Africa 2014 - Kilimanjaro Day 6 - Summit Day Ascent (15,360' to 19,341')

"There are only 3 real sports: bull-fighting, car racing and mountain climbing. All the others are mere games." - Ernest Hemingway

There are moments in one's life never to be forgotten. I know I am experiencing one of those moments right now and will have many more over the next 8 hours. Our group of 8 climbers are assembled with the 5 guides that will lead us to the summit. Stretched out on the Umbwe Route are the climbers that left Barafu High Camp before us. High above us their headlamps create segments of chained light on the wall hinting at where we will be in the next hour or two.

Maybe it's the altitude creating this dreamlike quality to my perception, but I cannot believe this is actually happening. This is quite an experience. It's time to start walking towards the summit and so it begins with the guides shouting "Twende!".

Sadly, there are no photos of the next 6 hours until I reach Stella Point. It was dark, there was no moon and I was too preoccupied with each foot step to document this part of the climb anyway. Use your imagination.

There would be a strict methodology regarding our "Pole', Pole'" pace and breaks.  We hike for 50 minutes and break for 10, then hike for 45 more and break for 15, etc. So the active hiking time gets shorter while the breaks get longer. This is by design to deal with the increasing altitude. I'm impressed with the precision of it all.

As we climbed, we would meander through switch backs. As we reached each switchback turn, I would point my light into the pitch black wondering how far we were from the edge of a steep cliff. The headlamp would offer no answer to that question. Only darkness.

While adhering to our slow pace, other groups would pass us. As they ascended beyond earshot our guide would persecute them for treating the climb like a race. The goal is to summit. A faster pace only jeopardizes your summit bid.

At around 16,500' the water in my camelback hose has already frozen rendering it useless. It's a good thing we were warned that this would happen and to bring at least one liter bottle for backup. Even the one liter bottle has ice forming while sitting inside my backpack. The cold is profound, but we're told that it could have been much worse. We're lucky that there is little wind on this night.

Around 17,000' I'm struggling to get an upper hand on my breathing. Each step requires one or two deep breaths and if I have to exert myself on a small scramble, it takes 30 seconds of panting for my breathing to catch up. I've still got a long way to go to Stella Point at 18,652' but mercifully, I have no idea how far it actually is. The body actually feels like it's beginning to panic a little.
We get into a rhythm and the local guides start singing low volume African chants in Swahili. It adds so much to the experience, anchors you in this world and keeps you from retreating into your head. I am actually enjoying the experience in spite of the obvious suffering. Cold, exhaustion and fatigue are just an essential part of the overall experience. While I listen to the guides sing, my mind calms and I concentrate on breathing and walking, two things that tend to go unnoticed in normal conditions.

At 17,500', Joe makes the difficult decision to turn around our friend George from Oklahoma City. His concern was more about George making it back down on his own power. This decision would prove to be justified later that day as he still struggled on the descent to Mweka Camp. His wife Laurel decided to turn around with him, but she probably could have made it.

Joe noticed my difficulty breathing and commanded me to surrender my 15 lb. backpack to our guide Atile. I was shocked by the difference this made. The lightened load gave me just what I needed to catch up with my breathing. It was still difficult, but manageable. As we continued our climb to Stella Point, I settled into a state of acceptance that breathing was just going to be labored and there's nothing else I can do about it. If I were dying, Joe would have already turned me around. I'll just keep breathing as deeply as I can and move forward.

Around 18,000' we began to see the sun glowing around Mt. Mawenza. This promised future warmth and it told us Stella Point wasn't much further. The final 600' ascent to Stella Point was difficult, but we could see our destination which gave us hope. When we finally reached Stella Point (18,628'), we pretty much knew we were going to make it to Uhuru Peak. I am freezing and exhausted.

Stella Point (18,628')

Stella Point is a milestone at the top of the wall and a rest stop on our way to Uhuru Peak. The porters served hot tea to warm us up as Joe went down the line of climbers to determine our worthiness to proceed. When he gets to me he asks, "Do you know where you are?" and I replied "Yes". He asks again, "No you've got to tell me; where are you?" and I respond "Kilimanjaro, Stella Point!"  I passed the test. 

Stella Point (18,628)

Looking back now, my time on the Umbwe Route is completely distorted.  Seven hours passed in what seemed an hour. I only remember moments here and there of heavy breathing, looking up and down the wall at the lights and the constant concern of not being able to make the summit. My memory of the 6 hours between departure from Barafu and seeing the sun rise over Mt. Mawenza is very sporadic and sketchy.

To give you an idea of how exhausted I was, hiking to the Peak from Stella Point sounded like too much to take on. After coming all this way I had a fleeting moment of "Stella Point is good enough." Thankfully, I came to my senses and forged ahead. I would have regretted that decision for the rest of my life. Uhuru Peak was only 1.5 miles and 700' ascent away.

Glaciers at the top of Kilimanjaro

The glaciers on Kilimanjaro are enormous and the sky is dark blue

The walk to Uhuru was lined with surprisingly large glaciers that rose over 100'. The hike was comparably easier than the wall on a well worn trail with lots of people returning from the summit. When our turn came, I turned on the iPhone's video camera and captured the last seven minutes of our climb.

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary

We had a rare day of light wind at Uhuru Peak. Joe informed us we could not set our packs down on a normal day; they would blow off the mountain. In full sun and little wind, the temperature was still around 10 degrees. As I scan the horizon I can actually see the curvature of the earth. You can determine the altitude by the size of my face.

After 7 months of planning, 20 hours of flight time, 5 days of ascending 13,000' and spending a small fortune, we reached Uhuru Peak and the celebration began. This was the hardest thing I've ever done and probably will ever do. I thought it important to cross this one off the bucket list before I turn 50 next year. People don't typically become more physically capable after they hit 50. It's important to accept that reality and plan accordingly. Maybe I will increase my capabilities into my 60's, but I'm not betting my bucket list on it.

Backwoods Adventures - Kilimanjaro 2014

Uhuru Peak (19,341')

I brought Laura with me to the summit

It was important to me that Laura make this trip with me at least in spirit. She's been the most amazing partner and has never suppressed Adventure Jeff. She is supportive in every way to whatever I feel compelled to do in my life, even if its climbing the highest mountain in Africa. This photo was a thank you to her for always supporting Adventure Jeff no matter what hair-brained ideas he gets into his head. My trip to Africa finally prompted us to get our wills in place after more than 15 years together. You know, just in case. I made promise after promise to her that I would come back alive. I'm so glad I kept that promise.

“You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place ? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”- Rene Daumal

So at this moment, I am forever a person that summited Kili. Yes, I can call it Kili now. I am only the 311,541st person in human history to do so. 

So what did I get out of it? All difficult things in my life now have a new standard to compare against. "If I can climb Kilimanjaro, I can certainly...(insert challenge here)." I already know that climbing Kili will pay dividends for the rest of my life. I intuit that these kinds of quality memories will prove invaluable when my days finally darken and I begin to move on from this life. I hope I will remember it as a life lived to the fullest. My inner landscape has evolved. 

"Dreams require action and self doubt is the enemy of accomplishment. Given the chance, you will always surprise yourself." - Jeff Hadden

Next Entry: Africa 2014 - Kilimanjaro Day 6 (Descent)

Africa 2014 - Kilimanjaro Day 7 - Mweka Gate (10,150' to 6,200')

"There comes a time on every big mountain when you descend the snows and cross a border back to life." - Jeff Long, The Descent

We woke at 7:00 am in Mweka Camp with Joe giving us one last morning visit to determine our mountain worthiness. Despite the previous days arduous summit and descent, I feel alright. Sore to be sure, but all things considered, I think I've got enough left in these legs to make Mweka Gate. However, yesterday's 9,000' descent took a toll on the feet. It appears I'll be losing at least one of my big toe nails and I've got 4,000' to descend this morning. 4,000' used to sound daunting, but not after yesterday.

To add to today's experience, it's raining in Mweka Camp and promises to continue all the way down to Mweka Gate. I'm kind of pleased because I bought rain gear specifically for this trip and it has not been used until today. Better it rains now on the last day than during our ascent.

Our final descent on the right side to Mweka Gate

We started our descent around 8:00 am in the steady rain. The trails were built to drain the water off of the trail and into ditches, but the first parts were slick in spots. Of course the porters were flying towards the gate as fast as they could. They were as ready to get off the mountain as we were.

Descending to Mweka Gate in the rain

Descending to Mweka Gate in the rain

The persistent rain has water-logged my hands

The rain suit is keeping the rain off of me, but thanks to the humidity, I'm sweating profusely underneath rendering the rain gear redundant. Around the last mile of the hike I developed a blister on my small toe. If you're going to get a blister, you want it at the end of the trip.



Mweka Gate - Civilization, Lower Altitude and Success

We made it to Mweka Gate (6,200') around 11:00 am. What a welcomed site! I realized that I hadn't seen a vehicle in 7 days. Mweka was bustling with local vendors offering, Kilimanjaro Lager, coke or a wash of the boots. We took care of our paperwork at the park office to certify that we had indeed summited Kili. I now have a certificate signed by the Chief Park Warden and Director General to prove that I stood atop the tallest peak in Africa. Cool.

311,541st person to climb Kili

Locals wash your hiking boots for $2

Our group of climbers and guides at Mweka Gate

We snapped some group photos and loaded into buses to take us back the Springland Hotel in Moshi where I would get a much needed shave, shower and massage.  I snapped this picture prior to my overhaul.

My appearance before the shower and shave

While the massage was average, the effect was amazing. It was like having a so, so meal when you're starving. My body desperately needed some attention after the punishment of the past 7 days. It was the best $40 I could spend that day. I then spent a couple of hours updating my notebook with the events of the past few days just in case I couldn't remember them later. Using the hotel's Wi Fi connection I caught up on email and facebook posts.

In the evening, the climbers gathered for dinner. Everyone had put themselves back together and were rested from the full afternoon of downtime.

The guides assembled with the climbers that evening at Springland Hotel for a summit celebration. These Africans exhibit a joy not often seen in Western culture. They sing, dance, laugh and love freely. Their ability to enjoy each other made me aware of the barriers that we Westerners have erected between one another. The difference is palpable. I must admit that it made me a somewhat uncomfortable to experience it within my Western mindset, but I did see it as something to aspire to.



Our celebration with the guides and some of the porters

Each of the 8 climbers tipped the group of porters and guides around $300 each. After witnessing what they did for us, it didn't seem like enough. After our new African friends left, some of us drank a few more Kilimanjaro Lagers. We finally placed a check mark next to this amazing, life-changing entry on our bucket lists and put ourselves to bed.

Prior to my summit of Kilimanjaro, I frequently entertained a fantasy of summiting Everest. I purposefully use the word, "fantasy" instead of "dream" or "goal". I've always wondered what it must feel like to climb and stand at the top of the world. Achieving something like that must be an incredible feeling. Laura was concerned that Kilimanjaro may serve as a stepping stone towards turning that fantasy into a real dream.

Kilimanjaro delivered a verdict regarding Everest. I have absolutely no desire to ever attempt it. The risk of death on Everest is far too high for my sensibilities and the hardship on Kilimanjaro met the limit of what I am willing to endure to climb a mountain. I have a new respect for 29,000'. 19,341' is as high as this body will ever go.

"The smallest kernel of enlightenment is worth immense hardship which is after all temporary." - Jeff Hadden