My guide, Dennis, picked me up from my guesthouse, and we drove a couple of hours to the Arusha National Park gate. Here we parked and Dennis completed some registration requirements while I walked around a little bit.
By around 17:00 we were now quite high and could look back down and see much of the surrounding area, including the Momela Lakes.
By 17:30 we reached Miriakamba Hut, which is actually a collection of many buildings, including two sleeping huts for climbers . . .
. . . and a massive plate of spaghetti with meat sauce.
Once the paperwork was done we drove further into the park about twenty minutes or half an hour to the trailhead. Due to wildlife, and especially buffalo, you cannot hike independently at the lower altitudes of the park but have to be accompanied by an armed ranger. So, we had to wait here for an hour or so before a group formed to set out. While we waited we ate our prepared lunch and then around 13:00 there was a group of a dozen or so of us including guides and we formed up and set out down the trail.
At the Momella Gate, where we began walking from, we were at 1500 metres, and over the next few hours we ascended 1000 metres to Miriakamba Hut where we will spend tonight.
A buffalo skull on top of the "do not walk beyond this point unless accompanied by a ranger" sign helps emphasize that this is a hike in which encounters with wildlife are likely.
The ranger leading us is a young man who I enjoyed chatting with as we climbed. He explained to me that the gun is only to be used to scare animals away, not to actually shoot them.
Our group included a couple of Americans, some Germans, a man from Spain, and a Basque couple in their 70s who will also be climbing Kilimanjaro next week. I was very impressed with the Basque couple as I do not think I will be climbing mountains in my 70s!
The scenery in the park is very lovely and, thankfully, quite shady along the trail, which was appreciated because it was a very hot afternoon.
For part of the hike we joined a road . . .
. . . and at one point the road literally passes right through a tree!
We saw many birds while hiking, and twice a bushbuck. You can see one of them through the trees in the middle of the photo below.
By around 17:00 we were now quite high and could look back down and see much of the surrounding area, including the Momela Lakes.
By 17:30 we reached Miriakamba Hut, which is actually a collection of many buildings, including two sleeping huts for climbers . . .
. . . washroom facilities . . .
. . . huts for guides and staff, a kitchen hut, and a dining hut.
I was fortunate to get a room to myself, and the mattress and pillow in here proved much more comfortable than I expected.
I climbed up with my guide, but I have a whole retinue of support folks--a cook, a porter, and a waiter--who climbed separately ahead. The waiter brought me a basin of hot water which I was able to take to the "shower" facilities (where there is no running water) and give myself a much needed shower.
Then I was served popcorn and tea in the dining hall. All of the below was carried up today!
I was able to climb up to a lookout platform above the dining hall before dinner and it really is a spectacular setting!
At dinner I quickly realized that I will not be going hungry on this mountain climb. Among other things, I was served soup . . .
. . . and a massive plate of spaghetti with meat sauce.
Somehow, I managed to finish it all.
Although today was not an exceptionally difficult climb, I was quite tired and had no problem going to bed early.
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