Mount Kilimanjaro Day 2 - July 15th

July 15th, 2008:

We began today’s 6-7 hour trek early at 6 am. Again, in a scene that would be played out each morning of the trek, we were awakened by a porter with a thermos of hot tea. Shortly thereafter, a dish of hot water and soap would be placed outside. We would then meet for breakfast. Our first breakfast was outstanding, and consisted of porridge, eggs, franks, beans, and a fruit.

Similar to yesterday’s hike, today’s hike wasn’t overwhelming difficult. The hike began cold and wet, but we soon climbed out of the rainforest and to sub-alpine desert, an environment that consisted of rocks and very little vegetation. The temperature warmed slightly and the mist ended. After 7-8 hours of hiking we arrived at our camp in the early afternoon having climbed from 3100 meters to 3800 meters. The camp, a smattering of colorful tents, is set in a beautiful location above the clouds, and offered the first views of the Kilimanjaro summit. As of yet, we hadn’t been able to see the summit because of the consistently overcast skies in the area. Having arrived in the early afternoon we relaxed for a little while and then took a few minutes to meet all of our porters. We met our assistant guides Stick (He is tall and lanky), Benedict, and our camp manager Crespo, all people who would be critical additions to the trip come summit day.

Shortly after our introduction, Moses brought us to a location approximately 100 meters higher than our camp in order to acclimatize. After an hour, we headed back to our camp for dinner and everyone was in bed shortly after. In general everyone has been in good health, the exception is Carolina, who was sick throughout the day and is now developing a cold. Not good, considering the amount of hiking we will be doing over the next few days.

You might be asking, “Where do you go to the bathroom”? While on the trail we stop for bathroom breaks and basically go wherever, for the girls, this is usually behind a large rock. At the camp locations small wooden latrines/outhouses are provided, and these are typically pretty awful. This evening, we found that someone had missed the square hole completely, leaving a lovely smelling present for everyone that used the latrine after.