Kilimanjaro Chronicles: Serengeti Safaris, Crater Camps, and Unforgettable Farewells
July 30, 2024
Jambo family and friends of our Kilimanjaro students, the past few days have been nothing short of magical. We have been all over the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater, making memories and observing some pretty cool animals! We have been enjoying some well-deserved rest after last week’s monumental summit expedition!
We began our journey in Arusha, where we bussed to the Ngorongoro Crater. We stopped for lunch along the way and then played a few games of Death Sack, where Owen had the game of his life. After a few games, we returned to the car and headed into the crater. We camped in the crater and saw zebras and giraffes at our campsite. Jack that night serenaded the group and the zebras with his guitar and beautiful singing voice. The group got a great night of rest and awoke, ready to explore the crater the following day.
In the crater, we saw all different kinds of animals. Ann saw a one-week-old baby zebra cross a river and was brought to tears by how cute it was. The whole group was shocked by how close the animals would get to us and how many different animals we saw. Our guides were teaching us all about the various animals and the Serengeti food chain. Mac and our Safari guide became excellent friends as Mac was highly interested in the history of the land and the animals that lived on it. After our game drive, we headed out of the crater and into the Serengeti. We saw many animals on the drive to our campsite, including elephants and giraffes. Once we got to the campsite, Kate had the idea to play a game of ninja. The ninja game was quickly interrupted when Emma spotted an elephant walking right towards us. Luke helped scare the elephant away and divert it down a different path. After all the excitement, the group sat down for a yummy dinner, moonup, music, and rest.
The following day we awoke and had a lovely breakfast before heading out for a whole day of safari in the Serengeti. We saw lions, a cheetah stalking its prey, gazelles, zebras, and many more beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. We also saw some Warthogs, which Mae decided was her spirit animal. One of the day’s highlights was when we stopped by the hippo pools, which gave us a great look at Kackie’s new favorite animal. We took a break around lunchtime, but our adventures never stopped. Clementine took some time to talk with conservationists at our campsite and learned all about the animals in the Serengeti. She was happy to share her newfound knowledge with the group. In the evening, we did a sunset game drive, and while we could not see many animals, we made some great memories and had insightful discussions in our safari cars.
The next day, we woke up, packed our things, and began our journey back towards Arusha. Caroline and Tristan were happy to sit shotgun in their respective vehicles and to help direct our last game drive before we left the Serengeti. As we waved goodbye to the safari portion of our trip, our group rejoiced over our accommodation in Karatu, where they swam in the pool and played foosball. We enjoyed a delicious dinner that night consisting of pizza and chips mayai, a traditional Tanzanian dish of eggs and potatoes. We then had music and moon up and a good night’s rest.
The next day, we woke up and began our travels back to Arusha. We stopped by a souvenir store and got t-shirts, elephant pants, and gifts for friends and family. That night, we wore our new outfits to a restaurant in Arusha, where we enjoyed our last dinner as a group. We reminsicned on the fantastic trip and friendships that were made. We had our final moonup led by Kackie and Mac, during which we reflected on our journey together, talked about what we had learned, and shared final remarks before Jack serenaded us one last time. Our group laid their heads to rest one last final time in Africa. Tomorrow, we will begin our long journey back to the States, and we can not wait to see you all so soon!
With Love,
Henry and Gracie
Update from Kilimanjaro!
July 25, 2024
Mambo Kili 6 family and friends! We are absolutely thrilled to report that our entire group successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro and did it in style, with Owen repping a Hurricanes jersey on the summit and future Horned Frog Ann unfurling a TCU flag on the roof of Africa!
Our 7-day expedition began at the Machame gate, where our group ate a delicious lunch and Tristan purchased an American flag which hung off of our lead guide’s bag every day of trekking. After preparations were finished, we began our journey and traversed through muddy trail and rain forest cover on our route to Machame camp, standing at 9,842 feet. Mac helped keep the vibes high with his jokes and attitude, motivating us through a long and challenging first day of trekking. As the sun began to set, and we drew near our camp, our group came across a clearing in the trees and we got our first view of the truly stunning Mount Kilimanjaro. Our group was overcome with joy at its sheer beauty, but inspired by the challenges to come. We continued hiking and finally arrived at Machame camp, where dinner and rest awaited us.
After a good night’s sleep, our group awoke on day 2 energized and ready to ascend to Shira camp, sitting at 12,467 feet. Our group climbed over rocks and emerged from tree cover to find that we would be above the clouds at this elevation. Kate kept remarking how beautiful the views were and helped encourage the group to soak in the moment amongst the challenging hiking. After trekking through the morning, we arrived at Shira camp around lunchtime and then had some time to rest and relax. Jack took the opportunity to sing and play the guitar for the group and lulled many into a much-needed nap. After some rest, our group went for a short acclimatization walk and checked out some natural caves near Shira camp. We ended the day with another delicious meal and moonup before heading to bed and prepping for another challenging day of trekking.
On day 3, our group’s mission was to head up to the Lava tower, standing at around 15,200 feet, where we would eat lunch and get our first real taste of high altitude, as we sat higher than anywhere in the lower 48 United States. Clementine inspired the group with her perseverance on this hike, battling through some altitude sickness to lead the charge to the lava tower. After eating lunch and spending time at high altitude, we descended down into the Barranco valley where we would finally come to rest at Barranco camp, sitting at 12,795 feet. After a long and challenging hike, our group was rewarded with a stunning view of Kilimanjaro, and the gravity of what we were working towards began to really set in. After another lovely dinner and Moonup, we headed to sleep early so we could rest up for day 4 of trekking.
Day 4 began with Luke’s inspiring battle chant before we went to war with the Barranco wall “the breakfast wall”, which represents the most technically challenging portion of our trek. The 800 foot wall required our group to use our hands and feet to scale boulders and dance on narrow ledges as we made our way up the wall. Emma showed off her climbing proficiency while Kackie kept the group talking with phenomenal trail conversation. After scaling the wall, we headed towards Karanga camp, sitting at 13,123 feet. Another difficult day tested our group’s resilience, but we neither bent nor broke and enjoyed a much-deserved pizza lunch and some rest. Before dinner, our group was treated to a marvelous sunset and had a photoshoot in front of our best view of the mountain yet! Mae posed with some of our guides and beamed with delight at the remarkable views we were witnessing. After a meal and moonup, we rested and prepared for our ascent to high camp on day 5.
Our group awoke on day 5 ready to attack our toughest challenge yet, an ascent to the high Bafafu camp sitting at a towering 16,000 feet above sea level. Our group showed incredible poise and determination as we climbed higher and higher and started to feel the effects of the high altitude. We arrived at camp early, ate lunch, napped, then regrouped for dinner and a briefing of the summit day push that lied just ahead of us! Before we could sleep, however, we were treated to a truly awe-inspiring blood moon and some stargazing. Our group slept (more like napped) for about 3 hours before we awoke at 10:30pm to begin our summit day ascension.
Under the light of the nearly-full moon, our group bundled up for the 10° temperatures and after eating a quick breakfast, started out on our toughest day yet. We hiked in darkness with light emanating solely from our headlamps and the moon for around 6 and a half hours. We battled cold, wind, silence, pain, and exhaustion before we finally were greeted by our friend the sun! Sunrises are always a magical thing, but a sunrise from 18,500 feet, just below Stella Point, is a beauty hard to capture with words. Some were moved to tears, others took the opportunity to sip on some water and snack before we made the final push towards the summit. With the sun warming us and lighting our path, our group could not lose. Our goal was closer than ever before, and we trudged our way up to Stella point, sitting at 18,885 feet. We took our final break, hydrated with water and hot ginger tea before we pulled together and made our way towards Uhuru Peak. After around an hour and a half, our group had finally arrived at the highest point in Africa, the peak of the tallest freestanding mountain on Earth and the most rewarding mountain I have ever had the pleasure of climbing. Standing at 19,341 feet, tears of joy and hugs plagued our group as we relished the moment and posed for pictures atop the summit.
From there, we began our descent back down towards high camp. Caroline lead the charge, skiing on the loose rock and beaming from ear to ear as we frolicked down the mountain. We arrived at high camp, had our lunch, then packed and began our descent down to Mweka camp at 9,842 feet. After one of the longest days of hiking we had ever experienced, our group laughed and reminisced about our experience and enjoyed our final dinner on the mountain before a much-needed full night’s rest.
On day 7, we woke up and ate breakfast, before packing our things and practically dancing down the nearly 5000 feet of elevation drop down to the Mweka gate. Our group hugged, celebrated, and received our certificates of completion before heading to a delicious lunch and shopping for some souvenirs. From there, we headed to get some well-deserved ice cream in Arusha before finally showering and cleaning up from our expedition. We were treated to a delicious barbecue dinner and after moonup, we finally slept in beds and prepped our things for Safari! Tomorrow we head to Ngorongoro Crater and begin our safari section and we are very excited for some much-deserved rest and relaxation.
Thanks for following along!!
Much love,
Henry and Gracie
Shoutouts:
Ann- hi guys- miss yall. I hope Spain and Mob are great. I summited and it was hype. On day 5 of hiking I ran into 15 other Alabama people! Oh and I saw Corley before hiking. Love yall!!!!!!!!
Kackie- hey everyone! I just finished hiking kili and am so excited to tell y’all about it! I am having the best time! See yall soon!
Kate- Hi Mom, Dad, John and Amy- I did it!! I wish yall were there with me and I can’t wait to see yall soon. Give the pups some extra treats for me please!
Tristan- I jumbo from Mordor, I miss everyone. Tell abbey nick reep,and poppy I love them. Thank you safety Steve and grinch for letting me come to Africa love you guys. Shout out to aunt B and grandmama!
Caroline- Hey Mom and Gus- what’s up. Summiting Kili was so awesome. So excited to tell yall all about it. Tell T and S I say hi. See yall soon.
Emma- Hey mum dad and poppy!! I miss you guys! I can’t wait to tell you all about summiting it was so awesome. The trip has been so fun! Poppy I hope the play is going well! See you guys so soon!
mae – Hey family! Just summitted Kili and it was REALLLYYYY hard. shoutout to babyyyyyyyy. love you all, see you in a week.
mac- what’s up mom and dad! kili was sick but really hard. dad i left you a note up there so you have to go now. love yall and see you soon!
jack – hey y’all! kilimanjaro was kinda cold. hope hollis is doing alright in Canada. See yall soon!
owen- Hello!! This trip has been insane. So far we have done the service and climbed Kili. I have gotten copious amounts of photos(700 so far) and cannot wait to show y’all. Hope y’all are doing great😄 Tell olivia I say hi and also give gerald some belly scratches for me. love yall!
luke- what’s up fam just climbed killy, hardest thing i’ve ever done in my life. Almost pooped my pants and thought i was not going to make it. I made it though and the experience was absolutely incredible thank you so much for sending me on this trip. can’t wait to see you guys!
clem- hi everyone at home!! just finished kili and wow… was hard. can’t wait to tell yall all about it! hope you guys are having buckets of fun without me, make sure (louie winston and john aren’t too lonely without me)!❤️
First check in from Tanzania!
July 18, 2024
Jambo, family and friends of our Kilimanjaro students! We are reporting to you from the town of Mto wa Mbu. Our group is absolutely amazing. We have all gotten so close over the past week. We have laughed so much our cheeks are beginning to hurt. We just spent the past five days working at the Mungere School through the Red Sweater Project, and we have had the most incredible experience.
Our journey began when we took a bus from Arusha to Mto wa Mbu. We stopped to grab some snacks and then headed to our campsite. Our campsite was so beautiful. It overlooked a lake and was surrounded by mountains. Immediately upon arrival, we got a game of death sack going. Death sack would soon become our group’s absolute favorite activity. Kate won the first game of death sack, and Mae has been awarded the group’s most improved player at the game! After lots of hacky sack, the group watched the sunset, had some delicious dinner, did moon-up, and got some much-needed rest for our big day tomorrow.
The group woke up the next morning eager and ready to begin our service portion of the trip. We had some breakfast and headed to the school. We rode in open-air safari vehicles called Rhino and Hippo. Once we got to the school, our group immediately befriended the students. Instant connections and friendships were made right off the bat. After learning the history of the school and getting a tour, we played games of soccer and basketball. Clementine scored two goals during soccer, and her team won! Soccer on the pitch would become part of our daily routine. In the afternoon, we headed back to our campsite to relax. We swam, played some death sack, and had tea and popcorn for a snack. Jack played songs on the guitar and has been teaching people how to play! We had dinner, did moon-up, and got another great night’s rest.
We woke up the next morning excited to see our new friends at the Mungere School. Today we would begin our first project, which was making new garden beds and fertilizing the soil. Our group and the Mungere students worked hard digging, raking, hoeing, and carrying homemade fertilizer to the new beds. Mac quickly became close friends with a student. They worked together, and as they worked, Mac taught the student Spanish. The group worked extremely hard until lunchtime. After lunch, the group hit the pitch again to play soccer and basketball. After sports, we headed back to our campsite. The group was hot from all the work, so Khaki had the genius idea of jumping in the pool with all of our clothes on. The whole group was swimming and having a great time. We had another lovely evening full of death sack, popcorn, sunsets, yummy dinner, and moon-up.
The next two days we spent working hard at the Mungere School with the students and having a wonderful time. One morning, we picked up the students and all walked a few kilometers to school together. Emma and Anne and the students were picking pink and yellow flowers and giving them to everyone to put in their hair. Once we got to the school, we finished the garden and it was ready for seeds to be planted. We also began construction work on a new science building, helping with the foundation! During this work, a water pipe burst, and Caroline quickly saved the day. She grabbed the pipe to stop the water flow until someone could come and patch it up. We finished up each day at the school with more soccer and basketball. We got back to the campsite, and Luke had the amazing idea to start Uno nights. Now, every night after dinner and moon-up, the group would play Uno, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. Lots of laughter was shared during this time.
The group woke up the next morning excited to see their new friends but sad that it would be the last day they would get to be together. Today was extra special, though, because the group and the Mungere students would all be hiking to a beautiful waterfall together. The entire hike to the waterfall, Tristen held one of the students’ hands that he became close to and sang to her because she kept asking him to sing her songs. The walk to the waterfall was beautiful and full of conversation and laughter. At the waterfall, Owen was taking incredible photos of everyone and their new friends! We headed back to the school and said very hard goodbyes to the Mungere students. We truly had the most incredible experience and will never forget our new friends. Although we only knew the students for five days, we made friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.
After we left the school, we went to a Maasai village. We got to learn about their culture and see the beautiful way they live their lives. We were invited to take part in a ceremony full of jumping, chanting, and dancing. It was such a unique and incredible experience. After that, we went to some markets and grabbed some souvenirs. We then headed back to our campsite for more swimming, hacky sack, and lots of laughs. It was our final night at this campsite, so we surprised our group with pizza. Everyone was so excited!
The next morning we got back on the bus and headed to Arusha where we do our Kilimanjaro prep. We hit the mountain tomorrow, and the group could not be more ready! Henry and I feel so lucky to have such an incredible group, and we cannot wait to all summit Kilimanjaro together!
Safe Arrival
July 11, 2024
Hi Kilimanjaro 6 Families,
All students have arrived safely and are well on their way to their lodging for the night. We will be in touch with more updates soon.
-Moondance HQ
