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| Machame Route, Camp1 to Shira Camp |
After
a cold, clammy first night– everything was wet from condensation, I awoke
shivering to a cup of hot coffee, millet porridge, and fresh bacon!, as
prepared by the camp chef. It was amazing to think that all of these condiments
were schlepped up the mountain the day before by some poor porter, just to
indulge my western decadence. I’d been a bit knackered carrying my 30 lb.
backpack, and this poor soul had lugged a full pack, plus another 45 lb. duffel
bag on his head! A truly amazing feat of athleticism and endurance. The well-groomed
trail of the lower section was replaced by a steep, rocky path that went
straight up – absolutely no switch backs. As you may suspect, we climbed in
altitude rather quickly and the air became increasing more “sparse.”
Fortunately, the higher altitude served eliminate the oppressive heat of the
previous day.
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The Trail Turns Very Steep and Rocky. |
Because
the climbing became slightly more technical, with a bit of low grade class 3,
there would be frequent logjams on the tail as the porters struggled with their
loads, and the “greenhorns” struggle with their relative lack of climbing
skills. One would think this would be a sure formula for discord; instead, just
the opposite occurred. Instead, the groups from the various guide services came
together to trade information, swap stories. It was like a traveling cocktail
party where everyone smelled bad, and the euphoria caused by a mix of
adrenaline and of hypoxia replaced drunkenness! I can’t emphasize this fact
enough, the trail atmosphere was really fun and I hardly heard a word of
complaint from anyone. The other amazing fact was that the climbers were pretty
nearly equally proportioned, there were at least as many female climbers as
there were male climbers. Single guys, if you are looking for a good place to
meet your next, future ex-wife -- I suggest a trek on Kili!
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Mt. Meru
(15,850 ft.)
in Kenya Towering Over Serengeti.
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| One Tough Porter Carrying Our Food! |
After
about 8 hours of climbing we reached Shira Camp; a windswept stretch of
volcanic rock where the jungle had transitioned to a weird moor-like vegetation
zone. Trees that resembled pinion pines or junipers were draped with long
flowing greenish-yellow moss. The backdrop would not have been out of place in a
Tim Burton film!
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| "Tim Burton" Ghost Forest. |
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| Local “Pet” of the Climbers,
a White banded Raven. This Thing was Big, Smart, and Sneaky! |
The air was still humid and clammy and the temperature dropped rapidly at sundown. Just before sundown, the skies cleared and a magical sight appeared on the horizon. The picture below does not do true justice to view.
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| Kilimanjaro Summit at Dusk, Camp 2. |
In order to fight altitude sickness, one of
the preventative measures available to climbers is the pharmaceutical Diamox.
Diamox tends to acidify the blood and allows for a higher overall blood oxygen
concentration. Diamox also tends to induce frequent urination; which is
typically not a big deal, UNLESS YOU ARE CAMPING HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS. Then
having to get up and pee three or four times is a real inconvenience. First,
one waits until “it” can no longer be held. Then roll out of the sleeping bag;
hunt round for the headland and shoes. They were left outside of the rain fly,
and are frozen solid. After 10 minutes of struggling to get my feet into the
boots; I was finally able to struggle out to the porta-latrine that the camp
manager had set up.
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| Shira Camp |
After
“completing business” I stepped back out into the inky blackness, put on my
glasses and looked up. The spectacle made me gasp. The southern sky is alive
with new and strange constellations; one can see Canopus and Alpha Centauri.
The southern-cross points the way south. The clouds of Magellan sparkle and
glimmer like ghosts hear the horizon. Orion is upside down! Finally, once the
eyes adjust, one can read a newspaper on a moonless night. The spectacle is like
a planetarium show; but real! I assume that this view is what the astronauts
see every time they look out from the Cupola
viewing area on the International Space Station. Wow!
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