Kilimanjaro Climb - Day 6

Wake at Mweka camp after a restless night, but thankfully the altitude hangovers are gone. We work out tips for the team. They rely heavily on tips from tourists for their income as they are not paid well, especially the porters. I can vouch for this by the inadequacy of their clothing and footwear. Our summit guides had no gloves, despite temperatures reaching -20° at the summit. Only a few porters had walking boots- the rest had ordinary day shoes or trainers.

We make the final descent to the park gate for registration and presentation of our completion certificates and a final song from the porters, before being transported back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel there is enough time for a fairly cold shower and a look around a local market to pick up some souvenirs before making our way home. Great experience, and very eye-opening.  If you have any old walking gear- boots, hats, gloves, waterproof clothing, please don’t throw them out. I am happy to send these things out for the porters to use and share, no matter how old and worn!

Kilimanjaro Climb - Day 5

8am- Heading for Barafu camp today, which is base camp before we begin the final ascent. Lovely clear morning, dry and sunny. Everyone beginning to acclimatise now, so we’re all in good spirits and feeling well. Six hours walking to base camp at 4600m/15100ft. Great views. Favourite day so far. Arrived 1230 for lunch- hot potato stew.  Afternoon siesta and evening meal then another rest before getting up at 11pm to prepare for final ascent.

Wake at 11pm for a cup of tea and leave at midnight. Full moon, so headlamps not needed. Very hard, very cold climb. Guides singing the whole way to keep up morale. Reached summit at 6:20am in time for sunrise.

Extremely windy, several groups don’t make an attempt to the final summit. Two who do are a ten-year-old boy and a woman in her seventies with an oxygen tank! Several individuals clearly unwell with altitude sickness and needing assistance to descend.

Thumping headaches and the extreme cold meant we could only spend a few minutes taking pictures before beginning a rapid descent back to base camp for an hour’s sleep, before descending further to Mweka camp at 3100m/10,100ft. It felt like the world’s worst hangover- headache, nausea, fatigue.  Nothing a couple of paracetamol and a couple of hours sleep couldn’t sort out.

Kilimanjaro Climb - Day 4

Only three hours walking today, because we need to complete a steep ascent along Barafu wall. Slightly scary scramble up an escarpment, very narrow with sharp drop to one side. Climbed from 4000m to 4674m today. Long traverse to Karanga camp. Everyone feeling unwell, but hot lunch of chips and coleslaw which was the best all week! After a short siesta, we take a 1 ½ hour walk to a higher altitude to acclimatise, then back down to camp for the night. Hot supper of chicken and rice.