Day 2 followed what would be our typical schedule so I’ll lay it out in a bit of detail to show what most days were like.
Our “Kili alarm clock” went off at 6am… our waiter, Severin, was outside our tent calling out “Hello, Hello” until we unzipped it to retrieve our coffee, tea or hot chocolate from him. We had been awake for awhile as the camp had come to life around 5:30 with other campers packing up.
Our warm “water for washing” (a couple of inches deep in a 14-inch diameter plastic tub) arrived about a half an hour later, and by 7am we were to be packed up and ready for breakfast. The camp was bustling with activity by this point with porters taking tents down and loading supplies into packs.
The standard beverage setup for the trip was: hot water, tea bags – caf and decaf, instant coffee, sugar, powdered milk and cocoa, and later in the trip hot ginger water for settling stomachs upset from the altitude.
Breakfasts were always hearty… big pots of porridge, REAL eggs, bacon or ham, toast, potatoes, etc. etc. We are already beginning to see why so many porters are needed.
Our hike today was only about 3-1/2 hours from 9,300 feet to 11,200 feet. We started out with Mawenzi Peak in full view, with pink sunrise clouds all about and the sun glinting off the slopes of Kili.
The area we hiked is classified as a low alpine zone. Heath, moorland, heathers, tussock grasses and helichrysum cover this area.
Upon reaching our second camp, Second Cave camp, we were treated to the first of many delicious – and hearty – lunches on the trail: a platter of veggies and fruit (carrots, cucumbers, coconut, apples, bananas), chicken sandwiches with avocado and tomato, cheese and crackers, and… French fries!! But first… handwashing. Always waiting for us outside the dining tent was warm water and soap… controlling the spread of germs in camp was a top priority for our Kili team as no one wants to miss Summit Day due to illness!
Next came ‘rest time’. Unlike Kindergartners, no one had to tell us twice to take a little nap after our early wakeup call, morning hiking, and full tummies from lunch.
After an hour or so, we were out on an acclimatization hike. I’ll give a more complete explanation of acclimatization on Day 3’s post, but for now, one of the rules of acclimatization is to “Climb high, sleep low. Climb to a higher altitude during the day, then sleep at a lower altitude at night.” So, we hiked up for about an hour above our campsite; the down took us about 45 minutes. On our way down we were treated to a sighting of a beautiful Eland buck. We actually got much closer than this picture suggests, so I’m including a stock photo of an Eland also.
Upon our return to camp, we were immediately provided with warm water for washing and invited to the dining tent for afternoon tea. Homemade oatmeal cookies and freshly popped popcorn were further indicators of the quality and tasty food we would be served in the days ahead.
After another rest and some time for organizing ourselves, dinner was served. Here, another theme emerged: eating a lot was heavily encouraged (no dieting on Kili!) and in the case of our hiking companion, Anne-Marie, almost enforced. Much to her chagrin, she seemed to be singled out almost immediately for being served an extra piece of bread, another ladle of soup, etc. When coffee was brought to her on the first morning and she asked for one spoonful of milk and one of sugar, our waiter, Severin, looked her up and down and said “two for you” and without pausing for agreement, loaded her cup with more milk and sugar.
Every dinner started with warm soup, and the first night’s was delicious: spinach, mushrooms and other veggies in a creamy broth. We had a lovely salad of avocado, peppers, tomatoes, peas and cheese, spaghetti ragu with cheese for topping, and pound cake for dessert. The table also always had salt and pepper, peanut butter and jam, honey and Tabasco, and Will and I polished off the bottle of Tabasco by the end of the trip between the two of us.
One of my ‘roses’ in coming days would be our toilet tent, which meant that at least while we were in camp, we weren’t exposed to the elements when duty called. There was no sink for teeth-brushing, we just used our water bottles and a bush outside for that.
Sorry to highlight a toilet, but since we were encouraged to drink LOTS and LOTS of water – “Keep it Clear and Copious” – it was a useful part of the trip!
We ended the day with a beautiful view of the glaciers peaking over Kibo at dusk, a star-filled sky with spectacular views of Venus and Scorpio, and a full moon, shining white and high in the sky.
Our Kili Outfitter: Nature Discovery
Trip created by our travel pros, Khashana Adventure Travel. To see more view our other posts or visit their web site.