Start day for the trek.
As was going to become normal, starting time was late and involved a lot of hanging around before we finally start off for the day.
The first thing was to meet the local team ... our head guide and his assistants, together with the team of porters. Then we had to pack up the mountain clothes, divide them between day sac and the bag to be carried by the porters. This later bag was put into a burlap sac together with your partners and the porters few belongings. The remainder was packed up and put into storage for our return.
Then there was a final check (and an opportunity to hire any missing things) before getting taken to the gate in the van.
At the gate you have to sign in and hand over your fee (again cash in US Dollars), this was also to control how many are on the mountain at any one time, but a useful foreign currency generator.
Then we hung around for some unknown reason for over 60 mins before starting off.
Once under way we followed a rough vehicle track through the forest.
It became apparent very quickly that our companions were not really used to trekking in the mountains, this was akin to a Sunday stroll for them, rather than a mountain expedition, and there was much larking around at the start.
Soon Sue and I were out front and away from the rest (as would become usual again on this trip).
After a while we left the track and headed through a closed in jungle path up to the heathland above.
Finally we arrived at the hut(s) - these were a larger main hut with smaller dormitory ones around, all in a Scandinavian feel.
All I remember about dinner is that had a very smoky taste, and also that after we turned in we were kept awake by others in the party talking through the night.
There was also from a separate party, where the guide had to return to the bottom to bring up a towel, wash kit and toilet paper for a woman in their party who had expected hotel like accommodation and was very disappointed by the long drop toilets and the open water basins.
As was going to become normal, starting time was late and involved a lot of hanging around before we finally start off for the day.
The first thing was to meet the local team ... our head guide and his assistants, together with the team of porters. Then we had to pack up the mountain clothes, divide them between day sac and the bag to be carried by the porters. This later bag was put into a burlap sac together with your partners and the porters few belongings. The remainder was packed up and put into storage for our return.
Then there was a final check (and an opportunity to hire any missing things) before getting taken to the gate in the van.
Then we hung around for some unknown reason for over 60 mins before starting off.
It became apparent very quickly that our companions were not really used to trekking in the mountains, this was akin to a Sunday stroll for them, rather than a mountain expedition, and there was much larking around at the start.
Soon Sue and I were out front and away from the rest (as would become usual again on this trip).
Finally we arrived at the hut(s) - these were a larger main hut with smaller dormitory ones around, all in a Scandinavian feel.All I remember about dinner is that had a very smoky taste, and also that after we turned in we were kept awake by others in the party talking through the night.
There was also from a separate party, where the guide had to return to the bottom to bring up a towel, wash kit and toilet paper for a woman in their party who had expected hotel like accommodation and was very disappointed by the long drop toilets and the open water basins.