December 31st 1999 we begin our hike to Arrow Glacier which sits at 4900 meters. Its a long hike and the sun begins to burn as it occasionally peaks through the clouds. We stop for lunch at the Lava Tower, a plug of lava jutting out of the ground. On a clear day hiking up the tower gives an incredible view of the entire western and southern flanks of the mountain. We were on too tight a schedule. This is one disadvantage of being on an organized climb, it leaves little room for exploring. The picture below is looking west looking back the way we came. The Shira Plateau is behind the tower.
CLICK HERE TO SEE PANORAMA OF ARROW GLACIER AND BREACH ROUTE
It is important to realize that there are many routes up to Uhuru peak, (The highest point on the mountain). If you look at the above panorama, (click the link) you can see the Breach Route we took. This is officially known as the Western Breach Route and also as the Great Western Arch or Arrow Glacier Route. If you have your trip organized through a local travel agent or adventure travel company they will list this route as the Machame Route with option to summit by the Breach Wall. This climb is known in climbing terminology as a scramble and requires you to propel yourself with your feet and sometimes hands. A technical climber could choose more challenging routes like the outcrop on the right hand side. This picture does not do the climb justice. On the other side of this outcrop is a steep dropping cliff strewn with glaciers and loose stone. The famous climber Reinhold Messner along with Konrad Renzler first climbed this peak on January 31st 1978. If you have a chance to see the book Kilimanjaro & Mount Kenya a Climbing and Trekking Guide it has an incredible picture of the route on the left part of the cover. The route starts at 4600 meters and involves the ascent of a 90 meter icicle which Messner led "free" no axe or ice screws. By the sounds of the account in his book Reinhold Messner - Free Spirit, I would say the route is almost suicidal with falling rocks and ice. So in the end this mountain offers routes from simple hiking to routes rated at 5 and 6.
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Jason posing soon after leaving the Shira camp. The weather held up for quite some time and the sky's were a beautiful blue for most of the morning. |
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Me with my gortex rain jacket at the ready. The view from here was awesome. |
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Me clowning around |
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Group picture at Lava Tower |
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Final climb to Arrow Glacier - We all took many breaks along the way. |
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This picture was taken just before the end of our day heading up to Arrow Glacier at approximately 5100 meters. |
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I took a great deal of pictures on route to Arrow Glacier mainly because of the altitude, the view is spectacular. Unfortunately the weather was very unstable and I was unable to get clear shots due to the clouds. |
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This is one picture which I took in order to give an idea of the incline while approaching Arrow Glacier. Although it is not technical it does become somewhat tiring near the end of the day. You don't want to over exert yourself on this day since you will need to be good for the early morning final hike up the Breach. |
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This is the Breach Wall as seen as we approach Arrow Glacier. Just over the hump are the tents where we slept. The winds were very strong during the evening and it became very cold. |
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The two outhouses can be seen in the distance our tents were set up here because there was a rock wall behind us protecting us from the winds. Peaking through the clouds is part of Uhuru Peak which lies farther on the other side. |
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Me and Jason getting off a final picture of our scruffy selves. |
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I was beat and to be honest looking back most of that last day I was a little out of it. I remember constantly checking my gear to make sure it was all there and organized. |
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This was a small peak to the east of Arrow Glacier the Breach Wall is to Jasons right. There were many people going over to the edge. I believe the view was of some glaciers. I regret not walking over but from my tent it looked like a long way off and I was feeling tired and didn't really consider it at the time. The 6:00 PM temperature was 5 degree's celcius. by 8:00 PM the temperature had dropped to zero. |
The camp life is not as you would imagine. There usually is little energy or time to spend listening to music, reading a book or playing cards. The little free time me and Jason had was spent talking and joking around. Basically a day goes by like this. You wake up around 7:00 to 7:30 am to the smell and sounds of breakfast. You put your sleeping bag away, brush your teeth. By 8:00 am you drink some tea and have a light breakfast. You spend the next hour to hour and a half packing your gear in your day pack and the rest in your locked bag for the porters. Most days we are on the trail by 9:30 or 10:00 am. The shortest day has been four hours and that was only because it was the acclimatization day. Most days average five to six long hours. It became a running joke where one of our team would ask, "are we almost there" and the guides would say, "yes just another hour". An hour would pass and the same question would be asked and the same answer would be given. Needless to say it became monotonous, mainly due to the lack of interesting scenery. Mist was plentiful so any small break in the clouds would leave us excited as school children awaiting an ice cream truck. Trudging up a hill one foot at a time is quite meditative and for me was not very bothersome. We usually would stop several times and on long days we would have a box lunch prepared. By the time we arrived into camp there was already tea and snacks ready which always put a smile on my face. It's interesting how tea becomes such a huge novelty and I found myself craving it. Most of the time we would take a nap and by the time we awoke dinner would be served around seven or eight. Most nights were drizzly so most of the times we were served dinner in our tents. I felt spoiled.
After dinner some individuals stayed up but most of us fell asleep for the night. I drank so much water that I was up at least four times a night. Waking up is only an annoyance in the sense that your sleep is disturbed so often. Climbing out of the tent is not a big chore. Our boots were always on the inside portion of the blind so it would only be a matter of squeezing them on and slipping into the night frost. Mount Kilimanjaro is not at all a technical mountain it is a very long hike at a very high altitude. Personally the hiking was not what excited me but the final goal was. I cherish the few scenic vistas I was able to glimpse and the incredible evenings. Mount Kilimanjaro was my first mountain and the rain, mud, cramped tents, physical exertion and fear of becoming sick were all a new experience for me. It's important not to let the final goal cloud your day to day hike because apart from all the hardship, every day has something exciting to offer. My single mindedness may of made me miss some of these wonders. Simply walk slow, drink lots of water, be organized and just go. The final goal of reaching the summit will happen and if for some reason it doesn't you will still have a great and fulfilling trip.
