Day Nine: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

Marangu Hotel.
As you can tell, I class up anywhere I go; I washed my clothes in the sink and put them outside to dry. Classy.

Today is the day we start the mountain. We see Mawezi peek through the clouds at our resort before breakfast.

Doesn't seem all that intimidating at all.

The hotel makes sure we are kitted properly and briefs us.
Acute Mountain Sickness is a thing that sucks. You can take a medication called Diamox for it, which I have been prescribed by a travel doctor. I have done my research and this seems to be a medication I can take. Turns out, according to the man who briefed us, Diamox is a sulpha-class drug. I am quite allergic to sulpha drugs! I have followed the instructions of my doctor and have already taken a dose. I have been instructed by my guide not to take anymore. I choose to follow this instruction. I would rather not die in a preventable way.

Kilimanjaro has rules.

Fun Fact: Scott Lake Hill, the highest point on the Trans-Canada Highway,  is only 1410m above sea level.

 We get checked in at the headquarters. We are only allowed on the mountain for a limited time (for safety and accommodation reasons) so we have to check in at every hut.

Johnathan, Mikko, Robyn and Peter.

Once we are on the mountain we are in a lush rainforest. It is probably about 25C.

We have been given instructions by our Tanzanian mountain guides to go pole pole, meaning slowly in Swahili. This helps us acclimatize. It takes us about 5.5 hours to cover 3.4 km and ascend to 2720m. None of us feel sick, so we guess this works.

The huts are also in a lush rainforest and are quite comfortable. They were Swiss built and we have electricity (notice the solar panels).
Our dinner is in the dining hut (!) and is four courses (!). This is not camping as I know it.

 It is getting cooler at night so I think I will be very happy with my North Face Dolomite 20 sleeping bag.

Next: more climbing!