I JUST CLIMBED MT KILIMANJARO!!! And it was absolutely amazing ☺
I got to Nairobi on Wednesday evening and was just getting settled in, recovering from the jetlag only to start getting ready for yet another journey. I was leaving on Saturday morning to go to Moshi, Tanzania to climb Kili. I have been training for this for about 2 months and was ready. Game face on, picturing what the summit would be like but I quickly learned that NOTHING would prepare me for what I just faced.
I arrived in Moshi on Saturday late afternoon with my friend Al-Karim, resident mountaineer (Kili x 6 and Mt. Kenya x 17)! We quickly settled in, relaxed and prepped for the next 6 days. All the equipment was ready to go and we were eagerly awaiting the mountain.
We were picked up on Sunday morning by our guide (Anthony), 5 porters and 1 cook. We stopped on the way for water and a few nick nacks and then headed to Machame gate.
After signing in, we laced up our boots, strapped on our packs and began towards the Machame huts. The hike was through the rainforest and the scenery was beautiful. We hiked about 20 km and took about 4hours. We got some rain along the way but took breaks in between and approached the mountain “Pole Pole” (slowly slowly).
By the time we got to the checkpoint, where we were staying the night I was exhausted. It’s amazing how fast the porters make it up the mountain, especially with all the stuff they carry (tents, cutlery, bags). Our tent was all set up and we were served chai and popcorn before dinner. During dinner (all meals are served in a separate tent) Al-Karim was enlightening me with a few stories but I was soooo zonked that I was actually nodding off. We got briefed by Anthony about the next day’s hike and called it a night.
The next morning was a rough start. We woke up and Al-Karim was not feeling well at all, with episodes of diarrhea and vomiting. It seemed like a bad case of food poisoning, which is awful when you’re on a mountain. After a light breakfast, he sucked it up and was ready to continue. Our things were all packed and we were set for day two: Machame to Shira Cave (approx 4 hours). On our way up I turned around to see Al-Karim looking very ill. His breathing was very laboured and he looked really weak. After many breaks, a few episodes of vomiting, it was decided that there was no way he could continue. I was ready to pack up and leave with him, but he said there was no way that I was going to leave Africa without climbing Kili, especially with all the training and preparation that I went through. He assured me that Anthony would take good care of me and that I would make it to the top! I was a little nervous and scared about what was about to happen but nevertheless continued pole pole. The rest of the day wasn’t too bad but I was missing my climbing buddy.
After arriving at the Shira huts, Anthony took me to the Shira Caves and we walked up to a higher altitude to get acclimatized. At the campsite, I got to experience the amazing views of Mount Meru, the peak of Kili (Uhuru) and the start of a full moon. What a day!
Day 3 was from Shira to Baranco huts (~ 6 hours). I woke up feeling really tired and not rested but this turned out to be a great day. While brushing my teeth I was hypnotized by the peak that I was headed for. Throughout my journey, I always wondered how the heck I would climb to the top! It always seemed so close, but yet so far away. The first part of today’s hike was mostly uphill and I wanted to shoot myself. After getting to Lava tower it was smooth sailing from there. There was a portion where we climbed downhill through rocks and the greenery was awesome.
Today was a little colder and we encountered a bit of hail. After getting to the campsite I rested for a bit and checked out my surroundings. I was at the same level as the clouds! At Baranco, while in my tent I could hear something outside on the tarp below me. I sat still for about 5 minutes watching a few field mice chasing each other around my tent. AHHHHHHH! I’m not gonna lie but this was a bit scary. At night I threw on my headphones and fell asleep to music. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to the top!
Day 4 Baranco to Barafu ~ approx 7 hours. I woke up today feeling a bit ill, with a few bouts of diarrhea. Yikes! Not good considering the build up. Ever since Al-Karim got sick I started choosing my foods wisely and tried to avoid any questionable items. Whatever it was, seemed to have passed, thank God! Today’s route involved quite a bit of rock climbing and was really fun.
I also taught Anthony how to do some jumping pics, in preparation for the summit. Our lunch stop was at Karanga valley where we were served chips and chicken. Who would’ve known that fries would be on the mountain menu? I avoided the chicken and devoured the chips! Today was another day with a lot of hail. Once we arrived at Barafu Camp I was really excited! This was the last stop before the summit aka the main event! Before dinner I snuck in quick nap, which was good considering the task ahead. After dinner I walked around a bit and was just in awe. I couldn’t believe where I was. Surrounded by clouds, the sky was lit by a full moon, the top of Kili on one side and Mwenzi peak on the other side. Simply breathtaking! The plan was to sleep by 7pm and wake up at 11 to prep for the climb to Uhuru peak. It was really difficult to sleep at this time, especially because my little friends were scurrying around my tent again and I was too excited.
Day 5 - The Summit: 6 hours! It was 11pm when I received my usual wake up knock “Dada Dada” (Sister, Sister!). It was time! I had everything ready to go and quickly put on most of my clothing. I was so freaking close to the top! It was hard to eat so late at night and so high up. I had a bit of tea and a few biscuits and was ready to rumble. The night air was crisp but not too cold and the sky was amazing. The stars were out in full force and the mountain was lit by the full moon. It was so bright out that I didn’t even need my headlamp. The way up was interesting to say the least. The higher I got, the more I noticed my breath. Breathing became more difficult and about 1 hour from the top I started experiencing altitude sickness. I was feeling really weak, light-headed and was losing coordination and balance. I sat down at Stella point, which is approximately 40 mins away from the peak and gave myself a little pep talk. The past 4 days were too amazing to just give up and I was so damn close to what seemed almost impossible at the gates when we arrived. There was no way I was turning around! I stood up and continued. It started getting a bit brighter out meaning that the sunrise was near. I caught a second wind and finally saw the sign indicating that I made it! The feeling was amazing and I had a few tears in my eyes. I was on top of Africa! WOW! The view was awesome.
Glaciers on one side, the full moon on another and lastly an amazing sunrise on its way up. Despite feeling like crap, I managed to find a bit of energy (I’m not sure how?!?) to take a few jumping pics in front of the Uhuru Peak sign.
There was no way I was leaving without that! After enjoying the view and starting to feel the cold in my fingers and toes, I was ready say goodbye.
The way down was quick and we made it back to Barafu in about 1.5 hours. Originally I was going to stay one more night at Mweka Camp but decided to boot it all the way down to the gate. This seemed like a good idea at first but by the end of it I was ready to cut my legs off. 8 hours later, I was walking down slower than my Maa and just wanted to be done. Reaching the bottom was so amazing and I felt like I had just won the lottery. I CLIMBED MT. KILIMANJARO!!! Would I do it again??? Hell yeah…maybe not next week though!
