Jul
26
Machame Gate, entrance to Klimanjaro
Today we drove to the park gate to begin our climb. It is quite a process obtaining permits and meeting our local guides and porters. The hike to our first camp, Machame, took us 4.5 hours through beautiful rain forest. We had anticipated a 6 hour hike so everyone seems strong and is doing well. At 10,000 feet we are already starting to feel the altitude though, so we will have to pace ourselves and walk slowly as we continue up the mountain … pole pole as the locals say, which means “slow, slow” in Swahili.
Machame camp is at the upper reaches of the rain forest with only drier scrub forest beyond this point. Tomorrow we go to Shira Camp, 2,500 vertical feet above us.
Summit Life! Scott