Arrow Glacier Camp - 31 December 2015

This was the morning when the altitude caught up with us or, at least, some of us. I struggled to drag myself out of my sleeping bag and wondered if I would be able to walk the 10 yards to the mess tent for breakfast. The headache was one thing but the complete absence of any energy was quite another. Drinking ice cold water in sub-zero temperatures is never fun but re-hydration is a critical part of each and every day. By the time I had eaten some breakfast and drunk all the coffee/hot chocolate/hot water/cold water I could manage I was recovering a bit. 

This is a very short day to a fairly inhospitable camp but one which is at the bottom of the Western Breach. There is no real rush to break camp or to rush off so Ayumwi introduces the rest of the party to us before we introduce ourselves to them. We have the seemingly standard 4 porters each! This isn't to say we have so much kit that we require 4 to carry it but the size of the party requires a Chief Guide and two Assistants, a Chief Cook and two assistants and then there are all the tents, all the food and our kit which means a party of 40, in total.

"Just Us and a Few Friends"

Lava Tower Camp

Kilimanjaro Upper Slopes

Almost above the clouds

Kilimanjaro - Crater Rim

Arrow Glacier Camp - watching the Sun and 2015 slip away

Crater Rim bathed in evening sunshine

There may have been more subdued New Year's Eve parties but with about 4000 feet of climbing tomorrow to reach the Crater Camp at 19,000 feet we didn't wait up for 2016.