🥾 Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro 🏔️

SUNDAY, July 21

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa, rising 19,341 feet above sea level. Rather than being part of a mountain range, it is a free-standing mountain comprised of three distinct volcanic cones (Kibo, the central and tallest cone, is dormant and Mawenzi and Shira are extinct.) Kilimanjaro is a stratovolcano, created over 2.5 million years ago due to the tectonic activity of the East African Rift. Because of its grand scale, there are several diverse ecosystems surrounding the mountain, as well as their accompanying microclimates. For most of our time in the area, the peak was obscured by a thick layer of haze.

Normally to reach the summit, hikers take either a 5- or 6- day trek depending on if they stop for an extra day to acclimatize. There are several routes up the mountain, but only one that has huts the entire way. Because we were traveling with the Fulbright program, we only had time to hike part of the Marangu route - we would stop at the First Huts (known as the Mandara Huts), then take a few short hikes before descending the following day.

Ready for our adventure!

We drove about an hour to the Marangu Gate (elevation 6,100 ft), our starting point for the hike up the Kilimanjaro slopes. Our target was the first huts, about a 6.5 mile hike up through the thick montane forest. Upon checking in, we were given a roll of toilet paper, a 1.5 liter water bottle, and a packed lunch in a large, shoebox-sized cardboard box – it was hard getting everything to fit into our already stuffed backpacks! Allie and I prepared our lunches by consolidating our hard-boiled egg and chicken into our pasta salad containers, and all of us threw away the giant boxes that the lunch came in.

It was a slow and steady climb up through the rainforest to our lunch spot. It's a dense, lush forest with moss-covered trees, vines and epiphytes hanging down, and ferns and lichen all around. It was exciting to be in the place that we had just learned so much about, and I was grateful to have a deeper understanding of the importance of the mountain for the Chagga people and to the surrounding communities. 

Wildlife spotting with Rashid

It was also clear how richly biodiverse it was. We saw several different types of wildlife, including blue (also known as Syke’s) monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys. A small flock of Hartlaub turacos began their loud croaking call, and soon we spotted them flitting through the trees. They are particularly interesting birds – they are about the size of a chicken, but spend their time high up in the treetops. While they are known for their vibrant colors (vivid green, blue, and/or violet) with crimson red feathers under their wings, it was hard for us to see them since they were backlit and hidden in the leaves. But once in a while they would fly from one tree to the next, flashing us with a burst of bright red. On one occasion, a single turaco flew directly over us, giving us a great view! 

The rainforest is SO COOL!

The uphill climb was a bit challenging since with 12 people hiking together, there was a wide range in abilities and some people weren’t quite as group-oriented or supportive as others (but it definitely taught me a lesson in patience!). Unfortunately, right before lunch Chidi slipped and fell, hurting his knee. He made it to the lunch spot, where luckily there was a road and he could get a ride back down the mountain. Jennice and Nicole decided to join him, so our group went down to 8 (Rashid, T’Shango, Okoi, Biko, Allie, Ann, Rubin, and me). We had 3 guides with us – the leader Amare, and the two helpers Alex and Martin. 

Made it to the Mandara Hut!

All were so kind and patient, and helped us carry heavier items as well as teaching us about the plants we saw on mountain. Soon after we got underway for the second half of the journey, Biko began slowing down and struggling to walk straight. He didn’t want to quit, so we took an even slower pace through the steeper slippery mud path. It was nearly 5 pm by the time we made it to camp, at 8,922 ft. 

I spy with my little eye... a lump

Before dinner, some of us decided to hike to the Maundi Crater, about 30 minutes from the huts. On the way, we spotted several Eastern Tree Hyraxes (so exciting, as they were on my wish list to see!) They were cleverly hidden on tree limbs, blending in almost perfectly to the bark. 

I'm no lump! You're a lump!

Tree hyraxes are curious creatures that look a bit like a groundhog or a small marmot. But interestingly, their closest relative is the elephant (based on the structure of their foot). 

The sunset view of Mt Kibo

Maundi Crater is a small volcanic crater with gorgeous panoramic views of Kibo and Mawenzi from the rim. We were able to hike down into the crater and cross to the other side, before returning to camp in time to change for dinner. 

The descent into Maundi Crater

The dining hut was dimly lit, but we had the most AMAZING soup (which we fondly dubbed the Magic Soup) that tasted different for everyone. I thought it was cream of chicken, but others thought it was chicken noodle, pumpkin, or vegetable. 

A HUGE thank you to our porters, who carry all our essentials!

We soon discovered that the soup was just a starter - there was so much food, and it was delicious - made all the more special knowing that porters had to carry EVERYTHING up and down the mountain - a load of around 40 pounds!

Sleeping in the First Huts was, as we all claimed, “Not all that bad!!” We were given sleeping bags and there were pillows in the cabins (of questionable cleanliness), and with bunk beds, Ann, Rubin, Allie, and I comfortably shared one (and Biko, Okoi, T’Shango, and Rashid had one that shared a wall with ours – an important fact, since we could hear them through the walls and felt every vibration from the surrounding cabins). The bathrooms were right outside our door, which was convenient, but someone accidentally came into our cabin in the middle of the night since everything was dimly lit and all the cabins looked identical. Must have been frightening for her! None of us got very much sleep, except for Okoi, who snored loudly all night… We were too tired to go on a night walk, but we did step outside for a few minutes to listen to the sounds of the jungle.

MONDAY, July 22

The view of Kibo from the moorlands

Before the return trip down the mountain, we had the option to continue hiking upwards to see beyond the montane forest. My legs were tired, but I had to take the opportunity to go! So we got up for a 6AM breakfast and 6:30 start for our hike up towards the second huts. Our goal was to reach around 11,000 feet, and we entered the moorland habitat after about an hour’s hike. 

We continued up where the trees gave way to scrubby erica shrubs, giant heathers, and wild grasses. Since it was a nice day, we had an amazing view of both Mt. Mawenzi and Kibo; we were above the clouds, and the sun was shining brightly and the sky was a clear blue. 

Four-striped grass mouse

Carcass beetle love

The dry, open moorland plays host to a variety of different plants and animals, so it was nice to see this different ecosystem. 

Hiking above the clouds

We made it back to the huts at around 10 in the morning, where we planned to meet Biko and have a quick group lunch before heading back down the mountain. Once again, the food was amazing – especially since we saw many porters carrying huge packs headed up to the second huts and we knew all our food had been carried up the mountain for us. I felt a bit bad that there was so much uneaten food, since they had planned to cook for 11 of us and only 7 ended up staying the night. I think even if we were all accounted for, we still wouldn’t have been able to finish everything that they had schlepped up the mountain.

Did you know? The glorious fringe on the black and white
colobus monkey acts like a parachute for when they jump!

We headed back down to a much faster pace, even though I found the hiking to be harder than the day before. It was a consistent downhill, jarring our knees and toes with each step. On top of that, the path was still rocky and muddy, so with every step there was the fear of falling. I definitely took my time, which allowed us to enjoy encounters like the black and white colobus monkey who waited patiently as it sat posing for pictures.

I was definitely tired after about 4 hours, and was grateful that our guide Amari offered to carry my backpack since it was heavy with my camera and all my extra clothes! Not having the weight on my back made it easier for me to balance, but even so, my feet were exhausted by the time we made it to the bottom of the trail.

We made it!

TUESDAY, July 23

In his infinite wisdom, Rashid scheduled a free day the next day since we were all exhausted from our trekking adventure. I spent it going through pictures, relaxing at Blossom’s café. Allie, Rubin, T'Shango, and I went to Lala Spa to get massages – which was so painful but felt so good on our extremely sore muscles. I’m sure I’ll still be sore tomorrow! Nevertheless, it was such a privilege to hike on Kilimanjaro, and I'm grateful for the opportunity!