flamingos, herds of antelope and dozens of water buffalo, giraffes and warthogs. We spent until 7:00 pm on safari, immersed in classic Africa, with Kilimanjaro and its slightly lesser cousin, Mount Meru (14,90 feet) standing by. We were very ready for dinner when it was served at 8:00. What a great way to recover from the flight and squeeze in a bit of acclimatization before meeting the mountain face to face tomorrow.

We are all tired but excited to begin this journey. Once we finish packing our bags tonight we will have another team meeting to make sure we are ready for tomorrow’s early morning departure for the mountain.

Summit Life! Scott

Leaving for Kilimanjaro July 22, 2011

Today I am leaving for a climb of Kilimanjaro. I have organized and will be leading 10 great people up the mountain. This trip all started about 2 years ago when a couple of good friends asked if I would help them climb Kilimanjaro. As we talked about it we decided to see if there were others who were also interested. Without much looking we found 9 others to join us. Our group consists of me, Janicke, Tanya, Deb, Stuart, Mike, Kelly, Irene, Mimi, Sue, and Sarah. Many of them have altitude experience and it would be hard to find a more fit group. I am looking forward to climbing Kilimanjaro with them.

This will be my second climb of Kilimanjaro and part of a warm-up for my climb of Mt. Vinson in Antarctica starting in mid November of this year. Vinson will be the last of the 7 summits for me (the highest point on all 7 continents).

While we are climbing Kilimanjaro I will be sending messages back to keep you updated as to our progress. Since I will be sending text messages the content will be simple. I will post a full trip report when I get back.

This afternoon we fly to Amsterdam and then on to Kilimanjaro International Airport. This is an exciting trip and one that we have all been looking forward to for a long time.

Out of the African plains, Kilimanjaro rises majestically to 19,340 ft. Mount Kilimanjaro is a study in contrasts. Starting out from dry savannah, we ascend through a series of different ecosystems - rainforests and moorlands - to emerge at a mile-wide volcanic caldera, covered in snow. A hike up Kilimanjaro is climatically a walk from the equator to the North Pole. Few mountains match the majesty and mystique of Kilimanjaro. While in Tanzania we will also explore Arusha National Park on a one day safari.

Our trek up the mountain avoids the frequently touristed path in favour of the more picturesque Machame route. The climb will take us through swiftly changing conditions while revealing remarkable views of east Africa's peaks and plains. On the eve of our summit day, we will depart our camp at 15,000 ft and make our way through the dawn, reaching the summit peak by early morning. In this rare setting, we can savour the view of a new dawn over Africa - Kenya to the North, Tanzania to the south. Having seen it before I can attest to the beauty.

I hope you will follow along on our trip.

You can also follow along at http://www.facebook.com/adultessentials and http://www.adultgummies.com/upcoming-events.aspx. Fitness and nutrition are a big part of our success and Adult Essential vitamins will be with us all the way to the top of Africa.

While on Kilimanjaro I will be wearing Sherpa Adventure Gear products. I first discovered this amazing company while in Nepal training for Everest. Founded by Tashi Sherpa (yes he is a real Sherpa), they produce great outdoor adventure and lifestyle gear and a portion of the profits go back to support the Sherpa people of Nepal. Check them out at www.sherpaadventuregear.com