CFH Group 1 on Mt. Kilimanjaro
Day 5
June 9, 2008

Habari! We have arrived safely at Karanga camp, 13,200 feet. The climb and the scenery have been spectacular. Day one had us ascend from 6000 ft. to 1000 feet. We spent most of the day in damp rainforest (think Gorillas in the Mist), arriving seven and a half hours later at Machame camp. Day two we headed above the tree line and into the billowy white clouds that blanketed the horizon for a hundred and eighty degrees around us, arriving at Shira camp at 12,800 feet. Day Three had us set out on the steady, stony route to 15000 feet to the stony lava tower, and then down the Umbwe route to the Barranco camp at 13000 feet, where we arrived after the nine hour day, and then rested through day four.

Every day we set out with the clouds sitting below us, and as the day warms, the pressure differential causes the clouds to rise and catch us in a cold mist as they pass us, waiting for us to climb above them again.

Today we scrambled and switched back over the craggy Barranco wall crossing streams, hand over hand climbing (sometimes at 80 degree angles), and then down and up again, traversing west on the southern side of the mountain to the Karanga camp site. Our camp site is now set in the sunny afternoon below the magnificent snow-covered mountain standing sentinel over the coming evening. Everyone is doing well and the pace has been steady. Tomorrow we’ll set out for the four hour hike to Barafu high camp (15000+ ft), rest all day, and then set out at midnight to trek the last 4000 snow –covered feet to the summit.

Love to all, and Asante Asana!

Joel