Finally I feel recovered enough to write about my experience climbing Kili! Not only did I come back with sore muscles, but also an annoying cold, so I'm enjoying the opportunity to rest for a week before starting school again. I have to say, climbing Kilimanjaro is probably the most physically challenging thing I've ever done. The walking up itself wasn't so bad, but the freezing cold nights and high altitude made for a difficult but rewarding experience. There are several different routes people take, ranging from 4 days to 9 days. The longer the route, the more chance there is of adjusting to the altitude before reaching the summit. I went on the 8 day Lemosho route with a company called Climb Kili and made it all the way to the summit!
Day 1 - Lemosho Gate to Big Tree/Mti Mkubwa camp (3 hours, elevation: 2360m to 2895m)
Time to meet my group! I had specifically asked to be part of a larger group of independent travelers so imagine my surprise when I found out it was just me and a couple :( After some thinking I realised this meant I would have my own tent so not so bad after all. Our guides Frederik and Balthazar kept a slow pace so we reached our first camp with no real effort. This is where we met "The Pod", our oh-so-unprivate Climb Kili toilet tent. Our green pod unfortunately illuminated like a beacon, projecting an image of a squatting person across the whole campsite. Thankfully there was also a squatty potty option and of course the bush!
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| About to begin....only 34 hours til summit!!! |
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| Farewell civilisation...or so I thought at the time! |
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| Big Tree camp + camp monkey |
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| "The Pod" |
Day 2 - Big Tree/Mti Mkubwa camp to Shira 1 (6 hours, elevation: 2895m to 3505m)
Second day and it decided to rain, This was a great chance to test out my backpack cover (A garbage bag tied with hair ties)! My fellow hikers were quite decked out in all the gear but that's not really my thing. I managed to borrow, rent or improvise for all the stuff I needed, and I wasn't lacking anything! Aside from the rain, today was another good day as we left the rainforest and entered the moorland zone. The pace was painfully slow, but I know it's necessary if we're to adjust to the altitude.
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| walking walking walking through the rainforest.... |
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| My lovely companions Cameron and Daphne |
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| really interesting moss on the trees.... |
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| It was raining as we entered our next camp, so my posh back cover got some use! |
Day 3 - Shira 1 to Moir Hut camp (6 hours, elevation: 3505m to 4200m)
After all the rain yesterday it was so exciting to wake up to beautiful clear views of the top of Kili! Almost every day we would arrive at the camp in the fog, so getting up in the morning to see the view became one of my favourite things. Today's walking was beautiful and the views made us even more motivated. Thankfully the couple I'm with are also keen to stop whenever there's a good photo opportunity.
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| Good morning from Shira 1 camp! A beautiful view of the top of Kili |
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| I love breakfast. Uji, sausages, eggs, toast and fruit...wow! |
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| A beautiful clear day for walking...... |
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| ....until the mist came! |
Day 4 - Moir Hut to Barranco via Lava Tower (6 hours, elevation: 4200m to 4630m to 3976m)
At this point I discovered that having a 3 person tent to myself has some downsides: It's freezing! We still had quite a lot of ascending to do and already I was wearing everything I own to bed. I also discovered just how popular the high season on Kili is. A lot of the different routes come together at Barranco, meaning a huge 4000 people camping together, including the porters and staff! Not exactly peaceful!
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| Cold. It's cold. Methinks I stay in bed. |
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| A frosty start at Moir Hut....at least Kili is looking closer! |
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| Beautiful views! |
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Lots of mist (and weird trees) as we entered
our next camp |
Day 5 - Barranco to Karanga (5 hours, elevation: 3976m to 3995m)
This was my favourite day of walking as we got to go up the Barranco wall. It's like rock climbing, grabbing hold of rocks and hauling yourself up. So much fun! It was made a little less fun by the fact that there were 4000 people doing the same thing, but we opted to start later, meaning it was a little less crowded.
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| After all the fog yesterday it was so exciting to wake up to this! |
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This is the Barranco wall. If you look carefully you can see
people making their way up! |
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| Looking down towards Moshi! |
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Almost at our next campsite. We could catch glimpses of
it on the opposite ridge! |
Day 6 - Karanga to Barafu/Base camp (3 hours, elevation: 3995m to 4673m)
Today's walking was easy and only took a few hours. We had really entered the alpine desert zone, as there was next to no vegetation now. Base camp is amazing as it sits above the cloud line. It was cloudy when we arrived but cleared up before sunset so we were able to see the summit and watch the sun set over the clouds below. So cold but so special. The plan was to have an early dinner at 5:30 then get some rest before waking up at 11pm to begin the hike to the summit. Easier said than done!
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This morning all our porters and guides sung for us!
They are so hard working yet so joyful too. |
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| Camping above the cloud line. Just spectacular! |
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| Hanging out at base camp |
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| The clouds sweeping in over Mawenzi peak |
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| Sunset from 4673m above sea level |
Day 7 - Barafu to summit to Millennium camp (14 hours, elevation: 4673m to 5895m to 3800m)
I have to say, summit day was such a crazy experience, and one I'm not keen to repeat. After being "woken up" (we never slept) at 11pm we had tea and popcorn. As soon as it hit 12am the entire camp went crazy as they celebrated the new year! What an experience to be part of; thousands of people nearly 5000 metres above sea level from all different countries shouting and singing. Then, like clockwork all the hikers strapped on their head torches and left the camp to begin 6 hours of switchbacks up the side of the crater. It was honestly a surreal experience as I saw people vomiting, fainting and crying in their pursuit to reach the top. The couple I was with were struggling quite a bit and I was in no hurry so we took it slowly. All I could see ahead was an endless line of lights zig-zagging up the crater. It was hard to tell what lights were people and what were stars. Way down below I could see the lights of Moshi! The sun came up as we were nearing the top and at this point the lack of oxygen and tiredness started to kick in. Those last few metres to Stella point felt like I was on drugs! We got to Stella Point (on the crater rim) at 7:30am and then made our way around the crater to the highest point, Uhuru Peak. At intervals I forgot who I was, where I was and who I was with. I took some photos without even looking at the screen, and could think of nothing but getting off this mountain! It was so beautiful but most people only spend a short time at the top because it's so hard to breathe! Coming down was better for breathing, but agony on my knees as we pretty much skied down a rock slide the whole way. One of the guides showed me how to dig my heels in and "ride" the loose rocks. I fell over so many times, partly because of the terrain and partly because my body was screaming out for sleep. Back at base camp we had one hour to eat and pack out stuff before walking 2 more hours downhill in the rain and hail to our next camp. I don't think we spoke a word to each other the whole way!
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That moment when someone said getting up at 11pm in freezing
conditions to hike a mountain was a good idea.... |
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| 6.5 hours of insanity later and the sun begins to rise over Mawenzi peak on the first day of 2016 |
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| At the top! Stella Point |
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| The official pic at the highest point in Africa - Uhuru Peak |
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| looking into the crater |
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| Pretty glacier with Mt Meru in the background...but who cares, I'm dying..... |
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| Don't remember taking this, or any photos for that matter. Get me off this mountain!!!! |
Day 8 - Millenium camp to Mweka gate (6 hours, elevation: 3800m to 1640m)
The reality of having summited the highest freestanding mountain in the world finally kicked in! I slept an amazing 10 hours, even though it was still cold. One final push and our Kili experience would be done. All the hikers and guides were walking like cripples, as our knees were so inflamed from our descent the day before. 6 hours downhill through bush then rainforest and we emerged at Mweka gate! We had lunch, gave the porters and guides tips and they sang for us which was so special :) I cannot fathom how they manage to carry such heavy loads and always have everything just right so we can have a successful experience. And of course, at the end we are looking dead and they are running around full of energy!
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| Millennium camp - life is so much better with sleep and oxygen |
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| Our cool guide Frederik |
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| And I am done! |
I'm so thankful for the opportunity to climb Kili. It really was a special experience and I don't think I will ever look at the mountain the same again! Now it's time to get back to the reality of school and life here in Moshi. God's blessings!
