Kilimanjaro - the Summit! (Day 5 & 6)

The group split up at this stage – I was the only who had opted for the longer trip, giving me an extra day on the mountain to acclimatize. So the other guys headed up on Day 5 – and I had a night to myself on the mountain.





It turned out that I lucked out – they went up too quickly, so ended up arriving at the summit before dawn, and came back down in darkness. Plus, they would have encountered clouds at the top if they had stayed longer.

But – on my day to summit, it was an easy 2.5 hour hike to the last campsite, then lazing around until midnight when my guide Fausti and myself headed up.

Again, conditions really favored us – when I woke up, I saw that we had just a dusting of snow, draping Kili in a brilliant coat of white. Then to top things off, we were able to hike under a full moon, which was so bright that headlamps weren't even necessary. Stunning.

Now, this part of the trail was hard. We kept the same slow pace, and headed up 1200m over 5 hours. Drinking water was absolutely critical to avoid headaches or nausea – even our guide wasn't immune, as he started feeling pretty bad on the way up.

The hike seemed to last a very long time – I kept thinking that “oh, we must be coming to halfway by now”, only to see that the ridge line just kept on going and going. For some reason, the only song I could keep going in my head to pass the time was “Into the Dark” by Deathcab for Cutie... not the most inspiring or motivational song out there!

But sure enough – as my legs were getting pretty beat up, we finally crested the ridge at Stella Point, and it all became much easier. Uhuru peak – 5800 meters – was in sight, and we put on a final push of effort... arriving at the peak literally at the break of dawn.






No other tourists, very little wind – just a chance to sit and take it all in. 'course, pics were a bit difficult at -10 C – my fingers froze so I just took a few pics and called it a day.

After 10 minutes, we headed back down and were treated to the dawn lighting up the rest of the valley. With the streaming clouds wrapping around the mountain peaks, it was one of the most beautiful sights – so we paused for another minute or two.



Then, really tired and cold, we immediately headed back to camp. Funny how hikes work – it took 6 good hours to climb up, but only 2 to get back as we blazed back down the mountain.

A quick breakfast and a nap, and we then decided to head all the way back to Machame Gate so we could spend the night in town. That was actually pretty hard, as the next 5 hours of straight downhill really beat up my knees. 'course, the prospect of a cold beer, hot shower, and thankfully clean clothes were a good motivator and we got off the mountain at 3pm.

Seriously tired, but seriously happy at the accomplishment.

Right – here a few do's and don'ts I took from my trip:

DO:

Take the longest trip possible – every extra day gives you a much better chance to finish the trip. Altitude sickness has nothing to do with how fit you are – just how well genetically your body can deal with lower oxygen levels.

Take Diamox. Cheap and easy prescription but helps your body absorb a greater % of available oxygen.

Bring as many layers of clothes as you can. Seems weird, as the first day begins in a rain forest, but the last two nights and the summit make these critical. Key items – VERY warm gloves and socks. Even with 2 pairs of socks and liners, my feet were freezing.

DON'T:

Forget to drink as much water as you can. Easy to forget as the first days' hiking aren't that tiring, but you should drink about 4 liters a day AT LEAST. Makes getting up in the middle of the night to pee fun, but again, really helps with the altitude.

Pass up on bringing a deck of cards. Each day finishes around 2pm, so you have lots of extra time to faff about.

Finally – with digital camera batteries, on the hike to the summmit, don't forget to keep them very warm, and next to your body. Lithium-ion batteries lose their charge very easily in the extreme cold – and it would be a bummer to miss that 'once in a lifetime' shot!