Kilimanjaro, 1965                                                                                   Back to The African Connection


 
Gilman's Point, Kilimanjaro
 Harold Felton and my dad, Claudon Stauffacher on Gilman's Point, Apr. 11, 1965
Shortly before graduating from high school in Kenya, my Dad took me and my friend Harold Felton on a climb up Kilimanjaro from the Kenya side.  I had an uncle & family living at the town of Oloitokitok, on the foot of Kilimanjaro so we used their place for a base camp.  The usual thing was to take 5 days for the climb from there; 3 up and 2 down, which is what we did.  We started out April 8, 1965 and got back on the 12th.  Day 1 was Oloitokitok to First Cave. Day 2 was First Cave to Third Cave.  Day 3 was Third Cave to Kibo Hut.  (The "caves" were formed by buckles in lava flows and provided reasonably good shelter.  Day 4 was Kibo Hut to Gilman's Point, and back down to Second Cave.  Day 5 was Second Cave to Oloitokitok.
 
Ski mask
 Mom, helping me fashion a ski mask from a sock cap.









Me, Harold and Dad, outside  Uncle Raymond's house at Oloitokitok.		 three hikers 2
Ready for the challenge.
 three hikers 1
 Our two guides, Harold and me at a  stream crossing near Oloitokitok. Stream near Oloitokitok

Our packs were in the neighborhood of 40 lbs. which we thought wouldn't be a problem.  After we made First Cave, the first day of the climb, we unanimously decided to contract with our guides to carry the packs from then on.  I don't remember if they had packs of their own, or how they divided ours up, (Dad may have kept his pack) but they carried them as far as Kibo Hut, and on the 10th as we were struggling up to Kibo Hut we passed them coming down, having delivered our packs to Kibo Hut.
First Cave
 The morning after the night before.  Harold and Dad at First Cave, having breakfast.

Harold and Dad, approaching the saddle between peaks Kibo (shown) and Mawenzi (out of picture to the left). Above First Cave

Kibo Hut

Kibo Hut
 Harold and Dad, inside our hut. "Kibo hut" (above, home of the "highest and dirtiest choo in Africa") is actually several huts.  Miserable night.  Water partially frozen by morning.


Saddle 1
 Saddle 2
                                                                                                                 Two views of the saddle from Kibo toward Mawenzi.



Glaciers 1
 Glacier 2 Glaciers 3
                                                                                                    The glaciers inside Kibo's crater, which have now pretty much disappeared.



Dad, in front of Second Cave
 Looking back at Kibo





Harold, Me and rubber tree
 Harold and Me, under a large rubber tree.




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