Mount Kilimanjaro Expedition 2012

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Above the clouds...

It is quite something waking up on this mountain. The air is so much more crisp than any air I have ever breathed. The morning ritual includes something else... Another 1.5L of warm water to wash with! It is better in the morning, because if you washed the night before, you only need to wash your face and brush your teeth, a much more do-able tasks with little water. I decided to take some make-up with, and it amused the porters quite a bit to see me put it on every morning. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! :)

The hike this morning was a lot more strenous than yesterday, but, before you know it, you are looking down on the clouds. A constant rolling mist hides the sheer size of the valley below you. The vegetation gradually starts thinning out, and you are now truly in moorland. Strange moss-like plants are hanging from the branches of the trees.

There is one particularly tiring section on today's trail, and it involves a seemingly never-ending steep uphill. But, don't loose hope, because as soon as you reach the end of this section, it is time for lunch! We did not have lunch here, because Freddie decided that we are strong and fast enough to make the next camp with plenty of time for lunch.

The section after lunch is also quite interesting and a bit difficult, as it involves climbing up and over huge boulders. The porters seemingly perform death-defying acts of insanity, jumping up and over the boulders with the camp gear on their backs, and buckets and other utilities sticking out.

There is another reward waiting at the end of this section... downhill! And this particular downhill was a pleasant change after the steep uphills we traversed today. There are some pretty flowers and plants to admire on the way down.

Blanket...

At night, it gets cold, but the plants on the mountain have a genius strategy to deal with this. Most of the flowers close their leaves when the sun sets, and opens up again in the morning. This shields them from the biting effects of the cold. Other plants create a blanket around them. When their leaves dies, it does not fall to the ground, but rather wraps around the plant to create an insulating layer.

As per the norm, the porters already had everything set up at the next camp, Shira Camp. Shira Camp provides some magnificent views of Kibo, the summit peak of Kilimanjaro, and if the mist and clouds play along, Shira makes for some pretty decent photographs. Sunset in the valley is a stunning sight to behold.

It is also at Shira that you will start encountering huge black birds, called White Crested Ravens. They are the resident 'mafia' birds on the mountain, and rules it with an iron fist. Particularly keen on popcorn, these birds will scavange anything and everything laying around when they get the chance.

Looking back, it would seem today was one of the hardest days, particularly due to the long rock-jumping uphills. I am still a bit divided on uphills though... Is a long, gradual uphill better than a short, steep uphill? I still don't know...