Day 3 — To Shira II Camp
I felt rested after waking up on Day 3. That’s one thing about having no tv, no phone signal (most of the time), and no distractions, you get plenty of thinking time & rest. I journaled the first few days, but opted for REST on the rest of the trip.
Every morning our porters would bring us hot water to wash up, brush our teeth, and get ready for the day. They would also bring us coffee or tea in our tent before breakfast.
After the long incline we hiked on Day 2, we were leery about what we had in store. And although it was yet another long day, it was a less strenuous hike. After breakfast, the crew sent us on our way with a motivating Jambo Bwana song.
The lyrics to Jambo Bwana are as follows:
Jambo, jambo Bwana (Hello, hello Sir)
Habari gani (How are you?)
Mzuri sana (Very fine)Wageni, mwakaribishwa (Foreigners, you’re welcome)
Kilimanjaro, hakuna matata (Kilimanjaro has no problems)
Tembea pole pole, hakuna matata (Walk slowly, slowly, no problem)
Utafika salama, hakuna matata (You’ll get there safe, no problem)
Kunywa maji mengi, hakuna matata (Drink plenty of water, no problem)
Julius, our lead guide, led us over lava rock, across rivers, and towards the summit at our pole, pole pace (slowly, slowly), but it was still a long 7ish hours. It was on Day 3 that we got a good glimpse of a snow-covered Uhuru Peak sitting majestically in the distance. It gave the illusion of being close, yet still far away at the same time. The beauty of the mountain against miles of desolated land filled with lava rock and occasional flowers was quite the contrast.
After the grueling hike on Day 2, my feet began to bother me a bit. I was praying my metatarsaglia, plantar fasciitis, and bone spurs would hold up, and now here they were on Day 2, already showing themselves. I hoped for the best, continued with Ibuprofen, and opted for my hard-soled boots on Day 3. My plan worked, and I trekked onward, unemcumbered by foot pain, into Day 3. I love it when a plan comes together.
One of the marvels of our daily treks were the porters. They would pass us along the way, carrying all of our gear (and their own gear) to beat us to the next site. They carried the entire camp on their backs & heads as though it were nothing. They were agile and climbed the mountains like they’d done it a million times; a walk in the park.
FACT: The water we used at the camps was gathered by the porters at the rivers & streams. The water was runoff from the glaciers atop Mount Kilimanjaro. The water was boiled to be used for cooking, washing, and to fill our water bottles. Staying hydrated was key to acclimatization. We had to make sure we were drinking plenty of water and thus, would refill our camel backs and Nalgene bottles every morning.
Day 4: To Lava Tower and Barranco Camp
On Day 4 we trekked towards the Mountain, climbed rocks, and stunned ourselves by pushing the limits of what we thought we were capable of. Our guides always knew how to steer us on the right path. There were tricky sections where they knew we needed assistance and were there.
‘Step here, then this foot there, hold on here,’ without that guidance, we’d be left trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B.
Day 4 was also the day we found ourselves enveloped by clouds. How cool is that? We were literally so high that we were among the clouds. In some of the pictures, it appears to be fog, but we know we are literally in the clouds.
There were some tricky spots on Day 4 as well. We had to maneuver between boulders, navigate some treacherous declines, and finally found some switch-backs before arriving at Lava Tower (also called the ‘Shark’s Tooth’) for lunch. And I must say, that Lava Tower was a sight to behold. Our crew was there, the mess tent was set up, and they were ready for lunch.
But wait….. WTF?!
There was a reason we had lunch at Lava Tower! Our next steps were CRAZY!
There was a crazy descent after Lava Tower that zig-zagged across a gorge (the side of one of the rockfaces looked like Abraham Lincoln’s profile). This required assistance by multiple guides to make sure we had proper foot placement. I commented that, ‘I don’t remember seeing this on any video’. I can see why as it requires all concentration be on your feet. No time for malingering.
At this point in the trek we started breaking out more layers. It was getting colder and the cloud coverage kept things cool. We pushed through clouds for the rest of the way to Barranco Camp. We also encountered the giant groundsel trees (aka Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari). The tree grows slowly, but can grow to a height of 20 feet. Old, dead leaves curl around the trunk to insulate it. Water is kept in the stem’s pith. It resists freezing because special fluids are discharged into the environment.
We also saw several waterfalls; runoff from the Arrow Glacier. After hiking for several hours, we finally found our way (over rocks to the very last step) to Baranco Camp. An elevation of 3900 meters and still in the clouds.
We had finally arrived!! Whew. Another day in the books.
2 Responses
Wow, days 3 and 4 look challenging for sure! But, the photos and videos among the CLOUDS are so majestic. To realize your elevation at that point… wow,
Thank you for sharing the lyrics of the song. The videos from my kids’ trip included such a song and somehow knowing the words makes me even more emotional when I rewatch the videos. The porters seem so joy-filled, despite the depth of their labors. They make these climbs possible and I am so grateful for their level of care for my family and my friend.
It was ALL amazing!