Leaving New Pofu Camp, the trail led me to the Upper 3rd Caves Camp, intersecting with several other trails, such as the Rongai, Kibo Hut and School Hut Trails.
The camp was in a
somewhat desolate grey-looking environment devoid of colour, with only some
shrubs and tufts of small grasses. Although it could’ve been perceived as
aesthetically displeasing, this alpine desert environment was still fascinating
to experience its raw and barren wide open space. You’d almost think you were
on Mars if the terrain was rusty red.
With Mawenzi Tarn Camp
as my next destination, the most direct route would have been to take the
Rongai Trail. With this approach, I would remain at the same elevation since I
began the Northern Circuit and descended into Mawenzi Tarn Camp at the end. However,
I chose to take a lower route by first descending approximately 1640ft (500m).
I swung my way around the eastern side of the mountain to Kikelawa Camp and the
Kikelawa Caves. The camp is in a large meadow of tussock grasses and giant
dendrosenecio plants. White-necked ravens were waiting around the campsite for
scraps or unattended food.
The nearby cave was one
of many on the flanks of Kili, which in the past were used as overnight
shelters but have now been superseded by designated camp spots with nearby
water supplies.
With under two miles
(3km) left, the trail ascended steadily, reaching a lake at the foot of the
rising steep ridges of Mawenzi, the second-highest volcano southeast of Kibo.
Mawenzi, along with Kibo, began erupting about a million years ago. The two peaks
were separated by the Saddle Plateau. From the western side, Mawenzi looked
like a single jagged rock jutting from the saddle, vastly different from Kibo’s
gentler-looking and trekkable slopes. This western side of Mawenzi was the
highest point, reaching 16,893 ft (5,149 m). It was named Hans Meyer Peak after
the first person to summit Kili.
However, Mawenzi was a
horseshoe shape with three steep ridges and two deep gorges between them. With
such steep ridges, Mawenzi can’t hold any glaciers, leaving no permanent snow,
unlike Kibo, with its permanent glaciers and year-round snow
Although Hans Meyer
attempted to climb the Mawenzi peak in 1889 after he summitted Kibo, he did not
succeed due to illness. The first successful summit was made by two German
climbers in 1912. Because Mawenzi is a technical and hazardous climb, the peak was
closed to climbers for more than a decade. Although reopened in 2017, climbers
and guides must be experienced rock climbers and can only proceed two at a
time.
Leaving the peaks of
Mawenzi to the experts, I will gladly admire its jagged appearance from the
lakeside camp. With a hot cuppa in hand and a load off my feet, I reflected on
my journey and what was yet to come.
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