Kilimanjaro Expedition - Day 2

1. Machame Camp

6:00
I woke up early, even though the guide had announced that the camping activity would start at 7am, and at 8am we would start hiking. I enjoyed the first shots of Mount Kilimanjaro, then listened to a crow concert and had breakfast.

8:00
For the second day, we had a short route of only 6 km to cover in 5 hours, through a new climatic zone: the Moorland, climbing up to over 3,800 meters.
Almost all of the 1,000 meter difference in elevation was to be covered in the first half of the route, which was expected to be more demanding, and we were heading northeast. The sun was with us.

2. Moorland

The landscape has changed radically from the previous day.
The thick green forest has suddenly disappeared. We're in a so-called swamp area. It's true that we didn't encounter any swamps, in fact the land was very dry. It rains less in this climatic stage than in the rainforest. The dominant colors are green and brown. We find smaller and rarer shrubs and trees than in the rainforest. However, some shrubs can be as tall as 10 meters.
Specific to the area are giant heather and tussok grasses.
Few animals live in this area. Small antelope and elephants can rarely be seen, but even they don't stand in the way of tourists taking pictures. White-necked crows fly in the skies, especially in the plains, where small rodents may hunt for food scraps from tourists. Insects I guarantee that they resist this environment, although I did get a few pinches on my hand. Repellents are recommended.
The path is harder, sometimes rocky.
8:30 am
We reach a lookout point. Because the vegetation has thinned out, we can see to the south-west, Mount Meru surrounded by a sea of clouds. Spectacular!
We are at elevation 3300 and half way up the slope.
The shrubs still keep us in the shade for the most part.

3. Break and continuation to Moorland

9:30 am
We pause by a rock I perched on.
9:45
We arrive above the forest and a wonderful view of Kilimanjaro.
Most of the time here you are already above cloud level, which means that it can be raining somewhere down below, while up here, the sun is shining brightly. We already have to protect our skin better and more by covering it and applying sunscreen. The UV factor is currently up to 16, which is very high.
We also find some colorful and spectacular plants such as Kniphofia thomsonii or Red hot poker
Porters are great with luggage on their backs or even on their heads. Sure it's hard, but the way they move with them balanced even in rocky areas makes you think it's child's play.
Above the forest we suddenly change direction to the north-west and from now on we keep almost constant altitude until the next camping base, Shira 1, which means that we are already over 3.700 m above sea level.

4. Samira

10:30
We pass by a cliff where we should have found water, even a permanent watercourse, Samira, is marked on the map. A few drops of water trickle on a rock that can also serve as temporary shelter. There is also a toilet on the route.
The vegetation is getting more and more dwarf, the road is either rocky or dusty. Azizi, the guide, gives me his pole pole theory, namely that here on Kilimanjaro I have to learn to climb slowly and slowly. This helps us not to tire and acclimatize better. Breaks are not to be neglected either.
Looking to the left, we will repeatedly admire Mount Meru, whose 4,566-meter high peak rises out of the sea of clouds. Gorgeous!
Among the shrubs, the first specimens of Dendrosenecio kilimanjari (tree groundsel), an endemism that grows only here on Mount Kilimanjaro in this climatic stage, Moorland.
11:30
We pass a fairly straight, but rocky area, in fact we are traveling on a very wide level curve between two rocky thresholds.
This has been the landscape for some time now.

5. Shira Cave Camp

12:15
We arrived 4 hours or so later at the next base. We moved faster than the morning indicator showed, 5 hours, although we didn't push at all. Even the 1,000 m level difference climb in the first part of the route didn't seem difficult because we tackled it pole pole.
I am already at the highest altitude I have ever reached: 3,750 meters. We're at Shira Cave Camp, where the porters are pitching tents and we'll have lunch.
Just before we arrived we saw birds circling above us and thought they were eagles. It wasn't until we got back to camp that we realized they were ravens. You may not agree, but they were very beautiful because they had white necks. They're called white-collared ravens.
From the camp you can see Mount Meru on one side and Mount Kilimanjaro on the other. What a beautiful place!
In the tent we had enough space for 3 people, even though we were solo, and in the veranda a minimum of comfort with foldable table and chair. Most of the times we had our meals in the veranda of the tent being a more protected place.
While I was resting for a while, I was bitten by an insect. That's why I come back to the recommendation to use repellents.
Azizi, the guide, suggested that after a longer break we go to the nearby Shira Cave and then to a nearby lookout point, which he showed me. The optional short drive was meant to help acclimatize. In fact I was starting to get a headache and digestive discomfort, but I didn't equate it with the symptoms of altitude sickness, although that was what I would conclude later. I swallowed half the recommended pill anyway, a diamox equivalent. It would have been better to start taking altitude pills from Machame Gate.

6. Acclimatization at Shira Cave

16:15
We go for the acclimatization walk. Together with Azizi I enter the rangers house where they fill in a register what we are looking for there, how many we are, etc, the same data that were registered at the park entrance.
16:25
We've arrived at Shira Cave. It's more of a cave. It was used as a shelter on the climbs up Kilimanjaro before the nature park was established. It's at 3,845 meters.
There is a helipad near the cave for emergencies.
From the cave, a road continues north to Shira Camp 2, but we followed one of the trails northeast, climbing up a small rocky ridge at 3,885 meters (3,885 meters) to a point overlooking the area.
16:45
From the lookout point we could see Shira Camp 2 to the north and Shira Camp or Shira Cave Camp to the south at our feet, where our tents were waiting for our next overnight stay.
To the east opens the Shira Plateau with an elevation of 4,000 - 4,500 meters, the result of the eruption of the Shira volcano, which was destroyed when it erupted, resulting in a fairly flat terrain seen over a larger area. In the far distance, billows of clouds are whirling around Mount Kilimanjaro, providing a dazzling display of colors. From here, Uhuru Peak seems closer and we get a better view of the snow tongues of some of the glaciers on the southern slope.
I met German and Dutch tourists with whom I chatted on the varfulet.

7. Return to Shira Cave Camp

17:15
We returned to Shira Cave Camp, at 3750 meters. The headache was bothering me more and more. Azizi had told me that from here there was an exit route parallel to the Lemosho Route where off-road vehicles can enter.
After taking more pictures before it got dark, I went to bed early with the desire to be fit for the expedition tomorrow.

See you tomorrow!