mike & rhonda's latest adventure: We Made It --- Almost

We chose the Lemosho Route to attack Mount Kilimanjaro because we felt it gave us the best chance to get to the summit. The trek required 8 days of hiking on the mountain, the longest route to the top allowing our bodies to acclimatize better with the thin air at high altitude. Here is a daily breakdown of this challenging journey. I will use "feet" for the altitude references since it sounds more impressive than "metres" :-)
Day 1 - we checked into the Moivaro Coffee Plantation & Lodge in Arusha where we had an evening orientation session and met the other members of our group. There were 7 of us in total with the other 5 people all from the UK.......a couple from Scotland and three individuals from England. Everyone ranged in age from 40 - 63 so there were no spring chickens in our posse but everyone had trained at home for the climb. We bonded quickly and enjoyed each other's company.
Day 2 - a minibus picked us up at the lodge in the morning and we drove to Londorossi Gate, the starting point for the Lemosho Trail. After registering for the hike we met the rest of our entourage. In addition to our Head Guide, Wilfred (who was excellent), there were 3 assistant guides, a cook and 22 porters for a total of 27 support people......almost a 4:1 ratio which was surprising to us but when we saw all the backpacks, camping equipment and food that was required we understood the need for so many porters. The trail started at 5,300 feet above sea level (Calgary is just over 3,000 feet) and that afternoon we hiked for 4 hours through the Lemosho Forest to the Mt. Mkubwa campsite at 9,750 feet. It was hot during the day (shorts and a t-shirt) but it was cold overnight in our "private" tent, requiring two layers even though we had rented down-filled sleeping bags. "Pole, Pole" (slow, slow in Swahili) became our mantra as we walked at a pace we were not familiar with but the guides were slowing us down to conserve both our energy and our oxygen for the days ahead, and it really helped us get as far as we did.
Day 3 - a 6 am wake-up call with tea and hot chocolate (milo) delivered to our tent, followed by breakfast in a dining tent, and that became the norm for the rest of the week. That day we only gained 2,000 feet in elevation but we crossed two valleys and it took us 7 hours to complete that segment. The final ascent to Shira Ridge was taxing for a long day on the trail. The porters remained behind when we left camp in the morning to pack up all of our gear but within an hour they were zipping by us carrying up to 20 kg's on their shoulders or head along with their own backpacks. They would always arrive at the next camp well before us and had our tents set up with our big packs already in the tents. They were amazing and do this for less than $15 a day but it is considered a good job to have in Tanzania. In the middle of the night when I went outside to use the toilet tent, I discovered frost on our 'home' which also became the norm and from then on I was sleeping with 3 layers on top. 7 pm became our regular bedtime as we tried to refresh our bodies and crawl into our cozy sleeping bags.
Day 4 - we hiked up to Shira Cathedral (a large rock formation) and then on to Shira Hut at 12,700 feet where we spent the night. During the climb we walked through the clouds and a light mist but the reward was our best view of Kili so far.
Day 5 - today we hiked up to the Lava Tower at 15,200 feet which is higher than any of our Canadian Rockies peaks. Rocks and dirt with very little vegetation at this point. From there we descended to Barranco Hut through a lovely canyon, spending the night at 12,700 feet. It was a good test to see how we handled the higher elevation ("hike high, sleep low"). It was the highest we had ever been. Rhonda had previously experienced dizziness at 14,000 feet in South America so this was a good sign that the "slow climb" was effective. By this point I am now wearing 3 layers throughout most of the day.
Day 6 - a challenging day that started with a steep hike / scramble up the Barranco Wall that took us 2 hours to navigate. We then crossed two valleys and finished with another steep climb to Karanga Camp at 13,200 feet. Some members of our group were starting to experience mild headaches or nausea but we were both doing fine so far although our legs were letting us know that we were overusing them. It was a nice sunny day with great views of Kili again and when we arrived at our camp by mid-afternoon it was warm enough in our tent to have a quick nap wearing only my hiking pants. Later that night however I was sleeping with my winter hat on and my usual 3 layers.
Day 7 - a short hiking day following the tough one yesterday but a steep climb, allowing us to arrive at Barafu Hut (15,200 feet) by noon where we had an afternoon nap followed by an early dinner and bed by 6 pm. The extra rest was necessary to re-energize our bodies because we were now poised for the final assault which was going to start at midnight, a 7 hour steady uphill climb using our headlamps and an elevation gain of 4,200 feet with the plan to arrive there at sunrise. The whole group was hanging in there and we liked our chances to all reach the summit together.
Day 8 - Departing camp at midnight in total darkness we could not see the steep climb in front of us but our legs were letting us know it was happening. The only thing we could see were the headlamps of hikers ahead of us on the mountain and the brilliant star show in the sky but it was difficult at times to know which was which. 3 hours into the climb Rhonda was starting to experience both leg fatigue and dizziness, and knowing that there was still 4 hours of climbing ahead of her, she made the smart decision to swallow her pride and call it quits. She had made it to 16,500 feet and hiked steadily for 7 days so it was still quite an accomplishment. One of our 4 guides escorted her back to our camp and I continued on just like we had previously agreed if either one of us was to falter. 3 hours later our group reached Stella Point (19,000 feet) at 5:45 am just before sunrise. We were quite excited to see the sign because we had reached the top of a ridge many times before only to discover that after a short level spot there was another ridge ahead and in the darkness it was a nice surprise. We had a short rest and knowing that we were only an hour away from the summit with a more gradual grade, it seemed to re-energize everyone. The sunrise happened shortly after and we could now see our final destination so we were all smiles. An hour later we arrived at Uhuru Peak (19,500 feet), the highest peak in Africa and one of the world's 7 summits, where we shared hugs and took our celebratory pictures. It was a magical moment realizing what we had accomplished. On our return trip to camp, which only took two and a half hours (vs. 7) we saw many people who should have given up the fight but were continuing on with the assistance of a guide (holding them up) and looking like zombies. It was a foolish thing for them to do and not something our tour company would have allowed. After a one hour rest in our tent, where I re-connected with Rhonda who was no longer experiencing dizziness at the lower altitude, we hiked 3 more hours downhill to Millenium Camp (12,500 feet) for an early bedtime on our final night in a tent. At dinner our group discussed the amount we wanted to tip our support group and we all agreed to give more money than was suggested before our trip started. The porters sang songs for us after dinner and when we announced the amount of the tips for them they were very pleased and shook our hands. Rhonda and I gave some of our warm clothes that we wouldn't need again on this trip to the porters (Stanley & Vincent) that carried our larger bags all week and prepared our tent. They were very grateful to have 'newer' attire.
Day 9 - today we hiked for 5 hours going downhill to reach our finish line at Mweka Gate, an elevation drop of 7,100 feet. We had a quick lunch and then boarded a minibus for the 2 hour drive back to Arusha and the Lodge where it all began. The first thing we did was bundle most of our clothes for the laundry service (everything we had worn was dusty) and then rushed into the shower.....our first one in 8 days, probably the longest stretch we have ever gone in our lives. We then relaxed with the rest of the group at the bar followed by dinner and wine. And then had a wonderful sleep in a nice comfortable, warm bed.
Day 10 - we woke up today really feeling our legs and walking around like 90 year olds. We parted ways with our wonderful group and headed off to the airport for a return flight to Nairobi.

Climbing Kili was an incredible experience. Although Rhonda didn't make it to the top she still hiked more than 65 km's of the 72 km trail and I was very proud of her making it as far as she did. It might have been a better idea to do it before we hit our 60's but we still outlasted many younger hikers who succumbed to the mountain.

In the morning we start our next adventure.........a 6 day safari to the Masai Mara where the wildebeest migration is underway. During that time we will spend 3 nights in a tent but these will be permanent 'luxury' tents and the temperatures will remain in the 20's so it will be quite different than our Kili experience. Our next update will follow that trip.

Happy Thanksgiving.