Day 2 - December 12 I've included a description of the Lemosho route. I selected this route for acclimatization - which turns out I really did not need. Hindsight. Could have used less camping in the rain. See below for my day 2. The 8 day Lemosho variation is the ideal schedule for this route. On the 8 day Lemosho route, the trek from Barranco to Barafu is broken up into two days, allowing for a short day just prior to the summit attempt. This is important ...

Day 1 - December 11 Bus ride was long, over 3 hours because we got stuck and had to all get out and walk up the road. We started about 2 hours hiking distance from proper start because it was raining so much, there is no way the bus could get through. There were 3 foot puddles and red mud everywhere. When we arrived at the 'starting point', it was 4pm and we had another 2.5 - 3 hours of hiking. The leader, Chambo, is SO slow which made it all the more frustr...

Up late getting everything ready so slept in a bit. Alfred drove me to next hotel - Springlands, which is very nice but in the middle of nowhere in Moshi. I had a nice 30 min swim cause I haven't done anything for a couple of days and feeling a little antsy! You can hear the Muslim Mosque service loud and clear, The hotel compound is gated cause you wouldn't want to venture out on your own...Yikes! Had Kili orientation, and met my rather solemn bunch of mate...

Arrived at Springlands hotel. The company I booked through (Ultimate Kilimanjaro) is just an internet site out of Chicago for ZARA tours, who actually runs the trips in Tanzania. This hotel is on the outskirts of Moshi is a sketchy part of town - they have you trapped cause there is no where else to go, safely. Added to the fun is the loudspeaker from the Mosque next door who wails for 1/2 hour starting at 5:00am and again at 6:30pm. The water is hot and the ...

It's time to pack for Kili. It takes a ton of organization in order to co-ordinate one place to the other. Note to self, should have done more while at home. Alfred went through my stuff and added a few things so now I feel ready. The internet connection and power are less than stable here so takes SO much longer to do anything. Glad I left the whole day to pack for Kili and then to Zanzibar. Went to town to pick up a dress and pants for Zanzibar, it's ...