We got out of the tents at 6:30 this morning to find the clouds had returned. It was still calm though and not terribly cold at our 10,000 ft camp. We ate breakfast and hit the trail shortly after 8 AM. The trail was a good deal more rugged than yesterday’s with about a million rocky steps to negotiate as we steadily gained altitude through the giant heather forest. The morning rush hour was something to see, with porters from a half dozen expeditions charging up the path all at once. “Traffic” normalized after a few hours and the angle eased as we reached a ridge crest.

We found ourselves above the clouds once more as we moved along the ridge toward Kibo -which was not only visible again, but a good deal closer than it had been at our last glimpse. We made a big left turn to the North and began the traverse out toward Shira. The terrain got more interesting as we needed our hands on rock to pass a number of ledges.  The vegetation changed as we closed in on 12,800 ft -our high point for the day- we saw more giant senecios and lobelias as things got higher and drier.

Finally, we turned the corner onto the Shira Plateau and began walking downhill toward camp. We pulled in at about 2 PM… just in time for lunch and an afternoon nap. By dinner at 12,500 ft, things had cooled considerably and many of us had several warm clothing layers on for stargazing before bed.

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team