Conquering Kili

“You are doing it for charity though?”

 A question asked by almost everyone I told about my trip to the mountain. The short answer was ‘No’. The reality was, this had been a dream of mine since my early teens and I was choosing to do it, on my own, as a solo female traveller, just for the thrill and the glory.

First things first, I am in no way an athlete. I take a couple of spin classes every week, run a 5k when the sun comes out (which is rare in London) and I walk around 15,000 steps per day. You could say that I have a reasonable level of fitness, however it is also worth noting that I was signed off from 5 months of physio for a reoccurring degenerative disc problem, only 2 days before flying to Tanzania. Rest assured, I really had to focus and work hard to get to the level of fitness required for this trek.

For more information on my training schedule, see:
https://iamthewanderingfoodie.com/2017/05/13/kilimanjaro-your-one-stop-shop-to-climbing-success/

I had spent a great deal of time researching the various options for climbing Kili. There are 7 established routes to the summit and I chose the Machame (Whiskey) Route over 6 days. Not only does this route have the highest success rate (73%), it is also described as the most beautiful and scenic. Following an incredible experience in South America with G Adventures a few years ago, it was a no brainer for me to book with them again. I decided to take a two week trip to Tanzania and chose a multi tour that incorporated the climb and safari: https://www.gadventures.co.uk/trips/kilimanjaro-machame-serengeti-adventure/DTKS/ I also used Trailfinders to assist with my flights and connections, they come up with the best prices every time and their help was invaluable when one of my flights was cancelled: http://www.trailfinders.com/travel-clinic I also booked my travel insurance through them because it is one of the only policies with no altitude restrictions – essential if you have an accident over 3,000m.

Day 1 – Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Start @ 1,800m
Finish @ 3,000m
Hiking Time – 5.5 hours
Distance – 10.9 miles
Fitbit floors climbed – 432

We had breakfast as a group at the Stella Maris Lodge in Moshi. We then left the hotel at 10am, all of us feeling apprehensive, excited and eager to get going. We were each given an allowance of 15kg for our luggage, this would be carried by the G Fighters between camps and delivered directly to our tents each evening. I then had my daypack full of water, waterproofs and delicious snacks. After a quick stop in Arusha to stock up on supplies we headed directly to the Machame Gate where we registered and met the G Fighters for the first time. These guys would prove to be our lifeline over the following 6 days, their energy and passion for their work is truly infectious.

Day 1 was spent predominantly walking though the rainforest up to the heather / moorland region. I had hoped today would ease us in gently, however this was most certainly not the case. At this stage, we were still under 3,000m and I was not experiencing any  side effects from the increasing altitude. That being said, the track was a steady incline for the full 5.5 hours and the final Fitbit tally of 432 floors was more than double any of my training hikes.  The temperature was around 28 degrees and incredibly humid, we had a couple of hours of rain in the late afternoon, some of which was quite heavy, however it was light relief from the humidity. We arrived at camp at about 5pm and the G Fighters had already pitched our tents, delivered our bags and prepared hot drinks and popcorn for us on arrival. Supper that evening was a glorious feast of soup with bread, beef stew & rice with an abundance of vegetables. I am still astounded that Chef managed to come up with so many delicious dishes with almost zero facilities. Our CEO made it clear to us that it was essential to eat as much as possible in these early days. Altitude can heavily impact your appetite, as it turned out, by day 5, mine was almost zero, therefore I am grateful I inhaled almost every carb in sight that evening. As a group, we had made the decision to pitch in together and pay for two portable toilets – these consisted of a small plastic toilet with a little tent around it. We hired two of these between 12 of us and although they were basic, they were a vast improvement on the facilities available at each campsite, trust me on this! I was tucked up in my sleeping bag by 9pm, a little sore from the days trekking but mainly excited to do it all again the next day.

Day 2 – Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Start @ 3,000m
Lunch @ 3,900m
Finish @ 3,750m
Hiking Time – 5.5 hours
Distance – 6.24 Miles
Fitbit floors climbed – 115

The general rule is that the side effects of altitude start to kick in at 3,000m which is where we started out day. I had slept well, it was still relatively mild and although we were camping, I am quite lucky that I can sleep almost anywhere. My muscles had also recovered well overnight and so far, no blisters. Breakfast was another delicious feast, Hudson, our Head CEO talked us through the plan for the day and by 8am we were packed up and GtoG (Good to Go – a G Adventures reference that we adopted as our own). Mornings on the mountain tended to be sunny with bright blue skies, we were totally spoiled by this weather. 

For the first two hours we walked uphill on a steep and narrow track. The vegetation was lower now we had left the rainforest and the expanse of the mountain was beginning to reveal itself to us. Our first snack stop came as we left the heather region and it was simply breathtaking. The sky was blue, the weather was clear and we could see for miles – most of all, our hard work was paying off, we were above the clouds! Today was a relatively short day of hiking compared to what was to come and we had a quick stop at lunch to enjoy the packed lunch chef had made for us that morning. We ate lunch at 3,900m and this would be our highest point for the day. So far, so good with regards to the altitude, although I felt slightly more out of breath than usual, on the whole, life was good and I was enjoying the scenery. The clouds came rolling in late afternoon and once we reached camp, the heavy rain started and the temperature had dropped considerably now we were at cloud level.  Shira camp was much more open than Machame camp, however it would not be until the morning when the clouds had cleared that we would be able to appreciate its true beauty. A couple of girls in our group were already suffering from some severe effects of the altitude and this reminded us of how brutal life on the mountain could be. For me, Day 2 would end with another feast, a little reading, followed by an early night.

Day 3 – Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower
Start @ 3,750m
Lunch @ 4,600m
Finish @ 3,900m
Hiking time – 9 hours
Distance – 13 miles
Fitbit floors climbed – 236 floors

I opened the tent to a beautiful pink sky, it may have been 5.30am but I could not wait to get up and take a look at our gorgeous camp. To one side, across the valley, we had a perfect view of Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second highest peak. To the other side, we were greeted with our first glimpse of Uhuru Peak, in all its grandeur. I was utterly mesmerised by its beauty, we were still two days away, but I could practically reach out and touch it. Today was an acclimatisation day, we would spend the morning hiking 850m uphill to our lunch spot at Lava Tower then back down 700m to our camp at Baranco. ‘Climb High, Sleep Low’
It would also be our longest day so far with 9 hours hiking. At this altitude, it is imperative that you take things slowly to ensure your body has time to adjust to the lower levels of oxygen. ‘Pole Pole’ which means ‘slowly slowly’ in Swahili is a motto used by all porters and they will remind you off this each time they pass. The hike to Lava Tower took around 5 hours, the trail became more rocky with almost no vegetation and the thinner air started to take its toll. By the time I reached Lava Camp, my head was pounding, I felt dizzy, nauseous and I could barely stand. To add insult to injury, it was raining, with low level cloud and we could scarcely see the top of Lava Tower. We were now at an altitude of  4,600m, the highest I had ever been and I therefore had no idea what to expect. My biggest fear was that my symptoms would continue to worsen the longer we stayed at altitude. Fortunately we had an hour for lunch, I took this time to rest, force some food down, despite my non existent appetite and take another dose of Diamox in preparation for the remaining 4 hours of hiking that day. The afternoon was mainly downhill to camp which was a bit of light relief. When we arrived, the G Fighters put on a fabulous performance of their iconic singing and dancing, we were in awe of their incredible talent and unimaginable energy levels, particularly after such a long day of trekking.
Apart from summit night, tonight was my toughest night on the mountain. My symptoms of altitude sickness had not improved over the course of the afternoon and by the time we reached camp, I was suffering with a severe migraine and nausea. Our CEO had been explicit about not taking painkillers at the first sign of a headache, the main reason for this is the painkillers could mask the signs of altitude sickness and we could miss vital signs of something being seriously wrong. I went for a lie down, however the searing pain would not pass and it felt like the ground was spinning underneath me. This was the first time I cried on the mountain, the realisation that I might not fulfill my dream was beginning to dawn on me. I was still 2,000m from summit and I was already falling apart, how could I possibly hike for another 16 hours when I could barely stand? My amazing tent buddy came to get me at dinner time and gave me a little pep talk. This was much needed to snap me out of my sorry state. I sat with the group for a short while at dinner time, however I could not force any food down and the smell was making me feel worse.  Hudson agreed to let me take a Migraine & Anti-Nausea tablet with another Diamox, I went back to the tent at 8pm and thankfully slept like a little baby right through to 3am when I woke up feeling like a new woman. I had woken because I needed to visit our makeshift loo (thanks to the Diamox), as I opened the tent, I was greeted with one of the most spectacular  & breathtaking sights I will ever see – it was the Milkyway! I stood, quite alone, looking up to the sky, totally in awe of my surroundings. It was a magical moment, the temperature was below zero, the sky was perfectly clear, the stars lit up enough of the mountain to see its raw beauty and in the far distance, I could just make out the twinkling lights of Moshi, where my adventure began just four days earlier.

At that moment, I said to myself – “I’ve got this” !!

Day 4 – Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Start @ 3,900m
Finish @ 4,700m
Hiking time – 9 hours
Distance – 11 miles
Fitbit floors climbed – 142 floors

Barranco Wall – the part of the trek I had feared the most.  I am terrified of heights, so much so I could not complete the first obstacle at Go Ape (a tree top obstacle course that people do for fun apparently). Barranco Wall is an almost vertical climb taking us from 3,900m to 4,200m in less than an hour. I had watched numerous videos online and read as much as possible in order to mentally prepare, what doesn’t help is the first line that comes up on a Google search is ‘Barranco Wall Deaths’!
Like with most things, the reality wasn’t even nearly as scary as my anxiety had built it up to be. Although in places, it is incredibly steep with a couple of sheer drops, we were in good hands with our guides and we all made it from bottom to top in one piece.

The following 8 hours were similar to Day 3, hiking up and down over the rolling hills and acclimatising naturally to the altitude as we progressed towards base camp (Barafu Camp). The terrain was now rocky and volcanic with no vegetation. This zone between 4,000m and 4,800m is classed as arid desert and inhospitable – in my opinion it was breathtakingly beautiful. Our pace was slow, we were walking no more than 1.5 miles per hour and each uphill climb was becoming increasingly difficult. After lunch, the Glacier of Kibo came into sight and I spent the next few hiking hours gazing at the wonder I would go on to conquer in less than 15 hours. We arrived at base camp just before 4pm, my migraine symptoms had not reoccurred and I felt excited but apprehensive because tonight was summit night! 

Day 4/5 – Barafu Camp to Summit then down to Mweka Camp
Start @ 4,700m
Up to 5,895m (Uhuru Peak)
Finish @ 3,100m
HIking time – 15 hours
Distance – 16 miles

Despite waking at 5am this morning and already hiking for 9 hours, we would be leaving for our summit attempt at 11.30pm this evening and hiking through the night. We had two opportunities to nap, first when we arrived at base camp, between 4pm & 6pm and again after dinner between 8pm & 10.30pm. The reality is, we were all so excited about the evening ahead that napping proved almost impossible. 

Before attempting to nap at 8pm, I put on 3 base layers and laid out everything else I would require for summiting. ‘Barafu’ is the Swahili word for ‘ice’ and when I left the tent at 10.30pm, it was covered in ice and the temperature was far below freezing. We had time for coffee and a motivational chat with Hudson before we were off. 11 out of the 12 of us were starting out on our summit attempt and we had 5 guides and 4 porters to assist us on the way up. We left camp at 11.30pm with the aim of reaching Stella Point in 6 hours. Although it was pitch black, the route ahead was lit up by the head torches of other hikers and resembled fireflies snaking their way up the mountain.

The route was a steep incline and we fell into single file on the narrow track with the guides split between us. Hudson had explained that we would hike for two hours before taking a short break. He placed emphasis on the fact the break would be short and explained that it would be too cold to stand around for any longer than 10 minutes. Although I was out of breath to the point of panting by the time we reached the break point, he was absolutely correct, after 10 minutes, we were all keen to get moving.

3 hours after we set off, I found myself falling behind the group, I found it impossible to catch my breath and despite us walking at a snail’s pace, I could not keep up with the others. I am not sure how many times I stepped aside and bent over my poles in an attempt to find some comfort from my breathlessness, however I do remember being completely separated from the group with only Andrew, one of our CEO’s ready to push me onwards. By this time, he had taken my backpack away from me. I had been reluctant to let him at first, however a voice in my head told me not to be too proud to accept his help. If giving up my backpack would make the difference between success and failure, then I had no choice but to hand it over. 

The next 3 hours remain a blur for me. It is difficult to explain what happened during this time, however the best way I can try is to say I fell into a trance. Andrew had somehow managed to get me back to the group and I had been positioned at the front, behind our lead guide with the rest of the group behind me. It was still dark, I could not feel my fingers because they were so cold and I had made peace with the idea that I might lose my lips forever. Throughout this time, my eyes were solely focused on Frank’s feet, his rhythm of step tap, step tap was mesmerising and it kept me in a meditative state. My next clear memory was 45 minutes before we reached Stella Point when I was awoken by our incredible guides breaking into song. They began chanting and clapping and reassured us that without doubt, all 9 of us remaining would reach summit success. I immediately burst into tears and continued to sob uncontrollably for the next half an hour. We reached Stella Point at 6am, just in time for sunrise. This moment will stay in my heart for the rest of my life, above us the sky was bright blue and I could see the curve of the earth as the sun rose over the horizon. With tears still in my eyes, I hugged everyone around me. I was so proud of myself and I felt completely overwhelmed.

We stayed to take a few photos before pushing forward onto Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. The final stretch took us around the crater rim and although it was a gentle incline of 200m over a 1km distance it would take me a little under an hour. At this altitude, we were completely exposed with no shelter from the elements. The temperature was -23 degrees, albeit with bright sunshine and blue skies. The wind whipped around me from all sides and I struggled to fight against it, every step felt like I was wading through thick mud. I once read that hiking to the summit would make you feel like a 90 year old man with arthritis, well I was that man, however I was also struggling to breathe. Andrew, my saviour, came out of nowhere – he took one of my poles, in his left hand and took my arm on his right side and held me upright. Together we fought against the bitter conditions, one slow step at a time. To my left-hand side was the glacier and I was taken aback by the sheer size of it. From the glimpses I had encountered over the last few days, it simply looked like heavy snowfall. Up close, it was an enormous iceberg hanging off the side of the mountain. To my right-hand side was Kibo crater and you could clearly see the volcanic formation from this angle. Everywhere I looked was a Geography lesson and no photo in the world could do it justice. 

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Andrew and I reached Uhuru Peak. We were only a few minutes behind the rest of the group and I was just in time for photos. You would think that after 6 days of hiking to get here, I would have wanted to stay all day, in reality, I stayed long enough to take a few photos and I was ready to get off that mountain – about 10 minutes in all. My determination along with the glory of my accomplishment got me there in the first place, however I was still very aware that we were a long way from camp and I needed to find the energy to get back down again. I cannot describe the cold I felt in my bones and as well as no feeling in my fingers, my feet were also numb too.

After a few final moments taking in my surroundings, Andrew took my arm again and lead me in the direction of camp. The return journey was what felt like a 3 hour ski / run through volcanic ash. We raced ahead of the rest of the group and in hindsight, I think Andrew realised I was quite unwell and he needed to get me to a lower altitude as quickly as possible. Although I was not suffering from sickness, looking back, I was delirious and confused. I distinctly remember thinking that summiting was just a dream and I was in fact dead and until I had spoken to my Mum, I wouldn’t know for sure what was real. At this point, I had hiked 20 hours in the last 24 and slept for about an hour. There is no doubt that in addition to the impact of the altitude, I was simply exhausted.

About halfway down, my body began to come back to life again. On the way up, it completely shut down due to the cold and intensity of the climb to summit. The temperature quickly heated up as we descended and with that, normal bodily functions resumed. I had not been to the toilet for 9 hours, despite being dosed up on Diamox and all of a sudden I had no control over my bowels. I found myself on the side of the mountain, crouching behind a rock, no higher than a foot. I barely had the strength to hold myself up, let alone get a pair of ski trousers and 3 base layers down quickly enough. I did manage it with some dignity, until I looked up and saw a middle aged chap casually strolling past. I immediately dropped to the ground to try to avoid being seen, only then realising I had no idea what I was sitting in! Fortunately, I landed on dry ground, however the reason I mention this is to reaffirm that life on the mountain is not always dignified. You will need to be comfortable using natures facilities, and in view of other people, particularly when you reach higher altitudes where there is no vegetation.

When Barafu came into sight, I could have cried. It had been a long 10 hours since we left and I could not wait to get into my sleeping bag for a well earned rest. 

When we got back to camp, we were given an hour to rest, pack up and get ready to leave for our descent to Mweka Camp. This would take another 5 hours, all downhill and although my knees were in agony, our guides were keen to get us as low as possible. Hudson told us that after spending time at such a high altitude, there is a risk of you going to sleep and not waking up if you sleep too high. With that knowledge, I was more than happy to spend the rest of that day getting to Mweka Camp.

Day 6 – Mweka Camp to Gate
Start @ 3,100m
Finish @ 1,800m
Hiking time – 3 hours
Distance – 6 miles

Our final morning on the mountain! I had not showered for 6 days and my socks were holding my blisters in place. On the upside, all my senses had returned and after a good nights sleep, I was 100% certain I was indeed alive and summiting was not a dream after all. Before leaving camp, we presented our guides and the G Fighters with our group tip, we took a group photo and then danced along as they sang our favourite mountain songs. The final descent was a scenic stroll through the rainforest, we swapped stories of our own summit experiences and reflected on what an incredible journey it had been. 

I have read many times that 90% of the battle is mental strength over physical fitness and now I understand exactly what this means. You can spend months preparing your body for the climb, however if you do not firmly believe in yourself and your abilities, your body will listen and you will give up.

What did I learn from this experience? I am strong! I am mentally strong and physically strong and I can do anything I set my mind too.  

Special thanks goes to the following people:

Katrina, Karen, Beth, Lenora, Shannon, Lorraine, Bernard, Mandy, Hugh, David & Lois. These people started out as complete strangers, by the time we were sat together at Mweka Camp, celebrating our achievement, we were all family. It would not have been the same without you!! 

Last but not least, a huge thank you to our incredible G Adventures CEOs; Hudson, Francis, Frank, Andrew, Laurien & James. Without your constant support and guidance, this phenomenal achievement would not have been possible. 

For further details on my training, tired & tested kit list and top tips, see: https://iamthewanderingfoodie.com/2017/05/13/kilimanjaro-your-one-stop-shop-to-climbing-success/