Hiking Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
June 2022
 |
| At the peak with the two guides of my group (5,900 m/19,300 ft). |
 |
| At the trek's beginning, rangers make sure no porter carries more than 20 kg. |
 |
| The trek begins in rainforest. |
 |
| My main guide, who's summited the mountain 80+ times. He knew many plants' latin names and imitated the calls of various animals. |
 |
| A blue monkey. |
 |
| Hyena scat. White from eating bones. |
 |
| Shake the small tree and the ants swarm out to attack. |
 |
| Outside the outhouse. |
 |
| A giant lobelia |
 |
| African buffalos ascend the mountain to lick rocks for nutrients. Five years ago this one wedged its horns in a rock cavity and then died of exposure. |
 |
| The hands-free umbrella. Based on the guides' joking, it was perhaps an un-notable first for Kilimanjaro. |
 |
| Because the mountain is free-standing, you get many views like this. |
 |
| Looking into the extensive crater from the peak. |
 |
| There are about 12 glaciers on the mountain. They'll disappear in 25-50 years. |
 |
| "Sleeping" in the crater at the top. Not fun since oxygen's at 50% compared to sea level. Far less than 1% of hikers enter the crater. Hikers usually begin the final ascent at 2 am, reach the summit at sunrise and then descend all day into oxygen. |
 |
| The volcano is dormant but still smokes and smells of sulfur. The ash cone, which can't be seen from the summit, is in the middle of the crater. |
 |
| Outside a taxidermist's |
Wildlife seen: Colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, giraffe, zebra, a chameleon, big red ants, carpenter ants, turraco birds, white-necked ravens, "four-striped" mice, and a beautiful pastel-purple wasp.
Itinerary: 8 days for the Kili trek on the "TK Lemosho" route (about 110 kms/65 miles, including acclimatizing day hikes). Plus 6 days in Arusha city (500,000 people).
