Kilimanjaro climb

By Sarah Sevcik

Tanzania
August 18, 2008

For one week, Lizz and I decided to test our physical and mental stamina by climbing the tallest free-standing mountain in the world: Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro means “mountain ice��? or “bad mountain��?, depending on who you ask. Both meanings, in my mind, explain it well. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest mountain one can climb without technical assistance (such as oxygen). We had an amazing time, and now that it’s done we are glad we did it. I have included some details of our trip below, but let me offer you a warning. If you would like to know only the good, esp. if you want to climb the mountain one day, read only the “good��? section. If you want to climb Kili some day but want to be given a reason not to, read the “bad��? and “ugly��?. If you want the whole experience, read it all.

The Good

Kili is beautiful. Breathtaking, in fact. There are five climate zones, so within six days you’ve climbed from a rainforest to a glacier. Amazing. The first zone, the Cultivation Zone, is the fertile land with a lot of agriculture (coffee, banana, mango, bean, corn, potatoes, cabbage, and tomatoes are grown here) and livestock. Next is the Montane Forest, which is the main water reservoir for the entire region. Here you find the most beautiful flowers, my favorite being the kilimanjari, a flower marked by reds, yellows, and oranges. In this rainforest area, you see layers and layers of vegetation, including Erica trees, moss, lichen, and ferns.Then on to the Heath/Moorland Zone, where we felt like we were trampling through a Lord of the Rings set. At this point we were above the clouds. The Moorland zone is full of Erica trees with bearded lichen, lots of grass and shrubs, and full of mist. From there you enter the Alpine Desert, where only a few insects, spiders and mice can survive. It’s essentially a desert made up of stones, and the UV radiation is very intense. Finally we reached the Ice Cap Zone, described as a “landscape bleak and offers no protection.��? Nothing can survive here. There are 15 names glaciers and the Reusch crater. In addition to enjoying many climate zones, we found beauty in the amazing sunsets and sunrises. Also, on the day of the Big Climb to the summit we walked through the night, led by the light of the moon, which made the snow and ice shimmer in the darkness. Our guide and his group were awesome. This was a camping trip I’ve never experienced, where others take care of everything for us. We never had to set up camp, or cook, or boil water, or carry anything but our daypack. Instead, we had a crew of 9 men taking care of the two of us: a guide, an assistant guide, a cook, a waiter/porter, and 5 other porters. It seemed strange at first, but by the end I can see why we needed so much help. We were served incredible meals. In the morning we received porridge, eggs, hotdogs, oranges, bananas, toast. We would eat popcorn, peanuts, and biscuits with tea during breaks. Lunches and dinners were anything from homemade vegetable stews and cream soups to curry chicken and beef with French fries. We ate fresh watermelon, mango, and papaya. The hiking routes were very crowded, as were the campsites (even to the point of ‘traffic jams’ when climbing). We enjoyed this, as there was such great diversity and comradely amongst the groups. We laughed and joked with everyone, and became known as the “MN girls��?. One man from South Africa wanted us to give him cupcake recipes every time we saw him. Eventually we wrote down a recipe, which included the steps of 1. Find a porter, and concluding with Warning: cupcake icing in high altitudes is not recommended. One funny/sad story: a flock of birds took off with a zip-lock baggie of a man’s medication and a search crew was sent out around camp to look for it.

The Bad

Nights were FREEZING. Our tent had ice all over it every morning, and getting out of the sleeping bag in the morning or the middle of the night to use the restroom was about the last thing you wanted to do. The temperature produced a continuous lack of sleep (at least for me). There is no shower or washing for 7 days. We stunk, which I suppose was fine because we all stunk together. But, being a contact wearer, it’s difficult to not contaminate your eyes and keep them from burning. Dirt is everywhere; under your nails, in your ears, caked to your feet. We didn’t know if we were getting tan or just loading up more dust on our bodies.Pit Toilets: Gross. I would much rather dig a hole than use the pit toilets. They were super smelly and often produced the gag-reflex. Most foreigners (including ourselves) were not always great at directing our excretions into the small holes, so the latrines were full of, well, you know. The worst were the pits on a slope, because the liquid and poop would pool in corners. Additionally, increasing altitude and eating different food caused many-a-person to have unusual bowel movements. Lizz got food poisoning at one point, which added to the fun. Enough about that.

And The Ugly

On Day 6 we were woken up at 11:30pm to start our midnight climb to Uhuru Peak, at 5895 meters. Probably due to both altitude sickness and not getting enough rest, I woke up with a headache. Boo. Not a good way to start a 9-hour hike. First of all, let me explain that at this elevation we were already seriously suffering from a lack of oxygen, and we had another 1,200 meters to climb. I popped a few Ibuprofen and altitude sickness pills and tried to get into a meditative rhythm. At the beginning of the hike, I said, “Asante Sana Kilimanjaro��?, or “Thank you Kili!��? Within a couple hours I started cursing the mountain, if not verbally, then internally. As Lizz says, this resulted in almost instantaneous karma. I kept feeling worse and worse. My headache was horrible, and I started to feel very dizzy. The rule was no stopping, because those who stop (other than to take a quick bathroom break) may not make it to the top. In fact, depending on the route, as many as 60% of the people who attempt Kili do not reach the top. Anyhow, back to the misery.Around 5am I took more meds and gave my day pack to the assistant guide. I tried to keep a rhythm with my two walking poles and prayed I would make it. I felt horrible. Imagine climbing for 9 hours in the night, temperatures below freezing, with little oxygen, only to know when you reach the top you have to turn around and hike another 6 hours back down the mountain. I tried to not think of this.Somehow, only God knows how, we made it to Stella Point at sunrise, and continued to Uhuru Peak by 7:30am. It was unbelievably gorgeous! I was feeling better by this point (thanks to many meds), at least enough to smile and be excited. Still, I was begging to start our way down the mountain. Indeed, it’s recommended to stay at the top for a maximum of 5 minutes. On the way down the mountain, I was nearly running. By the time we made it back to base camp, I felt like I was dying. I laid down and thought I had the flu—puking, dizzy, horrible headache and stomachache, etc. But, we couldn’t stay; after throwing up my lunch (of which I had no appetite for anyway) we had to continue hiking down for another 4 hours! It was miserable. I decided that day was like hell, and I would never again attempt a Kili climb. I was also wondering if it was worth it.
Now, with days between summiting day and today, I can say the hike was worth it. The climb was by far the most physically difficult thing I’ve ever done, and I was reminded that my body does not do well with altitude. (Indeed, I was sick for a day when I ran in Albuquerque!) Still, we made it, and we have many photos to share!