We had a long drive to the National Park gate in order to register. En route, we saw albeit some distance away, an elephant, which in fact was headed towards the Maasai lands we had visited. Bags were weighed at the gate to ensure that no porter had to carry over 15kg. After that, we were on our way to the starting point of our trek - and our first experience of the conditions we would face. My newly purchased gaiters and walking poles were called into commission immediately, as the recent rains had made the ground very muddy. We had a short squelch to our lunch stop and while we were eating, the heavens opened, so all our wet weather gear had an early test. It was fun walking through the rainforest terrain, although our views on the Lemosho trail were curtailed by the low cloud. This was a great shame as it is meant to be one of the more scenic of the trails. The Big Tree camp (at an altitude of around 2,800m) was ready and waiting for us. It was definitely noticeably cooler there. Next morning, and each morning thereafter, we had a health check with the Doc, Clemence (who also ended up going by the names Lawrence, Florence, Prudence and Patience because Sabas just never seemed to remember what it actually was). He each morning checked our blood pressure and pulse. We had a very pleasant stroll through more rainforest, but it wasn't long before we could see the cloud sweeping in and the heavens opened. And it continued to rain for several hours, drenching most people in the process. And of course, because we were gaining altitude, it got colder and colder. Everyone really was quite miserable by the time we got to the Shira 1 camp (alt. 3,500m) that night. Of course, there was nothing anyone could do, but as we sat drying off after the walk, and before dinner, everyone's mood was given a boost when, the clouds began to lift as the sum was setting, and we all got our first views of Kibo, the main summit of Kilimanjaro. And gradually the full moon began to rise. It was in fact my birthday today, so this was a welcome present, but after dinner, I was presented with a large chocolate cake and this really raised everyone's spirits. I felt completely overwhelmed when the porters brought the cake in and sang Happy Birthday to me, I just burst into tears! Others were more excited by having cake, so it really was a great way to round off what had been a quite trying day. Overnight, I actually braved the conditions to get up to go to the toilet. (Every other night I just stayed in the relative warmth of the tent and my sleeping bag and ignored any such feelings until morning!) To be honest, although it was bitterly cold and the tent was covered in frost, just seeing the mountain bathed in the light of the full moon made it worthwhile. The next morning again started with reasons for us to be optimistic about the weather, there was a deep blue sky and the snow atop the mountain glistened in the sun. But not so long after we set off for the trek to the Cathedral, a landmark of the Shira Plateau, the clouds again rolled in. Fortunately on this occasion the weather was rather kinder to us and although for the duration of our trek it remained very overcast, the rain stayed away. The low cloud meant that we were completely unable to see the Lava Tower rock formation and views over the expanse of the Shira Plateau. We had to share our camp (Shira 2 camp, alt. 3,830m) with other trekkers, which was actually slightly strange. We had been so isolated and encountered no 'outsiders' since we left the park gate, that it was quite possible to forget that others were taking different routes up the mountain. From this camp onwards, we knew we were not alone! As we ate our breakfast, we were able to see other groups start climbing the Baranco Wall, which filled us with a sense of trepidation. The Wall seems really steep, as it rises almost 1,200m. But once we set off, we discovered it in fact looks much tougher than it actually is. Scaling the  Baranco Wall, a near-vertical scramble, was really good fun, everyone enjoyed themselves, partly because at that stage, although there was again low cloud, it wasn't just straightforward trekking. We didn't require our walking poles - they would have been a hindrance when frequently we were grabbing at rocks to steady us. As we traversed the Wall, battling to keep our balance, the porters overtook us, often carrying their heavy loads on their heads! From the camp in the Karanga Valley (3,930m) we were finished traversing round the mountain, and this hike, although fairly short in distance, was mostly straight up to the highest camp we stayed at, Barafu Camp (4,600m) where we had a leisurely afternoon, in the sunshine, sorting out our bags for the overnight attempt on the summit, and generally just relaxing in preparation. Dinner was mid-afternoon so that we could get more rest and maybe even some sleep, before setting out for Uhuru.