So this is what I am going to be enduring while on my quest to get to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro especially for Great Ormond Street. Check out Day 7. Thinking my legs will be jelly by the end of that one, then I still have to get down. Wish me luck everyone!!
Day 1: Leave London
Day 2: Arrive Kilimanjaro International. Transfer to Moshi town and get our kit bags ready for tomorrow. Early night I think!!
Day 3: Machame Gate – Machame Camp.
Get to the gate complete park formalities, meet our porters and start to climb. First section of the route climbs steadily and involves real jungle bashing through magnificent forest. This path is less well trodden so it can get overgrown in places and is often wet and muddy underfoot.
Night Camp: Machame Camp 3,100m.
Trek approx 5-7 hours, approx 18km
Day 4: Machame Camp – Shira Caves.
The route continues up through the forest until we are at the steep ascent on to the Shira Plateau, where there are rewarding views of the mountain. Looking back I will be able to see Mount Meru rising high above Arusha town.
Night Camp: Shira Caves, 3,840m
Trek approx 4-6 hours, approx 9km.
Day 5: Shira Caves – Barranco Hut
Walking now on high moorland the landscape changes the entire walking character of the trek. I will traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp at the Barranco Hut, a tin shack where we pitch our tents. Today has been spent at altitude up to 4,600m but we follow the mountaineering code ’walk high sleep low’, so we can acclimatise to avoid altitude sickness.
Night Camp: Barranco Hut 3,900m
Trek approx 6-7 hours, approx 15km.
Day 6: Barranco Hut – Barafu Camp
The day starts by descending into the Great Barranco a huge ravine. I will then exit steeply up the Great Barranco Wall which divided us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers I will head towards the Karanga Valley which is our last water stop before summit. Scree now forms the terrain as we walk through arid and desolate land towards camp.
Night Camp: Barafu Camp 4,600m.
Trek approx 7-9 hours, approx 18 km.
Day 7: Barafu Camp – Summit – Millenium Camp
Today we avoid walking too long in the heat of the sun by starting early and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4-5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular so I have been told from here. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point 5,750m as the first rays of sun hit us!! Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and views to Mawenzi and beyond will be breathtaking. Another hours walking takes us to the summit Uhuru 5,896m the highest point on the African continent!!! Uhuru means freedom in Swahili and I’m sure this will reflect how I feel. Then begin to descend by returning to Stella Point and then descend further on scree slopes and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast before finally heading down to camp for a long well earned rest. While descending I will have amazing views of the plains and Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro’s second peak.
Night Camp: Millenuim Camp 3,000m
Trek approx 10-12 hours, approx 20km, 7km climb.
Day 8: Millenuim Camp – Mweka Gate – Moshi
A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate where we complete park formalities and receive our certificates which I will definitely be hanging up with pride!! We then travel back to Moshi and a hotel where I will have probably the best shower of my life and a lovely drink to celebrate.
Night hotel: Moshi
Trek approx 5 hours, approx 10km.
Day 9: Free time in Moshi – Flight
The day will be mine to do with it as I please and fly home that night if I choose to, as not totally sure of my plans yet, am thinking of staying on a bit longer to do safari and volunteer work in an orphanage. Will keep you poster on this too.
Day 10: Arrive back into London
Where I will tell everyone of my adventure from start to finish. Prepare yourselves people I will not be missing out anything. xxx
