Keg Spirit Foundation Kilimanjaro Expedition Dispatch

August 11, 2010 – Lava Tower Camp, 15,000ft/4572m, Getting Into Thin Air

We woke up this morning and were very happy to notice that, unlike yesterday, there was only a trace of frost on the ground and on our tents! We quite mechanically broke into our new routine: tea, the strenuous repack in our tents (which seem to be shrinking daily), followed by a hearty hot breakfast and our daily briefing. Happily, this all took place under an incredibly beautiful blue sky with the summit of Kilimanjaro prominently in the background.

It was decided that today we would cover the ground, and altitude, to the Lava Tower Camp with only short rest breaks and enjoy our lunch at Lava Tower. The added benefit: a chance to rest in the afternoon! Who would have thought that the ten of us would consider “afternoon delight” to be a nap in a tent with another guy at 15,000 feet on Mount Kilimanjaro?

The hike was probably the steepest so far and the air was getting noticeably thinner, and noticeably colder. When the winds picked up, it was a whole new feeling and all of a sudden we were wearing a lot more clothes. At about 14,300 feet we came to the part of the mountain where the Lemosho Route that we are taking intersects with the Machame Route which caused a minor traffic jam of trekkers, porters and guides for about half an hour.

When we arrived at Lava Tower Camp, Berg Adventures once again surprised us. The many people we saw on our trek were in a fairly crowded camp situation, but thanks to Berg’s environmental rating (and chemical toilets), we were once again in a private and picturesque camp of our own. We rested for a bit and then had lunch. At that time, Wally told us that we could hike a couple of hundred feet up the trail and scale an outcropping called “the Lava Tower”. That optional excursion did not have total participation as the aforementioned “afternoon delight” was much more appealing to some. Happily, nobody fell off the Lava Tower, so we all enjoyed dinner as much as possible considering the freezing temperatures at 15,000 feet. The refuge of our warm sleeping bags was much more attractive than lingering over after dinner conversation, so tomorrow being our longest day on the trail, we were all in bed early.

The saga continues tomorrow…

– By David Aisenstat