Day 2 - Mti Mkuwba Camp to Shira Camp
The Climb Kili staff breaking out in song upon our arrival at Shira Camp
I'm already loving these camp signs. They signal the end of the day and the accomplishment of one more step closer to the summit.
African Stonechat. Very common in the Moorland Zone. This bird along with a fiew others and plenty of rodents seemed to hang around camp looking for scraps of food or in the case of this flycatcher insects that were attracted to us!
White-necked Raven. The only bird that would join us on all camps after we left the rainforest. While a rather odd-looking raven, very raven-like in their behavior.
It took getting to Shira camp, waiting to almost sunset for the clouds to clear before we got our first look at Mount Kilimanjaro. When the clouds fully disapaited and we saw just how big it was, the awe inspiring view was replaced by a lot of trepidation. We were already at over 11,000 ft. I thought we were on the mountain, but this view showed us how much farther we truly had to go.
A typical camp dinner. In general, the food was quite good. Our favorites were always the soups (especially as we got higher AND colder) and the salads.
A bit more elevation gain than yesterday!
After an 8.2km hike, made it to Shira Camp which sits at 11,300 ft. It was a tough but good day. You can see the route on Strava, here. I definitely feel the altitude now. We climbed almost 3000ft today. Tomorrow is longer but only 2000 ft of elevation gain. We left the rain forest and are now out on the Shira plateau in Moorland Zone.
Beyond being welcomed to camp with song, I took about an hour to hour and half nap which was just lovely. Only cramped up once. The guides are pushing us to stay hydrated. They're suggesting 3-5 liters of water a day and keep offering soups and tea which I think is their sneaky way to get more fluids in us. That said, they know their stuff and we're trying to follow their directions.
I don't think I'm prepared enough but its the elevation that is going to stop me and that I fear. I'm already breathing heavy and just getting in and out of the tent is a chore. Not sure how I could have prepared for the elevation seeing as I live and spend most of life at a whopping 600 feet of elevation in Milwaukee, WI.
This is an adventure, Type 2 fun at its core. I'm glad I'm doing it, but already excited to celebrate the end. I've been told that climbing Kilimanjaro is primarily a mental challenge not a physical challenge. Given all the huffing an puffing I'm already doing, it sounds wrong but i'm starting to believe it. I feel the fear and uncertainty starting to grow. Every day is a new experience and higher in elevation than i've ever been.
I was hoping to see more wildlife, but the rainforest was very dense. Saw the monkeys and heard a ton of birds, but rarely saw any. Then once we got out on the Moorlands, the wildlife noises largely went away. Given my passion for birding, I was able to find a few birds around camp before and after my nap. I probably got 4-6 new birds here with photos on the plateau.