EXPLORERS Kilimanjaro Expedition
February 7, 2008
Tour testimonial:

“Thank you for the time of my life! The entire trip was more than I could ever imagine. You and your crew did a fantastic job preparing us and I truly had an unbelievable experience. Abi was outstanding. She is a true professional, an outstanding leader – and a lot of fun! Thanks – and I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the next adventure.”

Joseph W. Kraft ’89 LAS

Note: Abi Harte was the climbers’ guide on the February 2008 “Kilimanjaro and Beyond” EXPLORERS expedition.


This remainder of this page is the webcast of our EXPLORERS Travel Kilimanjaro Climb that began on February 4, 2008.

The Climbers
The Guides
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Summit Day
Final Report from the Mountain

The Climbers:

• Mark Mueller:
U of I, Champaign-Urbana grad, Physics Ph.D. 1990. Interests: Hiking, skiing, hang gliding, "green" energy and products. Mark worked in semiconductor/equipment industry last 17 years, and is currently transitioning into solar with a startup.

• Dave Keren:
Married, 2 children, 4 grandchildren, UI Class of '69 (BS), and '71 (MD & MS). David runs a reference lab, work at a local hospital and also teach at U of Michigan (but still cheer for the Illini). Outside of work, David spends as much time as he can with family, enjoys acting in local theater, meets twice a month with a group of fiction writers, sits on the Board of a local shelter, watches old movies.

• Joe Kraft:
Class of '89, BA Economics, from Westlake Ohio, manages a team of Wealth Advisors, Money Managers at Morgan Stanley under The Kraft Group. Joe is a father of three boys. Joe and his wife Jacki breed and sell alpacas.

• Mary Lou Bradna:
Graduated class of '73, LAS. Mary Lou currently works as an IT business analyst for International Truck and Engine. She started hiking about 10 - 15 years ago. Her last big hike was down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Now, it's time to go the other way, up!

• Patricia Weismantel


• Sunondo Roy


• Jim Hanekamp


• Patricia Barbarone


• Holly Cammack


• Rosie Murton

Get to know a couple of the climbers! Click here to see a few photos of our climbers, from the Photo Gallery drop down, choose EXPLORERS Feb 08.

The Guides:
Abi Harte
Bruno Mkerenga
Godbless Swai
Saumu Burhani
Timba Kileo
and approximately 30 assistant guides and porters

End of Day 1 Trek, February 4, 2008 10:00 am MT update (8 pm on the mountain) The Day 1 trek was a great warm up for the group. The weather was good, trail was dry, and everyone is feeling great! During their trek, our climbers saw a troop of baboons. After reaching Simba Camp (8,500'), our climbers enjoyed a hot dinner and hit the sack early under clear skies and a beautiful moon, in order to get a good night's sleep before a much longer day tomorrow.

End of Day 2 Trek, February 5, 2008 10:00 am MT update (8 pm on the mountain) After just over 8 hours of trekking on day 2, our climbers made it to their second camp, Kikelewa Camp at 11,500'. The weather for the most part was good, with about an hour of rain in the afternoon. A little bit of altitude is starting to be felt by some, but overall everyone is doing well!

End of Day 3 Trek, February 6, 2008 10:00 am MT update (8 pm on the mountain) The day was a shorter day, giving our climbers a chance to adjust to the higher altitude and catch their breath. By mid-day, all of our trekkers made it camp 3, Mawenzi Tarn (14,000') which is at the base of Mawenzi Peak, the jagged sister peak of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s summit peak. During the hike, the weather was cooperative, but once in camp, it was a bit rainy and chilly. After dinner, everyone settled into their tents for a good night rest before starting again in the morning.


Kibo Hut, February 7, 2008 8:30am MT update (6:30 pm on the mountain) The whole group arrived in the early afternoon to Kibo Hut, our high camp at 15,500 ft. The weather was not ideal today, snowing off and on. It is currently snowing now, though we are hoping for the weather to clear tonight as the climbers begin their summit ascent.

Everyone is in good spirits and all climbers have chosen to make an attempt for the summit. We are sending two groups up the mountain - at 10:30pm local time we expect Patti B., Jim & Rosie to begin their climb. At midnight, the remaining climbers plan to begin their summit climb.

Now the group will take a few hours to rest and mentally prepare for what will be a very difficult 6-10 hour attempt on the highest peak in Africa. We expect to hear from the group again between 6am and 9am local time, which is 8pm - 11pm Mountain Time in the US. Depending on conditions, we may hear from them at Gilman's Point (18,600 ft.) or otherwise from the summit of Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft.) Stay tuned!

Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa! February 9 @ 9:15pm MT update (7:15am Feb. 8 on the mountain) Success!!! At 7:15am local time, 7 of our climbers achieved the summit of Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa! Congratulations to Patricia W., David, Mary Lou, Joe, Holly, Mark & Sunondo. Just a few minutes ago, we heard from them as they stood at 19,341 ft! They reported that it was cold, VERY cold and that they were heading back down the mountain.

Reports from the mountain indicate that everyone is now safely on their way down to Kibo Hut. We expect to get a final report from Horombo camp at 12,000ft. around 8am tomorrow morning MT - 6pm local time on the mountain. By then, everyone should be starting to feel better and the effects of the altitude should be wearing off. Check back in with us in about 10-12 hours for our final report from the mountain. Congratulations to all of our climbers on a valiant effort on Kilimanjaro!

Horombo Camp, 12,000 ft - February 9 @ 9:45am MT update (7:45pm on the mountain)Everyone is Safe in Camp.

The group has safely descended from the summit and from Kibo Hut and arrived into Horombo Camp. The descent was grueling, not helped by poor weather and a lot of rain between Kibo & Horombo. The group is exhausted, as to be expected...but all are happy and in good spirits and proud of their accomplishment as part of our expedition. And all are ready for that hot shower and bed awaiting them tomorrow night in town!

Congratulations again to all of our participants on a successful expedition. We are now signing off, but check back in a day or so, as we hope to post some photos from the trip once the group gets to town and can email them to us.

Thanks for Tuning In!

Northwest Voyageurs & UIAA EXPLORERS

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Kilimanjaro Expedition January 2008
January 23, 2008
This page is dedicated to following the progress of our Kilimanjaro Climb that began on January 21, 2008.

Click here to see a few photos of our climbers, from the Photo Gallery drop down, choose Kilimanjaro January '08

The Climbers
The Guides
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
Success at the Summit!
Last Night on the Mountain

The Climbers:
Holly & Brian Foster
Eva & Hal McMillan
Staci & Jake Smith
Wendy Kirschner
Chad Troska
Heather Sussman
April Waller

The Guides:
Andy Nachman
Abi Harte
Mussa Kijua
Bruno Mkerenga
Godbless Swai
Saumu Burhani
Timba Kileo

Day 1, January 20, 2008 10:15 pm MT (8:15 am 1/21 in Moshi) Gear has been double checked, packed, and our climbers left their cushy hotel in the town of Moshi. After a few hours drive, they arrived the trailhead of the Rongai route, near the Kenyan border. A quick lunch stop and then they began their trek at 6,400'.

End of Day 1 Trek, January 21, 2008 10:00 am MT update (8 pm on the mountain) The Day 1 trek was short, just 3 hours. During their trek, our climbers saw a troop of black & white Colobus monkeys. After reaching Simba Camp (8,500'), our climbers enjoyed a hot dinner and hit the sack early under clear skies and a beautiful moon, in order to get a good night's sleep before a much longer day tomorrow.

End of Day 2 Trek, January 22, 2008 9:45 am MT update (7:45 pm on the mountain) The day started clear with incridible views of the snow capped Mt. Kilimanjaro. Throughout the day the weather was partly cloudy and starting to get chilly. Our climbers made very good time. After only 6.5 hours, they made it to Kikelewa Camp at 11,500'. All of our climbers are still feeling and eating very well.

Back in our September '07 climb, our climbers were followed up the mountain by wild fires. Today, on Day 2, our '08 climbers crossed through this burn.

End of Day 3 Trek, January 23, 2008 9:00 am MT update (7 pm on the mountain) The day was a shorter day and the weather was a bit rainy and foggy. All of our trekkers made it to the base of Mawenzi Peak, the jagged sister peak of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s summit peak. They arrived at camp 3, Mawenzi Tarn (14,000') around midday.

End of Day 4 Trek, January 24, 2008 8:45 am MT update (6:45 pm on the mountain) All climbers have made it successfully to the high camp, Kibo Hut, at 15,000'. Everyone is in pretty good spirits although appetites are starting to wane. The weather during the day was mostly clear with some clouds moving in, in the afternoon. The moon was out as our climbers finished dinner and headed to their tents to get as much rest as they can before starting their midnight summit climb.

Success at the Summit! 8:28PM MT, January 24, 2008 the call came in, but not from Gilman's as I was expecting. The call came in from the SUMMIT! All of our climbers, 10 total, made it all the way to the top - UHURU! 6.5 hours from high camp to the summit and everyone was in excellent spirits - AMAZING! They reported that it's really cold and clear and they were on the roof of Africa to view the most spectacular sunrise of their lives. Congratulations to everyone, guests and guides!

The "Gut out" award goes to: climber Jake Smith! And to Jake, I can officially pass the trophy. For those who don't know who's posting these updates, it's Katy, Andy's wife and owner/operator of Northwest Voyageurs. Until now, I held the "gut out" record of 6 shall we say, stomach clearing episodes, on summit day. I have now passed the award to Jake who is up to 8.

Last Night on the Mountain, January 25, 2008 9:45 am MT update (7:45 pm on the mountain) After their summit, our crew made it down to the Kibo Hut with plenty of time for a snack and rest before beginning the rest of their descent down the Marangu Route to Horombo Camp at 12,200'. With each step down our climbers are enjoying more oxygen and feeling better. The weather from the summit to Kibo Hut was great, but the rain set in on the walk to Horombo. They made excellent time again, and made it to Horombo by about 3:30. Again time to rest, eat, and they are now off to bed.

Today is the last of our reports as it's all downhill from here. Our crew will be down to the park gates by late afternoon tomorrow, sleeping soundly in their cushy hotel beds by tomorrow night (9am MT 1/26).

Thanks for following along - it's been great!

Congrats team!
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Owyhee River
January 1, 2008
Snow pack looking good for 2008! Last year the Owyhee river season was a bust...Very low snow pack! This years snow pack is off to a great! start...Call us today to book your spring rafting adventure on the remote & scenic Owyhee River, (800) 727-9977.

For more information about our Owyhee River Adventures, click here.
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Northwest Voyageurs Featured in Outdoors Northwest
March 15, 2007
excerpt written by Karen Kefauver
...Day 2: Salmon River
I was eager to raft the Salmon River, one of Idaho’s most popular whitewater destinations. Also known as the “River of No Return,” it is the longest free-flowing river in the country. The guide for our half-day excursion was Andy Nachman, owner of Northwest Voyageurs.

Perched literally on the bank of the Little Salmon River on Highway 95, Northwest Voyageurs offers its guests lodging as well as a variety of trips in the U.S and abroad ranging from mountain climbing to multisport. We set off in a van and drove parallel to the water, stopping occasionally for Andy to scout the rapids.

“These are Class III rapids for us today,” he noted. “Those are the most fun because you can hit the biggest things in the river and be fine if you follow the right lines.”

Wearing helmets and life jackets, we piled into the raft, which was equipped with oars for Andy to steer the boat. We set out on our excursion on the fast-flowing water. Andy knew the river like the back of his hand, skillfully steering us past holes and precarious spots in the river where a boat can easily capsize.

I screamed when we hit the first rapid but loved the jolt of excitement. On calmer waters, we coasted while Andy pointed out magpies, sheep and elk. We marveled at the steep granite walls on either side of us as Andy steered us to a beach and whipped up an impressive lunch buffet.

A half hour later we returned to the boat to finish our amazing adventure at the small historical town of Riggins (population 410), which is located just east of the famous Hells Canyon at the confluence of the Salmon River and the Little Salmon River in west Central Idaho.


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Notre Dame Alumni Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
September 23, 2007
On Sep. 22 at about 8am, all 14 of our clients achieved the highest peak in Africa. The climbing team was led by Andy, our Tanzanian guides Mussa, Bruno & Godbless and their local crew of guides and porters. The climbers, representing the Notre Dame Alumni Association, enjoyed fabulous weather throughout the trip and made friends (stateside and abroad) that will last a lifetime. Congratulations to all of our climbers! Photo coming soon, as soon as we can download it from our camera and post it!

For more information about our Kilimanjaro climbs, click here.
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Success on Kilimanjaro!
February 3, 2007
At 10:06am on Feb. 2, our team of 5 climbers and 5 guides summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Everyone made it, returned safely and all are in good spirits. Congratulations to Jim, Walt, Timba, Katy and Andy on a successful climb!
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Steelhead are Coming!!!
August 23, 2007
With the arrival of some cooler weather and some much needed rain, summer is winding down and fall is on its way…and that means the steelhead are coming! It appears the fish will be arriving to the Salmon River earlier this year, with over 14,000 fish having already crossed Lower Granite Dam.

We expect this season to be an exceptional one, with fish counts 50% higher than last year and higher than the 10-Year average. To check out updated fish count numbers go to www.fpc.org. We expect the fishing to start getting good around September 15…so check back in with us in a few weeks and we’ll be starting to catch some fish!

Now is the time to get your driftboat steelhead fishing trip or Cast & Blast trip reserved. Some of our busy weekend dates are starting to fill up, as are some of our fishing and lodging packages in October and early November. We also offer multi-day fishing trips down the Lower Salmon for those of you looking to get away from civilization for a few days and do some fishing.

If you plan to do some fishing on your own, we invite you to join us at the Little Salmon Lodge for quiet and comfortable riverside accommodations just outside of Riggins.

Give us a call today at (800) 727-9977 to make your reservation, or you can book your trip online by clicking on “Make A Reservation”.


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