Arun and Jen: The Kilimanjaro Adventure

The Western Breach Adventure on Kilimanjaro - August 2008

2008-09-05T17:00:00.002+05:30

Sometime in late 2007, we came across an article on the internet where Kilimanjaro was mentioned; apparently someone had called it the "common man's Everest." Really?? Well, I've had a fancy to want to get adventurous and here was a calling; and this time it could be an adventure to experience not alone, but with my loving wife. And so Jen and I started our research into how we could go about this hike.

Jen is not what you would call an "outdoors-woman", she is more a city dweller. A city dweller nevertheless, but one that l-o-v-e-s animals. So we decided that the hike was my adventure and reward; and the safari that was to follow was her reward.

Jen's research led us to uncover the many trails that we could use to get up the mountain including the infamous 4-day Marango route (a.k.a the Coca-cola route). We were to learn it's infamous because of the nearly 30% ratio of people not making it past Gilman's point (a cliff close enough to see the top but still 90 minutes away from the peak) due to the fast ascent and lack in time to acclimatize.

So, we chose the longer, 8-day route, which had a 99% success rate of making the summit (Uhuru Peak). The secret seemed to be that the longer you were on the mountain and the slower your ascent, the more acclimatised your body gets to the lack of air pressure at the high altitude. And so we chose the Lemosho Route via the Western Breach, which is the toughest, but shortest direct ascent on the last day. Short because it's only a 90 minute hike on the last morning at 5am against other routes that require an 11pm to 7am hike to reach the summit and a gruelling 7 hrs walk downhill.

*** from Jen's point of view ***
When Arun first mentioned Kilimanjaro to me, I was intrigued. Not because climbing a mountain or being out in the "wilderness" was appealing to me (there are snakes and spiders out there, you know?); but because he promised me that if we ever went to Africa, we could go on safari and I'd get to see all those animals I regularly obsess over on National Geographic or the Discovery Channel, live and in person.

Then, I began researching Kili and the various routes. I signed up on various blogs and forums, trying to dissect how difficult it would be (physically) and what we'd need to do to be prepared. I emailed various tour companies and spoke to people who had hiked up Kili in the past and finally decided on a company called Destination Tanzania Safaris (aka Detasa). I liked this company for a variety of reasons, but mainly because they were big on safety. They also got good reviews from past customers.

Once we decided on a company, the route and the safari (couldn't forget to plan that part!), it was time to research hiking gear and start our "Kili fitness routine," which included daily (well, almost daily) walks, runs, stair-climbing, yoga or squash (for Arun). We also managed a few hiking trips to higher elevations (Ooty and Masinagudi). I think those trips were helpful, in that we were able to hike for 2-4 hours at a stretch and were able to test our limits.

Aug 15th 2008, Bangalore-Bombay-Nairobi-Kilimanjaro

2008-09-05T16:00:00.002+05:30

We had three flights to catch in order to reach our final destination. When we landed in Bombay, it was pouring, the monsoon was in full flow. Our delays started here, the transfer from the domestic terminal to the international terminal, a distance of less than a couple of kilometers, took us just short of 2 hours, usual Bombay chaos.

By 12:30 am we were through security and awaiting our 2:30 am departure. We were asked to board the aircraft only at 4 am, finally taking off at 5 am. The reasons for the delay were due to the torrential monsoon rains and a bomb scare at the airport! Thankfully, we were able to get some much needed shut-eye (lucky for those flat beds on Kenya Airways) during our 6 hour flight.

We landed late into Nairobi and missed our connection to Kilimanjaro, delaying our journey by another 2 hours. We finally headed out on our last flight at 11 am and flew into Tanzania with some fabulous views of Mt.Kilimanjaro on the way! Justin, our lead guide, was at Kilimanjaro airport to meet us and drive us the 45 minutes into the town of Arusha (and the Kibo Palace Hotel).

These are views of Mt. Kilimanjaro as seen from our flight from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro airport.

This is a view of Mt.Meru located near Arusha.

Aug 16th 2008 Saturday, Arusha

2008-09-05T15:00:00.011+05:30

So we were finally able to find a store to buy a note pad for me to record the daily happenings on this trip. We are at Bamboo Cafe in Arusha, Tanzania and it's 12.51pm now. It's our first morning here, we arrived last evening. Today we took a walk along the main street here in Arusha and picked up a few items (newspaper, cough syrup and some multivitamin tablets) and then walked along the main market place but didn't bother going in. We could see the vendors frantically waving in our direction hoping to get us into their stalls. No thank you, we've already been hounded enough on the payments by the hawkers.

We did stop by the local post office and mail out a few postcards to our family in India and Hawaii. Morning breakfast (standard English breakfast) was at the hotel - The Kibo Palace. At this moment, I'm enjoying my ginger tea (my first ever ginger tea), did not know it came with milk, but nevertheless it's tastier than expected. I'm nursing a sore throat that I'm desperately trying to get rid of within the next 48 hours. Jen as always loves her Sprite (costs 600 Tanzanian Shillings approx 0.60USD) as against a Diet Coke at 2000TS. Today on TV we heard that Michael Phelps won his seventh gold in the butterfly stroke event at the Beijing Olympics. One more event on Sunday for his attempt at record 8 golds.

Yesterday we got in at about 1pm, checked into the room and ordered some room service - chicken club sandwich. Showered and took a much needed nap between 3 and 7pm. Woke up, watched a bit of TV, ate again (another club sandwich, it came with beef !!) and back to bed by 10pm. We needed the rest as the flight to get here was surely the wake up call for an adventure.

Today is also my sister Sita's birthday, Happy Birthday Sis!!

After ginger tea and Sprite, we hear about this photo gallery run by an Australian photographer called Zoom Gallery Studios. We head across town, browsed a bit and ordered a few prints at this place. Not much after this except back to the hotel, a short nap then dinner. Called India to talk to my sister and parents and hit the sack by 11pm.

*** jen's outakes ***
Today, our first full day in Arusha, was spent walking around the town. It's pretty small, but with lots of hawkers and a few beggars on the streets. There are barely any signposts, but the sidewalks are wide and traffic is (surprisingly) very orderly. :) We had an interesting lunch - the Tanzanian take on pasta with veggies and sweet & sour chicken.

As we walked in town, we saw (and heard) a band in the back of a pick-up truck, celebrating a wedding. The line of cars that followed were decorated and we could see the bride and groom (along with their flower girl) in the backseat of one of the cars - I think it was a Toyota Corolla.

Aug 17th 2008 Sunday, Arusha

2008-09-05T14:30:00.005+05:30

Up by 8am, Justin (our lead guide from Detasa) came by for a briefing for tomorrow's start. We also met O and M our counterparts from Australia who will also be climbing with us. Justin went through all of our gear, just ensuring we had all the essentials for the climb.

At noon or so we went into town for a stroll, grabbed lunch at Dolly's and went to an art store and bought two Masai paintings ($135).

We can see Mt. Meru from Arusha's main street. It's the fifth highest mountain in Africa at 15,000 ft above sea level. Looks massive from this angle.

Back to the hotel by 3pm, Inocent (he owns and runs the tour company that we are using) came by at 5pm to meet us. All 5 of us had a chat for some time, clarified doubts we had regarding the climb, safety equipment, weather, AMS, diamox etc. Some last minute packing and then early dinner and off to bed.

We plan to leave tomorrow by 8am, it's a 4 hr drive to the national park gate. I think we are prepared, this is the time we've been planning for for all these months. We had all our questions answered; the key seems to be to take our time, hike slowly, drink lots of water, and to force yourself to eat as much as possible to maintain our energy levels. If we can do that, this should be like a hike in the woods!! Our bags are packed and batteries charged. Early night today, its just past 10pm.

This is surely going to be an adventure; quite an adventure. A bit of work and effort for sure but I think it will be a trip that we will never forget. It's quite a long journey and is going to take a lot of courage and strength to accomplish. After my 1600km bicycling expedition of southern India way back in 1990 and my 13,500 ft ascent of the Chandrakani pass in the Himalayas in 1995, this was surely the next big (or bigger) thing . I am looking forward to this, Jen has never ventured out like this before, will be quite a journey for her. She has put a lot of trust and faith in me and has taken up this challenge along with me. Moving to India itself was quite a journey, this surely ranks up there. She got quite a kick in trying the sleeping bags earlier, but tomorrow by this time we will be actually sleeping in one, on our first night on the mountain. May not be too cold yet tomorrow but as we head up higher we expect temperatures well below freezing, along with wind chill to some extent.

This is a journey worth doing, we will bond in ways like never before and bring Jen and me closer. Quite a week ahead of us and will have lots of stories and photos to tell our kids and grand kids one day. Good Night.

Aug 18th 2008 Monday, Arusha >> Forest Camp 8960ft

2008-09-05T14:00:00.019+05:30

Up at 6 am, last minute packing and breakfast. We got all our stuff together and checked out by 8 am. It was a 4hr drive to Langrossi gate. The road was a bad winding one with lots of pot holes. Jen got a bit car sick, in addition to starting to develop a stomach bug from last night's food. It's a cloudy day so far and we could not see the mountain as we were heading in its direction. Justin mentioned that on a clear day you should be able to see Kilimanjaro while on the road.

Chatted with our co-hikers, and before we knew it we were at the gate. Had to formally register and sign the waiver forms etc. Our bags were weighed to ensure they weren't too heavy for the porters (20kg limit per porter). Still a bit cloudy and it's starting to get a bit chilly. Jen still under the weather. Tummy ache and the really bad road is not quite helping either.

On the way here we did see 4 giraffes and a few indigenous Colobus monkeys. Finally at about 12.30pm we come to the end of the road and meet our porters. All 24 of them, that's right - 24 porters, our two assistant guides Frank and Aristudius and our cook Romisha. Lunch was laid out on the table - bread, cheese, tomato, cucumber, chips, cupcakes, tea and coffee and some fruit. After a quick bite, we put on our gaiters and off we go - 1pm at this time. We are carrying 3 liters of water (each), remember water is the key to not succumbing to altitude sickness.

Its a slow climb through the rain forest, reminds me of Masungudi forests. Jen is feeling a bit better after her lunch. We reach our first camp at about 4.30pm aptly called 'Forest Camp', its at 8960 above mean sea level. We started at 7600ft. Lots of water intake along the way and lots of visits to the toilet along the way. Our first climb today and our day packs seem rather heavy, come to think of it there is hardly anything inside it except for our water and some essentials. We did manage to take some photos along the way. It's still a cloudy day.

Once we got to camp we sign in to register, there is some popcorn and tea waiting for us. A porter brings us some warm water to wash up and we settle into out tents. Our new homes for the next 7 nights. The porters who had packed up the lunch spot after we had left, overtook us en route and now have this camp all set up before we get here. We are also shown our portable potty, comes with a flushable contraption too. We are now lazing in the tent, unpacking a little. Jen is napping, tired from her sore tummy. It's bit warmer now, not much wind at the moment. The campsite is noisy with all the porters and their radios playing. There are two other groups here besides us, Tusker and Zara. Its 5.30pm, dinner is in an hour.

I'm quite sure we will sleep well tonight, first night in the camp in the tent and in the sleeping bags.

*** jen's outakes ***
Today was an early day and I got up feeling a bit uneasy. At first, I attributed it to nerves and excitement; but after getting sick on the ride to the starting point at the base of the mountain, I knew it was something a bit more. The highlight of the 4 hour car ride was seeing a family of 4 giraffes along the route. Innocent, the owner of Detasa, told us it was rare to see wildlife in these parts, so I took it as a good sign!

Once we got to our starting point and lunch was served, I still felt a bit sick and could only manage a few bites of bread, cheese, soup and fruit. Justin kept telling me to try and force down some food, because it was going to be a long, 4 hour hike up to our first camp. The pace we walked at was very "pole-pole" (which means "slow-slow" in Swahili, and is the mantra of the guides as you walk up the mountain), but it was also a bit challenging.

As the porters passed us by on the trail, I was amazed by 2 things: 1. the speed at which they walk - sometimes it looked like they were either skipping or running up the mountain and 2. that they did all this with 20kgs either strapped to their backs or balancing on their heads.

We got to camp, laid out our sleeping bags, had some snacks and took a nap before dinner (fish & chips). I was tired and kinda sore from all that walking. It took me some time to get used to sleeping in the confines of a sleeping bag, atop a yoga mat. I'm definitely not used to camping!

Aug 19th 2008 Tuesday, Forest Camp >> Shira Camp One 11400ft

2008-09-05T13:00:00.009+05:30

Wow! Today has been incredible. It's 5.18pm now, Jen is resting. I've just finished washing up, changing clothes, filling up water in our bottles and signing in. We had our usual tea and biscuits and popcorn. Today was a long day, 6 hrs of hiking and on to the Shira Plateau, a World heritage site. We are currently at 11400 ft above sea level. We climbed from just short of 9000 ft. Took a few photos of the campsite too.

Today was tiring and long and Jen pulled through incredibly. Fatigue, the cold and the long day didn't help her either. We had a few tough inclines before lunch and ate on a plateau overlooking the valley that we had come across. Lunch was soup, vegetables, avocado salad, oranges, bananas, cheese, biscuits, tea and lots of water. We've had 2l of water before lunch and we are now filling up another 2l for our afternoon sessions of hiking.

Last night was a tough night for Jen. She was up at 3am and 5am and threw up whatever she had eaten at lunch and dinner. She has got to be exhausted. Her stomach bug is still in her and she was uneasy all day today. She hardly ate any breakfast, she did force some dinner in which eventually came out. No food = no energy. Her sleep was a disturbed one too, she did incredibly well to wake me up in the middle of the night and throw up outside the tent. Could have been a whole lot worse if she hadn't managed to get her head out of the tent in time.

Jen was tired due to the lack of food in her and her bad stomach. She was sick a few times before lunch, and after lunch the going was slow. We overtook the group from Tusker on the way. We took lots of breaks en route and finally made it to the campsite by 3.15pm. We left at 8.15 this morning. I've been drinking lots of water today, no sign of altitude sickness or fatigue yet. Lets hope this continues. Hope Jen can digest a bit of food tonight and not throw up again. She did nibble on some biscuits and tea earlier.

From the rain forest yesterday we could see the vegetation change as we got higher. The trees were no longer tall and there were more shrubs around us. Gradually we made our way above parts of the clouds too. They call this the lower Moorlands.

As I leave the tent to go for dinner at 6.30pm, we see the first of many incredible views of the mountain. We can finally see Kilimanjaro, snow capped in the setting sun. It's our first sighting of Kilimanjaro. The last few days we have been behind a few smaller hills and completely hidden from this incredible sight. With the sun setting behind us, it's the best and the most daunting image I've seen in a long time. It's chilly down here, can you just imagine up there at that altitude? These are some of the incredible photos in time, before and during the setting of the sun.

Dinner today is coconut rice, soup, peanut gravy chicken, lots of bread, some vegetables and a sweet. The soup sure is welcome to some of us, but soup everyday eventually does get dull.

Last nights sleep was not too bad for me, but Jen obviously was up on and off. The porters radios eventually were silenced by 9ish so it wasn't too bad. Tonight is a more open camp site. Just the group from Tusker on the other side, no trees as you can see from the photos; last night's camp was in the middle of the forest with trees on all sides. May get windy tonight with such open spaces. Both Jen and I have our merino wool jackets and sweaters on for the evening, they should come in handy. I hope we both get a good nights sleep, tomorrow is another long day but on a more flatter terrain than today, at least for the first half of the day, followed by some steep climbs after lunch. With the altitude gaining on us and the length of the treks, we need to stay fit and not fall sick.

*** jen's outakes ***
Last night was a bad night for me - the stomach bug was buggin' the hell out of me and I had to empty my tummy twice in the night (a first for me!) At least I managed to upchuck outside of the tent.

The hike today was tough on me, because I had no energy from the lack of food. We walked for about 3 and a half hours before lunch and then another 3 hours after lunch to our second camp. I had a tiny dinner (the coconut rice just wasn't going down), but a good night's rest. I'm still hoping tomorrow will be better and I feel more energized.

Aug 20th 2008 Wednesday, Shira Camp One >> Moir Huts / Shira Camp Two 13500 ft

2008-09-05T12:00:00.013+05:30

Its 4.03pm and we are just back in the tent. I've put on my thermal pants and tops, a shirt, my 260' merino wool full sleeve sweater and my fleece. We are going to nap, it's cold, very cold and the sun has not even set yet. We are at about 13,500 ft, luckily no wind yet. We just had our Milo (kind of like Horlicks or Nestle hot chocolate) and peanuts earlier in the mess tent.

Some views of the campsite, looking up at the mountain. The other photo is the view looking out from inside the tent. The photo of the conical looking hut is the old huts built many decades ago for the original hikers in these mountains, hence the name 'Moir Huts Camp'.

Today's hike in the morning started at 8.20am. Jen felt much better this morning, did not get sick last night at all. It was just a cold night with multiple bathroom breaks. She did manage to eat some oatmeal porridge for breakfast along with some eggs, bread and tea. We had a 3 hr gradual walk till lunch, the one hour before lunch was steep. Lunch was avocado tuna salad, fruit salad, bread, soup and cashew nuts. Lunch was on a plateau and a pretty location with the tents etc. It was cloudy around us and so we could not see too much into the valley below.

After lunch we had a good 2 hr climb on a ridge, we could easily tell that we were gaining in altitude quickly. The scenery around us was amazing, the vegetation was getting sparse as we kept going. Clouds were rolling in, a bit chilly too at times even when the sun was shinning. Last night we had some great views of Kili, but from this location and during today's walk Kili was completely hidden by the clouds and the hills around us. Chilly as we walk into our campsite, I can tell its going to be a cold night, not a tree in sight.

First signs of a headache for me, could be part dehydration, part fatigue and surely part of it is the altitude sickness. Not too bad yet but lets see. Jen is thankfully feeling so much better. Too cold and tired now to write any more. As the sun is setting, the clouds are clearing a little and the snow line on the mountain behind us is visible. Looking outside our tent we can see a bit of the valley and a pretty sunset is upon us.

*** jen's outakes ***

Today, I had a good start to the trek, which was about 3 hours or so to begin with. After another small lunch (I had no appetite), we walked for another 2 hours to the third camp. The hike wasn't at all fun for me in the afternoon - as my tummy was giving me problems; and I had to do what I thought was the one thing I'd never have to do outside of the privacy of my bathroom at home (and this is why I don't camp!).

I managed to have a bit of spaghetti for dinner, but the cold is starting to set into my bones. It's about 45'F and both Arun and I have a loss of appetite and small headaches.

While we were walking back to our tent from dinner, I looked up at the sky and just stared in awe. The sky was gloriously lit up and the stars looked close enough to touch. It was a very beautiful sight.

Aug 21st 2008 Thursday, Moir huts >> Lava Tower 15000 ft

2008-09-05T10:30:00.009+05:30

We left Moir huts to head towards Lava Tower at about 8.20am. We had a straight climb right away and a long 5 hrs walk ahead. The previous night was bitterly cold. The headache was not subsiding and we had to pop a 'Dytor' last evening. The tablet makes you use the loo a lot and trust me, it does make you go. We got into bed at 8pm, and I was up at 10pm, 11.05pm, 12am, 3am and 4.30am. 5 times in one night in the bitter cold. It was absolutely chilly in the wee hours of the morning. The medicine did help the headache, when I woke up this morning the uncomfortable nagging headache was gone. Jen's stomach bug is still not completely gone, she was up a few time during the night too.

The scene outside the camp is pretty this morning. The top of the mountain has cleared up and we can see the snow level. When we look outside our tent we can see the valley below, yesterday was cloudy but today there is more visibility as you can see from the photos below.

With the cold and the altitude, we barely nibble on breakfast. I know it's not a good thing, we need the food for the energy but it was a tough morning. The walk was slow and tough. Jen definitely lacking in strength now - no food inside her. It's sunny and cloudy this morning and there is a very cold wind blowing. We are carrying some lovely museli bars in our day packs, so they come in handy to get a bit of energy during the hike.

About half way up this trail we join the trail from the Machame route. We are ascending from the western slopes of the mountain, the Machame route comes in from the southern slopes. We stop multiple times today, the going is slow, but we manage to get to our next camp at Lava Tower by noon. It's at 15,000 ft. The air is thin outside and I am completely exhausted. We grab a quick lunch and I'm lying flat on my back within minutes. No energy to get out of my hiking pants or to remove my socks or lay the sleeping bags out. I just about manage to take off my shoes and lay on the tent floor instantaneously. We can really feel the altitude now, breathing is heavy, even to just sit up from a lying down position.

The people on the Machame route use this camp site as their afternoon acclimatization stop. There are loads of people here, loud and noisy. Both Jen and I are lying down and trying to get as much rest as possible, the other people will eventually head down to their night camp within the hour.

This is a super campsite. The views are breathtaking when we are outside the tent. Jen - no lunch - which is a cause for worry now. She seems tired and dehydrated. Hardly any breakfast for her and no lunch, this cannot be good news. The altitude is becoming a factor and we cannot let things get worse. 1-3.30pm we nap. O is sick too, he threw up a few times upon reaching this camp. He is tired too and complains of headaches.

At 3.30, M and I go with Justin for our afternoon acclimatization walk. Just an hour's walk up about 200-300 ft to get used to the altitude and lack in air pressure. O and Jen are not in any position to want to join us. Justin comes into our tent just before the walk to check on Jen. Doesn't see anything he likes, he says we may need to take a call on Jen by this evening. Jen has had the stomach bug for four days now, not been eating much, hasn't been able to keep whatever her intake is inside her. The easy climbs are behind us and the steep climbs, the cold weather and the tough days are now ahead of us. Without Jen recovering, the next few days are very much a big question mark. Jen is sound asleep, drained beyond her imagination.

One Eldoper, along with one Dolo 650 and a half pack of Electrol goes into Jen. We need to get her on her feet again. The acclimatization walk is good, we go up the hill ahead of us that we will be climbing tomorrow. The views are fantastic from there but I was too tired to take my camera along to capture the views. When I return, Jen is still out like a log, cold and tired and wrapped up in her sleeping bag. It's only 4.30pm now. I am even more exhausted, my movements are slow and deliberate. I change and try to get some shut-eye before dinner at 6.30pm. I need this rest very badly. Writing in this diary is a herculean task, I force myself to pen a few words down.

Dinner is yummy, at least for me. We have beef pilav (beef with rice), soup, bread, vegetables. Jen eats a bit of the pilav. GOOD, VERY GOOD. I'm elated to see her eating a bit. A bit more energy in her it seems, she is even talking a bit more now. O eats a bit and brings it all out again, that can't be good news. We pop a Dytor each and are in our sleeping bags by 7.30pm. Our thermals are on and it is cold, the sun has just set and it's getting a bit windy now. I have multiple bathroom breaks at 9pm, 11pm and 3am . The water in the loo is frozen.

*** jen's outakes ***
Today's hike was long, tiring and took most of my strength. I don't have enough energy to write today. Actually, I don't have any energy, except to sleep and sip some water. I am a bit worried that I may not make it...but Arun is constantly giving me words of encouragement, so that's helping.

Aug 22nd 2008 Friday, Lava Tower >> Arrow Glacier 16000ft

2008-09-05T10:00:00.010+05:30

It's 6am when we rise at Lava Tower and Jen is a lot better. WHEW!!! This is the best news I've been hoping for. We need this good news, cause I am so tired and lacking in energy too. She needed to recover, she had to recover. One more Eldoper for her this morning. She eats some breakfast too and even had energy this morning to volunteer to take photos of me at this campsite.

It's 1.37pm now, we just finished lunch which was soup, chicken, bread, vegetables and oranges. We are close to 16,000ft and are completely out of breath for everything. I'm sitting in the tent at Arrow Glacier now after using the toilet and the going is tough. It is taking me quite a few minutes to come back into the tent and to catch my breath. I am just sitting here, breathing heavily even though I am doing nothing. My heart is pounding.

Today's walk was difficult, but only 2 hours long. We left Lava Tower at only 10am, late morning - it had to be, it took forever to wake up, fold our sleeping bags, change our clothes, fill up water, wash up, have breakfast and the most tiring thing of all - to put on our gaiters and boots. We were here by 11.50am, a 1000 feet higher and the path was steep all the way through. We used the hiking poles for the first time today, and wow - they made a world of a difference. I read somewhere that using the poles is like getting the feeling that we have four legs, not two - thus, less tired. They are right, it made a really big difference, takes a lot of stress off your legs (even walking uphill). We did get some good views on the way here as seen in the photos.

This campsite is another awesome location. We have bit of snow around us. We have a another acclimatization hike in the afternoon but we are not going for it. We are going to nap and conserve whatever energy we have left, tomorrow is probably the toughest of all climbs - the Western Breach to Crater Camp site.

Justin briefed us all at lunch about tomorrow's hike. We will aim to leave at 5am, the toughest and coldest hike will be tomorrow. We need to cross a few areas tomorrow before sunrise, because the Western Breach is prone to rock falls. Once the sun starts to shine, the ice melts and the rocks get loose on the trail. It's very steep in many areas and is a bit risky. It was closed a few years back because a few hikers were killed in a rock fall. They have just reopened it after some debate and changes to the route etc. Two layers of thermals are recommended and all the woolens we may be carrying. We will be walking in darkness for the first hour or so and will need our headlamps and gloves.

Just as we were about to head back to the tents after an early dinner (5.30pm), the fogginess around us had disappeared and the views around were just stunning. Honestly speaking, it seemed to take a super human effort to bend down, crawl into the tent, unzip my back pack and pull out my Nikon. My breathing was so heavy, it seemed like I had just run the quickest 100m in my life. I was rushing a bit hoping I would not miss the sunset. At this altitude I don't think I could even count the pace of my heart beat - it was so fast.

Seems worth it because I think I got the some of the best photographs of the entire hike.
*** jen's outakes ***

The days, for me, are kind of running into each other. Since my energy levels are so low, I'm walking on auto-pilot and just following the footsteps of Aristudius, our second assistant guide. Arun continues to be my champion, encouraging me all the way. Our pace is slower than the other two in our group, but Justin and Aristudius don't seem to mind, as they chat up a storm and keep our minds off the continuous walking.

Aug 23rd 2008 Saturday, Arrow Glacier >> Crater Camp 18500 ft

2008-09-05T09:00:00.016+05:30

We got up at 3.45am this morning, quick change, used the loo and then went to the mess tent for oatmeal porridge. I can't really tell you how cold it was, cause it was very, very cold. Somehow we managed to get all our stuff together and pack our day packs. We were given the option of not folding our sleeping bags ourselves (to save some much needed energy) and letting the porters do it after we had left, we each took that option. Our entire movements this morning were in slow motion. Breathing is very fast, our heart is beating fast and any sudden movements takes the breath out of us. With our head lamps on and poles in hand, we take on the Western Breach.

It was the most gruesome, tough, physically challenging hike that I've encountered. The cold that we experienced is something that I have never come across. I had 2 thermal inner wear on, a 180' merino half sleeve sweater, a dry fit shirt, a thicker 260' merino full sleeve sweater, a fleece and my ski jacket and I am still COLD. First mistake is that we only have our inner gloves on, within 10 min of starting the hike we pause to take out the ski gloves. My fingers seem yellow and Jen is getting worried as her fingers are stinging in the cold and she can't feel them. Honestly, I can barely feel mine either. I keep banging and clapping my hands together every few steps hoping to warm them up or just keep them from freezing. All I can concentrate on is the summit ahead of us.

And then within a few minutes we hear it, a crashing, blowing, falling sound. We look to our right and we can just about see in the early morning light that a portion of a small glacier has just come crashing down on the adjacent rock face. Amazing sights as the powder from the snow rises outwards from the rock surface. Amazing sights for a nano second, and then the wow! hope it doesn't happen in our path.

Another 10 minutes into the walk and we see M having some issues. Complaining of headaches and of feeling faint. She is cold, fingers are turning blue and painful. She sits down for a few minutes which turns into a longer time. She resumes but has to rest again. Headache, cold, fatigue, tears, everything is going wrong. We are getting cold so we go ahead and they will catch up eventually.

The Western Breach is basically a very steep 2500 feet ascent of vertical climbing and scrambling over rocks. It's the shortest and most direct route up, thus it's very tiring and steep at these altitudes. We are walking very slowly, but it's still making us breathe very deeply and very rapidly, both at the same time. The sun is starting to shine just over the top of the mountain that we are climbing. As we look back and down at our old camp site, we can see some incredible views. We can also see Mt. Meru near Arusha at 15,000 ft, in the distance. The shadows of Kilimanjaro are falling just short of Mt. Meru. We sit down to take a break and I capture some super photographs.

We look down and M is taking longer to recover, there are some questions being asked about if she can continue, but thankfully she does get okay soon enough and they join us. It's about 7am now, and the view is just getting so much prettier. The sun is out but it is still so cold. We have been climbing now for nearly 2 hrs and it doesn't seem like the cold is letting up. I am freezing, the water in our platypus and secondary water bottle are both frozen. Just a few drops come every time we try drinking out of them. Time for sun block as the sun seems sharp but it's COLD.

It takes us 6 hours to get up the Western Breach. We stop every 20-30 minutes but only for a short time. The sights are incredible. No words can describe them, I take some photographs hoping to capture the moment. But the photos will never seem enough, besides, every time I need to remove the camera from my bag and remove my gloves, the bitter cold drives me insane. My breathing is so heavy, I sit or lean on every rock I can find. I try to rest whenever I get a chance as I know this climb is going to require every bit of energy. The porters are tiring - can you imagine that, these guys climb this way 2-3 times a month on each of their expeditions carrying 20 kgs on their heads.

Finally, just like an anti-climatic ending as we clamor over another rock face, another frozen stream, another set of loose rocks held together by shinning ice and we turn another corner and then suddenly flat. FLAT!! It's a plateau, sort of; we have done it. The Western Breach is over. I cannot believe it. It's done, 6 hours of the toughest hike in my life, and it's over just like that. We only have a 10 min walk on this flat frozen plain to our last camp site before the summit, called Crater Camp at 18500 ft above mean sea level. It's noon.

As we walk along this plain we see huge glaciers on either side. We are only 800 ft below the summit. It's a bit overwhelming at this moment. We reach our campsite, there are chairs outside in the bright sun. It's an awesome sight and hugs go around.

My head is starting to spin. I didn't think I can move any slower than I am at the moment and still be out of breath. It takes me more than a second to walk each step, and at every step I can feel my heart beating. Scary? Not at all, I don't think I have felt any prouder and any happier at our achievement today. All of us got through today and it's an incredible feeling to be up here. I was telling the group that we only had to make it to Crater Camp and then just the adrenaline would take us up the remaining 800 feet to the summit tomorrow.

And here we were at Crater Camp.

The hill behind the camp is the path to the summit. I'm feeling very nauseous but it's under control. The views are indescribable. Lunch time now, soup again. Bread too, but I gulp down the soup and some vegetables. Nothing else goes down. M doesn't come out of the tent, she is tired and sick. We all are. We hear some of the porters are a bit down, too, with headaches. Jen is next to me, barely moving around. The headaches are back with a vengeance. Some Ibuprofen does the trick. Nap time between 2-5.30 pm. We open our sleeping bags and lay down. Seconds later the wind picks up and it's howling. We hear the sound of snow flakes falling, I take a peek outside and there is a bit of ice falling on the ground. Wish I had taken a pic, but it was never going to happen. I am way too tired and out of breath.

Dinner at 5.30, the slowest pace of walking or standing or talking. It's like we are watching a movie in slow-mo. Dinner is spaghetti in vegetable sauce and soup. 6.30 is bed time. Neither Jen nor I have the energy or motivation to change, as we have every single night before bed. Today we sleep in the same clothes. There is absolutely no energy to remove our pants or change our shirts. We do have the energy though to get our camera's checked and flags out for tomorrow's summit, we also fill up the water bottles today, although they are still partly frozen.

10.40pm - wake up for a pee break. Jen is half asleep, but wishes me a 100 minutes early for my birthday. Tomorrow is summit day and my 33rd birthday.

*** jen's outakes ***
Good Lord, it's cold. Today is the biggest challenge of our entire hike - the Western Breach. When I was researching Kili and the various routes, a lot of people (and companies) told me they didn't opt for the Western Breach because it was "too dangerous" and staying in Crater Camp was not advisable because of the many hours at such high altitude. But, Detasa's owner, Innocent, convinced me that although it was tough, the Western Breach/Crater Camp combo would give us the BEST chance to make the summit successfully. I kept thinking of what Innocent told me along the rock face of the Western Breach; especially when I was out of breath and I could feel my heart beating inside my head. (I also tried to think of all the Celine Dion songs I could remember to keep my mind off the cold and the seemingly impossible task under my feet - but all I could remember was 1 or 2 lines from the Titanic song!).

As we started up the Western Breach, my hands were a bit cold. As the minutes went by, my hands became colder and very numb; at one point, I had images of losing my fingers to frostbite. Thankfully, I overheard Justin telling someone that no, you could not get frostbite on Kili. After seeing me stuggle with the cold, Frank, our first assistant guide, took my hands in his to warm them. He gave me his gloves and started massaging my hands together. Then he placed my hands under his armpits!

I looked over, wide-eyed, at Arun and later told him that I've never been that close to a person whose last name I didn't know! But, it worked and within a few minutes, I was feeling a bit better.

I honestly don't remember much of the Western Breach; other than I was as cold as ice and it was a tough climb. I tried not to look down or back, behind us, but I do remember thinking on a few occasions that we had made it, only to be foiled by Justin who kept saying, "Almost. We're almost there."

When we finally made it to the flat, finish-line towards camp, I was deliriously happy. I wanted to cry (ok, maybe I did a little). We did it! :) Crater Camp was simply beautiful. I've never been that close to a glacier and the entire area was so quiet; and utterly peaceful. For a few minutes, I forgot about all the tiredness, the soreness, the headaches, the tummy problems, the racing heartbeat, the cold, the ache in my muscles and everything else around me. I looked over at my husband, who was equally moved and elated, and just smiled.

We did it! :)

Aug 24th 2008 Sunday, Crater Camp >> Uhuru Peak 19340 ft

2008-09-05T08:00:00.004+05:30

4.15 am and we wake up. Jen wishes me a very Happy Birthday. It's a cold birthday to wake up to. Quick wash, contact lens and a loo stop at 18500 ft above sea level. The water is frozen to flush, need to call a porter for help.

Cereal and porridge for breakfast and we struggle to be ready by 5am. Our heads are spinning but yet we are eager in anticipation of the last 800 ft hike to the summit. We finally make it out of the camp at 5.55am. Cold again but we are better prepared than yesterday. We have our hand warmers in our gloves today but they don't seem to make much of a difference. Fingers still cold, still hurting, still numb at times. 10-15 min and we need to stop to catch our breath. The sun is starting to shine already, we can see it on the horizon, lovely views yet again. Crystal clear skies this morning. Tempting to take a photo but the body is not responding. Each of us is concentrating on each step, we know the top is within sight, within striking distance, we just need to find the reserve energy this morning. Walking in rhythm, in silence. I know each of us are digging real deep inside.

An hour into this hike and we can see the top and soon enough we have made it. Higher than anything else around us. We can see the camp site below, the colorful tents on the ground. The sun is in the sky, the snow all around us. We have a 100 m or so of a gradual incline to the sign post. Relief. Ecstasy.

It's a fast walk, I can't wait to get to the sign. We have snow all around us, the sun is glaringly bright. It's an incredible sight - all 360' around us. My camera is in my hand, I am not going to let this opportunity pass to capture these moments. Within minutes we can see the sign in the distance, we have made it to the roof of Africa - Kilimanjaro. 5895 meters or 19,340 feet; Looming some 16000 feet (4900 meters) above the plains that spread out from its base, this mountain dominates the surroundings.
*** jen's outakes ***

We started early again today, Zube, our morning wake-up call porter came "knocking" at our tent around 4:45 am. I turned over in my sleeping cocoon to look at Arun in our little tent and wished him a Happy Birthday!

It was cold again today - I just hope my hands don't freeze up on me like they did yesterday. The hike today was a short distance, only 800 feet. But, it was all uphill. The terrain wasn't very solid and our feet kept sinking into the ground, making hiking a bit difficult. Again, my hands were starting to get numb and I had to stop on the trail a few times to try and warm them up. Frank, our first assistant guide, again gave me his gloves and tried to warm my hands by rubbing them together and placing them under his armpits.

I don't recall how long we walked for, but soon enough we were at the top of the uphill trail. We had done it! It was just a few more feet till we reached the sign - making it official! We had scaled Kili! :) We stopped long enough to take some pictures and videos, commemorating our accomplishment. The views from the Roof of Africa, were amazing.

Then, we started the long walk down.

Aug 24th 2008 Sunday, Uhuru Peak 19340 ft

2008-09-05T07:00:00.002+05:30

Aug 24th 2008 Sunday, Uhuru Peak >> Mweka Camp 10500 ft

2008-09-05T06:00:00.007+05:30

It's 7.30 am and we are here at the summit of Africa. Lots of photos and high fives and hugs and some tears too; and then 45 min later we start our hike towards Mweka Hut, a 7 hr journey downhill. We will be stopping at Barafu Camp 3 hrs away for lunch.

We did meet a few groups at the summit, they had submitted via Barafu Camp. Their journey would have been a painstaking 7 hr hike just from Barafu Camp. They would have most likely left the previous camp at about 11pm the night before in order to try and summit at sunrise.

We walked for 90 min in the cold, can you imagine 7 hours?! We saw some very tired faces and bodies making their way up. We had had second thoughts about the Western Breach, but now after summitting and seeing these folks coming up, we can see why the Western Breach has a 99% ascent ratio, as against a 70% via Barafu Camp. Nevertheless, we see some very determined hikers make their way up, we give them all the encouragement we can. We know they must need it. It's surely a struggle. They then have another 7 hour walk downhill after summitting. Nearly 14-15 hours in total today.

Our downhill walk is a rough slide in the scree. Our hiking poles are invaluable, without them my knees would have not have lasted 7 hours. O and M have some issues on the way down but we all make it to Barafu Camp for lunch and meet our porter team there. They have set up the tent and lunch is ready. Lots of congratulations go around and lots of thank you's too.

A hearty lunch awaits us, I am famished. Sausages, bread, cheese, egg omelets, soup and fruits and finally some water (in the liquid form). Lunch and then we are off by 12ish to Mweka Camp, another 4 hours to go. The air is easier to breathe, the thoughts of the last one week ring through our minds. It's such a fantastic image to have, to have succeeded in summitting this mountain.

The thoughts and dreams take us through the rest of the day, the vegetation changes and so does the weather. We are well above the cloud line (closer to the summit) and then we are right in the middle of the clouds a few hours later. Mweka Camp is in the rain forest area. By 4 pm we reach our camp site and sign in. The ranger tent is selling bottles of Coke for USD $3.00

A much needed wash, change of clothes, and chatter in the tent between Jen and I on what we have just been through. Dinner at 6.30, all of us are present. The cheer is back in our faces. A surprise awaits me...I hear the porters singing and in comes a birthday cake all lit up, a birthday song in Swahili and a bottle of champagne. A good time this evening and a very memorable 33rd birthday.

Knees, calves and thighs are all hurting but who cares any more. In bed soon enough and surprisingly no bathroom breaks this night.

*** jen's outtakes ***
Although we wanted to spend hours upon hours at the summit, Justin started herding us down before the altitude really got to us. The walk downhill was harder than expected, too. The ground underneath our feet was like rocky sand - we kept sinking into it. And as other hikers have said before, walking poles really make a difference. We walked for hours downhill, until we reached our lunch spot at Barafu. This was a busy campsite, with many groups settling in for their night before the summit.

Lunch was a welcomed sight; and for the first time on the entire trip, I was hungry! After recharging our batteries for about an hour at Barafu, we continued along the Mweka trail another 3-4 hours till we stumbled upon our last camp (Mweka Camp). This camp is only used by people going down the mountain. The trail that leads from Mweka Gate to Barafu Camp is pretty much one-way for hikers, although we did see a few porters going up to Barafu with extra provisions.

Arun and I spent a few hours relaxing before dinner, which was fish and chips and this really great avocado salad (Romisha, our cook, had taken half an avocado, sans pit, and filled it in with tomatoes, onions, a dash of sugar, basil, lemon juice and a bit of mustard - it was like I'd gone to heaven!)

The porters were very excited that night and during dessert, we all found out why. They had gotten a birthday cake for Arun and were very enthusiastically singing this Swahili birthday song that went a bit like this:

"Bomba-eh! Bomba! Bomba-eh! Bomba!" They managed to squeeze all of our names into the song, too. My only regret was that I didn't get a video of them singing. After popping the champagne, Arun cut the cake and we all had a small piece. It was a fantastic end to a great birthday!

Aug 25th 2008 Monday, Mweka Camp >> Arusha

2008-09-05T01:25:00.008+05:30

Woke up at 5.55am, had a quick breakfast and off on our last 4 hours of hiking to the national park gate through the rain forest belt. It was a brisk walk with a spring in our step today.

When we got to the gate, we had to sign in and collect our official certificates from the office. A quick peek into the register does show a number of climbers who had signed in before us and who had climbed via the other routes had not made it to the top. A proud moment for all of us. Not only did we make it up, but we also did via one of the toughest routes there is to get up Kilimanjaro.

A 3 hour bus ride awaits us back to Kibo Palace, one last group photograph with the entire crew. A job well done.

*** jen's outtakes ***

A quick note about the above photo - can you believe 33 people (that was our entire group!) fit into that tiny mini-bus? :)

Walking down to Mweka Gate (where our Kili journey officially ended) was a task. My legs were sore and I hobbled down pretty much the whole way. The trail was very muddy and slippery (as it had rained overnight), so we were extra careful.

Once we got to Mweka Gate and signed in, we had a quick lunch and then we were off again - back to Arusha and our hotel. We got back into town around 3 pm and we promptly took a long hot shower. I tell ya, nothing felt as good as this shower! Tomorrow is the start of our safari (w00t!)... I can't wait!!!

Kili Fact File & our "Kili tips" list

2008-09-05T01:00:00.013+05:30

Kilimanjaro Facts:
1. Kilimanjaro's highest peak, Uhuru, stands at 19,344 ft (5,895 meters). It is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the highest volcanoes in the world. It is also the world's highest free-standing mountain.

2. The Lemosho route is approximately 56 km from start to summit.

3. The temperatures on Kilimanjaro drop 1 degree Celsius for every 200 meters increase in altitude.

4. Each year, close to 15,000 people attempt to summit Kilimanjaro. Only 40% of those people actually reach Uhuru Peak.

5. Kili was first climbed and conquered by Hans Meyer in 1889.

***********
These are just a list of things we'd do differently, should we ever decide do scale Kilimanjaro again...plus things that will make hiking up (and down) Kili all the more easier.

1. Bring lots of effective packet warmers for hands and feet.

2. Don't bring a lot of snacks. We brought 3-4 gallon-size ziplock bags full of museli bars, power bars and Snickers bars... we ate about 2 bars the entire trip. Detasa fed us too much at times and really, at that altitude, you don't feel like eating.

3. Hiking poles. They saved us on the way up and on the way down.

4. Hand sanitizer is a MUST. Arun and I both wear contacts and we used the hand sanitizer religiously to clean our hands every morning, noon and night.

5. A journal and a camera to document your time on the mountain. Something like Kili shouldn't be forgotten.

6. We found that our rechargeable batteries (for digi-cameras) didn't drain as fast as people had mentioned on some blogs.

7. Pick up some body and face wipes. They are your only source of "taking a bath" while hiking. They are kinda like thick baby wipes and came in very handy.

8. Gaiters are a must, too. They keep the rocks, sand and scree from getting into your shoes. They don't, however, eliminate all the dust that accumulates on every piece of clothing and hiking gear you own.

9. During the coldest days on the mountain, we wished we had purchased a balaclava (it's like a hood that covers your entire head/face, except for a small opening for your eyes).