Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro...

June was a wonderful month, although it was a month of hard work too. From 3rd – 22nd I was leading Back Track Adventures’ Kilimanjaro Safari. Eleven intrepid Aussies, ranging from 20-60 years of age, came to Tanzania to tackle 4566m Mt Meru, 5895m Mt Kilimanjaro, then treat themselves for all their hard work with a five-night safari.

This year, for the first time, we stayed at the delightful Karama Lodge & Spa in Arusha between the various legs of our trip. Compared to Masai Camp, which we’ve used in previous years, Karama Lodge was heaven! It really is a hidden gem. Individual wooden cabins on stilts hidden between the trees, accessed by little cobblestone paths; absolutely delicious food; and the option of an post-mountain massage (which I was unable to resist post-Kilimanjaro).

Once again I was blessed with a lovely group of trekkers, although somewhat quieter than last year’s group.

Mt Meru was delightful. Three of my trekkers were only staying with our trip for the mountains, so the abundance of wildlife at the base of Mt Meru constituted their mini-safari. As usual, despite the briefings, summit night on Mt Meru proved a much greater challenge for most trekkers than they expected, and a little too much for one. We were blessed with perfect summiting weather; a clear, calm night & the awe-inspiring sight of the sun rising from behind a perfectly silhouetted Mt Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro... ahhhh Kilimanjaro. I love that mountain. Once again, an absolute delight. One of my trekkers celebrated his birthday on Kili. After a rainy afternoon the previous day, his birthday morning on the Shira Plateau was clear enough for us to dine outdoors, with Kibo looming above. His birthday dinner was celebrated at my favourite camp on Machame route, the gorgeous Barranco Valley. My planned Choc Ripple birthday cake was a failure, as I’d forgotten to chill the long-life cream, so it absolutely refused to thicken. Consequently, dessert became Choc Ripple biscuits dipped in brandy-flavoured cream – still enjoyed by all. The party hats, balloons & music I’d carted up the mountain ensured we enjoyed a celebratory atmosphere.

 

Kilimanjaro summit night we were blessed again with great weather. I trekked up in less clothes than I ever have before. It was challenging for most, and an absolute endurance feat for some. I reached the summit accompanying the lady who hadn’t made it to Mt Meru’s summit. Reaching Uhuru Peak was, understandably, an extremely emotional moment for her, which I was privileged to share.

To my, and everyone’s, delight, every one of our group reached the summit, and closely enough together that we were able to get a full-group summit photo together – wow!

Safari was choc-full of animal sightings and was, as far as I could tell, everything my trekkers had hoped for. We had a close-up sighting of a cheetah (a rare occurrence) driving IN to the Serengeti, and spotted a second, plus a leopard, the very next day. We observed one lion pride at such close range they were walking right by our vehicles. And in Ngorongoro Caldera we were lucky to sight one of the only 20 rhinos in the entire crater, close enough to be clearly identifiable to the naked eye as a rhino... as opposed to guessing whether black dots in the distance through binoculars may or may not have been one – which is the usual situation.

Of course there was a plethora of the usual players too... zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, impala, Thompsons & Grants gazelles, waterbuck, topi, Coke’s hartebeest, dik dik, hyena, jackals, Nile crocodiles & monitor lizards, hippos, baboons, Sykes (blue), black-faced vervet, and colobus monkeys, and far more birdlife than I can possibly name.

You may think after three safaris in four years, it might be getting a little passé by now... not at all. In fact, Ian and I are contemplating a short Masai Mara safari while we’re in Kenya together later this year. Yeee-ha!