Standing on the Roof of Africa – Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Trek: February 27, 2017-March 5, 2017
Our quest to reach the top would be no Mount Everest, but it would be higher than any other mountain the five of us had ever climbed. It was a remarkable experience that none of us will forget.
Day 1: A Woman Among Men
Rise and shine! At 4:45 a.m., we heard a knock next door. My brother-in-law’s missing bag with his hiking gear had arrived. It was a big relief because we were scheduled to leave this morning at 8:00 a.m. to start our journey. In planning our trip to Kilimanjaro, we were told it is best to arrive a day or two early in case of a bag being delayed and we were glad we had followed that advice. It also gave us a chance to attend the local LDS Church meeting in Arusha, meet with our guides, and to rest.
I felt like a fish out of water as I boarded the bus full of men. I knew I would be the only woman, from our group, on this trek that included my husband, my father, and two brothers-in-law. Now there were 25 additional men, which were the porters and guides, on the bus with us. As the only woman, I never doubted myself knowing I have been a competent hiker from a young age. But since I sprained my knee before the hike, it was hard not to feel like I was pushing myself beyond my limit. I felt like I was supposed to be there, but in the back of my mind I thought, “How am I supposed to hike this mountain when just a few days ago I was still limping?”
Living in Utah and training during the wintertime, we spent most of our Saturday’s leading up to the hike by hiking and snowshoeing to prepare ourselves. A month before we were to hike Kilimanjaro, we went snowshoeing on a very cold day and hiked late into the evening. Forging our way down the mountain with headlamps on and our bodies frozen, I stepped and my left foot slid to the side. Suddenly all of my weight was soon on my right side and fighting to keep from falling. I managed to keep on my feet, but felt a little pull inside my knee as it strained to support me. After that, I did everything I could to heal and still prepare myself. As the departure date approached, I became nervous as to whether I would be ready or not to hike. Prior to leaving the U.S., we emailed Team Kilimanjaro to explain the situation. They were amazing to work with and gave me encouragement to still come over.
After a long hot bus ride, we reached our starting point at Rongai, which is on the north side of the mountain and close to the Kenya border. Today we would only hike a little over four miles through jungle vegetation, so it would be a good starting point. Even though it rained off and on most of the day, thanks to cheap plastic ponchos and good hiking boots, none of us got wet. This was the end of the dry season so the rain was unexpected.
The time passed quickly and we soon found ourselves at Simba Camp, around 8,615 ft. We had started the day at 6,549 ft., so Day 1 was a good start and confidence booster for all. Everyone felt fine. The camp consisted of tents for us, guides, and porters. My husband Clark and I shared a tent, my brother’s-in-law, Bart and Clint, shared one and my dad opted for his own. There was a mess tent, where we would eat our meals most of the time, and a tall narrow tent for the toilet. Inside this tent was a wooden seat on a bucket, which was simple, private, and useful. After some fish, potatoes, and carrots for dinner, it was time to sleep.
We soon became aware of the daily routine for us on Mt. Kilimanjaro and how we would spend the next week. It would consist of mainly three things – hiking, eating, and sleeping.
Day 2: The Weather is Fickle
We awoke the next morning to clear skies and off in the distance, we could see Mt. Kilimanjaro covered in a fresh blanket of snow. The mountain looked stunning! Today we were introduced to our staple breakfast food, which I like to call “morning mush”. It reminded me of the hot cereal “Cream of Wheat”. It was enjoyed by some more than others. Along with that, we were given hot chocolate, fruit, and some small hot dogs. Upon leaving camp, it was hot and dry. We were required to hike “pole-pole” which means “slow-slow” in Swahili. This is the recommended pace in order to increase your chance of eventually summiting the mountain and helping your body adjust to the higher altitude.
As the day progressed, the weather seemed to change often from rain to sun and then back to rain, so forth. It seemed like you would just remove your rain poncho due to the sun and heat, and then it would rain again. Around 12,000 ft., the sun and rain rotation stopped, and we experienced something new, hail. Today was a longer hiking day. Bart was feeling sick, so we stopped more often. Sometimes it seemed like our progress was so slow, but that is the true nature of “pole-pole”. From years of experience on the mountain, our guides informed us that walking “pole-pole” is the most important thing you can do. It’s a funny feeling as you are inching your way up the mountain. It seems like the ants are moving faster than you.
Since today we were hiking seven miles, we would stop and have lunch along the way. At one of our stops before lunch, Clint had an encounter with some ants. He had put his bag on the ground and before he knew it, ants were crawling on his bag, the outside of his shoes and even the inside of his pants! We learned from this lesson that it was important to watch where you put your bag.
We made it to the lunch stop and were fed hamburgers with Zucchini soup. The skies darkened as if it would rain any minute, but fortunate for us, it didn’t.
Our camp for the second night was called Kikelelwa at 11,811 ft. There were lots of crows flying around as well as little gerbils that would pose for pictures. When we arrived at camp, all of the tents were set up and dinner was ready. We were grateful for the amazing porters that were accompanying us along the hike. Every day they would pack up the camp in the morning, which consisted of tents, cooking supplies, a table, our personal gear, and the portable toilet. They would always leave the camp after us, pass us along the trail, and would make it to the next campsite and have everything set up before we arrived. For dinner, we were served Butternut Squash soup, cheeseburgers, and fruit.
Day 3: Stairmaster 1000
The morning was clear and from our camp we could see Mt. Kilimanjaro off in the distance. Breakfast today consisted of crepes, omelets, fruit, toast, and the usual mush. It was peaceful sitting outside, enjoying our food, and listening to the birds chirp. We packed up and began hiking for the day. Today would be one of the shortest days of hiking, but also one of the steepest. The trail would wind up higher and higher. As we slowly worked our way up the mountain, even the porters, who usually walked past us with ease, were at a slow pace as well. Along the way, fog engulfed us bringing an unexpected chill. We reached an area filled with hundreds of rock cairns and stopped and rested for a few minutes before pressing on. The camp was not too much further so we pushed on to make it in time for lunch.
Tonight’s camp was Mawenzi Tarn Hut at 14,157 ft. The camp is situated next to a small lake and at the base of Mwenzi Mountain. The clouds would blow quickly in and out which left you feeling cold one minute and then warm the next. We had our lunch of potato soup, fruit, and a hot pocket sandwich before lying down for a nap. At 3:00 p.m., we were scheduled to do our first acclimatization hike. The purpose of the hike was to take us up to a higher elevation, spend about 15-20 minutes, and then back down where we would spend the night at a lower elevation. At 2:59 p.m. when we were about to set foot out of the tent, it began hailing. It came with fury as the hail pounded the tent. Yet within a few minutes, it had stopped. After everyone grouped together, we started on the hike moving up a steep section over rocks and loose scree to the ridge line. It was an amazing view from among the jagged rocks. On our way down it started to hail again, but only lightly. For dinner, we had soup along with a traditional dish of fried plantains, spaghetti and beef.
Day 4: Base Camp is Just Beyond the Barren Wasteland
This morning our breakfast consisted of crepes, toast, hot dogs, and oranges. At this point of the trek, I was thankful I still had an appetite and continued to eat and drink as much as I could. After breakfast, we packed a few things up and hit the trail again. Not too far down the trail, we came around a few rocks and up over a ridge line with a view of majestic mountains and the valley below. We hiked down between the rocks ending up on a long path, which felt like we had now entered a barren wasteland. The last few days we had hiked through some beautiful scenery and now the terrain was so empty it was hard to even find a large rock to hide behind to use the restroom. Even as a female on the hike, I was still able to find areas I could use the restroom in privacy. Further along the trail we passed an old plane wreck and continued on toward base camp. As we approached base camp, I finally felt like we were on the mountain and on our way to achieving our goal.
When we reached camp, lunch was prepared for us. After lunch, those who were interested could do another acclimatization hike. For our hike, they took us up the same path that we would take the following morning on our way to the summit. At this point, I was amazed at how well I still felt. Days ago I didn’t even know if I would be able to do the hike because of my knee injury, before I came to Africa, and now I was so close to the summit.
On our way down from the acclimatization hike, it began to hail and then turn to snow. We knew it would be cold, but never imagined we would hike up in snow.
Base Camp for us was at School Hut Camp at 15,500 ft.
We ate dinner around the table in the mess tent and went to bed early. Tomorrow we would summit and it would be a long tiring day. Some in our group were feeling a little sick from the altitude, so rest was vital.
Day 5: Summit Day
We met for a light breakfast of small chocolates and granola bars before setting off. It was 5:30 a.m. and we departed with our headlamps on. Our pace was slow as we crisscrossed our way up the steep slope. The sun began to rise and left us with one of the most spectacular sunrises ever to grace the sky. It soon became apparent that it would be a long day as we pushed our way forward one step at a time.
My dad is the toughest and young hearted 71 year old I know and possibly that has ever lived. He can compete with 20 and 30 year old’s on the basketball court and can keep up with the best of them. It was he that put this Kilimanjaro trip together and wanted to come and climb this mountain more than anyone else. He was the reason we were here! Even with the altitude making it more difficult and when anyone else would have given up and turned around, he continued on. It was a long arduous task as we climbed higher and higher. Some of us were given a choice to hike on ahead, but we kept together as family making our way step by step. The sun began to hit the snow and my husband, not having sunglasses, used tape to shield his eyes from the blaring sun.
We finally made it to Gilman’s Point, at 18,652 ft., where we able to rest and have some food. At Gilman’s Point, we could see the summit off in the distance. It seemed so far away. At our current pace, how long would it take us to get to the top? Our guides reassured us that it was not as far as it looked and that we still had plenty of time. We trusted in their wisdom and experience, and continued toward the top. We finally came upon the next sign post for Stella Point at 18,885 ft.
We were so close and I felt a surge of adrenaline inside with feelings that we were all going to make it. It began to snow lightly as we climbed higher, passing the massive glaciers, and up the final stretch. The top was right in front of us, and one by one, we made our way to the sign post that declared we were at the highest point on the African Continent, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak at 19,341 ft. Celebrations were in order!
When climbing a mountain there is so much focus on getting to the top, but we still had to make our way back to base camp. It would be quicker, but with the day going by and the snow falling, we needed to get started. We hiked down at a faster pace to the point where we could slide down the lose scree. I found that this was hard on the knees, but it saved so much time as we were literally making long sliding strides down the mountain, instead of walking down the lengthy switch backs. Clint hurried ahead with one of the guides for he was not feeling the best. My husband and I along with another guide, followed in the middle, with Bart and my dad coming right behind. Eventually all of us made it back to camp. We were all exhausted.
At dinner, I was excited about our accomplishment since we all made it to the top. Sitting in a tired daze, I ate without noticing what was for dinner. The thought of sleep was heavy on our minds.
Day 6: This Must Be the Arctic
Snap! Startled, my husband and I awoke from our sleep to the sound of something breaking. Lightning lit up our tent and we could see snow making its way inside. Thunder roared around us and we realized the initial snap sound was one of our tents poles breaking. Our tent was collapsing under the burden of heavy snow. Immediately we began pushing up the top of the tent from inside. Once our tent was cleared, Clark jumped outside to knock the snow off of the other tents. The heavy snow collapsed two tents and apparently the sleep we had desired, and so longed for, was not happening. For quite some time, Clark ran around trying to clear off the other tents as the storm continued to rage upon us. At over 15,000 ft., we were above the tree line camped between groups of large boulders and extremely exposed to the elements. Finally around 4:00 a.m., the storm passed and we fell back to sleep exhausted.
In the morning, we began our first day hiking down the mountain trail. The pace would be much quicker now. The lower we got the more oxygen we had. Even those who had a loss of appetite felt like eating again. We plowed through the snow, which eventually turned to mud, and then to dry dirt. By the time we reached our final camp, Horombo Hut at 12,205 ft., we had dropped over 3,000 ft. in elevation. As we reached the camp, it became aware that a few of the porters and also my dad, were suffering with varying degrees of snow blindness from the suns reflection off the snow. Most of them had blurry vision and their eyes felt like they were burning. Since we reached camp earlier in the day, we had our first chance to sit back, relax, and even play a game. It was fun to relish in our accomplishment as we had more soup and a traditional dish for dinner.
Day 7: The Final Descent
Our last day on the mountain was all downhill. Today we hiked 12 miles to the exit at Marangu Gate. The lower we got on the trail, the warmer it became. The vegetation began to surround us as monkeys swung through the trees and birds chirped loudly. Along the trail, we passed patches of colorful mushrooms and large slugs. Out of all the days on the hike, I was worried about this one because of the downhill pressure on my injured knee. The whole hike I relied heavily on hiking poles that I brought along with me and this was the day I relied on them the most. The miles passed by quickly and before long, we were standing at the exit, Marangu Gate at 6,102 ft. The five of us had done it!!
Each of us had adversity that we faced along the way, but in the end, our determination, will power, and family unity saw us through. We can’t thank our guides enough for leading us on this rewarding, breathtaking, and unforgettable experience.
Thank you Team Kilimanjaro!!
What We Learned:
- Schedule to arrive an extra day before beginning your hike
- Watch out for ants
- Take time to train
- Wear sunscreen
- Sunglasses or improvise
- Lip Balm
- The end is not that far away
Daypack Items We Suggest:
- A good Daypack with a rain fly
- First Aid Kit
- Emergency Poncho
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Head Lamp
- Gaiters
- Gloves
- Rain Jacket
- Beanie
- Hat
- Watch
- Camera
- Leatherman
- Gatorade Packets
- Snacks
- Solar Battery Charger
- Water Bladders
- Jacket
About The Author
theworldisawonder