Justin and Max - Lemosho Route…
Pictures:
Day 1 - 08/25/2012
August 25, 2012
Our first day was not what we expected. Justin and I got to the Ilboru Lodge in Arusha round about 3:45am after our flight was delayed for 6 hrs! Trust Precision Air to do that! Our flights have been changed 14 times since we left Austin until we finally got to JRO. Granted, it wasn't just Precision Air. SAA also had a ball! Anyway, so here we are.
Just to feel better and feel more organized, we went through our backpacks and duffelbags, double checked everything and weighed the bags. Perfect! Not more than 30 lbs. Just as prescribed! Nothing more, nothing less!
We slept for about 2 hrs, the only 2 hrs of sleep we got in about 36 hrs. But hey, it's an adventure, right! Bioplus will save the day as usual!
So we woke up, showered for the last time in 6 days and ran into Karin and Lee oustide. All very relieved that we made it!
We met Immanuel, our guide form the African Walking Company. He briefed us about the route, how steep it will be, how rough it will be and more or less, what to expect. What we didn't expect, was that the sleeping bags that we rented, had to go IN the duffel bags, with the liner and the weight should not exceed 30 lbs!! Houston, we have a problem!
So here we go again! Justin and I had to repack our duffelbags, trying to figure out what should stay and what should go. WetWipes? Tekkies? (sneakers) Meds, lotions and potions? Long story short, we left out a lot of WetWipes, since we heard we'll have "Washy wash". Also left our Tekkies and Magazines . I took one "Rooi Rose" with me, just incase :-)
We all got in the car, spirit very good and the long drive to Londorossi Gate started. (2,360m/ 7,742ft)
Being from Africa, we were not too surprised by all the shacks and typical...uuhh.. Curb Side Appeal we saw along the road. Afterall, this is a Third World Country.
We finally arrived at the gate, after enjoying the "African Massage" while driving on a bouncy, dusty dirt road, signed in along with many other groups and we got to meet our group of Porters and Guides. There were 19 all together, just for the 4 of us! See description below some of the pics.
After we were introduced to some members of the group and a briefing by the Chief Guide, Samweli, we had a light lunch with very tasty bananas, dry tasteless sandwiches, and Cadbury's Chocolate.
We eventually started our Day 1 hike at 12:45. Exciting! The scenery was beautiful, the mood was good. Justin called the walk "Undulating" We were surrounded by tall pine trees, heard the screams of Colobus monkeys and found that this route was fairly isolated.
We hiked until 17:30 (5:30pm) when we reached our first campsite. Big Tree -2650m. Lots and lots of tents. Good vibe in the camp.
We were very impresssed with the whole set-up! Our tents, already erected, 2" mattress in it and the best of all, 2 basins with hot water to wash! There was a lonely blue tent on the one side of our area...guess what? It was our own private "flush" toilet and we didn't have to share those dreaded Kili toilets we heard of. Thanks Potty Man!
We even had our own 'Mess Tent" With a table and 4 chairs!
The food was awesome as you'll see in the photos! Drinks consisted of Milo, Tea, Coffee, Cadbury's drinking chocolate! This is going to be goood :-D
Well, after not sleeping for so long, Justin and I was ready to go to bed. We ate, brushed our teeth, set up the tents with spleeping bags and...NO sleep!! The camp was sooo noisy! The porters were very loud and so was some of the other groups that surrounded us. Thanks to ear plugs, we finally managed to sleep!
Day 2 - 08/26/2012
August 26, 2012
Woke up with the sound of birds singing, anticipation and excitement running high! One of the porters "knocked" on the tent door to offer us some early morning coffee, but since we haven't had Milo eversince we moved to the States, Milo was the choice of beverage. Yummie! The breakfast consisted of Oats, bacon eggs, tomato, cucumber for Breakfast. Evrytime, before we entered the "Mees Tent" for a meal, Gideon, our personal waiter, made sure we would wash our hands with Hot water, soap and Dettol (disinfectant) before we eat. How nice No Diarrea for us in the future! Ha! Says who!
The previous night, our guide, Sam, briefed us after supper, what to expect the next day. That seemed to be the routine the following 6 days. We were told to quit taking Malaria tabs since we'll be leaving the dense forest and it wouldn't be effective at higher altitude. Started the Diamox 250mg in the morning as we were advised. And trust me, you do feel the tingling in your fingers and toes. It's very real! Yuk!
Fisrt part of the walk was okay, hot but an easy hike. Second part after lunch was steep and challenging. It's a non-stop climb uphill. Thanks to our RiverPlace training, all went well!
At this point the change in nature was very noticable. There were less trees and more grasses and Protea Bushes! Yes, Proteas! South Africa's national flower. We didn't see any big Protea's though - too early in the season. I guess this is what they refer too as Moorland.
We also started walking slower, without our guide really drawing attention to it. It was a very steep climb and hiking at a slower pace, helped us to acclimatize to the change in altitude.
Lunch was "served" at 10,800ft. We all felt great! We had Carrot soup, boiled eggs, banana's, chocolate and Biltong en Droe Wors! (Jerky)
After lunch the weather started changing the further we walked. It definitely got cooler. Rolling mist coming in, but it's all still beautiful. Music playing in my ears and life is good!
Once we arrived at Shira 1 -(3505m/11,500ft) we signed in, had time to put our bags down wash our hands and had Popcorn, peanuts and hot beverages in our Mess Tent as a snack.
At this point we could see part of the Top of Kilimanjaro peaking through the clouds and the mist. It looks high, it looks scary, it looks magnificent and we decided not to be intimidated by anything!
Day 3 - 08/27/2012
August 27, 2012
Day 3. What can I say about Day 3? If I have to describe it in one word , it would be GRUELLING!!
It turned out to be very different than we expected. In hindsight we understood why we ended up hiking 11 hrs! Yes, 11 hours! Nowhere in any literature that we read, we were told that we'll be hiking this long! Well, if we didn't sign up to do the Lemosho Route in 7 days, instead of the normal 8 days, it wouldn't have been necessary to do some catching up!
So today we're hiking form Shira Hut 1 to Baranco Wall. Started at 8am
The terrain was nice and flat and sunny in the beginning. As we progressed, it got steeper and colder and more barren, very few plants, only ones visible are the everlastings. See pics. And lo and behold, what would any mountain clinbing be without a little rain, a little hail and some serious sleet!
Karin and Lee had covers for their backpacks, but we didn't! Fortunately we had black trash bags in our backpaks and we kept the stuff inside the backpacks dry at least!
When we reached Shira Hut 2, we seeked shelter in one of the local guys' hut for at least 20 min. It was sleeting, fine hail and freezing! Had lunch in the Mess Tent, but had to keep on walking! Mood is still good though :-) Thank goodness for music. Our fingers were freezing though!
We are now heading towards Lava Tower. The plan is to climb high (4.630m / 15,190ft ) and sleep low (Baranco Camp (3,976m / 13,190ft ) We all felt pretty good at Lava Tower despite the cold and the altitude. Took a break, took some photos and then that's where the trouble started.
As we descended over a rocky area, we realized that this is not going to be fun. Going down is much much harder than going up! But we were in awe at the sight of all the Lobelias and the Giant Scenecios, the most distinctive plant in this area. They tend to favor more damp, sheltered areas on the mountain, which is why we saw an abundance on the way to Baranco Camp.
Between Karin and me, I'm not too sure who's knees hurt the most! But I refused to verbalize it! And with regards to "The Foot", it turned out that "Mind over Matter" can be extremely powerful! Nothing was going to break my stride! Oh no, I got to keep on moving!
Day 5 - 08/29/201... During the day
August 29, 2012
Today we didn't get the usual " Coffee in bed" but we slept a little later. We were told it will just be a "short" hike. About 4-5 hours. Yesterday afternoons' clouds are now all gone, the sky is clear and the sun magnificently illuminates Kibo.
We started our hike just after 8. As camp breaks. the usual line of people started to form as we begin our slow ascent to Barafu Hut.
The next couple hours was a steady trek across the amphitheatre, all the while enjoying tremendous views of Kilimanjaro’s summit and the increasing detail of the Barafu camp. Clouds were rolling in, but nothing could dampen our spirit.
Reaching Barafu Hut, it was very obvious that we had to be extremely careful, walking on that terrain. There were lots of loose flat stones, similar to slates, and it would be easy to slip and fall. In fact, we learned two days later someone actually did fall and broke his clavicle!
My best memory of Barafu Hut was a Phil Collins song that was playing loud as we signed the register. "I can feel it coming in the air tonight! " Tonight was our night! Tonight we will start the long walk towards the summit! How appropriate! I couldn't help singing with the radio - Loud! Happy! Excited! We're actually climbing Kilimanjaro!
We had lunch in the mess tent and then tried to get some rest during the afternoon, before having a supper around 9 pm. The initial time they wanted us to have supper was at 5, but Justin refused. And it made sense! If we were going to start our climb at 11pm why eat at 5? But of course, the two of us were too excited to sleep. We organized our Duffel Bags (again!) read our magazines, pretended to sleep but finally gave up!
Day 4 - 08/28/2012
August 28, 2012
After a good night's rest, despite the cold weather and condensation dripping on your head from inside the tent, we felt much better the next morning. Understandably, we were exhausted! As usual, we were woken up with "Coffee in bed", Washy wash and a good hearty breakfast.
Sam told us last night that we won't need our walking sticks for the first part of the day. Hmmm, we had no idea what was waiting for us! Evidently, it turned out to be The GREAT BARANCO WALL! Missed that one somewhere in our preparations!
The Barranco Wall is an enormous cliff wall, with switch backs, humongous rocks, and very steep inclines going up the side of the mountain. We learned afterwards it's also called the Breakfast Wall as many people loose their breakfast after trying to climb this. You can barely see the top of the Barranco Wall from Barranco Camp.
We started the climb slowly, carefully... It was very congested! For an hour and a half! I still have no idea how the porters does it with loads of stuff on their heads! With Croc's on. See pics.
We joked, took pictures as we climbed, we even thought the God's must've been crazy when big yellow containers came tumbling down! Thanks to the music suggestion of some of our friends, I eventually got to sing "Bobbejaan klim die Berg" for them!
Once we reached the top, we looked down and we could hardly believe that we actually climbed The Wall without ropes, no injuries and no fear! Everyone enjoyed it and the spirit was good! So proud of ourselves!
I wish I could say that the next 3-4 hrs was totally uneventful!Lee was our Official Photographer and a very good one too! But going down, once again, was a moment we would never forget. This time, because Lee almost broke his neck trying to get a good picture by slipping and sliding downwards on a rocky decline. Never ever again would I want to have that vision again! See pics of "Lee's Cave" I personally think our guides, Sam and Brown, wet their pants secretly after that incident and they just never told us
Reaching Karanga Camp, (3,995m/13,106ft) we felt like we were in heaven! We're in the clouds and above the clouds! We unpacked, Washy washed with nice hot water, socialized with some of the other guys close to our camp, took pictures had a wonderful meal! The moon is almost full and we can see the Magnificent Kilimanjaro Summit!
We had a good time at Karanga Camp. Let's just say, Karanga will never be the same again! ;-)
Day 5 - 08/29/2012... All through the night
August 29, 2012
The time has come! I don't know who's more excited! Justin or me!
We hardly had any sleep! I tested our Oxygen Saturation again. Justin: Sats: 84% Pulse: 88 - Max: Sats: 86% PR: 82 Doing pretty good considering we're at an altitude of 15,331 ft.
We felt extremely "thick" with all the layers of clothes. The one thing that scared me the most about climbing Kilimanjaro was to be cold. We're not used to Temps below the zero's. Fahrenheit or Celsius, doesn't matter! Anyway, we were ready for this! Bring it on!
With our headlights on, music in the ears, we started the slow, unknown climb. Kind of eerie, but we loved it! We had no idea what the path would look like, no idea what to expect, we just followed and trusted our guide. Each one was submerged in their own thoughts. We started off slowly. The quiet night was absolutely beautiful… crystal clear, no wind, but quite chilly!
Our headlamps were on, but the moon was shining so brightly that we didn't really have to use them. The guides started singing at one point, a typical deep-voiced African duo. It all felt so special, so surreal. Looking upwards, the mountain looked fantastic! Bathed in the full bright moonlight. Blue Moon! The white snow shone like neon lights in a big city. Looking backwards, whenever we had a break, it was reassuring to know that we have come this far already. A long, long way down, we could see headlights moving towards us, slowly moving upwards. Been there, done that.
Trudging, pole-pole (slowly slowly) in the dark up the volcanic scree, breathing hard and shallow from altitude and lack of sleep, we continued.
Justin struggled due to the dreaded weakness of having had some diarrea the previous day. Yes, it wouldn't be complete if one of us didn't suffer from it! Looking back at pictures, Karin had some issues with altitude adjustment.
The first time I really got emotional was when we finally reached Stella Point - on the crater rim - in the early morning hours! When I saw that sign, I knew we were going to make it! Uhuru Peak was just one hour away! I just hugged my husband and cried. Cried because I was thankful. All our hard work, our efforts, our perseverance was worth it! We're going to Summit!
Day 6 - 08/30/2012 - Summit Day!
September 15, 2012
As we walked from Stella Point, I was amazed to actually see the horizon changing colors! Could it really be? Sunrise? We walked all through the night and at that moment, it really didn't feel that long!
I forgot the times it felt like this will never end, I remembered the time when I "packed " all our friends who supported, us and thought of us and emailed or called us, in my backpack, determined to take them with me to the Top of Africa!
I forgot the times it was a little more difficult to breath. Evrything felt light and bright and beautiful when total darkness turned to shades of crimson and blues and we finally saw the Rebmann glacier with ice cliffs that rise like cathedral walls and delicate ice fins that are about 30 feet high.
The best moment of this whole trip was when we saw the Uhuru Peak sign about 50 yards away from us! It looked so different, but it was "The Sign"! UHURU PEAK - 19,340ft/ 5895m
Getting closer to it, I realized that the old familiar wooden sign was replaced with a Neon green sign. Not that we could care! We just wanted to touch it!
Lee carried a bottle of Champagne all the way, and needless to say, we popped the top and Cheersed to our Victory! In ugly green plastic cups! Was this real? WE ACTUALLY DID IT!! We climed Kili-freaking-manjaro!! We all felt great, no more struggles, we took our pics and wanted to extend the time at the Top of Africa as long as possible!
Our guides got bored with everything and started pushing us to go down. We resisted a bit, but eventually we had to do it. It was so beautiful! The glacier, the sunrise, the vibe, the Victory!
Day 6/7- 08/30-31/2012... Going Down
August 30, 2012
Going down is easier said than done, that's for sure. We were lucky, I guess. On the way down, we saw people puking, falling, struggling, bluelipped (scianotic) out of breath... Fortunately no one dying on our watch!
Descending, of course, was much, much quicker. But keep in mind, we've been walking all through the night with hardly any sleep since the previous morning! We halfway ran, halfway slid, down the mountain. No more pole-pole! It was extremely hard on the knees.
By the time we reached Barafu Hut again, we were exhausted. But yet, the end was nowhere in sight! We had time to rest for about an hour, had lunch and then resumed another 4-5 hr hike towards Millenium Camp (12,500 ft).
The following day, after the Tipping Ceremony (next post) and Victory Celebration, we resumed the dreaded downwards hike! At first it was rocky and took some effort climbing down. We "ran" into a group of porters that had a patient on a Kilimanjaro Gurney, wheeling the patient down over rocks and more rocks and difficult paths. It turned out to be the guy who broke his clavicle at Barafu Hut! Ouch!
The worst part of our descend was the muddy, slippery and very dangerous "steps" through the Rain Forest. What a nightmare! We walked so slow and careful, trying not to slip but evidently there was no ways to avoid that! The best was to follow the guide's advice and cover the area as fast as possible. I'm still amazed when I think about the porters with weight on their heads, low-tech shoes and they were practically running down those slippery slopes! WTH!
The song that kept popping in my mind was "Road to hell" from Chris Rea. 'Cause that's what it felt like!
The best part of it was the scenery. Yes, even among the pain and frustration, we had time to appreciate the beauty of the forest around us. The sight of the humongous tree ferns, lush foliage of the sky high trees, the mist surrounding us...it all felt magical! It was sad that we had to rush through the best part!
When we finally reached the "end", signed our name for the last time in the register, a silly kind of sadness overcame me, realizing that the dream we have dreamt, is over. We've done it. We climbed Kili!
Day 7 - 08/31/2012 - Celebrating!
September 15, 2012
We woke up to a glorius day! The bluest of blue skies, fantastic temperatures and the beautiful majestic mountain towering over the camp! Looking up at the mountain, it was so hard to believe we've actually been to the top. The Top Of Africa!
Last night Sam, Brown and Arcadi, our cook, came to our Mess Tent and discussed how the Tipping Ceremony would work the next day.
So the next morning, after another good breakfast (but no more Oats, please!) Justin gave them a Thank You speech, one that even brought tears to my eyes! And he renamed our team, The Cream Team (heaven knows where they got that name from! ) They became The Dream Team...'cause they all helped to make our dream come true!
Then they sang the Kilimanjaro Song for us. Of course we thought it to be very special, even though we know they sing it to everyone who climbs the Mountain. The fun part came in when they dragged Karin into the cirlce to dance with them and when Justin started doing the Zulu Dance with them, the spirit ran high! They loved it!
Once we reached the Mweka Camp, we signed the register for the last time. Another 10 min hike (Really? We have to hike even more! ) took us to the lunch area and the first thing we ordered to swallow down the fine dust of the trails, was a Kilimanjaro Beer. We both felt that we never want to see Gatorade again! Until the next time!
We received our Certificates, said our thanks and goodbyes, but honestly, at that point we just wanted to get back to the Lodge!
What a GREAT and FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE!