2011

KILIMANJARO IN TANZANIA TRAVEL AROUND

"You know that grandparents have seen hippos?"
"I want to see too!"

"But it's a long journey"
"But I do a little 'to sleep ...."

We just got back home, but Elijah's words still resonate between these four walls and cause itching mosquito bites me makes me feel out of place in this dreary winter day.
The dust of Africa came everywhere in the backpacks, including clothes, shoes, within us ...... and is hard to remove. I'm trying, but a few grains precipitate in my heart and help to fix the memories of this experience.
Physically I'm here, but with my head I'm still in Tanzania and in a film as I pass before the images in this awkward but intense vacation that took me to another world.
It all started a few months ago ....

IDEA

"What we do at Christmas this year?"
"We could go somewhere warm, where there are mountains ...."
I come to the mind and of course the Kilimanjaro Tanzania, which, with its 5896 meters is the highest mountain in Africa.
then begin to document and then left with the organization, booking your flight and contacting some local agencies to which I submit my program for which I ask for a quote.
Many people respond, but in the end I choose the Evans Adventure Tours, which I think is reliable and quite affordable compared to others.
Evans, the owner, responds promptly and in detail to all my questions, char all my doubts and found several positive comments from other climbers and travelers who have used its services.
As for the deposit to be paid addiriittura decide to leave me, telling me that if I can pay everything on arrival, but this seems like too much, because I guess he should advance money on reservations. Then send them through bank transfer, the sum which I think is most appropriate.
Our program provides saliita Kilimanjaro along the Marangu Route, the only route with huts in which to stay, to be followed by four days of safari in the Parks of Ngorongoro and Serengeti.

JOURNEY

I, Mauro and Graziella left Milan on December 26 and arrive in Paris convinced that the problems caused by the snow of the previous days are now resolved.
Illusion ....
Almost by chance, we discover that our flight to Nairobi was delayed for two hours and depart from Orly instead of De Gaulle. Then we go to pick our luggage and then take the bus that will take us to Orly, rest assured that everything will be resolved quickly, but, alas, after about an hour of arriving luggage Lella and after another half an hour comes the our backpack, but not our "bag".
The clock is ticking and we urge the workers of the airport to catch the bus, but it is already full and, fortunately for us, we remain on the ground.
I say fortunately for us because Mauro continues to shuttle between the bus stop, that we are waiting for over an hour, and the point of delivery and storage, just a few minutes before you leave, can re-appropriating our luggage, which seemed lost and the recovery of which would be almost impossible once you arrive in Tanzania.
Fortunately, the Kenya Airways plane waiting for us, along with other travelers less fortunate than we were without luggage, and once aboard, off we go.
arrive in Nairobi which is the one in the morning, four hours late on the table and leaving ddi gear will be waiting taxi that will take us to the hotel, where only a few hours sleep at 7:00 because they will come take another driver that will lead us to stop for the shuttle to Moshi.
We load backpacks and bags on the roof and take a seat on the few seats vacant.
Thus began our journey towards the Tanzanian border, alternating sections of asphalt and gravel roads that slows things down noostro half, putting a strain on our already suffering backs.

In exchange, the landscape around us pays us the hardships that we endure.

through several villages and we have no way of seeing how people live in these places, far from major cities. The Masai people is the most picturesque and yet closely linked to their culture and traditions.
along dusty roads, which seem to end in nothing, and that as long ribbons unroll in front of us, men and women walking without haste.
Who knows where they go and where they come from .....

A long and eventful journey, I said, but when we deposited the shuttle to our hotel in Moshi (8 hours to travel 350 km ..) we are amazed by the beauty of the place, an oasis of peace and tranquility surrounded by green. Here
warmly welcomes Evans, who accompanies us in our rooms, from which we can finally see "the mountain" clear of clouds.

I am another Once in Africa!

December 28, 2010 - Tuesday

day off today. At 11:00 we meet
Evans, who gives us all the information that we will begin to climb in the next few days and then takes us to his van to Moshi, a town bustling and lively, like all African cities, but quite anonymous, with a few things to see ... apart from the flowering of trees. After a short stroll downtown and a stop for lunch, walk back to our hotel, where
spend the afternoon relaxing in the garden and carefully preparing our backpacks.

December 29, 2010 - Wednesday

The meeting with Evans, our guides and the cook is at 8:00 in the morning (European time, fortunately ...).
To reach the entrance to the park we travel forty miles on a paved road until you reach the village of Marangu, nestled on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, between thick plantations of bananas and coffee and then proceed for several miles up a steep dirt road to get to the entrance of the park where, after we registered, we meet our porters.
discover that our team consists of fewer than 12 people!
's almost 11:00 when we take on Mandara Trail, which runs through the rainforest, incredibly dense and lush.
Our guide, Rutte, before us, and to close the group's Isdori.
Rutta shows us some flowers and plants unknown to us, telling us their name and a description of their property.
going well and after a stop for lunch we arrived at Mandara, a beautiful glade in the forest, where we are assigned a cabin where we spend the night.
Just enough time to drink something warm and wonderful city to leave for a short Maundi Crater, who wander, enjoying a splendid view of the plain below, where it runs the border between Kenya and Tanzania.
Let's go back to the camp which is already time for dinner, we eat dinner in the "dining room" in a bustling andirevieni of people of different nationalities and their teams, independent of each other. Darkness falls quickly, giving a starry sky over so you can not, and in view of the battery front, we arrive at our hut and spend a quiet night, despite the lines and noise caused by monkeys that roam around, perhaps in search of easy food.

December 30, 2010 - Thursday

It starts around 8:15, after breakfast.
The weather is beautiful, it's hot and we feel fit. Keeping the same format as we walk the path of 12 km, in gentle slope, despite the 1000 meters in altitude, leads the camp of Horombo, leaving the rain forest to cross an area of \u200b\u200bheather riccco trees, including sprouting, from time Lobelia to time, typical of this area.
Horombo The camp is composed of wooden houses with sloping roof similar to Mandara, but many more, why stop here and hikers who climb, those who fall.
never seen a place more international than that! There are Koreans, Americans, Austrians, Finns, Russians .... and we are the only Italiani.Trascorriamo the afternoon in a common room, while outside the fog shrouds everything. In the evening, however, the clouds thin out, giving us a beautiful sunset that the lights illuminate, making it shine, the amount of rocky Mawenzi, one of the three craters of Kilimanjaro, 5150 meters high.

December 31, 2010 - Friday

today, a day of acclimatization, reaching 4,100 passing near the Zebra Rocks, whose streaks, white and black, reminiscent of its cloak of zebras.
not seem to suffer the share, although it is still too early to tell.
After passing cross the Zebra Rocks on top of a ridge where we stopped to admire the scenery, boundless.
Mawenzi On the one hand and the other, the Uhuru, the highest peak of Kilimanjaro, with its tongue of snow.
From where we are in is clearly visible even the Kibo Hut, the last refuge in which to spend the night before beginning the ascent to the summit. Trascorrriamo half an hour chatting with our guiida, which shows curious to know how things work in Italy and talks about issues affecting their health care, education, transport ......
We then reconnect to a path more Which brings us back down in about forty minutes of Horombo camp, where we waited for a hot lunch.
We spend the afternoon and evening to get bored, not knowing what else to do, we tucked into our sleeping bags specifically for those who, in other parts of the world prepares to celebrate the last day of the year ... .

1 / 2 January 2011 - Saturday and Sunday

"Happy new year" is the wish that all we exchange this morning coming out from our huts!
The night was cold, because the water is frozen, but the first morning sun, warming, gives us the office and leave the camp early Horombo of a path of about ten miles, which rises gradually, leaving the moors and forwarded to an increasingly arid and desert, like a lunar landscape.
"Good luck" We hope people come down and we try to see the expressions on their faces if there is no sign of success!
Isdori accompany us Ruta and as usual, and proceed slowly, often repeating "pole pole" and urging them to drink continuously, to prevent illness due to high altitude.
The atmosphere is great and when we come to The Saddle, a wide saddle of 5 km, we have the right to the rocky buttresses of Mawenzi and left the dome of Kibo, on whose slopes we can see the path of ascent, which crosses a steep gravelly channel.
arriving at Kibo Hut can not help but feel that closed room, under the covers, as you feel the cold outside ....
A Korean boy, who arrived shortly after us, is sick and is forced to get along in the dark and backward along the path of ascent.
We have dinner at 17:30 and then for a few hours available for rest, since the alarm will be at 23:00 o'clock.
Rest?? I just can not ...... I'm excited and a little 'concerned about the long climb to the darkness that we face and a slight headache begins to bother me, giving me awareness of my vulnerability.
will or will share the excitement? At 11:00
triggered the alarm, and after a frugal breakfast we, a group at a time, with our batteries that light up the front path. I seem to feel better and I can keep the pace of Rutta, ahead of us, and that proceeds not too slowly.
But not last long ....
After a few hours the headache increases and we add nausea and vomiting. I do a little bit and I stop, another piece .... and then stops again. We're almost at 5200 meters and I look Above Gilmans Point Rutta seems still far away and tells me that to get to the rim of the crater will take at least another four hours!
I can not go on like this ....
So I propose to go down and Graziella, who like me is not right, is joined to my request.
Mauro would accompany us, but we reject, and so the group splits: Mauro Rutta down with us and continues to climb Isdori. While tracing back the path of ascent, we realize how far we have, even if sometimes we have to stop to rest because exhausted.
At one point I realize that I have with me my camera and realized Mauro who can not capture the moment it reaches the summit. Too bad ....!
reach the refuge at 4:00 and as soon as we throw ourselves we fall asleep on the bed, even if we wake up soon after with a circle in the head and with a strong sense of nausea.
It will take a few hours before you begin to feel better ...
We go outside when the sun, already high, seem to bring a little 'heat and sit on a rock waiting for the return of those who reached the summit. 9:30 am when I am at the base of gravel and we see Mauro Isdori that are coming down and soon after we meet.
We congratulate them, along other members of our team and we are still met with him, but also for what we did. Of course, we would like to conquer the peak, but the only trekking, which led us to explore new environments and to measure the height, worth the trip.
Mauro rests for a couple of oore all together and then leave again for Horombo.
perform all down in two days, a descent that takes us back to civilization and the comforts: hot showers, comfortable beds, clean clothes and a special barbecue at the restaurant!

Left for the safari .......

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

According to the experience I would recommend to anyone wishing to undertake a similar journey, to refer to the Agency in which we have supported us and held in a commendable way our climb and the Our safari.
Evans, the owner, has always shown a friendly, helpful and punctual.
Mail: evansadventuretours@hotmail.com
Website: evansadventuretours.com

Maybe it would be useful to arrive by plane to Kilimanjaro airport, near Arusha, rather than in Nairobi, it would save two days of travel by bus , although I must say that I is not sorry to reach the Tanzania land, because it allowed me to pass through magnificent landscapes and get in touch with this new environment gradually.

SUMMARY OF THE TRAILS

Day 1: Marangu Gate m.1970 - Mandara Huts m.2700
length
7 km altitude + 730 m
time 3 h

Day 2: Mandara Huts m. 2700 - Horombo Huts m.3720

length 11.7 km altitude 1020 m +
time , 5.30 h

Day 3: Zebra Rocks and back to Horombo Huts
length 6.8 km altitude
; + m 300
; - m 300
tempo             2,30 h

4° giorno:       Horombo Huts m. 3720 - Kibo Hut m. 4703
lunghezza     11 km
dislivello        + m 983
tempo            5,30 h

5° giorno:       Kibo Hut m.4703 - Uhuru Peak m. 5895 - Horombo Huts m.3720
lunghezza     23 km
dislivello       + m 1192
                       - 2175 m
time 13 h

6 ° giorno: Horombo Huts m. 3720 - Marangu Gate m. 1970
Lunghezza 18.7 km
dislivello - 1750 m
time: 6 h