Kilimanjaro Climb Day 3 - Shira 1 -> Moir Hut

Hi everyone,

Here is day 3 of our Kilimanjaro climb which is from Shira 1 camp to Moir Hut; more walking across the Shira plateau but getting closer and closer to the summit.

Day 1 Linky
Day 2 Linky
Video at bottom of post.

Day 3 Statistics

• Total Distance 6 miles/ 9.65km
• Total Time 4hrs 45 mins
• Altitude gain - 2270ft / 691m
• Final altitude 13650ft /4160m

Click here for Viewranger link

Today's trek was slightly less gruelling than yesterdays, and was mostly on flatter terrain (although a 700m altitude gain is still not to be sniffed at, especially when you are up this high). The terrain was changing yet again; the heathers were getting smaller and more and more rocks were appearing. Some of them were absolutely enormous; they had been thrown out of Kilimanjaro when she last erupted. It gives you a real sense of the force of a volcanic eruption when rocks the size of small cars can be thrown out miles away from the caldera of the volcano.

There were also numerous caves around in this area which made for the obligatory photograph!
So previously I mentioned that today was the day that I would start to feel the effects of altitude sickness. It started with a slight lack of breath as we were walking. You start to notice that even doing the simplest of things can leave you gasping - its a really weird feeling. I was also starting to feel a very constant light headache for pretty much all of the day. It was a little worrying but once we got to camp, had a rest and some food, things started to feel OK.

I guess this is why we do acclimatization climbs - tonight we climbed a few hundred meters to reach 4300m after we arrived at camp and then descended back into camp. The view from the top of the climb was really amazing and Deuss spent a while making stone stacking sculptures. After 30 minutes or so at the top of the climb (which was apparently the only place for 2 days that Evance could get a phone signal - he disappeared off somewhere), we descended back down.

This climb was hard work. The AMS was really kicking in and every step took my breath away. The Swahili phrase is "Pole Pole", which means "Slowly, Slowly". Not that i had an option, I'd have passed out if i'd gone any quicker. Charlene, however, was feeling no side effects at all and was happily walking up the hills as if they were at sea level. After an evening dinner of chicken and chips it was time for the obligatory health checks (my resting pulse was now at 100 - its normally at 70) we hit the sack, ready for tomorrow's trek to Barranco via Lava Tower which I was really looking forward to.

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Thanks for reading, day 4 coming soon..