Today we are in London's Heathrow Airport in the business class lounge. We have clean running water, no dust, internet access, and free food and drinks. Too bad it is 5:30 in the morning.
Talk about a world away. We have had a long journey from Arusha to Naiorobi. That was a 6 hour dusty bus ride. Then we had a long day in Nairobi airport (about 12 hours), and a very late flight out of Nairobi to London.
This lounge is an amazingly civilized place for us. We had long hot showers and put away our very dusty clothes, and are very happy to be in a place where we have clean water and no dust.
We will be back home later today, but it will be tomorrow to us, I'll have to work that out later.
I plan to add many photos to this blog when I get home, so stay tuned. I have added our summit photo on the summit day post- it seems like a world away right now.
To everyone at home, we can't wait to see you all again. We missed all of you, and loved reading your comments and encouragement on the way up the mountain. It really helped.
Rizzo and Lucy, we always come home, we told you that. We can't wait to throw balls for you again.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Ngorongoro to Arusha
This was a travel day- most of our group were getting on flights out of Kilimanjaro Airport in the afternoon. We all piled into the jeeps in the morning, said goodbye to our camp crew, and travelled back. We had lunch in a nice restaurant in Arusha, and then went back to the hotel where our mountain gear was stored. We have two really big bags that we DO NOT want to open until we are home.
Doreen and I plus Bob and Larry had one more night in the hotel. Relaxed by the pool, had a nice dinner (but not nearly as nice as we got on the mountain).
Tomorrow, Doreen and I have a day by ourselves at the lodge, then the day after we begin the long travel back home. I think we are ready.
Doreen and I plus Bob and Larry had one more night in the hotel. Relaxed by the pool, had a nice dinner (but not nearly as nice as we got on the mountain).
Tomorrow, Doreen and I have a day by ourselves at the lodge, then the day after we begin the long travel back home. I think we are ready.
Ngorongoro Crater
Today we went down in the Ngorongoro Crater. which is an ancient caldera about 20 x 20 km in area at the base with walls about 1200 m high. We saw lots of gazelles, zebras, and wildebeests, of course. Cape buffalo were all around, we saw some hippos lolling in a watering hole, and we saw some black rhinos- but very far away.
At our lunch stop, black shouldered kites swooped down on us to take our food if we weren't very vigilant about protecting it. These are very large animals that we are competing for food with!
On the way out of the crater, we saw very old elephants- they come in to the crater and stay to graze on the soft grass (their teeth are worn out). We also saw baboons and vervet monkeys.
That evening, we stopped at our old buddy Chief Oliduro's boma (group of houses for him and his wives and children) and got a tour. They live in huts made of cow dung mixed with ash with acacia leaf roofs. About 5 of us could go inside one of his bomas at a time, they are very small. He had a small calf in there- they keep them inside for their first year. We took pictures of one of his wives and a bunch of his kids- they giggled like crazy when we showed the images to them.
Finally-back to camp to a hot shower, a really nice meal, and our last campfire together as a group. The chief joined us for a while but he was very busy text messaging one of the wives for much of the time.
At our lunch stop, black shouldered kites swooped down on us to take our food if we weren't very vigilant about protecting it. These are very large animals that we are competing for food with!
On the way out of the crater, we saw very old elephants- they come in to the crater and stay to graze on the soft grass (their teeth are worn out). We also saw baboons and vervet monkeys.
That evening, we stopped at our old buddy Chief Oliduro's boma (group of houses for him and his wives and children) and got a tour. They live in huts made of cow dung mixed with ash with acacia leaf roofs. About 5 of us could go inside one of his bomas at a time, they are very small. He had a small calf in there- they keep them inside for their first year. We took pictures of one of his wives and a bunch of his kids- they giggled like crazy when we showed the images to them.
Finally-back to camp to a hot shower, a really nice meal, and our last campfire together as a group. The chief joined us for a while but he was very busy text messaging one of the wives for much of the time.
PART TWO
Photos:
1. Crowned crane
2. Hyena
3.Lioness intent on her stalk
4. Hippos in a watering hole
5. Zebra and a warthog
Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater
We left our Serengeti tent camp and drove the back roads to Ngorongoro Crater, doing wildlife viewing along the way. We passed a huge lake with thousands of flamingos standing in it. On the shore there were some wooded hillsides. In several trees we several found baby wildebeest carcasses that the leopards had hung in the night for later eating.
We stopped for lunch under a big acacia tree and had a picnic. Because of the amount of babies and milking mothers, there were thousands of flies around. Want flies with that?
Our driver today was Shange with Cobra spotting in the back. Shange was raised as a traditional Maasai, but left at 22 with a good education and now lives in the city. Cobra was raised in town since he was very young, and calls himself a Modern Warrior. We learned a lot about the Maasai culture from them.
Our Ngorongoro tent camp was completely luxurious. Our tent included a washroom with plumbing that drained outside, as well as our indoor shower and toilet. We had wall hangings and drapes too. In the evening, we were invited down to a Maasai warrior camp to learn about how they live. They had slaughtered a goat and were roasting it and making us a special acacia bark and goat innards soup which we were encouraged to try. The Chief, Oliduro, told us all about how Maasai become men, and how they live in the bush herding cattle amongst all the wild animals with only their spears for protection.
That evening several Maasai came up to our camp and did some dancing for us. It was really amazing. The men jump as high as they can and the women flip their ring necklaces around. I'll post a video of it when I am back in civilization again.
We stopped for lunch under a big acacia tree and had a picnic. Because of the amount of babies and milking mothers, there were thousands of flies around. Want flies with that?
Our driver today was Shange with Cobra spotting in the back. Shange was raised as a traditional Maasai, but left at 22 with a good education and now lives in the city. Cobra was raised in town since he was very young, and calls himself a Modern Warrior. We learned a lot about the Maasai culture from them.
Our Ngorongoro tent camp was completely luxurious. Our tent included a washroom with plumbing that drained outside, as well as our indoor shower and toilet. We had wall hangings and drapes too. In the evening, we were invited down to a Maasai warrior camp to learn about how they live. They had slaughtered a goat and were roasting it and making us a special acacia bark and goat innards soup which we were encouraged to try. The Chief, Oliduro, told us all about how Maasai become men, and how they live in the bush herding cattle amongst all the wild animals with only their spears for protection.
That evening several Maasai came up to our camp and did some dancing for us. It was really amazing. The men jump as high as they can and the women flip their ring necklaces around. I'll post a video of it when I am back in civilization again.
PART TWO
Photos:
1. Giraffe in acacia trees
2. Sectreary bird and a zebra
3. Us on ssafari
4. Maasai dance at ight in the tent camp
A Day in Serengeti
Our tent camp is in the Serengeti National Park, on a little Naagi (small hill) that overlooks the plains which stretch to the horizon. Last night we watched endless lines of wildebeests in migration crossing those plains. Truly amazing.
We have a new camp crew at this location. The food is more about barbecue, and is still really fantastic. Our problem is that we are trying to wean ourselves away from the 6,000 calorie per day diet we got so used to up on the mountain. A very difficult task.
We got up early in the morning and headed out for the early morning animal viewing in the Serengeti. We all piled into three jeeps with roofs that open so we can stand up and watch things from all around. We still have Ben and Cobra as guides, plus we have our three drivers/wildlife experts: Kiago, Shange and Peter. These guys can spot the most amazing things on a bumpy 4wd track that we never would have seen, and we have radio contact between the jeeps so no one misses anything.
Everywhere we go there is a constant mass of wildebeests, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, zebras, and several other prey species. There are hundreds of thousands of animals here, all migrating towards the rains that are coming to this part of the Serengeti. It is baby season here too, so there are one-to two-month old very cute baby wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras everywhere. Unfortunately, they are the easy kills, so we see a lot of carcasses scattered around of said cute babies.
Now for the predators:
On our first jount out of camp, Larry wanted to get out for a phot op. We did that, and freaked Ben out, because we are not supposed to get out of the vehicles. We soon learned why, because about 30 seconds after the photo op, we saw a lion sitting there waiting for breakfast. Later one of the jeeps reported a leopard chasing them, and we all headed toward where they were. The leopard and its cub were in a den, and we were parked nearby to see if they would come out. They did, and then went to hide in the bush nearby and were nearly impossible to see after that.
We saw several Cheetah. One mother and three cubs were having a nice family outing around a freshly killed zebra. We sat and watched as the cubs got up periodically and took a hunk out of the zebra rump and then curled up by mom.
Later, there were a couple of lions sleeping next to a watering hole, clearly well fed. And a huge herd of wildebeest on the hill overlooking the pond- they wanted to go down to the watering hole but that was not an option at that time. Nearby a huge squawking mass of vultures and marabou storks (possibly one of the ugliest birds ever created) were finishing off the zebra carcass that likely was the lion's meal that morning. Nearby was a small herd of elephants with a couple of babies.
We took a mid day siesta, and then went out for an afternoon safari drive in another section. We saw a whole pride of lions sleeping on a hillside, lots of reedbucks along one of the streams, some crowned cranes and other really cool birds, and a few lions working there way to the reedbuck stream. We caught a couple of lions getting jiggy (as our guides phrased it).
PART TWO
Photos:
1. A herd of wildebeest and baby wildebeest
We have a new camp crew at this location. The food is more about barbecue, and is still really fantastic. Our problem is that we are trying to wean ourselves away from the 6,000 calorie per day diet we got so used to up on the mountain. A very difficult task.
We got up early in the morning and headed out for the early morning animal viewing in the Serengeti. We all piled into three jeeps with roofs that open so we can stand up and watch things from all around. We still have Ben and Cobra as guides, plus we have our three drivers/wildlife experts: Kiago, Shange and Peter. These guys can spot the most amazing things on a bumpy 4wd track that we never would have seen, and we have radio contact between the jeeps so no one misses anything.
Everywhere we go there is a constant mass of wildebeests, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, zebras, and several other prey species. There are hundreds of thousands of animals here, all migrating towards the rains that are coming to this part of the Serengeti. It is baby season here too, so there are one-to two-month old very cute baby wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras everywhere. Unfortunately, they are the easy kills, so we see a lot of carcasses scattered around of said cute babies.
Now for the predators:
On our first jount out of camp, Larry wanted to get out for a phot op. We did that, and freaked Ben out, because we are not supposed to get out of the vehicles. We soon learned why, because about 30 seconds after the photo op, we saw a lion sitting there waiting for breakfast. Later one of the jeeps reported a leopard chasing them, and we all headed toward where they were. The leopard and its cub were in a den, and we were parked nearby to see if they would come out. They did, and then went to hide in the bush nearby and were nearly impossible to see after that.
We saw several Cheetah. One mother and three cubs were having a nice family outing around a freshly killed zebra. We sat and watched as the cubs got up periodically and took a hunk out of the zebra rump and then curled up by mom.
Later, there were a couple of lions sleeping next to a watering hole, clearly well fed. And a huge herd of wildebeest on the hill overlooking the pond- they wanted to go down to the watering hole but that was not an option at that time. Nearby a huge squawking mass of vultures and marabou storks (possibly one of the ugliest birds ever created) were finishing off the zebra carcass that likely was the lion's meal that morning. Nearby was a small herd of elephants with a couple of babies.
We took a mid day siesta, and then went out for an afternoon safari drive in another section. We saw a whole pride of lions sleeping on a hillside, lots of reedbucks along one of the streams, some crowned cranes and other really cool birds, and a few lions working there way to the reedbuck stream. We caught a couple of lions getting jiggy (as our guides phrased it).
PART TWO
Photos:
1. A herd of wildebeest and baby wildebeest
2. Baby wildebeest
3. Herd of zebra and babies
4. Kori bustard
5. Pair of elephants
6. Cheetah cub
Monday, February 23, 2009
Travelling to Serengeti
We hobbled out to our jeeps and headed north to Serengeti via Ngorongoro. It was an all day drive with many cool stops. Unfortunately, each time we got out of the jeeps, it was really painful- many of us are quite crippled (and not just the 50 year olds).
We stopped at Oldovai Gorge and saw where the Leakey's did their major digs and learned a lot about that whole business. Later we stopped at a Maasai market which was wild. Didn't buy any cows though.
We stopped at the rim of Ngorongoro and looked in, we'll get to that in a few days. Then we got to Serengeti and our tent camp, at about dusk.
Just as we were pulling in to our new home, we saw 4 lions walking away from it. We have new rules in this camp- once we go to our tents for the night, we don't come out. For one thing, lions are attracted to the sound of zippers opening. We can't go off for a walk or anything outside of a vehicle while we are here either. We had a fun evening beside a fire watching the sun set over the plains of Serengeti which go on forever to the horizon, a really amazing place.
So far the new animals we saw today include:
Thompson's and Grant's gazelles by the millions
Wildebeests by the million
Cape buffalo
Baboons
Secretary birds (gigantic)
Kori Bustards (also gigantic)
Lots of rollers, weavers, plovers and stilts
Tawny eagle, kestrals, a few kinds of vultures, augur buzzards.
And we don't actually start safari until tomorrow.
PART TWO
Photos:
1. Lion in camp.
2. More lions in camp.
2. Hanging by the campfire with the endless plains at our feet.
Our group
There are 13 of us who set out to do this adventure. We all met just over a week ago, but got to know each other very quickly because we ate all our meals together, and told our stories on the trail all day while we hiked, and endured a lot of tough days together. There was a lot of camaraderie, support through the hard times, and good (and really bad- I don't want to talk about the Man Walks into a Bar jokes) humor in our group. I know we all wanted each and every one of us to make it to the summit or this trek would not have been a complete success.
Here's a list and quick description of the people in our group:
Bob and Larry- we met them 1st on the bus from Nairobi. They are both market analysts and have worked and travelled in many places around the world. Bob is from S Florida, and Larry is from Portland, OR.
Richard I - We also met Richard on the bus, he is an American currently living in Baghdad, working for the Dept of State on humanitarian aid for misplaced Iraqis. He has also worked in and visited many places around the world.
Barry, his daughter Jayne, and friend Richard II - They are from the Gold Coast, Sidney, and Adelaide Australia. Barry has travelled much of the world for his retail rug business, Jane is in advertising, and Richard II is an accountant who has also travelled many interesting places.
Linda and Pat - They are from Vancouver BC, they are early retirees, and are doing some world travels, and have 3 kids at home.
Aleisha and Chris - They are from Atlanta. Aleisha is a veterinarian and Chris is an IT guy for Home Depot. They have 3 dogs and a couple of cats at home.
Pam - She is a schoolteacher from Maine who has never slept in a tent or hiked before, and decided to try it all 1st on Kilimanjaro. She was supposed to meet her friend Amanda here but Amanda never showed up. The guides found out that she never got on her flight from home. We don't now what happened, but we have 2 running jokes here. One is about how much we miss Amanda and the other is about how we can eat her share of the food.
Here's a list and quick description of the people in our group:
Bob and Larry- we met them 1st on the bus from Nairobi. They are both market analysts and have worked and travelled in many places around the world. Bob is from S Florida, and Larry is from Portland, OR.
Richard I - We also met Richard on the bus, he is an American currently living in Baghdad, working for the Dept of State on humanitarian aid for misplaced Iraqis. He has also worked in and visited many places around the world.
Barry, his daughter Jayne, and friend Richard II - They are from the Gold Coast, Sidney, and Adelaide Australia. Barry has travelled much of the world for his retail rug business, Jane is in advertising, and Richard II is an accountant who has also travelled many interesting places.
Linda and Pat - They are from Vancouver BC, they are early retirees, and are doing some world travels, and have 3 kids at home.
Aleisha and Chris - They are from Atlanta. Aleisha is a veterinarian and Chris is an IT guy for Home Depot. They have 3 dogs and a couple of cats at home.
Pam - She is a schoolteacher from Maine who has never slept in a tent or hiked before, and decided to try it all 1st on Kilimanjaro. She was supposed to meet her friend Amanda here but Amanda never showed up. The guides found out that she never got on her flight from home. We don't now what happened, but we have 2 running jokes here. One is about how much we miss Amanda and the other is about how we can eat her share of the food.
Overall, there are 8 people in their 50s, 1 in their 40s, 3 in their 30s, and 1 in their 20s.
The Way Down
So what happens after you climb the highest mountain in Africa? You get to descend 15000 feet in 2 days, and it wasn't pretty. After we summitted and descended to Barranco Camp (15300 ft) and had lunch, we had to drop down to the Mweka Camp at 10000 ft. It was brutal. It turns out that after you spend so many days climbing a big mountain, your climbing muscles are in great shape, but your descending muscles have been getting a free ride. By the time we got to Mweka, I could barely walk on flat ground let alone downhill. Doreen had a very hard time too.
The next day we had to get up and hike the rest of the way out- another descent of 5000 ft. Just as brutal as the day before. When we got down, we had to sign out, have one last picnic lunch, and say goodbye to our climbing crew. I'll really miss a bunch of them.
Then we climbed into jeeps and rode a few hours out and into Arusha, and got to our lodge for the night, which was a very beautiful place. But more importantly- hot showers and cold beers! And real beds that are bigger than our tents. Tomorrow we transition to safari.
PART TWO
Photos:
1. One more picnic lunch at the ranger station.
2. Me and my buddy Gotfried.
We are back in Arusha
We had some technical difficulties for a while and could not send or receive messages or posts. We were Out in the Bush after all, staying in tent camps with lions roaming outside at night.
We are now back in Arusha, after 5 days of safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. We just got into our hotel. I will fill in the blanks soon.
We are now back in Arusha, after 5 days of safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. We just got into our hotel. I will fill in the blanks soon.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Return from the Summit (NEW POST)
Here are some more photos from summit day:
1. Our group at the summit.
2. Hiking down from the summit.
2. Two very very happy hikers with the summit of Kilimanjaro behind them.
Monday, February 16, 2009
We Made It
We reached the summit of Kilimanjaro this morning at 7 am, elevation 19340 ft.
We started at 5:45am in the dark with headlamps, in fresh snow. We got to the top at sunrise, but didn't really see the sun, we were all caked in ice but managed to pull off lots of photos.
We are now at Barranca camp, elevation 15300 ft, sitting in the sun. We'll have lunch and a rest and a chance to take off about 9 layers. We still need to drop 5000 more feet today, which will be a long long day.
But we are incredibly awesome.
Day Six-Brutal
Today was by far our toughest, hardest, most brutal day of the climb.
We woke at 4:30 and put on all, I mean ALL our clothes. A quick breakfast and on the trail at 6 with headlamps. The trail was hard and up ALL THE WAY. Unrelenting. Oh, and there was a fine layer of snow on the ground and fine snow falling all day long. We had expected to shed many layers as we went, but no- everything stayed on all the way. We had a break for hot beverages after about 4 hours which was nice to get but the break was very chilling. Then onward we went- much of the climb was scrambling over rock (with ice) and loose scree and breathing was extremely difficult. Right after our break, as we were huffing our way up again, the crew sang us fun songs at the TOPS of their lungs- lots of calling songs in kiswahili and a very strange version of la bamba. They love bob marley too.
At about 11 am we reached the rim of the crater which meant no more climbing, but we faced a very strong wind. The is a huge wall of ice- one of the remaining glaciers. Got to crater camp, elevation 18300 ft at 11:30. There were hugs and congratulations all around between our group and the crew. Everyone was very emotional, including the crew whose mark of success is getting our sorry selves up here.
We got in our tents to warm up in our bags and collapse. We have never had a harder day at anything for so long in such brutal conditions.
Another note on the snow- our guides told us that they used to always encounter snow at Shira Camp and up (12000 ft). We saw the first permanent snowfield just below the rim of the crater (18000 ft), and then the glacier up here in the crater.
Everyone has killer headaches up here. But, making it here is a very big deal because the summit is only 800 ft further up, and seems doable at this point. Just one more night of freezing to go.
One last note-after dinner most of us are feeling much better. Up at 4:30 again tomorrow for summit day!!!
PART TWO
Photos
1. Climbing up to the crater
2. Dede celebrating reaching the crater.
3. Giant glaciers at Crater Camp.
4. Our cozy camp for the night.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Day 5 Arrow Glacier
We had a short hike today to Arrow Glacier camp. We climbed from 14300 ft to 16000 ft in about 2 hours. Lunch was waiting. We now have a break in our tent and it is raining/snowing (we are in that pesky cloud that keeps showing up in the afternoon). It will probably stop soon.
We have an afternoon acclimatization climb this afternoon- climb high sleep low.
Part Two
This camp is named Arrow Glacier Camp, but there is no longer an Arrow Glacier. In the afternoon, we got a good look at slope we need to climb the next day, and we had no earthly idea how we were going to get up that thing (1st photo).
In the morning, before the sun was completely up, we were treated to a cool pink sunrise over the lands below, with a big Kilimanjaro shadow in the middle of it (2nd photo).
We have an afternoon acclimatization climb this afternoon- climb high sleep low.
Part Two
This camp is named Arrow Glacier Camp, but there is no longer an Arrow Glacier. In the afternoon, we got a good look at slope we need to climb the next day, and we had no earthly idea how we were going to get up that thing (1st photo).
In the morning, before the sun was completely up, we were treated to a cool pink sunrise over the lands below, with a big Kilimanjaro shadow in the middle of it (2nd photo).
Our daily routine part 2
When we hike it is single file with Cobra in the lead and Ben at the back. We stop frequently to drink, and when we go through a tough part we cheer everyone through.
The crew is incredibly encouraging and always cheer us on. I do not get the feeling that they are doing it because we are clients- I think they truly want us to succeed and really enjoy their work. At night after we have dinner and go to our tents, the crew go in the mess tent and play games and laugh and have a lot of fun.
When we start our hikes for the day we usually get a little way on when the porters (carrying 2 to 3 times as much stuff) fly past us. We all call out Jambo (hello) or asante (thanks). When our porter Kshue goes by he high fives us. Not to be a stereotypical white girl, but the first time we did this it took 3 tries before I contacted his hand. We have a very complicated Peace and Love high five going now. When Sigi or Gotfried catch up to us, we sing Hakuna Matata together.
The meals:
Every morning we typically get hot beverages and a porridge (corn or oats) plus toast, pancakes or french toast or crepes, and always sliced fresh fruit (pineapples, mangoes, oranges). Lunch is usually started with a nice hot soup. It is always a thin soup that is clearly meant for hydration, but always delicious. We've had zucchini soup, ginger tomato soup, onion soups plus more. The we have bread and cheese and vegies to make sandwiches, sometimes a salami of unknown origins, sliced fresh fruit again. Today we are clearly piling on the calories for a cold night and a tough climb tomorrow- we had meat empanadas. We usually have tea and snacks at 5pm. Popcorn is served.
Dinners have been amazing to the point that we are cheering the chef and cooks when they pass us on the trail. It always starts with a nice hot thin soup, and hot beverages. Our entrees have included tilapia and fries, pasta and marinara with rolled eggplant and garlic bread, rice with chicken and peanut sauce, beef pilau. Always dessert like banana fritters with custard cream, brownies, cookies, carrot cake.
The crew is incredibly encouraging and always cheer us on. I do not get the feeling that they are doing it because we are clients- I think they truly want us to succeed and really enjoy their work. At night after we have dinner and go to our tents, the crew go in the mess tent and play games and laugh and have a lot of fun.
When we start our hikes for the day we usually get a little way on when the porters (carrying 2 to 3 times as much stuff) fly past us. We all call out Jambo (hello) or asante (thanks). When our porter Kshue goes by he high fives us. Not to be a stereotypical white girl, but the first time we did this it took 3 tries before I contacted his hand. We have a very complicated Peace and Love high five going now. When Sigi or Gotfried catch up to us, we sing Hakuna Matata together.
The meals:
Every morning we typically get hot beverages and a porridge (corn or oats) plus toast, pancakes or french toast or crepes, and always sliced fresh fruit (pineapples, mangoes, oranges). Lunch is usually started with a nice hot soup. It is always a thin soup that is clearly meant for hydration, but always delicious. We've had zucchini soup, ginger tomato soup, onion soups plus more. The we have bread and cheese and vegies to make sandwiches, sometimes a salami of unknown origins, sliced fresh fruit again. Today we are clearly piling on the calories for a cold night and a tough climb tomorrow- we had meat empanadas. We usually have tea and snacks at 5pm. Popcorn is served.
Dinners have been amazing to the point that we are cheering the chef and cooks when they pass us on the trail. It always starts with a nice hot thin soup, and hot beverages. Our entrees have included tilapia and fries, pasta and marinara with rolled eggplant and garlic bread, rice with chicken and peanut sauce, beef pilau. Always dessert like banana fritters with custard cream, brownies, cookies, carrot cake.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Our daily routine
Each day it has been really great weather in the day-sunny and clear, warm considering our elevations. Every day about 11 or 12 AM the clouds start rolling up the right (south) flank of the mountain. Since we are climbing on the west side it has been alright until last night's camp at lava tower where we met up with that cloud upon arrival. It always clears up at night which makes it extremely cold. But as soon as the sun comes up we warm right up.
We are spending more and more time in our tents. Last night was 12 hours, and that was after a 2 hour afternoon rest.
Now that we are up high we all walk around camp like nuns in cloisters- everywhere we go is step pause step, even on flat ground. We are both feeling really good now. Today will be a short hike to camp, a rest and another acclimatization hike up high and back.
Our group is having a lot of fun together. We are all very supportive and dedicated to getting each and every one of us to the top and down again. Everyone is very motivated, no whiners, and they are all a lot of fun to be with.
Sorry about the last posting- I see it went out 4 times. I kept resending because I couldn't tell if it went. I had to stand on a special rock with the bb under my arm pit to keep it warm for it to work, and it still does some strange things. We are now sleeping with all our cameras and batteries.
PART TWO
We were surprised by an outdoor breakfast in the morning. As soon as the sun was up, it was warm enough to sit outside and enjoy it. Here's some photos:
1. Camp at Lava Tower
2. Porters hauling the gear up.
3. Sunday brunch.
Our Crew
The crew that leads and supports this climb is really wonderful. They are all Tanzanian, and we have been great. They have really encouraged us to meet and learn the names of the people who are here for us.
Our lead guide Ben and Assistant guide Cobra both have university degrees in wildlife management and have both gone through NOLS (national outdoor leadership school) training.
Ben has done some NOLS training both here and in the US. He is of the Chagga tribe and has been telling us their customs and such. On our hikes Ben is always the last so no one is left behind.
Cobra is a Maasai. He had his NOLS training in Kenya, and knows a lot about wildlife. On our hikes he leads and sets the pace(very very slow).
Our porter Kshui does not speak english. He carries our 2 porter bags plus some other stuff in a big bag on his head, sets up our tent and carries our packs to our tent when we get to a new camp.
Amani and Boca run to get water at each camp site and pump it through a filter for all 74 people on this trek.
Barry, Dixon, and Boca wake us up at our tents each morning with hot beverages, and 20 minutes later with hot bowls of water to wash up with.
We met our cooks and lead chef tonight but I don't remember all their names. The food here has been so amazingly good that we may never be able to go backpacking on freeze-dried food again. There are a lot of meat dishes and peanut dishes so CA will probably not want to sign up for this trip.
Our camp organizer and his assistant are Sigfried and Gotfried (brothers) and they are a lot of fun, and are teaching us songs.
PART TWO
I added some photos of our crew:
1. Ben our lead guide with the two of us.
2. Cobra, the modern warrior.
3. Ben, with Gotfried and Sigi.
4. Boca, Amani, and Dixon bringing the hot beverages.
5. Our porter Kshui by our tents.
6. Buoni, another guide and helper.
Day 4
Woke up feeling 10000 times better-amazing. Doreen is just fine.
We had a short hike today to Lava Tower Camp elevation 14500 ft. We will do a short climb this afternoon and come back down to camp- this will help us acclimate (climb high, sleep low).
We had a short hike today to Lava Tower Camp elevation 14500 ft. We will do a short climb this afternoon and come back down to camp- this will help us acclimate (climb high, sleep low).
PART TWO
Once we got to Lava Camp, the clouds rolled in. We are now in the alpine zone.
We rested for a bit, then did an acclimatization hike to the top of Lava Tower and back. This involved a bit of rock scrambling to get to the top, which was in the clouds.
Ninatapika
It turns out I am the canary.
As soon as we were set up at Moir Camp, we both had headaches and took some tylenol. Mine got worse and worse until I was completely incapacitated. Then when we were called to dinner-everything came up.
The good news is I really started to feel better after but could not eat much dinner.
As soon as we were set up at Moir Camp, we both had headaches and took some tylenol. Mine got worse and worse until I was completely incapacitated. Then when we were called to dinner-everything came up.
The good news is I really started to feel better after but could not eat much dinner.
Day three
We got up early and headed out, first crossing the Shira Plateau (flat) and then climbing for a bit. We left the Montane Forest zone and entered the Heath zone.After 4 hours we got to a beautiful sunny spot where a great picnic lunch was waiting. After lunch we climbed for another 90 minutes and got to Moir Camp elevation 13500 ft.
PART TWO
On the way to Moir Camp, we passed Fischer Camp, named after Scott Fischer (there's a plaque in his memory).
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Day Two
We are half way through Day 2 and are at 10000 ft. We had a beautiful picnic lunch waiting for us. We have about 4 or 5 more hours of hiking to go to get up to about 11500 ft. I am not sure we will have a signal there so I am posting for the day.
Thanks for all the comments- it is fun to hear from all. I'll try to answer a few questions:
No we have not needed to say ninatapika yet.
We are a group of 74 people in all.
No, I don't think a baby elephant will fit in our luggage.
Thanks for all the comments- it is fun to hear from all. I'll try to answer a few questions:
No we have not needed to say ninatapika yet.
We are a group of 74 people in all.
No, I don't think a baby elephant will fit in our luggage.
Kiswahili is variable from country to country so we are learning as we go. For example: Mambo- how's it going? Pao- cool; Jambo- hello, and Poa chchi coman dici - cool like a banana.
PART TWO
We continued hiking after lunch, leaving the Montane Forest and entering the Heath Zone. We reached a ridge which gave us our first real look at the peak of Kilimanjaro (pictured above). We could also see down to the Shira Plateau, which is a giant caldera, and where our camp for the night was set up. Another half hour of hiking (downhill), and we were home for the night.
Once the sun went down it got very cold, but it was very clear and very dark, so the stars were absolutely amazing. Being below the equator, they were also quite different. Orion was prominant, and the milky way was very visible. But I was not familiar with the other constellations, hope to get to know them.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Day One
Today we packed up and left our luxurious base camp and headed out to our trailhead in Mt Kilimanjaro NP. We left at 7:30 am and drove 3 hours on"traditional" roads (4 WD jeep track) and signed in at the gate. We started hiking at 7000 ft, had a beautiful picnic lunch (with the most amazing mangoes) and continued hiking to our first camp (Mti Mkubwa) at 9000 ft. Our tents were ready and we met our porters, had some hot beverages, and relaxesd the rest of the day.
We are doing just fine so far. The pace they set for us is amazingly slow- we will appreciate that up higher. Doreen was up in the front of the line most of the way up.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Base Camp
Yesterday's road trip did not end after our long rough road to Arusha. When we arrived, our transport to base camp was there waiting with a jeep for our next leg- 1.5 hours via jeep track to base camp.
By the time we got to Arusha, we had our 3 new buddies who were also on our expedition (Bob, Larry and Richard), and we banded together and said we have to have a bite to eat. At 5;00 we hadn't eaten a thing all day.
After a quick bite and a jeep trip up to about 6500 ft, we got to camp, we served a nice hot meal, and headed to our tents-very nice. A couple of real beds, a room with a toilet. A room with a shower, and solar powered lights. Good for our first 2 nights.
The next morning we met the whole crew- 13 of us. We met our guide(Ben) and asst guide (Cobra) and had our briefing- there will be 63 porters plus 4 cooks, plus countless other support. Today we laid all our stuff out for inventory and weighing of our porter's bags (22 lbs limit) and a short warm up hike.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Nairobi to Arusha
Today we travelled from Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania.
We rode by bus. I have to say they are trying very hard to pave the roads here, but they have a long way to go. The trip was about 300 km and was supposed to take a couple of hours. It took about 7.5 hours of bone crunching dirt and paved roads. I think I lost a couple of back molars on one or two so called detours. And when we returned to pavement, it wasn't really a big improvement.
But on the way we crossed the Great Rift Valley, stopped frequently for cows and goats in the road, and watched lots of brightly robed Maasai herding them.
We rode by bus. I have to say they are trying very hard to pave the roads here, but they have a long way to go. The trip was about 300 km and was supposed to take a couple of hours. It took about 7.5 hours of bone crunching dirt and paved roads. I think I lost a couple of back molars on one or two so called detours. And when we returned to pavement, it wasn't really a big improvement.
But on the way we crossed the Great Rift Valley, stopped frequently for cows and goats in the road, and watched lots of brightly robed Maasai herding them.
Nairobi National Park
We went on a mini safari yesterday to the Nairobi National Park. It is a huge park located just adjacent to the city. There we were looking at giraffes with skyscrapers in the background.
Here's a list of some of the animals we saw:
Zebras
Hartebeests
Impalas
Wildebeests
Ostriches
Giraffes
Baboons
Waterbucks
Bushbucks
Elands
Warthogs
Vervet monkeys
And a Lion
Here's a list of some of the animals we saw:
Zebras
Hartebeests
Impalas
Wildebeests
Ostriches
Giraffes
Baboons
Waterbucks
Bushbucks
Elands
Warthogs
Vervet monkeys
And a Lion
Here's some of the birds:
Guinea fowl
Lilac breated roller
Egrets (many types)
Marabou stork
Ibis
Grey crowned crane
Staying in Nairobi
Our hotel here in Nairobi is very very nice with lush grounds, a couple of pools and cool restaurants. It is also its own isolated compound. There are security guards at each entrance, and regular patrols. And when you go anywhere from there it is in a taxi.
The other day we wanted to go up the street a couple hundred meters to get a few things like bottled water and such. Well they went a little nuts and wanted us to take a cab, but we we managed to get out and all was fine. We are starting to feel a bit isolated though.
The other day we wanted to go up the street a couple hundred meters to get a few things like bottled water and such. Well they went a little nuts and wanted us to take a cab, but we we managed to get out and all was fine. We are starting to feel a bit isolated though.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
More Baby Elephants
Just a bit more. These photos show the littlest group of elephants being escorted down for their noon milking.
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