2nd Cave to Kikelewa Cave Camp (16th Feb 2011) (Day #5)

Mawenzi

The trek to Kikelewa Caves started at our now usual time of 830am.  Today was an easy trek.  Down to 11800 ft.  The vegetation changes from alpine desert to heather.  Here, on a couple of occasions we see buffalo dung, but once again not nyati himself.  We start the morning with drizzle and over the course of the morning this gives way to a mostly cloudy sky.  I have not been using much in the way of sun screen.  I figured I could do with a little top off of the tan which seems to be wearing away living in Columbus, OH. The sun does come out for short periods.  Kibo is covered with clouds almost all day.  Mawenzi shows itself every so often and is beautifully framed with clouds.  We have not had very good weather during the trip.  Its rained or snowed every day.  I suppose it could have been worse; we could have had a blizzard, oh well we still have time for that, don't we?  Mawenzi is covered with snow.  Its craggy peaks contrasted with the whiteness of the snow.  Very rarely have Bernard and Goody seen Mawenzi covered in snow.

Senecio

As we walk, we see vegetation peculiar to this area.  Senecio are large plants that are unlike any other plants we have seen, either here or anywhere else for that matter.  It has been recently reclassified into a new subspecies with the botanical name of Dendrosencio kilimanjari.  These are also known as tree or giant groundsels.  They grow to about 8-10 ft in this part of the slopes of Kilimanjaro, although elsewhere they are found in more abundance and may grow to 15ft or more in height.  They have a thick craggy dark bark and are topped with a crown of light green to yellow-brown leaves.

Lobelia

Lobelia come in two shapes, one being the cabbage-like variety and the other that looks like a phallic symbol sprouting out of the cabbage!  Lobelia deckenii is the species that is seen on Kilimanjaro in the moorland zone.  The leaves close at night to  preserve water stored among the leaves.  They flower but once every eight years or so.

Lobelia

Gladiolus

Carduus keniensis

The path is lined by a variety of pretty flowers.  Some of the most beautiful are the gladioli (?) a beautiful dainty red flower.  Also seen are Carduus (keniensis).  I am not even sure what its commonly known as. Then there is Erica, not the pretty girl who works with me, but Erica excelsa, a bushy plant that grows in abundance in the heather zone.  

As we walk we approach a sheer wall that extends for what seems like miles on eight side of our path.  There's no way we are going to be able to climb THAT, I think.  Goody leads us to a fault in this unbroken line that was not visible till we got right up to it.  Through this rough fault we climb across to the other side.  It was a relative easy trek from there to camp.

Lunch was at Kikelewa Caves and consisted of leek soup, fried chicken, fries, boiled eggs and brownies.        
Richard does such a good job with the food.  How he manages to concoct such tasty fare I have not the faintest idea.
The night was clear for the first time on the trek.  No amount of describing can do the African night sky justice.  There, spread out for us in all its splendor was the Milky Way and the countless other stars.  Ken, being from the Big Apple had never seen such a sight.  I give a short astronomy lesson, pointing out the familiar constellations.  Then there was the satellite, a tiny speck of light making its way across the heavens.  That was the first one Ken had ever seen. He gazed at it till it disappeared into the horizon.  The moon was out that night and the Kibo was free of clouds and mist.  It was beautiful.