The Trekking Experience I Will Never Forget..

 The long-awaited Kilimanjaro trekking expedition in September 2014 required four flights and around two days of travel to reach Moshi, where the Kilimanjaro mountain is situated. The beautiful free-hanging mountain was so magnificent and gigantic which was visible from Moshi. We stayed at a hotel whereby the high raised walls kept the surrounding slums invisible. 

The next morning, the three of us (Henry, Paige, and me) were briefed by the guide Mr.Mcdeme on the dos and don’ts of trekking. We were then driven in a van towards the Machame village which was the starting point of our trekking. The ride was very bumpy but the scenery was breathtaking.

On reaching the Machame gate, all the required formalities were done by our guide. Then, the paraphernalia for the camping was carried by the porters and our trekking began with a well-formed trek which was lined by dense vegetation on both sides. We reached the Macheme campsite after 5 hours of trekking an 11 kilometers length of the trek. It was interesting to see the porters pitching the tents, which consisted of the toilet, dining, and cooking area. We felt like we were in a five-star hotel in the middle of a forest. We hit the sack after an early dinner due to a tiring day of trekking. In the morning, we had an interesting dining experience with a personal butler to attend to our needs. It was a rare luxury to come across in mountain climbing.

On the second day of trekking, we passed through bonsai trees and rocky stones, the sun was shining mercilessly at us. We reached the Shira cave campsite at around noon. There were numerous trekkers from different countries camped here. In the evening, we made a visit to a small cave which was previously a campsite for trekkers, however after one of the caves collapsed, this practice was stopped.

The following day’s trekking was laborious due to the thinning air and tough tract. The terrain consisted of heath and moorland, the weather was hot but the wind was cold. We had to trek for seven to eight hours in bad weather. Perseverance to keep going finally brought us to the third campsite.

The next day, the trekking was shorter compared to the previous day. The ground consisted of fine dust sand which was very slippery. The temperature during the day was above 40 degrees Celsius and we could feel the heat penetrating through our skin. On the other hand, at night it was less than 0 degrees Celsius. We put up for the day at the Karunga campsite (3800m).

The next task was to hike up to Barafu campsite. It was a short journey but the terrain was very steep and dry, while the wind was blowing vigorously at us. It was a struggle to move forward against the gale and scorching heat from the sun. We reached the campsite feeling weak and light-headed.

The final day of the assault of Kilimanjaro mountain was Barafu camp. We got up in the middle of the night, prepared our gears, and had breakfast at that hour which was very difficult to digest. By 4 am, we followed the guide with a torch, moving one step at a time against the very strong wind. As we were ascending above 5000m, things got tougher, we started trudging on a thin film of ice and it was extremely cold. We reached Stella Point(5765m) after much struggle. Beyond this point, the plan changed as one of the trekkers couldn’t proceed further, while the other trekker was fit as a fiddle. As for me, although I was facing extreme muscle fatigue, I still decided to proceed to Uluru peak.

It was a struggle with each wobbly step forward. My whole body was giving way to the extremely high altitude fatigue. Somehow with the help of the guide, I was able to reach the Uluru peak(highest peak, 5895m). I cried profusely out of joy and exhaustion after achieving my dream of conquering Kilimanjaro which is the highest mountain in Africa.

After reaching the peak, my body refused to move an inch due to extreme fatigue. Thus, the guide helped me to trek down. It took a few hours of slow progress to descend in the changing weather and poor visibility, due to that we were behind time. Fortunately, a few porters trekked up as we didn’t reach the camp within the stipulated time. Thus, the porters practically carried me down to the camp through the chilly night. They dropped me in my tent and I fell into a deep sleep out of exhaustion.

We got up in the morning and started our descend which took around 8hours straight to the base camp. I was very much fit after the good rest and was able to continue my descend with ease as I enjoyed the picturesque view of vegetation, a few animals, and especially the changing terrain of mount Kilimanjaro.

Upon reaching down I felt very contented with this new experience of mine which is filled with so many cherishable moments. Indeed, hiking is my passion, but it requires lots of endurance and perseverance as the challenge up and down is not for the faint-hearted. Nevertheless, without exploring and coming out of your comfort zone you won’t be able to witness the beauty of this magnificent mountain.

MOUNT KILIMANJARO, a definite place for passionate mountaineers….