Mt Kenya

I headed up to Nairobi to meet our new guides and crew. Summits Africa opened satellite operations in Nairobi to facilitate Mt Kenya climbs and safaris. The first couple of days were going over systems and detail-oriented administrative procedures. Also, we talked about menus and the logistics of shopping, getting fixed rates from suppliers. Having a consistent product on all the peaks is important for the company and our standards. One of our Tanzanian head guides would be on board for the climb to ensure that our Kenyan guides were up to par on acute mountain sickness scorecard health monitoring all the way to the summit. Using pulse oximeters and bringing supplemental oxygen are standard on all high altitude climbs. The Kenyan crews are extremely knowledgeable and their hospitality true to the East African spirit...
The morning of the climb, we picked up some of our clients and headed out of Nairobi around 8am. The drive towards the Sirimon gate is a couple of hours and a landscape full of various farms, ranging from citrus to flowers. The small town of Nare Moru is where most of our crew lives and an old mountain base town from the early explorer days. It is from this junction that we first caught a glimpse of Mt Kenya of what is known as the dry side. From this vantage point there is no snow, except on the top of the peaks, however, the peaks were covered by clouds. Eventually we hit the turnoff for Mt Kenya National Park and headed up towards Sirimon gate.
Mt Kenya National Park is a World UNESCO Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, containing a global atmosphere monitoring station. The national park was created to help local communities with tourism, preserve the biosphere, and protect the water catchment in the surrounding area. The area combined with volcanic soil and abundant water make it favorable for agriculture. Wild animals still inhabit the area such as monkeys, buffalo, gazelle, and elephants. In fact, once we got to the gate and finished formalities, we saw an elephant on the trail. We ate some lunch in the meantime and let the elephant pass. Our hike started in the afternoon and we walked through an afromontane forest. As we ascended, the sides would drop off into gorges and the trees would contain the familiar Spanish Moss seen on Meru and Kilimanjaro. Soon the fauna changed and we would reach the heath zone with more rolling hills and short grasses. From this vantage point, we could see the towns below. The afternoon was fairly easy and we made it to Old Moses camp (3300m) within 3 hours. We set up a private camp in the bush and the evening revealed the first sightings of Nelion and Batian peaks, as the clouds parted. We decided to walk up a hill and catch a better angle and then drop back into camp for dinner. As the sun went down, the temperature in the air began to drop and we had some hot drinks. Dinner was butternut squash soup, chicken stew with rice and side dish of zucchini and peas. We went to bed early as standard.
I awoke early to see the sunrise and the sky was clear, again revealing the peaks in the distance. The evening was quite cold, the camp is exposed to wind passing, thus creating a chill factor. The crew had made a french press with Dorman's, a Kenyan coffee. While I had cut out caffeine two weeks prior to climbing, now on the mountain it was nice for its diuretic effect, to get the heart rate up and inhale higher levels of oxygen, and sometimes help cure high-altitude headaches - overall a helpful stimulant to help in the acclimatization process. Breakfast was porridge and cereal, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and toast. Enough to get a good start and burn calories hiking. The sun was out and the rays were felt warmly, the weather was nice. We began our day, going pole pole - slowly slowly, drinking lots of water from the camelpak (I really advocate these for climbing). We continued in the heath and hagenia zones and traversed a valley with endemic fauna. Lobelias began to be seen, a common equatorial mountain plant. Mt Kenya has giant senecio or groundsel that only bloom every 99 years. These plants are beautiful and get water from the precipitation clouds that come in during the day and layer the mountain. On our valley traverse, these clouds came in and made the temperature drop a bit while hiking.
We reached the top of a hill and found ourselves starring down into Likki Valley. Lobelias and groundsels covering the hillside. From here, we could see Nelion and Batian and the valley's simple beauty was stunning. Below we could see Likki North camp (3950m) and there was no one else around. Most people skip this camp and go straight to Shiptons, however, we believe that this break in the route and overnight is key to acclimatization. While we only ascended 650m, the pace was great and we avoided the 1000m ascent and long day that the other traditional route follows. This place is a definite worthwhile stopover. As we descended into the valley, streams were running on our path and the ground in some places was soft and moss-like. We came into camp and had some pepper steak sandwiches. We took some short naps and had dinner, mushroom soup and spaghetti bolognese. There were more stars in the sky this night and Venus was making a bright presence in the sky.
I awoke early as standard, and the night had been really cold, impressive chill factor. For some reason this camp has a reputation of being cold. I hiked back out the way we came in so that I could get some nicely lit shots of the valley with the exposed peaks. The morning tends to have really nice lighting and this valley was worth the extra work. Again, all the breakfast amenities and we began another day climbing a ridge pole pole. Eventually we would get to the top of the hill and descend into Mackinders valley. We could see the other route below our traversed route that other hikers take when walking from Old Moses to Shiptons camp near the Nanyuki river. This was our first sighting of other people on the mountain. The hillside was covered with lobelias and groundsels and the views of Nelion and Batian were even more impressive, they were getting closer. Mackinders valley has spectacular views, much bigger than Likki valley.
The valley was a nice walk and we would traverse the valley most of the day, other peaks revealing themselves to us on the left. The day would bring us to rest by a big river crossing, big enough for a bridge to be built. Mt Kenya has the unique feature of a lot of moving water, often with nice sounds. We went up our last hill and then saw Shiptons camp in the distance. It was here that we got a wonderful view of Thomson, Nelion, and Batian peaks covered in snow overshadowing the sunny valley. The photo opportunities were amazing and I took advantage of the clear weather, clouds were coming in, the natural afternoon phenomenon of precipitation.
We ascended 250m this day and got into Shiptons camp (4200m) where the peaks were literally over our heads. It was this afternoon that the first signs of headaches occurred. We were at 13,800 ft, so altitude gain had happened and now we would rest to acclimatize. Lunch was chicken and chips and then a siesta to get adjusted to altitude - we took a bit of ibuprofen (headache medicine) which did the trick and relieved some pressure. The late afternoon we could hear the sounds of rock hyrax and there was a bit of mist on the peaks. Dinner was beef stroganoff with macaroni. The night sky reflected bright behind the dark shadows of Batian.
The next day we awoke early and caught the first rays of light starting to shine on Batian. After breakfast, the light was shining on all the peaks and we began our steepest ascent. Our first rest stop was a nice tarn in a small valley. The guides told a story that when the first hikers came up to this spot, they saw lions and were in shock that they would come so high up on the mountain. As we reached a bit further on the hill, we saw Point Lenana the third tallest peak on Mt Kenya and the non-technical summit. At the top of the hill, we now would see our descent route Chogoria. The Gorges valley has picturesque escarpments and deep valleys with many tarns on the way. Unlike other mountains, Mt Kenya has many tarns that are made from the water runoff of the snow and ice on the peaks. The tarns and running water makes Mt Kenya truly beautiful.
After a couple more hills, we began to traverse towards Austrian Hut camp. We were walking below Pt Lenana and traversing below rocky formations. We would ascend 500m and arrive at Austrian Hut (4790m) for lunch. Austrian Hut is quiet and most climbers doing the technical ascents use it as a base camp. Coming to Austrian allowed extra acclimatization and a chance to stay at a beautiful place. The grandeur of Nelion is overwhelming, from here you can see the long vertical face. In between Pt Lenana and Nelion is Lewis Glacier, the largest glacier on Mt Kenya shining bright and feeding two rivers below it. Scientists believe with the rate of erosion that in the next 30 years there will be no more ice on Mt Kenya, a sad thought. The routes used to need crampons more often because of ice, but now they are needed less and less.
From Austrian Hut Pt Lenana is an hour away - we could see the summit. We had some meatballs with roast potatoes and vegetables discussing the idea of going up to the summit and doing a day time ascent. We decided to take a quick 30 minute nap and then regroup. When we awoke, the quick power nap gave us enough energy to go for the summit. We looked up at the weather and the clouds did not seem too dense. As a group we decided that if the weather was bad, then we would make a safe decision to turn back and then go for it in the morning again. We put on small summit packs with water and an energy bar. We started going up pole pole at 330pm. The afternoon clouds began to part and daytime views were great, I took pictures that perhaps most don't get to see of Nelion and Lewis Glacier.
At 420pm we summited Pt Lenana (4985m) 16,355 ft and the weather was clear and the temperature comfortable, in fact no wind. We were delighted to be at the top and the 360 degree views were fantastic - picture perfect. After some time we would descend back into camp in time for afternoon tea and then have dinner. At 4am we awoke and had some tea and bisquits. We organized our water and gear and headed out at 430am with our headlamps walking pole pole. The early morning was cold, the wind had picked up during the night and its chill made your body fight for warmth. Half way up the Pt Lenana summit trail, the first light was on the horizon, deep reds, yellows, orange, and blues. The group once again made it to the top and watched the sunrise. This time of day on the top of the mountain is known as God's hour. The body feels the warmth of the sun's rays shining and the world is waking up - simple moments of life. The early light on Nelion created a deep red on the peak and the reflections on the sky purples. The sky was clear enough to see Mt Kilimanjaro and Mawenzi peak in the far distance. The wind continued and the summit was cold, complete opposite of the day prior. Everyone got some photos and footage and then we began our descent using a different trail.
We were going down the Chogoria route down to Mintos camp to have some breakfast. We devoured food after hiking and waking up early. Today was a long day, however, mostly descending down rolling hills, the Gorges valley, and to the forest. At one point, unique to the Chogoria route, is an incredible view of Vivian falls and the peaks above - a shot so immense that photos cannot capture it. We would continue our descent and have lunch at Roadhead, the beginning of a road leading to Meru Mt Kenya Lodge. After another three hours we made it to Meru Mt Kenya Lodge, cabins in the forest with showers and fire places - a real luxury after camping for a couple of days. Buffalo and elephant frequent the lodge and the hot showers we had were amazing. Dinner was leek soup and chicken, cheeese, and cauliflower cannelonis topped with marinara sauce. We would cheers and sleep in comfortable cots.
The next day after breakfast we would take a 4x4 vehicle down the bamboo forest to Chogoria town and connect with our transfer vehicle taking us to Sosian Ranch in Laikipia: http://www.offbeatsafaris.com/sosian.html
Coming from Chogoria, we would circumvent the mountain passing where we initially started at Sirimon gate. Our route would give us great circumnavigation of the peaks and the mountain - extremely picturesque. We would pass Nare Moru and get into Nanyuki town. From Nanayuki about an hour away is Sosian, located on the Laikipia plateau. Laikipia is divided into an enormous patch of ranches. With the help of the owners, these farms became game reserves and contain some of the most exclusive lodges in the remotest parts of Kenya. Laikipia Wildlife Forum was born and is a stronghold that believes in the preservation of this special area containing some of the most endangered species in East Africa. The area is scenic with wooded gorges and riverine thickets, a place seldom visited by normal tourists because accommodation is on private land.
We spent the next consecutive days at Sosian including Christmas Eve. Sosian offers game drives, bush walks, camel rides, and horseback riding. After hiking for almost a week, I gladly participated in game drives running into cheetah, elephant, grevy's zebra, hartebeest and nocturnal animals during our night game drives. Christmas Eve we had a beautiful bush dinner and a nice champagne toast. On Christmas Day, I left and headed to Ol Pejeta Conservancy to visit Kicheche Laikipia Camp: http://www.kicheche.com/camps-laikipia.shtm Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000 acre uncrowded wilderness area and is the largest Black Rhino sanctuary in East Africa. Just 30 minutes from Nanyuki is a beautiful luxury tented camp that offers day and night game drives able to see the Big Five and plentiful plains game. I had a nice lunch al fresco and made my way back to Nairobi. All in all a nice Christmas vacation..

For more info on Mt Kenya departures, itineraries, and pricing:
http://www.summits-africa.com/kenya/Mt%20Kenya/Mt-Kenya-6-days-Sirimon-Chogoria-luxury.htm

You can watch our Mt Kenya climb on Youtube at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_qAsg7OO9I

Grumeti and the Serengeti

We got into the Summits Africa truck and headed off for a long weekend. We had been invited to go stay at Singita Grumeti, known as some of the most luxurious accommodations on the Northern Circuit. Our first stop was Kirurumu Tented Lodge, a beautiful lodge with canvas covered rooms with an unforgettable view over the Great Rift Valley. Our plan was to go mountain biking into the Ngorongoro Highlands from the lodge. Our trip would take us up a couple of steep hills, but into a vastness of rolling hills and the cliff edges of the Rift Valley. This afternoon was a bit surreal, as earlier on the road in a very unsuspecting area, a herd of six elephant bulls passed us in formation. The bulls were quite large and moving from the Highlands into Manyara ranch. We had been extremely surprised to this sight and it was a great sign for our safari to come.
Sundowners at Kirurumu were festive as we had run into the owners and friends. As usual the food was excellent and bedtime was sooner rather than later.
The next morning we were up at 530am taking showers and grabbing some coffee and some breakfast boxes. Our drive was going to be long, as most people get a charter flight into the area we were going to. We soon arrived at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area gate and did our necessary formalities to drove through. After the gates, the bush is fair game and immediately we saw families of baboons grooming each other.
Driving through the Mbulu highlands is always impressive, especially when you round the corner where the Ngorongoro Crater appears. The 600m deep caldera is enormous and today there were no clouds and the view was pristine. The local Massai and their cattle herds went about their normal day of grazing amongst the green hills and acacias. Soon we came upon the official sign that denotes the separation of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti. Its always exciting to cross into the Serengeti, when you live in Arusha, the local game parks are frequently visited, but the Serengeti is special - one of the biggest game parks in the world - the place where the land runs on forever...
Serengeti National Park is most famous for its annual migration of over one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras. The migration has seasonal patterns, but these vary depending on the rains and sometimes the herds will come into different areas earlier or later. The pattern essentially begins with the herds traveling south from the northern hills to the southern plains during the short rains in October and November; then heading west and north after the long rains in April, May, and June. The Serengeti is Tanzania's oldest park and is the flagship of tourism for the country. The park is famous for its grassland plains and savannas, however, it also has riverine forests and woodlands. The Serengeti's northern border is continuous with Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve. Here, at the Mara River is where remarkable scenes of wildebeest river crossings happen and crocodiles jump out of the water to feed on the crossing game.
The north east border is Loliondo Game Controlled Area and the western border are the Grumeti Game Reserves (our final destination). The Serengeti holds healthy populations of all kinds of African animals, especially the Big Five termed for the most prized hunting trophies: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Once prominent with thousands of rhinos within the Ngorongoro and Serengeti ecosystems, poaching dramatically reduced the numbers to almost extinction. Huge efforts were made in conservation and the numbers increased. However, black rhinos in the area are closely monitored and given huge protection. Grumeti Game Reserves has flown in a male and female, which mated, and they plan to introduce thirty over the next couple of years into the area. The introduction of new bloodlines will help reduce inbreeding between existing rhino populations.
The plains contain plenty of cheetah, giraffe, and gazelles. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest known, in fact early man fossils were found at Olduvai Gorge.
Our crossing meant it was breakfast time and we stopped to enjoy our boxes. Eventually we drove by the plains of the Seronera and the official gate. Seronera is the main area with an airstrip, research headquarters, lodges, and park official accommodations. It is here that I saw a public bus with an elephant and a picture of US President-Elect Barack Obama doing a thumbs up.
Our drive took us passed Seronera and off to the west. This area is quiet, not too many vehicles traveling along this side. We passed the Musabu plains and began to see some herds of buffalo and giraffe. We drove to the Grumeti airstrip and noticed we had gone too far and made a turn back down a game driving road. In the distance we approached a slight downhill onto the plains again and right under a shaded acacia were two lioness and two cubs. The sight was picture perfect, a true African scene of predators and plains game. This was a nice opportunity to take some great photos and footage of the playful lion family. We felt blessed to have such a quiet and natural moment with the lions with no one else in sight for miles.
We kept driving a bit further and crossed into the Grumeti Game Reserves and reached Sabora Tented Camp: http://www.singita.com/index.php/
game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-tanzania/
singita-sabora-tented-camp/. Sabora is made up of six luxury air-conditioned ensuite tents with a common reading area between tents, outdoor showers, umbrella covered lounge chairs, a pool, spa and a common bar and sitting area. The view is a panoramic picture of the Sabora plains with a waterhole in front. The clay tennis court was voted second in the world for most unique. We enjoyed an incredible fresh Prawn Salad from the chef poolside and watched as the rainclouds began to make their presence over the horizon. We finished up and were off to Faru Faru Lodge, our accommodation for the evening.Faru Faru Lodge: http://www.singita.com/index.php/game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-tanzania/
singita-faru-faru-lodge/. On the way we encountered two very lazy lions sleeping and a pack of jackals near their den. Unlike Sabora, which has visible tents, Faru Faru is tucked into the side of a hill like a ruin with naturally built roofs. Faru Faru is set on the Grumeti River and built in a rustic style with canvas and pure luxury. The rooms have a panoramic window which automatically opens and closes over private waterholes, air-conditioning, and outdoor rock showers. The intimate main area has an infinity pool and places to sit around a camp fire. We were totally breath-taken by this place. After a quick shower and some beers around the camp fire, we sat down and enjoyed a nice bottle of Chardonnay and Seared Tuna. Another early night and a long day of driving met the comfortable bed easily.
We awoke at 530am the following morning and took some hot outdoor showers and drank some coffee. We were off on a morning game drive and heading towards Sasakwa Lodge, the third Singita Grumeti property. Since the area is a private game reserve, the only people driving around are guests staying at the lodges, which are not many. It was the Northern Circuit without the crowds. As we drove along the Grumeti River, we saw Colobus Monkeys. Mostly these animals are only seen in Arusha National Park near Mt Meru. This species was different, a relative that comes from Western Africa with a different tail. The Game Reserve used to be a hunting concession and now Singita buys all the trophy licenses every year. Game has once again settled in the area and new unseen species are emerging including different insects and birds. We approached a big herd of elephants crossing and amongst the pack was the smallest elephant I have ever seen, not more than a month old still hairy. We could hear the sound of a lion in the distance calling out. As soon as the herd passed, we drove to see where the lion was calling from. We saw two male lions in a strike position and thought that they were going to hunt. Soon we saw a female lioness sitting below them and no game in sight. The camera began rolling and we were a bit confused if they were going to attack her or not? We kept steady and soon the two male lions went after the female and growled and chased her off for about one kilometer. We drove and followed them a bit, losing the female somewhere as she had run off.
The two males began to scent and urinate on the plants. The males were marking their territory all the way to the spot where they had attacked the female by leaving scent deposits. These were two male lions coming into a new territory and showing dominance. The lions new that the female was not in estrus, thus, chased her away. Lions have an olfactory organ on the roof of their mouths called the Jacobson's organ. The grimacing gesture called flehmen, opens the cats lips allowing air to pass over the Jacobson's organ. By smelling the lioness' urine they can tell if she is in estrus or not, extremely developed sense of smell. We were lucky to witness such animal behavior intimately and record it. We continued to game drive towards Sasakwa Lodge for breakfast, which we could see perched on Sasakwa hill.
Sasakwa Lodge: http://www.singita.com/index.php/
game-reserves/lodges-and-camps-in-tanzania/
singita-sasakwa-lodge/. Immediately the views from Sasakwa were amazing. The property is a luxurious manor with individual villas, each with an infinity pool with stunning views of the Serengeti plains. There are tennis courts, air-conditioned rooms, fireplaces, bar area with pool table, a gym, spa, and an Equestrian centre that houses sixteen horses. Our breakfast was excellent and the views were relaxing. We met with the horses and walked the grounds for a bit. It was then another game drive towards Faru Faru Lodge and then lunch. Our lunch was absolutely lovely, a chilled Cream of Zucchini soup, and an assortment of skewers and tapas.
It was finally time to leave Grumeti and venture back into Seronera to meet our associate and his Japanese Film crew. As we got closer to Seronera, the sun was going down and trees were flooded with Marabou Storks, the black outline and pink backdrop was nice. On the road we saw a Bateleur Eagle eating a freshly killed Hare. All of a sudden we saw two hippo run out of the river and go on dry ground. They are surprisingly fast runners and one began to graze. We parked and watched the hippo for a while, as it is rare to see them outside of their safe water zone since usually hippos graze at night. We eventually landed at Wildlife Lodge and stayed there the night.
The next day we were up at 530am and went off with picnic boxes. The morning was quiet, not many cars around and we began to traverse the riverine forests. We saw a pride of lion in the distance and some birds circling a bit further. As we stopped and looked, we saw seven hyenas scavenging over a dead zebra that most likely had been eaten by the pride of lion we had just seen. Vultures joined the hyenas in scavenging the kill. In the distance we saw more birds flying and hovering, again we saw the very last remnants of a kill. We decided to go look on some rock kopjes and from the corner of our eyes was a leopard lying in a tree. As soon as we stopped, the leopard jumped off of the tree and hid. Leopards are extremely shy and seeing them perched in a tree is rare. I have yet to get photographic opportunities like this...
Eventually it was time to start making our way out. We passed the Seronera gate and came across the wildebeest migration. Game appeared on the plains as far as the eye could see. The migration was a bit early in the south as the rains had come early this year. To our right in the distance we could see something bright on a mound. It was a cheetah sunbathing pretty close to the road. We pulled up and took the time to take some great photos. Soon another cheetah came from a bush and joined the other cheetah on the mound. This must have been two male brothers. All of a sudden they stood up quickly and we looked to our left and saw a Steenbok. Before we knew it, the cheetahs crossed the road and did another check. I felt the adrenaline of some hunting taking place. I got out of the car and stood on the hood (you shouldn't do this) and began to film. Quicker than you can imagine a chase ensued and through the lens I tried to keep up with the running animals. Nature took its course and a short hunting chase occurred. The Steenbok went down and we were confused if the cheetahs had got it. They began to surround their prey and rustling began in a bush and soon they went in and we heard the antelope yelps of its last breath. Then the white legs came up and we knew, the Steenbok was dead. I had finally seen a kill in the bush! And got it on film! We were so happy and as usual with the bush, it all happened so quick. We decided to drive a bit closer and down a bit. Here, we had a much better view of the cheetahs with their kill. I began rolling again and proceeded to record the cheetahs eating the Steenbok with bloody faces, occasionally having the cheetahs lifting the body. We were lucky to see this happen, a real blessing. Our trip was certainly complete and we proceeded towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. On the way we saw another cheetah walking along the plains. We thought it might hunt and said to ourselves - really? However, after watching it for a while, the cheetah sat down and we knew it would not move for a while. Of course all of this action left us wanting more and that is exactly what should occur. Our last stop was a site inspection at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge: http://ngorongorocrater.com/. This lodge sits on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and has luxurious accommodation. This place is considered a top honeymoon spot with stunning views from the bed and bath. The lodge is architecturally inspired from the Masaai mud-and-stick homesteads or bomas, all of them with a fire place and chimney. We found some zebra grazing calmly on the grounds out in front of the restaurant. Finally, we were off and out of the NCA and on to Arusha. Not a bad couple of days in the bush....

A short video of the cheetahs making a kill can be seen at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmH-dFuIPfo

or here:

Tarangire

Another day in Tarangire, only an hour and a half away from Arusha. Its a perfect one day trip and you feel as though you were gone for days. Some friends were in town and their luck was incredible. Lions are seen in Tarangire, but often times the predators are hard to spot. Our one day trip saw three big prides of lion from about 15-23 lions deep. This group had virgin safari luck and it was a great beginning to their journey into the bush. This trip we saw a big elephant carcass, must have been a couple of weeks old with the skin still on the bones and skull. Scavengers had already eaten whatever flesh remained, and it had a powerful odor.
Not sure if the elephant had been killed or died a natural death? Other elephants continued to roam and eat with the usual Tarangire backdrop of palm trees. Most lions this day were lazy and some young cubs were active, but extremely secretive and well protected by their mother. The amount of game in the park was noticeably huge. A lot of the herds were still in the park and the grassland plains were thriving with grazing animals. This time of year, November is great to see game. Another great day in Tarangire National Park...

West Kili - Hemingway's Camp

We departed Arusha and headed towards Moshi. On the way, a turn off for Sanya Ju appears, which leads in the direction of Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. The tarmac road ends and then a series of interconnected dirt roads lead out towards the Western side of Kilimanjaro. This area, seldom visited is termed West Kili. We continued on these dirt roads, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. Eventually at a very discreet turn off, we made a left at Olmolok village. These smaller roads winded down towards some plains. In the distance we could see Amboseli Park on the Tanzania / Kenya border. Off to our rights were views of Mt Kilimanjaro.
As it became dusk, the clouds parted and revealed the snow-capped top of Kilimanjaro. At sunset, the colors were a vibrant magenta, the whole landscape becoming rich in texture. We drove up a big hill for sundowners and watched the sunset over this marvelous landscape. Just before it became dark we headed to our luxury tented camp - Hemingway's http://www.hemingways-camp.com/ This exclusive luxury camp is set under shady acacias on the plains of West Kili. The nearby hills have 360 degree views towards Amboseli and Kilimanjaro. The remoteness of the camp gives the place a pioneer bush experience.
This area is contiguous with Kenya's Amboseli Park and thus, the elephants that roam around are docile and approachable. The herds are large and often times come into camp. The area has lesser Kudu, Gerenuk, Bat eared Fox, and Striped Hyaena - heard in the mornings. Game such as Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo, Impala, and Bushbuck are common. Predators such as Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah also live in the area, however, much harder to see. The area is ideal for bush walks, game drives, and bush lunches. The camp is set in a local Masaai area, and bed night fees are given to the local community, as well as employment opportunities at the camp. This area is a wildlife management area, where local villages run and protect the environment. Local Masaai graze their cattle with animals living alongside.
We took a long bush walk our second day and met up with the crew for a nice bush lunch. In the afternoon, we took a siesta and then went up the hill to catch sunset shots of Kilimanjaro. We bought a goat from a local herdsman and had a proper Masaai meal. First, they suffacated the goat, so as not to lose any blood, and then they skinned and gutted the goat. We ordered some beers around the camp fire and watched the fresh goat meat cook near the fire. Eating goat like this - could be one of the best bush meals around. Goat meat is delicious, including the intestines!
Masaai drink the blood from the goat and eat the kidneys raw. While my Western mentally did not allow for my taste of true bushmanship, I did enjoy cooked liver, stomach, and linings. The cooks are great in the kitchen and made nice medium rare steak pieces of fresh goat. At the time we were the only guests, so if we didn't finish the goat, plenty of folks from the camp would. This place is a real treat, very special...

Hemingway's camp in West Kili is the start of Summits Africa 'Plains to Peak' trip, which begins with a couple of nights of bush and then trekking up the Lemosho route for 9 days. The 'Plains to Peak' trek is the Ultimate Kilimanjaro Expedition.

You can view a detailed itinerary, set departures, and pricing here:
http://www.summits-africa.com/kilimanjaro/kilimanjaro-the-Lemosho-route-plains-to-peak.htm

Pangani

Well, this fine 2008 year was my 29th birthday, not quite 30 yet. Interesting year with the US election and the world in change - sorry to reflect for a moment, but all in all life is good. I needed a bit of ocean comfort and a group of us headed towards Pangani on the Tanzanian coast. Pangani is described as the Zanzibar of the mainland and is about 5 hours from Arusha near Tanga, only 40km down a dirt road. Pangani is an unspoiled area of beach that mostly ex-pats visit and run. This place has been described as the world's best kept secret beaches, un-hit by mass tourism. The town is small and the Pangani river nearby is an old Arab trading port for slaves and ivory. The seafood is fresh and the beaches have waves that break off of reefs, something that Zanzibar does not have - surf...
Just off shore are pristine waters and Maziwe Marine Reserve. Maziwe is a sand island surrounded by beautiful and colorful reefs. Over 200 species of tropical fish inhabit these waters and animals like sea turtles and dolphins are regularly seen. The island is about 7 miles off shore and easy to get to - perfect for a day of picnics and sunbathing, with a bit of snorkeling or scuba diving. I was quite impressed with this area, it seemed desolate, a peaceful place of relaxation.
We had some nice dinners at the Tinga Tinga Lodge, very small and quaint place in the middle of new renovations and ownership. The paths that lead down to the beach are in a great location to paddle out by the reefs and relax on the beach. The beaches and properties on the other side of the river are whiter and flatter. Plenty of palm trees and coconuts to drink around the area. We enjoyed beers, fish, lobster, and prawns. Living inland, sometimes fresh seafood is missed and this was a treat. Pangani is a quieter and inexpensive alternative to Zanzibar with pristine beaches and decently priced accommodations. Most people are often persuaded or want to visit Zanzibar, thus these paradise spots are often overlooked.
The journey is not easy and charter flights are now available and perhaps this difficulty is good for the area to remain quiet. A place to find true serenity in a hide away beach paradise.

The beach, nature's simple pleasure..

Summits Africa

www.summits-africa.com

Currently, I work with Summits Africa as Regional Sales Manager of East Africa. Summits Africa is a Tanzanian based specialist adventure outfitter, providing a range of easy to book departures and professional outfitting services for adventure trips in East Africa. We pride ourselves on being ethical, safe, and supporting sustainable ecotourism:

• we have some of the highest paid crews and guides in the business
• we conduct bi-annual advanced first aid training with our guides
• we maintain strict acute mountain sickness monitoring systems for all clients
• Oxygen and pulse oximeters are included in the price on all high altitude climbs
• we are becoming Carbon neutral in 2009 by donating funds to a tree-planting project and off-setting carbon emissions by our guests
• we have a strict ‘trash in trash out’ policy
• we use the most eco-friendly companies and partners for services and accommodation
• we support community development through employment, career progression, organizing fund raising event challenges, and donating/lending equipment and gear

While the majority of the industry climbs mountains with us, we also specialize in safaris, mountain biking, gorilla trekking, and beach holidays. All trips can be customized into private itineraries and can cater to your preferred specifications.

You can access our Newsletter here:
http://www.summits-africa.com/summits-africa-newsletter-ON-TOP.htm

Below is our photo gallery and reel, which can also be accessed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgRrg57KreA

Safe travels!

Ruaha

In my first couple of weeks back in Arusha, I was invited on a special safari down to Southern Tanzania. Our destination was driving to Ruaha National Park. For connoissuers, this park is one of the best in the world. Ruaha is the second largest conservation area in Tanzania and areas are still being discovered. This lack of game driving and supervision has led to an increase in poaching. Issues that the local park authorities and lodge owners are working out. Ruaha is in the south-west region of the country and sprawled along the Great Rift Valley, where the southern and eastern fauna meet. The scenery changes dramatically. Most of the wildlife drinks from the Great Ruaha River, which during the rains sends plenty of water throughout the park. As the season gets drier, watering holes with pools are scattered throughout the park, where game surrounds to drink and the river bed is dried up.
Ruaha contains some of the largest pride of lion, numbering in 20 plus each. In addition, there are packs of African wild dogs, which often times are extremely rare to spot, but nonetheless they survive in Ruaha- perhaps one of the only places to see them in Tanzania besides the Selous Game Reserve. You can find the Big Five in Ruaha and there is limited amounts of vehicles in the park. It is quite a long journey to get to the gates of Ruaha, so most guests fly in. The Southern circuit is often times a charter flight, park to park experience.

We headed off at 6am for Dar es Salaam from Arusha. Most of the drive was smooth sailing, one Landcruiser following one Landrover, each matching in army green - a true safari caravan. In Chalinze, about an hour away from Dar es Salaam, the Landrover broke down. The radiator hose and cylinder gasket had burst. We bought a tow-pole and the Landcruiser pulled the Landrover into peak time traffic in Dar es Salaam. After a quick inspection, the fundis decided we were going to have to leave the car in Dar. We went to the Kempinski Hotel to meet Kyle's father and proceeded to get some sushi and white wine.
An early wake up call and we were off out of Dar, the fundis would take care of the car for a couple of days. We drove out in peak morning traffic and eventually made our way out of town, into Mikumi National Park. The main road goes through the game park that borders the Selous Game Reserve. We did not see any game and continued to make our long journey, through Morogoro and finally 6 hours later, Iringa. It was now that we began to see turn signs for Ruaha National Park. From these signs we still had another 2.5 hours to the park gate. We traveled along the never ending road as it is called and forged ahead until we made it to the gate.
Our first evening game drive we followed the roads along the Great Ruaha River, the river circuits. Often times you may find herds of game drinking by the river. However, as the day approaches dusk, many herds scatter as they know that many predators come to the river to find food. Even large mammals cannot fend off the huge 20 plus prides of lion. We would stay at Mwagusi Safari Camp in luxury tented ensuite accommodations. The owner Chris Fox was a friend of the group and is a great host. Mwagusi Safari Camp is an extremely intimate camp along a dried up riverbed. All the rooms are equipped with ensuite shower and toilets and are surrounded by canvas. The outside verandas are sand pits with comfortable couches. During the morning or afternoon hours game can be seen coming into the riverbed.
Mornings, are tea or coffee by the fire as the staff prepares breakfast. Everyone eats together, family style, a great way to get to interact with other guests. After a leisurely breakfast, open Landcruisers are waiting for you, ready for the morning game drive. The guides are great and amazingly friendly. Our first day we encountered a couple of prides of lion laying lazily along the riverbed. We had passed a giraffe carcass and assumed that they had had a meal during the night. These lions would be moving anytime soon.


The landscape of Ruaha is breathtaking, rolling hills, the Great river, mini forests, dry savannahs, acacias and baobab trees. Most driving circuits are quite intimate, rummaging through plants and tight corners. After a couple of hours driving, we would return back to Mwagusi for lunch. We were greeted with juice and then served an exquisite assortment of food buffet style. After lunch its hard to not take a siesta, read a book for a while, and then wake up for tea time. At around 4pm, tea or coffee is served with a bit of something sweet and then another game drive is arranged. In the evening, we encountered a leopard cub, shy and quick, as it jumped up onto a rock. We would drive off track to follow it for a while, however, they are extremely clever and made its way into thick bush. Nonetheless, a lucky sighting for us. In the evening the sunsets are gorgeous, deep tones of bright colors behind the outlines of dark limbs of baobabs.
Dinner, we walk down to the dried up river bed beside a camp fire. We are asked if we want any drinks and then sit in a semi-circle asking other guests how their day was. The group eats in the bush on a long table together. We are served soup first with rolls. An assortment of food is spread nicely on some rocks and taken buffet style. Laterns dimly lit on cliffs and rocks adds a nice intimate touch. Most people have a couple of drinks, but the nights end early, as the next day is another early wake up call and more game driving. There is no internet and only stars in the sky and sounds from the bush. An ultimate sanctity away from any hussle and bussle of the city.
Our days would mesh into a week of tea, coffee, eating, game driving, siestas, and more eating and more game driving- leisure...
We encountered elephants, massive herds of buffalo, impala, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, hippos, and a variety of birds. I finally got a great shot of a giraffe drinking water. They do a fascinating 'spreading the legs' maneuver to get close enough to drink water. In the afternoon, we encountered two juvenile cheetahs. They looked hungry, but they were not hunting, they would walk some distance and then lie in the shade together.
Animals feel comfortable to come into the camp. So comfortable that often times elephants are found behind a bush near the main dining area. Staff escorts everybody, just in case such an encounter occurs. Elephants do not mean harm, however, they hate to be startled especially if they are with their young. We spent our days in the midst of Ruaha, relaxed. We needed to get our car back, so we got a lift to Iringa and then took a bus to Dar es Salaam. In Dar we found our fundis and the fixed car. After another night in Dar, we were off for Arusha once again, the journey back.
Ruaha is a wonderful place, full of mystery, familiar faces of Tanzanian history, and timeless. I am ever more curious now about the Selous Game Reserve, the Southern circuit differing from the Northern circuit. Hopefully, more trips to come, always new places to discover.
What seems like an endless Tanzania and East Africa...