Climbing Kilimanjaro: Last Day In Tanzania & Back Home to Minnesota

     I awoke at 5:30am in a warm hotel room as the day slowly started to brighten.  My legs were a bit tired, but I felt good overall and was looking forward to spending a relaxing day in Moshi before going to the airport late in the day to start the journey back home.  I saw several trekkers off to the airport at 7am, including my tent mate, as they were flying to the exotic island of Zanzibar on the east coast of Tanzania for a relaxing post-trek week on the beach.  I checked email and drank some water before meeting the remainder of the trekking group at 9am for a late breakfast.  My appetite had returned and the meal was good.

Morning at the Sal Salinero Hotel in Moshi, Tanzania

     I bid farewell to four more of our group as they loaded up on a bus and headed out for a week-long safari starting in one of Tanzania’s beautiful national parks.  With only three of us left, we took a taxi into town and walked around a bit.  

Walking around Moshi on a warm October morning

I wanted to mail my summit certificate home, but the post office was closed, so I settled for getting a thick piece of paper tubing to protect it in my luggage.  After buying some souvenirs and eating a nice, long lunch outside in the shade, we dropped off one trekker at a hostel (she was taking a bus the next day to the coast, where she could catch a ferry to Zanzibar).  

Tanzania version of the Blues Brothers-mobile

The last two of us shared a taxi to the Kilimanjaro International Airport about an hour west of Moshi and I bid farewell to her, as she was headed to Morocco for another adventure.

Departing the hotel and headed for the airport

     With several hours to kill before I could check in for my 8pm flight to Amsterdam, I found a chair, put my legs up on my luggage and proceeded to pass the afternoon by reading my book (a very interesting history of the German and British WWI campaigns in the Kilimanjaro area) and sweating (the airport was open to the 90+ degree F afternoon temps).  Finally, the counter opened and I was able to check in.  KLM provided me with a lounge pass (not sure why, but I was thankful – maybe it was the roundtrip I took with them to Delhi, India last year on my way to Nepal), so I spent some time sitting around a large air conditioned room munching on free, crispy samosas and drinking sweet, refreshing Krest tonic water out of a cold glass bottle. 

     Nearing flight time, I went through security and walked across the tarmac and boarded the plane.  There was a bit of excitement when a young gentleman on the other end of my row took off his jacket and revealed a large scorpion on his shoulder.  After some yelling, swiping and skilled stomping by one of the nearby passengers, the co-pilot came back to verify the scorpion was dead and we took off shortly before 9pm.  It was a quick one-hour flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and de facto capital.  Many passengers got off, a cleaning crew did a quick job in the cabin, many new passengers got on and we departed for the 9-hour flight to Amsterdam.   

     I got in a couple of movies, a couple of meals and a couple hours of sleep before landing in Amsterdam.  I enjoy that airport and had a nice breakfast, including my first ‘real’ coffee in a week (it was all instant coffee in Tanzania, although I had picked up some coffee beans grown at one of the many coffee plantations on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro).  I picked up some tulip bulbs for my wife, walked around the terminals for a while, cleaned up a bit and changed into a clean shirt and socks before catching the 8-hour flight west to Minneapolis.  I didn’t get much sleep, but three movies and a couple of meals later, we landed and I was greeted by my family after going through customs.  It was great to see them, and I while was a bit sad that my adventure was over, I was happy to be home.

Blossoming flowers on the streets of Moshi near our lunch spot

Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 6 from Millenium Camp to Mweka Gate

     Exhausted from the long summit day, I slept solidly until 4:30am, the type of sleep where time passes in a heartbeat and you have no memory of dreaming, or even moving.  I dozed off, woke up to drink some water about every twenty minutes and continued this pattern until a bit after 6am.  At an altitude of 12,600ft above sea level, the breathing was easier and the morning sun was bright as I crawled out of the tent.  Kilimanjaro was beautifully framed by the clear blue sky to the north and we took some nice pictures after breakfast.

The author with Kilimanjaro in the background

     As a trekking team, we put together our tips for the G Adventures team and gave them to our lead guide, who then divided the money up among the team members.  Guides earned the most, followed by the cook and then the porters (aka “G Fighters”).  We also pulled together a nice pile of gear that we were willing to part with – everything from a nice jacket to socks to sweaters to extra snacks – and the G Adventures team took turns selecting items.  Following this, and the lead guide’s announcement of the tips, we celebrated by singing the Kilimanjaro song and danced a bit on tired legs.  My fellow trekkers elected me to give a short speech, and on behalf of the trekkers, I recognized each group within the G Adventures team and thanked them for all of their support and friendly professionalism in helping us to safely enjoy the trek and climb Kilimanjaro.  

I'm just too tired to do much dancing

     Eager to complete the trek, we departed Millennium Camp about 8:45am for the last five hours of hiking.  The weather stayed fairly nice despite some clouds rolling in as we descended back into the rainforest less than an hour later.  The trail was in good shape, although a bit slippery and muddy in some sections, as a couple of hours passed and we reached Mweka Camp at 10:30am.  We took a short rest and had a snack, but knew that we still had three more hours before the end.  The guides motivated us by describing the delicious lunch that awaited us, so we got up on tired legs and started down the trail again.

View of Moshi in the distance as we hike towards Mweka Camp

     The last three hours were long and I checked my watch more often than usual, willing the time to pass as we walked through the green rainforest.  The last hour was perhaps the most difficult, as my knees were starting to painfully throb from the constant descent, but the trail finally leveled out a bit and wound back and forth through the greenery. 

A nice, flat section of the trail through the rainforest

At each turn, we hoped to see Mweka Gate, and finally did just shortly before 2pm.  We took some pictures, signed in at the ranger station, and hobbled over to a large table for a welcome lunch of hot stew and warm pops.  I changed into sandals and sat down as it started to rain again – somehow fitting to finish in the rain, as we had essentially started five day earlier in the rain.

So happy to see Mweka Gate

   But the rain didn’t last long and we slowly walked back over to the gate area after lunch.  The guides presented us with our summit certificates and we then loaded up the bus at 3pm for the ride back to Moshi. 

The author and the G Adventures guides

I really enjoy this time of every trek I go on (the ride back to the hotel, whether long or short) because I can quietly reflect on accomplishing my goal, am tired in a way that I know I’ve done my best, and am looking forward to cleaning up for a celebration dinner with my fellow trekkers.  The ride passed quickly and we were back at the Sal Salinero Hotel in Moshi.

Ahhh, time to celebrate

     I packed my dirty trekking clothes and gear into one bag and retrieved some nice clean clothes from the bag that I had left in storage at the hotel.  Fortunately, there was plenty of hot water.  It’s always a great feeling when I get a hot shower after six hard days of hiking.  Several of us met for drinks at 7pm at the hotel bar and the Kilimanjaro brand bottle of beer was cold, refreshing and tasty.  All of us were at dinner at 7:30pm and we had a nice meal together.  Most went to bed after dinner, but I went back to the hotel bar for one more drink with some of the group and we had a nice time talking about the trek and sharing some of the funnier moments of the last six days.  I went to bed at 11pm – the air conditioning wasn’t working in the hot Tanzanian evening, but the mattress felt great and I had no trouble falling asleep.

Next up:  My last day in Tanzania as our trekking group disperses to the beaches of Zanzibar, an African safari, a Morocco adventure, and Minnesota.

Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 5 to the Summit of Kilimanjaro

     The night was cold, the air crisp with a bit of wind coming out of the east as we slowly started up the mountain from Barafu Camp.  I occasionally took the opportunity to look up the mountain when there was a pause in our progress.  There was a string of headlamps from other trekkers, and the night sky was once again clear and beautiful.  The constellation Cassiopeia looked like the letter "M" right above the mountain, partially illuminated by a half moon that rose sometime after 1am with an initial reddish hue.  The trail was a bit rocky in places, but it primarily consisted of volcanic ash and scree.

      The cold slowly soaked its way into my clothes as the hours passed towards dawn and I almost stopped to pull out my thicker gloves, but I knew that the sunrise was not far off and would help warm me up.  Listening to music helped me pass the hours as my world became a small spot of illuminated trail in front of my dusty boots. During a short break, I was able to look south and see the city of Moshi illuminated in the valley below us, while to the north east, I was able to see some scattered lights across the border into the country of Kenya. 

     With the moon high overhead, the sky eventually started getting lighter to the east and the sun finally broke over the horizon, directly over Mawenzi (Kilimanjaro's second highest point) and brought some warmth and optimism that we were getting close to the top. This moment was worth taking a break and getting a picture.

Sunrise over Africa as the rays illuminate the top of Mawenzi

     Looking up the slope, I could see the top as the trail got steeper.  Our single trekking group had spaced out into several smaller groups during the night, and I was in the first group until fading a bit in the thin air as I struggled to catch my breath.  I took a couple of minutes to catch my breath and then started slowly making my way up the last several hundred feet to Stella Point, right on crater rim, and made it there at 7:30am.

The author casting his shadow into the crater from Stella Point

     My legs were tired and I was still struggling a bit to completely catch my breath, but I didn't hesitate in continuing on despite the summit sign looking tiny in the distance.  One of the guides was staying at Stella Point, so I left my rucksack with him and took just my water bottle and camera.  With another 500 feet of elevation to climb, and some distance to go around the crater rim to the west, I simply leaned on my trekking poles and went really slow (a movement called the "Kili Shuffle") towards the summit.  I stopped a couple of times to rest, but finally made it to the top of Kilimanjaro at 8:20am.

Uhuru Peak - the highest point in Africa at 19,341ft

      Several of my faster trekking mates were already at the summit and we celebrated with some hugs, high fives and photos.  It was crowded and it took some time to get a picture alone at the iconic summit sign.  We didn't hang around too long, and started down after about 20 minutes of enjoying the views of the dazzling blue-white glaciers and the massive crater.

Massive crater at the top of Kilimanjaro

      Walking back down the trail towards Stella Point, I passed my tent mate Matt and encouraged him to keep going, as he wasn't too far from the summit.  After getting back to Stella Point a bit after 9am, I rested for about half an hour.  My water was half frozen (the insulating sock idea didn't work well) and I was feeling a bit dehydrated, but I drank water and forced myself to eat a small snack despite having no appetite (a common symptom of being at high altitude).

Glaciers at the summit - the 'Snows of Kilimanjaro'

     Some hikers like going downhill, but I'm not one of them because it is tough on the knees.  But it was time to descend back to Barafu Camp, so I threw on my rucksack and several of us started down the trail along with a couple of the guides.  The trail was very dusty, with lots of volcanic ash, scree and rocks.  It looked nothing like what I imagined we had walked up in the dark.  I often alternated walking slightly to the side so that it was easier on my knees and legs, and we took the occasional break along the way.  There were frequent sections with thick dust that we simply slid down, creating clouds of fine ash that soon coated us.  I didn't take many photos, but we saw Barafu Camp below from a distance and were glad to finally reach it at 12:15pm.

       The plan was to eat lunch, get a couple hours of rest, and then descend another two hours down to Millennium Camp.  After downing some sports drink and a couple of bites of food, I stumbled over to my tent on rubbery legs and simply collapsed onto my sleeping bag.  Breathing hard, both my feet and face were almost painfully tingly.  I knew that I was a bit dehydrated and lay there trying to think about the last time I had been this exhausted.  Between the hiking the previous day and the long summit hike, I estimated that I'd been hiking for 20 of the previous 29 hours, all of it above an elevation of 13,000ft.

      It rained a bit while I was waiting for my tent mate to return.  I did some personal hygiene, changed into some clean clothes and packed up my gear.  He arrived, successful in his summit attempt, and slept for a couple of hours.  One group left, but I waited for him and the two of us hiked with a couple of guides down to Millennium Camp, arriving there about 6:30pm.  We got a nice view of reddish Mawenzi in the fading light, but we were also fading, tired from the long day.

Mawenzi to the east, caressed by late afternoon clouds

     Coming into camp, we signed in at the ranger station and went right to the dining tent for a light dinner.  After the briefing, we went to the tent and simply crashed at about 8pm.  I knew that I would get my best night of sleep so far on the trek.  It was a very long day, but a very successful one for our team.  Despite an overall summit rate of 41% (includes all trekkers on all routes on the mountain), nine of us made it to the summit, while the other two made it to up to Stella Point.

Next up: Day 6 as we hike the final five (long) hours down to Mweka Gate to complete our Kilimanjaro trekking experience on tired legs and throbbing knees.

Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 4 from the Barranco Wall to Barafu Camp

     It was either jetlag or excitement (or both), but I woke up at 1:15am and then slept on and off until 5:45am with the occasional odd dream.  I packed up my gear and went to the dining tent for breakfast in the early morning light.  It was cold, about 35 degrees F, and there was a light frost on the tents and ground, but the morning was nice and the valley quiet.  I dressed warmly while the Barranco Wall stood in shadow, not yet touched by the sunlight.

Campsite with the Barranco Wall in the background

     We left camp a bit before 8am and made a slight descent, crossing some frozen streams and walking among the giant groundsels before reaching the base of the Barranco Wall.

Looking back towards Barranco Camp

     My son worries about me quite a bit when I go on treks, but I had told him that based on my research, Kilimanjaro was mostly trails and wasn't really a mountain that you could fall off.  That information turned out to be a bit inaccurate as getting up the Barranco Wall involved some rock scrambling that required both hands and both feet (and sometimes all four at the same time).  The guides had instructed us the night before to put away our poles and I'm glad I did.  There were a couple of sections that could have gotten really interesting if someone had slipped.  The guides were there to helpfully point out handholds and explain how to get over certain spots.

Barranco Wall - a bit tricky in spots, but not too bad as long as you don't look down

     We made it to the top of the wall at 9:15am and enjoyed a couple of minutes of sunshine before the morning clouds rolled in on us.  After a brief rest, we continued on our way.  The plan for the day was a 5-mile hike through the Karanga Valley and up to Barafu Camp at an elevation of about 15,300ft.  Barafu is also considered 'base camp,' as this is where climbers (probably more accurate to be called trekkers) depart for the summit.

Walking across the slopes of Kilimanjaro towards Karanga Camp

     Right before getting to Karanga Camp, where a hot lunch was waiting for us, we had to go down into a steep valley using dusty trails with tough footing, and then back up the valley to the camp.  This is the last spot on the Machame Trail with water, so the "G Fighters" (we didn't call them porters) had to bring up water for drinking and cooking.  It was nice to get into the camp about 11:30am and we enjoyed a nice lunch of 'coco and chips' - fried chicken and French fries, along with some tea. 

Karanga Camp

     Some trekking groups take an extra day and stay overnight at Karanga Camp.  This gives them the advantage of having two short hiking days and plenty of rest at Barafu before attempting to summit.  We, however, were on the 6-day trek and departed after lunch at about 1pm so that we could get to Barafu.  The temperature varied from 40-55 degrees F depending on how much sun we got.  There were mostly clouds as the trail out of Karanga seemed to steadily climb a ridgeline further up the mountain for about an hour and a half before we got onto a nice section of rolling trail.  We then got more sunshine and some nice views down the mountain and into the valley, where we could see the city of Moshi two miles below us and many miles distant.

Looking back along the afternoon trail

     The last section for the day was a steep trail up to Barafu Camp as the air continued to get thinner.  We were glad to finally see colorful tents and signed in at the ranger station about 4pm. 

Barafu Camp - steep, littered and full of loose rock and scree

     It had been a long, tough day of hiking, but the day really wasn't over.  We'd get some time to rest, have dinner and then get only three or so hours of sleep/rest before getting out of our tents at 11pm to get ready for a start at the summit about 12:30am. 

Tired legs not happy to walk down the slope to our campsite

   
     I spent some time in my tent doing some personal hygiene, changing into some clean clothes and laying out my clothes and equipment for the summit attempt.  At this altitude, I was very particular about what I was planning to wear (because of the cold weather for the nighttime climb) and carry (because I didn't want to carry any unnecessary weight).  My legs were tired, so I was hoping to get some sleep after dinner.

     Dinner was at 6pm and I went back to my tent afterwards.  Despite being tired, I got some rest, but I don't think I ever really got to sleep before one of the guides stopped by our tent, shook one of the poles and let my tent mate and I know that it was 11pm.  We grumbled a bit, but quickly got up.

     Still a bit tired, but excited and ready to head for the summit, I quickly got dressed and rechecked the gear that I was planning to carry.  My clothing consisted of layers:

Head - balaclava and knit cap
Top - wool long-sleeved underwear top, long-sleeved dry wicking shirt, heavy sweater and a Columbia jacket shell (wind-/waterproof and breatheable)
Bottom - underwear, wool underwear pants, lightweight hiking pants, and insulated trekking pants
Hands - thin glove liners and medium-weight windproof gloves
Feet - medium-weight wool socks and hiking boots

      And in my rucksack I carried: 2 water bottles (each covered by a sock to help insulate it from the cold), snacks, a pair of heavy gloves, an extra pair of socks, camera, iPod (some music to make the time go by and take my mind off the climb), sunglasses, sunscreen, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and some meds.

A daytime view of the way towards the summit of Kilimanjaro

     It was dark and below freezing as we stumbled over loose rocks to the dining tent for a snack of hot drinks and cookies.  We finally got everything and everyone together and left our campsite at 12:30am (now officially Day 5) - 5 guides, 2 assistants and 11 trekkers.  The sky was clear and once again the Milky Way was beautiful.  A 'new' recognizable constellation, Orion, lay on his side against the horizon to the east.  We peered up the dark slope and saw a string of lights higher on the mountain from the climbers who had started earlier in the night.  This is what I had trained many months for - going to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro over 4,000ft above us.

Next up: Day 5 from Barafu Camp to the Summit and back down to Barafu Camp and Millennia Camp.

Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 3 from Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

     After waking up about 1:30am, I slept on and off until 6am and then got up, packed up and dressed.  Crawling out of the tent in the early morning sun, I got a nice view of Mt. Meru about 40 miles to the west, its peak in the sunlight and its base surrounded by clouds.

Mt. Meru, an active volcano almost 15,000ft high

     Breakfast was good and we finally got on the trail by 8:20am in sunny conditions with a temp of 65 degrees F.  The views were great as we headed up a ridgeline and slowly moved into a layer of clouds crossing the mountain.  Fortunately, the wind seemed to keep the clouds from thickening into rain, so we stayed dry.

Trekking team following one of the guides up the path

     The volcanic rocks were covered with lichens and a loose moss, but that was the extent of the vegetation as the terrain turned into a pallet of grays and browns.  We made steady progress and the team was doing well, with occasional breaks ever hour or so.  At 1pm, we walked through the fog and made it to the high point of the day - Lava Tower at 15,190ft. 

Lava Tower hiding in the midday fog

     It was a good place for lunch and we ate and rested for a while.  The temp was down to 45 degrees F, so I put on another layer to stay warm and retied my hiking boots for the afternoon descent.  I was a bit short of breath and my head felt a bit weird from the high altitude, but it was a familiar feeling from being at elevation before and I knew that heading down to Barranco Camp would be nice.

     The first quarter-mile or so was very rocky and the trekking poles came in handy, but the trail quickly smoothed out and made the descent a fairly easy walk.



Over 2,000ft down to Barranco Camp

     After the rain and fog of the first two days, the afternoon was a very welcome change and we got some more views of the mountain as we walked down the valley.  There were some odd trees called giant grounsels, as well as several waterfalls, some caves and massive ash falls along the slopes.  It was a good reminder that we were on a volcano.

Passing giant grounsels along the trail to camp

    
     We saw the colorful tents of the camp far down the valley and eventually made our way into Barranco Camp at 3:30pm.  We signed in at the ranger camp and then walked across the open ground to our campsite.  I did some personal hygiene, took some pictures and changed out my hiking boots for some light sandals (my feet were quite pleased).  There were snacks and drinks in the dining tent, so we sat around talking and later ate a great dinner of beef stew, macaroni noodles and chapatis.

G Adventures campsite

     We did the after-dinner routine and decided to call it an early night because the plan was to start by 7am in the morning in order to navigate the Barranco Wall while it was still cold and frozen.  Like today, it would be another long day of hiking and we'd gain altitude again.  It was cold enough to see my breath as I walked to the tent.  The Milky Way was again on display and it was nice to spend a bit of quiet time looking at the sky.  I was in my tent by 8pm, read for about an hour and went to sleep at 9pm.

 

Next up: A long day of hiking up the Barranco Wall and then along the south face of Kilimanjaro to Karanga Camp, and then on to Barafu Camp.

 

Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 2 from Machame Camp to Shira Camp

     I slept well until about 2am and then on and off until about 6am, when there was increasing sunlight and lots of noise from nearby groups.  I simply laid in my sleeping bag until 7am resting and then got up, packed up my gear and went to the dining tent for breakfast.  The meal was good and I enjoyed the millet porridge, mocha, eggs and sausage (amazing like American hot dogs).

Sunny morning in Shira Camp

    
     The day started with fairly clear skies and sun, so it was nice to simply wear a short sleeve shirt and hiking pants as we started out of camp about 8:30am.  It was planned as a short hiking day, a bit over three miles, but we had to gain over 3,000ft of elevation doing it.  The trail was muddy and steep as we continued up the mountain.

Looking back down the trail at Machame Camp

   Unfortunately for us, the clouds rolled in about an hour into the day's hike and it was like walking through a cloud, made more real by the fact that it started raining about 11am.  We saw little scenery and there were few opportunities to take pictures.  The trail eventually got a bit more gradual, but it also got muddier and the frequent rocks made it a balancing act in spots as we continued to slowly ascend.  Having trekking poles was a positive, as they helped me avoid several falls and slips.

     By now we were out of the rainforest and into the next of Kilimanjaro's multiple ecosystems - the heather, or heath zone.  Once we reached the top of the Shira Plateau, we paused for a quick snack and then descended about 20 minutes to camp and signed in at the camp hut around 1:30pm.  Shira Camp is at an elevation of about 12,500ft, but I was feeling pretty good despite being tired of the rain.

   We were starting to get a sense of the massive size of Kilimanjaro - 60 miles by 47 miles.  Shira is the westernmost of the three peaks and the lowest in elevation.  The other two are Mawenzi to the far east, and Kibo in the center.  Uhuru Peak, our destination on Day 5, is the highest point on Kibo's crater rim at 19,341ft.

Our camp at Shira with the red dining tent

     We finally got some time to eat our lunch and sat around the leaky dining tent (now saturated with two days of rain), drinking hot beverages and talking until the late afternoon.  The skies finally let up about 5pm and the G Adventures team invited us outside for our celebratory 'welcome to the mountain' event with singing and dancing. 

     It was a fun time and we learned some of the lyrics from the Kilimanjaro Song (also known as the Jambo song), which can be translated from the Swahili language:    

Hello! Hello sir!
How are you? Very well!
Guests, you are welcome!
Kilimanjaro? No trouble!

Walk slowly, slowly. No trouble!
You’ll get there safe. No trouble!
Drink plenty of water. No trouble!

Kilimanjaro! Kilimanjaro!
Kilimanjaro, such a high mountain.

Also Mawenzi, also Mawenzi!
Also Mawenzi such a high mountain.

Like a snake, like a snake!
Like a snake you wrap around me

You wrap around me, you wrap around me
Trying to eat me like a piece of meat

Trekkers and the great G Adventures Team; author in the blue shirt on the left

     After a delicious dinner, we checked our pulse and pulse ox, and got the briefing for the next day.  Day 3 was a longer day - seven hours of hiking to Barranco Camp at just over 13,000ft of elevation, but an important one for altitude acclimatization, as we'd hike up to a high of 15,200ft at Lava Tower, but then descend lower for camp.  This would help our bodies get adjusted to the thinner air as we continued up the mountain. 

     After some after-dinner talking, I made my way to the tent about 9:30pm and was asleep, warm in my bag by 10pm.



Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 1 from Machame Gate to Machame Camp

     After an early breakfast, we loaded our gear on a bus and drove west from the city of Moshi to Machame Gate at Kilimanjaro National Park.  There are several different routes on Kilimanjaro, but our trekking group was taking a 6-day adventure on the Machame Trail, a scenic trail that has a good success rate for summiting the mountain.  While the guides got us checked in and the porters organized and weighed bags, we relaxed in a covered shelter area and waited. 

Machame Gate - clean clothes and fresh legs

The wait turned to a couple of hours and we ate a 'box lunch' of fried chicken, vegetable samosa, cookies and mango juice.  I elected not to eat the donut, which was later grabbed out of the refuse bin by a hungry and inquisitive monkey.

     We finally got onto the trail and it was good to feel the weight of my rucksack on my back and the dig of my trekking poles into the trail after several days of travel and months of training.  The trail was well-maintained and gradually climbed up through the rainforest.  However, about half an hour up the trail, it started to rain.  Makes sense, right?  Raining in a rainforest shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was still relatively warm, so we threw on some light raingear and continued at a nice pace. 

On the trail to Machame Camp

 



     We continued on through the afternoon, enjoying the green environment and learning about each other.  When you spend lots of hours each day hiking, there is plenty of time to tell stories, ask questions and start to bond as a trekking group.  The rain tapered off about 3:45pm and we walked into Machame Camp about 5pm.  The day had been fairly easy - about 7 miles with a ~4,000ft elevation gain.

 

Walking into Machame Camp



 



      The guides were helpful and the G Adventures team was great.  Our tents were set up and our bags were already in the tent.  We dropped off our rucksacks and headed over to a large dining tent for hot drinks and snacks.  With a table and chairs, this was a nice way to do a trek.  Dinner was served about 6:45pm - potato and leek soup, spaghetti and fresh avocado slices.  A group camped next to us was outside doing the 'welcome to the mountain' event with singing and dancing (our event was planned for Day 2) and it was nice to sit back and relax.

     Our guides gave us a briefing after dinner for the Day 2 events and we all were checked for pulse and pulse ox (the amount of oxygen in one's blood).  I wasn't feeling any effects of altitude and the day's effort had been fairly easy.  The plan for the next day was a wake up at 7am, breakfast at 7:15am and a start time of 8am for the hike from Machame Camp to Shira Camp.

     The sun set while we were eating dinner, and the skies had cleared of clouds, so we were greeted with an amazing night sky full of stars, with the Milky Way spread in a hazy line across the heavens.  Being in the southern hemisphere, the only constellation I recognized was Scorpio.  After staring up for a while, I went to the tent, read a little bit using my headlamp and was asleep about 10pm.

     Next up: A short, steep hike up to Shira Camp.