Climbing Kili: Shira Plateau to Barranco Camp

The morning of day 3 dawned white with frost - something I haven't seen in over 2 years.  Brrr!  I had forgotten how hard it is to get out of a warm sleeping bag when it is cold outside.  I shivered as my boots crunched a circle in the grass to face Kibo.  There wasn't a single cloud in the sky to distract from its imposing mass.  It's relentless gaze followed us as we worked our way across the plateau.  Shira was the first volcano of Kilimanjaro to erupt, and it formed the caldera through which we were walking.  Mawenzi, on the far side of Kibo was second to erupt, and Kibo, the highest was last.

White everlasting flowers with yellow centers covered the plateau looking (as one of our group aptly observed) like sheep hunkered down in the grasses to escape the wind.  Except for the illusion of sheep, and the scat of jackal and buffalo, the plateau was empty of animals and other hikers.  We reached the far side and climbed up the narrow ridge until we reached the top where we could see the spire of rock called Shira Cathedral.  Facing away from the plateau you could see the ridges and peaks of the mountain's roots spread down to the plains.  Clouds floated between us and ground - a view that would become familiar the higher we climbed.

We arrived at our camp in time for a late lunch and an acclimatization hike up to 4100m.  The next morning, we retraced our footsteps up and beyond.  All the vegetation vanished as we walked "pole pole" (slowly slowly) up to Lava Tower through the boulder fields.  Clouds engulfed our camp where we had spent the night, moving at a pace much quicker than ours.  Soon it began to drizzle, and then to sleet.  We arrived at our lunch stop at Lava Tower at 4600m frozen and hungry.  After thawing out with soup, grilled cheese and fried bread (healthy, I know) we headed back into the icy weather on our way down to Barranco Camp.  The sleet changed to rain.  The Barranco valley was beautiful although unphotographable in the rain.  Wisps of cloud floated in and around the groves of tree groundsel, a bizarrely shaped plant which keeps all its dead leaves in order to stay warm - smart plant!  A stream cascaded down the center and to complete the picture, a rainbow appeared.  We went to sleep with the rain sounding on our tents.

Rising and shining at Shira 1 Camp with Kibo in the distance.

Walking across the Shira Plateau towards Shira Cathedral.

Everlasting flowers everywhere!

Admiring Shira Cathedral from the top of the ridge.

Smiling for the camera!

Almost at Shira 2 Campsite.  Loved how the clouds hovered around
Mount Meru in the distance.

Acclimatization hike to 4100m.  Kibo was looking closer, and I was feeling colder!

Last light on Kibo before the sun set.

On the way to Lava Tower...before the rain began.

Lava Tower in the distance (the blackish ledge below Kibo),
and a wheeled stretcher in front - just in case.  

Tree groundsel in front of an eerie Kibo in Barranco Camp. 

A new bus for KEMPS!

I am taking a short break from posting about Kili, because there was a very exciting moment on campus today.  I was hanging laundry up to dry outside when I heard the beeping of horns and cheering.  My first thought was that a wedding must be driving by; however, looking more closely, I noticed that the teachers were cheering and students as well.  The honking drew closer, and students came running in next to the car of the General Secretary.  And behind him, came a new white school bus for KEMPS!

As the driver pulled in and parked, students and teachers placed branches and flowers along the windows to celebrate its arrival.  To further commemorate the moment, a tree was also planted on campus by the General Secretary.  It seems that the days of multiple trips in the land cruiser every morning and evening are finally over. 

Students and teachers decorate the new bus with flowers.

Teacher Joyce, the headmistress, and the General Secretary in front of the new bus.

Climbing Kili: From the Rainforest to Shira Plateau

I have spent the last couple of days pondering how I will share my Kili experience on my blog, looking through pictures and wondering how I will choose just a few to post.  As a result, I will break the hike up according to days so that you can see as many pictures as possible and decide which are your favorite for yourself!

I am a map person, so the first "picture" below is actually a map of the route we followed.  I have included the camps were we stopped at the end of each day as well as the altitudes.

We began our Kili climb with one long, bumpy, and dusty car ride.  There were five climbers in our group, 1 head guide, 2 assistant guides and 16 porters.  It was an astonishing number of staff for five climbers.

After our free car massage, we arrived at Londorossi Gate where the nervous energy of beginning the climb was palpable in the chatter of climbers and the busyness of the guides and porters.  Our porters quickly formed a line, each with a rice sack of equipment.  An official, together with our head guide, Tumaini, weighed each sack to make sure that our porters carried no more than 15kg.

Unfortunately by the time we started hiking, it had begun to rain.  I suppose it is to be expected in the rainforest.  Water poured down in sheets turning the trail into a slippery and treacherous river.  Up we went, thankful for the rain gear and hopeful that this would be our first and only day of rain.  By evening we had arrived at Mti Mkubwa ("Big Tree" in English), our first campsite.  Moto, our soon-to-be best friend brought us warm water for washing, showed us our own personal toilet tent and announced hot tea and popcorn before dinner in our dining tent.  We were definitely roughing it!

Moto woke us up on day 2 with a lyrical "Good Morning.  How are youuu?" and a hot drink while still in bed.  Our hike began in the rainforest, where it was sunny.  Silver mosses draped the trees and the cool green light of the sun through the leaves was warmed by the reds and browns of the forest floor. Porters packed the camp after we left and passed us on the trail, packs on their backs and baskets on their heads.  The transition to the heather and moorland vegetation zone was abrupt.  White flowers dotted the heather and the trail was lined with wild sage, St. John's Wort and the beige flowered and flame tipped leaves of the Protea.  Fog began to swirl around our heads as we climbed higher and higher, tendrils of cloud chasing us up over the ridge and onto the Shira Plateau.  Looking behind, the fog spilled over the top of the ridge like a cauldron boiling over.  Our guide observed matter-of-factly that those in the rainforest would be getting wet.

A short traverse of the Shira Plateau brought us to our campsite for the evening.  Surrounded by everlasting flowers and bathed in sunlight, the camp was perfect for drying out our wet gear from the day before.  Kibo sat in the clouds above the plateau and looked miles away.  Keeping vigil on the summit we saw the clouds slowly begin to clear, exposing our first real view of the snow and rock of Kibo.  

Porters in line to make sure their packs were the correct weight.

Reading this now, I wonder if I should perhaps look
terrified as opposed to smiley...

Washing hands in our dining tent before our meal.

A porter passes us on the trail.

Mosses!

Some gnarly trees as we walked through the woods.

Walking through the heather.

One variety of everlasting flower.

Protea flower.

Ready to enter the mists!

Being chased onto the Shira Plateau.  Watch your back!

Walking across the plateau towards Shira 1 Camp.

Looking across the plateau at our first view of Kibo.
One minute it was in the clouds, and then, voila!

Climbing Kili for KEMPS

The last post on this blog showed the latest progress on the bath house for the boys' dormitory at KEMPS.  As many of you have commented, it has been a long time since I have posted anything new.  Unfortunately, the bath house is in the same state as my blog.  No further progress has been made to complete the bath house and toilets as there are no more funds for construction.

Thanks to many of you, this will soon change.  Last week, I spent 8 days climbing Kilimanjaro, and many of you who love KEMPS as much as I do sponsored me a penny a meter climbed ($58), in order to help complete this project.  Thank you!  You will be pleased to know that on the 13th of August at 6:30am, I reached Uhuru (meaning "freedom") peak of Mount Kilimanjaro at 5895m.  After six and a half hours of bone-wearying trudging through the cold night, watching the sunrise from this monumental peak was breath-taking.

Over the next couple of days, I hope to post pictures to share my favorite parts of the climb, so stay tuned!  If you were waiting to see if I would really make it to the top before sending your own donation, see the picture below as proof!  Donations of any amount are welcome until September 30th, 2012.  Please make them out to St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 308 W 46th Street, New York, NY 10036 with the designation "Steph's Kilimanjaro Climb".  

Thank you again to all who have supported my climb with your thoughts and prayers, and the boys I teach with your generous donations.  

Construction at KEMPS

For more than two years, the boys at KEMPS have made do with very limited toilet facilities. Previously there were outdoor pit latrines on the hill near the boys' dormitory.  Several years ago they collapsed during a school holiday and have been unusable.  This is soon to change.

 Thanks to gifts from St. Luke's Lutheran Church and many other donors, the building of the boys' latrine has begun again.  The rubble was removed from the old pit, the foundations rebuilt, and a new building was constructed in a new design that promises to be much more stable.  Last week the roof was added, an important step during the rainy season of April and May.  We are waiting for doors and the finishing touches before the new latrines are ready for use.

The front of the latrines. 

The back of the latrines.

Looking up the hill at the new building.
 It will include eight toilets and 2 bathing rooms.

Insects Galore

Herbert, a Standard 5 pupil arrived at my door one afternoon and announced he had something to show me.  Poised to take his shoes off and enter my house so that I could see, I caught a glimpse of what he was holding in his hand - something that looked like an enormous cockroach.  Jumping up, I yelped "Don't bring that inside, I'll come out!".  He had found the enormous specimen on his observation site, and so we proceeded to examine it carefully together so that he could write his journal entry.  We noted its size, coloring, how the claws at the ends of the legs didn't always touch the ground, the way it moved its antennae and the sheer wings under the wing casings.  Then we put it on its back so we could look at the underside, and we witnessed an astonished feat.  The insect jerked its head back so that it hit the floor and with a loud popping noise it flipped itself right side up again. 

Sugar Cane

The 1st of May - May day, or Worker's Day - is a public holiday in Tanzania.  There are no classes, no teaching and lots of relaxing.  Students at KEMPS were particularly excited for this holiday because they received a special treat in the afternoon - sugar cane. While American kids get popsicles, Tanzanian kids go crazy for sugar cane.  They bang their sugar cane against a rock to split it into pieces, chewing the fibers until all the juice is released.  Then they spit the fibers out and gnaw on the next piece.  For 45 minutes the quad was full of the satisfying sound of banging, tearing and chewing sugar cane.  If you have no idea what sugar cane looks like, my pupils below are eager to show you.

Closer to the camera is always better...
I would back up, and they would step forward...