Catching up with some of the locals

The June 18th Team

June 18 team meeting

We’re having a great time in Tanzania! The team is together at the Kambi Ya Tembo Safari Camp, where we spent the afternoon conducting a team briefing and equipment checks.

We had lunch with our Tanzanian guide team and were treated to several giraffes browsing their way across the savanna just a few hundred yards below us. Though a world away from our homes in the US, our African hosts have eased our transition with their incredibly kind hospitality.

Yesterday, several of us hiked a few miles with Mollen, a Masai warrior, as our guide. In just a couple of miles of walking, we saw giraffes, an impressive couple of kudus, and a house cat-sized dik-dik, the world’s smallest antelope! We followed the track of an elephant that ambled by camp the night before. Perhaps the same one, an elephant came by last night and pulled down a tree limb across the compound from our tent!

It’s safe to say we’re all fairly mind-boggled by the experience thus far! Tomorrow, we’ll drive about 90 minutes to the entrance of Kilimanjaro National Park. After checking in with park rangers, we will begin our ascent of the mountain.

—

Family and friends are encouraged to leave comments for their loved ones on this expedition. Please keep in mind that climbers will not be able to see posts or comments until they return from the mountain at the end of the expedition.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to this expedition’s Field Reports by entering your email address in the form to the right, or below if viewing via mobile. That way, you never miss an update!

Interested in learning more about Kilimanjaro and what it takes to stand on the Roof of Africa? Be sure to check out our Kilimanjaro trip page for route details, trip information, and more about climbing the highest peak on the African continent.