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“I believe in the power that not only allows the sun to rise but turns seeds into flowers and dreams into realities.”    

- Oprah Winfrey

 

 

 

 

Stats for the day:

  • Hike to Shira Camp 10000 to 12600 feet elevation
  • Approximately 5 miles
  • 3000 feet vertical gain (includes some extra ups & downs)
  • Heath and Moorland Vegetative Zone

 

After laying awake for quite awhile, I finally sit up and start getting ready for the day about 5:45.  Still dark, it starts getting light a little after 6.  I try to be quiet but it’s hard when everything is stored in plastic bags!  Fortunately, Jane sleeps soundly – I’m jealous of that!  Breakfast at 7 – cream of wheat-like porridge, scrambled eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers, avocado (Sharon’s favorite), hot dog-like sausage, bread, hot drinks.  Enough choices to satisfy everyone.  At breakfast we turn in empty water bottles for refilling with boiled water; we also treat it just in case.  After breakfast we finished packing and started hiking at about 8:50.  Marsh led at first while Dismas finished supervising camp clean up. Sharon was feeling much better today, which I was glad to see. 

 

Mount Meru

 

 We got above the rain forest very quickly and the views were wonderful.  It was a clear sunny day, we could see Kili all day, Mount Meru (a 14er located outside of Arusha) across the valley and to the valley floor until the afternoon when the clouds started coming back in.  Kili is just huge, and looks huger and higher as we get closer and higher…very imposing and slightly intimidating…

 

Me & Kili & Kibo

 

Kilimanjaro is a free-standing mountain composed of 3 extinct volcanoes:  Shira (13000 feet), Mawenzi (16896 ft.) and Kibo (19340 ft.)  When I refer to Kili I am talking about Kibo.  We didn’t see Mawenzi very often as we hiked on the southwest side and Mawenzi is east, so usually hidden from us by Kibo.

 

We stopped often which is sometimes hard when you’re trying to get a hiking rhythm going but looking at the views and the vegetation was interesting and enough of a distraction.

 

You want the "exact" name?!

 

Pretty red flower #1 (exactly)

 

Hiking through heath and moorland – heather and heath-like shrubs, various types of grasses, flowers are mostly small; the moorland is characterized by giant lobelias and senecios (not something seen on Colorado 14ers!).

 

More good trail stories – Dismas got the “Buddha Man” response more than once today!  Some fairly continuous steep climbing broken up with a few flats and short downhills. 

 

 Heading sort of west.  Stopped about halfway to eat our packed lunches.  Good sitting rocks plus a resident chipmunk-like creature who wanted to share lunch.  Lunch was again a variety of food – hard boiled egg, chicken, watermelon, muffin etc.  Eating for entertainment or eating for fuel?!

 

Marsh, Sharon & Mick on the trail

 

After lunch we have more climbing but can see the top of the ridge we need to get to with camp being just over the top.  Some rocky, scrambling sections went slow for some but I thought those sections were a lot of fun and added some variety to the trail. 

 

Jane & Roger working the trekking poles while Buddha Man keeps a close watch in the back

 

Looking Back

 

At the ridgeline, we have even a bigger view of the mountain.  Camp is in a great place, on a large plateau with views every direction; across from us is the Shira Ridge which contains the high point of 13000 mentioned above.  Very windy at camp, this made it a lot colder.  After tea, Mick, Marsh, Roger and I went with Dismas to see some caves that porters & guides used to use to sleep in.  The park no longer allows them to be used, something to do with safety against potential cave-ins.  Interesting to see some of the history of Kili climbing.  Way less windy by the caves too!

 

One of the caves (photo courtesy M. Donoff)

 

 We're getting closer...

 

Dinner- soup, rice, meat, cole slaw-like salad, bread, mango, hot drinks.  In the tents and out of the wind by 8!  Jane is able to get right to sleep; I read and wrote in my journal for awhile, until I felt guilty about the light.  Slept for about 4 hours and then resumed my every hour waking up routine with 1 outdoor “visit”.  The night sky was again gorgeous.  Could see the Big Dipper and then turn around and see the Southern Cross.  Also the Milky Way.  Worth being out in the wind for!

 

Looking down at Shira Camp, the ridge is across and to the left

 

 

Continue: Kilimanjaro Climb Day 3

 

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