Tag: Sierramountaineeringinternational

SMI’s Second Kilimanjaro Team 2017 gears up for summit day!

Kilimanjaro with Snow on top

SMI’s second Kilimanjaro Team 2017 goes for the summit! They chose to summit via the Northern Circuit Route, a seldom traveled route up Kilimanjaro. They started their trek on February 18, 2017. Follow their journey with us as Kurt Wedberg, SMI Founder, keeps us updated!

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David Schucker and Bryan Miller fresh off the plane in Tanzania
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Diane Tsuda, David Schucker, Bryan Miller, and Andy Schucker start their trek in the jungle!

February 23, 2017

Greetings from Mawenzi Tarn Camp at 4315m on the flanks of Kilimanjaro. Our team just finished day 6 of our 9-day climb.  We started on February 18 at the Lemosho Gate at 2100m. We trekked under the jungle canopy and we’re treated to sightings of Black & White Colobus Monkey’s jumping between tree branches.  Kilimanjaro is the only place where one can pass through 5 climate zones in as many days. Over the past several days we have climbed through the Cultivation & Jungle zones into the Moorland & Sub Alpine zones.

Our team chose the remote and seldom traveled Northern Circuit Route. We’ve been treated to beautiful views of the upper flanks of Kilimanjaro covered with fresh snow from recent storms. We’ve had rain 5 out of 6 days usually after arriving at camp.  The team remains in great spirits enjoying the discovery that accompanies the views each new day brings. Tomorrow we move to to our high camp at 4700m in preparation for our summit bid the following day.

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February 24, 2017

Greetings from 4720m at the Kibo Hut; our high camp on Kilimanjaro! Our team spent last night at the Mawenzi Tarn Camp at 4315m underneath Mt Mawenzi. This impressive satellite peak was formed during the first eruption of Kilimanjaro.  Today we got an early start to trek towards our camp enjoying stunning views of the mountain we came to climb. We spent this afternoon preparing our gear for summit day, hydrating and resting. An early dinner will be followed by early to sleep so we can wake early for summit day. We’ll start wearing headlamps and climb through the night with the goal of reaching the summit in  the early morning.

Everybody has acclimatized well to the high elevation. We’re feeling great and psyched for our summit bid to the Roof of Africa!

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Stay tuned as the second SMI Kilimanjaro 2017 team make for their summit bid on Kilimanjaro! Follow on our Facebook and Instagram @smiguides

The Kilimanjaro 2017 team makes headway!

The SMI Kilimanjaro 2017 Team makes more headway up to the “roof of Africa”! SMI guide Alex Barber checks in:


February 6, 2016

Hello again,

Tonight we’re checking in from Umbwe Cave Camp at 9600ft. This morning we had another coffee centric breakfast at the Springlands hotel. Afterwhich we all piled in our Zara van and spent an hour driving to the Umbwe gate at 5200ft.

The day started hot and humid but the canopy of the rainforest gave us some relief. As our hike took us higher and higher the temp’s cooled, a light breeze picked up along with a light rain. Throughout the day we spotted two types of Monkey and a plethora of different species of bird and plant life, all in all, an engaging day!

We arrived in camp this afternoon feeling good and spent the remainder of our day drinking tea and shootin’ the breeze. Tomorrow we head to Barranco Camp at 12,800ft, the team is excited to be on the trail and ready to bite off another good chunk of Kilimanjaro!

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Giant Senacio Trees at Barranco Camp

February 7, 2017

Today the team is checking in from Barranco Camp at 12,800ft. After a relaxed breakfast in Umbwe Cave camp we hit the trail under clear skies. As we ascended through the Moorlands and into the low alpine zone, the day became cloudy and then quite rainy. The team handled the weather in stride and soon we found ourselves walking into our dining tent at Barranco Camp. We arrived at 2pm and spent a lazy afternoon playing cards and drinking tea, we’ve got a tough lifestyle up here…

Tomorrow we’ll take a acclimatization hike to Lava Tower then return to Barranco camp for a second night. The whole team is in high spirits and ready to keep chipping away at Kilimanjaro!

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Western Breach Wall at sunset from Barranco Camp

February 8, 2017

Hello from Barranco Camp,

Today the team hiked to Lava Tower at 15,000ft, which was a new high point for everyone. We took a nice long break there and enjoyed the good weather before making our way back to Barranco camp. We arrived to a tasty hot lunch, prepared by our fantastic local support staff.

Tomorrow we will make our way to Karanga Camp, our shot at the roof of Africa is rapidly approaching!

Approaching Lava Tower at 4600m/15,091’

 


Follow more updates on SMI’s Kilimanjaro 2017 team on our Facebook and Instagram @smiguides

Aconcagua Team 2017 reaches Camp 2!

The Aconcagua 2017 team slept at Camp 1 on Wednesday and carried loads up to Camp 2 (17,700′) today! They returned to Camp 1 and ate a yummy and well deserved pizza dinner.

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Kurt Wedberg (SMI Founder) treats himself to a pepperoni pizza at the end of the day

Camp 1 is also called “Plaza Canadá” where the team working on acclimatization to optimize their chances of summiting. They will move to Camp 2 tomorrow to sleep there. Check out their climb to Camp 2, today:

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Rock stars trekking up the grade with their packs!

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What a trooper!


Stay tuned for more updates as they continue their ascent! Follow more updates on our facebook and instagram @smiguides

The Aconcagua 2017 team starts their trip!

Yesterday, the Aconcagua 2017 team gathered in Mendoza, Argentina, and are prepared to start their climb to the summit of Aconcagua! Aconcagua is the tallest peak in the Southern and Western Hemisphere, sitting at 22,841 ft (6,961 m) in the Andes range.aconcagua


The team slowly trickled in from all the US, and even from Slovakia! They started their climb yesterday, on Jan 5, 2017.

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Cory Gaconnet, Martin Takac, Mark Griffith, Kurt Wedberg (SMI Founder), Alex Barber (SMI Guide), Barbara Falco, Cory Gaconnet, and Balmore Flores are psyched to start their climb!

Today, on Jan 6, 2017, by the end of the day, they made it to Pierdra Grande Camp at 10,620′! Their first day was spent trekking through a river filled valley which ended with a delicious authentic Argentinian chicken asado, cooked by their gauchos. Tomorrow, they move to base camp at 13,747′!

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Mules to help carry supplies along the river

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The team pushes through the beautiful valley on their first day.

Stay tuned for more updates as they continue their ascent! Follow more updates on our facebook and instagram @smiguides