To The Summit Of The Kilimanjaro - Africa Part III

Morning. 6am. I couldn't sleep. It was too freezing in the so called "alpine sleeping bag". It's been 3 days since we started climbing on the Kilimanjaro.
Starting at 2000m with our Rasta guide going through tropical forest, passing through moor land, we reached 3900m getting closer to the alpine desert.

Since we began the trek it was foggy and a bit raining. We started to over use the phrase "Yom Asal Yom Basal - today it's Basal" (One day honey, one day onion - today it's onion).
I took the risk and got out of my tent to the freezing cold. Frost all around (later on Liad will find the time to be funny with the frost on my tent...).
Liad being funny (it's written "Sefi the cool")

(OK... it's written "Sefi the gay"... :) )

For the first time I've seen the target - Kibo. The "always snowy" part of the mountain - the peak.
Kibo from 3900m

My tent with Kibo


Nature called, so I went to the "shit hole", wearing all my cloths and my gloves. I've put my gloves in the pockets. After doing my stuff, I heard something soft falling on the ground. When I saw what it was, it was too late... One of my gloves was in the "shit hole"... I started swearing, so I guess that the guy who was out in line for the shit whole started thinking that our cook gave us bad food...
I had to cover my hand, so for the rest of the journey I've had to use 2 of my socks as a glove...
Hobo


All over our journey, even at high altitude there were some kind of humongous ravens which looked like they are waiting for one of us to quit, so they could eat from his flash... Spooky!
Humongous Raven - By Liad Hacmon


This 4th day was the start of the hardest part of the trip. We've started in early morning to go up and down in the rain and in snow from to reach 4600m.
To those of you who didn't travel in heights - you have to go foot by tow in order to set your breath (not enough oxygen).So we got to the Baraffu (Snow) camp around at early evening. We went to sleep wearing all of our cloths because this is one of the coldest places in the trip.
We woke up in the middle of the night to start our way to the summit. Apparently Liad had a hole in his tent - his sleeping bag was wet and he didn't sleep at all... It was very cold (-10c to -15c) and very very steep. Liad's breath sounded more like a dying motor.
With the help of our Rasta Man and Santa little helper we reached at 7am to the Summit - 5895m.
From Stella Point

While I was taking shots with a sign to my girlfriend, Liad finally reached the Stella point - seeking for another breath...
Reaching The Peak

Me, Rasta Man, Santa Little Helper and Liad at Stella Point


At this part, you start to think about how you're going to get down, and apparently it's not that easy.
We've finished our day at about 5pm at 3000m above sea level.

And that you finally think that we are such fearless men, let me thank the few guys who helped us to get there:
Our Pack


This is almost the last part of the trip where we spoke Swahili, so here is a short traveler English - Swahili dictionary:
Kuma Mama ke - Someone's mother is a bitch (it makes the locals laugh, so maybe it's "My mother...")
Mambo Vipi - How are you? (slang)
You need to answer:
Mambo poa - Hi! cool.
Or
Poa Poa kichizy comon dizy in the frizy - Cool like banana in the refrigirator

And a short song:
Jambo, jambo buana
habari gani, Mizuri sana
Wageni, mwakari bishua
Tanzania yetu, hakuna matata

Translation:
Hello, hello man.
How are you? Very good!
Clients/Tourists - You are welcome.
Our Tanzania, no problem!

If you understand what exactly this song means - send me an email... :-/

5 things you didn't know about the Kilimanjaro:

1. In 1886 Queen Victoria, the British ruler of what is known today as Kenya, gave the Kilimanjaro to her cousin which was the German ruler of what is known today as Tanzania.
2. Kilimanjaro means "Shining Mountain". The summit of the mountain is called "Uhuru Peak" - "Peak of Freedom".
3. The Kilimanjaro is 5895m high and is the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free standing mountain in the world.
4. The Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano with a glacier at his peak. The glacier started melting due to global warming.
5. Because of the low pressure, you toot a lot more in high altitude.

At The Summit