Our team was up before daylight today, getting set to leave the Dik Dik Hotel. We were piling into the expedition bus at 7 AM and driving out of the garden-like grounds we'd grown comfortable in these past few days. As expected, it took about two hours to reach the Machame Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, our starting point for the climb. We traveled through corn fields for much of the way, but worked up into banana and coffee plantations as we gained elevation. It took about two hours to register and organize porters and so we set out at 11 AM from the 5,900 ft road head. Clouds protected us from the sun as we walked through gradually steepening terrain in the lush forest. It took about six hours to reach the Machame Camp at close to 10,000 ft, about where the vegetation changed markedly from tall trees to more scrub like heather. The team demonstrated a high level of fitness, but all were relieved to come into a well built camp at the end of the day. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map