After the incredible difficulty of day 8, when we climbed from Barfu (15,000 feet) to the summit (19,000 feet) before descending to Mweka (10,000 feet), day 9 promised to be a figurative walk in the park. Sure, we were exhausted and sore and dirty, but we were starting out at a mere 10,000 feet, where the air was thick and warm and easy to breathe. And we knew we’d end up in actual beds in the evening, which made any amount of hardship entirely bearable.
The day was relaxed and I think everyone involved was pleased that the trip was almost over. It was a fantastic experience, but I was very, very tired and truly, exceptionally dirty. And my lungs were still pretty unhappy. Still, the promise of a few hours of mild downhill hike followed by a warm shower put a serious smile on my face.
After breakfast, we took a group photo with our support staff and dealt somewhat ungracefully with the tipping situation. That was more complicated and awkward than it should have been, but we were so exhausted that it was hard to work up any real angst over it. In the end, our guide probably made more than he should have and our porters less, but it just wasn’t practical to sort out.
We got on the trail a little after 9am and continued the descent we had started the day before. It was somewhat slow going, mostly due to exhaustion and general soreness, but it wasn’t a difficult stretch by any means. After an hour or two the trail changed from steep dirt and rocks to more gradual paths and it became clear that we were getting close.
And then we came to Mweka gate, which was a welcome sight indeed. It was a little jarring being back in even this limited bit of civilization (cars!) after more than a week on the mountain, and I was somewhat dazed as we waited while Peter dealt with checking out with the ranger station. After that we just had to hop into a minivan for the ride back to Moshi and our new hotel, which I am pleased to say had a wonderful shower and bed.
On the whole, the trip was fantastic. I can highly recommend BootsnAll Travel, who put the trip together for us. Other than some minor snafus, the logistics of everything from airport transfers to equipment rental went really smoothly, and Donovan at BootsnAll was a great help in planning the trip.
For those considering Kilimanjaro, I would definitely recommend the Lemosho route, as it has wonderful changes of scenery and is really a pleasure to climb. Nine days was perhaps a bit much, but the chance to camp at Lava Tower was really worth it, and I have to think that extra day of acclimation made our summit day, as difficult as it was, somewhat easier.
Thank you, Brooks, for the wonderful recounting of your adventure. You certainly did shine a practical and realistic light on the journey. And I’m glad I didn’t know about your heart issue beforehand, or I would have really been worried about you.
John had two questions: Did you have fun, and would you do it again?
Kara
March 25th, 2008
I had a blast, in the exhausting but intense experience sense. And I probably wouldn’t do Kilimanjaro again unless I had exhausted other adventure opportunities, which seems unlikely. I would definitely recommend it, though!
Brooks
March 25th, 2008
What a great adventure, Brooks! You’re mom told me about it and I wanted to learn more about your trip. I’ve gotten into rock climbing in the last year, but not mountains. At least not yet. Sorry to hear about your heart issues though. Hugs!
Melissa McClone
May 6th, 2008