|
Day
01: Forest camp 2700m.
We hike 3 miles
We hike from Lemosho trail 2100m to 2700m Forest
Camp. It will take about 3 – 4 hours (lunch time
included). We eat breakfast and drink as much water
as we can. After breakfast, we drive for 3 hours
across the Maasai steppe to the village of the
Londorosi gate 2250m where we must complete some
paper work at the warden’s office. Then we drive for
another hour on a muddy and slippery road to the
starting point the Lemosho trail head 2100m where we
meet porters, cooks and guides and start walking
through the mountain rain forest. The hike is
absolutely beautiful and our pace is slow to assist
with acclimatization. The guides will stop
frequently to point out some interesting birds,
plants and animals like blue monkeys, and black and
white Colobus monkeys. Along the way we may see
fresh elephant destruction and dung. Do not worry as
these animals are elusive. When it rains, we walk
carefully, as the trail is muddy and slippery. After
a hike of one hour we stop at the lunch spot to eat.
After lunch we have another two hours hiking in the
most beautiful forest to our forest camp at 2700m.
Day
02: Shira 1 camp 3600m.
We hike 5 miles from 2700m to 3700m hiking time 7-8
hours
After breakfast in the chattering forest, we start a
slow walk to aid acclimatization through the forest
and into the pine and rose wood tree zone. After 2
hours hike we stop at the transition zone between
the forest and heather where the vegetation starts
to thin out. We stop here for resting and eating
snacks such as chocolate bars, power bars, cashews
etc. We continue with the hike and soon the forest
clears and we enter the heather zone. On a clear
day, we see Meru Mountain and beautiful savannah
plains behind us. In the open landscape we can now
see the trail ahead as it winds along the ridges of
Shira. We keep hiking up and down to the lunch
saddle where we rest, eat and drink. After lunch we
hike mostly uphill along the Shira ridge. As we
approach 3450m we contour (traverse) to the Shira
rim where we are treated with magnificent panoramic
views of the Kibo peak the true summit of
Kilimanjaro on the Western breach side. These views
cannot be seen anywhere else on the mountain. We
then descend to the beautiful Shira plateau for
another half an hour easy walk to our beautiful camp
next to the Shira river at 3700m.
Day
03: Barranco camp 3900m.
Hiking times (3-4) hours total
We hike from 3700m to 3900m.
We eat breakfast and start a hike to the Lava tower.
Today’s hike is short to aid acclimatization and has
3 uphill sections. Due to altitude some climbers
will feel less energetic and some may have developed
slight high altitude signs and symptoms such as
headache, nausea lack of appetite, stomach cramps,
indigestion etc. These symptoms will go away as we
have the opportunity to acclimatize well at Karanga
valley 3930m. After hiking initially through a few
ridges, the scenery starts to change as we are
leaving the moorland to the alpine desert zone where
only a few plants survive such as everlasting
flowers, mosses and lichens. As we slowly make our
way uphill, we see Machame route and the stream of
porters and trekkers hiking. Soon our trail meets up
with the Machame route. Before this point we
basically have the mountain to ourselves. Then we
descend to Barranco camp for overnight.
Day
04: Karanga valley camp 3930m.
Hike from 3900m to 3930m.
Hiking times (2-3) hours
The trail is either muddy and slippery or dusty and
rocky. We scramble through the Barranco wall
approximately 300m high. The wall is steep and we
have to use our hands to scramble. At the top of the
wall we see the Kibo massif with the Heim glacier
and southern ice fields above shining. We walk up
and down hill until we descend into the green
Karanga valley and uphill to the Karanga ridge where
we camp at 3930m.
Day
05: Barafu hut camp 4600m.
We hike from 3930m to 4600m.
Hiking times (3) hours
Breakfast is served at 8:00am and we start our walk
before 9:00am. Today’s hike is short but steep
uphill climb. We start our uphill climb across
barren landscape with lots of boulders to the little
Lava Tower rock where we have long rest and eat
snacks such as power bars, granola bars, chocolate
bars, cashews and peanuts etc. The southern ice
fields look so beautiful above to your left. As we
start to climb through the last uphill section, we
follow a steep ridge where we need free hands for
scrambling and then a quarter of an hour hike on the
stone loose scree to our camp the lower Barafu camp
4600m to avoid overcrowding and the noisy midnight
climbers to the summit. After lunch, our guide will
give us a short briefing about the next day’s
strenuous hike, how to dress, what to carry, how to
hike on snow or stone loose scree portion.
Day
06: Summit Uhuru peak 5895m.
We go from 4600m to 5895m.
It will take about (9-10) hours total
We cover 3 miles of serious steep section
This is the day we make dreams come true. We follow
the acclimatization philosophy climb high sleep low.
The hike is on the Barafu ridge and the land surface
is a mixture of bare rocks and frozen or stone loose
scree and above 4800m the trail becomes switch backs
(zigzag) that continues for many hours. This is the
day we learn and practice REST STEPS (mountaineering
steps). These are steps whereby you lock the knee of
the rear leg while the front is bent to give chance
for the body weight to be carried by the skeleton
system and thereby avoiding the over use of our
already tired muscles. On the clear days we have
beautiful sunrise over the Mawenzi peak 5149m on the
eastern side. Every hour we stop for a rest and
drink a lot and eat snacks or any quick energy
providing food such as simple sugars, honey, etc.
Between 6:30am we find ourselves at Stella point, at
a spot where the ground is flat and this is where we
have a short rest.
At Stella point we take a long rest and drink a lot,
eat a lot of quick energy providing food. Pole!
Pole! We continue with the hour long uphill hike
along the crater rim to reach the summit. THIS IS
THE DREAMS COME TRUE. YOU ARE NOW AT THE TOP ROOF OF
AFRICA- THE TRUE SUMMIT OF THE MAJESTIC MT.
KILIMANJARO!.
The way down to Barafu is steep and there lots of
stone loose scree about one foot deep in some
places. It takes 2 – 3 hours descent through these
screes to reach the Barafu hut camp 4600m for a rest
and lunch. After lunch we have another 3 – 4 hours
descend through the alpine & heather zones to Mweka
hut camp 3000m. As we descend, we feel the air
thicken and we reach Mweka camp after a tiring but
rewarding 7-9 hours trekking.
Here we celebrate our achievements amidst the thick
forest reliving one of our lifetime adventures
dinner and ovenight at the camp.
Day 07: Walk out to
Mweka gate 1680m.
It takes about (3-4) hours hiking time total .
Breakfast is served at 7:00am and we depart at
8:00am.
Today it is short but steep downhill walk through
the mountain rain forest to the Mweka park gate
1680m. Hiking times vary depending on the trail
conditions while traveling through the lush
vegetation. The trails is on the side of the
mountain facing the Indian ocean and rain can occur
anytime of the year at this location and can make
the trail muddy and slippery requiring a slower pace
and hiking poles to prevent knee or ankle injuries.
There are many other climbers on this trail and
plenty of stories and experience to share and sign
the register and gather for the presentation of our
climbing certificates by our guides and sadly we say
goodbye to our mountain staff before heading off to
the lodge for hot shower lunch and rest in Arusha.
Early dinner and transfer to airport to fly back
home. |
