Day One of the Climb with Dr. Sanders

Today is the day we begin our climb.  Though I will continue to write daily entries in my blog, I will not be able to post them while on the mountain.  You will, however, be able to hear from some of the other BOMLA faculty because I have made short videos of them talking about Kilimanjaro and/or East Africa as it relates to their subject.  We will be starting with Dr. Sanders.  Lets see what she has to say about the various ecosystems I will be passing through on my way to the top of the mountain.

So, it's time to begin our climb up Mr. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak!  The mountain is also know as Kili and is located just south of the equator.  It is made up of three volcanoes: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo, the tallest

I will be climbing up the less-visited northern slopes through varied ecosystems on the Rongai route.  I will follow a small path throught farmland from the village of Nalemoru (1950m, or 6397 ft).  I'll travel through pine forest mostly in the montane forest habitat, with a gentle but consistent incline.  I may even see some Colobus monkeys with their long white hair that looks like a cape.  We will then camp for the night at the edge of the moorland zone (2750m, or 9022ft). from here the forst thins considerably and there will be a great, wide view of Kenya's plains.