The rain that began that night persisted into the morning. Even that wasn’t enough to impede our excitement about climbing Kilimanjaro, though.
After a hearty breakfast that included eggs, sausages, cheese, coffee and bread, we got our day packs ready for the day’s hike. The porters brought us purified (by boiling) water and packed up our tents while we started heading out. With a group of 14 people, it took a bit of time to get everyone together and get going, so we got a later start than we’d planned.
Once again, Moses kept our pace, Good Luck brought upt the rear, and porters passed us regularly. We stepped off of the trail to let them pass, marveling at the ease with which they carried their packs, some on their heads, some on their backs and some both, frequently wearing just shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops.
The weather continued to obscure the mountain’s summits, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. Onward we trudged, pole pole (slowly, slowly), hoping that the cloud cover would clear so that we could see Mawenzi and Kibo in their full glory. Kilimanjaro’s beauty isn’t limited to the majestic, however.
We paused for pictures at first cave, where climbers once stayed; now it’s considered unsafe, so people don’t camp there anymore, but it still looks nice!
We broke for lunch at Second Cave. Our porters set up our table in the cave, and prepared a hot lunch with pasta for us, and also refilled some water bottles for those of us who were running low on water. One group making the ascent paused here to get an extra acclimation day into their schedule, but most pushed on.
It was a bit of a surprise to find the skull of a cape buffalo at this elevation, but there it was, right by the cafe entrance. Good Luck told us during the hike that some cape buffalo made their way up to the moorland every once in a while, which explained the skull at the entrance to Second Cave.
After lunch, we set out once again across the moorland. I marveled at Kilimanjaro’s beauty, stopping frequently to admire and photograph the scenery. The cloud cover came and went throughout the day, offering brief glimpses of Mawenzi and Kibo as we trekked.
Good Luck told us that a large area on this part of the mountain had burned in a wildfire, and there were still some charred, blackened brush and rock visible among the new growth as we climbed over the last ridge before Kikelewa Cave.
After cresting the ridge, the views of Mawenzi continued to grow more dramatic. The jagged spires of Mawenzi’s summit towered over us, drifting in and out of the clouds.
When we arrived at Kikelewa Cave, our porters surprised us by greeting us with a song and dance:
Asante Sana
Pole pole!
Hakuna Matata!
Which loosely translates to “Welcome, welcome! Slowly, slowly! It is nothing!” For a more precise translate, you’ll have to consult with someone who speaks Kiswahili.
The dance cheered us — and our group of porters was the only one that greeted their party with a song and dance. Quite an end to a long day’s hiking on Kilimanjaro!
