Day 5 - Hiking From Rongai 2 Camp to Kikelewa Camp - 26 Sep 2014

Day 5 was a pretty short day where we started at 11,450 ft. elevation and ended the 3-5 hour trek at 11,850 ft.  A second night sleeping at relatively low elevations was planned to enable us to acclimatize better for the summit push on Day 8.

We passed from the heath zone and into the moorland zone during the day, and along the way, we explored a cave that our guides called the "Bubble Cave."  There are quite a few caves on the flanks of Mt Kilimanjaro which in times past were used as overnight shelters.  That practice has  been halted in favor of concentrating campers in designated camp spots with nearby water supplies and waste disposal facilities.

Assistant Guide Deo and porter Hussein at the mouth of the "Bubble Cave."

We strapped on our headlamps and went quite far back into the cave.  Here is Tom Miller with Deo.  In some places, the cave ceiling was low and we had to take care to avoid banging our heads on the rocks.

Some of our porters and guides inside the cave. 

David Still on the right sharing the photos he took inside the cave with the others in our group.

 

At the elevations where the heather and moorland zones are found, roughly 9,000-13,000 ft., there are not many large woody plants.  But many of the plants in these areas are quite old, so some older bushes do produce sizeable root wads and stubby trunks, which in this climate get magnificently weathered with the passage of time.



One of the several species of Helichrysum plants that are common in the heath and moorland vegetation zones.

Relative of the carrot.

White-necked ravens  start to appear near where trekkers camp in the hope of snitching some morsels of food.  Their presence is almost always an indication of a nearby camp or another group of trekkers in the neighborhood.

Even the clouds mimicked the aggressive birds we saw along the way.

There are many types of volcanic rock on the Kilimanjaro strato volcano which collectively consists of Mawenzi, Kibo, and the Shira volcanoes.  The earliest eruptions forming this group emanated over one million years ago from the Great Rift valley.  The lower slopes, in particular, tend to consist of a lot of low-viscosity lava which traveled far and cooled to form basalt.  Many of the more recent eruptions produced different forms of volcanic rock, especially rectangular or rhombic porphyries and phonelites.  The crystals in this sample of rock are porphyries.

As we get close to Kikelewa Camp we break out into a large meadow of tussock grass.

The "turtles" easing into camp on a gray, but pleasant afternoon>

Giant senecio plants are commonly found in the moorland zone.

Example of the solar panels carried by the camp porters to light the mess tent and the standing tents.

 

L-R Jennifer Lindwall, Tom Miller, and David Still sharing a good laugh while waiting for lunch.  All wearing rented parkas and happy for it!

Typical of the moorland zone are expanses of tussock grass and giant senecio or groundsel plants.

Another view of the plants and terrain near Kikelewa Camp.

Close-up of giant senecio.

Giant senecio plants.

White-necked ravens waiting for some bits of food to hit the ground or be left unattended.

 

Another cave right next to the Kikelewa Camp.

 

We did not take the time to explore this one.

 

Gray lichen on lava rock.

Porters get a briefing about some persons on the mountain posing as guides or porters who have been stealing things from some of the trekkers or the outfitters. All persons in the national park are supposed to be registered and report in to national park offices that are located at several places on climbing routes.

 

The briefing continues.

Three of our porters.



L-R in foreground Alexandra Branch, Nestor, Chris Branch, Alicia Chapman, and Anthony Welcher.

Clouds rolled in and out during the day.

 



View of Mawenzi Peak from our Kikelewa Camp location.  On the 6th day of the trek we will camp right at the base of Mawenzi at 14,210 ft.

Day 4 - Hiking From Pofu Camp to Rongai 2 Camp - 25 Sep 2014

The morning dawns bright and clear above us as we awake at Pofu Camp on the morning of 25 Sep 2014.  We are starting to get into a routine and it isn't too long before we are up, dressed, packed, and standing once again in front of the mess tent to get our breakfast.

Below us there is a sea of clouds.  We are at 13,200 ft. elevation.

Typical mountaineering tent for 1 or 2 persons.

Portable toilet on the left.  Standing tent for 1 or 2 persons on the right.  These come with cots.

Lining up to wash hands and enter the mess tent on the left which can hold 12-14 persons.  Tents on right are porters' tents and/or kitchen tents.

Chris Branch on the left and his partner Alicia Chapman in the middle are washing up before breakfast under the supervision of our waiter Pasco.

The view behind us to the south  and above us.  More glaciers are visible on the rim of the Kibo crater this morning than on previous days.  Pofu Camp is almost directly north of Crater Camp and Uhuru Summit.

 

Another view of Kibo beyond fields of moorland and heather vegetation.

L-R Anthony Welcher, Robert DeWolf, and Jennifer Lindwall are about to start out on the hike to our next camp which is called the Rongai 2 Camp.  The Rongai Route on the mountain starts at the village of Rongai which is to the northeast and practically on the Kenyan border.  There are 3 Rongai Camps along this route. 

Guides, climbers, and personal porters head out along the Northern Circuit in the direction of the Rongai 2 Camp which is at an elevation of 11,450 ft.

Several sets of pofu or eland tracks are found along the way.

Personal porter Aaron is very good company on the mountain.

Occasionally, small ravines must be negotiated along our route which is otherwise pretty steadily downward in the direction of Rongai 2 Camp.

This is the view north in the direction of Kenya.  Eland and cape buffalo graze in the large meadows below on their way to salt licks at elevations closer to our trail in the 12,000-14,000 foot range.

We often see caves along the route that commonly result from ancient gas bubble formations during earlier lava flows, or which sometimes result from the hardening of molten surface lava while the lava below it continues to flow downhill leaving a hollow tube.



This is Philip, one of our Assistant Guides.

Here we have Rich Wortley's personal porter.  He is giving a small creature called a "Willie Bear" a lift all the way to the summit.  The Willie Bear is a gift from former Rainier Club President Willie Aiken. At the summit, we will raise the Rainier Club flag.

Another Assistant Guide whose name is Liberate.

Another gully to cross.  This time a bit larger and deeper.

 

One of the camp porters hurries past us on this way to the next camp.

While the trail is generally quite good over most parts of the Grand Traverse, it is necessary to continually watch one's footing to avoid trips and falls.  Trekking poles are a big help, too.

Head Guide Pendaely is taking a photo while the weather is still clear.

A group of porters is gaining on us and will soon pass us.

The entire camp gets moved on the heads and shoulders of our porters.



Pausing for a break.  Nestor and Pendaely on the far left at the head of the line.

 

 



Gary Drobnack in the middle taking a water break. We tried to consume 3-4 liters per person per day.

Another glacier on the rim of Kibo.

As we round this bend, we get a glimpse of Mawenzi Peak to the southeast.  In two more days, after sleeping at elevations less than 12,000 ft. to aid acclimatization, we will camp at its base.  We have just completed  two nights sleeping at elevations between 13,000 and 14,000 feet.



A great view of Mawenzi Peak. Clouds are starting to form and soon they will start to flow from the lower elevations to the higher elevations. By the time we get to Rongai 2 Camp, we will be in a fog.

Tom Reveley of Merrill Lynch. 

Tom Reveley and Tom Miller, both graduates of the University of Idaho in that school's forestry program.  Tom Miller went into the Peace Corps in forestry in Central America, then had a career in forestry and real estate with Weyerhaeuser Company.  Now retired and lives in Mobile, AL.

Rick Billingham of Seattle is a doctor.

Jennifer Lindwall works for King County in the state of Washington.  She has an engineering background and currently manages the entire King County vehicle fleet.



Members of the David Branch family.  On the left is Alexandra Branch, an artist living in Brooklyn NY.  In the middle is her brother Chris Branch, a former Marine and now a business consultant.  His partner, Alicia Chapman, on the right, is a cardiac nurse.  She and Chris live in Denver CO.  Sadly, Chris and Alexandra's father, David, who trained with us for several months before the Kilimanjaro climb, had to withdraw at the very last minute due to health issues. 

Two of our porters. 

Porter Aaron and David Still.  David is a retired Weyerhaeuser employee as are Tom Miller and Gary Drobnack.

Rich Wortley on the left is a retired banker with many years living and working in offshore locations outside the USA.  Robert DeWolf has worked with several manufacturers of mountaineering clothing and equipment and more recently in real estate development.  He is also an experienced member of the Snohomish Search & Rescue organization, devoting many hours and days every year finding or rescuing lost and injured hikers and climbers or the victims of other natural disasters like floods, fires, landslides, or earthquakes.

Lichen-colored rock, moss,  and heather zone plants.

Our porters move carefully past a cairn marking the trail.  Note the high-visibility gear they are issued by Thomson Safaris to keep them warm and dry.  Not all porters working on Mt Kilimanjaro are so lucky to have such good equipment.



Our hikers are briefly silhouetted against Mawenzi Peak which is gathering more clouds as the day progresses.

Lobelia deckenii is common, especially in the moorland areas.

Another example of Lobelia deckenii.  This species can get up to 10 ft. in height when mature.

Rich Wortley preparing for a water break and a breather in front of another cave.

Alicia Chapman and Chris Branch.

Alexandra Branch.

Assistant Guide Nestor.

Another view of Mawenzi Peak with gathering clouds.

We are turning north and starting down to Rongai 2 Camp.

Our guides and personal porters stay close as we hike during the day.

Woody material in the heath and moorland vegetation zones is scarce, but some of the plants are quite old and develop unusual shapes and weathering patterns as they get larger and/or die.

More clouds above Mawenzi Peak as the day progresses.  Soon we will be enveloped in clouds and fog.

The cloud layer that was below us all day is starting to rise.

Everlasting flower.

Weathered bark of large heather shrub.

Mackinder’s Gladiolus (Gladiolus watsonioides)

Chris Branch just arriving at the Rongai 2 Camp which is now in the fog.

In front of a nearby cave, we saw this rather large specimen of St John's Wort,  It grew as a sizeable shrub compared to the St. John's Wort which is a common groundcover in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.  Latin name is Hypericum revolutum.  Locally, the plant is used to make a tea to treat people with depression.

Another view of our fog-draped camp.  There were two groups camping here including ours.

Tomorrow will be Day 5 of the trek and the Mufindi Mountaineers will hike from Rongai 2 Camp to the Kikelewa Camp, a gain of roughly 400 ft. in elevation and a hike of 3-5 hours.