Kenya day 42 - Acclimatisation Day

This is an acclimatisation day, making sure we are as well used to the altitude as we can be before Summit Day tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit breathless at times, and my appetite is way down, but I don't have any headaches or nausea, so I reckon I'm doing OK.

So, on the principle of going up a bit further and then sleeping at the lower level, we went up to 4600m on the Hausberg Col this morning. The track up to the Col was quite steep and gravelly at first, which was a bit awkward. Further up it was small scree, not stable, but not too prone to sliding. We saw a few rock hyraxes.

Rock hyrax

Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird

Elijah

Looking bac down to Shipton's Camp

It's warm while you're moving...

 Once we got to the Col we could look down on two tarns on the other side of the ridge, Hausberg Tarn and Oblong Tarn.

Oblong Tarn and Hausberg Tarn

Me, Mark and Cyrus, wrapped up against the wind

We could also see the pretty little Kami Tarn on the Shipton's Camp side, surrounded by forest of giant lobelias.

Elijah and Mark, Kami Tarn below

Cyrus pointed out our route for tomorrow, up the morain ridge and then onto the ridge along the skyline. I think my route down diverges at the top of the ridge. Elijah, the other guide, and Charles, one of the porters, will go with me.

Route to Pt Lenana - morain ridge on left, up skyline, top is behind the peak

I'm writing this sitting on the rocks at camp, watching the birds and hoping for more hyraxes, but it's clouding over and will probably rain a bit. I hope it's clear in the early morning...

Striped Seedeater

Krapf Glacier

Gregory Glacier, just below Pt Lenana

Male Slender-billed Starling

Female Slender-billed Starling

My finger has cracked - I must have been too late putting my gloves on yesterday. Now I need to go in and wrap up before it gets too cold. My gear seems suitable, though my legs may be a bit cold tomorrow morning...