We woke to crystal clear skies and a view of Kibo -Kilimanjaro’s central peak. After breakfast, we were walking by 8:30 AM. Our trail today was more difficult, right from the start, with steeper grades and bigger steps through volcanic rock. We labored uphill through the “heather and mooreland zone” a very different type of vegetation than yesterday’s near jungle of big trees. In general, we were coming into the open, with bigger views in all directions. Eventually we worked along a ridge crest enjoying glimpses of hawks and eagles soaring below our vantage point. After several hours and several thousand feet of vertical gain, we began a traverse to the left out toward the Shira Plateau. By afternoon, clouds had overtaken us and we walked in swirling mists. A few steeper rock features required sharper concentration and the use of handholds and balancing, but eventually we turned the corner onto the plateau and walked down a couple hundred feet on easy ground to reach Shira Camp at 12,600 ft. The day’s March had taken us just over five hours. We’d earned a restful afternoon going back and forth between our sleeping tents and the dining tent. Rain showers caught up to us in the early evening, but only for 15 minutes or so. By the time we finished dinner we had largely clear skies and a million stars. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map