CONQUERING

OUR

MOUNTAIN

Situated south of the equator, in Tanzania, at 19 340 ft lies Mt. Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain and the highest “free standing” mountain in the world.

THE ROOF OF AFRICA

A TOPOGRAPHICAL PHOTOGRAPH OF KILIMANJARO

(the largest of the craters is KIBO)

There are 5 principal routes up the mountain: Marangu, Shira, Mweka, Umbwe and Machame. The last three routes may only be used with special permission as they are difficult and dangerous.

It is not for the faint-hearted – this will test you to your limits, mentally as well as physically. Some of the main problems experienced when climbing Kilimanjaro are altitude sickness and lack of oxygen. Altitude sickness can be countered by medicines such as Diamox and Decadron.

On such a high mountain, climate is bound to vary considerably. Mt Kilimanjaro has a climate of its own that ranges from a magnificent rain forest to a tropical climate eventually becoming desert, and this finally leads to snow and ice glaciers at the top.

This was the challenge that lay ahead of us. Although we had read about it and seen some pictures, nothing really ever prepared for this magnificent mountain that we faced over the next 6 days.

This is our story…(Jill, Darryl, Dave, Kevin, Maureen & Leah).

We have never been the same since (not that “before” was a sane picture either!!!)

DAY 1 – Saturday 16 September 2000

After many months of planning and attempts at training, the big day has arrived. Wild Frontiers has arranged to meet all “Kili climbers” at the airport about half an hour before check-in time.

Mom and I have been at the airport since 9.30am. Our flight was only leaving at 13.05pm – talk about “over eager”!! We desperately waited for someone who looked like a hiker to walk past in the hopes that we were not the only “weird” looking bunch with walking sticks and unattractive kit bags floating around Jo’burg International.

At last we saw a blonde lady with a walking pole that looked exactly like ours – dead giveaway – Wild Frontiers hired equipment!

Her name was Jill and she was waiting for the rest of her party -3 friends from Durban, to arrive. We chattered a bit and all decided to move to the check in counter.

Liezl from Wild Frontiers met us at the Air Tanzania check-in counter and there must have been about 30 other enthusiastic climbers waiting to get onboard flight TC 766 to Kilimanjaro Airport.

Our flight was delayed by over an hour. This gave Jill and her 3 friends – Dave, Kevin and Daryl a chance to have a “few” drinks before boarding!

We met some people in the waiting lounge and got chatting. They were alsofrom Cape Town – Johan, Henk, Rieet and Graeme. They had booked their trip through the Getaway magazine, and because of this we nicknamed them the “Getaway bunch”. (original….I know!!)

We finally boarded this tiny Boeing 737 where seating was a bit of a “free for all”.

The flight turned into the “party plane”. The ring leaders being none other than Daryl, Dave and Kevin and Jill following close behind. Mom and I were sitting one row in front of them and began to have our doubts as to whether these 4 people were actually going to climb Kili, or whether they were just there for moral support! We just thanked our lucky stars that we would probably be hooking up with some sober people in our hiking group. We anticipated that it would probably be the “Getaway bunch”, as we would make up about 6 people which is the average number of people in a walking group.

As our flight was delayed, we arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport after sunset, so we missed our first chance to see Kili.

Anxiety filled the bus that took us to the Keys Hotel in Arusha - knowing that it was out there, but we just couldn’t see it.

At the hotel we were briefed on the next days happenings. We then had supper and some of us retired to our rooms to organise final packing for the next day – while others continued to PARTY, PARTY PARTY!!! (No prizes for guessing who)

Day 2-Sunday 17 September 2000

We had to be dressed and ready to go by 9am.

Mom and I sat at reception as all the various guides began to group together the names on their lists. We seemed to be at least 60 people from all around the world waiting for someone to tell us what to do.

We noticed that Jill & the guys had only just come down to breakfast. They did not look “bright & breezy” and had a sense of disorganisation hanging over them.

Meanwhile, we were told that we were in the “Botha” party. We hadn’t met anyone with the surname of Botha yet, but felt quite relieved that it had to at least be a group of South Africans so we waited for the Bothas’ to arrived.

Much to our utter surprise, Dave arrived at reception and announced that his surname was Botha! Mom and I were concerned……. These people so far had notched up a reputation as the “wildest bunch on the tour”. The Getaway bunch handed us their condolences – it did not perk us up!

We had visions of all night partying happening in our tents all the way to the summit. Was our mental challenge just beginning??

Nonetheless, we met our guide Eric and began to get into our 4X4 that would drive us the hour trek to the Machame Gate. We were experiencing some delays getting started as Dave was a bit “green” from the night before, and Jill and Daryl were struggling to get their act together.

Kevin & Daryl pose next to our 4x4

At the gate where, once we had registered, Eric arranged for one of the porters – Ronald, to start us on our way. He still had to organise the rest of the paperwork and porters that would be carrying all our gear.

We began our walk in the rain forest – which was absolutely spectacular. It was much steeper than any of us had anticipated. The path was muddy and very slippery and it was incredibly humid in the forest.

We took it slow as we did not want to burn ourselves out in the first day. The porters taught us “pole pole” (pronounced “po ly”) – which means “slowly slowly” Dave took it EXTRA slow….he had burnt himself out the night before. I was amazed at Daryl and Dave’s ability to stop for regular smoke breaks along the way. We had subsequently learnt how we had misjudged our fellow hikers. These guys were completing their final leg of a challenge called the BIG FIVE. It entails swimming the Midmar mile, cycling the Argus, canoeing the Duzi, running the Comrades and finally, climbing Kilimanjaro - all in nine months. Mom and I were impressed, and then a little nervous. Once again we felt ourselves doubting the compatibility of being in this group. These guys were way fitter than the both of us and we were concerned about holding the group up.

Ma in the forest

Our seven hours of walking brought us to the Machame Hut at 3000m. We arrived at our camp site and suddenly realised that there were about 120 people on this route!

Upon arrival it was the duty of the porter to erect our tents for us. They also set up another one, which was later dubbed the “mess tent”, and from then on we shared all our meals there. We were welcomed to some tea, coffee and Milo accompanied by popcorn and peanuts to keep us going until suppertime.

Our meals were prepared by the 2 assistant guides – Stephen and Lazaro. Supper consisted of soup, followed by spaghetti and meat sauce, with carrots and finally some fruit for dessert. We were suitably impressed.

Bathing was quite a challenge. As there are no ablution blocks…..we had to resort to a more primitive from of personal hygiene. Our porters would heat up some water in a bowl and we would retire to our two man tents and a box of “wet wipes” to get the job done!

Mom and I shared a tent, which proved from the beginning to be too small for the both of us, especially when it came to “bath-time”. Dave and Kevin were always fighting over whose “wet ones” had the most moisture. And Jill constantly took the prize for taking the longest bath! Daryl just fitted in wherever he was told to!

After a hearty meal we retired to our tents. Once again we faced new challenges. We had all hired our sleeping bags from Wild Frontiers, but clearly their idea of an average person was a midget! I found mine to be like a prison – once I was in there was no getting out. Poor Dave and Kevin never knew what it was like to be zipped up all the way. And I constantly heard Mom having a fight with hers during the night.

“Roughing it” was beginning to take on a whole new meaning. It was not until the next morning when our thin foam mats were lifted that we all realised the reason for our discomfort during the night. There seemed to be some rather uneven rocks that we had been sleeping on.

The vibe at the campsite was quite festive. There were quite a few Americans, but the majority of climbers were South African. We had also encountered some Swiss who must have missed the qualifier for the Olympics as they were taking this climb very seriously. We never once saw them crack a smile!

Trying to organise ourselves in our tent!

DAY 3 – MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2000

The previous day we had covered about 18km, but today, our ascent to Shira Hut, 3800m would be the shortest day we would experience in terms of distance. We were only going to hike 9km and this hike was estimated to take about 6 hours.

Our campsite at Machame Hut was at a section just before the edge of the forest. As we looked down all we could see were the clouds that lay below us. From that point on, we were not able to see the world below us for another 3 days.

After a delightful breakfast of porridge, bread, jam, omelets and coffee we began a solid hour of hard uphill to the top of the forest.

Eric, our guide had began with a nice slow pace and insisted that “Mama” walk behind him. That was the beginning of the walking order for always. “Mama” in the front, followed by Leah, Jill, Daryl, Kevin and Dave.

From then on mom became “Ma” to everyone.

Onward we continued for another 2 hours of uphill to the top of a rocky bluff. Here our porters had set up lunch for us. The porters just amazed us. They had stayed behind us that morning to pack up camp and then, with heavy loads, overtaken us along the way in order to ensure that lunch would be ready and waiting when we arrived.

The porters carrying our load

After lunch, our walk took a nice downward descend of about 50m and then we started to traverse westwards up to Shira Cathedral. The last section would have been very pleasant as it was fairly flat, but as fate would have it, we experienced the last of the rain season and were hit by a huge hail storm.

I felt sorry for Dave. Just when he thought he had recovered from the previous day’s “hangover from hell”, he was now faced with the dilemma that he forgot to pack his wet weather gear in his backpack!! The hail stones had no mercy for him and came down harder than ever. Between Jill, Daryl and Kevin, they managed to rummage something together to get him to the campsite. A great team effort I must say!

The campsite at Shira Hut was quite spectacular. Unlike the previous day where we could only see the forest below us, we now had a more fantastic view of Shira Cathedral and Mt Meru in the distance. Just before sunset, the cloud that hung over Kilimanjaro like a table cloth decided to lift and we had the most spectacular view of this monstrous mountain.

This night was the first time we experienced the altitude and some cold temperatures at night. Just taking a 5 minute walk out to the loo took all the breath out of me.

At supper time we were beginning to get more chatty amongst ourselves. Ma reminded us that it was recommended to begin taking Diamox this evening. Jill was a bit dumb founded as it seems that she had taken hers the day before. On closer investigation, instead of the daily allowance of half a tablet twice a day, Jill had politely taken 4 Diamox tablets!!! (We sensed there was more than just alcohol abuse within this group!!!……joke) Dave was then officially designated the position of resident doctor among their group. I felt safer in the hands of Ma!

Supper time in our “mess tent”.

DAY 4 TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2000

We woke up to a magical carpet of frost on the ground and our tents.

After breakfast we started to get ready to leave. There seemed to be some difficulty coming from Jill and Daryl’s tent. They were frantically packing. They just couldn’t get going. Ma and I noticed that Daryl was rather “clever” when it came to organising of events. He preferred to “outsource”. He provided the entertainment (which he was very good at!) and the gang did the rest– except of course his packing up every morning! And this was not Jill’s field of expertise either. We watched with silent giggles as Kevin and Dave gave them hell each morning for being so disorganised. By this point Kevin and Dave were behaving like a real married couple. Each had their own little duties to perform and at night they would chat for hours on end before going to sleep – very sweet! Packing up in the morning was no problem for them as each one had their separate task to perform. Ma and I were a bit of a nightmare too in the packing/unpacking department. Some of us (whose names shall remain anonymous) are just not morning people!

Today our walk entailed walking from 3800m to 4800m and then back down to 3900m. This was part of our acclimatisation and the possibility of experiencing headaches, nausea and further breathing problems would be quite strong.

Eric (our guide) & Leah

Within the first 2 hours of walking we hit another hail storm. It was so pretty as we walked on this white carpet which could be easily mistaken for snow.

Taking a break just before Lava Tower

The temperatures had dropped quite significantly and I was particularly aware that my breathing was growing more strained with each step. Nonetheless, Dave and Kevin still stopped for their smoke breaks. Jill continued to do a number of fashion parades, changing from her summer range of khaki shorts to her full winter attire of Helly Hansen jackets and waterproof pants! The guys enjoyed teasing Jill – but amongst it all, it was clear that they all loved her dearly. Ma and I were growing more fond of our little group with each 100m we were climbing together.

We eventually reached Lava Tower (4900m) just before lunch-time. Our group was looking good and none of us had experienced any altitude sickness signs. This lifted our confidence levels slightly. Walking downhill for another hour, we eventually reached our lunch spot. We always felt so special at meal times as not all the other groups had a “mess tent” like ours.

Ma & the Boys

After lunch the weather seemed to change a bit. We had descended quite a bit since Lava Tower, and it was time to remove the heavy clothing and wet gear. We continued the downhill trek to our campsite, continuously passing the magnificent display of Lobelia in the area. The vegetation was constantly changing and we seemed to be approaching a more desert–like terrain. Just before reaching our campsite we walked alongside the magnificent Barranco Wall. It was very imposing and I just couldn’t bear to think about the fact that the first thing we would be doing the next day was climbing it! That thought was immediately pushed to the back of my mind.

The Barranco Wall

About an hour before reaching the end of our journey for the day, we embarked on a tremendous downhill. It was not a pleasant experience. Darryl, Kevin and Dave decided to do it the “suicide way” and began jogging down the sandy, slippery slopes. This resulting in ”Dr Dave” having to dish our Voltaren tablets that evening for some very weary knees. It was a good thing the guys did not embark on such adventurous expeditions on a regular basis – they would all have serious drug additons!!!!

For fear of breaking any bones, Ma and I took the alternative option of slowly edging our way down into the valley. It was rather painstaking but it worked for us….even if it did take about an hour longer.

That evening at the campsite the drop in temperature was felt by all. Jill, being as innovative as ever, decided to heat herself up with some tots of whisky she had brought along for emergency moments. At that altitude, alcohol has quite an affect and we all went to bed with some rather rosy cheeks that night.

Our evenings around the “dinner table” were becoming rather special. The reflection of what we had achieved each day gave us that little push for the next day’s challenge. And of course, the entertainment provided by each person’s unique personality just couldn’t be topped.

DAY 5 WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2000

If I had ever known what lay ahead the next 2 days I most probably would not have even got past this day. Day 5 was an extremely tough day for me. Being the youngest in the group and always having everyone tell you that you have youth on your side….this was not the the time to reveal my thoughts to my fellow 40-something friends, who could outrun, walk, skip, jump and hop me!!!

It started off with an immediate ascent up the Barranco Wall. This was not a technical climb over rock, but it was long and tiring and required concentration all the way. Ma took some strain here. The heights did not appeal to her and Eric was an absolute hero the way he guided her with each step. The path was very narrow and all the climbers were stuck “bumper to bumper” as each one scrambled to the top.

Reaching the top was a fantastic feeling…just a pity there wasn’t too much air to help you enjoy the moment!

Thereafter, we then continued up another hill – and it felt as if we were never going to reach the end. I am not sure what the height was at that point, but things were definitely slowing down as far as speed was concerned. Eric was brilliant in the way he paced us…the key was always to keep moving.

Lunchtime was just beyond a downhill scree (again….) into a valley. I found it slightly soul destroying when every time we conquered a hill, we then had to go downhill almost as much as we had climbed up. There were times when I did not have some kind words for the guy who mapped out this route!

Today’s lunch was quite special…we had chicken and chips – almost as good as Nando’s! We were now building ourselves up for the last uphill to our “base camp” for the summit. The weather was considerably colder and we had quite a bit of gear on at this point. About an hour after leaving our lunch spot we began to notice how desert-like the vegetation had become. There was really nothing but sand and rock.

About an hour before reaching the camp site, we experienced what it might be like to have altitude sickness. At this point our group had been very fortunate as we were all fighting fit. In the evenings most of us had “the irritating cough”, but other than that, no vomiting or headaches.

Anyway, one of the porters became totally disorientated and couldn’t seem to find his way up the pathway. Luckily Eric had spotted this and went to his rescue. We gave him some sweets to boost his sugar levels and some water to drink .

There are many warnings about climbing Kilimanjaro….one of them being that you should not try to ascend to the top too quickly – especially as you reach the levels above 4000m where the body struggles at such high altitudes.

After a good 8 hours of hard walking, we finally reached Barafu Hut at 4 600m. It was not a pleasant campsite. The race was on to find a spot that was rock free to set up tent. Our porters did a brilliant job though. We arrived at about 5.30pm ready to pass out for a good 12 hours sleep, only to be reminded that in about 6 hours time we would be getting ready to make the summit.

At this point my heart was going “clippity – clop” – I had no idea where I would be finding the energy to tackle the next step that lay ahead.

But the excitement was more overpowering. That mountain looked so awesome and I just wanted to know what it was like at the top – I HAD to do it!

Last views of Kilimanjaro before we would attempt the summit

We attempted to have a “bath” once again. Ma and I were getting more and more cranky with these sessions. At least we were beginning to provide some form of entertainment for the rest of our team!

All the layers of clothing came on as there was a massive drop in temperature once the sun went down. We all had our thermal undies and about 4 layers of clothing, covered by our down jackets. All excited about our “outfits” we once again assembled in our mess tent for a hearty meal.

At this point I lost my appetite. I could not bring myself to eat anything. On top of this, I had a slight hint of nausea at the back of my throat. A small trickle of panic washed over me – but I decided to keep calm and just drink lots of fluid. For me to lose my appetite…..that had to be a first! This was just a gentle reminder that this altitude might take its toll on my body.

At about 7pm we tucked into bed. I have never been that cold in my life. Even with all the layers of clothing and down sleeping bag, there was no getting warm. We all knew we had to get some sleep, but there was so much waiting for us outside our tents. We could hear Daryl and Jill desperately trying to organise themselves so that they would not be the last ones to get going – again!

Dave and Kevin were having all sorts of discussions – we could never quite make out what they were saying (unless they were having a “domestic”) but we could always hear their deep voices. Ma was having a last minute panic attack. She was 200% sure most of the time that she would get to the top, but every now and then (now being the operative word) she began to have her doubts. I just lay there quietly freezing my butt off.

Just when I thought I could take the cold no more, Lazaro came and woke us up. We had some tea and biscuits to wake us up – checked the cameras, backpacks and water bottles one last time, and then we hit the pathway!

It was the most amazing sight to see about 100 people with headlamps on making their way up this magnificent mountain in the middle of the night. After the first kilometre I was having doubts as to whether I could manage the 8 hours ahead. Everyone was so hyped up - we were like kids about to take our first ride on a two wheeler bicycle!

We climbed up scree for the first 5 hours. This was not an easy task. Temperatures were definitely in the minus figures and our balaclavas even developed some frost on them. Breathing was a huge effort and it felt as if all my organs were fighting for the same bit of oxygen.

We had to constantly stop – although Eric set a brilliant pace and was even encouraging us to breath loudly like they do in aerobics classes. We all began to sound like “Puff the magic dragon”……. The boys and Jill were doing an amazing job. They seemed to be handling this with ease – while Ma and I were definitely about ready to pack it in.

Luckily, Mother Nature felt sorry for me and decided that the sun should rise. This was cause for a rest and a chance to take some photographs of the powerful sunrise. Man…was I grateful for that pit stop!

It was around about that time that the sun began to rise and we had the pleasure of watching it reflect off Mawenzi, the a beautiful mountain right next to Kilimanjaro (it look about 5000m – I’m not too sure of it’s height). But the snow and sun’s reflection at the same time was a truly awesome sight at that time of the morning.

Even though it felt as if I was never going to get my breath back, Eric and Lazaro pointed out that we were about 2 hours max. from the top.

As much as it was meant to, this did not encourage me.

I think Eric sensed this from the pathetic look of despair on my face, and decided at this point that the group might split. Lazaro stayed with me – and took my empty backpack, because at this altitude it felt like it was full of bricks! Steven was assigned to help Ma and her camera and bag, etc. So much for someone who was packing light that morning… And Eric and the “Fit for Life Foursome” practically jogged to the top…..!!! Just kidding – just because I was at the back it felt like everyone was jogging past me.

Ma was doing very well. Steven was very protective over her as she was rather revered amongst the porters and guides due to her age. They all called her “Mama”. As Mama and Steven made their way to the top, Lazaro was very gallantly dragging me along my merry way.

I was about 5cm from giving up when Lazaro discovered an ingenious way to get me to the top. He grabbed the one side of my walking pole and pulled me along. When this idea lost it lustre, he then resorted to pushing me from behind!

Stella Point was in sight – I could see it – I could see Dave, Daryl, Ma, Jill and Kevin at the top – but it just seemed to take forever to get there. But I finally did it. If it had not been for Lazaro and Steven helping us along, I am not sure if I would actually have got to that point. But there we were, at the rim of the crater. The worst part was over! The path to Uhuru looked easy but the altitude made it an extremely difficult task.

We even noticed a man sit down to rest and fall asleep, due to the lack of oxygen. Ma and I literally held each other up at this point. The guys and Jill were at Uhuru taking photos when we arrived. We were all hugging each other – exhausted as hell, but overjoyed at what we had achieved.

The “Getaway bunch” arrived and we heard how they had climbed an alternative route via Arrow Glacier, which had scared the quits out of them. Apparently, the sheer drop of some of the cliffs they climbed almost knocked the wind out of their sails!

But there we all were, on the Roof of Africa, proudly getting in as many photos of our team at the famous spot on Uhuru Peak would let us.

And then Ma and I stopped suddenly and looked around - these glaciers just took our breath away. So many shades of blue in the ice we had never seen.

Yes, we had conquered our mountain…

Glaciers at the top of Kilimanjaro

Glaciers at the top of Kilimanjaro

Our Group at the top (left to right)

Dave, Kevin, Steven (assistant guide) , Maureen, Eric, Jill, Daryl, Lazaro (assistant guide), Leah