Kilimanjaro Day 2: The Crater, the Chameleon, and Tummy Transitions
Kilimanjaro Day 2: Mandara Huts to Horombo Huts
Starting Altitude: 2,700m
Ending Altitude: 3,720m
Terrain: From lush rainforest to the Ankle Breaker moorland riverbeds.
Leaving the humid shelter of the rainforest behind, Day 2 on the Marangu Route pushes you up into the expansive, exposed moorland and reveals the true, intimidating scale of Kilimanjaro for the very first time. From hidden volcanic craters and rare chameleon sightings to the sudden onset of altitude-induced tummy trouble, the journey gets real very quickly...
Morning Rituals and the Drama of the Mountain Bus Group
I poked my head out of my sleeping bag and listened for any idea of what the time may be to avoid relinquishing my cosy warm pocket. Despite being in a rainforest once the sun went down it was really quite chilly.
“Water for wash!” sounded from outside…so much for that cosy lay in.
“Morning Martin” Ben called, opening our front door from his sleeping bag to see our lovely waiter beaming in the morning sun with two bowls of water. “Thank you very much!” He looked at me laying on the opposite side of the door “We have more washing water”
“This is the cleanest I will have been on a trek!” I mused. The team really were looking after us. “How did you sleep?” Ben asked me as I peeled off the sleeping bag.
“Not great, got a bit, but broken, you?"
“Same, I think I am too excited, I will sleep tonight though I think!”
We pondered the great sleeping conditions during off season/shoulder season compared to peak season. Where four people would usually have been in the hut it was just us two so we could spread our kit out and really take advantage of some space to pack and unpack, hang our clothes up to air and use extra pillows. Things that always make trekking much more enjoyable!
Ben started to get ready and I lay with my head out the door looking up at the sky taking in the tranquil environment. Clear blue skies, birds singing their tiny hearts out and the voices chattering and pots clinking in the distance from the porters prepping breakfast. We were so grateful for the small number of people hiking up Kili on our days, it was so peaceful.
The only thing breaking the tranquil magic was Ben making trips to the toilet, the frequency was starting to look like a cardio workout in itself.
“How is your stomach?” Ben asked me. A question that would ask a hundred times in the next three weeks.
“Okay at the moment” I cautiously asked, “Why are you okay?”
“Things are a little…lose” he chuckled “Bound to happen though I suppose!”
Once we had discussed our bowels in great detail and determined that, at present, we were okay and a bit of stomach upset on these things was normal, we toddled off for breakfast in our kit for the day with our bags all packed ready to go. Martin was waiting at the breakfast hut grinning, as always, pointing to our table in the empty canteen hut.
“Porridge! And fruit!” he gleefully announced.
The dreaded altitude sickness Anorexia had not yet struck as we chomped down everything in our paths. Fred and Juma popped in to see how we were and to check we were eating and drinking enough. After enough Milo to power a small city (If there’s one thing I’ve learned from adventuring, it’s that you don't count calories at altitude, you just shovel them in until your stomach protests) Martin filled our water bladders and then vanished off into the distance of the camp to get a head start on us to have “water for wash” ready for our arrival at camp 2. He was like a mountain ninja, one minute he was outside our huts with a smile, the next he was halfway to the next camp with 20kg on his head. My fondness for Martin was growing, he was the main man looking after everything we needed and he was such a pleasure to have around to lift spirits.
When the other five hikers entered the canteen there was an atmosphere in the air. Hannah was her usual happy self as was the Japanese man and we all chatted about day 1. Then three new climbers entered the hut. The mob from the bus on day one. Long story short (and it’s a long story the whole ordeal) they had done what Ben and I had done with Juma and walked on ahead with one of their guides to camp 1 whilst the other guide sorted the permits. However, he did not sort the permits, ran off with their cash, vanished and they were now not allowed on the mountain as they had no permits and no money. They still had the rest of the team and porters with them. However, for three hikers you need a minimum of two guides, not the one they were now left with. So they were weighing up the options. Either call it a day and go down, admit defeat. Or one hiker carry on for day 2 to the next huts and hope the other two manage to go back down and sort it all out. They went with option 2. The whole story unfolds further but that was the day 1 start of day 2 update. So we bid them good luck in their guide hunt and hoped to see them at the next camp for the update.
The Jungle Detour
Fred and Juma appeared after breakfast in full kit, looking chipper.
"You made such good time yesterday," Fred said, "we are going for a detour."
Apparently, being the "King and Queen of the mountain" means you get extra homework.
We spent the morning trundling over wooden bridges and weaving through the sensory overload of
the deep rainforest. Thick moss was hanging like shaggy green beards from the trees, the earth smelt damp, and that heavy, prehistoric silence was still lingering due to the shoulder season lack of humans on the trail.
After an hour, Fred led us off the path, dropped his bag, and hauled us up a steepish climb into a hidden clearing, an ancient volcanic crater. A few photos and “ooos” and “aaahs” later and Fred ushered us out of the crater to carry on our journey.
“Was that worth the extra walking?” I whispered to Ben
He smiled a knowing smile that meant “absolutely not”
Leaving the Real World Behind
As we kept climbing through the rainforest, the trees started to shrink, the animal noises faded, the breeze grew a sharp edge, and suddenly we broke the treeline into knee height shrubs. The path turned into what I can only describe as one large ankle breaker. It was an old river bed full of unstable rocks and deep cracks. Juma explained that in the rainy season, this is the river, and hikers have to trek upstream against the torrent.
"Imagine trying to climb this when it’s flowing against you!" Ben said sweating in the blistering sun, “I think we are safe though!” I chuckled looking up to the cloudless sky.
Juma just laughed and warned us the rain would come eventually.
This is why the tour guides are so strict with footwear and waterproofs as there is a chance, if it rains, that you will be walking up against rivers on day 2. Kit lists are there for a reason, listen to the experts! Fortunately for us it was blue skies and not a drop of rain so we could see where to put our feet on the river beds, avoiding the cracks and loose rocks.
Fred and Juma pointed out the new flora and fauna as our new environment flourished around us, and then there she was. For the first time, we saw the peak of Kilimanjaro, looking impossibly far away, a distant white speck on the horizon.
“Wow” Ben breathed as Kilimanjaros peak started to lear above the hillside in front of us.
In the rainforest, you feel enclosed, but out in the moorlands, you suddenly realise that you are a very small ant on a very very large rock. It was now we were beginning to see the magnitude of what we had signed up for.
“We will be at the top of that in three days!” I exclaimed excitedly “Seems like quite a long way though, and one of those days is just acclimatization!”
Seeing the path now laid in front of us was a bit daunting, but we knew we just had to keep chipping away gradually until we got to the top.
Above the Clouds and Scenic Wees
We trundled higher, gradually weaving until we were walking above the clouds. There is something profoundly humbling about looking down on Africa while the clouds lap at your boots. We would turn around for a glance of the stunning views at regular intervals and Ben was performing scenic wees every twenty minutes which was a great sign of being adequately hydrated. We felt amazing, no pains, no breathlessness. All those hours in the altitude chambers and hammering the Seven Sisters back home were paying off.
“STOP” Fred yelled back to us. We stood still in alarm as he foraged in some of the shrubland.
“Here, come look” He said pointing to a bare tree “Chameleon”
Sure enough a pair of wide, bulging eyes were moving up the stem of the plant, on a perfectly camouflaged body.
“This is very good luck and very rare” Juma smiled “It is a good sign, you will be successful”
One thing I will say for Fred and Juma is they were absolute experts in confidence giving.
We continued to weave around the hillside, singing lion king, chatting away about nothing of any importance and time flew on day 2. We felt so good after a stunning lunch break on the hillside that Juma and Fred told us to be the guides and tell them about all the animals and plants we had learnt about. To my dismay we had apparently not been listening all that much and could not recall the names but that did not deter us from our new job role. We made up names and stories of anything that looked interesting and Fred and Juma humoured our efforts.
"How long left, guide?" Fred shouted up.
"Ten minutes!" I yelled back, squinting at the huts on the horizon.
“No, less” he smiled “Nearly there!”
I felt a bit sad, day 2 had been amazing and so fun. We had smashed it and I was so proud of Ben for being in such great spirits. It was pure bliss.
Until we reached the huts.
The Horombo Ritual
We arrived at Horombo Huts (3,720m), a cluster of larger huts perched on a hill looking down on the entire world. Fred secured us a massive hut to ourselves since we were staying two nights for acclimatization. Shoulder season prevailed once again.
Knock, knock. Martin with the water and we got ready for tea and then dinner.
"I need the toilet on the way down, my tummy is not great," Ben said.
"Me too, meet you at the canteen?" I replied.
Now that we had stopped walking I was beginning to feel a bit tired.
This was the first hint of the impending doom. As soon as I entered the toilet (still a normalish one!), my body decided it was safe and staged a sudden, urgent coup. No warning or polite heads up. Just an immediate evacuation.
“Uh oh” I thought “What has caused this?” as I wracked my brains to think what we had eaten.
I met Ben at the canteen. He looked a bit pale.
"Stomach is really not good," he mumbled. "Food poisoning?"
We went through the checklist, the stew was fresh and piping hot, we were treating the water Martin filled our bladders with, the malaria tablets had been fine for the days leading up to the trek. It was a mystery.
Of Mice and Mountains
We spent the afternoon sat on the canteen veranda drinking milo hot chocolate and eating biscuits, watching the sun set. We were then ushered inside for dinner, and once again it was quite a spread. Another delicious looking stew, some vegetables and potatoes.
“Hungary?” Ben asked
“A bit, but I think the altitude is beginning to affect me, that is normal though, we just need to force it down” I replied.
So we did, whilst the Kili mice scurried across the canteen floor looking for crumbs.
"Ah, they’re everywhere!" Hannah laughed as one danced over her feet.
I didn't mind the mice, they were cute. It was knowing that the altitude was beginning to affect me that was more on my mind. I had been here before in Nepal and knew the warning signs. If I was beginning to feel the symptoms then Ben might be too. However, our evening check from Juma and Fred cleared us for day three and they continued to say how strong we were and how well we were doing.
After saying goodnight to everyone, we walked the 50 meters back to our room. By the time we hit the porch, we were both blowing like we’d just run a marathon.
"Why is it so hard to walk up five steps?!" Ben gasped.
"Altitude," I panted. "Our bodies are finally having to work for it."
After trying to climb the five steep steps back to our hut I was not sure I believed Fred and Juma saying we were doing well anymore.
We hunkered into our sleeping bags, exhausted.
"If we don't sleep properly tonight, we never will," I whispered to Ben, trying to ignore the gurgling sounds coming from both our midsections.
Tomorrow was Zebra Rock and acclimatisation day, so we had a lay in and easy chill day to look forward to. But first, we had to survive the night of the gurgling tummies.
Top tips:
Today you leave the shelter of the rainforest and enter the exposed, rocky moorland. The temperature drops when you step out of the tree line. Keep your windproof layers easily accessible at the top of your daypack. We were lucky as it was blistering sunshine for our entire hike but the guides advised that the moorland part of the hike can be rally tough in the rain and wind. Pack accordingly.
If you thought poles were just for old folks, the steep moorland staircases will quickly cure you of that delusion. They are essential for dividing the workload between your legs and your upper body, saving your knees from taking a total battering on the uneven rock steps. Most people had broken their poles out by day 2, we held off until day 3 to have something to look forward to.
The drop in temperature today will murder your phone battery. Sleep with your phone, camera, and power banks inside your sleeping bag at night, and keep them in an inside jacket pocket close to your body heat during the day.
Because the mountain air is getting colder, you won't feel how intensely you are burning. The UV rays at 3,700m are fierce. Slather on high SPF sun cream and wear a wide brimmed hat, unless you want your summit photos to feature a peeling, bright red face.
Remember sun protection for your lips and avoid Vaseline during the day!
You may wake up at 2:00 AM needing the toilet. Navigating the dark, rocky camp to find the toilets requires a powerful headtorch. Buy one with a red light mode so you don't blindingly assault everyones night vision.
Even if you feel like a bloated water balloon, keep drinking. The air is getting noticeably thinner, and hydration is your primary shield against the looming mountain headaches. If your urine isn't clear, you aren't drinking enough.
When the altitude begins to kill your appetite, standard food will be a real struggle to get down. This is where your stash of familiar, light snacks comes in handy. Pack high sugar snacks like Pop-Tarts, Kendal Mint Cake, or Maoam sweets. They are easy to choke down when the heavier foods makes you gag.
Do not put on all your heavy winter gear the moment you feel a chill. You will overheat within ten minutes of walking, sweat through your base layers, and then freeze the moment you stop. Use a system of breathable, easily removable layers and swap them on and off according to the weather. You are allowed to stop for changing clothes so do so.
Shoulder season might be quiet and we were so lucky with he weather but it is renowned for the heavy rains and deep snow. It is a risk worth taking but make sure you have the correct kit. The mandatory kit list is there for a reason
Buy the right kit. Make sure you have hardy waterproofs, waterproof boots with ankle support etc, some people hiking at the same time got cold feet as their boots were chap ones, some got wet feet in the snow as they were not waterproof. Make sure your kit is up to scratch.
You will not be short of food, everyone is very well fed. It is just whether you can stomach it all that is the question.
If you are offered the secret crate diversion, it is not really worth the extra 30 min detour. Save your legs and just walk to the next camp.
Try not to get over faced by the magnitude of it all when you see Kili for the first time in the Moorlands. It looks like it is forever away. Instead, just break it down into the days and get your guides to point out where you are going to on that day. If that it too much then ask them where lunch is and focus on getting to that point first.
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