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Happy Spring from Oregon Peak Adventures. The trilliums and other spring flowers are blooming, trees are leafing, and we're looking forward to Summer. It's raining in Portland today, and still snowing in the mountains. This is the March 2003 Oregon Peak Adventures Newsletter. Our intent is to send this newsletter only to people who wish to receive it. If you don't want it, please tell us and we will remove your name from the list. You may sign-up for a trip by e-mailing us at info@oregonpeakadventures.com, calling us at (877) 965-5100, or using our secure form at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/sign-up.htm. TANZANIA 2002 We are back from Tanzania. We had 15 out of 20 climbers ranging in age from
30 to 70, who summitted Kilimanjaro. After the climb we returned to Moshi to clean-up and sun at the pool. The night before we left on safari, we hosted our Tanzanian guides. They presented us with summit certificates and we presented them a huge fleece of climbing clothing. At our first safari stop at Tarangire National Park, we immediately
encountered a group of quite large bull elephants who obligingly posed for close
up photos.
As we entered the Serengeti, the rumors we had heard about the migration
coming early this year proved to be true. Besides the many gazelles (Thompson's
and Grant's) which are standard, there were 1,000s of zebras and wildebeests as
far as we could see. Every water hole was crowded, offering magic moments where
we could park and watch the animals and listen to the barking sounds of the
zebras and sloshing and splashing as they drank their fill.
The wildebeest is the predominate species in the Serengeti with an estimated
population of 1.4 - 2 million in this area. It was calving season for them, with
an estimated 8,000 born a day. The calves are quite cute, but grow up to be very
unusual looking.
On a warm sunny day we boarded our chartered aircraft for a two hour magical transition from the plains of the Serengeti to the lush tropical paradise of Zanzibar. A spate of travel advisories had cleared the island of tourists, which made for amazing deals as we shopped in Stone Town. We stayed in the beach front Tembo House hotel and took a tour which displayed the Indian, Portuguese, Arab, Native African, and British influences on Zanzibar. After a relaxing two days of shopping, eating, and lolling in the pool, we bused up to the Ras Nungwi Beach Resort, visiting redolent spice plantations enroute. Now we know what all the spices in our cupboard look like before they're processed.
On our last day we transferred to a large passenger boat for a two hour ride to Dar es Saalam and the return flight to Amsterdam and home. It was a great trip and YOU really ought to go. Prior to leaving on this trip, we had carefully evaluated the travel advisories and our local sources for the level of risk, and the possible timing of an invasion of Iraq. We decided to go and encountered no problems. We were, in fact, gratefully welcomed everywhere we went. The travel industry has been severely depressed the last year. As I write this during the early days of the invasion of Iraq, I hope that we can move on after the fighting is over. APRIL CLOSE UP Here's the detail on April Activities: St. HELENS BUTTE CAMP CLIMB April 2-3 Two climbers are already signed up so the price is $350 per person for 1-2 more, or $300 each for 3 more. Wednesday we snowshoe up to about 4,500 ' and set-up a tent camp. The next morning we head to the summit rim and glissade all the way back to camp, pack-up, and return to Portland. This is a special mountain experience. More info at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/butte.htm. Price includes guides, round trip transportation, snowshoes and poles, ice ax and crampons, meals, tents and kitchen. WINTER TENT CAMPING - April 5-6 We will snowshoe about three miles to a forested alpine lake, set-up a tent camp, demo winter survival techniques, eat great food and enjoy the winter wonderland. The objective is to go play and camp overnight in the snow and stay warm, dry and comfortable the whole time. This class is also offered through Portland Community College (PCC) as Winter Camping #26876. Tuesday, April 1, at 6:30 PM we will meet in the Washington County Workforce Training Center (WCWFTC) at SW 185th & Walker Road, Room 1543 to talk about winter camping and the requirements for the trip. The price is $30 PCC tuition plus $170 for the overnight. Call 503 533-2708 to register for the class. If you can' t make it for the Tuesday class, it is possible to just go on the overnight by signing up with us directly. Price includes Guides, round trip transportation, snowshoes and poles, meals, tents and kitchen.
ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING - April 12 This class is highly recommended if you plan to climb Mt. Adams, early season snow climbs of St. Helens, and most of the glaciated peaks of the Cascades. It's also appropriate if you will be hiking on snow covered trails. We cover snow climbing with ice ax, self-arrest, glissading, anchors, belaying, and roped travel. This class is offered through PCC as Alpine Mountaineering Training, #26810. Monday, April 8, at 6:30 PM we will meet in the WCWFTC, Room 1543 to talk about winter camping and the requirements for the trip. The price is $30 PCC tuition plus $120 for the field session. Call 503 533-2708 to register for the class. Price includes Instructors, round trip transportation, and climbing equipment. It's also available through the Park and Recreation for Lake Oswego #4574-02 (register online at http://www.lakeoswegoparks.org or call 503-675-2549); West Linn #114 (call 503-557-4700), and Wilsonville #3326 (call 503-682-3727). The classroom session for the Lake Oswego, Wilsonville, and West Linn registrants will be held 6:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2nd Floor, US Bank, 120 North State Street. Lake Oswego. Again, if you can' t make it for the class, it is possible to go on the field session by signing up with us directly. ST. HELENS CLIMB - SWIFT CREEK ROUTE - April 18 This is a spring snow climb. While not required, the Alpine Mountaineering class is recommended if you have no snow climbing experience. We'll leave the Portland area early and hike up the Swift Creek Trail out of Marble Mountain Sno-Park. Extensive glissading is possible back to the Swift Creek Trail. more information is at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/Swift%20Creek.htm. This climb is also offered through PCC as Mt. St Helens Snow Climb #26869. The classroom session will be held at 6:30 PM, April 15 at the WCWFTC, classroom 1569. Call 503 533-2708 to register for the class. The price is $30 PCC tuition plus $120 for the climb. Price includes guides, round trip transportation, lunch, climbing permits, ice ax, trekking poles, snowshoes, and crampons. It's also offered through Park and Recreation for Lake Oswego #4569-01 (register online at http://www.lakeoswegoparks.org or call 503-675-2549), and West Linn #118 (call 503-557-4700). The classroom session for the Lake Oswego and West Linn registrants will be held at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, April 15, 2nd Floor, US Bank, 120 North State Street. Lake Oswego. Again, if you can' t make it for the class, it is possible to just go on the climb by signing up with us directly.
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS NEPAL KHUMBU TREK AND ISLAND PEAK CLIMB OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 29, 2003 We're returning to Nepal October 29th. We'll tour Kathmandu, trek up the Gyoko valley, cross over the Cho La (Pass) and visit the Everest Base Camp. On our way out we'll climb 20,305' Imja Tse (Island Peak). Prices: Trek and climb - $3,100, Trek only $2,700. Details at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/nepal.htm. We may offer a three day Angkor Wat, Cambodia Add-on after we leave Kathmandu. Stay tuned. ECUADOR - NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 15, 2003 We are going to Ecuador in December 2003 to see the sights, meet the people, shop for very cool things, eat great food, and to climb some big mountains : Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo. Includes acclimatization climbs and glacier travel instruction and practice. Land price is $2,500 for the 19 day trip. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/ecuador.htm for more information. MT. KENYA - JANUARY 20-29, 2004 We will gather in Nairobi, Kenya on January 20 and return January 29. If you don't have a lot of time, but want to do a very interesting climb, this is a great trip. We have room for three people on the Batian (17,058') summit climb. If you aren't interested in the Batian summit climb specifically, it's also possible to do the trek up Point Lenana (16, 355'). We can take up to ten Pt. Lenana trekkers. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/mt__kenya.htm for more information. Land price is $1,400. TANZANIA 2004 Our Kili, Safari, and Zanzibar trip for next year is scheduled for June 6 - 29, 2004. Gerry Itkin, an experienced climb and trip leader in his own right, has assisted on the last two trips and will lead the 2004 trip. He has a February schedule conflict ( his wife Joan does taxes in February and wants to go on the trip) so the June date. We beat the crowds by going in early June and we're catching the other dry season for good weather and the wildebeests are migrating back through the Serengeti. So if February didn't work for you in the past, here's an alternative. I am working on putting together a trip in Tanzania for February 2004 following our Mt. Kenya trek and climb. The preliminary itinerary is a five day Crater Highlands trek and climb of Oldoinyo Lengai supported by Maasai guides, porters and donkeys. Then probably a day at Gibb's Farm and a drive through Lake Manyara National Park. Next stop would a few days at Mahale Mountain National Park on Lake Tanganyika to view chimpanzees, giraffes, lion, elephants, and Roan antelopes. Finally, on to Zanzibar for four nights. Stay tuned for the final details and pricing. CLIMBING We have about half the snow depth on Mt. Hood this year than in 2002, so we're anticipating that the snow climbs on Mt. Adams may not be in good shape much past August. However, the road to the trailhead may open earlier, so there's a possibility that we may add some Adams climbs starting mid-June. Other than the Mazama Glacier climb on Adams, St. Helens and Adams are non-technical climbs. However, Adams South Spur and early season St. Helens climbs, involve climbing on snow and glissading. These skills are picked up quickly, but our experience is that you will have much more pure fun if you participate in an Alpine Mountaineering class prior to going on the climb. See below for class dates. CLIMBS ST. HELENS (Information at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/mt_st.htm) Swift Creek Route - May 16, June 19 (Might be Monitor Ridge if we can drive to the trailhead.) Monitor Ridge Route- July 10*, 25, August 7, 22, September 5, 26*.
MT. ADAMS (Information at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/mt.htm) South Spur Route - July 22-24* (can stay in camp another night on summit day), August 20-21 Mazama Glacier Route - July 18-20. (This is an intermediate level climb) North Cleaver Route - August 5-7
BACKPACKING TRIPS (Information at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/backpack.htm) MT. ST. HELENS FOUR-DAY ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN - July 11-14, August 3-6. MT. ADAMS FIVE-DAY ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN - July 31-August 4* MT. MARGARET BACKCOUNTRY FOUR-DAY LOOP - August 11-14*, September 12-15. (max party size is four) INDIAN HEAVEN THREE-DAY LOOP - September 5-7*. (Leisurely trip focusing on backpacking skills)\
TRAINING (Information at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/backpack.htm ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING - April 12*, May 10*, June 14 GLACIER TRAVEL AND CREVASSE RESCUE - , May 18*, June 15 MAP & COMPASS -June 7**, October 11**. WILDERNESS SURVIVAL - June 28-29**, October 4-5**. *Has an optional associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session. **Has a required associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session.
Please give us a call if you are interested in setting up an outing for your work group or family. We handle all the arrangements including transportation and food at a reasonable price. If you wish to be removed from the e-mail list please tell us and we'll take you off.
Joe Whittington Oregon Peak Adventures P.O. Box 25576 Portland, OR 97298 (503) 297-5100 Fax (503) 292-1686 Toll Free (877) 965-5100 www.oregonpeakadventures.com |
The summit was calm with high clouds, and
we had great views of the crater and ice cap. The weather was somewhat more
unsettled on the mountain than expected for February, but didn't interfere with
the climb. Two (maybe three) of our climbers had the beginnings of high altitude
pulmonary edema and had to descend prior to summit day. Two others came down
with stomach ailments on summit day and didn't make the climb. We took a pulse oximeter with us and it definitely indicated low oxygen saturation levels for
those who were not acclimatizing well. While our folks who didn't summit were
disappointed, it was crucial to identify their symptoms and ensure they
descended before the problems became critical. They all recovered, and enjoyed
the safari and Zanzibar.
We also saw troops of baboons, giraffes, and monkeys. We spent the
night at Gibb's Farm, a luxury oasis in the Crater Highlands, with great food
and rooms and lush plants and flowers. We liked it so much, we plan to spend an
extra day there next year. Our next stop was Ngorongoro Crater. At 12 miles
wide, it is the world's largest intact caldera. The elevation of the caldera
floor is 5,600' and the rim is 7,600'. We saw flamingos, buffalo, elephants,
gazelles, zebras, wildebeests, ostrich, hippos, and spotted hyenas among other
animals. We spent the night at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge on the rim of the
crater. Nice rooms, great food and an amazing view of the crater floor. Enroute
to the Serengeti, part of our group stopped at a Maasai village where they were
able to meet the the village people. We will add this as planned stop next year.
As we climbed out of a drainage, we were enthralled by five large giraffes
silhouetted as they ran along a ridgeline. It wasn't photographable, but is a
never to be forgotten visual image. At Olduvai Gorge we visited the museum and
viewed the area where Louis and Mary Leakey made major archaeological
discoveries. 
The mothers don't always keep close track of their calves and
we saw several young wildebeests frantically running from herd to herd trying to
reunite with their mother. Young wildebeests aren't adopted by other mothers and
it was a sad site as they probably would not survive beyond the next day. This
was evidenced by the occasional carcass being fought over by the vultures and Maribou Storks. During our two days in the Serengeti we also saw lion, cheetah,
elephant, leopard, giraffe, impala, dik-dik, topi, warthog, waterbuck,
hartebeest, hyena and many wonderful birds among other species. We stayed at the
Seronera Wildlife Lodge. The Lodge is built around huge rock formations called
kopjes and is populated by rock hyrax, who look like large guinea pigs, basking
in the sun. Out of the windows of the dining room, we watched hot air balloons
slowly drifting over the plains while we ate breakfast . While there was time to
do the 1 1/2 hour balloon trip, the $400 price dissuaded everyone in our group.
Ras Nungwi is truly a world class resort. Our activities ranged from scuba
diving the amazing reefs in warm waters, basking on the beach, lounging at the
pool, hiking to the nearby village to see the sea turtle display and Dhow (boat)
builders, drinking, and eating wonderful meals. It was perfect. Ask us how we
liked it sometime.