CTSS Team

Another great day in the mountains for our climbers! Today, January 16th, we’ve had two teams hit the summit. Here are the details:

Our Orizaba Express team turned their attention to Iztaccíhuatl (5,230 meters / 17,160 feet) over the last few days, and today, they made their summit bid. We are proud to share that we had 100% on top, and this crew below hit both objectives: Pico de Orizaba and Izta.

A massive congratulations goes out to:

• Marc M.
• Chelsey M.
• CTSS Guide Juan M.

On Kilimanjaro, it was a tough summit morning with wind for our Rugged Luxury climbers, but we also had 100% on top. The entire team watched the sunrise over Africa with a champagne toast, beating the crowds and rocking up in true Rugged Luxury style.

A massive congratulations goes out to:

• Dan A
• Kimberly L
• Chris N
• Julie N
• Caroline P
• Mark W
• CTSS Guide Dr. Brenton S.

The team is already back in Arusha at their 5-star hotel. With our Rugged Luxury program, climbers are whisked from a lower camp (weather dependent) all the way back to the base of Kilimanjaro. This exclusive descent offered the team a breathtaking aerial view of the glaciers, ridgelines, and the route they just completed. Now it’s time for some rest, relaxation, celebrations, and, of course, signature African Safaris!

Here are a few reflections from the team:

“The best part of the day, other than the summit, was wishing the incredible Tanzanian crew thank you and goodbye – as the helicopter plucked us from Barafu Camp and 30minutes later dropped us in the tropics of Arusha and back to the Legendary Lodge!”

– Caroline Pemberton

“It was fantastic to be back guiding again this week. This morning at 0533, my team of six from Rugged Luxury Expeditions was the first to summit Mount Kilimanjaro for the day. We had the summit to ourselves as we basked in the sunrise on the roof of Africa. After being whisked away from High Camp in our own private helicopter, we are now recovering in luxury in Arusha before heading to the Serengeti tomorrow for safari.

We had an amazing week of fine dining with 3-course gourmet meals as well as luxurious camping, daily hot showers, and daily massages as we made our way up the mountain.

I’d especially like to thank our dedicated porter team, without whom this expedition would not have been possible. Your support, enthusiasm, and merriment were absolutely fantastic and were a highlight of this climb! Thanks also to the RLE head office and logistics team, as well as the chefs, waiters, massagers, and local guides.

It’s these luxuries that make every meter of elevation gain a pleasure knowing what awaits at camp!”

– CTSS Guide Dr. Brenton Systermans

Images from Caroline Pemberton, Dr. Brenton Systermans, and Mark Watson

Our Orizaba team is off the mountain and had a quick celebration in Cholula (yes, like the hot sauce). Today, it’s on to the next objective, Iztaccíhuatl (also, Ixtaccíhuatl), which sits at 17,159 ft / 5,230 m. This portion of the Orizaba Express itinerary is an add-on option available to all climbers to make the most of their training and acclimatization.

Heading to the bottom of the globe on Mount Sidley, our team is holding tight at Union Glacier waiting for good weather to fly into Base Camp. Otherwise, our team on Vinson continues to make progress up the mountain.

And finally, our Aconcagua team is enjoying the trek. Today, they made it to Casa de Piedra after another day of mule-assisted trekking. CTSS Guide Mike King shared this with our team, “Our group had a nice hike to Casa de Piedra. The skies were clear, and we had a lot of wind that helped keep people cooler than yesterday. People are relaxing and cleaning up for dinner. We saw a lot of guanacos on the hike (editor’s note: look how cute these guys are). Everyone is excited to get to Plaza Argentina tomorrow.”

After their successful trek, the arrieros (local muleteers) prepared a traditional Argentinian asado for the crew last night, which the team thoroughly enjoyed!

Images below are from the Aconcagua team, including climber Lexi, Josh, and CTSS Guide Mike.

BIG news coming in from Mexico today. Our team has successfully reached the summit of Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl), which sits at 5,675 m / 18,620 ft, making it the tallest volcano in North America!

A massive congratulations goes out to:

• Chelsey M
• Marc M
• Trevor H
• CTSS Guide Juan M.

We have several other teams across the globe pushing forward toward their objectives. Here’s the latest:

On Aconcagua, the team departed Punte del Inca and started their mule-assisted trek to Plaza Argentina Base Camp. It will take the team three days to reach Base Camp, which will put them in a great position to start rotations on the upper mountain. Thank you to CTSS Climber Lexi for sharing this group shot.

Heading south, our Vinson team climbers made it to Low Camp yesterday. They climbed in good style under good conditions. Today, they will rest at Low Camp before carrying gear to High Camp.

And finally, our Rugged Luxury Kilimanjaro trekkers are already resting easy at Karanga Camp for the day after a successful day tackling the Barranco Wall. The team received a warm welcome from the support crew upon arrival at camp with mountain mocktails (lime juice, fresh hibiscus syrup, and orange juice) and a hearty three-course lunch in the Big House. After that, they enjoyed hot showers, restorative massages, and an educational briefing from Dr. Brenton on high altitude medicine, showcasing the Gamow Bag and ALTOX Personal Oxygen System. These systems are available for our Rugged Luxury trekkers who would like a little extra support on their summit day. These tools can help climbers move faster and stay warmer.

Tomorrow, the team will head to their final camp, Barafu Camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for ice, which means (you probably guessed it) that the team is getting very close to the summit. Barafu Camp sits at 4,673 m / 15,330 ft, and it is the last stop before climbers begin their summit bid on Kilimanjaro. Caroline Pembertron shared this update with our team in the office: “The team feels strong and ready with good food, good sleep, and a great team working together.” Which is precisely what we love to hear just before the team climbs to the Roof of Africa.

Photos from Caroline Pemberton

All of our teams are in motion today. Here’s the latest.

Our Rugged Luxury Kilimanjaro climbers moved from Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via the Lava Tower (4,630 meters / 15,190 feet) today, reaching a new high point far above the vegetation level. After clearing Lava Tower, the team dropped down again to 3,900 meters / 12,975 feet to Barranco Camp to aid in their acclimatization. Our Rugged Luxury expeditions have a way of flipping the age-old climb-high, sleep-low motto to fine-dining up high and sleep-warm down low.

Speaking of fine dining, lunch today was a roasted carrot and cumin soup, followed by chicken peanut satay skewers with cabbage slaw, finished by a sweet, warm apple fritter with whipped double cream. WOW.

News from Caroline Pemberton indicated that everyone is feeling strong and ready to tackle the Barranco Wall tomorrow. Thank you to Caroline for sharing these images.

At the bottom of the globe, our Vinson team made their way via a small fixed-wing plane to Vinson Base Camp. Tomorrow, the team will make their way to Vinson Low Camp before starting preparations for High Camp.

And finally, yesterday in Mendoza, our Aconcagua team climbers enjoyed a group dinner and made final preparations for their climb. Today, they stopped at the Parque Provincial Aconcagua office to pick up their climbing permits and officially started their journey to the Roof of the Americas. The team will arrive soon at Punte del Inca, where they will spend one last night in the comfort of a hotel before starting mule-assisted day hikes to Pampa de Leñas, Casa de Piedra, and eventually, Plaza Argentina Base Camp.

Here are a few photos from the team:

A new round of climbers has started their expeditions across the globe, including Vinson (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South America), and Kilimanjaro (Africa). Here is the latest from our teams:

On Vinson, private climbers Keith and Michelle flew to Union Glacier yesterday, where they met up with Mike Bennett. Below is a photo of the duo before departing Punta Arenas. Also at Union Glacier, our Mount Sildey climbers are ready to start their expedition today, most of these climbers coming from our recent Vinson team climb.

Moving north to Aconcagua, our second team of the season has officially arrived in Mendoza. Earlier this morning, the team did gear checks and a guide briefing with CTSS Guides Mike King and Ty Vineyard. They will spend the rest of the day exploring Mendoza before enjoying a team dinner tonight.

And finally, Kilimanjaro has been busy, as our second team of the season starts their climb via the Machame Route. This team is part of our Rugged Luxury Expeditions, which is all about bringing comfort, innovation, and sophistication to the most remote places without compromising the authentic experiential aspects of adventure. The team made it to Shira Camp today in the pouring rain, but they quickly retreated to the comfort of the Big House for a gourmet chef-prepared lunch of roasted tomato soup and chicken teriyaki stir-fry. The team will have plenty of time to rest and relax with hot showers, full body massages, and a delicious steak dinner with red wine jus. This Rugged Luxury setup makes every foot in elevation gain a pleasure; the team knows what’s waiting for them at camp!

Thank you to CTSS co-owner Caroline Pemberton for sharing these shots with our team. She is joining this inaugural Kilimanjaro climb to celebrate the launch of Rugged Luxury Expeditions.

Our Vinson team has officially returned to Union Glacier after their massive success on Antarctica’s tallest peak! The team will be resting easy at Union Glacier until the weather clears for their flight back to Punta Arenas or until they depart for their Mount Sidley expedition.

We have several climbers making the most of their acclimatization and preparations this year. Four climbers have opted into a combo climb from this team. Three climbers will head to Mount Sidley in the coming days, and one climber will join our Aconcagua team climb, meeting in Mendoza next week. We offer combo climbs for both Vinson x Mount Sidley and Vinson x Aconcagua each year.

And just in case there isn’t enough buzz around Union Glacier, our Vinson private team has landed in Punta Arenas and will rendezvous with CTSS Guide Mike Bennett at Union Glacier in the next few days.

We look forward to more success in the mountains in Antarctica and South America this season.

Photos from CTSS Guide Josh McDowell, Ty Sauerbrey, and Mike Bennett

Good news came in from our team in Antarctica: we had 12 climbers on top, along with all three of our guides! A massive congratulations goes out to our Vinson summiteers:

• Richard H.
• Steve F.
• Rachel S.
• Andrew D.
• Anjali M.
• Nathan F.
• Agnieszka M.
• Beata R.G.
• Piotr K.
• Jody B.
• Riki J.
• Shuvam C.
• CTSS Guide Josh McDowell
• CTSS Guide Mike Bennett
• CTSS Guide Ty Sauerbrey

Several climbers will be heading to Mount Sidley, 14,058 ft (4,285 m), for a chance at a second summit. Mount Sidley is one of the Volcanic Seven Summits, the tallest dormant volcano in Antarctica, and a testament to the raw power and beauty of the Antarctic wilderness that surrounds it.

Here’s a peek at their upcoming schedule:

• Descend to Vinson Base Camp
• Fly to Union Glacier, Antarctica
• Rest day at Union Glacier, Antarctica
• Gear checks and guide briefing for Mount Sidley in Union Glacier, Antarctica
• Final preparations at Union Glacier Camp
• Final preparations at Union Glacier Camp
• Fly to Mount Sidley
• Climb and summit Mount Sidley
• Fly back to Union Glacier, Antarctica

On the other side of the world, our Kilimanjaro climbers have either turned their attention homeward or have continued on with our signature African Safari. A few images of the summit team have also landed:

Here’s the latest from the Southern Hemisphere:

On Vinson, our team reached High Camp successfully. It was a long day, but today is a rest day, which will be good for the entire team. They plan to go to the summit early tomorrow.

Our Aconcagua climbers made their way back to Mendoza today! Three team members opted to skip the long hike out and caught a helicopter yesterday. Below is a shot from that scenic and bucket-list-worthy flight.

We will keep you posted on Vinson summits and share more photos from our Kilimanjaro summiteers as they roll in!

More good news from our climbing teams! On January 5th, all CTSS climbers reached the Roof of Africa. On the team:

• Pam C.
• Chrystie W.
• David G.
• Eva S.
• John W.
• Jack W.
• Griffin K.
• Jessica G.
• Abigail L.
• CTSS Guide Dr. Brenton Systermans

A massive congratulations to all of our climbers and guides for your summit success on Kilimanjaro. For the rest of the day, the team will descend back to High Camp, where they will take a brief respite before packing up and heading down to their final camp at 12,000ft.

Tomorrow, they will hit the park gates and conclude the expedition with a celeration team dinner before heading home or onto our signature African Safari.  

Photos from the CTSS Archives

Great news coming in from South America. On January 4th, the following climbers and CTSS guides summited Aconcagua:

• Guy S.
• Becky N.
• CTSS Guide Gianni C

A massive congratulations to all of our climbers. We had additional climbers on our team who turned at or before 6,400 meters with CTSS Guide Macarena. All climbers are doing well and resting easy at Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. Today, the team will begin their trek from Base Camp to the park entrance, then return to Mendoza.

Photos from Macarena.

Our Vinson Team Climbers made their way to Vinson Base Camp and have successfully moved to Low Camp and carried gear to High Camp. Today they are taking a rest day at Low Camp; tomorrow they will move to High Camp. Their next step will be to begin strategizing their summit window.

On Kilimanjaro, our climbers are in position to summit. They will be staying at High Camp, which sits around 15,500ft. We will keep you posted on their trek to the Roof of Africa.

Vinson photos from the CTSS Archives