Day 4 - Moir Camp to Lava Tower Camp

Thursday 30/08/2012

13,700 ft - 15,000 ft

5.25 km

4 hrs 13 mins

954 Calories

Sadly, Seth has decided to leave us and descend. Whilst he appears much better this morning he says he knows his body well and he knows that as soon as he goes another couple of hundred feet higher he is going to be slammed with the same symptoms he has struggled with all night. So his climb is over.

Normally the second guide would take a climber down but Wilbert decides he will do this as he is suffering with a badly infected lip (I think it is an infected Cold Sore). So our new Head Guide is Hosea, who was our Second Guide up till now and Shadrock is promoted to Second Guide.  Shadrock has just passed his guides exam and is currently waiting for his Head Guide Certificate to arrive so he can lead his first climb.

On yesterday's climb we passed the highest point of the rescue road. It's about an hour back from Moir Camp and this is where Wilbert will take Seth. They have already radioed for assistance and the rescue vehicle will be waiting for them. They will be taken closer to Arusha where Kiliwarriors driver will collect them. If Seth is okay by this stage he will be taken back to the hotel from where we started. I think this will be the case.

Today our hike is much shorter than the previous days but is is also steeper and due to the increased altitude, it is just as testing.

After about an hour we can see the peak of Mt Meru piercing the clouds in the distance. This is a mountain that some climbers do before Kilimanjaro as a preparation climb for Kilimanjaro.

After an hour or so the scenery changes as we again move from one climatic zone to another. We are now leaving the Mooreland and entering the Alpine Zone.

Plant life almost disappears and we are left with only mosses, lichens and colorful everlasting flowers. It freezes every night in this zone ...and I guess that means here upwards, so not much can grow in these conditions.

The ground is scattered with small volcanic boulders. Apparently this is where the trail can get very dusty but we don't find it to be too bad.

There are a few long uphill stretches but Hosea takes it very Pole Pole and we get through it okay. Breathing is becoming harder and more laboured.

At one point our trail meets up with the Machame Trail and the two combine as far as Lava Tower Camp and then divide again. So there are now heaps more people on the trail and we often stop to let the faster moving groups pass.

The last steep uphill push to Lava Tower seems like its is never going to end and we collapse into our tents when we get there, exhausted even though it was only just over four hours of climbing - the altitude is taking its toll!

Again I have a slight headache - nothing to worry about I assure Hosea. I also have hip pain which is worse than the headache but not Altitude related, just my Arthritis and Fibromyalgia playing up.

At Lava Tower we see more casualties to the mountain. A group with two young couples arrived about the same time as us and set up camp, had lunch and then decided they didn't want to stay at this camp but wanted to move higher to Arrow Glacier Camp, which is only about 2 hours away. So they pack up and leave, only to return several hours later with all four climbers suffering Altitude Sickness and they have to keep going down to the rescue road which is about another 5-6 hours away. They are going to be doing it tough in the dark most of the way.

Again, no shower appeared today. I guess that as Wilbert had decided to take Seth down, he had forgotten to organise our shower with Hosea.

Nick and I again discussed it and decided that we would address this with Kiliwarriors in USA on our return from the mountain.