After yesterday's threat of being the hardest day before summit day, I think everyone was feeling ok this morning. There was some condensation on the tent, but the sky was blue and we were off after our porridge and eggs.
The fake Camelbak I gave Alisa yesterday was tested overnight (since the first day she got soaked), and proved to just need a bit of tightening. Every morning, they come to collect our empty water bottles, and chant "water for washing." The warm jug outside the tent is a get impetus to get up, but everything has to be packed before going to breakfast.
Our first three hours from Shira Camp 1 were hiking to and then over a ridge to another flat area. We had decided (at the behest of our guide, Bruce) to head to Moir Hut today, instead of Shira 2. We are sleeping a bit higher (at 4250 meters, I think), but are more acclimated (or a-climate-ized as the Aussies pronounce it).
I've been learning how to count in Swahili from the guides, and graduated to twenty today (though I can't remember it at the moment). Thomas, the assistant guide, starts by saying "moja", which is "one", then I have to dig through my low-oxygen brain to find the rest up to ten. Thankfully, ten through nineteen are just addition.
All was good up to lunch, which was some soup (as always - sadly not growing any fonder of soup during this trip), "propane" grilled cheese, and corn fritters that were delicious.
It is amazing the soup they can think up. Cucumber, carrot, sweet corn. We'll see what the count of types is at the end of the eight days.
With every meal comes hot water. Not a big tea fan, I've been opting for the Milo, which is a Nestlé product that might be similar to Ovaltine. Yesterday, I noticed we were running low and during the debrief I made sure to ask if they had more. Sure enough, a new can was brought for breakfast. But back to lunch.
Just as we were finishing enjoying our tea (or Milo), Alisa asked if the pitters on the mess tent were raindrops. It had been really windy, so my guess was that it was dust, since there is no lack of that.
Turns out the final hour to Moir Hut was some drips, then some drops, then some hail. Dad, you are cursing me from across the world! There was a sweet cave with a waterfall that I would've enjoyed much more if it had been at all sunny and not a mud put, but we got to camp and it was just down to a spritz.
I bopped around outside a bit (getting to camp gives me energy - just being able to take the pack off) and found a songbird that I followed around with my camera for a bit. He (the pretty-colored bird) led me to a pile of rocks were, all of a sudden, a brown nose with two beady black eyes poked out from the rocks. Among my first wild mammals in Africa! It is some sort of rock vole or ground squirrel or something. They are all around in the many rocks I've seen in my lifetime. I was delighted though.
I popped back into the tent to change into my sneakers and hear the rain start coming down. Through the crack in the tent, white stuff started hitting the ground. At tea and popcorn (and roasted peanuts today!), Taletha said that was the first snow she'd seen! There's a bit more as we head toward the mountain, but those flakes were enough for me for now.
Also at tea and popcorn, it was decided we would take a "one hour" (in African time) hike up to ridge. The sun had come out for a bit, so everyone was feeling good.
We had to get water, repack bags, grab raingear as the approaching clouds looked ominous, and putz around, so it was nearly 6pm when we started up.
It was steep, with some great rock scrambles, as well as windy. Of course, some spritzing started, so back on with the raingear.
The view from the top, of the near sunset, the clouds surrounding the plateau, and the waxing moon were fun to enjoy. Anyone with an international phone was pulling it out to try to get service (Airtel worked; Vodaphone did not).
I desperately needed to pee, and a windy, uncovered ridge wasn't all that tempting, so we started the charge down, slipping a bit on the scree along the way.
It was dark by the time we hit camp, and dinner was ready. Soup (don't know what kind, but wasn't as salty as the first nights') with some fried bread, pasta, meat, and vegetable sauce. As we get closer to the top, our diet is getting heavier on the carbs and less on the protein.
One debrief, by "Babu", another assistant guide, and we were off to try to stay warm and sleep above 4000 meters. I'm hoping my Diamox will kick in and give me a better night then last.
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