Mount Kilimanjaro Expedition 2012

Day 1: Moshi to Machame Camp

The Journey Begins...

Today, the journey we have been preparing for for so long finally begins. It is a lovely March day, beautiful blue clouds overhead, and not a hint of what really lays ahead. Arriving at Machame Gate I am astonished by the hustle and bustle of activity. Then, finally, we found our mountain crew. If I had known then what I know now, I would have paid a lot more attention to the amazing ten men that will become our family in the next few days.

We dropped off our gear, and quickly performed the traditional "signing in" ritual. The porters were already covering our duffel bags with larger, waterproof bags, and getting it weighed. To ensure that the porters are not taken advantage of, the Kilimanjaro National Park has put a limit on the weight that each porter is allowed to carry: a maximum of 20kg, including his own gear, which means that our duffel bags was not allowed to weigh more than 15kgs. But, luckily, 15kgs is more than enough for our own gear.

And then we were off. The trail starts in a wide, gradual 4x4 path. Sure, gradual enough it may be, but after hitting the first uphill, we realized with a jolt that we are going to be doing 5 days of uphill, always uphill. I quietly thanked my gym instructor for the hectic stair climbing program she had me on the last couple of months, and sent up a prayer for help and protection during the coming days.

Lunchtime...

Due to some technical difficulties with our flights, we started the hike late, around 12 o'clock. Which was why our respected Chief Guide, Freddie, decided to have lunch not long after we started. The porters came rushing past, carrying an amazing array of items on their backs - tables, chairs, tents, watermelon (yeah, watermelon!) This would become a pattern in the coming days, us, moving at our own leisurely pace, and the porters always coming from behind and rushing past.

Soon it was time for lunch, and this came as quite a surprise. A fully set table was waiting for us, complete with table cloth and properly laid out cutlery. It felt almost 'wrong' being served so nicely in this rugged environment. The food was presented by our personal waiter (yeah, waiter!) and was an absolute culinary joy. This too would become a pattern. I sometimes think we ate better on the mountain than I do at home.

The 4x4 route eventually ended, and the renovated mountain path began. The path kept on going up and up and up, gently guiding us to the first overnight spot, Machame Camp. Don't get me wrong, there was a number of pretty intense steep uphills, but the beauty of the rainforest and the occasional sound of streams gives more than enough distraction for your weary muscles. We were rewarded with a few glimpses of Kilimanjaro's peak... It takes your breath away and makes you realize the magnitude of the task you will be attempting to accomplish in the next few days. The rain forest really is beautiful, lush and green, and I can't help keeping an eye out for fairies and dwarves.

By the time we reached camp, we were tired to the bone! The porters has already set up everything, and we gratefully sat in the tent we will be calling home for the coming days. We were presented with the traditional 1.5L of water to clean with, and dressed nice and warm for the coming night.

Popcorn and tea was served, and not long after, we were treated to another delicious dinner, with soup as a starter. We were always served soup as a starter, after some hot tea and popcorn. Luckily, I like soup, and even after having it every day, I still do :)

After dinner and some jokes, we headed off to bed. I slept like a baby, nestled in the shadow of Africa's Giant, Mount Kilimanjaro.