Mount Kilimanjaro

Well I am safely back in Moshi breathing all the lovely oxygen available at 2600 feet. I made it all the way to the top of Kili, Uhuru Point, at 5895 meters (19340 feet) and it was one hell of a journey!

Day 1 (Tuesday). I had a good breakfast, got picked up by Ahsante Tours and headed toward Machame Gate. In my van was Clive, the Aussie climber and a small army of porters. There was also a trio from New York (Jeremy, Triada and Sarita) that met us at the gate. We got all signed in, the porters divided up our gear and we set out. Our hike started at 1800 meters (5905 feet) and we climbed to 3032 meters (9947 feet) over about 5 hours. I went slowly to give my body ample time to adjust and I wasn't affected by the altitude until we got near the summit. The 11 km hike was a nice, gentle climb through some very interesting mountain rainforest. Dinner was excellent and I had a tent to myself so I was well fed and well rested throughout the trek. Upon reaching Machame Camp, after a short nap, I hiked up the trail for about 30 minutes with my guide, Chris, to acclimatize a little further. The motto is "hike high, sleep low" and it helps make the altitude easier to adjust to.

Day 2 (Wednesday). We got up at 6 am and Ahsante has this great tradition called "bed tea." Literally they bring you a hot cup of tea or coffee in bed to wake you up and start off your day. Ahsante was one of the more affordable tour companies but they had a lot of little perks that made the climb much more enjoyable. After a solid breakfast we hiked up to Shira Camp at 3847 meters (12621 feet.) It was about a 5 km day that took about 5 hours to hike. We passed out of the forest and hiked through rockier moorland. Again camp brought good food, a nap, acclimatization hike and a good night's sleep.

Day 3 (Thursday). This was a long day. We left Shira Camp and hiked for about 7 hours. We gained a lot of elevation, heading up to Lava Tower at 4530 meters (14862 feet) for lunch. After a rest there, we headed down to Barranco camp at 3985 meters (13074 feet). I took it slow again and felt pretty good at the top. While most people get a headache or other symptoms from the altitude, I think youth was on my side. My body adapted pretty readily to the changing altitude and I felt good enough to climb up to the top of Lava Tower. It was a sheer, 50 meter climb that required some rock climbing moves at times but the view from the top was amazing. Total hike was about 11 km.

Day 4 (Friday). We left Barranco Camp at 7:30 am and hiked 10 km in about 7 hours. This day is sometimes split into 2 segments to give people time to acclimatize but we stuck to the 6-day plan. We had to climb up Barranco Wall which was quite steep and narrow. Some parts required hand-assisted climbing. After a steep descent into Karanga Valley and then another climb, we lunched at Karanga Camp at 4130 meters (13549 feet). This is where some companies break for the night. Then we headed east toward Barafu Camp at 4681 meters (15357 feet). The Machame Route is a little harder than the Marangu Route (which can be done in 5 days) but has a greater success rate because you spend longer on the mountain and generally acclimatize better. We also see more sides of Kibo (the highest peak) because it starts on the west and wraps around to the east right before the summit hike. It was another 10 km day and it got quite cold and windy at the camp. We had an early dinner and hit the hay around 7 because the summit attempt starts at midnight.

Day 5 (Saturday). The hardest and most rewarding day of the trek. We were woken up at 11 pm for a quick "breakfast" of porridge and popcorn. Appetite disappears at this altitude but I kept eating well because I knew my body would need the fuel. At midnight, we began to hike and Chris and I made really good time. We passed a lot of groups on the way up and kept steady pace. I let my mind go blank and just focused on my feet. Nothing existed except for the meter of light between my feet and my guide's. It was only about 4 km to the summit but it is very steep and we climbed 1214 meters (3982 feet) in about 6 hours. I felt so good the whole first 4 days, I think I underestimated how difficult the summit climb would be. It took all my energy to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 4 kms seemed endless when I was advancing about 2 inches at a time. I didn't get sick but an extreme exhaustion takes over after a few hours. It's cold, dark and windy. You run out of breath but you can't stop or your body will get really cold. I was glad I rented snow pants and a big winter coat. About 3 am it gets even colder and my CamelBak tube froze. It was a painful climb but I made it. In fact, I got up there almost a little too early. I got to Stella's Point around 4:30 and it was still super dark. So, we sat for a very cold 20 minutes before slowly going the rest of the way to the top. I hit the summit just before 6 am and gradually approached the battered yellow sign announcing Uhuru Peak. We were some of the first hikers to arrive and we beat the sun by about 20 minutes. After a picture at the top, I was ready to head down because the body doesn't like that altitude and it was about 10 degrees F.

Of course the hike down still awaited. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get back to Barafu Camp. After about 10 minutes of descent, the euphoria wore off and was replaced by a sense of total exhaustion. I had no food in my stomach, no water to drink, almost no sleep the night before and no energy. I rested and snacked on chocolate and gradually headed down. After a well-deserved nap, we had to pack up camp and head to a lower camp for the night. Took about an hour to get down to Millenium Camp at 3700 meters (12139 feet) where the air was much nicer to breathe. 4 of the 5 group members made it to the top. The 5th had to turn around at Stella's Point due to altitude sickness. In total, about a 12 km day. We all celebrated our accomplishment with about 10 games of Uno and a hearty meal. Needless to say, I slept like a rock.

Day 6 (Sunday). Last day on the mountain consisted of descending on the Mweka Route to the Mweka Gate at 1600 meters (5249 feet). It was another 10 km hike that only took me about 3 hours. For the first half of the hike, the ground was solid and I was so ready to be off that rock! I hopped down the trail and made really good time. After passing through the cloud layer, however, the trail got very slick and I lost my footing a few times. This forced me to slow down until the last half hour where the trail was more gradual and less trecherous. I signed out at the gate and got my certificate proclaiming my successful summit climb. We all got a beer to celebrate and then headed back to town.

I want to thank my wonderful crew that helped me make it to the top. Chris was my guide and was so positive and encouraging. Pascal was the assistant guide and gave me the nickname "mountain cheetah" after I summitted. Emmanuel was a porter and the cook, his excellent food kept me going all the way to 19340 feet! Joseph served Clive and I all our food in our cozy little mess tent. Valerian and Jaffet were 2 other porters that made sure all my gear made it to camp before I did, set up and took down camp and filtered water for me. The guys were all amazing and so friendly. I learned a lot of Kiswahili on the trek and I am so grateful for everyone's hard work. Ahsante Tours did a wonderful job and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in Kili or other safari activity in the area.

So, I am back in Moshi, clean and well rested but still a little sore. I took my first shower in 6 days yesterday and it felt amazing. Climbing Kili was a very challenging experience but I am glad I did it and so happy that I made it to the top. Off to Arusha today to meet back up with Mike and hopefully plan a safari through Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Only 1 week left to travel and then I head back to Ghana to teach English for 3 months.
Cheers!