Lake Manyara

NOTE: This post will be updated with pictures soon!

For our last day in Tanzania we have decided to go on a one-day safari to Lake Manyara, a National Park on the Western edge of the Great Rift Valley, about 130 km West of Arusha.

Our guide, Isidore, picks us up from the lodge at 7:30 am. Our mode of transportation is a Landcruiser equipped to go through just about anything. The roof can be raised to provide a good view of the surroundings.

We first drive to Arusha, to a beautiful view of Mt. Meru. The morning sun casts a beautiful light on the banana plantations on the Eastern side of town.

Traffic picks up as we enter Arusha. We pass the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the new East Africa Union, both of which are based in Arusha and contributing to the rapid development of the city. After a brief stop to pick up our lunches, we exit the city on the substantially less pretty West side. The shanty towns soon give way to beautiful coffee plantations with the coffee growing under huge and stately ficus trees, lush vegetation, and number of beautiful mansions, missions, and schools.

West of Arusha, the effect of Mt. Meru diminishes and we enter dry plains inhabited by the Masai. We see many herds of long horned cows with Masai herdsmen dressed in traditional clothes. Occasionally the landscape is punctuated by small clusters of round huts. Isidore explains how the Masai have to protect the herds at night by fencing them in and watching for hyenas and lions.

As we descend from the arid high plains to the Lake Manyara region, more trees appear again. We see many magnificent baobab trees, towering high above the rest of the vegetation. With their huge trunk, thin branches, and tiny leaves they look like an oddity.

We encounter a herd of Masai giraffes along the road. A couple of zebras accompany the giraffes. We stop and watch the giraffes cross the road in front of us. They barely fit underneath the power line running along the road. It's an amazing sight.

A little further we pass a small settlement. Isidore explains that it is inhabited by a wealthy Masai cattle owner together with his 46 wives and 260-some children. He is currently building his own primary school to educate his children.

The sharp cliffs that form the Western edge of Great Rift Valley are now in front of us. This huge chasm in the Earth crust extends some 6000 km from Jordan to Malawi just South of here. It is caused by the separation of the Arabian peninsula from mainland Africa. Kilimanjaro is on the Eastern side of the Rift Valley.

At the foot of the cliffs and the Northern tip of Lake Manyara, we reach Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito Village). The village is noteworthy for its Masai artisans and the sweet red bananas that are grown there. We buy a bunch. They are delicious.

Just beyond Mto Wa Mbu we entered Lake Manyara National Park. It's difficult to describe the experience of a safari. In some sense it is an inside-out zoo. Instead of animals being caged in, you are caged in a car. It's amazing to see all these animals just roam in the wild, mostly oblivious to their human visitors. We saw, among others, baboons, bushbuck, impalas, black-faced vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, monitor lizards, eagles, warthogs, wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, hippopotamus, elephants, and the very rare Lake Manyara tree-climbing lion (a mother and her two cubs). Often these animals were just a few feet away from the car.

We had lunch on an overlook from where we could see a sea of pink flamingos in the alkaline water of Lake Manyara. A few colorful birds came to pick up any crumbs we left behind.

We left when the tsetse flies became a nuisance. These bloodsucking flies bite like horseflies and are dangerous because they can transmit sleeping sickness.

We saw many more animals on the way out the park. After a brief stop at Mto Wa Mbu to look at some of the Masai art, we headed back to Arusha.

It was a perfect way to end a beautiful trip.

Location:Arusha - Himo Rd,,Tanzania

Day 7

We were woken up at 6:20 for breakfast. Marc and I had slept like no other night on the mountain, but that should have come as no surprise after having walked for 13 hours the previous day. Today was going to be another long day: 22 km with a descent of about 2 km.

We head out at 7:30, saying farewell to Horombo, where we had stayed for three nights in total. The weather was again beautiful, as we walked through the moorland with groves of groundsels. I could feel my legs. They were starting to feel sore.

As we descended, we encountered a trekkers and porters heading up. The trekkers all still looked so fresh! As is customary anywhere else in the mountains, you greet each other when crossing, but the greetings in Swahili are particularly elaborate. This is how a typical exchange may go:

Mambo! -- Hey!
Poa! -- Cool!
Vipi? -- What's up?
Safi -- Clean
Habari? -- What's the news?
Nzuri -- Good

The porters appreciated Marc's Swahili. I'm impressed how much he learned in the short amount of time he stayed here.

Slowly the moorland gives way to the tropical rainforest. Trees reappear, first a few, then more and more. The humidity increases and so does the lushness of the vegetation.

After three and a half hours, we reached Mandara huts, our first night's refuge. We stopped for a brief snack, then resumed our walk through the rainforest. Less than two hours to go now.

At Kisambioni, a group of blue monkeys is playing in the trees and two mongoose approach us, curious if we are bringing some food.

A little farther down our map shows an "alternative" path down. Neither Frederick nor Hesbon have ever taken it. After holding the map in all possible orientations, we decide to give it a try.

The path is appropriately called a "Nature trail" -- it is barely a path, overgrown in part, and occasionally we have to work our way around fallen trees. We are rewarded, however, by the most beautiful bushes -- bushes! -- of wild orchids and other beautiful flowers.

After an hour I start to worry that the path is heading the wrong direction. It keeps forking, and a couple of landmarks we should have encountered according to the map never materialized. Just as I become convinced that we had gotten our guides into trouble, we hit upon a major path that lead us back to the main trail. A few minutes later we are signing ourselves out at Marangu gate.

Frederick and Hesbon got our certificates. The porters had already loaded up the bus, which was waiting at the gate. We were welcomed by the whole crew with a traditional Tanzanian song. Everyone was clapping and dancing next to the bus.

We boarded the bus and drove down the mountain to Moshi, where we had a late lunch in the center of town. A cheeseburger never tasted this good! Marc and I were suddenly ravenous.

After lunch, they were kind enough to drive us to the place where Marc had volunteered before our trek. For more on Marc's job in Moshi, see his blog -- a must see. Regretfully no one was there on a Sunday afternoon, so we took a few pictures and left for Arusha.

As we drove, I watched the African landscape roll by. The lush vegetation on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The flowers, the women, dressed in colorful dresses, selling bananas along the road. The cattle, the people sitting at simple little bars along the road, a Masai in traditional dress on a bicycle. A feast for the eyes.

As Mt. Kilimanjaro receded, the landscape dried out and the lush vegetation gave way to dry plains with cattle grazing. Heading West toward Mt. Meru and Arusha, the plains turned back into lush vegetation. Each volcano is surrounded by a large circular swath of fertile soil. Before long we were back at the Arumeru River Lodge.



We got our final farewell song with lots of Hakuna Matatas, and then an award ceremony, during which Frederick handed us our official certificates. We all said our goodbyes and suddenly we were back in the world of hot showers, sit-down toilets, and beds. Oh how you can take these luxuries for granted!

After a hot shower, we went for a swim in the pool, and then treated ourselves to a nice dinner. It was a satisfying feeling to realize what we had accomplished: climbed to an elevation of almost 6 km (20,000 ft) starting from about 1900 m, and walked a distance of almost 90 km.

Location:Arumeru River Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania

Day 6: the summit

We were woken up with hot tea and biscuits at 11 pm. We had packed and prepared everything the night before. Three layers of clothing, heavy outer shell, balaclavas, heavy gloves, head lamps. We head out in the darkness.
It was a beautiful clear night, with a star filled sky. A half moon lit up enough of the environment so we could make out the shape of the mountain around us.
Frederick set the pace. It was an almost zombie like shuffle: place one foot half a footlength in front of the other one, scraping it in the scree. Pause a brief moment, then repeat with the other foot. The friction with the scree is supposed to keep the feet warm longer. The slow pace made the difficult climb tolerable. But were we be going to have do this for seven hours? It's amazing what the mind can get the unwilling body to do.
The path was relentlessly steep as we had seen the day before and it didn't get easier after the junction. It was cold. I should have put on a fourth layer. At times the volcanic scree gave way to large boulders and we had to take large steps and use our hands and feet to climb over them. These patches broke up the steady rhythm and tested our resolve. Where we going to be able to make it?
At 4:50 am we reached the crater rim at Gilman's point. The moon had already set. Pitamalia offered us some hot tea. He had lugged glass cups and a thermos with hot tea all the way up to here. What a treat! A nice cup of hot tea at 5681 m. It was too cold to stay very long at Gilman's though.
From Gilman's it is another two hours along the crater rim to Uhuru peak, some 200 m higher. It was more difficult and longer than I thought. I can imagine why so many people give up here, even if it is not as steep.
Dawn started to cast a faint light over the magnificent glaciers around us. We could now see the sheer enormity of the crater and the ash pit at its center. Marc and I had toyed with the idea of adding a detour through the ash pit, but in our mind it became clear that that was not in the cards. What looks like a small distance on the map, turned out to be an enormity. The glaciers on the opposite side of the crater looked like a distant mountain range. How I had underestimated the enormity of this mountain.
Just before we reached Uhuru peak, the sun emerged from the horizon, casting a brilliant light on the glaciers and the snow-covered volcanic ash.
We took pictures until our fingers were frozen, then marched the final ten minutes to the peak.
We had made it!




We stood on the top of the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free standing mountain in the world. The plains of the great rift valley were a full five kilometers below us. To the North lay Kenya, to the South Tanzania. To the West was Mt. Meru. Just to the left of Meru, the rising sun cast a huge shadow of Kilimanjaro in the atmosphere around Meru. A most magical sight.
It was too cold to linger around very long. We had to head back down: another 18 km of walking lay ahead, with a dizzying descent of 2.1 km!
On the way to Gilman's we passed two other groups of climbers on their way to the top. The last ones looked in a decidedly bad shape.
The route down was so much easier (except on the knees). And faster. When we reached the volcanic scree slope, we learned a new sport: "screeing" (think skiing on gravel). We flew down the slope. In no time we were down at Kibo huts, from where most people reach the summit.
We rested a bit, had lunch, and then set out for the long walk across the Saddle to Horombo. It was another 11.5 km, but as it was mostly down, it wasn't too strenuous. It was part of our day 3 in reverse: the Mawenzi ridge, the Last Water Point.
At 2:30 pm we reached Horombo huts. We had walked 24 km, climbed 1.2 km, then descended 2.1 km. What a day. We unrolled our sleeping bags and slept until we were woken up for dinner.
This was our last dinner on the mountain, but we were too tired to enjoy much of all the efforts our crew put in making us feel comfortable. By 7:30 we were in bed. Civilization was approaching rapidly.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Uhuru peak, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Day 5

Barely had I posted the previous entry, or the sun set behind a cliff and the temperature dropped from tropical to freezing. We didn't get dressed quickly enough and so before long we were shivering. We put on more or less everything we had with us and went to dinner. With altitude comes a loss of appetite and we had to force ourselves to eat. At 7 pm we were in "bed."

I didn't sleep very well. The thin mattress pads didn't do a good job protecting from the underlying scree (volcanic gravel). I was hot. Or was I still cold? I went to sleep with thermals and my fleece pants and I had put an additional silk liner in my sleeping bag. I turned on my left because my right side hurt. I turned on my right because my left side hurt. What kind of idea was it to use my dirty laundry bag as a pillow? Normally I put my fleece pants in my camping travel pillow case, but now I was wearing them. The smells emanating from the laundry bag were not conducive to sleeping. I was definitely hot, so I took out the silk liner, my fleece pants, a top layer, and organized my pillow. Oh no! Now I had to go to the toilet and get all dressed again! Luckily Marc was fast asleep, and didn't noticed too much of my endless tossing and turning.

As the next day was another acclimatization day, we started the day very slowly. They brought us our hot tea and water for washing at 7:30. We had a late breakfast and didn't head out until 9:30.

The path left camp steeply. Pitamalia set the pace placing his suede shoes in the volcanic scree. In his hand a half-filled bottle of murky drinking water. Marc was behind me, followed by Hesbon and Frederick. The steep path required all my concentration, but our Tanzanian friends were chit-chatting as if this was a walk in the park.

Pitamalia (I later found out his name was Peter Malya) had a very slow deliberate pace, and I followed in his footsteps. The five of us were walking in lockstep, with the rhythm of a mechanical clock. Each step was the highest step Marc and I had ever taken.

Soon we passed the 5000 m mark. At this altitude half the atmosphere is below you and the air pressure is only half that at sea level. The diaphragm has to work twice as hard to inhale. In addition each breath contains only half the amount of air and therefore oxygen, depriving the body of what it needs to metabolize energy and keep warm. You need both when you climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Luckily neither Marc nor I had any symptoms of altitude sickness.

We were on part of the so-called Rongai route and we walked up to the point where that route rejoins the Marangu route at an altitude of 5174 m. Gilmans point loomed high above us -- another 600 m higher. Tonight we would have to climb all of this in the dark, in our quest to reach Uhuru peak in time to see the sun rise over Africa.

We made it back to camp for a late lunch at 2:30 and then a well-deserved nap. The plan is to have an early dinner, then get up around 11 pm and leave for our final ascent at midnight.

Location:School Hut, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Day 4

Today Frederick sets the pace. I follow him, placing my feet in his footsteps.

"Pole, pole"

The path climbs steeply out of Horombo huts. Behind me is Marc, followed by Hesbon. The four of us walk in lockstep with the regularity of a mechanical clock. It is 8:30.

At 6:30 we had been woken up to a gorgeous sunrise with the usual cup of hot tea. The clouds had lowered and we were treated to a pristine blue sky. Both Kibo and Mawenzi were covered in fresh snow.

After an hour the first porter overtook us. It's an amazing sight to see them walk up, carrying a 20-kg load on their head as well as a back pack. They walk carrying all the gear, food, water for the entire party as if they are walking in the park. "Mambo!" (What's up?). "Poa!" (Cool!). I watch in amazement as he passes us walking on sandals. It's embarrassing at the same time to be treated to all this luxury in one of the world's poorest countries.

After an hour and a half we reach the Last Water Point (see photo). From here on all water needs to be carried up. Imagine the amount our party needs: fourteen of us, three liters per day each, for three days, just for drinking.




Half an hour after the Last Water Point, we reach Mawenzi ridge, which provides a fabulous view of the Saddle, a desert-like expanse separating Kibo and Mawenzi.



The path cuts clear across the expanse. Left, right, left, right. We walk mechanically across the dry desert. The wind picks up. Frederick points out some fresh buffalo tracks. We just missed it. Why do they come up this high, I ask him. They come to look for salty rocks.

After three and a half hours of walking, we reach Jiwe la Ukoyo, Land of many rocks. This is the usual lunch spot, but we are going to press on to get to camp for lunch.

At this point we leave the main trail leading to Kibo huts, which we can see just ahead, and take a small, barely visible path toward the North. The path cuts across what they call 'scree' -- essentially volcanic gravel. We have another 300 m to climb. The path is steep and the gravel doesn't give a very solid footing. From time to time we scamper across steep rocky ledges, boulder to boulder. The effect of the thinning air is becoming noticeable, as the rhythms of my breathing and heart rate pick up. Luckily we are almost there.

When we arrive at School Hut, our tents are already set up. One large tent to sleep on and one housing a portable toilet (see photo).


Did they really carry all this up the mountain just for us? There are no other trekkers at School Hut -- it's just the two of is and our crew. In addition to the two tents I mentioned, they had also set up a large dining tent, where a hot lunch was already awaiting.



We are both a little sunburned through our clothing. We had put sunscreen on all exposed skins, but apparently that is not enough in the relentless mountain sun.

We are now at an altitude of 4720 m, the highest I have ever been. Uhuru peak is still almost 1200 m higher and Kibo is looming huge now from close up. Luckily we have another acclimatization day ahead.

We tried taking a nap in our tent, but the sun had heated it to some 60 C, so I'm writing this blog. Hopefully the temperature will drop soon, as we are both tired. So far no symptoms of altitude sickness and other than being tired, we are in high spirits.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:School Hut, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Day 3

It rained all night. That's what it is supposed to do during the rainy season. As we had to go to the toilet every two hours (apparently that is normal as the body adjusts to the altitude), that was a major nuisance. The toilet building was about 100 m away from our hut and putting on and taking off rain gear is not the most peaceful way of spending the night.

When we were woken up at 7 am, it was still raining. We decided to postpone our departure until 8:30, but when that time came, it was raining even harder. At nine o'clock we left, tucked into our rain gear, and with only the most essential in our backpacks. With us were Frederick, Hesbon, and Pitamalia, one of the porters. They left all gear behind and had just a poncho.

The path had turned into a torrential stream, sometimes ankle deep. It's amazing how good gear can keep you dry. Thanks to our gaiters our shoes managed to remain dry. Poor Pitamalia was waking upfront in a pair of old suede shoes. Frederick admonished us to go slowly, for we were going to climb almost 1000 m in less than 6 km. Pole pole as they say in Swahili.

After about an hour, the rain gave way to a thick, wet mist and we arrived at Zebra Rock. As the name suggests, this rock is a rock cliff with black and white zebra-like stripes caused by mineral deposits.

We were now above the last water point. That means that any water, for drinking, cooking, washing needs to be carried up from here. Something we will need to deal with tomorrow as we will leave this point behind us.

As the mist thinned out, a watery sun appeared and we caught an occasional glimpse of the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second highest peak on Kilimanjaro and the third highest in Africa. The last ascent was 10 years ago and 4 of the 10 climbers perished. The Park service no longer permits climbing that peak.

The climb was becoming arduous as the air thinned out above 4000 m. We walked in silence, mechanically placing one foot in front of the other, inhaling and exhaling with each step.

Hakuna matata (no worries) said Frederick. Another hour and we would be at Mawenzi hut. The steepest and hardest part of the climb was ahead, but the weather turned sunny and we were treated to magnificent views of Mawenzi.

Mawenzi hut, at 4513 m, is an abandoned corrugated hut that could accommodate nine climbers before their ascent of Mawenzi peak. We had a snack in the sun and enjoyed the magnificent view of snow covered Kibo, our goal, some 10 kilometers away.

The way down was fast and fortunately we didn't get rained on. We reached Horombo, which was veiled in a thick fog fog, at 2:30 pm. A nice hot lunch was awaiting us. After lunch Marc and I crawled into our sleeping bags for a nice two hour nap, then we were woken up for dinner. Another four-course meal.

We'll need the calories as we ascend 1 km in altitude over a 10-km long path. The plans have changed a bit. Instead of going to Kibo huts, we will be going to School hut, which in spite of its name is not a hut, but a camp site. So, we better enjoy the relative comfort of our hut tonight. School hut is our camp for two nights. I'm curious how sleeping in a tent will be at 4700 m.

We are going to bed early as we are getting up at 6:20 tomorrow. The plan is to get to School Hut for a late lunch tomorrow and not eat along the way. I am not sure about cellular reception at School Hut, so I'm not sure I'll be able to post what I write until we are back at Horombo on our descent. Hakuna matata -- we'll be alright.



Mawenzi hut, 4513 m

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Horombo Huts, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Day 2

Marc and I woke up around 4:30 am. It had stopped raining, and so we took a look outside. The clouds had lifted and we were treated to the most amazing sky. Stars were everywhere and we got a clear view of the Milky Way. No one else was up, though, so we went back to bed.

We were woken up at 6:20 with two cups of hot tea. Everything was damp from the rain. My wet shirt from yesterday was still soaked. After breakfast, we packed our gear and headed out around 8.

We had about 12 km to walk and 1000 m to climb. The path headed into the last bit of forest, which was slowly thinning out and giving way to grassy moorland. We made a short side excursion to the extinct Maundi crater, now filled with vegetation.

The flora sometimes resembles what you see in the Alps, but in addition there were plants you see only here: lobelias and tall groundsels that look almost prehistoric and that reminded me a bit of the Joshua tree in the American southwest.

As we gained altitude we caught our first glimpses of Kibo and Mawenzi, the two tallest peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, separated by some 10 km. The lower Mawenzi is jagged and too dangerous to climb. Kibo is covered by several glaciers. It's quite amazing to have snow just a few degrees from the equator.

The path climbed steadily and because of the gorgeous weather and the excellent path we made good headway, reaching our lunch spot around noon. The porters, who had left ahead of us, had set a table and the cook had prepared a hot lunch.

After lunch it was just 90 minutes to Horombo huts at 3721 m. Horombo is a small village with several dozen small A-frame huts. We washed up and now we are having tea.

Horombo will be our home for the next two days as we take an acclimatization day. That doesn't mean we'll rest -- we will climb all the way to Mawenzi huts at 4780 m to get used to the thin air and then immediately come back down to Horombo.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Horombo huts