It turns out the wind was just taking a break, not disappearing for good. About 2am it came roaring back with a vengeance. Our tents are taking a battering–even these good quality expedition tents are caving in, with the roof constantly hitting us as we lie in our sleeping bags. We hear the porters out scrambling to tie everything down, using the heavy rocks as anchors. We find out in the morning that one of the porter tents had blown down twice during the night. Our mess tent had been damaged. Some of the permanent outhouses at the campsite were blown over. Later in the day, when we got to Arrow Glacier Camp, we came across some climbers heading down. Their tents had been shredded in the wind and they were aborting the climb.
There’s really no hope for sleep. The sunrise doesn’t calm the wind, but being in the sun does take some of the sting out of the biting cold. We don’t have any way of measuring how strong the wind is except seeing how hard it is to stand up in it. Having spent a lot of time growing up sailing and windsurfing in strong winds, my best guess is that it was a pretty constant 50- to 60-mile-an-hour winds. Even our guides, who had climbed Kilimanjaro over 170 times, said that they hadn’t seen anything like this keeping up for so long–usually, wind comes up and blows itself out after a few hours. Somehow the porters manage to pack up the campsite without it all blowing downwind and we’re on our way again.
Today’s hike is quite short, and we gain only about 700 feet as we head up to Arrow Glacier Camp.
The landscape of Arrow Glacier Camp isn’t a lot different from Lava Tower. But now we’re right at the base of the Western Breach. We’re going to have to climb that tomorrow in what we’ve already been warned will be the hardest day of the climb.
The glacier itself is a little past the campsite. It’s not much to look at, mostly covered with rocks and dirt. But it’s also our only water supply. Tonight we’ll be drinking water taken directly from the glacier.
We get a beautiful sunset, the golden rays catching the tops of the billowy clouds below us. Only the summit of Mt. Meru breaks up the sea of clouds stretching off to the horizon.
Climbing Kilimanjaro
This is part of a climb diary I put together with photos from each day on the Lemosho Route. You can find the other posts below. I’ve also included some gear tips for climbing Kilimanjaro and some ideas on what to expect from your climb.
- Lemosho Route / Day 1
- Lemosho Route / Day 2
- Lemosho Route / Day 3
- Lemosho Route / Day 4
- Lemosho Route / Day 5
- Lemosho Route / Day 6
- Lemosho Route / Day 7
- Lemosho Route / Day 8
- Tips, Gear Recommendations, and What to Expect When Climbing Kilimanjaro
Where to Next?
Travel Advice for Tanzania
You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Tanzania (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.
The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Tanzania here and the Australian Government's here.
Health & Vaccinations
The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Tanzania here.
Guidebooks for Tanzania
If you're looking for a guidebook to make the most of your visit, these are some of the most popular ones currently for Tanzania. Some are available in both paper and e-book formats.
- Fitzpatrick, Mary (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Guides, Insight (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Briggs, Philip (Author)
- Fodor's Travel Guides (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Travel Insurance For Your Trip to Tanzania
I never travel without travel insurance, and I've run into several situations where I've had to make claims. I consider it essential.
But shopping for travel insurance can be a pain and confusing. Thankfully, there are some travel insurance comparison sites that show you a wide range of plans, make it easy to compare coverage, and can save you money at the same time. And the coverage can be much better tailored to your specific needs than the checkbox offering at travel booking sites or through your credit card.
These are some good places to shop for travel insurance for your next trip to Tanzania :
Hopefully, you won't need it, but if something goes wrong, you'll sure be glad you have it!