HOME

The walk down from the peak would take a very long six hours and follows the Normal Route or Marangu Route we would veer off to other paths later in the day which would take us to Mweka camp.  As I walked east from Uhuru Peak the path is flat and filled with packed gravel. I remember reaching down to pick up some stones as I walked like a zombie to the rim which would slope down gradually and take us home. As I approached the rim the entire east side of the mountain opened up to my view and I recall seeing hordes of people many descending and some still climbing up with looks of complete exhaustion. Some asked how much farther and many said nothing but just continued to drag their feet up the sand and gravel slopes. At other times yelling porters would come running past with sick climbers and as I looked down at the magnificent expanse of this mountain I realized just how many people had climbed this day.  What appeared to me to be thousands of people stretched their way down the path and many off it as at first their really isn't a defined path. Just  imagine a huge pile of gravel or sand and start from the top and walk down it. At times gravity would take hold and you would start sliding faster almost surfing on the loose scree. Then as you picked up speed you would fall but it is not a painful fall but a soft one. Each time I fell I would lay there and rest, I was still very dehydrated and exhausted and each time I would get back up and slide my way down again. In some ways it was fun and I could see my scattered group below me spread out and sliding their way down as well but for the most part everyone was on their own, quiet and contemplating what they had each achieved and just desiring to get down and rest.

This picture is to the left of the route on the way down. Its a picture of Mount Mawenzi which can be climbed but requires technical climbing gear. This area is called the Saddle because it is a relatively flat area, (4600 meters) between the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo.

	This is the view looking east from the summit as I described above the path is like a moonscape barren and littered with rocks. To the right of the picture are huge sloping glaciers and to the left is the Ash Pit or central crater.
	The above path continues along the crater rim and then after passing the glacier fields you can begin to descend the exposed gravel slopes.  The peak in the distance is Mawenzi and it's necessary to walk along the rim to about the point where Mwenzi is in the picture before you can start to descend.
	This is the point where we begin to descend. The morning sky was clear and bright and the view was incredible. To be honest it is hard to take it all in since your brain is not working at it's best and exhaustion is taking it's toll.
	As you begin to descend you can get an idea of how steep it is.  To reach the Saddle below it's necessary to descend the gravel slopes.  Gravity makes the decent very quick. Many people ran and slid all the way down as if they were skiing.
	This picture is looking back just as you pass the area in the previous picture. Just below here the path becomes less pronounced as the slope becomes loose and soft.