Southern Circuit

Day 5 began with a steep climb up the infamous Barranco Wall, a vertical rocky slope with narrow ledges. Views looking back over the valley were impressive, but even more impressive was watching the porters ascending like mountain goats while carrying heavy loads on their backs and heads.  Once we reached the top, we were literally standing above the clouds.  The trail continued through the Alpine desert along the Southern Circuit to Karanga camp.  While some members of our group are dealing with various ams (altitude mountain sickness) symptoms, so far I’ve been fortunate only fighting off an occasional headache.  Our guides monitor everyone closely and have been extremely attentive and supportive. 

The next morning we were greeted with a beautiful golden sunrise, clear skies and an amazing view the summit.  Our ascent on Day 6 continued up the rocky slopes leaving the clouds in the valleys below us until reaching our base camp at 16,000ft.  Enjoyed views of the Southern Icefields along the way.  We spent the afternoon resting and preparing for our final summit attempt.. 

Alpine Desert

Clouds and rain accompanied us the next few days while fresh snow fell on the summit.  

  Day 3 was long covering 9 miles which included an afternoon acclimatization hike up to 14,000 ft.  Upon return to camp, our team greeted us with a local song & dance celebration.  Day 4 started out in rain and sleet with steep climbs and impressive views on our way to Lava Tower at 15,000 ft.   We’re now in the alpine desert zone where the terrain resembles a moonscape covered in lava rocks with Kibo towering above us.  The trail descended into the lush Barranco Valley passing giant groundsel trees, cacti and other unusual vegetation to our camp below the Barranco Wall. 

Climbing Kilimanjaro

Arrived in Tanzania yesterday and we’re here to climb one of the top 7 summits of the world, Mt Kilimanjaro.  It is the highest peak on the African continent at 19,341 ft. and tallest free standing mountain in the world.  Our 8 day journey follows the Lemosha route which is considered the most scenic trail on the mountain and passes thru 4 climate zones on our way to the summit.  I’ve joined 8 fellow hikers and we’ll be led and assisted by our awesome guides and porters from Ultimate Kilimanjaro.  

We started our climb at 7850 ft. elevation in warm temps hiking thru the rainforest during first few days. On day 2, we transitioned into the Moorland climate zone crossing the Shira plateau and reaching our camp at 11,500 ft.  As the sun set, the clouds parted to reveal a breathtaking view of “Kili”, but it still seems so far away.  The temps cooled off significantly at night.  The meals have been incredible and usually include rice or pasta paired with vegetables, proteins and fruits.