The temperature continues to drop as we ascend and the vegetation continues to diminish in stature.

On the trail Nicolai notices unique paw print tracks. According to our guide these are from a Black Leopard which he judges to be about 6 foot in length. They hunt by night lying in wait by the side of the trail to ambush prey which make use of the well worn path. Also in this photo is another unique foot print, the circular mark made by Nico’s crutch tip, one, which I dare say, is even more rare on this mountain than the leopards.

As it turned out, most of today’s 6-hour climb was literally inside the clouds. We ascended 1000m and descended 200m making camp at Second Cave. Nicolai remains strong but it becomes apparent to us that when he runs out of energy, he must be fed before he can start moving again, just like a car that runs out of gas. Fortunately, we have plenty of supplies with us and Nico has been demonstrating an openness to all sorts of new foods.

The sun can be very strong here, just three degrees off the equator, and I insist that Nico wears good protective covering at all times.

Nico and I are up in time to enjoy the surise as it illuminates distant Mawenzi, the 5149m smaller brother to 5895m (19,341 ft) Kibo which is the main Kilimanjaro peak.

As the sun sets, the clouds clear and we get our first look at the jagged peaks of Mawenzi in the background.

Charles with Nico as we arrive at our first camp. This tent is where Nico and I will spend the next seven days when we are not climbing. It is just the right size for the two of us and the foam mats under our sleeping bags offer a small measure of comfort. Nico is able to sleep for ten hours a night exhausted by each days treking. For the first five days I am lucky to get three hours a night.

We encounter beautiful flowers at every turn. When time permits I may come back and try to identify some of these.

The trail begins in the lush forest zone. Our starting elevation is 1950m and we climb for a total of 6 hours today including an acclimitization walk to 2800m and down to camp at 2600m. It was cooler than I had expected but we were fortunate to avoid any rain which sometimes makes this part of the trail difficult to pass.

I was really hoping to encounter some Colobus monkeys having read about them in a description of the Rongai trail. Although our guides were really good at spotting wildlife for us, it was I who heard a rustling in the trees and paused long enough to identify the source. The reward was a great opportunity to photograph three monkeys. Unfortuantely, I was unable to get a good shot including their massive white tails which exceed their body size in length. These creatures are absolutely spectacular.

Here she darts away to join her two brothers.

This little girl possessed a wonderful spirit which I think translates into her photo.

As we commence the climb, we encounter several village children along the way. These are some of my favorite photos of the trip.

Our guide, Charles, takes this photo commemorating the start of our climb. It becomes immediately obvious that he is a talented photographer in addition to a skilled climber and knowledgeable naturalist and historian. We are very fortunate that he will be leading us. Although the signs indicates this is the Nalemuru Route, it is still commonly referred to as the Rongai route which was the original village from which it started before the trail head was moved several years ago.