We were up early and at the airport by 8am for the short flight to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. Kilimanjaro (or Kili as it is fondly called) is right on the border between Kenya and Tanzania and is over 19,000 feet high. We had superb views of Kili as we flew by - we took lots of photos and all looked at each other in awe - it surely is one huge mountain! Could we really be climbing the largest free standing mountain in the world starting tomorrow - excitement and apprehension were rampant! The Kili airport is quite small and very tropical with lovely flowers and warm sunshine to welcome us. We were picked up by Emmanuelle from African Walking Tours and transported by van the 1 hour to the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort - a lovely hotel with swimming pool and wonderful grounds in Marangu. After lunch by the pool in the sunshine we took the hike down to the Waterfall - this was very steep in luxuriant foliage - and a very steep hike back up - we could definitely feel the altitude here at approximately 6400 feet. The entire area is a tropical paradise full of banana trees and other exotic flowers and plants. By 4pm we were back at the Kilimanjaro Mountain Lodge where we had an orientation with a rep from African Walking Company - he verified that we had brought everything we would need on the climb, and explained what we could expect the next day and on the mountain. Later that evening we each weighed our duffle bag that the porters would carry to a maximum of 15kg each. Our own backpacks would contain everything we needed for the day including snacks, layers of clothing, drinking water (oh so heavy for a minimum of 2 litres each day). We couldn't wait to get started and so it was pretty early to bed after supper.
Saturday August 21, 2010 Marangu to start of the RONGAI trail.
Almost too excited to eat breakfast, we ate and waited at the front of the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort for our driver to arrive. We packed the pink plastic boxes with our lunch into our day packs. There was another group of about 12 folks from the UK also waiting to start the walk - they didn't know each other and we felt so lucky to be in a group that had all planned and trained together for the last 12 months and had grown so close to each other during that time frame - we felt we could all provide good support for each other during the next week. For the nearly 3 hour drive to the trailhead, we laughed and sang along the way - nearly all on a dusty red sand highway that is currently under construction (soon to be paved) all the way to NaleMoru at the start of the RONGAI trailhead for climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. We even passed the town of Kikelewa - a name we recognised since we would soon be hiking this point on the mountain. The drive gradually gained altitude and we certainly knew that we were on the side of the mountain. At this point we signed in with the warden (we had to do this at each camp - names, passport numbers, age sex etc - all visitors are logged very carefully by the wardens - the fee is quite high each day for climbing Kilimanjaro). You are not allowed to climb Kilkimanjaro without a guide - there have been just too many instances of people getting lost and ill, as we would soon see first hand. There were many locals milling around, and it is at this point that the guides and porters arrange themselves with who will be carrying what up the mountain. Our private group had 23 porters, 1 chef Joseph, 2 assistant guides James and Julius and 1 chief guide Florence - and what a huge responsibility Florence has for all the porters as well as us, the clients. We would very rapidly come to have great faith in every one of these wonderful Tanzanian people without whom we could never have climbed Kilimanjaro.
Very shortly we were off with Julius to start our climb - stopping first to read the many warnings at the trailhead - these emphasised the difficult climb and how you needed to be fit and well prepared.
We started walking with assistant guide Julius in the lead and the very first of our "Pole Pole" comments from Julius who was in the lead. Pole Pole means "slowly slowly" in Swahili and we were very aware and expecting this - but very soon you realise just how "pole pole" you need to go! It was an interesting walk through maize fields and a forest. At first we passed through a couple of chambas (homes and small farms) growing and harvesting maize, but soon you enter the National Park where noone is allowed to settle. The forest had the fabulous black and white Colobus monkeys with their massive tails swinging through the trees - we truly felt both physically and emotionally that we were on a special trip. After a brief stop for lunch from our pink lunch box, we continued the walking - every step gaining more altitude. The porters were passing us all moving much faster than us and with large loads usually carried on their heads. This included tents, food, sleeping bags and mats, metal tables, and other assorted items all required for the next week on the mountain where the temperatures are well below freezing at night and getting colder each day as you climb higher and higher.
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| First night at Simba Camp |
We reached our first camp Simba Camp at 9,400 feet and saw our 3 little green tents - home for us for the next 6 nights on the side of Mt Kilimanjaro. However - we also breathed a sigh of relief when we saw our little square blue tent containing our private porta potti! When you share the mountain with mostly men the zipper on the toilet tent each night is a welcome bit of privacy - not to say that we didn't see the back of many bushes along the way during each day as we climbed! We dropped our backpacks and set off to do an acclimatisation hike - this is highly recommended since the difficulties on Mt Kilimanjaro all relate to the high altitude and how your body does (or does not) acclimatise as you hike ever higher each day. So with the acclimatisation hike we gained about 100 feet and then dropped back down to Simba Camp to have dinner and sleep. The hike took us through the other groups - each camped in the very limited space available - a myriad of tents and people. In fact - space is so limited at this camp that one tent for another group was erected barely inches in front of our porta potti tent! Certainly there were quite a few women in the groups, but mostly men overall due to the high proportion of male porters and guides. There are currently 20 female porters on the books of African Walking Company, and they are currently trying to hire more. We had one female porter in our little band of merry porters and guides. The guides all spoke excellent English but many of the porters speak only Swahili or their native language. We quickly learned Swahili for "keep left" or "keep right" to keep to the side of the trail so that the porters sweating profusely under their heavy loads could pass by without us holding them up. Our dinner was prepared by Joseph and served every day by Dao - excellent food and far too much of it - starting with wonderful hot soups and nutritious meals. We were all taking diamox - a drug used to help the body cope with the high altitude, hopefully controlling the nausea and headaches which are common symptons. One side effect being the need to pee often - the worst time being getting out of the sleeping bag in the middle of the night into the very frosty air to go to our private tent - it was such an effort to leave that warm sleeping bag in the middle of the night. Since there are no lights on the mountain and no noise at all - every sound can be heard. Later on in the trip - we determined that it took 14 zippers to go to the bathroom each night - there were 5 of us, and when one goes we all seem to have to go, so that was 70 zipper pulls for one trip each to the bathroom! The sleeping bag zipper down, the tent zipper open and close, the fly zipper open and close, the toilet tent zipper open and close when you go in, then open and close when you come out, the the fly zipper open and close, the tent zipper open and close, then the sleeping bag zipper closed - and by now you are cold and shivering and the sleeping bag has to be warmed up again! So no matter how quiet you tried to be - everyone knew where you were and how far along in the 14 zipper process!
Sunday August 22 Simba Camp to Kikelewa Caves at 11,800 feet.
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| Mawenzi Peak in the background |
We were excited and the first group to leave Simba Camp - Pole Pole we walked through the other camps and continued gaining altitude one step at a time. We started to see fabulous views of the ice fields on the top of KIBO - the youngest (only 350,000 years ago since it errupted) and the highest of the 3 volcanoes that form the entire mountain. We could really start to feel the altitude that we were gaining and welcomed any and every rest stop that we took - be it for 2 minutes or a 10 minute water and snack rest. Florence our lead Guide kept encouraging us to drink and eat - he always wanted us to eat and drink more because he warned us that as we got higher on the mountain our appetites would decrease but our bodies would need the stored energy. James the other assistant guide was a wonderful singer and would sing along and joke with us - we were truly becoming a group of 8 including our 3 guides and everyone would joke with, talk with, and support the rest of the group. At one point during our 10 minute water stop we sang our WAKA WAKA Tsaminmina Zangalewa song to the guides and they loved it - even the guides from other groups passing by joined in. Some memorable times were when we all sang and joked together. This was to be a very long and hard day - we arrived at our lunch stop feeling very tired - the wind was blowing, the clouds had built around us and we were very cold. Joseph and the porters had arrived at the lunch stop ahead of us - the mess tent had been set up and we were served a hot lunch starting as always with a nutritious soup. These porters were amazing - when we left camp our tents had still been up. While we had been walking they had taken down the tents and transferred everything up the mountain, passing us on their way, then setting up the mess and toilet tents and perparing and cooking a hot meal for us. We never, never could get over the support, strength and hard work that our African Walking Company porters and guides put out each and every hour to help us to climb Kilimanjaro.
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| Camping at Kikelewa Caves |
After lunch, we set out again crossing the moorland on a narrower path with lots of ups and downs and rocks to be careful of - and we were so tired. When you walk in a line all following the guide that is in the front setting the pace Pole Pole, the rythmn is important. It takes a few minutes each time you stop to get the rythmn going again - and the more tired that you get the harder it is to get going again so frequent restbreaks and stops are avoided. This means that taking photographs is often done while walking, or not at all. Everything that you do becomes a large effort and sometimes you just zoned out and kept plodding along wondering just how far it was going to be to the camp. Because you walk so Pole Pole, you have no idea how far you have walked or still have to go - you have no concept of how long it can take to walk 3 or 4 miles. This was a very difficult afternoon, until eventually we saw the Kikelewa camp in the distance - we just had to walk down into the gulley and there was the camp with our 3 little tents sitting in a perfect position away from the crowds of other tents - we found out later that one of our porters had left extra early that morning to get us a preferred spot a little away from the other groups.
This was so sweet of him, but it was up the hill from the gorge that we had just crossed - there is no way to explain how that 100 feet hike back up to our tents was so hard - almost too much for us to manage! But manage it we did - and again were sat down to a hot cooked dinner already prepared by Joseph and served in the mess tent by Dao. Today was an incredibly hard and long day for us - we were truly exhausted and various headaches and nausea were starting to be felt by us, but our spirits were still high and we laughed and joked as we sat in the mess tent as the sun set and the truly frigid air turned frosty outside the tent. We fell into our sleeping bags - going to bed was never an issue for us all. Each evening as soon as dinner was over we fell gratefully into our down sleeping bags - dressed with lots of clothes! We all had silk liner tops and bottoms, as well as polar fleece layers, and down slippers, mitts, fleece toques, and hand warmers that lasted about 8 hours which we used when feeling chilly. Some nights we also wore our down vests as well - no fashion statements on Mt Kilimanjaro - simply the combination of what we had with us that would keep us warm during the night! Around 2am it was time for the 14 zipper event - after which I decided to set up my camera with the timer to take photos of the incredible moon - only 2 days to full moon and the frosty night air under crystal clear skies with brilliant stars and the amazing milky way was truly awesome.
Monday Aug 23 Kikelewa Caves to Mawenzi Tarn at 14,200 feet.
Every night after dinner, Florence and sometimes Julius and James would come into the mess tent to talk to us. First they would check how much dinner we had (or hadn't) eaten and would tut tut if there was too much food left! Our appetites were really declining and it was also very difficult to eat and go straight to bed afterwards. Before each meal we had to wash our hands in hot soapy water, and then runse them in hot water with Dettol disinfectant to ensure we all stayed healthy. On Mt Kilimanjaro we were all filthy dirty for the entire week! The dust and dirt cannot be described. We all wore gators that came to our knees to help prevent the dust getting into our socks and shoes. Mt Kilimanjaro is a volcanic mountain and so the dust from the volcanic rocks is very fine and gets into everything and goes everywhere. Each day started around 6am with hot Beddie Tea brought to our tents by one of the guides or Dao. This was followed by hot washy washy water (their terms were really cute) for us to wash with to start the day. This probably sounds really relaxing and a nice slow start to the day. Not so! In fact, right after this it was breakfast (hot porridge followed by bread, eggs, bacon, tomatoes and cucumber) and then we had about 5 minutes before we had to be ready with our duffel bag packed for the porter to carry, our sleeping bags rolled up and away along with our therma rest mat, and our day packs ready containing all the supplies and clothes we would need for the day. Each breakfast and dinner we would hand over our water bottles to Dao who would fill with freshly boiled water for our next walk. We had so little time to get packed, washed, down breakfast and take a trip to our private toilet tent - that we were usually awake and started packing about 30 minutes before the hot water arrived in order to be ready at the appointed time to start walking! We eventually changed the schedule - we said just bring the washy washy water to the tents and leave the Beddie Tea to drink at breakfast!
After our breakfast we were very excited - the views of Mawenzi peak were getting closer and so was Kibo - the main summit. It was a beautiful day and we had been warned by Florence the night before that today would be a steep climb. We set off Pole Pole with our guides at the front and back and started up through the grassy slopes with incredible views all around.
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Audrey, Florence, James, Linda, Sue Audrey and Julius on
acclimatisation hike top of Camelback Ridge |
The clouds came and went below us - sometimes completely covering all the Kenyan Plains to the north and sometimes clearing so we could see far below. It was a beautiful day for climbing and we enjoyed it immensely even though it was quite steep. Some of the other groups passed us as they did every day - they would walk a little faster - but we always passed them again. They had to take more frequent and longer stops than we did to recover their breath and strength - our guides were so good at setting a very slow but consistent pace. We stopped about halfway and took photos with Mawenzi in the background - the views were fabulous and exhilerating. We were truly starting to feel that we were gaining on Kilimanjaro - we could feel ourselves getting higher and higher. We arrived at our camp site in good shape, albeit knowing that our bodies were working very hard to exist on the low levels of oxygen as we climbed steadily higher. We were served a hot lunch and then gathered for an afternoon acclimatisation hike to camel ridge on Mawenzi. This terrain was similar to how the climb would be on summit night. It was very steep and switch backs all the way. Again our guides Florence, Julius and Jmaes were at the front and back of oir little team as we climbed the 100 feet - the views at the top were awesome! The sun was brilliant and we could look directly across at Kibo - the suumit was closer than ever and oh so high! Without our packs the climb was quite manageable but we were very glad to be at the top and rest and enjoy the views, even take time to take photos. It was a very slow climb down - you have to tread very carefully not to slip and fall - the switchbacks are necessary for climbing both up and down - you always need to be vigilant with every step.
After awhile we started singing and then our guides started singing Tanzanian songs for us and even dancing a little as they came down the trail. Their voices were harmonizing beautifully and we truly had a wonderful afternoon surrounded by Mawenzi and her fabulous scenery on the sides of Mt Kilimanjaro.
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| Sue and Aud feeling on top of the world |
Tuesday August 24, 2010 Mawenzi Tarn to Horombo Huts across the saddle - down to 12, 200 feet.
Today was the extra day that we had included in our Mt Kilimanjaro climb - this was an extra day for acclimatisation before the push to the summit.
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| Mawenzi at sunrise before we leave to cross the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo |
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| Michelle, Florence and Linda climbing up to Camelback Ridge |
After our hot porridge and tea, we were the first group to head out and start up camel ridge. With our packs on it was tougher than yesterday but we were soon at the top and starting down the other side facing Kibo. This side going down was even steeper and trickier - we concentrated on our feet and each step - not lifting our heads to see just how steep and potentially dangerous this could be for a misstep! As we crossed the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo the wind was very strong and some of the gusts were massive, but the wide open views of Kibo were amazing - we were so close to the final slopes leading up to the summit but spent all day walking down and away from Kibo for our acclimatisation day. Little did we know at that point that Mother Nature herself was about to change our plans! It was a long day but not hard since it was a gentle decline all day long and when we reached the huts at Horombo, our tents were ready for us. Joseph had the afternoon tea and popcorn ready for us and we were soon warm inside the mess tent and out of the cold winds that come up through the valley here. At Horombo there are several huts that can be booked (enough for 178 folks), but there is full agreement that the private tents are much nicer accomodations. At each camp I had to go and register for our little group - the warden's office was just a 100 yards below our camp at Horombo. After registering, I climbed the 100 yards back up to our tents, and it was such an effort and the mountain reminded me that I was now at 12,200 feet - my red blood cells had increased to compensate for the increased altitude and my lungs were labouring to try to get enough oxygen - living at sea level meant hard work for a body now existing at well over 12,000 feet!
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| KIBO Summit trail and saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo |
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| Zebra Rocks |
We had our afternoon tea and then our guides Julius and Florence joined us in the mess tent and we all relaxed and played cards, and sang a few songs together. We had all been working very hard for days and this was our chance to relax, enjoy and learn a little about each other. Then after our hot soup and dinner, Florence and his 2 assistants Julius and James came to talk to us. Back in 2006 several guides and tourists were killed on the western Breach approach to the Kibo summit on Mt Kilimanjaro after a rock fall, and this approach was closed permanently due to the dangers. Well, it turns out that our planned route via Barafu just had such a problem and there has been a rock fall which the guides just learned about. This means that for safety we will now be summiting via the Kibo hut Marangu route - this is the route where we had passed today and spent all day walking away from it across the saddle! There was very little to be said - safety is at the forefront of every guide's plans and we are all very aware of our bodies and their limitations - we had no intention of taking any chances. It was a disappointment since we had planned our route 12 months earlier giving us the best chance of reaching the summit and acclimatising as we climbed ever higher. The ascent from Kibo Huts has the biggest failure rate due to the steepness of the final push to the summit.
Wednesday August 25, 2010 Horombo Hut to Kibo Huts at 15.480 feet.
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| Long and winding trail to KIBO from Horombo - ever upwards |
We start early after our hot breakfast with porridge - our flasks are filled with hot water or hot tea, and we are ready. We have to climb over 3,000 feet today. Our guides have decided that they will carry our day packs - they want us to reach the summit and want us to retain as much energy as we can. Without our daypacks we feel energetic and raring to go - but that euphoric feeling lasts ony a very short while - regaining the elevation we dropped yesterday is a long hard struggle as we walk to Kibo huts. Looking at this trail in a photograph, it would never seem to be such an issue - it looks long and gentle - but oh what a killer. It goes up and up and up with never a break - and the altitude gets higher and higher with every pole pole step. We stop for water and a bathroom break along the trail - there is a helicopter landing pad staked out here - a warning to us all that medical emergencies are a daily occurrence here. As if to reinforce this fact we see 2 guides speed walking down the trail with a tourist climber between them - his lips are blue and his head is bobbing around pretty much uncontrollably - his feet are dragging - this chap is perhaps 30 years younger than we are and the altitude has taken its' toll on him. Altitude sickness comes in several forms - many life threatening and the treatment is the same - down down down. As soon as someone has altitiude sickness they must immediately descend. Our guides have told us this is a major issue, but the most difficult cases are when the client won't descend - he or she is intent on reaching that summit. Yes - deaths occur on Mt Kilimanjaro - they may not be every day or every week, but they are not infrequent. We are all still feeling good - our breathing is laboured and we need the rest stops, and as the day continues we know that we are getting outside of our comfort zone - if we weren't already for the last several days! We continue walking Pole Pole and before too long we see another climber being dragged down Mt Kilimanjaro by his guides - again he is out of it and incoherent - needless to say we find this a little unsettling. We stop for lunch just below the Kibo huts. I mention this since that's where we were - in full sight of the Kibo huts which were apparently not far away. After lunch we start on the last section of the trail - and it is as if someone stretched that trail while we were not watching! We continue Pole Pole with one step in front of the other, one step in front of the other, one step in front of the other. Then we look up at the Kibo huts - are we imagining it or have the Kibo huts moved further away? They surely don't seem any closer!
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| Will we ever get to KIBO campsite? |
We struggled on and on and on - this short distance took so long we felt we would never reach Kibo huts, but eventually we did. Sure enough - our porters and chef are already settled in - our small tents and toilet tent are ready and waiting for us. The entire area is so busy - filled with people like us arriving and people getting ready to head back down Mt Kilimanjaro to Horombo Huts where we just came from. Our tents are essentially in the middle of the trail - when I have my door open I can watch the folks heading back down and those just arriving. I see one climber arrive with his guide just ahead of him. The toursit leans over his poles and vomits, then he stands up and takes 2 stops, then leans over and repeats the process. This is not a walk in the park - Mt Kilimanjaro is taking her toll on every one of us climbing her today. We lay down to rest - our guides will call us shortly for a hot dinner, then we rest until 10:30pm and have another hot dinner before the final push to the summit starting at midnight.
Thursday Aug 26, 2010 Kibo Hut to Summit to Horombo Huts
We head in to the mess tent for a late night dinner - our appetites have pretty much disappeared entirely by now and Florence tut tuts as he lifts up the lid off the very tasty and appetising dish that Joseph has prepared but that we can't manage to eat, so the pot is still full. Then we have to get dressed in preparation for the climb and the bitter cold and wind on the mountain. We put on every layer - 6 layers on top and 5 layers from our waist down. We have mitts, extra socks in our boots, two hats on our heads, face masks, hand warmers in our pockets, as well as hand warmers in our camera bags to try and prevent the batteries from dying or the cameras refusing to work. We all have headlights on to see our way up the mountain. We scheduled the climb 12 months ago to take advantage of the full moon which happened the night before our summit. The sky is crystal clear and the starry night is beautiful - the milky way has millions of stars in it swishing across the sky. But there is no time to stop and admire the night - ahead of us we see headlamps moving up the mountain and Florence asks us to follow him pole pole. This is a huge struggle - we move ever so slowly one step after the other, one step after the other. We need the warm clothes because every foot higher means it is colder and the winds start to increase as we go higher. We pass folks sitting by the side of the trail - Florence our guide tells these folks to keep moving - they mustn't sleep here or they may not wake up - the brain starts to shut down due to lack of oxygen. Other folks are bent over - the ever present nausea and vomiting kicking in. We stop to remove a jacket - just so hot with all the clothes we have on and the tremendous energy the body is exerting for every single step. Time seems to go by so fast but the climb up takes so long. The trail is through volcanic scree - it is shale that is unforgiving and a slip is easy. The trail zig zags in very short turns - the trail getting steeper and steeper as we go higher and higher. We have our 3 guides with us Florence Julius and James, and one summit porter with us, Dao. They each carry our packs with hot tea and any extra snacks or clothing that we are not wearing. There is no talking between us - every ounce of energy is focussed on the current step - not the next step - but just getting that current foot up and down - I think we all move to a different place in our brains to try to manage this huge undertaking that we have planned and trained for over the last 12 months. James starts to sing quietly - amazing these guides of ours - their support of us and their ability to keep going up this huge mountain week after week is truly unbelievable. Over the next several hours we separate from each other with our own guide, and we all reach our own summit - the emotions are very high and very personal. This has been a wonderful year - each of us getting to know the others so well, yet when we were on the last final push to the summit - we are each alone with our own thoughts, wishes and fears. We are now concerned only with doing what we can manage, and evaluating every moment what our bodies are telling us. Bloody noses are common at this elevation but the brain is really too tired and starved of oxygen to want much more than to descend quickly and get rest and oxygen. The wind and clouds have moved in to obscure the views below and the cold is bitter. The descent is hard on the knees and slow for thos of us walking back down the switchbacks, or fast if you took the "skiing" approcah straight down the scree skiing on your boot heels!
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Safely back at KIBO huts .....
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| ... with the help of our Guides |
By 8 am we are celebrating in the sunshine with our huge Canadian Flag back at Kibo Huts - we are hugging each other and our guides and porters are singing for us - we have very little breath to sing or dance - even though we laugh and cry and hug each other. Our porters take photos of us all - dazed faces but happy smiles - our emotions are very high. These emotions continue to be very close to the surface for a very long time - I don't think any of us understand yet what we have done and why it is such an emtional journey - but it is. But the altitide is the master up here on the roof of Africa - it is dangerous to stay up here, we need to descend quickly. None of us have had serious side effects other than bloody noses, headaches, nausea and altitude coughs and these coughs have been getting steadily worse over the last few days. So our guides get us moving - they take our packs and we head down to Horombo - over 3000 feet lower. We are physically tired and emotionally exhausted but we are happy heading down. We see one guide bringing up the metal stretcher which has been used twice in the last 24 hours to carry down sick people - one of
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| Warden carrying the stretcher back up to KIBO |
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| The path down from KIBO, Mawenzi on the horizon |
whom it turns out was in a group that started the climb same day as us - we had nicknamed them Team Sweden and they called us Team Canada - all of us proud of what we were doing and where we came from. The chap carrying the metal stretcher is exhausted, he stops and rests and then carries on - pole pole, one step at a time. This is too high for emergency rescues by helicopter - every sick person has to be carried or dragged down to a lower elevation by someone else. This mountain spares noone, even the guides, porters and wardens who spend several days each week on the mountain tell us that each time they climb they have to acclimatise themselves to the altitude. One of our own porters was sick the day before as we climbed up to Kibo huts - our guides stopped to check and carried the porter's pack the rest of the way themselves.
I don't remember what time we made it back to Horombo Huts - all I know is that every step down Kilimanjaro made us feel better. Our bodies need oxygen and there is no oxygen to spare in the higher regions of Mt Kilimanjaro which at over 19,000 feet is the Roof of Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. We had lunch and then gratefully collapsed into our sleeping bags to rest. We were so dirty it was impossible to get clean - although we did try, but the dust on Kilimanjaro gets everywhere. We decided that the dust in our hands was permanently ground in and would take forever to get rid of. We had sunburn on the backs of our hands - we had used poles for every step on the mountain, and even though we frequently wore gloves, our hands were in the same position all the time and were blistered and red. Our noses were raw from blowing them so much. Our coughs were persistent and all night long we could hear coughing from most of the tents for all the groups. But we were ecstatic. We had spent the last 12 months preparing for the most difficult thing that we will ever do in our lives, but we had experienced and accomplished much more than we ever expected to. We had walked pole pole up Mt Kilimanjaro step by step with each other and our guides. We had laughed, cried, sang at the top of our voices and felt joyful at being able to face this challenge and enjoy it. We had kept walking when we didn't think we could take one more step. We had laughed together when we had doubted our ability to have enough breath to laugh. We had shared tips and stories - and we had even listened to enough zippers pulled to identify who was using the private toilet tent! Most of all - we had met the challenge of Mt Kilimanjaro - and in the story that life is - we had met new friends and shared wonderful stories and truths that will last with us all for ever.
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| Joseph our chef with Julius, James and Florence - our amazing guides |
Friday August 27, 2010 Horombo Huts to Marangu Gate 5600 feet
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| Last morning Sunrise at Horombo Huts |
The morning started with us needing to be ready to leave at 7:15am. The hot shower in the Kia Hotel at Mt Kilimanjaro airport was calling and we were packed and ready to go in lots of time. Joseph had lunch boxes packed for us all - then it was time for a chuckle as we each opened the lunch box and took out of it what we thought we would eat - the general consensus was "if I'm not going to eat it then I'm not carrying it in my pack!" Before we left we had our tipping ceremony with the porters. We were so impressed with all our staff that we were generous - how could we ever repay any of them for all of their care and support of us through those long days and nights? They sang to us and danced for us - and then we suprised them by saying Thank You in Swahili (translated the day before) and then we sang to them our Waka Waka song (from the South Africa World Cup Soccer event 2010). They were all suprised and loved it! The words were so appropriate for our challenge that we had been learning this song for the last several months. We had trouble getting enough breath to sing on our last day on Kilimanjaro but we managed and had fun. We had other groups coming over to watch and listen - we were all having so much fun everyone just wanted to join in!
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| Our support team of 23 porters and guides as we leave Horombo |
Then we started on the 23km hike down Mt Kilimanjaro to Marangu Gate. This was mostly in the clouds but beautiful terrain. We were moving fast but it was a long way and our bodies were tired. Some of the trail was muddy and there were loose rocks - again we had to take each step carefully. We spoke Swahili to all the porters and guides - we had learned well how to say hello. how are you, thank you, and doing fine. As our own porters passed us on their way down with their loads - they all smiled and laughed with us as we said Goodbye - it was the last day for our small Mt Kilimanjaro family to share the mountain together. It was a long walk out, but eventually we reached the Marangu Gate where yet again our chef Joseph was waiting for us with lunch boxes! He never gave up trying to feed us - even as we left the mountain!
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| Last day hiking to Marangu from Horombo in the clouds |
Our packs and duffel bags were loaded into the Jeep, our driver was Dismas. Emails and phone numbers were exchanged - hugs all around and then it was time to leave. We rolled down the windows and our Waka Waka song could be heard steaming from the Jeep windows as the Ladies Team Canada of 5 rolled out of the parking lot at Marangu Gate. Our guides and porters were cheering and dancing as we waved our last Goodbye to them. It was a quiet ride back to the Kia Lodge at the Mt Kilimanjaro airport. Most everyone snoozed and rested. After checkin at the hotel, all of the dirt from the last week was washed off - it took many tries! We sorted out all of our gear and left lots of clothes and equipment for the guides and porters that we would not be needing again - all of the clothing and socks being dirty - but we were assured this would not be an issue, in fact it would all be very welcome.
That evening in the lounge at the KIA Lodge, I had an informal get together with Richard - the owner of African Walking Company. In the busy season he has 500 guides and porters on Mt Kilimanjaro on any day - what a huge responsibility that is! So as unreal as it seems to us today - we have completed what we planned to do - to climb Kilimanjaro. No matter how much we researched and read - the experience is different than anyone can imagine - it's tougher, it's better, it's incredibly emotional and fulfilling. It's both awful and awesome. So to the 4 wonderful ladies who have just shared with me the most difficult thing I have ever, or will ever, do in my life - you are awesome and Asante Sana! There are no 4 ladies with whom I could ever have had such a fun and exciting time, and so much support.
Now it's time to head off to our luxury Flying Safari in Hemingway style -
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| Jan & Trry landing in Samburu, Kenya |
and what a wonderful 7 days that was as we flew to Samburu and then on to the Masai Mara to watch the most incredible spectacle in the world as the wildebeest and zebra continue their great migration from Serengeti into the Masai Mara. It was simply an amazing time - we saw so much every day - and were treated to 5 star accomodations, food and service each and every day - just what we needed after the ardours of Mt Kilimanjaro!
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| Sunset in the Masai Mara |
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| Cheetahs in the Masai Mara |
After the Safari we headed back to Ndandini Village, Kenya to commemorate the well that we drilled in June this year - you can check out all the goings on in Ndandini at
www.ndandini.blogspot.com
Jan & Terry Umbach
6437 HIGHWAY 101, SECHELT, B.C.
V0N3A7 CANADA
TEL: (604) 740-8835
FAX: (604) 740-8836
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