Starting out on Day 1 through the fields on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro.
We've left the fields and entered the rain forest now.
Our first view of our eventual goal. We came out of the rain forest and could finally see the peak. This was just before we got to our first campsite.
The vegetation gets scrubbier on Day 2.
Stopping for a breather while hiking on day 2.
Red hot pokers along the trail.
The 3 adventurers - is the mountain big enough for 3 siblings? ;)
The view of the mountain from our campsite the 3rd morning - spectacular!
Breakfast on morning 3 - not a bad view!
View of Kibo peak during our aclimatization hike on day 3. A storm moved through and we got a bit wet coming back to our campsite.
Carson with Kibo peak and our campsite in the background on day 3.
Almost there! Katie at Gilman's point early on day 5. We started hiking at 11:50pm the night before, and now it's 5am!
The beginning of sunrise from almost 6000 meters elevation - absolutely spectacular!
We made it!! The summit! Around 7am the 5th morning. It is freezing cold and windy up at the top, and the air is extremely thin!
Joan at the summit. The view from up here was the most spectacular site I've ever seen!
Carson along the ridge near the summit. That's the crater to the left, and the peak in the background is one of the other peaks on Kilimanjaro - Mwenze.
The glacier on the top of Kilimanjaro - again, absoluetly spectacular, and surreal when you realize you're in Africa and freezing your buns off! ;)
All 3 of us at the top.
Another view of the glacier. Sad to think that they predict it will disappear in the next half century due to global warming....
The ridge from the summit - VERY slippery/icy! I said many prayers!
The view of the other peak - Mwenze.
Katie with Mwenze in the background as we start to "ski" through the skree coming down from Kibo peak.
Carson on the "saddle" between the 2 peaks - this is after we've made it back to base camp, had a nap and lunch, and are now heading down to our next camp. It's been a LONG day!!
The view of where we came from as we head down the mountain on day 5 - note the glacier to the left of the peak - that's where we were!
The sunset on our last night on the mountain at Horombo Camp.
Our last morning on the mountain - note the snows of Kibo peak poking above the ridge in the background. Carson and Katie with all our porters, guides, and cooks. All of these people were just for the 3 of us!!
Katie with a typical morning view from the mountain - being above the clouds. This was our last morning before heading down.
Red hot pokers on our last day of hiking.
Carson on our trek down the mountain as we approach the cloud level.
Now we've entered the rain forest again.
Katie stops to tie her shoe in the rain forest.
A grey monkey - we saw several coming down through the rain forest.
Almost at the bottom!
Back at the hotel with our guide and assistant guide - what an incredible 6 days!