Philmont Staff Association and Friends Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari Dispatch

June 17, 2011 – Beautiful Afternoon at the Lava Tower

This is Bob Birkby calling from Lava Tower Camp at 15000ft/4572m on Kilimanjaro.

It is amazing how many stars you can see on a clear night high on Kilimanjaro, miles from the nearest city lights. We are at 15,000 feet, higher than any point on the continental United States. Our camp for tonight is set up near a dramatic volcanic backdrop called the Lava Tower.

We had what passes for a leisurely day. Wally told us that morning call with hot tea and coffee would be at the usual 6:30am even though we had a shorter walk and could sleep in until 7:00. “I know you won’t sleep until 7:00,” he said. “So as long as you are out wandering around camp at 6:30, we might as well get started.” Our elevation gain today was just 1,500ft/460, but every step of the way we took advantage of the clear westerly views of Kibo. Our perfect weather continued making it easy to make out every detail of the mountain. We took many breaks and sat on lava rocks taking advantage of the opportunity for telling stories and photography.

We reached camp in the middle of the day and as always our sleeping tents were set up and ready for us to move in. At noon, we sat down in the dining tent for a huge lunch of fried chicken, fresh salad and toasted cheese sandwiches.

With the afternoon stretching ahead, some people decided to retreat to the tents to read, take naps and write in journals. The others climbed the Lava Tower, an enjoyable scramble that provided amazing view of Kilimanjaro right in front of us. Looking to the west, we could see Mount Meru rising above a sea of clouds. It stands at the same elevation as our Lava Tower camp, but it looks very high.

It is getting cold as we crawl into our sleeping bags. We are very happy with everyone’s healthy condition. Even at this altitude, the group is thriving. We have some big challenges ahead and perhaps really big ones when we see just how far it is to the summit. We feel ready for whatever comes our way.

Quote of the day from Eli Fry: “You know it is cold when my leftover pasta has already frozen to my fork.”