Kilimanjaro, Hakuna Matata - Part 1

So, just back from an intense trip of just little more than a week, but it certainly feels like at least two. I have met some ace people, seen a new country, a new continent and summited a major peak: The highest one found in Africa. Yeah!
It was exciting, relaxing, stunning, educational and memorable. The trip was supposed to be a test for me in terms of coping with high altitude. I had a rough plan to do more mountaineering afterwards looking at Elbrus, Aconcagua and some 6000-7000m peaks in Asia. Coming back I cannot only say I passed the test with flying colours, no. I am totally hooked to mountaineering now. I can't wait to go onto my next trip!!! But let me tell you about this one here first.

27.12. 2014 Bristol - Amsterdam - Moshi
Travelling Day

My flight was to depart at around 6am from Bristol so I got up at 2:30am, jumped into my booked taxi (which was spot on timely), switched to airport shuttle bus and was on my plane all in good time. Unfortunately Amsterdam had some snow and our take-off was delayed by an hour. Shit.
Landed in Amsterdam after a bumpy ride and was told by the cabin crew that I would make my connection to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. Still I sprinted from terminal D to terminal B just in case and got there while they where right in the middle of boarding. Phew. This way I had no chance of meeting my fellow team members yet and I prayed to the God of air travel that my luggage had made it as well.
The flight was very pleasant and I enjoyed the stunning views of snowy Croatian mountains and the vast sands of Egypt and Sudan. Slept a little, did a few chapters in my study book and before I knew it we landed 8.5hrs later in Tanzania.

Egypt

The Kili airport is tiny, immigration took my picture and fingerprints and I was soon waiting for my luggage at the conveyor belt looking out for the Jagged Globe kit bags that all of us were supposed to bring. This way I found my fellow team members Christos, Gabriel, Aisling, Chris, Guy, Rachel and Tim and our leader/guide Mungo. What a diverse group coming from Scotland, England and China ranging in age from 25 to 71.
Unfortunately three kit bags hadn't found their way to Tanzania and especially Guy was screwed since he had been forced to check in his hand luggage as well and stood there with just the clothes he wore.
In an old bus we were driven to The Keys Hotel, had a very late dinner at around 11pm and a bit of an introduction round and quickly retired to our rooms. I was not unhappy to hear that apart from our oldest team member Tim, no one had real high altitude experience. We were all in the same boat.

28.12.2014 Moshi - Big Tree Camp 2750m / 9020ft
Let's Go

Breakfast in the morning featured scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh fruit, yeah!!! Totally my thing, ha! Talked a bit more of what was to come and I liked my team mates already. What a lovely bunch of people. So different but very easy going and I was sure that we would make a great group over the following days.
It took ages in a Westener's eyes for the local porters to get our kit bags onto the bus and sort things out between them. There is no such thing as time scales and the concept of organization and finishing off tasks at a certain point seems to be totally alien to the Tanzanian culture. Amazed we watched the guides walk to and fro, back and forth, the bus backing out of its parking lot and going in time and again for no reason at all. I'm sure there was a system, we just couldn't see it.
Mungo told us, that the best we could do, was to forget about time, forget about how long it takes and just relax and lean back. Everything will happen when it happens. There's no sense in asking how long something takes. So that's what we did.
Eventually we set off. Stopped at two supermarkets so our mates without luggage could get themselves some essential things like a toothbrush. They could borrow sleeping bags from the hotel and the rest of us gave them any spare kit so they had what they needed for the first day or days until their kit arrived.
Having just been to Mumbai I was prepared for the state the infrastructure was in. It was in fact pretty similar, but the Tanzanian people were very open and friendly where Indians were a bit more reserved. This is also something we Westeners are not used to. But we got along very well, even with the fly-pitchers who tried to sell us hats, pictures and wristbands.
Arrived after a 3hr ride in the early afternoon at Londorosi Gate to check in with the National Park administration. Again it took ages to get everything sorted so we waited patiently and this way dodged the 2:30pm rain.

My companions for the next few days

Another hour on the bus - including being stuck in mud and pushed out by 20-odd porters - got us to Lemosho Gate where our trek should finally start. Slowly we walked from there up through a nice sub tropical forest on a good but at times muddy path, spotted some colobus monkeys and enjoyed the fresh air, smells and sounds.

Arrived at Big Tree camp around 6pm, after lots of porters had passed us on the way. Our tents where already up as well as the mess tent and a toilet tent with our own small toilet in there. How cool is that? I had one of the nice spacious Terra Nova tents all to myself as Aisling had booked a single for her, so I had one as well as there was no one else to share mine with. Whoohoo!
Had dinner and Mungo told us pretty much everything about Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), how to recognize it and how to treat it. Very informative and we all were left with a mixture of relief (no one will die) and anxiousness (OMG I don't want that lung oedema!).

29.12.2014 Big Tree Camp - Shira I 3480m / 11420ft
Pole, Pole

I slept really well and we set off at 8:30am after a nice breakfast. The cook really tried to accommodate my diet which I had reduced from low-carb/paleo to no sugar, no wheat/gluten-free. We went very slowly again which is very much the opposite of what I am used to since I normally can hold a quite fast pace over several hours time. "Pole, pole" (slowly, slowly) was what we heard time and again from our local guides and porters passing by. Even below 4000m conservation of energy is very important and can make the difference between success and failure in the end.

Shira I Camp

Through woods we went at first before views over the plain we had travelled over the day before openend up around midday. Trees gave way to high bushes and the bushes vanished just before we reached Shira I camp on a wide plain in the late afternoon being our first stop above 3000m. Kili easily dominated the view.
I had a slight headache but felt good otherwise and after dinner everybody soon retreated to their tents.

30.12.2014 Shira I Camp - Shira II Camp 3850m / 12630ft
Hello Kili

Again I slept really well although I had gone to bed around 7:30pm the night before. My tent door opened to a nice view of Kili before clouds hid it again. First time we could really see the big guy. An easy walk over the Shira Plain took us approx. 4 hrs. The walk was quite scenic with a bit of sun and rain in the end.

Good morning

On Shira Plain

Shira II Camp

 Napped for about 2 hrs after lunch in camp and was surprised I could actually sleep with all the noise going on around. Woke up as a sudden gust of wind tore at the pegs of my tent and blew our mess tent about 100 yards away. Quite scary but the only occasion on our whole trip when the wind was stronger than a slight breeze.
After dinner it was time for another one of Mungo's lessons. This time we learnt about hypo- and hyperthermia. Two conditions we were likely to come across when out there mountaineering. The way he provided us with all the essential information was just fantastic. All of us would not only go home with (hopefully) a summit certificate but also with fundamental knowledge about the health issues we can encounter when up there on a mountain.
I still felt really good. Had a slight headache but nothing that deserved treatment. Occasionally I felt like I needed to take a very deep breath. Weird feeling but not necessarily unpleasant.

31.12.2014 Shira II Camp - Lava Tower (4645m / 15220ft) - Baranco Camp 4040m / 13255ft
Holy Shit High Altitude

Today was the first crucial day for us. We were about to climb as high as Lava Tower before dropping down to Baranco Camp. This was supposed to help with acclimatisation.
I hadn't slept well. First it was a bit freezing so I had put on long-johns and a shirt, then it was too warm and I had taken them off again.
The view of Kili behind the camp in the morning was stunning again. Mt. Meru was peeking out of the clouds opposite. In the morning sun and a mild breeze we steadily ascended on a wide plain. The few steep ascends had most of us breathing hard at this height and the first paracetamols were consumed.

We had a break after one of the ascents with a fantastic view of Lava Tower. I had a mild headache at that time hoping it would not get worse. By the time we reached the foot of Lava Tower and the camp there (The highest pretty much all of us had ever been!!!), my headache was skull splitting. I felt generally miserable and just wanted to descent as soon as possible. Popped two paracetamols since everyone had good experiences with those, but it only helped a little.

Lava Tower

Went down a steep rocky path that could've easily been anywhere in Scotland, Wales or the Lake District. Even more so as a steady rain set in. The senecio trees that appeared along the path further down finally put a smile on my face again. It was so beautiful despite the rain, no picture could do justice.
We had walked for more than 6 hrs so far and were happy to see the colourful tents of Baranco Camp finally coming into view. The rain stopped when we reached camp and vanished into our tents for a bit of rest.
I snacked on two Nurofen and although without sleep, me resting for 2 hrs turned my headache back to a slight one. Phew. No brain oedema then. Haha. The sun had come out and Kili was visible behind the camp. We were definitely getting closer and the big lump with its white streaks looked rather impressive.

In Baranco Camp

At lunch most of us admitted that they had felt the altitude at Lava Tower today (ranging from headaches to feeling miserable) but were a lot better here in camp. At this point the three missing bags hadn't turned up so far and this was really getting an issue with every passing day as we were getting closer to summit day. Especially for Guy who could call almost nothing his own.

Good night Kili

Luckily and thanks to Mungo's and (our local guide) Dawson's efforts all missing bags turned up just at dinner time being carried by three porters. Happy faces all around (not the porters). Still, amazing how the whole team compensated the missing gear for such a long time helping out in whatever way possible. We had indeed become fast friends and the team spirit was fantastic. Everyone was looking out for each other and helping. Already the trip had been absolutely grand so far.