The sun sets on Mt. Kilimanjaro after four club members return from a trip of a lifetime.
Mt. Meiru, which we saw each day of our climb, now looks northward at Kilimanjaro as our returning plane sweeps by on our way to Addis Ababa and Home!!
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| Wall Map |
Stats for the adventure: ~50 miles; ~20,000' elevation gain; 8 days !!!
Our route on the hotel’s conference room wall: Lemosho Route on left to Uluru (Freedom) Peak, highest point in Africa and the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro…our 7-day objective!
Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance beyond the fields.
Signing in at the Mt. Kilimanjaro entry point to pay fees and to register our ascent plans - the bus has our gear, and then some…!
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As we start our trek upward, a kind-looking local rain forest denizen observes us below.
An inspiring pep dance from our leader guide (left) and his assistants and porters as we prepare for the next day’s trek!
And up we go as we shall for the next few days, every day after a good sleep and a hearty breakfast!
These scavenging ravens accompanied us to each and every camp to try to land some delicate morsels from our fine chefs’ marvelous meals en route.
Mount Meiru (approx. 15,000’) loomed in the distance above the clouds each day…a comforting, though distant observer of our progress…!
And, the trails were lengthy and scenic and…very lengthy!!
The guides hamming it up on one of the local Joshua-like trees along the way --
Approaching the next camp way above the clouds…and still way below the summit, to be sure…!!
Early morning stroll near the campsite with the sun warming our skin and bones before the next leg up!
Our mess tent with our guides taking morning and evening pulse and oxygen levels before each morning and evening meals --
The climb up Barranca Wall, one of the most interesting climbs of the trek --
And those dear porters surely worked hard every day, without fail and without complaint!!
Leaving the pristine campground a thousand feet below ...
And, ascending apace we go!
Higher and higher ...
Laszlo, Rita, Setsuko and Chuck posing above the clouds ...
while a local porter on the ledge hams it up for the rest of us.
The eleven hikers and three guides take a happy pose — still a long way from the peak --
Heading to the next camp in the distance, about 1,000’ down and then 1,100 feet up until we get there, of course --
Getting near one of the upper camps --
A little afternoon lie-down before dinner in our lovely tent.
The sunset is nigh ...
Local four pose with Mt. Meiru as the usual backdrop --
The arch on the mountainside getting the next morning’s sun...
The Hearty Eleven and two guides ready for the day’s adventure upward --
We’ve come another long way, and have some more to go --
At Last Base Camp…only another 4,000’ feet to go in less than 4 miles in the middle of the night coming up…how delightful!!
Um…some folks do get some assistance coming back down from time-to-time...
Rest up….tomorrow’s the day!!
And, there we are…the lot of us at 7:30 in the early morning, after a 7.5 hour climb in the middle of the night!!
Proudly displaying our climbing achievement certificates at the celebratory farewell to our wonderful guides
An old coot in front of the ancient glacier we saw from below a few day earlier -- Thanks for the trip, Laszlo!
