Kilimanjaro Trek - Machame Gate to Machame Camp (Day 1)
The look of apprehension was noticeable on the faces around the breakfast table on the first day of the climb. We were about to leave behind our relative comfort and about to endure rough living for the next 6 days.
It was a short journey to Machame Gate, where we would start the walk. Banana trees trees surrounded us on the drive up along with homes, many of which had a red cross emblazoned on the side of their exteriors. We were later informed that these crosses denoted that these houses were destined for demolition. The reason; to widen the narrow road. The saddening fact is that the government value these houses, without independent judgement on their decision, and they are valued at around 75% of their actual real estate value. The home owner is then given half of this value to move on and ordered to move out.
On our arrival at the Gate we were greeted by our 32 porters that would be joining us on the trek. We were also joined by, what appeared to be, 1000 other like minded individuals who would also be partaking in their own challenges. It was absolute mayhem at this point as we appeared to be handing our rucksacks to anybody who would take them. Luckily we weren’t and it was actual controlled chaos for which Abel, our head guide, was firmly in control of.
Before we knew it our rucksacks were out of sight and half way up the mountain. The porters practically run up the mountain in order to prepare our food and camps ready for our arrival. There was no sign of the top of the mountain and we would not see it for another couple of days yet.
16 of us signed in on that day and we could only hope that this number would remain the same by the end of the week.
The walk began at 1800 metres (that’s not bad we’re about a third of the way to the top without a step being taken) and it was a very casual walk through the rainforest and then through montane forests. The weather was perfect for walking - not too hot - not too cold. The paths were well defined and we could only but hope that this was how rest of the trek would be! We all split up into our various paced groups until we reached the first of our pit stops, for lunch. The porters had done an amazing job to set up a 15 foot table, with table cloth, and all of the food we could want to see us through until our main meal later on that evening. Lunch consisted of soup followed by sandwiches, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, bananas, water melon, avocados etc etc.
The afternoon was much the same as the mornings walk but the legs that hadn’t done as much preparation as perhaps they should were hoping the camp would appear soon. And it did, or so we thought. As we had just handed our bags to anybody that was prepared to take them at the Gate we were were not entirely sure as to who our porters were but we thought they would know who we were. Smiling faces appeared through the forest to greet and it was James that first approached them to say Jambo (Hello in Swahili). It took a few minutes for us to realise that these were not our porters and therefore not our tents so before we got too comfortable the walking had to continue. Not for long though as we spotted Leonce, our second guide, a little further up the slope. Thankfully our rucksacks also made it to the camp and so a comfortable nights sleep was ensured for all. We had climbed up to 3,200 metres and everybody was still in high spirits with no ill effects as yet.