Kilimanjaro Trekking Dec 2006

http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/cshum2006/Kilimanjaro#

What is Kilimanjaro?

It is the highest mountain ( 5895m ) of Africa. How high is it? The highest peak is only about 1000m in Hong Kong and 4100m in South East Asia. It is bounded by two countries ( Kenya and Tanzania) and in East Africa.

Introduction

I planned trekking in Kilimanjaro for two years. I had sent request to several local agents. Two offered me reasonable price. I decided in joining Victoria Expeditions that was recommended by a bulletin board. I was surprised that I was the only client in trekking. The trekking party consisted of a guide, a chef, a porter, a waiter and me!! It was so luxury that I was served by four people.

Brief Review

The objective of the trip was the summit(5895m). Kilimanjaro was lying in Africa. The image of Africa should be grassland, animals and (off course) hot. However, the climate was cool, cold and freezing as altitude. The snow line was about 4000m in a normal condition.

There was only a 6 trekking days. The first five days were not difficult and the scenery did not spectacular because of raining. The highlight was the summit days.

Summit day

I had walked 8 hours and arrived the campsite at 4:30p.m. on the day before summit-day. It was again another raining day. Although the altitude was 4700m, I had no symptom of AMS. I had a tea break consist of a H.K. noodle, which was the most delicious one in the mountain.

The schedule was that we set off at 11: 00 p.m. It meant that I only had 5 hr for sleeping. Undeniably, it was difficult to sleep. In fact, I just lied on the tent for a couple of hours.


I set off at 11:15 p.m. after taking a simple dinner. When I came out of tent, I was amazed that it was covered a layer of snow which was fallen in the past hours. The temperature was freezing cool. The sky was unexpected clear. Thousands of stars were scattered on the sky. I could see the town on the foothill of mountain. It was the most exciting moment from the past few days.

I was the first one to climb in the campsite and was leaded by my guide ( Julius). The path was illuminated by headlamp and the moon. It was not difficult to follow with common sense. Sometimes, it walked through rocks and it might also hop over boulders. It was too demanding in just a high altitude. I almost gave up after an hour. Julius was so kind to take my personal backpack. I resumed zest for pushing up up up!!!

A dazzling headlamp was coming from far below. It did not take long to take over me and disappeared uphill. The phenomenon was happened again and again.

The path was covered by snow after an hour start. The snow depth was increasing when I was walking up. Walking strategy was the same as before. ( 30 min walk 5 min stop; 20 min walk 5 min stop ; 5 min walk 5 min stop; finally rest on trekking pole between steps!!!).

Although I had headache, it was not so serious. Low temperature, AMS and sufficient food in-take caused fatigue and I had eaten chocolate bar on the way. The drinking tube was frozen several hours later and I thought the temperature is -20o C.

The final ascent was a gentle slope to the rim of crater. It was about 50m distances that I could run in a minute in Hong Kong. It was a completely different picture after 8 hours walking. I had to crawl step by step and rest in alternate steps. It took me 15 minutes to finish the last leg. Julius hugged me and I was amazed by the stunning view. Blue sky and crystal clear snow were in harmony with breathtaking glacier as background.

I took a rest, taking picture and looking for the following trekkers. I stood on the rim of the crater that was a junction. Trekkers were coming from each direction and all were in slow motion that was the mirror image of myself.



As the time and my physical conditions, I managed to climb to 5700m only that was the highest altitude in my life. The summit was still another 1.5 hr away. Downhill back to campsite took another 4 hours. 3.5 hr walking down to another campsite after an hour rest. It was 22 hours walk in two days time.

Itinerary:

Date
1&2 H.K. to Kenya 13hrs
2 Shuttle bus Kenya to Tanzania 5 hrs
3-8 Trekking days
9 Shuttle bus Tanzania to Kenya
10 Kenya to H.K.

Cost Expenditure

Air Ticket: HK$ 8600
Local Cost : US 970
Tips : US 150