Travel Agent Runaway Bay

Kilimanjaro Climb

Between the animal adventures of Uganda and the cultural relax on Zanzibar I had a week to fill in - I could spend a week lazing on a beach or I could do something more active. I chose the latter. Although unfit and having no previous training, I decided to tackle Mt Kilimanjaro because “it was there”!!

I took a bus to Moshi in Tanzania close to the base of Kilimanjaro and where you can organise a tour guide to do the climb. I often did treks on my own or with a few others but here you need a permit and a guide and porters as they are part of the regulations of climbing the mountain.

I chose the Marangu Trail – the route most travellers took as it was the easiest. A 5 day trek, 6 if you spend an extra day to acclimatise. I had been to these heights before and knew I didn’t suffer from altitude sickness. I was surprised to see the average age of the climbers to be around 45 yrs old and put it down to the cost of the trek as it was around $1000 in the late 1990’s. There were very few females during my time there too. My group consisted of 2 young Danish guys, myself, the guide and 5 porters. The Danes were very fit and wanting to almost run everywhere. I am a plodder but very stubborn and determined. Several guys asked me along the way how my breathing was as with the air getting thinner as we progressed they were becoming more breathless. My reply always amused them “I get puffed going up a flight of stairs at sea level so this is just the same for me”.

During the first 3 days the trek was one that anyone could achieve – gradual slopes interspersed with steeper climbs. This trail has good huts along the way so no camping and the guides of each group cooked hearty meals which were eaten in central huts so you got to know your fellow trekkers. Actually as the climb progressed the huts become bigger so you had to share with more people. I felt I was collecting a male harem as I started off the 1st night with the two Danes, the 2nd night with eight guys and the 3rd night at Kibo Hut with twenty guys who were tackling the summit the next day.

Kibo hut is at 4700 metres so already thin air. We left at midnight so we could reach the summit by dawn. Our guide took the Danes ahead and a porter led me. It was the first time I thought to myself “what am I doing - I can’t do this” and that was within 100 metres of the hut. The climb became more difficult until I was taking just two tiny steps then stopping to gulp huge mouthfuls of air. The problem on this part of the mountain was it was very steep and covered in loose scree which meant you took two steps up and one step back. It was freezing cold too. I am sure the porter got lost as I didn’t see the others until the end. It really was difficult for me and I was surprised to see some of the European guys who had bragged about climbing all the high mountains in Europe were also struggling. In fact, some of them didn’t even make it.

But true to my determined nature I carried on and got to the lower summit of Gilmans Point [5685m] by sunrise. What a feat!!! All the guides and trekkers were congratulating me and saying how I would get a certificate but I could see the summit and a much easier gradual walk there so I said ”I didn’t pay all that money and come all this way just to get to the lower summit”. So the guide had to take me up to the very top – 5895 metres. WOW!! I am so glad I did as the scenery along the way was so different. You could see better into the crater of the mountain and we walked right next to huge glaciers.

Coming down we “skied” with our feet then had to walk all the way back to the Horombo Hut where we stayed the 2nd night. I didn’t get back until about 3pm so it had been a really long day. The last day we walked all the way down and back to Moshi for a well deserved beer and a good nights sleep!!!