love | cook | adventure

July 19: Barafu campsite (4,600 m.) A short but steep climb out of Karanga up to the Barafu Campsite. The remainder of the day is spent resting and preparing for our midnight summit attempt (3-4 hours walking throughout the day).
I’m not sure how much I can blog – low battery and updates aren’t going through. Tonight we summit – yeah! All of our group made it to camp within 15 minutes. And Deb led the group up the last hill. We had our boxed lunch here at camp.

So today we were up later than normal. It doesn’t make sense to push out early or fast on such a short day. If so, you end up standing around. As it stands our mess tent was up, but the table and chairs not ready and only one of our tents have been set up. We are waiting for people to come down from summit and clear the website. It’s a bit of a bummer as some people want to lie down and rest.

The hike today was a long ascent, followed by a short decent and then a steep ascent to camp. At each camp we check in, then go to our campsite and relax. I know the team can’t wait to do that.

Anyway, more later….

July 17, 2016

Today was a long, long day of hiking – about 6-7 hours for our group.

The Day:
The sunrise in the morning was breathtaking.

Great Barranco valley (3,900 m.) A morning of gentle ascent – in honesty it didn’t seem like a gentle ascent – it was long. The views along the way we’re so panoramic views, leaving the moorland plateau behind to walk on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. The landscaping was barren and filled with lava rocks.

As we ascended – it was awesome as we would pass Becky and then when we would rest she would pass us.

We had lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4,550 m.). It was nice as we all had lunch together.

We descended to the bottom of the Great Barranco valley (3,900 m.), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below (5-7 hours walking throughout the day).

So the thoughts from the day:

Cathy: Oh my god – that hill coming down Lava Tower! As a note: it was pretty treacherous going down.

Adam: The higher the altitude the less coherent I got.

Lynn: The view of Lava Tower from the decent was magnificent.

Lilly: At one point, I felt like you could touch Kili. And it was great meeting my friend Curtis House and his sister Meghan.

Peter: Very fortunate to have Julius as a guide. He pointed out so many things along the way.

Deb: I enjoyed getting to know Peter more. We are all doing this intense thing together and it’s great to get to know someone better.

Lacey: I was happy when I was feeling sick and Julius took control. He took my day bag and had Elias take me to the next camp to get a little lower in altitude.

Me: On a climb like this, it’s about team work and helping each other out. And I am so happy we are all still at it!

And for all its the hugs from Julius when we aren’t feeling great.

For Dinner: Zucchini Soup and Macaroni with Meat Sauce and Vegetable Sauce.

Another tiring day, and all to bed early. We had some clouds come in, which helped warm things.
Tomorrow the ominous Barranco Wall!

Day 2: July 16, 2016
Today we celebrate Lynn’s 60th Birthday! What a way to celebrate! 🎉🎂🎈
So last night I didn’t sleep much. Our tent was downhill slightly and I kept sliding down my sleeping pad. I hope I sleep tonight.

Peter and I were up early around 5:45 AM. We began organizing our gear, and packing up our sleeping and other items for our large packs. As we were packing we heard a voice at the tent entrance – it was the waiter Mohammad – he had tea for Peter. I couldn’t believe it. As it stands, Peter joked with him last night about tent service and he actually took him seriously. He then brought me a cup of tea. We finished up and went to the mess tent for breakfast.

Today’s hike was very sunny. It was nice, but the sun leads to dusty trails. We had some of the most spectacular views as we rose above the clouds. And as we look behind us, you can see Mt. Meru standing majestically in the distance. The hike today was a lot of climbing uphill. And at one point we traversed the side of a rock face – it’s was pretty cool.

For lunch we had boxed lunches and those who eat meat raved about the chicken in their lunch

Lacey, Lilly, Lynn, Adam, Cathy and I finally made it to camp. After Mohammad brought us hot water to was up, it was popcorn and tea time.

And before you knew it Deb and Peter arrived, then Becky. It’s always exciting when you know your entire team has made it.

For dinner we had pumpkin soup, pasta or rice with vegetable sauce or meat sauce and pineapple. The food has been great on this trek. After dinner we sang Lynn Happy Birthday. And then everyone called it an early night. We all were really exhausted from the climb.

Before bed, one last look at Kili. I love the sunsets on Kili and the stars at night.

Day 3 tomorrow!

Day 1:
So, I know I have to get caught up on yesterday, but as I want to capture today – our first day on Kili.
We started the morning with breakfast at the hotel. Everyone was in great spirits for our first day. For breakfast we had eggs and omelettes cooked to order, chapati, fruit, yogurt, potaotes and sausage.

We gathered our bags – leaving the items we didn’t need for Kili at the hotel – and waited for our guides. Our head guide is Julius and I was happy to another guide, Omari – who helped me and AJ summit in 2012.

We boarded the bus for our two-hour drive to the Machame gate, our starting point for Kili. When we got off the bus – we were handed a boxed lunch, we ate lunch, signed in and then waited for the team of 34 – yes 34 – to gather our gear, tents and food for the climb. The wait was a bit long – to kill time we took the typical pictures in front of the gate and watched the monkeys in the tree.

Soon we were on our way – the team full of energy. The trek today will be about 5 hours and we will climb 1200 meters. The journey will take us through a dense rain forest. The trail today was wet and muddy. It’s a beautiful walk – the forest is lush – it’s peaceful – and it was nice talking with the other hikers. About a 1/4 of the way into the hike we split into three groups based on how fast everyone was walking.

We eventually reached a ridge – where we walked for about an hour. The forest became less dense – and then suddenly we were out of the forest – and the path dusty, and the sky clear – we were out of the clouds! We walked for about 15 minutes – turned a corner and there she was – Mt. Kilimanjaro – rising majestically into the sky. Everyone was in awe of it’s beauty.

Two of the groups had met up for the last hour of the climb and when we got to camp we checked in at the first station. Our tents were set up and we had time to get settled before the tea and popcorn were ready – our post hike snack. As we were having snacks – Deb arrived. We were so happy to see her!

Soon dinner was ready – we started out with a leek soup, then an avocado salad, potatoes, spinach and fried fish. As we were eating dinner our last hiker arrived – Becky. (As an FYI – there is always a guide with the hikers). We were ecstatic to see her. Climbing Kili isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon and everyone goes at the pace that’s comfortable to them. We talked a little – and then everyone went to bed. Everyone is in good spirits, a little tired though. 

Until day 2 . .
I’m having issues uploading pictures right now. 😕

After a long Tuesday, we decided to make Wednesday a more relaxing day for the team. At breakfast we broke the team into 2 groups – Deb, Becky, Lilly and Lacey went to the school with me – and Adam, Lynn, Cathy and Peter stayed at the house. Our morning would be spent assisting with daily tasks. At the house that meant cooking, cleaning, laundry, or whatever Auntie Grace needed help with – and at the school it meant cooking, doing dishes or helping students in class.

At school I took the opportunity to spend the time in the Shamba (garden) and Greenhouse. This past year I embarked on a fundraiser to support the Shamba and Greenhouse. I want to thank all the generous donors and I especially want to thank the Schreiber Family – Scott, Jennifer and Brooks and my family – my sisters Vicki and Melissa, and my Mom, Paula – for their incredibly generous donations to Flying Kites! The shamba and greenhouse are producing the most delicious and nutritious vegetables for these beautiful children. Asante Sana!

After lunch everyone had time to organize their gear and to relax as tonight we will have a send off and tomorrow is a very early day.

I spent the afternoon organizing my things, trying to catch up on this blog and baking a cake. One of the volunteers, Morgan, turned 21, and Edwin asked if I could bake a cake for her. Now I’m a trained pastry chef, but I will be honest, I was a little nervous making this cake – I would need to improvise using the ingredients at the house and I had to use an oven without temperature control, at least as I know it. I had to use the same oven I cooked the pizza in – the charcoal fired oven.

I decided to make a simply white cake – I creamed eggs and sugar; added oil, milk and vanilla; and lastly mixed in self-rising flour and baking powder. Then into the butter and floured cake pans – one pan was a traditional pan, the other an old cookie tin. And as I didn’t have icing, I improvised and made a jam glaze – red plum for one cake, strawberry for the other.

We all had dinner with the children in the children’s dining room. And at the end of dinner we presented Morgan with her cake. And then after dinner we had a big bonfire with S’Mores, a beautiful song written by Josh, and Taylor sang along. The two of the are quite talented. After singing and dancing around the fire, everyone (the Kili climbers) headed to bed. Peter and I, headed into the volunteer lounge and hung out a bit. Then it was off to bed. Tomorrow we head to Arusha! 

Next post – the journey to Arusha….

PS – my first mobile post.

On Tuesday’s agenda – to climb Elephant Hill (really a hill?) is a prep for Kili. Elephant Hill, which gets it’s name for it’s resemblance to an elephant’s head and because of the wild elephants in the park, stands at almost 11,800 feet above sea level. The 20+ mile climb (roundtrip) should only take about 3-4 hours up and another 2-3 hour down. Let’s put it this way – we have renamed Elephant Hill – Endless Mountain!

So we gathered at the house in the volunteer kitchen and discussed the hike and climb (aided by a google search of Elephant Hill), a few of the climbers decided to conserve their energy for the main trek – Kilimanjaro – and not attempt Elephant Hill. In retrospect, I think they may have been the smart ones!

Just after 8:30 am, 6 of the Kili Climbers, 4 volunteers and Edwin, climbed in the Land Rover and headed for the ranger station. The day ahead – overcast, misty and chilly – perfect prep for Kili. At the station, we paid our entrance fee and met our two guides – both packing AK-47’s for our protection against the elephants.

The first part of the climb is up a dirt road to the entrance – which reminded me of something out of Jurassic Park – a tall looming electrified fence. And as we approached the entrance, we heard voices off in the distance – Amos had taken the other Kili climbers on a short hike up to the entrance of Elephant Hill. We greeted our fellow climbers as we rested a bit, then continue our trek up Elephant Mountain.

The Electric Fence – straight out of Jurassic Park!

A chance meeting with Amos and the other Kili Climbers.

As we continued our hike – one guide walked towards the front of the group and the other towards the back. As we enter the gate, the early part of the trek is a lush, dense forest – this is known as the forest zone. Spirits were high and we even had time for a group selfie!

The Lower Forest Zone

Group Selfie

Soon after we enter the protected area, we see why we have guides with such powerful weapons – we came across deep elephant tracks. And you can see exactly how deep these are as Lacey stepped into one foot print – and to give you an idea of how deep they are, she stands 5’6” when you look at the picture. Now as an experienced Elephant tracker, I could tell by the new leaves on the footprint that this footprint was at least 3-days old. I confirmed my suspicion after smelling some elephant dung – fresh dung has a sweet, almost floral smell to it – and as dung ages – it becomes nuttier in its scent.

Elephant Tracks

Lacey Standing in an Elephant Footprint.

As we rose in elevation, the ecosystem began to change and soon we entered the bamboo zone. The paths are narrow and covered with a canopy of towering bamboo. It is almost surreal to enter this enchanted forest.

The Bamboo Zone.

Robbie and Peter – pushing through the Bamboo Zone.

From the Bamboo Zone you enter the Alpine Zone with it’s incredible flora.

Alpine Flora

We soon reached the infamous Despair Point, where we stopped for lunch. At this point, you have climbed a bit, but off in the distance, you can see how far you still have to climb. It seems Endless. The climb from this point on becomes a little more treacherous – in fact I think it is more difficult than climbing Kili. The path is rocky, steep and with the misty weather – it has become very slick.

Edwin and Taylor at Despair Point

Soon after we continue our ascent – the group breaks into two – a faster group (the young volunteers – Taylor, Josh and Kate) and then the remaining group. I am sure we would have naturally broken into three groups, but as there were only two guides, we had to stay in two groups.

As the day wore on, we all become a little tired, definitely wet, and chilled. We continued our trek through the Alpine Zone.

Trees in the Alpine Zone.

I don’t know if it was a blessing or not, but the continual fog, made it difficult for us to see our destination. However, every once in awhile, the fog cleared and we could see the destination. However, it did not seem like it was getting closer. And each time we successfully ascended a hill, and we reached a plateau, we were convicted we had reached the top. Only to realize as the fog cleared, that the summit was still off in the distance. Hence our new name for the peak – Endless Mountain.

Our group reached one of the lower peaks and as we rested a bit, we heard voices off in the distance. No we were not hallucinating, but the lead group had reached the summit. It was incredible to see their silhouettes standing on the peak. It is hard to see in this picture but those are not all trees on the summit, they are of the younger volunteers.

Elephant Hill Summit

The beautiful view from the lower peak.

At this point our group decided that due to the late hour, and to conserve our energy for Kili, we were going to head back home. I am sure if the weather were better, we probably would have continued to the upper peak and head of Elephant Hill.

Lacey and Cathy on the Lower Peak, and Robbie sharing his thoughts of this climb.

We made the long descent down to our awaiting Land Rover. It was such a welcome sight. We waited for the trailing group to arrive, and then headed home, it was now past 6 pm.

The Eerie Forest on our descent.

When we got home, we quickly changed into dry clothes, ate dinner, sat in front of the fire to warm our tired and chilled bodies, and then we went to bed early.

Tomorrow, we will all take it easy….

NOTE: I am trying to catch up on the blog, and it is late in Arusha (11:30 pm), so my apologies for spelling and grammar errors. Have a good night….

I’m sorry I have not been able to blog much, we have been so busy and by the time I get to my computer, I start falling asleep. It’s Wednesday night and I know I have all of Tuesday and Wednesday to blog. We have a long drive to Arusha tomorrow and I hope to blog along the way.

So just as we were about to serve lunch, the remaining Kili climbers arrived. I was very excited to meet the remaining climbers, especially my roommate and tent mate, Peter. So here is our group . . .

So there is me (Steve Anderson) a restaurant consulant from Nashville, TN – and Peter Kinsman a businessman from Australia.

And there are two childhood friends – Lacey Burns who works for the Rwandan Cycle Team and lives in Rwanda, and Lilly Mead, who is from Boston and works at the Children’s Hospital.

Next up we have Deb Azorsky from Colorado, who is celebrating her 60th Birthday and Becky DeGrossa, Deb’s wife.

Next up we have Lynn Heilig, who is also celebrating her 60th Birthday and her son Adam, who will be celebrating his 20th birthday on our climb. Both from Colorado as well.

And last but not least – we have Cathy Hott, from Virginia and who is also climbing Kili for the second.

Until the ride to Arusha . . .