We returned to Londerossi Gate, where our last steps were, to continue the final leg of the journey.
Staci carries all her own gear. I'm not a purest, so I hired a porter to assist in carrying my gear. With that in mind, I wasn't very weight conscious when getting ready. The porters can only carry 15 kg, about 33 lbs, plus 5 kg of their own gear.
I didn't have a scale, so I had no idea how much I was bringing. The bag I had for the porter was quite a bit overweight. All the extra was put in my backpack. My backpack went up to 45 lbs, ~20kg. The weight has the potential of making the trip up Kilimanjaro more challenging. The good news is a lot of the weight is food. I didn't have lightweight backpacking food. I started eating until I about popped to reduce pack weight.
At camps along the way they have scales, to ensure nobody puts extra weight on the porters. This means I may be able to use the scales to check my pack weight along the way.
Staci's pack weighed in at 55 lbs. If she were a porter she wouldn't be allowed to carry her pack!
A liter of water spilled out of a container in my pack on the way to Londerossi Gate, getting everything wet. It wasn't a great way to start the trip.
We road walked to get to Lemosho Gate. At this point we saw quite a gathering of folks, all heading to the same place.
Even with the weight, and the elevation gain, we made good time. Once we got to the camp we were amazed at the hubbub of activity.
Everyone had to sign in when arriving at camp.
The pictures don't do justice to the activity at the camp. I counted 75 tents, there could have been more. Staci and I estimated about 200 people, we were told later it may have only been about 150. It had the feel of a little city.
Like Mount Meru, everyone else is being catered to, and Staci and I are cooking for ourselves, getting our own water, setting up our own tents, etc. And more significantly, she's carrying all her own stuff, and I'm carrying more than half of mine. All the other porters are more than impressed with what Staci is doing. Our guide related to Staci the porters wanted to "salute her" for what she was doing.
Cooler temperatures were in the air, which was expected as this camp is at 9182' elevation.
We have fun practicing our Swahili.
JANUARY 12-Ahead of the Pack
It rained a bit, and the wind blew, through the night. In the morning it was nice. Perfect timing for a small storm.
Because we are the only small group, it's easier for us to get going. We left just after 7:30 a.m.. All the other groups were behind us for the day.
We don't know the significance of these rock cairns, but folks put a lot of effort into them. Our Asst. Guide, Kefazi, and me horsing around.
Today was simply a hike, headed uphill. There was nothing technical. The Lemosho Route, which is the one we chose, is longer than all others up Mount Kilimanjaro. The advantage is there is less chance of altitude sickness. We're only picking up a couple thousand feet of elevation each day. The trail is well maintained. There aren't as many at this camp as last night's camp.
We finished the day's hike before noon. It was nice to cook an afternoon meal. I'm still eating a lot trying to reduce food weight. There is no way I can eat all I carried.
I asked the Park Service employee at the sign in building if he would like some food, he said yes. When I showed up with my assortment, and quantity, he was obviously thrilled. Giving him some extra food was a clear win-win situation. I got a huge hug.
Clouds around the mountain obscured any great views.
Camped for the night at Shira One Camp, 11,492'.
JANUARY 13-Splitting From The Pack
Sunrise and Mount Kilimanjaro greeted us. Our route is to the left of the peak in this picture, roughly following the horizon. A long, slow, approach. We will veer off the most common route to the north of the mountain. We took the West Route, and then the North Route. We eventually will spiral around the mountain, always getting higher, from where we first entered Tanzania.
Ice covered the tents as we got moving. Even so, we again got out of camp at nearly 7:30. The rest of the camp wasn't as quick. It was the last we saw of the masses.
We went further than the original plan. Everyone was feeling good. It will help make some future days easier.
It was a long, gentle gain of a couple thousand feet elevation. At the highest point of the day we were at 14,300'.
We camped for the night at 13,400. Theoretically we're supposed to hike high and camp low. It worked out perfectly for us.
Staci and I both started with headaches. They got better as the day went on. The approach we're taking actually has us dropping a little elevation. This will help with our getting adjusted.
We started the hike three days ago with hoards of hikers. This night we just had the three tents, and the six of us. This is much more to our liking. We aren't taking the common route, so it's much more sane...but a little longer.
We were in our sleeping bags by 5:30 p.m., mostly because it's the only warm place.
JANUARY 14-Short, Easy, Sunny Day
Staci's tent with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. There was no need for an early start. Ice had to melt from the tents so we wouldn't have to dry things out in the middle of the day. Started hiking around 9::00 a.m..
Staci with another peak, Mawenzi, in the background. It's another major peak south and east of Mount Kilimanjaro.
A short day hiking. We got pretty good distance because we didn't gain any elevation. Actually lost elevation, but we got around the mountain to Third Cave Camp on the Rongai Route. We have pictures of the mountain from all sides!
Because we've tied in with the Rongai Route there are other people at the camp for the night.
Getting water was a challenge. It was quite a walk downhill.
My new sleeping pad is like an old thermarest, and is supposed to be self inflating. It doesn't work. The valve is faulty. The pad itself provided adequate insulation for warmth, but no comfort. Staci's air mattress has a slow leak. Air mattresses and sleeping pads are a weak link.
Camped for the night at about 12,980'.
