Mount Elgon National Park Day 2

My second day on the mountain began at 6am with a temperature of 6 C. I quickly put on clothes, oh wait, I'm already wearing clothes! I put on more clothes, grabbed my food bag and headed into the cooking hut. I had to hang my food up because of a couple of fearless, rather large mice that lived in my hut. I saw them during the day, upon seeing me they did nothing. I heard them walk on my tent and tarp during the night but they didn't get to my food. It was considerable warmer in the cooking up. Fred had boiling water ready. I used some for my cereal, which was my leftover maize cereal from Kakamega. I used the rest of the water for my milo/coffee concoction. I didn't bring any sugar, figuring the sugar in the milo would be sweet enough but when Fred offered sugar, I didn't refuse. Sugar would be the only foodstuff we shared during the whole trek.

Our program today was make a bid for the summit and then return to sleep one more night at Mude camp. The summit is often wreathed in clouds by afternoon so it's important to get their early. The usual time is to leave camp by 7, taking 4 hours to the summit and then 2 more to return to camp. I was ready right at 7. The Belgians weren't ready yet but I wasn't waiting for them. The trail was still not in the warming rays of the sun and the vegetation was sprinkled with a layer of white, sparkling frost. After about 30 minutes we were finally in the sun. We were walking directly into the suns welcoming rays. It was then I realized I forgot my tilley hat at camp. This was a big mistake, since I would be in the sun all day and would burn badly. I didn't bring any sunblock, preferring to cover up instead. Fred always had a radio with him, keeping in almost constant contact with people up and down the mountain. I was grateful he had it. He radioed camp and the Belgians were just about to leave and they could bring my hat. That's good news. In the meantime, Fred had a toque and a cap and he let me borrow the cap.
The vegetation has now changed to Afro alpine moorland, with mostly tussock grasses and giant senecios. It's really a surreal and harsh landscape.Many of the plants endemic to the mountain. One plant that was abundant and familiar to me was wormwood or Artemisia. After an hour and a half we reached Jackson' pool, a small, shallow stagnant, freezing cold pool. We rested here and waited for the Belgians with my hat. They came, we chatted for a minute and then left them to rest there. Fred points our epic route ahead, descend this hill, climb the other hill opposite us and then follow the ridge to the summit. We get out into the open with no protection from distant hills and are pummeled with a ferocious biting wind. I have to put on my raincoat and put the hood up. We stop at an area out of reach of the wind and rest here before our final summit climb. It's still a beautifully sunny day and I relish the sun and windlessness while eating some raisons. Fred says he has a headache and that only Francis will be accompanying me to the summit. Francis has hardly spoke to me at all, I guess because his English isn't that great. Fred is fluent but Fred the porter is more limited and doesn't talk to me much either. It's a tough climb in the wind and my lungs and heart work overtime due to the thin oxygen in the air at this altitude of over 4000M. Slowly but surely we reach the summit, Wagagai at 4321M. There are amazing views in all directions and we are at level or higher than the clouds building in the distance. We are on the ridge of the collapsed caldera which is over 40 km sq.
Mount Elgon is a solitary extinct volcano, over 80km in diameter at its base, making it one of the largest surface areas of any volcano in the world. It first erupted over 20 million years ago and used the be the highest peak on the continent. Lifetimes of erosion have reduced it to its present height, which is the seventh highest on the continent. I have also climbed the eighth highest mountain in Africa, Mount Cameroon. Mount Elgon is also an important watershed, receiving over 3000mm of rain a year. It is on the border with Kenya and it's possible to do a cross county climb, meeting Kenyan Wildlife Services at the hotsprings. What a way to cross the border! The total area of the Ugandan and Kenyan protected areas is 2229 km sq. and the mountain has been declared a Man and Biospere Reserve.
Francis and I only stayed a short time on the summit due to the whipping winds. I took some photos and began descending. We picked up Fred on the way and kept going the same route back to camp. It was easier physically going down, no heavy breathing or sweating but it's certainly harder on the knees. There is now thick mist obscuring the views around Jackson' pool and soon the whole upper mountain will be in the clouds. I pass the Belgians on the way down and will see them back in camp. We arrive in camp at 1pm, exactly 6 hours after leaving, just as predicted. I'm tired and hungry and after my lunch of cashews and cookies I take a nap while it's still kind of warm. The temperature at Mude camp never seems to rise above 13 C. I sleep well for a few hours. The camp is now full with a group of 7 Germans and their 2 guides and 4 porters. We all eat our dinner and hangout around the outside fire. The cooking hut is full now, with 12 Ugandan guides and porters. Now that I know my sleeping bag isn't sufficient, I get into bed already ready with my clothes on. I listen to music and go to bed around 9pm.