A Trek Diary
Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world, and the highest mountain in Africa, is a must-do for any adventurer. Conquering this mountain is an unforgettable experience.
Some facts
Mount Kilimanjaro is 5 895m (19 340ft) high. On average, an attempt on the summit will require 5 days - 6 if you want to spend an extra day acclimatising. The cost - should you choose to go with a tour company (and there are plenty to choose from in the foothill town of Moshi - though it is imperative that you book ahead - often several months ahead to avoid disappointment) - will almost invariably be US$500 (about £340) per person. Expensive? Yes. But this is because the park fees for the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park are $50 per night per person. Note: from the 1st of January 2006 the Tanzania National Parks authority has raised the park entrance fee to $60 per day, so package costs will have increased to reflect this. This includes fees for emergency evacuation off the mountain, should you be unlucky enough to require it. If you're willing and able to gather the money, though, rest assured that the experience is worth it.
The most common route, known locally as the Coca-Cola, or tourist route, and more formally as the Marangu route is the easiest way up the mountain. I have been up this route twice. Whilst offering stunning views it provides the most gradual ascent. Even on this route, only 20% of all the people attempting the climb make it to the summit.
The Park is open throughout the year. During the rainy season (August - December), however, the climb becomes more difficult. Weather on the mountain is unpredictable, however, and attempting it in the summer will not guarantee favourable conditions.
There are several other routes to choose from - though only the Marangu route has huts along the way. Each route provides a different trekking experience. I would recommend that the first ascent is done using the Marangu route.
The Diary
In December 2001, eight climbers attempted a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The eight of us had been planning the climb for several months. Two of us had attempted it a year before, and had been unsuccessful - which was the primary reason why this climb took place. After several weeks of planning and two team meetings to finalise plans and confirm equipment lists, we were ready. We left Nairobi (Kenya) by bus on the 22nd of December for Moshi. The journey is best done by bus. There are reliable bus operators running across the Kenya/Tanzania border. It takes about four hours by bus from Nairobi to Moshi. This does not include delays at the border - and these do often happen. For British passport holders a visa is required to enter Tanzania. It's easy to get it at the border for a fee of US$50. We spent the night at the foothills of the mountain at (appropriately) the Mountain Inn.
The following day we were driven to the Kilimanjaro National Park main gate at Marangu, from where we would begin our ascent of the highest freestanding mountain in the world. We were introduced to our guides and porters. Incredibly, there were 16 porters and 4 guides. Several porters are needed because after the second day on the mountain there would be no liquid water available, so it had to be carried up.
The first day comprised a 3-hour walk through the tropical rainforest that forms a belt around the base of the mountain. Not unexpectedly, it began raining soon after we began, and covered in raincoats we trekked up the steep slopes as fast as possible. With a short break for packed lunch (in the pouring rain), we reached the first hut, Mandara. The 'huts' are simple wooden structures to keep out the wind and rain, with thin mattresses inside. Up to four people can spent the night in each hut (and with great care avoid knocks on the head). Dinner, served in the central dining hut, was delicious, as were all the cooked meals on the mountain. The guides and porters put in a tremendous amount of effort in preparing them. The mists came in soon after the sun sunk below the trees, and we spent the rest of the night in the veil of thick cloud.
The following morning we awoke early, and after a quick breakfast packed for the day's hike. With us we carried only the day's food and water, and a raincoat. The porters, who generally left the hut an hour after us and reached the next hut an hour before us, carried all the other gear. The walk was mostly through high moorland, with long dry grass covering the rolling foothills of the mountain below us. Lunch was at a designated picnic spot, from where we got the most marvellous views of the clouds creeping into the rainforest below. They climbed and caught up with us, and by the time we reached the second hut we were cloaked in a layer of dense, wet mist. The second hut, Horombo, was much like the first, except larger. After a couple of hours' rest we had dinner. Soon after that we crawled into our sleeping bags and awaited the morning. The temperature that night approached freezing - something which travellers from the UK will be accustomed to, I guess!
On Christmas day we began the trek to the third and final hut, Kibo Hut. Situated at the base of the dome of the main peak called Kibo, the hut is at an altitude of 4,700m. To reach there we walked through more moorland, and past the last point where water would be found unfrozen. Then we approached the barren, windy pass called the Saddle. This pass, linking the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo, has the air of a moonscape. It comprises large, irregular boulders dotting a vast plain of dry, cold dust. It really is an incredible sight.
The last 500 metres' walk to the hut took the best part of an hour, with the lack of oxygen in the air affecting us all. Having reached there at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, we found that there was nothing much to do but crawl into our sleeping bags after a quick meal. Outside, as the sun set, gusty winds began to blow, and an incessant howling could be heard. It snowed that evening. It seemed poignant that we were at one of the only places in the tropics where it snowed, on Christmas day.
After a couple of hours lying in our sleeping bags, misfortune struck. One of the youngest members of the team was taken ill with pulmonary oedema. We had to send him immediately, accompanied by his father, down the mountain with a rescue team. They spent the whole night descending, and, as we were to find out later, spent the following morning descending further to the main gate - a continuous descent of over 10 hours.
Meanwhile, the remaining six members were still going to attempt the final assault. At midnight we awoke and packed for the trek ahead. Carrying with us only water and cameras, and lots of hope, we set off. Thankfully, the moon was high in the sky and Kibo was palely illuminated. In a line we trudged slowly behind our guide, falling back one step for every two steps we took forward on the steep scree slope. The six hours we walked before sunrise were, without doubt, the hardest physical feat that any of us had ever attempted. With temperatures approaching 30 degrees below freezing, our fingers and toes were numb with cold. Our minds, too, were suffering. The oxygen levels were now about 50% of the value at sea level. One of the climbers began suffering from mountain sickness, and after a while decided to return back to the hut. The chief guide accompanied him. Remarkably, he came back and caught up with us before sunrise.
After what seemed like an eternity, we arrived at Gilman's Point, at the crater rim. From there we saw the sunrise. And it was a most unforgettable one. The colours were indescribable, yet will remain imprinted in our memories for a long time to come. We stayed there for a while, watching the sun creep above the clouds far below us, and tint them orange and pink. Across the crater, we could see the giant glaciers glistening pink in the first rays of the African sunrise. We were in heaven.
As the run climbed higher into the sky, and the effects of the adrenaline that carried us to Gilman's Point receded, two of the members of the team fell ill with mountain sickness. They turned back and headed for Kibo Hut with one of the guides. Three of us left were left to walk to the summit, along with the other guide. So we began picking our way through the rock and ice, along the edge of the crater. To our right was a 100 metre drop into the crater. The walk, though only about 500 metres, took two hours.
With the summit finally in view, we gathered the last of our strength and pushed for it. Upon reaching there, the feeling was incredible. All around us we were looking down at the great African continent. It was hard to believe just how high we were. We could see for miles all around. On a good day, Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa (and another must-do for all trekkers) is visible in the North.
Then, as the cold began to make itself felt again, we headed back down. It was then that we realised just how steep the slope we had climbed that night really was. It took two hours to carefully negotiate the steep scree slope to Kibo Hut. As the oxygen levels began to increase, however, we gained energy and found it easier to move.
After a very quick meal at Kibo Hut, we continued down to Horombo. The two members of the team who had descended from Gilman's Point had already left. Exhausted, we reached Horombo in time for dinner. Soon afterwards we were fast asleep, dreaming of the views from the highest point in Africa.
The following day we descended further to the main gate, where we were met by a bus that would carry us back to the Mountain Inn. After a lengthy farewell to the guides and porters, we left. An hour or so later all of us were standing, entranced, in hot showers. They were the most well deserved I can remember.
Reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro was an incredible experience. It is a test of mental and physical ability - and a worthwhile experience for anyone who enjoys trekking.
The best of luck to all those who attempt it!