Newsletter 2 - September 2009
We will be exhibiting again at WTM in London again this year so please email Richard if you would like to arrange a meeting during the week.
WTM - Richard will also be touring the UK for a couple of weeks before the show. If you would like him to come and meet you to see how we can work together or perhaps give a slide show to your sales team about Kilimanjaro, walking and safaris between the 26th October and the 6th November then please email him on beatty@africanenvironments.com

Itikoni Camp - Arusha National Park Our acclimatization camp at 6500 feet in Arusha National Park has had a facelift recently and now boasts a comfy lounge tent. The camp has always been a great hit with climbers bound for Kilimanjaro, as it offers them the opportunity to begin acclimatizing before their climb – even whilst they are asleep. We are also seeing more guests on safari wanting a couple of nights in this little visited park – the air is fresh and clear on the Mountain and there are spectacular views of the summit of Meru in one direction and Kilimanjaro across the plains the other way.  The Camp, which can sleep up to 16, is set in ancient montaine woodland on the slopes of 15,000 foot Mount Meru a dormant volcano
Aeons ago it is thought that Meru may even have been taller than it’s famous neighbour Mount Kilimanjaro until a cataclysmic explosion literally blasted about 30% of the mountain away. This gaping wound in the side of the mountain is now filled with forest and babbling brooks and makes for great walking. A 6000 foot cliff plunges down from the summit into the crater providing a dramatic backdrop to any hike. Itikoni makes a great start not only to climbs but also for any safari – what could be better than waking up on your first morning in Africa to the sound of Colobus Monkeys calling through the forest.

Our Serengeti walking safaris have really taken off with many groups enjoying this incredible experience this summer – the comments from clients regularly include adjectives like ‘solitude’ ‘peace’, ‘renewal’ but there a fair number of comments that include ... ‘adrenaline’ and ‘drama’ from stalking wild animals! – it truly is a wonderful place to leave the trappings of modern life and revel in the peace and wildlife.

In May this year Wes and Richard headed out to explore another of the Wilderness Zones of the Serengeti with a view to expanding our walking programmes. Once again it is a real adventure and a privilege to be the first operators to explore the area for more than 40 years!

wk snare
We found green rolling hills with occasional peaks and hidden valleys – great walking country!! There was plenty of animals, we managed a couple of elephant stalks and saw great plains game – we also had one of the most intense rain storms we ever experienced and got royally stuck! Sadly we also came across and removed some poachers snares, National Parks feel that an increased presence of walking safaris in the area will significantly reduce poaching within the park. The area is going to provide some great walking at the right time of year (when it’s not raining quite so much!) and we plan to send the first groups in there during the Christmas season. There are still more Wilderness Zones waiting to be explored in this vast park – so if you have a group of rugged adventurers who are looking for something new – and can cope with the unexpected – let us know and they can join us on one of our recce trips.
Staying Local – our ethos We have always tried to do our bit by supporting small scale industry and artisans in and around Arusha wherever we possibly can. All our tents are made from Tanzanian canvas and sewn by Tanzanian tailors. We have a team of 3 of these guys at the office who are constantly making new tents and repairing equipment. We also have a carpenter on site, Agustino who has to switch between making fine furniture for the camps and making tough boxes to transport equipment in the back of the pickups. Most of the furniture you see in camp will have been made by him

Mysigio Camp - Ngorongoro Our seasonal camp in the Ngorongoro Highlands continues to get great reviews – near to the crater for game viewing but also far enough away to be out of the crush. It feels timeless, with stunning views overlooking Lake Eyasi. The camp has 9 large sleeping tents which can be doubles, twins or triples, a roomy mess tent serving some of the best food in Northern Tanzania and a cozy lounge tent looking out over Eyasi

One of the key features of the camp is it’s rich and varied opportunities for cultural activities. We have walked and camped in the area off and on for over 20 years and during that time have built a close relationship with the local community.have helped to develop the local primary school and are in the process of building them a library (more of that below) There are cultural activities arranged each day that clients are in camp – these vary from village visits (please note; this is VERY different to the dreaded ‘cultural boma’ that many groups visit – it is much more low key and respectful and is planned with no cameras until relationships have been established) to ‘Olpul’ ceremonies, traditional dancing and walks with the Massai in the surrounding hills.
Kilimanjaro – All quiet on the Western Breach One of the impacts of the Global Recession has been to significantly reduce the number of climbers on Mount Kilimanjaro. Our guides say it’s like stepping back in time to a period when you virtually could have the mountain to yourself! Our most popular route continues to be the 7 night / 8 day Shira Climb. This stunning Wilderness route crosses the Shira Plateau World Heritage Site before traversing the Western flank of the mountain and ascending the realigned Western Breach – a classic mountaineering day.
Wilderness First Responder - This year we once again arranged for American Instructors to fly over to Tanzania to run Wilderness First Responder training and refresher courses for all our guides. We open this training course up to other safari and mountaineering companies in Arusha but were pleased to hear from the instructors that our guides were all “the most engaged, knowledgeable and competent” of the 70 or so that they put through their paces. Once the course was over we then took the instructors up on Kilimanjaro for 5 days of intense practical scenarios – this section is reserved strictly for our own guides. The weather was appalling ... just perfect for training people to prepare for the worst! We had five hectic days of training covering advanced first aid, navigation and snow and ice techniques. Everyone survived and came away with yet more knowledge and experience to fall back on. Don’t worry the guy in the picture is acting!!
Wilderness First Responder Courses The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certification is fast becoming the world standard for outdoor and adventure instructors and guides. We will be teaming up with Aerie Med of the USA to run WFR courses in Tanzania next May – contact us if you are interested in sending any of your guides on this course. We are also in the process of developing a ‘Wilderness Trauma Treatment Course’ with one of the UK’s most respected trauma consultants. The course will target those with WFR or similar qualifications who work or travel in remote areas who want to take their medical knowledge to the next level.
Giving Back .... We are often asked by clients ‘how’ they can put something back into the communities they have visited during their safaris. They know there is a problem with how aid is administered – both with aid not reaching it’s desired target or by throwing the local economics out of balance. Over the years we have undertaken a number of grass roots projects to try and benefit the people and communities we work with. All these are carried sensitively and with a firm sense of co-operation and partnership. We have built classrooms for three different schools in Arusha and assisted with building them at Ngorongoro, we have brought power to a school in Arusha and got them their first computer, then we have made desks for a number of different schools. We have also sponsored people though courses that will give them the skills to be self sufficient and feed their desire to better themselves. This is all done through a combination of our own funds and skills and donations from clients. One of our current projects is a library at the primary school near our Mysigio Camp in Ngorongoro, the building is finished but we desperately need books and are asking all our clients to bring three or four books to contribute. We have also recently set up a programme with several schools near Arusha for people wishing to donate some of their time to teach for a few days – ask us for more information on these programmes if you are interested.

Rip Roaring Adventures Over the years all of living here in Africa we have had all kinds of outlandish adventures of our own – usually seat of the pants stuff and often fairly hair raising – but all with one common thread – they are exceedingly good fun! Richard and his brother-in-law Gary have decided to team up and offer some of these adventures on the wild side to a select few hardy souls... it could be motor biking across the Massai-steppe or tuna fishing way offshore in a small boat or perhaps a horse riding expedition through the wildlife ... Definitely NOT for the fainthearted ... see more at www.rip-roaring-adventures.com
All content © African Environments 2007