The descent was no walk in the park either. Two words: snow storm!!! Merle (Canada) said it was close to a blizzard. It was awful. Everything was covered in white. I wondered if the guides had lost the trail as it was obvious we were taking a different route on the way down. My eyeglasses became frosted. I could hardly see. Breathing was labored. I had to stop frequently to catch my breath. I forgot to purchase a backpack cover for the trip. Every time it rained, my pack would get soaked and weigh me down. This time however, it was as solid as a block of ice! I unloaded some of my water to ease the weight. Simon called in the porters to meet us and help us carry our packs. We were so grateful. It took forever but we made it to camp somewhere around 6pm. I mustered up the strength for dinner and crashed in the tent, completely worn out and proud. 12 hour hike.
DAY 9 [Fri, Oct 14]: Barafu Camp (14,950ft) to Mweka Camp (10,400ft)
Tired but content after achieving our goal, we started our hike to the exit. Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song" came to mind. Our last night on Kili. During supper the guides gave a very moving, humbling speech which kept me up at night. 5.5 hour hike.
DAY 10 [Sat, Oct 15]: Mweka Camp (10,400ft) to Moshi (3,000ft)
4 hour hike through the rain forest to reach the gate. Of course, it was wet and muddy. Signed out, and got on a SUV for the 30 minute drive to the hotel. Had a lukewarm Kilimanjaro Premium Lager to celebrate. SHOWERED!!! First shower in 10 days! Got our certificates, had lunch and visited a couple of stores in Moshi.
With the exception of the climb to the summit, we could have shortened our hiking time considerably... but, we rallied around 69 year old retiree Jim O'Brien (aka "Babu" - Swahili for grandpa) from South Carolina and made sure he made it to the top and back. We started our day later than most groups and were the last to reach the camps. It probably improved our acclimatization. Everyone in our group reached the summit free of headaches and/or nausea.
The outfitter I selected for this expedition, Tusker Trail, made sure we were taken care of. They brought us hot tea / coffee / chocolate to the tent every morning. Gave us a hot breakfast, lunch and dinner every day high in carbs and protein. Water was filtered. Trekkers had their own portable tented toilet which the porters made sure to clean often. You had a medical checkup twice a day which included testing the oxygen in your body, your heart rate and hearing your lungs for any signs of HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema). Notwithstanding all these creature comforts, climbing Kili was no easy task. Two guides who together claim to have 400+ summits under their belt commented that this was the worst weather they've seen in over 20 years!
Overall, this is not what I would call "fun" or "enjoyable". It's more of a personal journey where you learn more about yourself and what you're capable of. You are WAY off your comfort zone, battling the elements, asking your body to give more than it previously has, but most of all, you're pushing the self-imposed boundaries of your mind. You can't help but come out of it a better man. Am I glad I did it? Yes. Would I do it again? No. Life is short and the World has got a lot to offer for one to get stuck on repeat. Everest Base Camp anyone?
DAY 2 [Fri, Oct 7]: Mti Mkubwa (9,170ft) to Shira Plateau (11,500ft)
Diarrhea strikes back. With a vengeance. Went 6 times! Simon cut off the Diamox (altitude med) and got me on a steady dose of Pepto & Imodium. The weight from my pack was distributed between the guides and some of my fellow trekkers. Sunny day. There were fresh prints on the trail of a young water buffalo we never got to see. On a side note, it's impressive seeing the porters carry 20lbs on their backs and 30lbs on their heads throughout all these different terrains and climates. None of them have trekking poles and some of them are wearing sneakers! 7.5 hour hike.
DAY 3 [Sat, Oct 8]: Shira Plateau (11,500ft) to Moir Camp (13,650ft)
Sleeping confined in one of these "mummy" type sleeping bags is not for those of us who continually toss and turn. I've had some horrible nightmares these past two nights. Back on Diamox, no longer on Malarone (Malaria med). Stomach seems to be holding up. At least I'm starting to fart like normal people! I've been very careful with what I eat but today one of the porters came down with a nasty bout of hypothermia. He was tended to and sent back down to Moshi. So I started to take my snacks again (sugar). I'd rather deal with diarrhea than hypothermia! Arrived at camp with a mild headache and a fever. Took some Tylenol. Already thinking of treating myself to a mofongo @ Raices and a massage when I get back. 7.5 hour hike.
DAY 4 [Sun, Oct 9]: Moir Camp (13,650ft) to Barranco Camp (12,850ft)
It was a cold, cold night. I was shivering like crazy! Only after I wore my down jacket was I able to bring it under control. I got to hear a jackal running around at night hunting for food. I've been lathering my shoulders and triceps with "IcyHot" medicated spray these past two days to give my muscles (or lack thereof) some relief from the pain. Dehydrated, with little sleep and sore, I somehow soldier on. Had lunch @ Lava Tower (14,950ft) to acclimate and then descended through the Giant Senecio forest to Barranco. A huge fog came in, it was wet and gloomy. This hike was brutal. You know how there comes a time during these excursions when you ask yourself: "what the hell I'm I doing here?" Well, so far it's been like that EVERY SINGLE DAY! Finished with a fever again, no headache. 8.5 hour hike.
DAY 7 [Wed, Oct 12]: Karanga Camp (13,200ft) to Barafu Camp (14,950ft)
It rained all night. We hiked 3.5 hours in the wet fog to get to Barafu. When we arrived, there was still ice on the floor. It's going to be a cold night. Our acclimatization hike was cancelled. All this mist that has surrounded us the past 3 or 4 days is unfortunate because we don't get to appreciate the landscape, but it also means there's very little dust in the air, reducing the risk of my asthma rearing its ugly head. We had a final summit climb briefing at 4pm. After a lot of thought I decided against sleeping at Crater Camp. It's set at 18,700ft where there's 50% less oxygen, increasing your chances of getting a severe headache and 2 hours of sleep is the norm. I wasn't the only one. I'm excited and anxious about tomorrow all at the same time. I hope my body is able to adapt to the extreme altitude and temperature I'm about to subject it to.
DAY 8 [Thu, Oct 13]: Barafu Camp (14,950ft) to Summit (19,340ft) to Barafu Camp (14,950ft)
Felt restless all night long. Went 4 times to the bathroom, for which I blame my "nerves". Guides got me back on Pepto and Imodium. Woke up at 4:30am, had breakfast at 5am and started the hike to the summit at 6am. The sky was clear, but the wind... argh! We're talking something similar to Cat 1 hurricane force gusts that threatened to blow us off the face of the mountain! Really cold and relentless, I had to alter my clothing a couple of times to deal with it. Lisa (Sacramento) was kind enough to give me some toe warmers. There was a quick break in the weather, but it was short lived. That damn fog appeared all of a sudden bringing along with it nonstop rain. After what seemed like a lifetime, we made it to Stella Point (approx. 18,000ft) where we stopped for lunch, but it was SO cold, I ate what little I could and got my Puerto Rican hands back in their mittens. I started pacing back and forth just to harness some energy and create heat within my system while I waited for the others. We hit the trail again and made the summit at 1pm! It was an epic struggle words alone cannot describe. I hit the sign with my right hand a couple of times as if to convince myself it was truly there and I was really standing on the roof of Africa! Many got emotional, the guides started singing and we had a mini photo shoot. Once satisfied, we said goodbye to Sharon (Canada) and Norbert (Chicago) who decided to stay at Crater Camp.
I DID IT!
This is by far, the hardest thing I've ever had to do. There was cell phone coverage on a couple of the camps but for some reason AT&T blocked my data plan. Here's the day to day rundown for those of you interested:
KILIMANJARO - 19,341ft - Summit: OCTOBER 13, 2011 - TANZANIA
DAY 6 [Tue, Oct 11]: Karanga Camp (13,200ft)
The terrain on this camp is not very leveled. I'm sleeping on a 10 to 15 degree incline. I keep sliding down the air mattress during the night, waking up and re-adjusting. The sun came out during the morning, the tent felt like an oven. We all made sure to dry our wet clothes. I even had time to shave. This weather has been wreaking havoc on my skin. Even though I've been drinking 3 liters of water per day (a requisite for high altitude hiking), my skin's become VERY dry. So today I moisturized (I know, I know, very macho of me) and the Chap Stick is out in full force. We were scheduled to have an acclimatization hike to 14,500ft in the afternoon but a heavy mist set in with strong gusts of wind so it was postponed. We'll try again tomorrow. Broke out the iPod and listened to the latest melodies from Anthrax (amazing), Dream Theater (meh), Chickenfoot (generic formula rock) & Foo Fighters (one of God's gift to mankind). Anthrax's "In The End" has become my go to anthem for this climb.
DAY 1 [Thu, Oct 6]: Londorossi Gate (7,392ft) to Mti Mkubwa (9,170ft)
They say in Kili it only rains 10 days in October... today was one of those days. After a 3 hour drive from Moshi, getting to the gate was an adventure in itself. We were on a 6 wheel drive vehicle and the driver did an amazing job working through all the mud. We almost hit a tree! Hiking through the jungle, it was pouring! Mud everywhere, I slipped... not good. Then it hailed! Not golf ball sized chunks of ice, but small enough for it to sting when it hit your skin. Speaking of stinging sensations, I got either bit by what the guide called safari ants or stung by "sting grass" on my left leg. We got to camp close to night fall. 4.5 hour hike. Our crew consists of 32 porters and 3 guides: leader Simon and his assistants Combe & Gaudence.
DAY 5 [Mon, Oct 10]: Barranco Camp (12,850ft) to Karanga Camp (13,200ft)
What a difference a good night's sleep makes! I feel rested and ready. I even took a crap! My first in 3 days. Those Imodiums really clog you up. It appears my upset stomach was caused by the Malarone... which I have to take again as soon as I'm below 11,000ft (mosquito zone). Today we hiked up the Barranco Wall, a 500ft massive cliff. Now this is what I trained for the most! It wasn't a technical climb, but given the fog, the rain, the mud and the slippery rocks it felt quite dangerous at times. This mountain will test your limits. 7 hour hike.