Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team at Machame Camp
It was raining at the Dik Dik Hotel this morning when we woke. Light, but steady rain kept falling as we ate a 7 AM breakfast and got ready to board the bus/truck. But 15 minutes down the road, our driver shut off his windshield wipers. Low clouds still disguised the mountain we believed was hiding somewhere out to our northeast, but things were looking up. The variety of crops in the "cultivation" zone at the foot of Kilimanjaro was quite impressive. We saw coffee, corn, avocado, mangos, and bananas all growing in a lush mix close to the Machame Gate. It took some time to get the group properly registered and permitted with the National Park but then at around 11 AM we began our ascent through a forest of tall trees. Our starting point was at about 5,900 ft, and our destination for the day was close to 9,800 ft, so there was little doubt we were in for a workout. At first we were in fog and humid clouds, but after several hours, the sun got strong and the sky got blue. We traveled on an excellent trail through the "forest" zone and into the "heather" zone and we began getting great views of Kilimanjaro and her glaciers. At around 4:30 PM we strode into a cluster of tents and admired the work of our porters and kitchen crew as we took packs off in our new home. We ate dinner in our grand dining tent and turned in early under what appears to be a magnificent full moon.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
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Comments (7)
Happy and safe trails. Looking forward to reading about your progress.
Posted by: rachael c lujan on
Happy and safe climbing. Looking forward to your updates. ABQ Uptown/RS 985 NM/CO
Rachael
Posted by: rachael c lujan on
Have a great time Liz! You guys look fab!!!
Posted by: Sara on
You guys look great! I’m so excited for you Liz! Have fun! Be safe! Can’t wait for all the stories!
Posted by: Sara on
You all look ready to conquer the world. :)
Posted by: Mara on
Happy trails to all, enjoy the adventure. “hi” Kim, you are in for a magical experience
Posted by: Joanne on
Great job all ! Liz I love the shorts and the plaid shirt. I can see your true Swiss mountaineering genetics in this great group photo.
Posted by: John S on