Safari--Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti

There's something remarkably different about the light in Africa, and I don't think it was our proximity to the Equator because I noticed it in Zambia as well. It's the warmth of the light; everything basks in its unique glow. It certainly lends quite an aura to a scene punctuated by wild animals. In the three days following the climb, we covered many miles, lots and lots of hours in two safari vehicles. We traveled to three different parks, each one different from the next. I would definitely return both to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti and would spend far more time at both, preferably in very small lodges.

Tarangire
Baobab trees with massive trunks (resembled broccoli florets)
Huge herds of elephants
Tons of giraffes
Uncrowded and peaceful
Leopard in a tree
Elephant flapped its ears, trumpeted and charged at Jan & Anna's truck when the truck separated him from the rest of his herd
Warthog families

Broccoli floret (baobab) in background

 

Meerkats

Ngorongoro Crater (the largest intact caldera in the world)

Baboons

Umbrella acacia trees (think broccolini)

The richest looking soil imaginable

Herds of wildebeest and zebras, with many babies

Lions

Spotted hyenas

Maasai villages

Broccolini (umbrella acacias)

Serengeti

Vast open plains

Huge hordes of wildebeest on the horizon

Piles o' hippos

Leopard walking right towards us

Lion in a tree

Elephants galore

Pink flamingos (oh so better looking than the ones in the yard)

Giraffes with newborn

Frolicking Thompson's gazelles

Lots of vehicles hovering around best sights

Spectacular hot air balloon ride

Snacking giraffe

Hippos

Elephant itching eye

Lion napping in tree

Hippo returning to water

Vervet monkey with her baby

Climb Aftermath

Memories:

• Anna, who had never climbed before and was thus unaware of the existence of the Freshette, She Pee, or Go Girl, went to Home Depot to buy a pee funnel. Would that be the same funnel used to put oil in your car? The vision of beautiful Anna asking for this at Home Depot really made me laugh. Luckily, Susan had an extra new and unused Go Girl that she gifted to Anna.

• Brad's "Strong like bull, smart like dump truck"

• Watching Tom eat ugali and curry with his hands at the Arusha Hotel

• Poor Daryn's "deer in the headlights" stare when he was suffering from GI distress

• Doug's infectious perseverance and enthusiasm

• Pili pili, the excruciatingly hot salsa that often accompanied our meals

• Susan dancing in the morning with the Tanzanians

• The hope that the Tanzanians will one day adopt "Leave No Trace" so that toilet paper will no longer be found behind every large rock

• "Last Card," the game the guides and porters played in camp

• Travis's birthday cake at dinner after summiting

• The unique smell of the porters as they rushed by us on the trail

•  Being presented with a cake shaped like Kili by the kitchen/wait staffs at the first two hotels on safari

•  The $9 sandwich at the Kili airport that contained one tablespoon of tunafish

• The acrobat/flame-twirler/limbo performers at Pepe's

• HAIF (high altitude-induced flatulence) after we were all served cabbage at 13,000 feet

• Steve snoring soundly every night

• Watching Travis practically run to the summit

• Following AJ's rhythmic rest step

• The delicious hot soups, fresh fruits and vegetables served at every lunch and dinner

• Lots and lots of laughs with the Kili Goats!

 See, I told you the jackets weren't pink

Climbs on the bucket list:

Trek to Everest Base Camp and possible climb to Camp II

Mont Blanc

Elbrus

Hood

Shasta

Island Peak

Rainier via the Emmons route 

Kili Climb--Day 7--Final Descent

View on the descent

All along, I surmised that the trip down would be far worse than the trip up. Our second day of descent was a total bitch. No other way to phrase that. After descending 3400' to Kosovo Camp and another 3500' to Millenium Camp in scree and dirt, we awoke early the next morning to tackle the final 7000 vertical feet down to the Mweka Gate. The trail was horrendous--first caked in ice and then just gummy, slippery, treacherous mud. In spots, it was quite steep (picture walking down a riverbed, a riverbed with a waterfall). There were very few spots with dirt that could be trusted.

I fell seven times, every which way--knees bent back, my butt straddling one of my poles--and kept puncturing the heel of my left hand. My friend Bobbie's voice echoed in my head: "Keep the tread side down, keep the tread side down." No such luck. AJ suggested that it can sometimes be better to battle your instinct and just let yourself fall instead of fighting it. Hah! In addition, I entertained fellow climbers with a couple figure skating-worthy graceful saves. It was an exercise in persistence, all the while tensing every muscle to tiptoe down the slopes, arms weighted heavily on both poles. The only fun part of that descent was stopping to observe exotic Colobus monkeys performing spectacular leaps from tree to tree in the forest canopy.

Over four hours later, we reached the celebratory group at the gate. We were presented with leis and a cold glass of juice, and our porters sang and danced for us one more time. And then the peddlers descended upon us. We did our best to avoid them while enjoying a last buffet lunch on the mountain. I dug out my umbrella and poncho and gave them to Abraham, our Camp Manager. I saw him walk a little ways away to shyly open the umbrella, just like a little kid. I hope he puts it to good use.

The Tanzanians added such depth to the climb. Their mishmash of clothing, often brightly colored, adorned the trail. I remember seeing one porter with hot pink track pants dash past me every day. Another sported a UCLA sweatshirt. Most didn't have boots, gaiters, rain gear, or even any synthetic clothing. To stay warm, they slept like sardines in large tents at night. Not only were they extremely diligent and hard working, but they also continuously motivated us with their cheerfulness, knowledge, and courtesy. All day long, we heard jambo (hello), not only from our porters but also from all the porters and guides from other expeditions. Asante sana (thank you very much) to all of them.

Our guides and porters (78 in all)

Kili Climb--Day 6--Summit and First Descent

I'd always heard people say, "Kili is just a long hike, a walk-up. It's not really a climb." But climbing Kili is a feat, mainly due to the altitude. Yes, it's like a series of six different hikes, and by climbing standards, it's pretty cushy. Porters carry all the gear, tent crew erects the tents in camp every night and breaks them down the next morning, delicious hot meals are served in a mess tent complete with tables and chairs, and portable toilet tents are even assembled each evening. But, being on the trail seven days in a row through rain, fog, wind, sun, and sleet and dealing with many different types of terrain from mud to scree to rock slabs is a challenge. Add in the logistics of treating water, taking care of high-altitude headaches, lack of sleep, GI issues, using a pee funnel in the middle of the night, packing, unpacking, correctly fueling and hydrating your body, and working with thirteen other climbers and countless Tanzanians, and you have a demanding but richly satisfying experience.

When we were resting in our tents last night before our 11 PM wake-up, the wind picked up. The tent shuddered and squeaked, and I had visions of being weathered off another mountain. But the skies were perfectly clear, and the wind was not as intrusive as it sounded. Walked out of camp at midnight in long underwear; long-sleeved zip tech shirt; fleece vest; insulated overall pants; softshell insulated jacket; buff; light hat; heavy OR mitts and handwarmers, which were a bit too bulky for holding poles; lightweight knee-high socks; Millet 8000-meter boots; and a headlamp. At gear check, Eric laughed when he saw that I had brought a second pair of boots; he gave me the "overkill" award. But those boots (bought for my Aconcagua climb) kept my toes toasty that night while Eric was often swinging his legs to warm his feet.

After the first rest stop, we split into faster and slower groups. Tom and I were a little late to get back on the trail, so he, AJ, and I ended up in a small group in the middle. We merged with the fast group at the next break. Countless short switchbacks with scree and big steps up onto rocks moved us steeply up the mountain. The moon was out, but it was still hard to discern our path. The wind faded in and out, and the temperature was cold enough to freeze the water in one of my bottles, but not so cold that I was ever uncomfortable. I donned my down jacket at the first rest stop but skipped it at subsequent ones. The tough part of this climb is the altitude. Even though we spent a couple days hovering around 12,000-13,000 feet, we still moved from 13,300' to 19,340' in less than 24 hours. Hard on the body.

By the time we reached Stella Point (18,860') on the crater rim, Tom and I both felt a bit spacey. The fast group had indeed been fast; we reached Stella by 5 AM. We had been told that by the time we reached Stella, there was only negligible vertical left to negotiate. We weren't told that it would be nearly another hour of climbing to reach the summit at Uhuru (19,340'). We'd see headlamps in the distance, thinking we were almost there, and then the headlamps would become more distant again. False summit after false summit. Tom, just behind me, kept saying, "I'm feeling a little bit wobbly."

Just before sunrise, we reached the sign at the summit. The weather was still clear, so the sunrise at the top of Africa was stunning. The shadow of Kilimanjaro was projected westward, and the southern icefields glowed.

Kili's shadow

 Southern icefields

Tom and I waited our turn until we could be photographed in front of the sign (some rather pushy Estonians kept getting in the way). We held up our prayer flags filled with names of those who have battled breast cancer and paused to revel in the fact that we had raised over $27,000 for breast cancer research! Very rewarding. I'm sure I will climb again for the Hutch, but not until 2012 or 2013.

 

 No, our jackets aren't pink

I wish we had been given more time to take in the sights (the glaciers, the crater), but before long, our guide August was ushering us down the mountain. We were back in high camp by 8:30 AM. The scree slopes on the descent seemed to never end. Hordes and hordes of people were working their way up the mountain. Many were being accompanied down, propped between two guides, looking like glassy-eyed zombies. I'd never seen so many climbers on a mountain where they didn't belong. I think many choose Kili because of the support, but most don't know what it takes to successfully climb a high-altitude peak. 

We waited for hours at Kosovo Camp before all members of our group returned. There was great fanfare upon Doug's arrival. Dear Doug; I've never witnessed such perseverance. 100% success for the Kili Goats! We made our way down another 4000 vertical feet to Millenium Camp, ate a wonderful dinner, and are now crawling into sleeping bags, happily exhausted.

Kili Climb--Day 5--Karanga to Kosovo

Woke up to beautiful clear skies and a view of Meru floating in the clouds. Set out of Karanga after a delicious breakfast of porridge, pancakes, eggs, and bacon. After a couple thousand vertical up the ridge, we arrived at Barafu Camp, high camp for most climbers. We stopped there to sign in with the rangers and eat lunch. The whole place smelled like a urinal and resembled a tent city for the homeless; so glad we continued up to Kosovo, our own semi-private high camp about 500' higher. I'm also very thankful we are climbing the Machame route rather than the Marangu (Coca Cola) route. I much prefer sleeping in a tent over sharing a crowded hut, and it's also more interesting to descend via a route different from our ascent. The Coca Cola route has a lower success rate because the ascent is often just four days. We will spend an entire week on the mountain: five full days of climbing, then an overnight summit climb followed by two days of descent.

I was always curious about how the two Kili climbing seasons differ from one another. I asked Eric because he's guided both. Kili sits almost dead on the Equator, so the level of the sun does not change radically throughout the year. But, there are two rainy seasons: late March to mid-June and November to December. The first climbing season from January to early March can be a bit wetter but is generally about 10 degrees warmer than the season from late-June to mid-October. I think I'll take the warmer temperatures, even if they do come with some rain. Rain becomes less likely as we push up the mountain, so we should be done with it.

Walking up the big slab of rock after Barrafu Camp was challenging and would be even more so if we had to do it at night. As we crested the rocks at Kosovo, our group of porters welcomed us with song and dance, which brought tears to my eyes. There is a cultural component to this climb that I have never encountered and might not find again until I climb in the Himalaya someday.

A couple on our team sharing a moment in side-by-side toilet tents

We moved into our tents, had a rest, and then listened to Eric's summit briefing. We'll eat dinner at 5:00, go to bed at 6:00, wake up at 11:00, eat, and get on the trail by midnight. It's bound to be an exciting but endless day. We couldn't have a better group. Humor abounds and takes the edge off any tense or difficult moments.

Kili Climb--Day 4--Barranco to Karanga

Climbers from other groups looked on in envy as our porters and guides again broke into lively song and dance before we hit the trail. First chore out of camp today was to tackle the 800 vertical feet of the Barranco Wall. We collapsed our trekking poles and lashed them to our packs--we would need our hands free for this one. It was certainly a very efficient way to knock off vertical feet--scrambling up rocks and around corners, often being offered a Tanzanian hand just when you needed it most. Our local guides have almost a sixth sense; they know just what needs to be done and when. And they do it all with a huge smile.

On our way up the Wall

 Porters spotting from below

 Anna coming around the corner

Eric stands on a rock at the top of the Wall, awaiting our arrival

At the top of the Barranco Wall, we sat in the warm sun on a huge rock slab and soaked in the exquisite views of Mt. Meru. 

 Mt. Meru

The rest of the trail to Karanga Camp rolled up and down hills, gully to gully. I started chatting with Eric, and soon we were about 15 minutes ahead of the rest of the group. Some of the downhill was quite slippery. The porters, often in sneakers, tiptoed through, carefully balancing huge loads on their heads and backs.

 No fancy footwear or gear, just pure strength and determination

Karanga is even busier than Barranco, and once again AAI had sent porters ahead to stake out the prime real estate. It was a shorter day, so we ate a huge hot lunch at camp at 2:00 during a rainstorm and then luxuriously napped until another enormous meal at 7:00. I've certainly stored up enough reserves in my food tank. Took a 125mg Diamox at lunch and will continue to take it tomorrow so I can avoid any further high-altitude headaches. We're now at 13,300' and will climb to just under 16,000' at Kosovo Camp tomorrow before we begin our summit bid tomorrow night.

PM: pulse: 64; blood/oxygen level: 90%

Kili Climb--Day 3--Shira to Barranco

 View of Mt. Meru from Shira Camp

Porters on the Shira Plateau

"Pole, pole" is what the guides keep reminding us. Slowly, slowly. That's how we climb this mountain. After more song and dance, we headed out of Shira Camp on a nice gradual trail up the plateau. After lunch, the group split in two: those who wanted the lower route to the next camp, and those who wanted to take the higher route via Lava Tower. Twelve of us went high, while Doug and Daryn, who was suffering from GI issues, went low. When we arrived at the base of the tower, five of us (Steve, AJ, Travis, Jan and I) opted for the scramble to the top of the 200-foot tower at 15,400'. Someone had to represent the women on our team, so off I went. The oldest woman on the trip by 13 years, I'm surprised the porters didn't dub me "Grandma."

And quite a scramble it was. Three sections really got my heart racing as Eric was encouraging me to choose holds that felt way beyond my wing span. Three guides spotted us and occasionally offered a helpful hand as we made our way to the top. With a sick feeling, I realized we would have to descend the same pitches. From the peak of the Tower, the views of the upper part of the mountain and the Western Breach were stupendous, and I could wave to Tom far below.

 Jan climbing the Tower

Sitting on the very top rock

Looking down to Tom below (red jacket in center)

I did indeed survive the descent, and then after a short uphill stint, it was down, down, down to Barranco Camp. The group got spread out, and loud peals of thunder threatened an imminent drenching. Fortunately, most of the storm was below us, but we did hike through about an hour of rain. Camp just never seemed to appear around the next corner.

 Descending towards Barranco Camp

Finally, an enormous speckling of blue, green, and orange tents came into view: Barranco Camp.

Senecio cacti, hikers with umbrellas, Barranco Camp

Utterly exhausted, I shoved both feet into the little bowl of warm water that was delivered to our tent. Long day. High point: 15,400'. Camp elevation: 13,100'. We acclimate by climbing high and sleeping low.

Doug, climbing with a prosthetic leg, pulled into camp almost two hours later. What an inspiration--his spirit never sags. He really made us laugh (and then laugh/cry) at dinner when he volunteered to cover his stumps with ketchup and run through the safari lodge yelling, "Lion, lion." This is an entertaining group. Tomorrow we tackle the Barranco Wall.

PM: pulse: 78; blood/oxygen level: 92%