In June 2005 I was able to fulfil a lifetime ambition by climbing Mount Kililmanjaro, celebrating a major birthday in the process. A great group of people with suitably perverse sense of humour made the trip especially enjoyable although laughing at altitude is not easy!.




Kibo (main peak), 5895 metres, viewed from approximately 2000 metres.

We ascended via the Rongai route, a quieter approach on the northern side of Kilimanjaro. Highly recommended for the quietness and additional day for acclimatisation, although the forest on the lower slopes had largely been replaced by farmland.



Mawenzi and the saddle from the Kibo Hut

This route involved a a stop under Mawenzi, the subsidiary peak which is older, more eroded and definitely not for walkers. This was followed by a trek across the saddle, the terrain comprising high desert, dry, windy and becoming cold, to the Kibo campsite at 4700 metres.

 

 

 

The summit day starts at midnight, including a spectacular sunrise over Mawenzi, we were a little slow, and had not reached Gilman's point at the crater rim, however this view was certainly not diminished as a result best sunrise I'll ever see including curvature of the earth.

 

The final section, along a ridge from Gilman's point to Uhuru summit involves a relatively easy gradient, but increasingly breathless. Spectacular views back to Mawenzi with glaciers alongside, but sadly very little snow on the ground.



Tired but happy group at Uhuru summit - The roof of Africa.

Only one minor problem - we now had to get down.