Kili Climb--Day 1--Machame Gate to Machame Camp

There are 14 of us--10 men and 4 women, ranging in age from 22 to 64: four couples (Anna and Jan on their honeymoon, us celebrating our 25th anniversary, Brad and Susan, Ken and Jill); one father and son (Bob and Travis); and four single, not necessarily unmarried, men (Steve, Daryn, AJ, and Doug--missing his left arm and his right leg below the knee). Occupations range from Navy SEAL (Brad) to nurse practitioner (Susan) to psychologist (Anna) to restaurant owner (Ken), among others. We are a diverse group, but everyone is getting along famously. We laugh a lot, usually at Brad, who happens to be one of the funniest people I've ever met, and Susan. We are accompanied by Eric, our Alpine Ascents guide, six additional Tanzanian guides, and about 70 porters, cooks, and crew. On this mountain, it takes a village. That's just how it's done. It's easy to feel uncomfortably privileged, but I remind myself that we treat the Tanzanians well, tip them well, and give them crucial employment. They work extremely hard but are always friendly and cheerful.

front: Brad, Susan, Eric; back: Daryn, Ken, Jill, Steve, Bob, Travis, AJ, Julie, Tom, Doug, Anna, Jan

We left the Arusha Hotel in three Jeeps at about 8:15 AM on Friday, January 14, and reached the bustling Machame Gate about two hours later. After registering our names in the book, we were introduced to our army of support, took a quick "before" photo, and started up the trail through the jungle. The grade was gradual, and we stopped for rest breaks every hour to hour and a half. The expected rain set in, so we donned ponchos, raingear, and pack covers. Eric described it as "moderate" rain. The trail turned to viscous muck. I was in shorts so the rain dripped into my gaiters, down my shins, and into my boots. Time to wrestle on the GoreTex pants, even though they stuck to my wet legs.

The trail steepened, often with steps, and we plodded upwards to Machame Camp, just above 10,000 feet. Because we walked so many miles, it certainly didn't feel as if we ascended almost 4,000 vertical feet. What a treat to move into a camp with tents already standing! At dinner, we gathered in the mess tent and designated our team the "Kili Goats."