And my soul took flight

Breakfast, a climb briefing, and the long drive to Londorossi gate, passes in a blur of dust and eager anticipation. The unknown lies ahead, towering over us with its snow capped dome lost somewhere in the clouds.
We meet our team of support staff, all 8 of them! A guide, a cook, and a bunch of porters. We clambour into our 4x4 mini bus taxi and aim for the trailhead that marks the start of our chosen trail; Lemoshi. It is an interesting journey along a single track through thick forest. The off road abilities of the vehicle are an absolute necessity, and it is obvious that this trip in the rain would be impossible.
We lunch here at the start of our big adventure. Tomato sandwiches and fruit, absolutely delicious! Then with packs on our backs,we set off into the rain forest. The trail just heads straight up, we are climbing a mountain after all!
Our guide sets a pace that is incredibly slow, literally a super slow dawdle. The motto on the mountain is pole-pole, slow! The slower we go now, the better we will acclimatise. We hope!
The forest is incredible! Trees that are hundreds of years old squint down on us through their beards of lichen. Vines swing in branches and tiny flowers vie for attention with their bright colours. Pretty monkeys hop, chatter, and swing, disturbed by our unusual presence.
The slow pace does something to me. I begin to forget about the big goal, and start to glory in the incredible surrounds. The beauty, the sounds of life, the smell of mother nature. My soul is filled with peace and joy. I feel at home!
The walk is not hard at our pace and after countless photographs we arrive at Nti Mkubwa, big tree, our camp for the night. We are greeted with the sight of our tents and invited to a cup of Milo. Incredibly civilised! Dinner is served in the same tent and is surprisingly good. Both Dave and I are absolutely famished and we plough through the soup, the vegetables, the roast potatoes, the meat stew, and even the mango. I am a happy man!
The campsite is filled with the hum of voices as many other parties arrive and set up camp. The sun sets in a golden light show and in the remaining darkness we realise that there is not much left for us to do but go to bed. Tomorrow is a big day as we must walk 16km and climb another 1000m.
What a day! How amazing to be sleeping on the side of Kilimanjaro! How privillaged we are!