DATE: February 26, 2009

LOCATION: Highview hotel, Ngorongoro Crater

We had a great safari day. Watched two cheetahs hunting a gazelle, so many other animals also.

Our 3 day safari people fly out tomorrow night and the 5 day folks go to the Serengeti to sleep in a tented camp with hyenas outside the doors. We will also be visiting Maasi markets, woodcarvings and an orphanage that people have sent clothing over for.

This will be the last time we post and receive emails. If you know of anyone who is interested in joining us someday in Africa or Everest or Mt Marcy in New York be sure to connect them to our website. Also, March 28th in the evening in Rochester is our giant reunion and anyone is welcome to share what will be an amazing evening. Details are online under the events button on the JOI site. In addition this year and in the future we have people volunteering in the orphanage here. If you would like more info on that again it is on the JOI and PPS website. In the next month some of the climbers are developing a guide/porter project to help support the guys here who have helped us so much. Details of that will be on the nonprofit site of www.journeysofsolutions.org.

We are extremely fortunate to have so many people around us who care. As we return, please be gentle with us as we are not the same as we left and the impact of this year of experiences will take us some time to process and integrate. If you have the time and would like to, the question is not so much as did we make the summit as it is "What meaning has this journey brought to us?"

Kwaheri, (good bye for now)