Tag Archive for: Kosovo camp

100% Summit Success on Kilimanjaro!!

100% on the Roof of Africa!

Yesterday our Kilimanjaro team put everyone on the Roof of Africa, the 19,341 ft. summit of Kilimanjaro’s highest point: Uhuru Peak on Kibo’s crater rim.  Congratulations one and all, you are on your way to your Seven Summits quest.  🙂

After a very long descent this morning from Millenium Camp (3820 m / 12,533 ft), where they spent a solid night resting up from the summit push, all the way down to the Mweka Gate (1638 m / 5,375 ft).  Once at the gate, it was party time with a wonderful and joyous luncheon.

The team is now back at the hotel in Arusha, where they enjoyed a celebration dinner and are resting up before they head out tomorrow morning to start their 5-day safari of Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the mighty Serengeti.  Enjoy!  You’ve definitely earned it.

High camp on Kilimanjaro

High camp on Kilimanjaro

Sunset over Kilimanjaro

Sunset over Kilimanjaro

Yeah Kilimanjaro Team!!

Yeah Kilimanjaro Team!!

Kilimanjaro Dance Party!

Kilimanjaro Dance Party!

Savoring success at the trail end of Kilimanjaro

Savoring success at the trail end of Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro Dance Party!

Kilimanjaro Dance Party!

One last view of Kili

One last view of Kili

If climbing Kilimanjaro is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Kilimanjaro Summit Push is ON!

Karanga Camp on Kilimanjaro

Our Kilimanjaro team is just finishing up breakfast and getting ready to leave Kosovo high camp and head for the summit!  The Summit Push is on!  You can follow the team in real-time with our location tracking map:  https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/kilimanjaro-2021-07

Godspeed Kili team, godspeed!

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering photo archive)

If climbing Kilimanjaro is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Summit Day is Next!

Everyone together for a Kilimanjaro team picture!

Today the Kilimanjaro team climbed to high camp. They left Karanga camp and crossed the barren hillsides to reach Barafu camp, and continued on to the Kosovo camp, our special high camp that rarely sees any other climbers. This camp puts the team in a position above most other climbing parties so that the summit day is shorter and they can get out ahead of any potential crowds at the start. Before bed, the team talked through the summit day strategy, then went to bed early in preparation for an ‘alpine start’ tomorrow morning. Everyone’s hoping the weather will be good for summit day!

Here’s a short message from the team:

Sun’s up and we’re on the trail. This afternoon high camp and midnight tonight our summit push begins!  Over and out.  Team Madison Mountaineering Africa

Stats for day 5:
Start: Karanga Camp, 13,335’
Finish: Kosovo Camp, 15,700’
Distance Traveled: 3.5 miles

The flora and fauna of Kilimanjaro

The flora and fauna of Kilimanjaro

If climbing Kilimanjaro is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Kilimanjaro Summit!

Climbers on the summit of Kilimanjaro

Summit day began at midnight, as the team awoke for a quick breakfast then left camp to begin the ascent. They dawned headlamps and climbed through the pre-dawn hours, reaching Stella Point (18,652’) just as the sun rose over the plains of Africa. In the dawn light, they climbed the remaining distance to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 19,341’. At the top, they savored our accomplishment and the incredible view then made their way down back to our high camp, where they had lunch, then continued down to the Mweka camp for the night.

Congratulations team!!  Well done.

Stats for Day 6:
Start: Kosovo Camp, 15,700’
Summit: Uhuru Peak, 19,341′
Finish: Mweka Camp, 10,204’
Distance: 8 miles

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Kilimanjaro Day 5

Today the team climbed to high camp. They left Karanga camp and crossed the barren hillsides to reach Barafu camp, and continued on to the Kosovo camp, our special high camp that rarely sees any other climbers. This camp puts the team in a position above most other climbing parties so that the summit day is shorter and they can get out ahead of any potential crowds at the start. Before bed, the team talked through the summit day strategy, then went to bed early in preparation for an ‘alpine start’ tomorrow morning. Everyone’s hoping the weather will be good for summit day!

Stats for day 5:
Start: Karanga Camp, 13,335’
Finish: Kosovo Camp, 15,700’
Distance Traveled: 3.5 miles

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Kilimanjaro Summit and Out!

Climbers on the summit of Kilimanjaro 06:00 Aug 15, 2020
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

After the Kilimanjaro summit, this incredibly strong team hiked all the way down and out – what a big day!  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison calls in from Arusha with all the details:

Hello this is Garrett calling in for the Kilimanjaro dispatch.  We got back from the summit late last night after reaching the top at 06:00 am on August 15th.  It was a beautiful day, we had the mountain all to ourselves.  Stunning views over the Serengeti.  Myself, Drew, and his daughter Jordan made it to the top and back down, packed up our camp and just kept going!  We got all the way out to the [Mweka] gate and back to Arusha in time for a late dinner.

Tomorrow Drew and Jordan are heading off on safari.  It should be a beautiful time on the Serengeti and Ngorongoro game parks – good game viewing.

It’s been a wonderful Kilimanjaro expedition.  He are very happy that we got to work with our crew here in Tanzania of porters, cooks, guides, … and support their livelyhood here.  They’re just a wonderful group of guys and hopefully we will get to see them again very soon!

Sunrise on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro

Sunrise on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro

Beautiful African Sunrise

Beautiful African Sunrise

Happy climbers summit Kilimanjaro

Happy climbers summit Kilimanjaro

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Kosovo Camp

Kilimanjaro climbers jumping for joy!
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

Earlier today, our Kilimanjaro team trekked the 2.7 miles below the southern face from Karanga Camp to our high camp on the Mweka Ridge:  Kosovo Camp (4870 m / 15,978 ft).

We like to pass by the popular, and often very crowded, Barafu Camp and take an extra hour of climbing up to Kosovo Camp.  This much quieter camp positions us for a slightly shorter summit day.  After an early dinner, the team will hit the sack early to get some much-needed rest to be ready for tomorrow’s early morning, alpine start of SUMMIT DAY!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Karanga Camp to Kosovo Camp

Resting up for the big climb

Karanga Camp to Kosovo Camp, the last segment before summit day. The Kili team has now climbed to high camp and will be heading to the summit tonight!  Here’s lead guide Rob Smith with the details:

We reached Kosovo Camp (4870m/15,978 ft), our high camp at 12.15pm. For the first time in our trip, we have met successful climbers who have summitted Kilimanjaro. They did so earlier this morning and were pleased to be on their way down, as we continued up past Barafu Camp, where the majority of climbers stay. The extra effort today will give us a shorter summit day tomorrow. So now we rest, and we will have an early dinner before trying to catch a few hours sleep. Tomorrow begins at midnight, quite literally, as we will get up and prepare to leave at 1am. So wish us luck and tune in tomorrow for an update.

 

Today’s Swahili: Tabasamu – smile

On the way to Kosovo Camp

Resting up for the big climb

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