February 1, 2006: Machame Gate

Machame gate. No brass bands or ceremonious send-off. When the mini-bus chugged to a stop inside Machame Gate, it was late morning. We were one of the last to arrive, and most of the trekkers had left or were in the process of starting their hike. It took time to unload our gear, and for our guide to assemble a team of porters. It is apparently a law for tour companies to hire a certain number of local men (and it turns out they are all men) to serve as porters in an effort to provide employment to these individuals. These porters in waiting were all assembled on the outside of the triangular gate that marked the Machame entrance to the park, hoping to have the opportunity to carry 35-50 lbs of gear for 7 days to an altitude of >15,000 feet (elevation of the last camp before summit).

It was somewhat anti climactic after the months of anticipation. Nonetheless, we were still thrilled to finally have reached the mountain. We had caught glimpses of the summit through the clouds on the drive up. However, from our current vantage point, our only view was of the rain forest vegetation forming a canopy over the jeep trail that would lead us upward.