Crossing Kilimanjaro off my bucket list

I'll have to be honest here, I didn't not even dare putting Mt. Kilimanjaro on my bucket list. It was something that fascinated me ever since I was a little kid, but it always seemed so remote. Until this summer, when I got a chance to be in Tanzania! I could not have missed climbing Kili.

The Marangu Route, the trail that I picked, catches hell for not being very interesting in terms of landscape and for forcing a rapid ascent. My experience? Thought it was great.

To give a sense of the pace of our climb, I included a map showing the route we covered. Take a deep breath. Let’s get moving!

Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut – “Easy as taking candies from a baby!”
Begin: Marangu gate 1,840m/6,036 ft; End: Mandara Hut 2,720m/8,923ft
Elevation gain: 880m/2,887ft; Distance: 8km/5mi


The climb is much like a walk in the park. Moss hangs from trees, waterfalls whisper in the distance. Red clay and forest: this is one of nature’s finest complimentary color combinations. Our pace is absurdly slow, like shuffled footsteps.

As we make our way up, porters and trekkers fresh from their summit experience run down, eager to wind things up and take a shower. And yes, we can really smell this.
We settle down for the night at Mandara Huts. We force down as much food as possible for dinner while finishing well beyond our four liters of water for the day.

Day 2: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut – “This Really Isn’t So Bad”
Begin: Mandara Hut 2,720m/8,923ft; End: Horombo Hut 3,720m/12,204ft
Elevation gain: 1,000m/3,280ft; Distance: 12 km/7.5mi

The landscape changes from willowed rainforest to shrub-strewn heath and moorland. The land becomes textured, perfect for mid-mountain light.

Peaks begin to appear. First Mawenzi Peak and then the snow-capped Uhuru Peak in the distance. Our final goal is in sight.

At Horombo Huts, our stop for the night, we realize that we are now above those clouds. We feel a lift, thinking how far we’ve come, but we also take deeper breaths to capture more of the oxygen our bodies need.

The rapid ascent to high altitude begins to register. Broken sleep, too. Besides getting up to pee every single hour because of the Diamox (the anti altitude sickness pills), bouts of anxiety and hallucination-like dreams take hold. I wake up in the middle of the night, my heart racing. My head tells my heart this is normal. A few deep breaths and I fall back asleep.

Day3: Horombo Hut extra day

Day 4: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut – “We can do this”

Begin: Horombo Hut 3,720m/12,204ft; End: Kibo Hut 4,703m/15,430ft
Elevation gain: 983m/3,225ft; Distance: 12 km/7.5mi

The clouds stay away, and our views of the peak and its glaciers remind us not only of how fortunate we are to be here. A road is carved to the horizon. Each time we reach what seems like an end, a new beginning awaits us. This path seems infinite.

Then Kibo Hut appears, a gift to bring this day to an end. This is base camp territory. It’s basic, it’s barren. There’s no running water. For so many reasons, time here must be limited. No need to force it, for our climbing schedule is about to take an inhumane leap.

A short acclimatization walk, then rest, then early dinner. We are cold. We are tired. We all wonder what summit day will feel like. We wonder whether we’ll make it. For the next couple of hours, we “sleep.” But this is no sleep, just short of full-blown insomnia.

Day 4 Night/Day 5: Summit and Back Down – “Let’s Do This”
Ascent: Kibo Hut 4,703m/15,430ft to Uhuru Peak 5,895m/19,341ft (via Gilman Point and Stella Point)
Elevation gain to Summit (Uhuru Peak): 1,192m/3,911ft; Distance: 10km/6.2mi
Descent: Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut: 2,175m/7,135ft; Distance: 22km/13.7mi

Wake up is 11 PM. Our “day” begins with "breakfast". I’m not the least bit interested in eating, but I force it down. My head aches. It’s like someone constantly applies pressure on it . We pile on every layer of clothing we have — and we’re out the door. It’s midnight.

“We are here. It’s time. Let’s do this thing! "

We begin to walk. “Pole, pole,” our guides remind us. (Slowly, slowly.)

12:30 AM

God, I hate volcanic ash. Though it’s not as bad as one step forward, two steps back, it’s something close.

1:15 AM

It’s demoralizing. Keep your head down!

2:00 AM

I look up, ignoring my own advice. The lights from head lamps that punctuate the darkness snake up the mountain to the edge of the sky. I wonder if I’ll be able to sustain this.

2:30 AM

The first of our potential casualties, one of our fellow climbers has a break down. The guides act quickly.

3:00 AM

One of our fellow climbers starts throwing up. I am OK, but am painfully realizing my boots are ill prepared for the climb. I am wondering if I wont lose a toe to frost bites.

My exhaustion is so thorough that I catch myself falling asleep as I walk. Sleepwalking while walking, I have not done this since I was in the army.

4:00 AM

Head down, one foot in front of the other. Water is already frozen solid in our backpacks. Fortunately, I have some wrapped in a pair of socks.

4:30 AM

We stop occasionally, but not often enough for my needs. I look down and see a chain of headlamp lights snaking below. I’m pleased to have made it so far, but wondering how much more I have to go. In darkness, there’s comfort in not knowing how infinite this mountain might be.

5:00 AM

I look up. I think I can see the crest of the mountain.

5:20 AM – Gilman Point (5,681 m/18,638ft)
The first big milestone of the day. We rest, but not for long.

“Uhuru Peak is not that far away,”  our guide offers some motivation.

6:10 AM Stella Point (5,730m/18,800ft)

On your way up, NEVER EVER listen to anyone coming down who says, “It’s not long now.” It’s long. Trust me!

Kilimanjaro’s glaciers begin to glow in the early morning light. Under other circumstances, I’d be taking photos by the hundreds, but I focus my energy uphill. From here, I can see the peak, but not the place where climbers are celebrating. I can beat this, but it’s slow. Very slow.

7:20 AM – Summit, Uhuru Peak (5,895m/19,340ft)

Our final steps are all emotion. Fatigue is forgotten and adrenaline takes over. I’ve dreamed of this moment countless times. I linger, snapping photos and getting drunk on thin air. The views are even more impressive than we imagined. I can’t recognize the potential danger. At twenty minutes, I'm pushing my luck; my guide “encourages” me to head back down.

In an aim to return to Kibo Hut as soon as possible, we move very quickly. Too quickly, it seems. BUt getting more oxygen feels great!

Making our way down, a quick descent.

As we bounce down the scree below Gilman Point, I’m amazed by what we’d scaled. When we arrive at Kibo Hut, I collapse into my bed. I wake up to breakfast 45 minutes later. Or is it lunch? Who cares?

After a full meal and a short rest, it’s time to hit the road to Horombo Hut to retire for the night. And yes, to breathe!

Day 6: Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate – “Savor the Victory”

Begin: Horombo Hut 3720m/12,204ft; End: Marangu Gate 1840m
Elevation loss: 1,880m/6170ft; Distance: 20 km/12.5mi

It’s a long way down, so we get an early start. But as early starts go, this is a good one. We all feel so well. We stopped taking the Diamox, so didn’t wake up to pee as much. We slept!

We enjoy the early morning light and clouds as we walk. This is the second time we’ve seen this stretch of terrain, but this time it looks different. It’s in the shadow of the summit, a place we’ve been.

Now we’re the ones coming down –- more stinky, more confident — and we’re encouraging those heading up. How much can change in just a few days.

And then the celebration! Drinking a well deserved Kilimanjaro beer!

 

And yes, thinking about the stories we will have to share for the rest of our lives!!!!