Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - 1:55 am PT

Jambo from 10,000 ft on Mt Kilimanjaro.  The start to our expedition went just as smoothly as it could possibly go.  We were up and eating breakfast at Rivertrees by 7 AM and on the road by 8:15.  Traffic on the main highway wasn’t too bad and we made fine progress, reaching the Machame gate to the National Park by 10 AM.  There, at 6000 ft, we made final preparations for walking and we waited while the finishing touches were made on our climbing permit.  By 11 AM, everything was set and we set out walking.  We followed VV -one of our four local guides- into the rain forest.  The weather was cloudy and humid but as we walked, there was enough clearing that we had occasional blue sky and sunshine through the big trees.  Gradually the trail steepened and we began to make real progress.  We stopped for snacks and rest breaks several times over the course of the five and a half hours it took to reach Machame Camp.  Just out of the rainforest, we’ve graduated to the Giant Heather zone.  Our support team established a fine camp and welcomed us in late afternoon.  The blue skies were gone by then and the clouds had thickened up again.  We got settled in for dinner in our dining tent at 6:30, just as it got dark.  In the end it was a big day from start to finish and nobody lingered for very long following dinner.  Between lingering jet lag and all of the hard work, the team was quite ready for a first night in the tents. 

Best Regards

RMI Guide Dave Hahn