KILIMANJARO-2
(Last updated 7/2/03)
Day Three starts with a spectacular
view of the crags of Shira, glowing in the first direct rays of
the sun (left); porters silhouetted against the layer of clouds
that blankets the montane forest of Kili (right), with 15,000
ft Mt. Meru, just north of Arusha (about 70 miles west), poking
above the clouds
Looking back at porters from a French
party that camped to the west at the Shira Cave as they scramble
to beat the rising clouds (left); as we climb eastward up the
slope of the Kibo massif, the moorland quickly gives way to the
stark highland desert above 13,500 ft (right)
Heading further east onto the southern
flanks of Kibo, with a cold, damp fog blanketing the mountain
(left); descending almost straight down into one of the many north-south
valleys that cut the southern flank of Kili (right)
Crossing a stream on the floor of one
of the valleys (left); looking back at the trail, stretching across
yet another valley, from our lunch stop on a ridge top at about
15,500 ft (right)
After several more valleys and many
miles, we reach the marker for the Kibo Circuit Trail below the
Lava Dome and turn south (left); after another long traverse,
we arrive on the edge of the Barranco Valley, formed by a huge
landslide about 100,000 years ago - the Breach Wall looms on our
left as we descend past the Senecios (right)
Alex (in red), one of our guides, heads
down the final pitch (left) through the tussock sedges into the
Barranco to camp (at 12,800 ft) at the end of Day Three (right)
Awakening to a new blanket of snow
(left) at the start of Day Four; but clear skies and a spectacular
view of Kibo's Lava Dome and the Arrow Glacier (right) raise our
spirits as we approach the 3000 ft high Breach Wall (also called
the "Breakfast Wall" by trekkers) after a hike down
and across the valley
Climbing the Wall, still covered with
snow and ice in the morning shadows (left); looking down on some
of our porters as they climb rapidly towards us (right)
More views of the lava dome and glacier
past the edge of the Wall (left) as we climb; a lady porter climbs
effortlessly by as she gracefully balances a camp box full of
supplies, and more (right)
A great view of the ice-covered Kibo
dome and the glacier climbing route as we approach the top of
the wall (left); at last the silhouette of a porter on the skyline
marks the point where the trail crests the rim ahead (right)
Back onto the highland plateau and
trekking above the clouds (left); spectacular views of Kibo as
we trek southeast through the lesser valleys (right)
Approaching the Karanga Valley (left)
and yet another steep descent (right)
Go to Kilimanjaro-1 | Go to Kilimanjaro-3 | Go to Kilimanjaro-4 | Return to Home Page