Kilimanjaro/Mt. Kenya 2003
Click here to read about the 2004 trip
Mt. Kenya
Jim, Patty, Julie and I arrived in Nairobi after what seemed days of air travel. Our local support crew picked us up at the airport and shuttled us off to our weclome beds that night. The next day it was up to the bandas at the Chogoria trailhead on Mt Kenya, and the day after that we were finally on the trail! Gorgeous views greeted us that first morning from the trailhead. We had a great campsite at Lake Ellis for our first night, then a couple of hard days trekking through intermittent rain and up into the higher altitudes of the mountain (14,000ft+). We originally planned to hike from Mintos Hut to Austrian Hut on day 3, but decided instead to head over Simba Col to Shipton's Camp and stay at a lower altitude that night. This allowed everyone to acclimatize more slowly, and made for a more enjoyable climb up to Pt Lenana (16,450ft) the following morning, especially since it was without packs! We were back at Shipton's Camp within 90 minutes. A quick lunch, then we broke camp and headed out towards Old Moses
camp, arriving at 6pm, and very tired after the long descent. Fortunately, wewere able to stay inside at Old Moses and sleep in actual bunks! It was a quick 2 hours out to the park gate, then back to rest in Nairobi before leaving for Arusha the next morning. The ride to Arusha was long and tiring, but our hotel was clean and the beds were comfortable. Tomorrow we start on the big one, Kilimanjaro.
Mt. Kilimanjaro
We ran through the requisite logistical hiccups that seem to be inevitable in Africa, but we managed to make it to the Umbwe trailhead by noon, and were ready to go 30 minutes later. The Umbwe trail is by far the steepest and least travelled on Kilimanjaro, and we were finding out just how steep. The afternoon rainstorms forced us to stop short of our goal of the Forrest Caves, but it was just
Hiking through the giant heather on the Umbwe Route as well, as we all wanted out of the rain. After we finally got our tents up, it felt so good to get a hot cup of tea into our cold and wet bodies. The rain abated sometime during the night, and we had a relatively dry morning. Our hike to Barranco Camp came with spectacular views, but also incredibly hard rain for about 2 hours. The rain was nice enough to let up while we set up our tents this time, and we were even graced with one hour of sun to dry things out before
the rain started up again at about 5pm. Just after midnight, I ventured outside the tent and beheld a spectacular Kilimanjaro under the clear night sky and a full moon. The next morning we also had a great view of Kili's west wall, but we could also see the clouds rolling up the valleys towards us. Time to beat feet to Lava Tower before the rain hits us again. We arrived at Lava Tower in fairly short order, just before 1pm, and without any rain. In fact, today would be the only day of ours on the mountain without some form of precipitation. The hike up to the top of
Lava Tower provided great views over the Shira Plateau and all the way down into Moshi.
Today we have just a short hike up to Arrow Glacier, then a rest day to further acclimate before climbing the Western Breach. It was a good day, but it did snow in the afternoon. As our tents were up, we were able to enjoy it and spend our time writing in our journals, playing cards, dice, etc. Julie is starting to show some mild symptoms of AMS, but her blood oxygen level is still good. Other than that, all other members are acclimating very well. The plan to visit Lava Tower first, then Arrow Glacier is proving to be a good one. Tomorrow we have an early start, as we want to do all of our steep climbing before the storms hit. We did get an early start, but it was a cold one. The west face of Mt Kilimanjaro
The hike up the Western Breach was steep, and now all of us are feeling the lack of oxygen. Progress is very slow, and just two small steps leave you breathless. We pressed on at a nice, steady pace, though, and made it to the crater rim in only 4 1/2 hours. We all took a nap, then went out to explore the crater floor and the ash pit. We weren't disappointed. It felt great to hike around without a pack on, but there is still very little oxygen at 19,000ft, and we all felt it. Around 5pm, I assisted in diagnosing a case of HAPE on a climber from another group. They had ascended
On the summit of Kilimanjaro too quickly, and his blood oxygen level was under 50%, and he had a bad cough. He wisely decided to descend immediately.
Early in the morning it is bitterly cold at 19,000ft, even on the equator. We quickly break camp and get moving, but all of our feet are numb, and it takes shear will to keep going as the body protests. It is all worth it as we reach the summit in just
one hour from our camp. The summit is a strange place. We were relatively isolated in the crater, yet we encountered roughly 40 people already on the summit from the 'easy' routes. We celebrate and take a few quick photos, then it's time for the record 14,000ft vertical descent in one day, arriving at the Mweka gate at 4pm. Can you say tired feet? Our trekking in Africa has come to a close. All we have left to do now is relax at our hotel in Moshi and rejeuvenate our exhasuted bodies. It feels great!
Click here to read about the 2004 trip
Mt. KenyaJim, Patty, Julie and I arrived in Nairobi after what seemed days of air travel. Our local support crew picked us up at the airport and shuttled us off to our weclome beds that night. The next day it was up to the bandas at the Chogoria trailhead on Mt Kenya, and the day after that we were finally on the trail! Gorgeous views greeted us that first morning from the trailhead. We had a great campsite at Lake Ellis for our first night, then a couple of hard days trekking through intermittent rain and up into the higher altitudes of the mountain (14,000ft+). We originally planned to hike from Mintos Hut to Austrian Hut on day 3, but decided instead to head over Simba Col to Shipton's Camp and stay at a lower altitude that night. This allowed everyone to acclimatize more slowly, and made for a more enjoyable climb up to Pt Lenana (16,450ft) the following morning, especially since it was without packs! We were back at Shipton's Camp within 90 minutes. A quick lunch, then we broke camp and headed out towards Old Moses
camp, arriving at 6pm, and very tired after the long descent. Fortunately, wewere able to stay inside at Old Moses and sleep in actual bunks! It was a quick 2 hours out to the park gate, then back to rest in Nairobi before leaving for Arusha the next morning. The ride to Arusha was long and tiring, but our hotel was clean and the beds were comfortable. Tomorrow we start on the big one, Kilimanjaro.
Mt. Kilimanjaro
We ran through the requisite logistical hiccups that seem to be inevitable in Africa, but we managed to make it to the Umbwe trailhead by noon, and were ready to go 30 minutes later. The Umbwe trail is by far the steepest and least travelled on Kilimanjaro, and we were finding out just how steep. The afternoon rainstorms forced us to stop short of our goal of the Forrest Caves, but it was just
Hiking through the giant heather on the Umbwe Route as well, as we all wanted out of the rain. After we finally got our tents up, it felt so good to get a hot cup of tea into our cold and wet bodies. The rain abated sometime during the night, and we had a relatively dry morning. Our hike to Barranco Camp came with spectacular views, but also incredibly hard rain for about 2 hours. The rain was nice enough to let up while we set up our tents this time, and we were even graced with one hour of sun to dry things out before
the rain started up again at about 5pm. Just after midnight, I ventured outside the tent and beheld a spectacular Kilimanjaro under the clear night sky and a full moon. The next morning we also had a great view of Kili's west wall, but we could also see the clouds rolling up the valleys towards us. Time to beat feet to Lava Tower before the rain hits us again. We arrived at Lava Tower in fairly short order, just before 1pm, and without any rain. In fact, today would be the only day of ours on the mountain without some form of precipitation. The hike up to the top of
Lava Tower provided great views over the Shira Plateau and all the way down into Moshi.
Today we have just a short hike up to Arrow Glacier, then a rest day to further acclimate before climbing the Western Breach. It was a good day, but it did snow in the afternoon. As our tents were up, we were able to enjoy it and spend our time writing in our journals, playing cards, dice, etc. Julie is starting to show some mild symptoms of AMS, but her blood oxygen level is still good. Other than that, all other members are acclimating very well. The plan to visit Lava Tower first, then Arrow Glacier is proving to be a good one. Tomorrow we have an early start, as we want to do all of our steep climbing before the storms hit. We did get an early start, but it was a cold one. The west face of Mt Kilimanjaro
The hike up the Western Breach was steep, and now all of us are feeling the lack of oxygen. Progress is very slow, and just two small steps leave you breathless. We pressed on at a nice, steady pace, though, and made it to the crater rim in only 4 1/2 hours. We all took a nap, then went out to explore the crater floor and the ash pit. We weren't disappointed. It felt great to hike around without a pack on, but there is still very little oxygen at 19,000ft, and we all felt it. Around 5pm, I assisted in diagnosing a case of HAPE on a climber from another group. They had ascended
On the summit of Kilimanjaro too quickly, and his blood oxygen level was under 50%, and he had a bad cough. He wisely decided to descend immediately.
Early in the morning it is bitterly cold at 19,000ft, even on the equator. We quickly break camp and get moving, but all of our feet are numb, and it takes shear will to keep going as the body protests. It is all worth it as we reach the summit in just
one hour from our camp. The summit is a strange place. We were relatively isolated in the crater, yet we encountered roughly 40 people already on the summit from the 'easy' routes. We celebrate and take a few quick photos, then it's time for the record 14,000ft vertical descent in one day, arriving at the Mweka gate at 4pm. Can you say tired feet? Our trekking in Africa has come to a close. All we have left to do now is relax at our hotel in Moshi and rejeuvenate our exhasuted bodies. It feels great!
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