At 19,000+ feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest peak in Africa and the highest, free-standing mountain in the world (i.e., one that is not part of a mountain range). Climbing it had been on my personal “bucket list” for some time. Several years back, when we were living on the coast of Kenya north of Mombasa, my step-daughter finished university and was taking a "late gap year" staying with us. She announced that she wanted to climb Kilimanjaro; I immediately agreed to join her! We polled the other kids and got two takers—my two sons (who flew in from the US).
The Way Up
We decided on one of the “easier” routes up the mountain and elected to go for the shortest period—5 days; 3 ½ up and 1 ½ down. Selecting one of the easier routes was a wise decision; doing it in the shortest period was not! On the “less challenging” routes, there was no “technical” climbing, just a very, very long, uphill hike; until the last stretch which was quite steep and slippery (snow and screed), so we had to “zig, zag” back and forth across the face of the mountain. In retrospect, we probably should have done the 7-day trek to give our bodies a bit more time to acclimate to the altitude—especially since my step-daughter and I were coming from sea level!
We had been told that only about 30% of those who do the climb actually make it to the top; one of the main reasons being altitude sickness—which affects many people regardless of age or level of physical fitness. It was, without a doubt, the single most physically exhausting thing I have ever done; and I have never been colder in my entire life!
Kibo Hut
On the day of the final section of the climb, we arrived at Kibo Hut in the late afternoon, had some food, and were advised to get some sleep; at 12:30am we were awakened to begin the last stretch. Why that time you ask? So we could reach the peak just before dawn to witness the sunrise from 19,000 feet!
Reaching the Summit
That last portion of the climb went on forever; and because it was so slippery it was “one step forward; two steps sliding back” (or so it seemed)! Our Tanzanian guides, one in the front and one in the rear, kept encouraging us along. They were both in their mid-50s and didn’t appear to be breathing hard at all! We were; and had to stop on a number of occasions just to catch our breath!!
Yes, we did make it to the summit and it was pretty spectacular! In talking about our “little hike” afterwards, I told the kids I had vowed to myself that there was absolutely no way they were going to make it to the top without me! They burst out laughing; why? They had made the same promise to themselves—they were not going to let their Old Man (me) get there without them! We all had a good chuckle.
My next objective? Well, I have an eight year old grandson; I’m thinking he is getting close to the age when he too can do the climb! (Actually, I thought six was the right age; his mother (along with his granny) disagreed—rather strongly!) But, maybe we can still be the oldest / youngest to make the climb together. We shall see!
