Kilimanjaro, Day 1

January 29, 2014

Kilimanjaro, Day 1:  Londorossi Gate to Mount Mkubwa (Big Tree Camp/Forest Camp)

We made it.  We're finally here.  We've reached our very first campsite, Big Tree Camp/Forest Camp, along the Lemosho Route of Mount Kilimanjaro.  Although this was only the first day of seven, and probably the least strenuous of all the days we'll spend on the mountain, it seems like it took us a lifetime to get here.

It all started nearly a year ago when my close friends and fellow outdoors-enthusiasts, Mike and Robert, announced they were going to climb Kilimanjaro.  They invited Mouse and I to come along, but I didn't think Mouse would go for it.  He's a good sport about most of my overly-ambitious endeavors, but this was going to be a serious undertaking.  And yet, to my great surprise, he was game.  So, sometime in August 2013, the planning for this great adventure began.

It took us months to get everything organized.  First, we had to decide upon a guide company.  We ended up choosing Ultimate Kilimanjaro, which turned out to be more of a middle-man that contracts out to Zara Tours, one of the largest guide companies in Tanzania.  (Up until today, I was a little annoyed with going through a middle-man, but after being in Tanzania for only two days, I have realized that they probably made our planning and preparation go much more smoothly than if we had attempted to to through Zara Tours directly.  It may have cost us a smidge more money, but it was definitely worth the convenience and decreased stress level.)  After choosing the guide company, we had to pick a date.  Once the deposit was paid and we were fully committed, life became a blur of work, training, and a multitude of trips to REI.  Before we knew it, it was time to drive cross-country to drop off the pup, and hop on a plane to Amsterdam, the first pitstop in this crazy month-long adventure.  So now, it almost seems surreal to be lying here in my tent at Big Tree Camp/Forest Camp, writing in my journal about our first day on the mountain.

The day started off like one might imagine any large-scale expedition in a third-world country to begin - in complete chaos.  Even though there are only four of us in the group, we require an astoundingly large support crew.  To be honest, I'm not even sure how many people are in our crew.  I've read that a group our size requires a minimum of two porter per person, a cook and waiter (who also serve as porters), an assistant guide, and a lead guide.  We could have more in our crew.  We could also have less.  We've met our assistant guide, Johnson, and our lead guide, Richard, but everyone else has swarmed around us in a flurry of activity.  First, it was to pack our bus and get us on the road.  Then, it was to unpack the bus at Londorossi Gate to weigh all of our gear and eat lunch.  After that, it was to repack the bus and make our way to the Lemosho Glades Trailhead.  And now, it's to get camp set up and dinner prepared.  Our crew never seems to stop, with everyone in constant motion.  It's almost dizzying to see them at work.

The ride from Londorossi Gate to the Lemosho Glades Trailhead was probably the most incredible, most stressful, and even most laughable things I've encountered in a long time.  The change in landscape as we drove deeper into the jungle was simply spectacular.  The landscape morphed from dry, dirt roads and dusty fields to lush, emerald-green foliage.  The more altitude we gained, the more beautiful our surroundings became.  But, there was a price to pay for our surroundings, the deeper we delved into the jungle, the worse the roads became.  The road turned into no more than a glorified Jeep trail, rutted out beyond all belief.  There were times I was convinced our big, old bus had no chance of making it; we would lean so far to the left or right that I could have leaned out the window and touched the ground.  But, as one might suspect, we did make it down the dilapidated road and to the trailhead, which is where our hike began.

The actual hike to Mount Mkubwa was incredibly mellow.  "Pole, pole" is our theme for the next seven days, which translates into "slow, slow".  And slow was definitely the speed set forth by Johnson, our assistant guide.  So slow, in fact, that it was almost painful at times.  It felt like I was expending more energy by trying to slow myself down, than if I just let myself go at a natural pace.  The athlete in me wanted to faster, but Johnson was determined to keep us in check.  So, we took our time, spotted a few different species of monkey, and even caught a monkey brawl.  After a couple of hours, we finally reached camp, which is a small tent city, as several groups and guide companies are all converging at this one spot.  Some of us will follow the same route over the next several days, others will break off and follow different courses.  Regardless, the area is scattered with sleeping tents, mess tents, outhouse tents, and climbers making conversation.  It's the first time I've really felt like I'm actually doing this.  I'm going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.