Day 5 - Trek Day 3
Friday, September 11
Shira Camp 1 —> Moir Camp 6.5 miles
11, 450 ft. —> 13, 640 ft. 2,190 ft. up
7:40am —> 2:00pm 6 hours 20 minutes
Our morning view of the mountain! It’s hard to believe that in 5 days, we’ll be standing on the top of this!
5:15 Coffee call - 6:30 Breakfast - 7:40 Hiking!
It was a COLD morning! In fact our guide, Bona, said he’s never experienced that camp that cold before. Frost on everything! And Kili was gorgeous as the sun was rising!
We started hiking all bundled up as we headed out across the Shira Plateau, and then after the sun was on us for a while, we shed a layer.
The plateau is in the Moreland Zone and is covered with head high shrubs set in the dry dry dirt. Even though it had rained some last evening, and there’d been frost overnight, the last was still bond dry - and dusty. The walking was pleasant and easy, and when the ascent began, it was gradual. We stopped to shed layers again.
All this time we were walking towards Kili in full view which was so exciting. But eventually the clouds came in and we lost our view of the mountain as well as our overhead sun, which was a welcome relief.
Suddenly, we came upon a field of completely burned out trees and shrubs. We had actually seen smoke on the side of the mountain as we were starting out and this was that fire! It was rather eerie to see the burned trunks reaching to the sky even as we saw the ashes still smoldering. While hiking we had seen the fire fighters in their turn out gear with axes hiking down the mountain.
Eventually we were heading up again - steep! I should probably say here, that when we’re going up, I am the slowest in the group. Our group of 12 would often begin as one hiking group but eventually would become two groups. We affectionately called the fast group “the rabbits,” and our slower group, “the caboose.” Some people would shift between the two groups, but I was firmly fixed in the caboose! We had 5 guides with us on the trail every day and they would shift between the two groups as well - always someone leading and someone sweeping (at the back) of each of the groups.
The terrain for the rest of the day was more steep than flat, and eventually when we got to a flat spot, we could look across the way and see our camp on the side of the hill.
As usual, our porters met us on the trail to carry our packs the last half mile or so into camp. We arrived at 2:00pm for lunch: Vegetable soup, pizza (with a thick soft crust!), potato latkes. Then to our tents to wash and rest. It rained some. Tea time (tea and popcorn) was at 4:30 and dinner was at 6:00: Potato & onion soup, beef with rice, corn & bean stew, vegetables, banana fritters with custard for dessert. Evening briefing at the table and then to bed at 7:30!
Bonus: When we were brushing our teeth tonight, we could see the Milky Way!
Here’s our day according to AllTrails!