On Top of the World

Day 9 - True Date 6/14/13

I will begin by saying two things about the photos. First, there are fewer photos (at least to choose from) than previous days for two reasons: a) Half of today's climbing occurred while it was dark and b) the rest of the day I felt like garbage. The other thing I have to say is an appreciation to Ari - one of our assistant guides who offered to take the camera and some photos once the sun was up.

Today was definitely among our longest days so far. By that I mean it was easily THE longest day we had so far. We woke up at 4:00 am and had an early/immediate breakfast of porridge and toast. As usual, the stars were spectacular - though that was usual an evening observation as opposed to morning. I realize the beauty of the stars becomes repetitive to say as a result of no lights, no trees and no clouds. It was the coldest temperature we experienced yet and it was a combination of both the early hour and the high altitude. We were all clothed in our maximal layers and left the campsite promptly at 5:00 am.

At 5 we headed away from the Arrow Glacier Camp (15,970 ft) and towards the Western Bridge (our final ascent route). As expected from yesterday's acclimatization hike, the path was a collection of loose rocks and scree. We were hiking in the dark with the trail illuminated by headlamp and we had to choose the placements of our footsteps carefully. Our steps were as small as they'd been all trip, moving forward by the motto "pole pole". It was likely only 30 minutes into the climb when we took our first break on the constant switchbacks to shed some layers and have some water.

It seemed a long time before the trail ever changed. It continued back and forth, always up, always on loose footing. It seemed we'd travel 20 steps up and to the left, then 20 up and to the right... back and forth we'd go but always up. After what I estimate as about an hour and a half we began to observe differences in the terrain, though these differences varied from place to place. Sometimes the trail crossed patches of larger rocks that were all frozen solid in place by the night's ice. Sometimes we crossed patches of crunchy snow atop of the scree and sometimes there were rock scrambles up short, but steep, ridges that required us to use our hands to scale.

We continued to periodically take breaks along the trail. One thing I found was that no matter how far or how high we climbed, we had never gone as high or as far as I'd imagined. The top of the Western Breach was (or appeared to be from below) a sheer cliff before the ash crater. While that was not completely accurate, it was very steep and required many more vertical scrambles. The problem this cliff caused mentally was that as a huge wall, it looked large from below, and larger still up close. It was an impossible landmark to attempt to judge distance and progress by.

For a while now the sun had been approaching the crest of the mountain and we no longer needed our headlamps. Every time we stopped to take a break the cliff before us continued to loom but we could also look backwards down the extraordinarily steep path we'd just ascended. Our camp was often hidden by some ridge or rock but it was clear from this view just how steep the path was. Beyond the campsite below us we could see the trail we'd hiked

for days as it wound it's way back over ridges and into the distance beyond. As we climbed the sun slowly shed more and more light on the scenery around us. Unfortunately, despite the immense beauty that surrounded us with these views, it was often uncomfortable to turn and face the open view and the massive drop below us.

Altitude sickness had begun to effect many of us to some extent by this point. The guides were spectacular and offered to help share the weight people carried, all

while staying positive and always encouraging. However, omitting the details of individual sufferings, it was reassuring to see that the guides were out of breath themselves and many of the porters clearly suffered on this last ascent as well. It's always nice to see the people who impress you are still human. A little after 9:00 we finally crested the ridge

atop the Western Breach and had made it to the crater. The sun was out, we all took a much needed rest (both in sickness and in health...but mostly sickness), and we all got down what water we could. From there it was a short and flat (which was much appreciated) walk to the Crater Camp.

This camp sat at an altitude of 18,800 ft and was at the very foot of the final climb

to the summit. We stopped there for close to an hour. Some of the group took naps. Some of us had snacks and drinks and some of us felt too sick to do any of the above, but tried. We, including the porters, had a nice variety in the these activities. The camp was among many small glacier patches that were pretty to look at and walk along.

A little after 10:00 we began the final ascent to the Kibo summit. This last hike was much like the beginning of the Western Breach. Slow and steady, back and forth, always up and lots of loose footings. Once we reached the top of this slope we walked out onto a massive and magnificent glacial field. The view was all white and where the glacier appeared to dip below view it turned into a field of clouds. It was white in all directions for as far as you could see. From there it was a short, and refreshingly gradual walk to Uhuru Peak - the final summit of the mountain. For the first time this trip our group greatly separated in hiking speeds. Some of us were more comfortable moving, while others felt a break

would help their ailments. Altogether, we arrived at Uhuru Peak (19,340 ft), the tallest point in Africa and the summit of the highest free-standing mountain in the world, at 11:30 am. We took our pictures and all started to head down in different pairs and at different rates. While it would have been great to spend more time admiring the achievement, some of us (and definitely me) felt like dying. Our total ascent time to the summit that day was less than 2 miles but was approximately 3,370 vertical feet. The climb took us 5 hours and 40 minutes, bringing the trips total ascent time to just over 23 hours.

We immediately began the descent of the mountain (which I did not record the

times of). The path down the mountain was on the opposite side and offered many

new views. While path near the summit remained an ice field and relatively flat, we quickly returned to rock footings and a much steeper trail. Much of this footing (for much of the descent) was the loose scree we'd had to so carefully walk on to climb. However, when going down each foot placement slid another foot or two and we could slide large distances at a time. This process is what the guides referred to as "African Skiing". The process kicked up tons of dust but was both fast and fun. The further down we got - the better we felt.

As we approached Barafu Camp (~15,000 ft) at about 1:40 pm we walked into a low cloud/fog. It was chilly but brought a constant and refreshing spray of mist. We signed into the ranger log and headed to where our camp was assembled. This took a bit of time because this was the most crowded place we'd seen yet. There were likely 20ish groups all camping here for the night (most of whom were planning to ascend the summit in the morning). While I was no longer feeling the altitude sickness, I did still have a headache from dehydration. So, I drank as much water as I could and collapsed for a nap. We were woken for lunch...some time later... which was a bit of a struggle to get through. I stuck to hot drinks and the fruit.

After lunch I took another nap (as did many others) and was again woken for dinner. Dinner, we were all feeling MUCH better, was warm soup and pasta. We all ate well after such a grueling day and it was nice to feel normal again. Our guide Justin ate with us and we changed the plan for tomorrow from the original schedule. Rather than doing the descent in 2 days we planned to do the entire exit tomorrow and spend the night in a hotel. With the thought of a shower in mind, we all finished our meals and headed to bed.

I would offer a HUGE appreciation to our guides, Justin, Ari and Buster, without whom I and some other likely would have given up.

As a fun fact - I have prepared a visualization to show why you suffer altitude sickness atop of the mountain. In the photo below I have two 1.5 L water bottles. The bottle on top was sealed here in New York at approximately 200 ft elevation which is where we are all used to breathing. The bottle represents the amount of air (and therefore oxygen) we get with one full breath and it is what our body is used to living on. The bottom bottle was sealed at the top of Uhuru Peak (19,340 ft). The bottle is the same size and therefore represents the same full breath of air. However, when we return to our normal elevation the bottle crushes because of how much less air there is. In the picture shown here, the top bottle represents the air collected in 1 breath in New York and the other represents the air we get in one breath atop the mountain.

Slow and Steady

Day 8 - True Date 6/13/13

Today was, as anticipated, the shortest day of hiking that we would have this trip. Many of us awoke before was necessary and we were all at various stages of packing when the crew came by to offer us hot drinks. At this point the drinks were becoming increasingly pleasant because the temperature was definitely dropping. The next bit followed the

usual and expected pattern of washing up and completing packing before breakfast. During this time it was fun to watch the sun rise over the peak of the mountain that now stood (seemingly) only just above us as the mountain itself cast a shadow keeping us cool. As soon as the sun crested the mountain's summit there was a distinct increase in temperature and we were all able to shed at least one layer of clothing. Unfortunately, we began to discover that our group was plagued with zipper troubles including tent doors, sleeping bags, etc... all malfunctioning.

Breakfast was ready at about 9:00. It was, in my opinion (since I am the one writing and recording), the worst meal we'd had so far (but the bar is really pretty high). We were served porridge with raisins which was what you would expect and my favorite part of the meal. Then came french toast, regular toast, and a dish of hot dogs (or sausage?) and vegetables. After a relatively quick meal we did our usual final bit of packing and loaded our bags to get on the trail.

We set off from Lava Tower (14,950 ft) along the same path as our acclimatization hike yesterday. While the path might have been the same as what we'd hiked yesterday, many of the views were new, or at the very least, different. The sun was now on a more direct line to the part of the mountain where we were hiking so there were fewer clouds and more light. The glaciers on the mountain gleamed in the sun reminding me of the origins of Kilimanjaro's name. Kilema - meaning mountain and Nkyarro - meaning shiny (in reference to the glaciers).

The hike proceeded as expected. Very steep and the trail was composed of almost entirely pebbles and dust. This part of the hike really returned us to the old saying "pole pole", meaning slowly slowly. For me, the steps everyone took were very small, granting sure footing along the whole route. Every hundred

steps (ish) I'd take a couple more photos and have a couple more sips of water. Pole, pole. Another hundred steps followed by more water and more pictures. Slow and steady we progressed. The steepest part of this hike occurred just before reaching the day's camp. We crossed a relatively deep ravine and the scaling on the far side was nearly all rock. This was the first "scramble" we had on the mountain and required the use of our hands to help find footings and balance.

Just over this ridge we arrived at the Arrow Glacier camp (15,970 ft), our lodgings (location for tents) for the night. We arrived as the porters were still assembling the site. In total the day was only 1.7 miles and we gained just over 1,000 ft of elevation. We did this in 1 hour and 15 minutes bringing our total ascent time to 17 hours and 22 minutes.

After a 15 minute rest we began our day's acclimatization hike. We once again followed the route we would be ascending in the morning up the Western Breach. The hike was more steep than the rest of today (as well as anything else we'd done to this point on the climb) and this potion was less dust and more loos pebbles and rocks. The temperature had made a distinguishable drop and to make matters worse the clouds were again surrounding the summit. I

thought we maintained a relatively brisk pace for this short hike, taking only two breaks (the second of which was where we turned around). Some of the group had the first experiences of altitude sickness, feeling minor headaches, but certainly nothing major. After the second stop we returned the short way back to camp for the afternoon.

Lunch was a very different dish from what we'd had so far. It was our first (I think)

dish that is considered local to the area. Our first course was a "green banana soup". My best description is that it was a tomato cream broth with many vegetable chunks that included bananas (not a vegetable), green beans, potatoes, carrots and others. During lunch we were given the plan for the mornings ascent up to the ash crater as well as suggestions for clothing. After lunch activities included some playing cards, some sleeping bag repairs, writing, packing, etc. At this point the next events were dinner, bed and a 4 am awakening for the climb.

Dinner was ready just before 6:00. The first course was a vegetable soup that I perceived to be made from a chicken broth. Afterwards we were brought mashed potatoes and a vegetable dish. The dish was what I can describe most closely as ratatouille.Together they were quite tasty and extremely filling. After dinner we all prepared for bed and the morning. It seems everyone was trying to "call it a night" around 7:00 to account for the very early wake-up. Given the hour and the altitude we were all expecting it to be the coldest experience of the trip so far and did everything we could to be prepared tonight.

The sunset from this camp was the best yet. From an elevation close to 16,000 ft the view was already angelic. The site looked out over a seemingly endless and flat field of clouds. As the sun set to the west of our camp it dipped just below a ridge and dropped out of view before setting over the horizon. As it fell behind it gave the crest a magnificent orange glow. As your gaze panned left (south) the sky, with only thin and wispy clouds gradually faded from the bright orange to a dark purple. In the midst (and in a way mists from the clouds...) we could still see the peak of Mount Meru in the distance.

A City in the Clouds

Day 7 - True Date 6/12/13

OK! Not actually "in" the clouds and certainly not a "city" but some of the scenery of the day still makes the name feel applicable.

Today was the first of our shorter hiking days. The morning followed our usual schedule up to this point. We were awake by 7, with hot beverages and water to wash, and were given some time to dress

and pack as we shook off that groggy morning feeling. Most of us slept well, with the exception of 5:00 am when Liesje and Kelly started rambling to each other about various things that all the neighboring tents could hear. After being told to quiet down everyone returned to another hour or so of blissful sleep. Breakfast was served at 7:45 and consisted of fried eggs, toast, pancakes, and bacon. By 8:30 we were done eating, finished packing and on our way.

The hike began from Moir Hut (13,580 ft) with an immediate and steep incline. Summiting this first ridge took us nearly an hour and merited a break. From here we could view the trail we travel nearly all the way to Lava Tower, the campsite where we would be spending the night. We could also look

behind us down the slope. Unobstructed by any vegetation or major rocks we could see all the way down the slope we'd ascended and see our camp being packed up behind us. It was a great place for photos. We had views of the Kibo summit, the trail both forwards and back, and we could look off the mountain over seemingly endless fields of cloud. To the west we could also see the very summit of Mount Meru sticking up out of the clouds.

We continued our hike down part of the ridge, crossed a wide and shallow canyon, and scaled another ridge on the far side. This set of ups and downs repeated itself 3 or 4 times through the morning. During this duration we gained very little elevation overall, despite constantly feeling like we were climbing up and down. Wildlife and vegetation were extremely sparse, limited to only the white-necked ravens and some very durable lichen. On our initial ascent of the day we crossed out of the remnants of the "health zone" and were now officially in an alpine desert.

At noon we crossed a small brook to reach
the day's final destination, Lava Tower. The name Lava Tower refers to a 300 ft tall rock spire that sits at an elevation of 14,950 ft. To reach here from our morning camp we had hiked approximately 2.3 miles and 1,400 ft of elevation in about 3 hours. This brought

our total hiking time to 16 hours and 7 minutes. Lava Tower serves as a major hot spot for many other climbing groups. We ate lunch in the presence of 4-6 other hiking parties, making it quite a lively place and a led to large gatherings of white-necked ravens. By now the Kibo summit had clouded over, sandwhiching us nicely between a layer of clouds above and below us - hence - "in the clouds"...

Lunch was served a little later than usual at about 1:45. First, we had some form of lemon-chicken. It was very good, though I lack a more intricate way to describe it.

Then there were grilled cheese stuffed with vegetables and a ... meaty-veggie-non-cheese-filled hot pocket-quesadilla-calzone-like thing. Truthfully I have no idea what it was but I liked it. After lunch we got some time to rest until 4 when we would go out on a short acclimatization hike (which I do not include in the total mileage, elevation or hiking time).

Come 4:00 I, along with many other members of our

party, woke up from a nap to get ready for another bit of hiking. For this we did not need our full packs, but we were encouraged to bring water and our trekking poles so Harrison and I each took a pack. We were on the trail again by 4:15 and headed along the identical route that we would hike the next morning. It was quite steep and the ascent was nearly entirely along a trail of loose rocks, dust and pebbles. This made the climb slow and required many switch-backs and zig-zags. We received some great views of Lava Tower and the

canyon the traveled down the mountain on this side of the spire into the clouds below us. At about 5 we reached the end of our climb, about 300 ft above the campsite and after a short water break, returned down. The way down was equally as steep (shocking!) and required careful footing to keep balance. We were back in camp at about 5:30.

After returning Archer and I took a quick detour around to the back side  of

Lava Tower. Here we had the best-yet view or the canyon that was adjacent to our camp. We also found a large collection of ravens and discovered that the lichen/moss growing on the rocks could be really quite prickly. Not long after we returned to the camp for dinner. We were served a cucumber soup followed by a salad and spiced rice with beans.

As usual, we were told the plan for the day tomorrow. The hike would be a bit

shorter with another acclimatization hike so we would be allowed to sleep in a bit if we were so inclined (inclined like a mountain!). After dinner there was some party music played in the mess tent to get everyone's energy up and there was a mini (5 minutes?) rave. This was quick and fun and before long we all headed to bed.

The Ever Elusive Peak

Day 6 - True Date 6/11/13

Today was much like yesterday, though a slightly slower start. We planned to get up by 7, eat at 7:30 and be on the trail again by 8:30. We were again woken on schedule with an offer of hot beverage and warm water bowls to wash up. Breakfast began with porridge and was followed by fried eggs, toast and a type of sausage that was very reminiscent of hot dogs. The best part of the morning (in my opinion) was the view of Kibo from the campsite. Early in the day the clouds that would later surround the peak had parted and it was an unobstructed view of the summit.

At 8:30 we loaded our packs and hit the trail. We left the West Side Camp (11,450 ft) on the edge of the Shira Plateau. Our hike took us east away from Shira, across the plateau and towards the main mountain. The plateau itself is aptly named. For a few hours the hike was entirely flat with the rare rise or fall of the trail to traverse some minor ravine. After

the first hour of hiking we had hardly seen a cloud in the sky above us and when looking around the setting was a bit surreal. Behind us was the (relatively) shallow ridge of Shira and before us was the towering summit of Kibo. To either side there was the occasional rock mound, but the plateau extended to what appeared to be the horizon. From our vantage point, it simply looked like we were on a flat plane hiking towards a lone mountain. You would never believe from that view that we were above 10,000 feet and had been climbing for 2 days already.

When we reached the end of the plateau we began to deal with brief spurts of short but steep rock slopes. These slopes,

and most (if not all) of the rocks we passed on this hike (as well as the coming days) were all lava rocks formed when the volcanoes were erupting long ago. We experienced one large vegetation change before lunch. At the beginning of the day the plant-life was an assortment of shallow plants, flowers, grasses and shrubberies. However, just before lunch these plants became thinner and taller - mimicking a very sparse and scraggly and small forest. My favorite plant was a small, green, leafy one that protects itself by closing in the cold of night and reopening with the sun in the day.

At noon we stopped for lunch on the top of yet another ridge. Given the increase in wind strength we were now dealing with the porters had assembled the lunch table inside the mess tent. Lunch was fried chicken with fries, fruit and an avocado salad. We were told that the afternoon would be about another 2 hours of hiking and the terrain would become increasingly rocky.

Our route continued along various ridges of lava rock and grew a bit steeper (though quite shallow to what we'd experience in the days to come - we're comparing to a plateau right now after all). Every so often we would see a small cave in the rocks but they were often inaccessible and far from the trail so we did not explore them. We stayed to the left side of what seemed like the larges ridge around and our view of Kibo was frequently obscured, but was clearly closer when it was visible. While in the morning the peak seemed to be just another mountain in the distance, now it began to

dominate the view and loomed over us. My favorite part of this afternoon hike occurred about 30 minutes before camp. The ridge to our right opened inwards into a massive (but very shallow) arched cave with a steady flow of water down its back. The ground was muddy and covered in moss and seemed to not fit the rest of the area.

From there it was only a short remaining hike to where we would spend the night, Moir Hut. We climbed just over 2,000 ft today and crossed 6.8 miles. It took the group 5 hours and 15 minutes. We ended the day at an elevation of 13,540 feet and had hiked for a total of 13 hours and 7 minutes. At camp the group once more broke into their own tents to rest. Some people enjoyed the weather by resting on bed pads outside in the sun. The snack was again served at 4:30, where we gathered in preparation for dinner at 6.

Dinner's began with another soup, this time a tomato and ginger soup (as before it remained my favorite part of the meal). The soup was followed by spaghetti and a meat sauce with carrots on the side. For the first time this trip we were offered dessert which were fried bananas (or plantains - because who really knows which?) and they were quite tasty. Dinner today was accompanied by one of our more "normal" conversations which was a nice change of pace. We talked about sports, politics and in the end/over dessert people began exchanging riddles. My favorite riddle was told by one of the guides:

     "A man is walking along the road and gets thirsty. He keeps walking and becomes more and more thirsty.      Finally, when he cannot take it any more he finds a house, and he is so thirsty that he enters with purpose. Inside he finds the owner and asks for some water. Suddenly, the owner pulls a gun on the man and he runs out of the house. Why did the man leave?"

I'll leave you wondering... After the riddles, which pulled in the attention of many members of our crew, we headed to bed. It was another cold night (about 30 F and the first night the water froze) as well as cloudless and starry. I look forward to new views of Kibo in the morning.

We Meet Again Old Friend

Day 5 - True Date 6/10/13

Today was yet another early but good start to a day. We were woken by the porter crew at 6:30 and we were offered a hot beverage of choice, which was delivered to the tents as we dressed and packed our gear. The plan was to have breakfast at 7, followed by about 30 minutes to finish packing and resume the trail. Breakfast was a combination of toast, pancakes (more like crepes), eggs and bacon. So, with full stomachs we filled our water with the group's filter, loaded our packs, and set off for the day.

We continued from the Montane Forest Camp (obviously...) at 9,450 ft. The camp and much of the morning continued through the rain forest region of the mountain. The trail was easy to walk, not that steep, and the weather was quite pleasant. No more than 20 minutes into the hike I had a personal "disaster" as I realized that one of the water bladders in my pack was leaking quickly. While it was only due to a bad seal - and thus easily solved - it still made for a moment of disappointment. Before long the pack was fixed and the group continued through the lush plant life that surrounded the trail.

The rest of the morning continued quite smoothly. After about an hour the trail began to get steeper and we continued out of the rain forest region and into the "health zone". The change in zone is paralleled by a clear change in the vegetation. Previously the trail was surrounded by many trees (frequently overhanging the trail) and a lush undergrowth. Now however the trees were thin and short. The ground was often sparse between plants and the plants were all much smaller and "browner" as if more dried out. The trail led us past a multitude of beautiful flowers spectacular views of the forest behind us. One aspect of these views that seemed thematic for the day was our ability to see our trail both before us and behind us.

After about 3 and a half hours oh hiking our group reached the summit of a small plateau where the porters had stopped to prepare us lunch. We were offered the usual assortment of fruits and vegetables that included avocados, passion fruit, mango, etc. The main course for the meal was a beef (of some variety) burger and some pasta. It was quite tasty and was nice to just sit in the nice hot sun instead of hiking for a bit. Justin described to us a bit of what the afternoon hike would be like and before long, we got up to resume the trail.

The trail continued up many steep ridges. We were quickly told more details still, many of which were prompted by our groups inquiries. Kilimanjaro is a volcanic mountain formed from the merging of 3 different volcanoes, Kibo, Mawenzie, and Shira. The three are listed there in descending height order. Our climb today took us along the north side of Shira. Shira is the most western peak and by moving around it we would find ourselves in a very shallow saddle facing the main summit of Kibo. The specific path that we were taking was commonly known as the "elephant's back". The trail follows a narrow ridge that frequently alternates between rises and falls, some shallow and some steep. In speaking with one of the assistant guides I also learned some history about the name of the mountain, Kilimanjaro. It is believed to be an English adaptation to the locals term for it, which meant "shiny" referencing the summit's glaciers.

About an hour before reaching the final campsite for the day we rounded a final ridge of Shira and received our first glimpse of Kibo in the distance. The peak rose from what seemed like a level plain and climbed into its own set of clouds, masking the actual summit from view. It has been 13 years, nearly to the day, since I first had a view like this and it was good to be on the mountain again. We could see many of the glaciers that rose up the sides of the mountain and we would have similarly great views for days to come (non-stop). Only a few minutes further down the trail we all stopped and took some time for a few group pictures. We continued a bit longer onto the Shira Plateau to the night's campsite, the West Side Camp. In total we hiked about 4.9 miles and gained 2,000 ft of elevation in approximately 5 hours and 48 minutes. This brought our total ascent time to 7 hours and 52 minutes.

It was about 3:00 in the afternoon when everyone reached camp. We signed in and all first headed to our tents to change into more comfortable clothes. Archer, Harrison and I all spent some time reading, Sabrina worked in her journal and Kelly and Liesje took a nap. After a while I moved onto doing some writing of my own and Archer took a stint laying outside sun-bathing. At 4:30 most of the group congregated in the mess tent for a snack of popcorn and socializing before dinner.

Dinner began with a sweet potato soup. It was followed by a spinach and carrots, with a chicken-curry of sorts served on rice. Maybe it has been because the evenings all felt cold but the soup both nights so far has been the highlight of the meals (not to say the other food was anything to complain about). As usual, we had some ridiculous conversations (the details of which will be spared from this entry). After dinner was time for bed. There was a brief time for us each to admire the the stars. When there are no clouds, no trees and no lights you can really see a LOT of them!