At last, the summit of Kilimanjaro
Tuesday, January 13th
The day has finally arrived – time to summit Kilimanjaro! A quick breakfast that was hard for many to swallow (literally, as they were suffering from the effects of the altitude) warmed us briefly and at 5:00am we were on our way. A short climb in comparison to what we had accomplished the day before, it was still difficult due to the thin air, sore bodies, and 45-degree pitch. Being the photog, I was in front, attempting to capture the climb – a difficult task between the cold and fatigue. The benefit of this – I was the first to reach the summit and got to witness the sun just as it peaked over the horizon. I was absolutely blown away at all the beauty that surrounded me – mountain peaks, glaciers, clouds and beautiful colors. So overcome with emotion and exhaustion, I could barely shed a tear, got behind the camera and continued to shoot.
One by one, our trekkers reached the summit – exhausted, exuberated, and emotional. At 19, 341’ you don’t exactly get to hang around on the summit as the altitude can effect you in ways you don’t realize. Tears were shed, hugs given, and many congratulations to us all. One by one, we all stood in front of the Kilimanjaro sign to capture our moment of triumph, a big group shot, and then the descent began.
Sooner than we wanted, we began our descent back down the mountain – but down the Barafu route this time. While our trek was quite challenging, it was also incredibly beautiful and we all agreed we were happy to have climbed this way. The route down was basically gravel and dirt – difficult footing going down, and undoubtedly even more so going up.
800’ up, followed by 9,500’ down makes for a physically challenging day. Knees and hips ached, but our hearts glowed as WE DID IT! We climbed Kilimanjaro. All 18 of us made it up the mountain, despite altitude sickness, aches, pains and mental challenges.
As Aden mentioned at lunch a few days prior, this challenge we embarked on to help others is nothing compared to the battle that cancer patients deal with on a daily basis. We are all so proud to have had this opportunity to call upon our inner strengths to help the kids at the oncology center in Tanzania, and for all the support of our friends and families – both financially and emotionally – that have aided us along the way.
Thank you to everyone for your messages of love and support along the way. Tomorrow is our last day on the mountain with a four-hour trek to the gate, and long-awaited showers and actual beds. You can continue to follow our journey as we go on a four-day safari followed by a visit to the oncology center in Dar es Salaam.
Brrrrrrrr! Early rises & steep ascents
Monday, January 12th
Good morning!! 3:30am comes fast and cold on the mountain. Everyone layered up to a point of minimal movement like Ralphie’s little brother in “A Christmas Story”. A quick breakfast of hot porridge in the tent and we were ready to go! Well, almost. As much as we all are excited to be here and to help the kids in Tanzania, a cold, early morning start is still cold, and early. Helmets were distributed as we would be traversing through the “Danger Zone” this morning – or as I preferred to call it, the fluffy kitten.
“Pole, pole” (take it slowly) the guides continued to tell us as we embarked up the dark, rocky trail known as the Western Breach. The only light coming from our headlamps and the half-moon that shined down on us, we really had no idea what was in store for us.
We call ourselves trekkers, but this was some hard-core mountaineering. Up, up and up we went. Over rocks and snow, switchback after switchback. Sometimes climbing on hands and knees to get over a rock face. It’s hard to gauge the degree of incline, but going up was nearly insane, and nothing you’d want to have to go back down again.
By the time the sun started to rise above the rocky cliffs in front of us, most of us were in the middle of the face, battling the mountain and altitude. The incredibly strong men that they are, the porters soon caught up with us and a giant train of humans formed up the mountain. I’m blown away by their strength and dexterity. These men (one I saw wearing only Nike Air) carried a minimum of 40lbs on their backs, shoulders or on top of their heads up the Western Breach, as nimble as a mountain goat and as strong as an ox. Seriously.
Seven-and-a-half hours later, our whole team finally reached the summit of the breach (much to the delight of many who were pushed to their limit) and walked the last 10 minutes to camp.
Lucky for us, the sun was out for most of the day, and we were able to warm ourselves again. Some sat around camp and listened to Brett play guitar and teach the water guys a reggae song, while others nap in cozy tents, took a hike to the ash pit, or walked over to the nearby glacier cave for some photo opportunities.
The biggest thrill for us all were the hot water bottles that were distributed at the end of dinner. To have something to warm your sleeping bags on a freeeeeeeezing night is an absolute luxury!!! (opinions to the temperature vary from 10 to 20 degrees. Any way you put it, it was COLD.) We snuggled into our bags and mentally prepared ourselves for the 4:00am wake-up call and final 800’ ascent to the summit.