Last day on the mountain

 7/14 Beautiful but cool day this morning at Horombo Hut, waiting for my evac ride - G&G had already left to hike to the gate. (Gordon had tried to convince OCG to let him ride with me - thinking that I was going straight to the hospital, I wasn't - so he could get his PCR test.)

Got to talk to the young Italian guy who was headed up on my way down the mountain. He had passed us on the way down, I was going slow if you recall. He did not make it all the way up due to altitude sickness. He told me that he had thrown up the night before. He works for a solar energy company.

The Range Rover showed up and OCG and I rode the long way off Kili and back to the gate that G&G had already hiked off toward at 8 AM. We started off at about 11:30 AM and got there about 1 PM, just a little before G&G showed up. The road was rough most of the way with some odd concrete parts built in some places that lined up with where the tires would run. Probably so run off wouldn't wash the road away in those parts? 

Got to the Morangu gate before Gordon & NGomu; the porters were already there. Those guys walk fast with 20 kg (44 lbs) on their heads and who-know-what on their backs. Got to look around a bit, nice little area. Joseph found us a chameleon to take pictures of (it was a male.) Then we headed off to a local restaurant for lunch. Very nice lunch with all types of food AND a beer!

Gordon was still fretting his PCR test so we first drove to the hospital so he could get it taken. 48 hour turn-around is apparently considered expedited and it costs $100 U.S. to boot (they only accept $50 or $100 bills which messed me up a bit later on). They do have to send the sample to Dar-Es-Salam for processing. 

We headed back to the original hotel to get our bags. Once that was accomplished I was driven to my next hotel, The Secret Garden, my HAFH for the remainder of my time in TZ. So, shower time!

Then Gordon & I were picked up to go to an Indian-Italian restaurant for a 'goodbye' dinner. Good food and beer again! We met a 'sister' group who had 'peaked' the same day we did. Gordon had met them already somewhere near the top, I missed that. One was a management professor from Algeria, there was an accounting professor from Spain, and four Irishmen, father and three sons, from between Dublin & Belfast). The father, Brandon, was a Joiner (type of carpentry), the three sons were an architect (Gary), a technology teacher (Michael), and the last (Paul) worked for ASML in the Netherlands. They all had already had one beer but I quickly caught up then passed them. (Tim would have been ashamed for his ancestral homeland compatriots poor showing.) This trip for them was to celebrate the father's 60th birthday - or to speed up their inheritance. 

Good dinner, headed back to the hotel. Forgot my new sleeping bag in the back of the van.

Kili from Horombo

Back toward Moshi

Joseph at the marker

Waiting to go down the hill

The ubiquitous raven, Nevermore

Amazing balance

Finally, a 'real' toilet

Information center at the gate

There is a chameleon here

There he is

Our crew of faithful porters

All of us

Strike for the peak

7/13 Who needs sleep?

Sunrise, almost to the summit

My personal porter, 
thanks, I needed that

This is how far left to go - just a little
ways, yeah, right

Finally, and yes it counts!

About midnight (after getting up and ready at about 11 PM of the 12th) we started out. Since it had, by this time, that I am the weakest link when it comes to hiking speed, NGomu and Gordon went on ahead and I was rewarded with my own personal 'summit porter' to carry my pack. His name is Haji, very cheerful and friendly young man. 

It is DARK at night here. The stars were utterly beautiful; the sky was clear. It was a little cold and windy but I had my winter coat unzipped not too long into the hike. This trail almost kicked my butt completely. OCG (Oswald's nickname) was very patient with me and full of encouragement. "Twende, poli-poli." (Haba, haba) He kept checking how I was feeling (watching for altitude sickness - which I never had, merely out of breath) and kept the pace slow enough for me. We had made it most of the way up to Gillman's Point when the sun rose over the clouds which were below us. (At that time, I found out later, Gordon & NGomu were at the taller part of the rim, Uruhu.) We met them heading back down before I had made it to the top. Yes, I admit, I am slow and most probably not quite in the best of shape for this endeavor. I knew it would be a 'reach' from the get-go. On the way up I slipped and hit my soccer-injury knee on a large rock outcrop. 

The trail up was mostly 45-100% grade and consisted of loose gravel, mud, frozen mud, and snow with rocks towards the top. To me, the way down was worse. I skidded on some loose sand/gravel and really wrenched my right (the bad one) knee which I had banged up earlier. Just a strain or sprain but now my speed dropped even more. 

Got back to camp about 1:45 PM (remember that I've had no where near enough sleep for the past two days) and we had a rest. I crashed until they woke me up at about 3 PM. Camp was broken and we headed to Horombo. (The porters are amazing the way they balance up to 20 kilos on their head and who knows how much on their backs and walk away at full speed.)

Gordon, NGomu and I had headed out and once the porters were all on their way Oswald caught up to us. That allowed G & G to head out at their own pace and Oswald was stuck with me. (It was good for Gordon as he was cold walking at my pace - he did not pack enough warm layers, and I had too many.) I found out later that G & G got into camp about 7:30 PM, which would be very dark already. They were past by the porters who had dropped their load and headed back to help Oswald and me. The met us at about 8 PM or so. By then I had slipped a couple more times, same knee, and I knew I would not be able to make the distance of the final day. OCG had asked earlier about that since he knew there was a 'rescue' vehicle which could take people from Horombo to the gate that could be called in by the rangers. We got into Horombo at about 10 PM. Whew!

Back to Kibo Hut on the way to Horombo

Mawanzi

Me heading to Horombo, about 6 miles away

Goodbye Kili!

Off to Base Camp

 7/12 Little to zero sleep or rest. Bummer.

Today we are headed to Kibo Hut which is Base Camp for the final ascent. Weather was really socked in again. Snow on the ground in camp. Started out with NGomu and Gordon, it was so foggy that NGomu thought we had missed the turn up to Kibo that we passed the previous day. Garmin gods to the rescue! I pulled out my GPS and could see we hadn't reached the turn yet.

It is a long slog through the Alpine Desert zone. There is not much of anything growing there at all. We hiked through sleet, snow, & wet most of the day. No real accumulation, just annoying and wet. Did see the skeleton of what once was a dika-dika.

It is chilly at Kibo - 30°F, 77% RH. Took a little rest and had an early dinner.

It takes a lot of breath at this elevation just to walk to the toilet from our campsite. Then more to 'yoga' into position. Did I mention that it's cold and I'm doing all this with just the headlight for guidance and to see what I'm doing, etc.?

Then it is early to bed since we were to get up at 11 PM to get ready to head to the summit. Second night with no sleep or rest to speak of. Sheesh! Cold but clear, unfortunately no camp pictures.

 

 7/11 Fourth day.

Kinda kicked my butt a little. Started out beautiful and sunny, got a good picture of the summit and sunrise. Almost have a routine with squatty-potty but I still get some shortness of breath at this elevation as if I walked up a steep incline. 

Nice and sunny as we got to the Mawenzi Tarn campsite. Very warm, had to open the vents on the top of the tent. Got a little nap then Oswald and NGomu took us up another 'test' trail. It was socked in with clouds and wind. Then it started up with sleet and freezing rain so we didn't bother going to the top of the ridge where there was supposed to be a view, no point.

Came back down, had a snack and a little rest before dinner. We are at 14,180 FT, went up to about 14,535 FT. Only traveled about 3 kilometers. Snow overnight. Next day we head for the base camp at Kibo Hut.

Getting ready to go

NGomu w/ Red-hot Poker

Red-hot Poker flower

There she is

Mawenzi peak

Taking a breather

Campsite w/ poison pond in the 
background

Who piled these stones?

Mawenzi Tarn Hut sign

Ranger Gord's hut

Home for the night w/ potty in the background

Kikelelwa or bust!

 7/10 Second full day - Second Cave to Kikelelwa Cave.

Did NOT sleep better, only got three hours. Stepped outside the tent at about 1-2 AM (to pee, of course) looked up at the clear sky. Stars and Milky Way from horizon to horizon - AMAZING, AWE-INSPIRING, BREATH-TAKING, WOW! (Class 1 on the Bortle scale.) Unfortunately I was a little too cold to pop back out with the camera, it was so unbelievable. 

However, I did have to go out to avail myself of the 2-step potty - not a fun prospect IMHO. (https://youtu.be/M2UI_2ugx5I if you are really interested in how to actually use one.) Imagine, if you will, balancing on one foot, pulling my pant leg and shorts off the other leg then aiming my foot back into the waiting shoe. Then it's a shuffle backwards (still holding the pant leg, etc. off the floor) to get into the 'bombing' position and the bombardier sights aren't quite accurate from this elevation. BTW, since I haven't milked cows in many decades, my ankles can no longer bend such that my feet are flat on the floor and directly under my CG! To top all that off, the 'product' was (much) less than solid. The new diet, including millet porridge in the morning, may not be helping. This was my actual first time using one of these. In my prior trip to the Magic Kingdom I was able to avoid these completely, finally caught up with me.

Today we split paths with Angel & Benjamin, apparently they are taking the 5 day route. (This morning she said she didn't sleep much but Ben slept like a rock.) I gave him my business card, I hope they get in touch.

So, off to the next camp, tough hike (for me) up ridge, down to the gully, repeat. "We're almost there." was a lie! HaHa. Finally we sight camp, ~1/2 mile away and Ngomu says, "Five more minutes." Another lie! But, twende, pole-pole (twen-D, pol-E pol-E) which means "Let's go, slowly-slowly.", we made it. Along the way my allergies were acting up. We were hiking through moorland region today. Saw lots of evidence of buffalo - they are bulldozers. Lots of fresh wild dog scat and something our guide called dika-dika poop as well. Saw a couple little lizards, not much else in terms of fauna. 

This morning we had woken up inside the clouds. It was cloudy and sometimes nasty all day. Only two small breaks of sun. At camp it was 46°F, 77% RH, 19.7" Hg. Took some allergy meds and lay down for a 2 hour nap. Now it's almost suppertime. (We had lunch when we arrived at camp.) We are certainly fed well and enough.

Here's a bunch of pictures, enjoy.

Oswald, our main guide

NGomu, 2nd guide

Little fauna

There she is

First Full Day - Hakuna Matata

Perpetual camp follower

 They call me Simba, it has become my trail name. Kinda stuck.

7/9 Oddly enough the first camp is also called Simba. 

Simba Camp

I think this is a gladiola?

Initial view of 2nd Cave

Our campsite

Sign for the 2nd Cave camp

Better view of 2nd Cave

Angel & Benjamin

Mawenzi, one of the 3 peaks of Kilimanjaro
Mawenzi Tarn camp is near the base

Have stick, will trek

Little more of the flora, some sort of 
'everlasting' flower

Looking back down on our camp site

Simba camp to Second Cave, 11,440 FT, 52°F, RH 87%, wind 5-7 MPH, damp. Slow walk up, it took about four hours on what should probably have been about 2 hours (at sea level, haha). I was very hot and sweaty, again. Had to take my rain jacket off, left with just a t-shirt. Then took off my rain pants, my jeans were soaked from sweat. It's cloudy at Second Cave camp - then it rather suddenly cleared and the sun came out for a bit. Got to dry my shirt, jacket, & maybe my shorts, all soaked from yesterday. Diamox makes you pee - a lot! Up at 11 PM & 2 AM last night. Although it is hard to drink as much as the guides would seem to like us to. I don't need water to cool off when we stop because I'm sweating like a horse. Kili wasn't quite so shy, came 'out' for a couple pictures. 

We got to camp around 1 PM today, had lunch, then a rest. Thought it was going to rain but thankfully it didn't. Then we took a short 'stress test' hike up to 11,900 FT and back down.

Got a few more pictures and back to camp by 5:45 PM, supper is at 6:30 PM. Then try to pee some more before hitting the sack. There are two ravens here looking for hand outs. Oh, and we saw a lot of buffalo 'exhaust' along the trail up here. However we have seen no other animals than the ravens. Apparently elephants are not unknown around these parts as well as wild dogs.

Sun is going down and it's starting to get chilly. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight.