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Kilimanjaro Challenge

In July 2007 I climbed mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness and funds for one of Africa's biggest challenges, the fight against HIV and AIDS. Below is how it was.

Day 1 - Nairobi Project Visit

Tuesday 11 am: 14 highly motivated people meet in the dark lobby of the Heron Court Hotel in Nairobi. And they are here for a reason … to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. But this has to wait. All of them spent the last couple of months raising funds to support the British charity VSO fight HIV and AIDS in Africa through its RAISA programme [www.vso.org.uk/about/programme_initiatives/raisa.asp]. Today they will meet their tour leaders from VSO and The Ultimate Travel Company (Fleur, Chris and Stuart the doctor) and visit one of the projects VSO is funding in Nairobi …

We were to visit the NOPE project, which I will write more about further down. Each of the various Kilimanjaro treks in 2007 visits a different project, to keep the impact and effort for the projects evenly distributed among them.

… Soon we ride a bumpy Japanese minibus through Nairobi, destined for the headquarters of NOPE. There we get an introduction about the project by its president Philip Mbugua, followed by presentations of various NOPE workers and the local VSO representative. Finally I am able to see how the money everybody raised is put to work - and I am very impressed. This increases further, when we - after lunch - drive again through Nairobi to one of the slums, where we can see how NOPE works in the field.

First we visit a local community school, where NOPE workers (most of them youths themselves) lecture about sexual infections and diseases (including HIV and AIDS) in front of a mixed class of 30 pupils. The important thing is, that the information gets delivered by teachers who are mostly about the same age as their pupils - role models or so called 'Ambassadors of Change' in NOPE terms. The real school teacher keeps in the background, occasionally helping out with information. But those kids know more about sexual infections and diseases than every single one of us. Which gets me thinking about the sexual education at my school … which was basically non-existent.

Later, the VSO representative tells me that it takes quite a lot of courage for an African teacher to hand over the teaching to mere kids, since a teacher holds a valuable position of social power, not given up easily. This can be seen as indicator how well recognised NOPE is in the place we visited.

After this we drive to a community event, where other NOPE workers improvise various plays about topics related to HIV and AIDS. Using those plays they get discussions going and encourage people to visit NOPE in the community centre whenever they have problems or questions. While I take pictures, a NOPE girl translates one of the discussions for me: the question is whether two strangers should have sex, if they cannot afford condoms. As shocking as the whole discussion is, even more shocking is the fact, that half of the assembled people approve of this - men and women alike.

Wow … after this quite moving experience we head back to our hotel, arriving there at about 5 pm. The evening is spent with dinner and before this, a two hour Kilimanjaro trek briefing. And now the tour leaders really manage to scare the hell out of me (and the others too!). Maybe I slightly underestimated the whole altitude thing … Everybody is taking Diomox (medication against altitude sickness) except Luise and me - silly Germans …

Day 2 - Transfer from Nairobi to Marangu

An uneventful day. We transfer from Nairobi (Kenya) to the Nakara Hotel in Marangu (Tanzania), the base for our trek. The seven hour route passes through the beautiful African bush, where we see Maasai herding sheep and goats and even some giraffes. Occasionally the road leads through busy iron sheeted villages with colourful shops and a lot of dirt and waste on the unpaved streets. I even see a "car-wash", which basically is a two square meter front garden with water hose.

The most exiting event is probably the Tanzanian customs officer, who wants to thoroughly search our bus - however, our driver somehow manages to persuade him otherwise.

Day 3 - Rongai Gate (1,900 m) to First Camp (2,600 m)

First day on the trek. Right after breakfast we transfer to Rongai, where our Trek begins. We will ascend via the Rongai Route, which is the least travelled route, but also the best suited for acclimatisation - due to the extra day spent on the mountain.

We head out walking from the Rongai Gate at about 11 am. And we walk slowly. No, we walk really slowly, not to say ridiculous slowly - we walk about 1.8 km/h. You wouldn't believe it until you do it. In Swahili this pace is called 'polepole', which means 'take it slow and don't excite yourself'. It's what we will hear most in the next couple of days. Also it's the key to reach Uhuru peak. People who don't make it, usually blow it on the first days, by not walking polepole enough. Initially this is the hardest thing for me - instead of speeding up the mountain doing it really slowly. But they scarred me enough in the briefing two days ago …

So we make it slowly up the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, first through gentle farmland, later through patches of rainforest (most of the rainforest on the Rongai Route has been replaced by farmland). All of the first day we hike on a well maintained easy to walk trek, until we reach the first campsite at about 6 pm.

Surprisingly (not really) the porters arrived before us and have already set up all the tents, prepared dinner and are now greeting us with bowls of warm water to wash (there are no other facilities except drop toilets). And this sets the pattern for the future evenings to come. I take the time to count heads: there are 17 tourists and three times as many Tanzanian guides and porters doing the actual work. A strange feeling for someone like me, who usually carries his own bag and manages his own tent. But after all, this is how they earn their living … and I will be happy enough not to worry about all this, three days from now …

Day 4 - Ascending to Kikelewa Caves (3,600 m)

The longest walking day, with the exception of the day we reached the summit. We start at 8:00 and follow the Tanzanian lead guide Huntington nicely in file and all polepole. In the beginning the trail is still well maintained and leads us through thinning forest and moorland with patches of medium height shrubs. The weather is beautiful and Kibo with its glaciers and snow covered peaks stands out in the blue sky right ahead of us. Turning around I am rewarded with extensive views over the wide Kenyan plains.

About lunch time we reach the 'Second Cave' (3,450 m), where we rest and refill our water bottles (the porters actually carried up the water!). I am now higher than I ever was before - and I'm still feeling good!

After lunch we change direction and head east, towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. The path soon becomes much smaller and less maintained. Very polepole we hike through more moorland and increasingly plain slopes covered by low shrubberies. In the early evening we reach the campsite at Kikelewa Caves, surrounded with amazing scenery. At night one can see the lights of Kenyan settlements far below … if one is not watching the breathtaking sky, filled by our arm of the milky way in a clarity and brightness I have never experienced before …

Day 5 - Climbing to Mawenzi Tarn (4,300 m)

Only half a day walking today, but we will ascend 700 meters in 4 hours. The path is steep right from the beginning. Slowly we climb up grassy slopes and enjoy the beautiful wilderness. And all the time porters are overtaking us (as in the days before), carrying our bags, the tents, cooking equipment and food. Some of them don't even wear proper hiking boots (none wears flip-flops, however).

After three hours we leave the vegetation behind us and close in on Mawenzi Tarn, spectacularly situated right underneath the towering spires of Mawenzi. The campsite is located right next to it and offers great views across the slopes we climbed during the last couple of days. We are higher than the clouds now.

We make camp at lunchtime. The sun shines and the mood is good. People are relaxing and enjoying themselves. In the afternoon we climb the lower slopes of Mawenzi Peak to improve our acclimatisation. I feel great and suddenly the whole thing doesn't scare me so much anymore. But this will change soon.

Day 6 - Crossing the Saddle to Kibo Hut (4,700 m)

Early start this morning. The following two days will somehow blend into one. After climbing a short ridge we set out to cross the lunar like desert, comprising the saddle between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. Soon the group is spread out, with porters overtaking us all the time. The thin air is deceiving - our destination looks close, but it will take 6 hours to get there - all very polepole.

This is the first day I feel really cold. A strong wind blows constantly across the saddle. I am wearing my raingear and a towel over my face - still, there is sand everywhere. After four hours, we stop for lunch at some big boulders, barely providing cover from the biting sand. However, despite the airy landscape and the wind, the mood in the group is good.

About one hour after the break, with still one hour to go, the altitude finally hits me. The headache comes abruptly, like stepping through a door (and somebody holding a baseball bat behind it …). The final ascend I walk really slowly. Even the rear guides overtake me now, but not without telling one of the porters to look after me. This guy is also struggling, which is probably because of the 60 litre water container he is carrying. I feel bad.

Day 7 - Climbing Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)

We get up at 11pm and assemble in the mess tent. I didn't sleep - most of us couldn't. Final preparations are done, the doctor hands out painkillers and other stuff. It's very cold, and supposed to be ridiculously cold further up Kibo. I am wearing two layers of underwear, two pairs of hiking pants, one long sleeved t-shirt, three thermal t-shirts, a fleece jacket, my rain jacket, skiing gloves, scarf and hut (however, most of the others wear twice as much). The four water bottles in my backpack are wrapped into my sleeping back to prevent them from freezing. One of the bottles contains coffee. I kill my headache with some Ibuprofen.

We set out at midnight sharp. Marching order is guide, two of us, guide, two of us, and so on. The first three hours pass like a dream. It's dark and cold. Most of the time I am watching the boots of the guide in front of me, occasionally glancing up and back to the chain of headlights moving slowly up the mountain. At one point I start seeing a blue blotch in the cone of light in front of me. Hallucinating already? However, the blotch is moving - Brian, who walks behind me does also see it. It's the LED light. But why haven't I seen it before?

After three hours, we reach Hans Meyer Cave, half way up to the crater rim. Here, the first people turn back.

Four hours climbing, I feel a strange bubble in my left lung. Is this pulmonary edema (one of the lethal altitude sicknesses) we have been warned about? Damn. Ignoring it, I walk on and it becomes better. Still at the next turn I tell Chris the tour leader. He calls two guides and sends me to the doctor - six switchbacks down the mountain. Double damn. After a lengthy discussion with the doctor, he lets me go up again. I have to re-climb 300 meters - however, now I also have my own two guides.

The involuntary descend might have helped my acclimatisation - the remaining climb to Gillman's Point (5,685 m) passes uneventfully. Gradually it dawns over Africa and my mood lifts immensely. Exactly at sunrise we reach Gillman's Point and the others of the group who made it. The view is breathtaking: shades of dark violet to orange across the eastern sky. The white glaciers of Kibo right next to us. This was definitely worth the pain. Everybody laughs and we hug each other. The smiling guides pat our backs (almost unbelievable, they do this every week).

After a short break a small group sets of to Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro. Another two hours easy hiking along the crater rim. I take one more Ibuprofen and feel high. The sun is shining, the views are great, we made it. The two ours pass in a flash. Everybody is happy and "so emotional" as Anne, one of the girls, keeps saying.

At Uhuru Peak we take our pictures but are then urged by the guides to head back - it's simply not healthy up there (from 5,500 m there is no true acclimatisation any more, only steady deterioration). The way back to Gillman's Point feels much longer, but the descend to Kibo Hut is surprisingly fast. We arrive one hour before noon and I fall into my tent - boots on and all - and sleep until lunch.

The reminder of the day we continue our descend to Horombo Hut, our final destination. The place is busy with lots of other groups and there is even a shop (a guy selling coke and beer from crates). When we reach the hut we have been walking for about 16 hours, climbed 1,200 m and descended 2,200 m.

Day 8 -Horombo Hut (3,700 m) to Marangu Gate (1,800 m)

When I get up at 6:30 the sun is already shining. Soon the porters set up the breakfast table - outside the mess tent for the first time. Sitting there and sipping my hot chocolate I gaze over the clouds below us and feel well. Then it's time for our group to thank the guides and porters and hand over the tips collected the night before. This is actually a major event where everybody assembles: 17 tourists and about 50 staff. As we all saw how hard they work, everybody was really generous. And then they even sing and dance for us!

Our last day on the trek leads us down the Marangu Route, the most travelled Kilimanjaro route. The path is well maintained and we are not alone anymore as we have been during the days of our ascent. Also our precious marching order has disappeared. No polepole anymore. One of the guides puts it in fitting words: "job done".

Nevertheless it's a beautiful landscape and the weather is great. Still above the clouds we descend through grassy and rocky slopes with an increasing amount of copses and low palm trees. Easy walking and soon the group are spread out far. Looking back we can see the white rim of Kibo against the blue sky.

Gradually we enter the clouds and I take a last glance at Kibo. The shrubs and forest surrounding us become increasingly dense and gradually turns into a mossy and foggy rainforest. Today we cover the biggest horizontal distance of any day, mainly because of the increased walking pace. At 1 pm we reach Mandara Hut, where we are served a final lunch by our porters and say goodbye. Another two hours through dense rainforest and we reach Marangu Gate, where our trek ends.

I have done it and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, but it will take a couple of days, until it really sinks in …

Until then, you can still donate to VSO and help them to fight HIV and AIDS [www.justgiving.com/martinburkhart]. Your money will be put to good use, as I could see for myself. Thank you!

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