Mount Kilimanjaro rises 19,431 feet above the African planes in Eastern Tanzania. It is the highest peak on the African continent and the highest free-standing peak in all the world, meaning that is not part of a mountain range, but isolated and alone. One of my hiking friends has summitted this dormant volcano twice in the past and about a year ago, when she began planning her third trip, I decided to get in on the adventure. Over the past several months, I've been training as best as I can in the low elevations available in eastern US, but I'm not sure that I'll be up to the task. While I expect the hike itself to be pretty easy for me, I've struggled with high elevation in the past and this will surpass my previous high point by nearly a mile.
Arriving at the Kilimanjaro airport Sunday night and meeting up with my friends at Lindrin Lodge, we spent yesterday relaxing at a local hot spring, but this morning it's time to get moving. Our guides arrive promptly and begin loading our gear onto the buss that will transport us to the Lemosho Gate, our chosen entrance to the park and start of our trail to the top. The logistics are staggering. There will be eighteen of us on the hike, all tied to my friend that organized the trip in one way or another. I actually know about six of the the people before my arrival here, but soon get to know the rest of the group, all of whom seem like wonderful people. In addition to us, we will have a lead guide, eight assistant guides, and a small army of ninety porters (yes, I said ninety).
With our gear load onto the top of the bus, our bodies wedge into the vehicle like sardines, and a soaring spirit in our hearts, we depart the lodge and begin our three hour drive to the Lemosho Gate. We chat, we sing, we cry, we cheer as we make our way to what may be the biggest adventure of our lives. Everyone is in good spirits and I think this is going to be a fantastic trip.
Day 1 - Lemosho Gate to Mti Mkubwa
Arriving at the gate, we collect our gear and sign into the park registry. Our guides walk us through all of the logistics before we sit down for a packed lunch at the trail head. It's quite popular here and there are numerous other groups in addition to our horde. Lunch consists of a hodge-podge of items, including fried chicken, small bananas, yogurt, an apple, two pakora, a sweet cake, and a role with some kind of barbeque-ish filling.
With all of the preliminary stuff out of the way, we start the trail at about 4pm. We only have a short distance to hike this first day, but the guides are already trying to instill good Kilimanjaro habits in us by forcing a very slow pace. This will be crucial to our success as it will allow our bodies time to acclimatize to the higher elevations to come (hopefully).
We march single file with our day packs, while our porters maintain a faster pace in order to get camp set up for our arrival. The trail is very dusty though we are in a rain forest. The rains haven't fallen for a few months, as we are in the midst of the dry season. Along the way, we spot a black and white colobus monkey in the trees beside the trail. Everyone tries to get a picture, but he remains pretty well hidden in the foliage.
As we continue on the trail has a few steep ups and downs, but nothing too terrible. As I drop down one section, I sense someone behind me and turn just in time to catch a porter before he hit the ground. One of my friend mentioned that the porters seemed to have been unconscious when he fell. It's warm here and perhaps he is dehydrated. We get him settled and tell him to rest and drink water. He thanks us and we continue on.We arrive at our camp at Mti Mkubwa at about 6:30pm just as the sun begins to set. We'll be camping at 9,150 feet tonight. Originally, I was supposed to be sharing a tent with one of my new friends, but as he wanted to save us from his snoring, he paid extra for a solo tent, which be default means that I get a solo tent as well. I won't complain. Our hike today was about 3.1 miles.
Before dinner in the large mess tent, our lead guide gives us a quick briefing for tomorrow's hike. We enjoy cucumber soup, lightly fried potatoes, spinach, and some kind of beef stew concoction for dinner. As we dine, our sprits remain high and we tell some riddles to keep the mood light.
It's cold getting over to my tent, but I crawl into my sleeping bag around 9:15pm and before too long, I'm out cold. I only woke once during the night to use the rest room. I don't normally wake for this, but it's probably a combination of the cold and the vasal dilator I'm on to help with the elevation.
Day 2 - Mti Mkubwa to Shira Camp I
Our wake up call comes at 4:00am and includes hot tea and a bowl of warm water to wash with. After getting my gear all together, I crawl out of the tent and head over for breakfast, which consists of porridge and fruit. I slept okay and so far, I'm experiencing no symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Hopefully, this pattern holds, but we'll see.
We're on the trail around 6:15am. Today, we leave the rain forest and after climbing up a challengingly steep ridge, we dump out onto the large plateau with Kilimanjaro surrounded by clouds in the distance. This is really our first good view of the mighty volcano. As we make our way across the dusty plateau, we tell more riddles and play trivia games. I earn the trail name Mr. Trivia, which is okay by me. My useless trivia knowledge has won me a lot of alcoholic beverages in years past. It's fun getting to know my new friends as we share in this epic trek.
Around 1:15pm, we arrive at our next accommodations at Shira Camp I. As usual, our crew has already got everything erected by the time we arrive. I must admit the slow pace is very difficult for me. I understand the logic of keep this slow pace and I don't mind it at all, but my body struggles to walk this slow. I think it's a good thing though, as many members of our group are not avid hikers like some of us are. We added another 5.0 miles (8.1 cumulative total) today and tonight's camp sits atop a formation called Elephant Back at an elevation of 11,540 ft.
We take a little time to relax before reconvening in the mess tent around 2:00pm for lunch, which consists of grilled cheese and pumpkin soup - delicious! After lunch, I head back to my tent and take a wet-wipe bath before laying down for a couple of hours. Though the hike is easy thus far, the combination of slow pace, early wake-up calls, and just general isolation makes me sleepy.
Dinner comes around 6:30pm and includes carrot soup and coconut rice. Our cooks are amazing in preparing food for both our group, as well as the army of porters and guides that are accompanying us. After dinner, I turn in around 8:45pm and batten down the hatches for what turns out to be an extremely cold night.
Day 3 - Shira Camp I to Moir Hut
Once again, we rise at about 4:00am. It's super cold this morning and ice has formed on the inside of my tent. After packing my gear, I grab my warm down jacket and gloves before heading out of my tent. It seems up and ready to go earlier than most of my companions and take advantage of the extra time to enjoy some stargazing in this deep black skies. The Milky Way can be clearly seen draped across the sky and while sitting on a rock admiring the heavens, I happen to see three shooting stars over the course of about twenty minutes. What a way to live!
After breakfast, which again consists of porridge and fruit, we quickly hit he trail for what will be one of our bigger mileage days. We're hiking just as the sun rises and begins to warm this desolate plateau we're crossing on our way to the mighty mountain in the distance.
As we hike today, one of my friends plays some music and a couple of us begin sharing our voices with the larger group. With songs like Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin", we're all in sync. We're of one mind and one goal, which can be seen directly ahead of us. As one of our guides begins to chant "One team! One dream!" and "Kilimanjaro! To the top!", the enthusiasm is tangible. I'm loving it. One of my new friends has a truly great voice and after talking with her, I discover she had a short career in show business. She's certainly very talented and her positive attitude is welcomed by all of us.
About mid way to tonight's camp, we stop at a rock garden decorated with a number of evenly spaced cairns for more pictures. It's an interesting sitting and it's great to see the group still in good spirits after such a cold night. I notice one of my hiking friends from Atlanta is having some issues and didn't really eat much for breakfast. I offer her a Clif Bar and she gladly accepts and consumes it. She tells me it made her feel a little better.
The further we go, the more music my friend plays, including several show tunes from the musicals Hamilton and Come from Away. Good stuff! At one water break, I step away from the group to relieve myself and stumble across a small waterfall. It's kind of unique in that it consists of a thin sheet of water flowing across a large boulder and then dripping off in several tiny streams to a pool below. I tell the others and several go to check it out.
We arrive at tonight's camp around 2:00pm after having hiked 6.1 miles today (14.2 total). Tonight we'll camp at 13,700 ft, which is the highest elevation I've ever camped at. After taking a quick nap, I leave my tent for dinner. As I chat with the others, it seems some of them are beginning to show symptoms of mild AMS. I still seem to be fine, but my appetite is fleeting. I eat just to ensure I get some calories in me.
Day 4 - Moir Hut to Barranca Camp
Thankfully, last night wasn't as cold as the previous one, but I wake up to a disgusting surprise. I guess the elevation is starting to mess with my body after all, as I soiled my pants sometime through the night and didn't even realize it. I really slept poorly last night too, perhaps only getting an hour or so of sleep. 4:00am rolls around far too quickly and I'm forced to clean myself of the mess I made in my sleep. It's not pleasant, but it's the reality of being here.
After another porridge breakfast, we hit the trail at about 6:30am. I'm really, really struggling today, mostly due to the lack of sleep and the mild headache, I'm starting to feel. Many of my friends are experiencing similar symptoms and some have even begun vomiting occasionally. These are all reminders that human bodies don't do well in this thin air.
As we hike, I try to take advantage of every short break to get a quick power nap in. The guides are worried about me, but I assure them that I'm just sleepy. It is the truth after all. My body isn't even sore after the hike, but my I can barely keep my eyes open. We climb upwards towards Lava Tower, where we'll have lunch. This is a large rock outcropping that provides some shelter from the wind and sun and while it is a campground, not many groups camp here and instead choose to move on after their meal, which is our plan as well. On the way up, I surpass my highest elevation hiked to, which was previously the summit of Mount Whitney in California at 14,505 ft. Lava Tower sits at 15,300 ft and is my new current personal record.
We sit for lunch for a while and I take advantage to get a 45 minute power nap. Before getting comfortable on a rock, I inform a couple of the guides that this is what I'm going to do so that they will not wake me until it is time to go.
After lunch, we drop down from Lava Tower. This down climb is pretty treacherous and we're forced to take it very slow. I actually enjoy it, but it's very difficult for some of our members, as they have never done anything quite like this before.
We're still at eighteen strong at the moment, as we wander into camp, though some of the group are really struggling. I count myself among those due to the lack of sleep. We covered another 5.1 miles today (cumulative total 19.2 miles) and will be camping at Barranca Camp, which sits at 13,000 ft.Dinner consists of more grilled cheese and vegetable soup, which I try to enjoy before crawling in my tent and falling asleep. The winds are strong up here and blowing our tents all around, even though they are tied down well and are safe from blowing away. Between the wind and the cold though, it does make it difficult to sleep. I end up getting about three hours of good sleep and then tossing and turning the rest of the night.
Day 5 - Barranca Camp to Karanga Camp
Still very tired, I do feel a little better this morning and thankfully, I did not soil myself again through the night. I definitely have a headache though. I crawl out of my sleeping bag and begin packing my gear before heading over for breakfast. Without any warning at all, I suddenly suffer from surprise diarrhea. My body is definitely not liking this high elevation. As I clean myself up and do my best to quarantine my soiled cloths, I begin to question if I'm going to be able to complete this trek and reach the summit.
Before heading into the breakfast tent, I talk with our lead guide and tell him of my troubles and that I'm considering bailing. He lets me know that two others are going to call it quits, but that there really isn't any good way down the mountain from here and that the best option is to hike today, camp tonight, and if I haven't changed my mind to head down the mountain from Karanga Camp tomorrow with the others and one of the assistant guides. That said, he tries to convince me to push through it. I tell him that I will re-evaluate in the morning.
Another day of porridge from breakfast, but today, we have a omelet-like offering, as well as some toast. Almost everyone is feeling the effects of four full days on the mountain and at elevation. Some are struggling, but everyone is still in pretty good spirits.
With breakfast complete, we look up towards our next great challenge - the Barranco Wall. This class 4 scramble rises approximately 840 feet above camp and leads to the next leg of the journey. As we make our way towards it, we pass over a small river that has a couple of interesting waterfalls, including one with a 'tea cup' configuration.
I actually really, really enjoy climbing the wall. Many sections require hands, feet, and even buttocks, but no ropes are anything like that. It's not too terribly difficult for most of us, but some of our members really struggle with it. There are some stretches that are necessary that I can see being very difficult for the vertically challenged.We take a break once we reach the top and as news of my potential departure circulates amongst my new friends, several take a minute to encourage me to keep going. I really do appreciate the concern and comradery. I haven't decided yet, but it's warms the heart to here this from my new friends.
Covering only 2.9 miles today (22.1 cumulative total), we finally reach Karanga Camp at 13,200 ft. During dinner, I try to eat, but only manage to get half a grilled cheese and a small bowl of zucchini soup down.
After dinner and as they have been doing every night, the guides use a pulse-oximeter to check our respective pulses and O^2 saturation. Mine has been okay, though noticeable lower last night. Tonight however, my O^2 saturation is at a dangerously low 71%. To be quite honest, this scares the crap out of me. Even with my limited WFR training, I recognize the danger of this low reading and ask the guides to double-check, which they do. I mention this ready to one of the other members of our group, who is a nurse and she agrees with my assessment. I'm stuck here for the night, but this has pretty much made up my mind about ending my summit attempt.As I crawl into my sleeping bag, I can only think of my family and all of the other things I want to do in my life. At some point, I drift off to sleep with my mind set on heading down the mountain in the morning.
Day 6 - Karanga Camp to Mweka Gate (My Journey's End)
As today's hike up to base camp at Barafu Camp is relatively easy, we get a rare day to sleep in until 6:00am, though I'm awake by 5:30. I have a pretty bad headache this morning, but thanks to some combination of Imodium and turmeric provided by my friends, I managed to make it through the night and even out of my tent without any surprises in my pants.
I wander out to find my friend that organized the trip and let her know of my decision. She's sorry to hear the news, but supportive of my decision. I then try to locate our lead guide and let him know. Similarly, he is disappointed, but understanding. He explains the way the rest of my day will go. Myself and two others from our group that have decided to bail out will have a long day hiking down the mountain with one of the assistant guides. The bus will be ready to pick us up at Mweka Camp when we arrive. Our porters will accompany us with out extra gear.
At breakfast, I say my goodbyes and thank everyone for their kind words of encouragement and support. I wish them well on the rest of their journey to the ceiling of Africa, but explain that while I want to join them, the risks are just too great for me at this point. A few tears are shed and we say our goodbyes with a barrage of hugs outside the mess tent.
With the decision made and the hike continuing, fifteen of our group begin their short trek to Barafu Camp, while the four of us begin making our way down the mountain. We have a lot of ground to cover and a huge amount of elevation to descend. We cross a number of valleys before finding the right way to descend down. The scenery here is breathtaking and I have plenty of time for pictures, as one of my companions has hurt her knee and requires that we move at a relatively slow pace. All good - better to be safe.
We can see Mweka Camp in the distance and once we reach it, we stop to have lunch. Our companions will spend the night after tomorrow at this camp before coming off the mountain themselves. After a quick lunch, we follow a man made stone path down the steep path towards the bottom. The path here reminds me of the Inca Trail, which I hiked almost exactly one year ago in Peru. It's tough on the knees and ankles, but after a couple of miles, turns more into a dirt trail as we re-enter the rainforest.
The final section of the descent takes us along a dirt road, while monkeys observe us from the safety of the surrounding foliage. I try to get some pictures, but no luck. They are too well hidden. Finally arriving at the Mweka Gate, we find our bus and after cleaning up a little bit in the park restrooms, begin the forty-five minute drive back to Lindin Lodge. This last day for me was about 9.6 miles (31.7 trip total) and almost 8,000 feet of elevation lost. Surprisingly, my knees aren't feeling too bad.
As we drive back to the lodge, I ponder my inability to summit Kilimanjaro. Prior to the trip, I had re-read Ernest Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and while, I did not suffer from an infected wound like the protagonist of that story, the elevation was destroying my body and I find comfort in knowing that I made the right decision for me.
Epilogue
Two days after arriving back at the lodge, the three of us that bailed were picked up by the bus once again to meet our friends as they arrived at Mweka Gate after having completed their own journeys. We welcomed the sweaty, stinky group with open arms as they took their final steps off the mountain. Eleven of eighteen were able to reach the summit. In addition to the three of us that bailed two days ago, four others were unable to reach the summit at various points along the way. They spoke of how incredibly difficult the last mile was. They were hiking for a total of seventeen hours that last day, with several members vomiting, suffering from diarrhea, altered consciousness, or lack of consciousness. In the end, I'm just thankful that everyone made it safely.
As we pile into the bus once again, my new friends speak of how exhausted they are and how much they are looking forward to a hot shower back at the lodge. I open a window in the bus and enjoy the wind in my face as we drive back. To my friend sitting next to me, I mention how important small moments are and how we are experiencing one right now - passing through the villages of Tanzania with the wind in our faces after an adventure of this magnitude. It's a special moment and I recognize it not only for our surroundings, but for the company I'm with. I'll just have to pack that one away in my memory for now. These are fantastic people and I'm proud to know each and every one of them.
Back at the lodge, I help a few to their rooms and end up treating one of my new friends for a really nasty blister on her foot in a spot hard for her to reach. My WFR training always seems to come in handy on trips like this.
Later at dinner, we enjoy each others company, the lack of odor from our freshly showered friends, acrobatics from a local Cirque du Soleil-like troupe, and a few bottles of wine and champagne. I get nominated to make a short toast to the group, in which I point out that while the adventure was amazing, the new friends we've each made are far more important. There will always be that next journey, but friends are a treasure far beyond. Well done, my friends. Well done!
