Our climbers made it safely to 11,500 feet and their resting point for night 2. They are currently resting on a sheer plateau, it is chilly since the sun has gone down, but they are all staying warm. Today was a bit more challenging than yesterday, with a lot more up and downs. They made it out of the rain forests though, and got some nice warm sun. They also got their first shot in full of the whole Mountain, and its beautiful. There is some, but not much snow left now up on the glacier.
Jeff waves goodnight to all and says it was a great day.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Mt. Kilimanjaro Family Adventure: Night 1
Mt. Kilimanjaro Family Adventure Team:
Rick, Helen, Anna (12), Taylor (14), Christopher (16) Sweitzer
along with Whitney (17) and her father Jeff Bradford.
Today our team of adventurers started out at approx. 5500 feet in elevation and hiked 4 hours through the rain forest to Camp 1 at approx. 9,000 feet. Tomorrow they will venture upward to about 11,000 feet.
In the words of their fearless leader, Rick Sweitzer: "Today was a pretty day, we were up in the clouds most of it. Just finished a delicious dinner and are getting ready to rest up for another big day. There are numerous other teams at Camp 1 currently."
Jeff would also like to add: "Today was a great climb in a beautiful country. It's beautiful, monkeys all around, pure Africa."
Talk at you tomorrow.
Rick, Helen, Anna (12), Taylor (14), Christopher (16) Sweitzer
along with Whitney (17) and her father Jeff Bradford.
Today our team of adventurers started out at approx. 5500 feet in elevation and hiked 4 hours through the rain forest to Camp 1 at approx. 9,000 feet. Tomorrow they will venture upward to about 11,000 feet.
In the words of their fearless leader, Rick Sweitzer: "Today was a pretty day, we were up in the clouds most of it. Just finished a delicious dinner and are getting ready to rest up for another big day. There are numerous other teams at Camp 1 currently."
Jeff would also like to add: "Today was a great climb in a beautiful country. It's beautiful, monkeys all around, pure Africa."
Talk at you tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Milos, Greece
MILOS and KIMOLOS EXPLORATORY: from our Milos Team
Our first formal trip to Milos and Kimolos is underway and our merry team of guides and intrepid adventurers ranging in age from 13 to 75 report that both of the islands are providing incredible paddling, cliff jumping, and dining options. Milos is the larger, more developed island but that's definitely a relative term - vast areas are uninhabited and many special beaches are only accessible by water - which, conveniently enough, is how we like to travel. We have a vigorous team of participants and we're moving quickly, allowing us to spend extra time in cliff-jumping reconaissance and taking plenty of photographs of the many caves, cliffs, and charming white and blue Cycladic island villages.
The waters have been incredibly calm and still, giving us visibility below the surface to about thirty feet or more. The entire area is volcanically active, with many undersea sulphur springs sending up blasts of both warm and chilly water. At one beach, it was possible to have your feet in hot water and your head in cold water as the vents were placed so close together. The sulphur content of the seawater in places takes on an unusual chartreuse color, letting us know where to look for these wonders of nature.
Our cliff-jumping has been especially enjoyed by our younger participants, 13 and 16, and their enthusiasm is infectious. We found excellent rock formations seemingly designed for the purpose just off the coast of Kimolos. The launch point was even formed like a diving board! One repeat traveler decided that now was the time for his very first cliff jump, which he carried off with aplomb and great style. We're very proud of our entire team, several of whom had limited prior paddling experience. Everyone has risen to the challenges beautifully and we think we've seen the birth of one or two lifetime kayakers on this trip, with a fast and joyous learning curve for all.
Wildlife is abundant and we've been seeing many gulls, swallows, and cormorants. We were satisfied with glimpsing a rare Monarchus seal along the shore, but there were more surprises in store for us. We paused for a time to look at the site of ancient city which was lost in an earthquake at the time of the volcanic eruption of the island of Thira in Minoan times. Some of the ruins are still visible below the surface of the waters when it's calm enough, so again we were very fortunate in enjoying perfect conditions for our visit.
But the best was yet to come. in our open-sea crossing from Kimolos back to Apollonia on Milos, Rick found he was paddling with friends - a large pod of Hellenic dolphins, a smaller species that arch their backs as they jump out of the water. We are very flattered and honored that these marvelous creatures deviated from their path to come and check out our brightly-colored kayaks, buzzing by our guide Wendy and our participants, giving all of us the chance to take a closer look and these beautiful denizens of the sea. We were privileged to watch them for about ten minutes until they continued on their way in search of a very fresh seafood dinner. So did we, passing by the magnificent sentinal rock outside of a small bay near Apollonia. Several of our team members have an interest in geology, and the endless variety of the rock formations here are keeping them fascinated.
Each night we've found ourselves in small inns with wonderful sea views and friendly Milosian proprietors and proprietoresses. While these islands are visited by some tourists, they are truly unspoiled and the friendliness of the welcome is obvious everywhere. We have also chosen to travel early in the season, with some establishments opening up especially for us.
Next, we'll be crossing the bay and beginning on our exploration of the west coast of Milos, even more remote and intriguing than what we have seen so far. Even more dramatic caves and rock formations await us, and we're hoping for a return visit from our friendly dolphins.
----
June 20 -21st
Our bay crossing went well in the early morning hours. We passed the brightly-painted fishermen's houses of Klima and continued on along the northern coast of Milos. We continued on, finally turning south. The West and South coasts of Milos offer some of the most beautiful rock formations of the entire island, culminating in the many caves, arches, and inlets of the Kleftiko area. On the way, there were many charming bays and the visit to Firopotamos was especially enjoyable as we drank freddocinos on the beach and hiked up to view the Aegean from a Venetian-era ruined gateway that served as an appropriate frame to the vast sea of varied blues. Two groups of paddlers explored the Kleftiko area as the winds were rising, but all were ready to be challenged after a week of inspiring paddling on unusually calm seas. Microbursts and a bit of spindrift kept the adrenalin flowing but fortunately, it all went to power our ever-popular "fun meter" and one participant declared it his best day of kayaking ever. One sea cave we explored is about eighty feet deep, opening into a wide high chamber. So far, no more dolphins but we've seen many more cormorants and a number of sea-cliff-dwelling hawks, pigeons, and swallows. The past few nights we've been treated to a blazing moonrise as the lunar globe rises from the sea or mountains. Tonight we enjoy another type of exploration as we discover a new taverna providing the specialties of Milos, including lobster, Milos tomatoes, and spicy Milos cheese pies.
Our first formal trip to Milos and Kimolos is underway and our merry team of guides and intrepid adventurers ranging in age from 13 to 75 report that both of the islands are providing incredible paddling, cliff jumping, and dining options. Milos is the larger, more developed island but that's definitely a relative term - vast areas are uninhabited and many special beaches are only accessible by water - which, conveniently enough, is how we like to travel. We have a vigorous team of participants and we're moving quickly, allowing us to spend extra time in cliff-jumping reconaissance and taking plenty of photographs of the many caves, cliffs, and charming white and blue Cycladic island villages.
The waters have been incredibly calm and still, giving us visibility below the surface to about thirty feet or more. The entire area is volcanically active, with many undersea sulphur springs sending up blasts of both warm and chilly water. At one beach, it was possible to have your feet in hot water and your head in cold water as the vents were placed so close together. The sulphur content of the seawater in places takes on an unusual chartreuse color, letting us know where to look for these wonders of nature.
Our cliff-jumping has been especially enjoyed by our younger participants, 13 and 16, and their enthusiasm is infectious. We found excellent rock formations seemingly designed for the purpose just off the coast of Kimolos. The launch point was even formed like a diving board! One repeat traveler decided that now was the time for his very first cliff jump, which he carried off with aplomb and great style. We're very proud of our entire team, several of whom had limited prior paddling experience. Everyone has risen to the challenges beautifully and we think we've seen the birth of one or two lifetime kayakers on this trip, with a fast and joyous learning curve for all.
Wildlife is abundant and we've been seeing many gulls, swallows, and cormorants. We were satisfied with glimpsing a rare Monarchus seal along the shore, but there were more surprises in store for us. We paused for a time to look at the site of ancient city which was lost in an earthquake at the time of the volcanic eruption of the island of Thira in Minoan times. Some of the ruins are still visible below the surface of the waters when it's calm enough, so again we were very fortunate in enjoying perfect conditions for our visit.
But the best was yet to come. in our open-sea crossing from Kimolos back to Apollonia on Milos, Rick found he was paddling with friends - a large pod of Hellenic dolphins, a smaller species that arch their backs as they jump out of the water. We are very flattered and honored that these marvelous creatures deviated from their path to come and check out our brightly-colored kayaks, buzzing by our guide Wendy and our participants, giving all of us the chance to take a closer look and these beautiful denizens of the sea. We were privileged to watch them for about ten minutes until they continued on their way in search of a very fresh seafood dinner. So did we, passing by the magnificent sentinal rock outside of a small bay near Apollonia. Several of our team members have an interest in geology, and the endless variety of the rock formations here are keeping them fascinated.
Each night we've found ourselves in small inns with wonderful sea views and friendly Milosian proprietors and proprietoresses. While these islands are visited by some tourists, they are truly unspoiled and the friendliness of the welcome is obvious everywhere. We have also chosen to travel early in the season, with some establishments opening up especially for us.
Next, we'll be crossing the bay and beginning on our exploration of the west coast of Milos, even more remote and intriguing than what we have seen so far. Even more dramatic caves and rock formations await us, and we're hoping for a return visit from our friendly dolphins.
----
June 20 -21st
Our bay crossing went well in the early morning hours. We passed the brightly-painted fishermen's houses of Klima and continued on along the northern coast of Milos. We continued on, finally turning south. The West and South coasts of Milos offer some of the most beautiful rock formations of the entire island, culminating in the many caves, arches, and inlets of the Kleftiko area. On the way, there were many charming bays and the visit to Firopotamos was especially enjoyable as we drank freddocinos on the beach and hiked up to view the Aegean from a Venetian-era ruined gateway that served as an appropriate frame to the vast sea of varied blues. Two groups of paddlers explored the Kleftiko area as the winds were rising, but all were ready to be challenged after a week of inspiring paddling on unusually calm seas. Microbursts and a bit of spindrift kept the adrenalin flowing but fortunately, it all went to power our ever-popular "fun meter" and one participant declared it his best day of kayaking ever. One sea cave we explored is about eighty feet deep, opening into a wide high chamber. So far, no more dolphins but we've seen many more cormorants and a number of sea-cliff-dwelling hawks, pigeons, and swallows. The past few nights we've been treated to a blazing moonrise as the lunar globe rises from the sea or mountains. Tonight we enjoy another type of exploration as we discover a new taverna providing the specialties of Milos, including lobster, Milos tomatoes, and spicy Milos cheese pies.
Gavdos, Greece
GAVDOS EXPLORATORY: from our Gavdos Team
Our intrepid team of inaugural trip participants successfully circumnavigated the remote Greek island of Gavdos last week. Wild weather threatened a delay, but fortunately Aeolus and the other Greek gods (and goddesses) in charge of the winds provided just-calm-enough seas at the last minute to allow for our ferry voyage across the 26 miles of open sea. Calypso's island welcomed us and we explored every inch of the beautiful coast before returning to the "Big Island" of Crete. It was fascinating to see Crete from the perspective of Gavdos. Gavdos was a Minoan colony in ancient times, and then served as a pirate refuge and finally as a place of exile for Greek dissidents. It's wild and raw. While a power plant was provided to the island several years ago, it functions unreliably and our rooms were provided with oil lamps and a few hours of generator power each night. The nighttime sky was filled with stars and we could clearly see satellites passing overhead. A brief thunderstorm one night showed us why this island stays so green compared to Crete and the Cyclades. We dined like Odysseus on fresh seafood and local lamb. On our final day, we paddled to Tripiti, a dramatic point of land formed of three archways. Some of us climbed up the razor-sharp rocks to reach the Southern Most Point of Europe, which is whimsically marked with a giant chair nine feet tall. Thus enthroned, we said our farewells to Gavdos but we are already looking to return to this magical island.
Our intrepid team of inaugural trip participants successfully circumnavigated the remote Greek island of Gavdos last week. Wild weather threatened a delay, but fortunately Aeolus and the other Greek gods (and goddesses) in charge of the winds provided just-calm-enough seas at the last minute to allow for our ferry voyage across the 26 miles of open sea. Calypso's island welcomed us and we explored every inch of the beautiful coast before returning to the "Big Island" of Crete. It was fascinating to see Crete from the perspective of Gavdos. Gavdos was a Minoan colony in ancient times, and then served as a pirate refuge and finally as a place of exile for Greek dissidents. It's wild and raw. While a power plant was provided to the island several years ago, it functions unreliably and our rooms were provided with oil lamps and a few hours of generator power each night. The nighttime sky was filled with stars and we could clearly see satellites passing overhead. A brief thunderstorm one night showed us why this island stays so green compared to Crete and the Cyclades. We dined like Odysseus on fresh seafood and local lamb. On our final day, we paddled to Tripiti, a dramatic point of land formed of three archways. Some of us climbed up the razor-sharp rocks to reach the Southern Most Point of Europe, which is whimsically marked with a giant chair nine feet tall. Thus enthroned, we said our farewells to Gavdos but we are already looking to return to this magical island.
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