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Published: November 11th 2010
3 Day Safari: Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara
Whilst most people would probably leave a safari to the end of their Tanzanian trip, we decided to put ours first. This was mostly due to timing, but actually I was very happy with the arrangement. It gave us a few days to get used to Tanzania - to the climate, the food, the water, etc - before starting our big hike.
We had a lovely guide - Gabriele - who was endlessly patient with our turning up late for him every morning (Barry is so slow at packing!), stopping for photos all the time, and being the only people on his tour. Because we didn’t have other people to worry about we were able to spread ourselves out in Gabriele’s 4x4 jeep, making it a very comfortable trip.
Our safari took in three national parks over three days: Tarangire; Ngorongoro Crater; and Lake Manyara. Each of the parks was different and had its own personality. Tarangire immediately impressed me with the sheer number of animals on offer within 10 minutes of entering the Park. Ngorongoro was probably the most attractive National Park, as first we drove up to the crater
rim in the mist and then down into the massive crater, taking in the lovely shades of rock in the background. The animals were less concentrated here but no less amazing when we came across them. Lake Manyara offered a different experience again, with the animals significantly more difficult to spot, shrouded in thick forest. We did see lots of monkeys and hippos there though and had wonderful views of the vast lake itself.
Some other highlights from the Safari included:
* A lion walking right up to the jeeps, and then lying down next to one to get some shade! The truck had to move on (I guess they didn’t want to encourage the lion to become too friendly) and then the lion walked right past our 4x4. I was so excited and thinking about getting a photo that it was only after it had sauntered just a metre below me that I realised quite how close I had been to a wild lion!
* The fantastic lodges we stayed at, especially the Arumeru. These were all classy places with electricity, hot running water and comfy beds. More luxurious than the places we usually stay in, but made
for an enjoyable change!
* A monkey stealing my packed lunch at Tarangire NP. Whilst it was a bit crazy and a bit scary at the time, it was certainly a unique experience! Luckily I had eaten most of it and he just got the cupcake and leftover scraps. Very cheeky...
* Visiting the quieter parts of the Parks, particularly in Tarangire and Ngorongoro. Gabriele really took the time to take us off the beaten track and I was very glad he did. We got away from the other tourists and understood the real beauty of the places we were visiting. In Tarangire, this meant we met a whole family of elephants on the road - Gabriele immediately turned off the engine and we watched in awe as they trundled past a mere 2 or 3 metres away from us. In Ngorongoro we were able to see the crater from a different angle and our afternoon drive left us with a good understanding of just how vast the crater is.
Mount Meru
Our Safari came to an end all too quickly but we were excited about our next challenge - some hiking! After our Safari we went to our
hotel and were met in the evening by our team. We had booked to do Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro with Adventure Peaks, a Lake District based company, and we were met by the English guide Jill, along with other team members Tom, Gareth, John and Tim. The 7 of us would be together for the next 11 days, 4 days on Mt Meru and then - with a few extra people - 7 days on Kilimanjaro.
Mt Meru is the 10th highest mountain in Africa, rising to 4,566 metres above sea level and situated near the town of Arusha. It is a beautiful peak, being part of an old volcano, with the summit at the highest point on the rim. The site also shows more recent signs of volcanic activity with an ash cone situated within the caldera. I won't detail everything about the hike, but needless to say we had a great few days. We got on really well with everyone else in the team and the views were spectacular. It was a fascinating experience to go from around 1,500 metres altitude to the summit as we passed through different vegetation zones.
Day 1 took us
from the gate within Arusha National Park (1,500m) to Miriakamba Hut (2,515m). The route was reasonably easy, though a bit steep to begin with. We took it slowly in order to aid our acclimatisation and also to get to know everyone in the group. Our African guide Douglas was with us as well as an Assistant Guide Alfred. Porters had already gone ahead with our kit bags, food, etc. We saw buffaloes and warthogs on the way up and at that point I was glad we had a ranger with us - Felix - who had a gun and looked like he knew how to use it if needed! On arrival at the huts we had a chance to wash before dinner in the mess hall.
That evening on my way out to the toilet block I could hear some rustling in the bushes. I could tell there was something there but wasn’t sure what it was. Then, through the trees I could just make out a head of what I thought was a zebra, but then it looked right at me and I realised it was a giraffe! Pretty cool that this wild animal was just hanging out
in the bushes just a few metres away from me! It turned out there were a few of them there and it make for a fantastic few minutes of excitement.
Day 2 went from Miriakamba Hut (2,515m) to Saddle Hut (3,570m) during the morning. It was a lovely hike, through cloud forests until we came out above the clouds. A good hike and everyone seemed to be feeling well. In the afternoon, we set off for a hike from Saddle Hut. In a little over an hour we had reached the peak of ‘Little Meru’ (3,820m). It was a very enjoyable hike along a very clear path and the summit gave good views across the plains and a look at the much more daunting proper 'Big Meru' peak to the other side of our camp. It was helpful for our acclimatisation to get this high and also made us all feel like we could (fingers crossed!) make the summit.
Day 3 took us from Saddle Hut (3,570m) to the Summit of Mt Meru (4,566m) and down again to Miriakamba Hut (2,515m). This was a very long day, which started at midnight. I was worried that we were going
to be absolutely freezing as I had heard that temperatures on Meru could get really low. I was also worried that the weather might turn on us and we would face driving snow... Luckily when I emerged from our hut at midnight I was greeted with a clear sky with beautiful stars and it was freezing but certainly not 'too' freezing! The view up to the sky took my breath away and I quickly forgot how tired I was and just became really excited and happy at the prospect of the day ahead.
Our ascent started easily enough, with a large number of zigzags taking us up to Rhino Point. At that point I think that we were all feeling good and excited about how well we were doing. It was still dark and if anything getting a bit colder as we went higher, but at least the sky was clear and there was almost no wind. The next few hours were very tough though as we continued our ascent. Bizzarely, the more we walked the colder I got and having been in just a t-shirt and light jumper at one point, I ended up adding gloves and a
down jacket to stay warm. The going was quite tough as it was dark and the ground was very uneven. There were a couple of points which were more like scrambling where we had to use our hands to balance or pull us up over rocks. There were also a couple of steep sections where we zig-zagged up scree which was really draining.
Finally the sun rose and we had a beautiful view of Kilimanjaro in the distance and a stunning pink light across the sky. This helped to lift spirits a bit, though didn't make the summit get any closer! The final push was up quite a steep section where we were all feeling the altitude, but we finally made it to the summit of Meru. It was a great feeling to get to the top and the views were stunning. Unfortunately, Barry was feeling the effects of the altitude more than most and he felt rough for the whole descent from the peak. I stayed back with him walking a bit slower than the others and had to help him when he was sick a few times. Ugh! Still, we made it back to Saddle Hut and
all felt immensely glad to be back. We had some time to chill and eat lunch before continuing down in the afternoon to Miriakamba Hut. We took it very easy that evening, enjoyed a big dinner and felt sorry for all the people about to go through the long slog we had just completed! All the guides were telling us that Mt Meru was more difficult than Kilimanjaro and we really hoped they were telling the truth!
Day 4 was an easy-ish final day from Miriakamba Hut (2,515m) to Momella Gate (1,500m). We decided to take the 'long route' down. Douglas our African guide was much keener that we take the short route but Barry's book said the long route was worth the detour and we all felt pretty fit so decided to go for it. It turned out to be a great choice, taking us along a path with views up to Meru and then through forest for quite a few kilometres. We also saw some nice little waterfalls and a massive fig tree which had split in 2 at the base, allowing jeeps to be driven underneath!
After reaching the Gate we had some lunch and
then a short bus ride through the Arusha National Park, spotting animals as we went and enjoying the bumpy ride. The evening brought a very enjoyable few hours at the Arumeru Lodge, sorting out our clothes and washing, sitting by the pool and then a group dinner in the restaurant. We had a fantastic meal and the others enjoyed a few beers whilst I stuck to my promise not to drink alcohol until I had summited Kili....!
Mount Kilimanjaro (aka ‘Kili’)
Having written so much about the Safari and Meru I feel quite exhausted and am not sure I can write that much about Kili! It was a truly fabulous experience and I loved it, but I am not sure that I would ever do it again. The exhaustion, pain and slight nausea I had on summit day was painful and not a very pleasant experience. Having said that, it did feel pretty amazing to stand at the summit of Africa’s highest mountain...
We opted to do the 7-day Kili hike. Some people attempt it in 6 and others in 7. The correlation is simple - the longer you give yourself the more likely you are to
make the summit. Kili is a massive 5,895 metres above sea level. Climbing that much in a matter of days is always going to be difficult and the majority of people do not make it up to the final summit (Kibo), having been felled by altitude sickness, exhaustion or illness on the way. Kili is often referred to as 'an easy walk up a mountain' and in some ways this is true - there is no need to be a rock climber or to have any real mountaineering experience. However, it is a long walk and does require fitness. It is also noticeable that those who are used to hiking tend to fare significantly better than those who are not. If you have spent a long day hiking even in relatively low altitudes, you understand the pressure that a long day can put on your body - especially your tired feet! It also helped that I had been at altitude previously - both on this trip and on previous trips - so I knew something of what we were in for.
The first few days of the hike were pretty easy. We took the Rongai route which I enjoyed
immensely. We climbed up through forest onto open scrubland and apart from a rain shower on the first day had pretty much perfect weather. The views were fantastic, looking down over the vast and flat African landscape and every so often looking up at the mammoth task ahead of us.
By far my favourite campsite was the one we stayed at on our 3rd and 4th nights: Mawenzi Tarn. Situated at the base of Mawenzi peak, we were treated to stunning views throughout the day, especially at sunrise and sunset. We also took a few acclimatisation hikes nearby which allowed us to get to know the area a bit more and also to appreciate our tiny camp against the vastness of its surroundings. This was also where we had our rest day, when we had a bit of a lie-in, a nice hike and then an afternoon off. Barry and I set about collecting warm water from the cooks in order to have a wash. It was a bit difficult, but felt unbelievable to wash my hair after so many days of grime!
And so, we arrived at Kibo Huts (4,700m) on day 5, having walked across the
spectacular 'saddle'. We rested for the afternoon, eating what we could, drinking water and generally feeling terrified about what lay ahead. At 11pm (yep, middle of the night) the alarm went, we got up in the freezing cold, put on as many clothes as possible and went to the mess tent for breakfast. What an absurd time to be eating breakfast! We were all pretty tired, cold and some people already had headaches from the altitude. At about midnight we headed off on our hike, aiming for the summit of Kili.
The first 6 hours of the hike were in the dark, following seemingly endless zigzags. I remember someone said we were half way up and I thought there was no way I was going to be able to carry on. It was cold and all I could think of was my sleeping bag in my tent! However, we carried on and finally at dawn we reached Gilman's Point. I was so happy to see the sign and realised how far we had gone. We sat down to drink some water and I realised that Barry wasn't feeling very well. He ended up being sick and the guides told
him he should seriously consider heading down to camp. Of course, there was no chance that Barry was going to give up and so we pushed on upwards.
Gilman's Point is on the crater rim of Kibo and from there it is a 2 hour walk along the crater rim to reach the true summit of Kili. I felt a lot better that the sun was up and that we had stopped the zigzagging so felt pretty good and was excited by the thought that we were heading to the summit. However, we went extremely slowly because the altitude made breathing very tough and Barry was really feeling the effects. He had to stop again and this time the guides were telling him to go down. But, we were so close to the summit. We agreed with the guides that if he could make it to the next big rock he could carry on. After vomiting again, Barry set off and was able to reach the rock, so carried on. We finally crested a small ridge and could finally see the summit of Kili a mere hundred metres or so away. I can still remember the fantastic feeling I
had as we reached the summit. Everyone in the group was ecstatic and we spent a good 20 minutes taking in the fantastic surroundings and the fantastic achievement. I could happily have stayed up there for hours, but the cold and the altitude meant that we had to descend.
On the way down, it was easier to see what we had achieved and also to take in the surroundings in the sunshine. There are some stunning glaciers just near to the summit and they looked beautiful against the blue sky. It was easier hiking on the way down, and much more enjoyable (though Barry was still feeling quite ill). The best bit by far was the descent after Gilman's Point, when we got to 'ski' down the scree. It was fantastic fun and meant the descent went significantly more quickly than the ascent!
Down at camp we had some time to snooze (Barry collapsed in a heap!), drink lots of orange squash and relax. It was such a relief to make it down and also to realise that we had made the summit of Kilimanjaro. After a rest and some lunch, we had to pack up and head
off again. We all felt surprisingly good about carrying on and I was surprised at the speed with which we descended to the next camp. I guess the extra oxygen in the air must have really made a difference!
The next 2 days were taken descending from Kili and it was a very enjoyable time. We had lots of food, enjoyed some sparkling wine, appreciated the warmer air and re-lived the happier moments of our trip! Finally back at the hotel at the base of the mountain we enjoyed amazing showers, lots of beers and a wonderful farewell meal at which we received our Kili certificates.
Our final day in Tanzania was spent exploring Moshi town. It was strange to be back amongst real life, but good fun as we enjoyed pizza, good coffee, more beer and buying souvenirs. All in all we had an amazing trip to Tanzania and I thoroughly enjoyed the company and the experience. More than anything I was glad that we had achieved all we had set out to achieve - and got back in one piece!
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rrruss
Russ Pearce
Green eyed monster!
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous! Amazing photos and wonderful tales. Thank you.