by Stephanie Brown, our Kilimanjaro Champion
Day 1
Sunday, 3 July 2022
Up early for breakfast in the lodge at 7 am in order to get gear bags packed and loaded on the bus, and then it off to the Rongai Gate! After a beautiful drive through lush vegetation and cornfields, we arrived at Rongai Gate to be greeted by our waiting guides and porters, already busy organising and weighing supplies.
We enjoyed a hearty box lunch while our guides registered us at the Kilimanjaro National Park office. We will sign a register at various points on the mountain so that we can receive our certificate after a successful summit.
Today was an easy 3 km hike through the beautiful Rongai Forest to Simba Camp. Big yellow woods, proteas and many beautiful flowers along the way. The highlight was a Colobus monkey swinging and jumping high above our heads. They are large, black and white in colour and furry – think flying sheepdogs!
We arrived in camp at about 3:30 pm and settled in to our tents. Time for tea and popcorn (hot chocolate for me), quiet reading in one’s tent or a boisterous game of 30 Seconds!
Temperature was moderately warm in the day. Perfect for hiking, but cools in the evening. Sweatpants, fleeces or down jackets keep us warm.
The team is relaxed and looking strong. The climbers ate supper in the dining tent at 6:30 pm and then it’s off to bed.
Keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages for more images about our exciting 2022 Kilimanjaro Climb.
Day 2
Monday, 4 July 2022
Day 2 Climb offered some adventure and great photography opportunities for the climbers. Experiencing Africa by climbing Kilimanjaro is nothing short of life changing.
The team left Simba Camp after a hearty breakfast and started their trek to Kikelwa Camp, which sits at 3600 m above sea level.
Team members had fun as they stopped by two official cave markers. With Lunch served at the second cave, the excitement of the next few days ahead started to grow on the group.
The second day’s climb is a challenging ascent to the “Second Cave” where you will relax and have lunch with superb views of Kibo and the ice fields on the crater rim. After lunch, proceed towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, where we camp in a sheltered valley near Kikelewa Caves.
“Today was a long day: 15km and 1000m altitude!! We were certainly feeling the change in altitude. Our breathing was a bit laboured at times and we could feel a little pressure in our heads (mild headache for some) as we climbed higher. Drinking lots of water and walking “pole, pole” (slowly, slowly in Swahili) helped us all to acclimatise.
Our day started with 6 am wake-up, 7 am breakfast and 8 am departure for Kikelelwa, our camp for the night. The weather was good. Sunny and warm until 10 am with cloud cover and cooler weather setting in for the next few hours. The morning walk was 4 hours and a fairly steep incline. Our reward was a delicious sit down lunch in the dining tent and another 4 hour walk up and down gentle hills and valleys, arriving at camp just after 4:30 pm.
We had amazing views. Kilimanjaro rising majestically on our right and Mwanzi ahead in the distance, appear and disappearing from view as we wound our way to camp.
Our porters were waiting for us in camp. Tents were set up, gear bags and sleeping mats inside them. Water is precious, but there is warm water and a small bucket for a “tent bath”.
Then it’s teatime! Popcorn is always on offer plus lots of juice, tea, hot chocolate, Milo and coffee.
Dinner at 7 am and then it’s off to bed.
Follow our Facebook page and tell us if you’ve climbed Kilimanjaro? What were your thoughts and feelings on the second day?
The Kusudi La team and it’s climbers all hike for a purpose. Stephanie Brown is climbing with a purpose for her 4th time. She learns something new about our beautiful continent every time and about her own resilience.
Day 3
Tuesday, 5 July 2022
Climb to Mawenzi Tarn Camp
Today was a relatively easy day after yesterday’s long climb. Short, but steep climb up the grassy slopes with stunning views all around. We climbed about 700 m to Mawenzi Camp at 4300 m. It was a 3-4 hour walk getting us into camp in time for lunch and a restful afternoon playing cards, sleeping or reading in our tents or exploring around the camp.
We could feel the altitude as we climbed, making the climb just a little harder. We check our oxygen levels and pulse rate every morning and evening to make sure that we are all acclimatising well. The evenings have been chilly, but the days beautiful and warm. We bundle up in our fleeces, down jackets, hats, gloves and warm pants to go to dinner. What we wear to dinner is what we wear to bed!
Although the nights are cold, the sky is beautiful and clear. The photographers among us have been busy photographing the moon and stars. The rest of us gaze up at them in wonder.
Many people want to know: is the food good? The answer is: superb! Today’s lunch was chicken with freshly cut chips and coleslaw. We have the support of an experienced team who can cater for special diets. On this trip, our vegetarians and gluten free climber are eating well.
We are grateful and amazed at the incredible support from our guides, porters, cooks and kitchen staff. We are truly well cared for and experience exceptional care.
Dinner is at 6:30 pm. I sign-off for the day.
Visit Kilimanjaro Flagged Adventure to have your Pet’s Name added to our Flag which will summit with the team on 9 July 2022.
