Mount Kilimanjaro - Mar 2011

Mount Kilimanjaro

Uhuru Peak, 5895 meters (19, 341 feet) above MSL

Tallest peak of the African continent

Itinerary

02 March - Londorossi Gate/Lemosho trail head - Big Tree Camp (Mti Mkubwa) 03 March - Big Tree Camp - Shira I (3480 m/11420 ft) 04 March - Shira I - Shira II Huts (3850 m/12630 ft) 05 March - Shira Huts - via Lava Tower (4640 m/15220 ft) - Barranco Huts (3985 m/13070 ft) 06 March - Barranco Huts - Barranco Wall - Karanga Camp (4040 m/13255 ft) 07 March - Karanga Camp - Barafu Huts (4680 m/15360 ft). Summit attempt starts at midnight 08 March - Summit Attempt - Uhuru Peak - Barafu Huts - Millenium Camp 09 March - Millenium Camp - Lemosho Gate - Moshi Hotel

Agency: Adventure Kenya Safari, Nairobi and Capello Adventures, Moshi.

March 2, 2011: Destination Big Tree Camp We started from our hotel in Moshi around 10 am in the morning to go to the Londrossi Gate - a place to buy permits and complete paper work. Below is a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro as seen from the hotel lobby. This hotel (Keys Annex) is located just outside Moshi town and is maintained well. Photo courtesy: Djilali

The team just before our departure from Moshi. Left to right: Barry, Djilali, Laura, Animesh. Photo Courtesy: Laura

A view of the majestic mountain from a Moshi street. Wherever you go in Moshi, this mountain follows you. Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world rising 5,882 meters from its base.

Our expedition staff sorting out load at Londrossi Gate while we enjoy our boxed lunch and our guide Mathias takes care of the paperwork. Photo Courtesy: Djilali

Reaching Big Tree camp, very aptly named as the camp site is surrounded by massive trees all around, after 3 hours of easy walk.

A view inside our dinner tent, we were spoiled every evening with fruits, popcorn and warm roasted peanuts followed by hot soup for dinner. I did not lose much of my appetite on this climb to my surprise and ate well all the days we were on mountain, sometimes more than my normal diet ;) Photo Courtesy: Barry

March 3, 2011: Destination Shira I On our way to Shira1. Laura and Djilali take a break while Mathias plans for the next stretch.

Spoilt again- this time for lunch. Our support staff members were incredible. They always started 20-30 minutes later than us in the morning and not only passed us but also reached both the lunch and camping spot way ahead of us. By the time we reached camping site, our tents were ready and we were welcomed with hot tea (that never tasted so good at home) and popcorns... Photo Courtesy: Barry

Camping site at Shira 1. This place resembled a godforsaken plateau that was once inhibited by a vibrating society sometime in Ice-Age ;) but people ran away when glaciers melted and the only things left were rocks and rumbles... We got first great views of the entire Mount Kili massif from here though... Photo Courtesy: Barry

The view of the Kilimanjaro massif from our Shira I tent in the late evening...

A window with an awesome view: Kili massif in the morning from inside our tent. Photo Courtesy: Barry

Huh.. the author in me ;) but what an inspiring place to write something? Photo Courtesy: Djilali

March 4, 2011: Destination Shira II (Shira Huts) Our team starts for the next camp - Shira II which is 3 hours away - getting closer to the goal... Photo Courtesy: Laura

Shira II campsite... There is an approach dirt road to this place and this site serves as the last post where one can get any urgent medical attention. Our mobile devices worked here and our guide had a long chat with his family sitting atop a rock by the tents. Photo Courtesy: Barry

I have no idea what I am doing here, neither do I remember when and how did I get into this situation. That's why I tell - mountains make you do crazy stuff... he he. Photo Courtesy: Barry

This is our dinner tent. Looks awesome, right? Thanks to Barry for his courage in getting out in the extreme cold and clicking this! Photo Courtesy: Barry

March 5, 2011: Destination Barranco Huts

Tents at Barranco Huts. The "almost" vertical rock wall you see in the background is a ~200 ft wall called "Barranco Wall". It looks intimidating from the camp site and we wondered whole night how would we climb. However, wasn't too difficult to climb the next day that was a beautiful sunny day. It had rained and we got into hail-storm the previous evening while trying to reach the campsite. Mar 5th was also one of the longest walk (longer was the summit attempt when we continuously walked for ~12 hours and then again ~3 hours after a short break) as well when we walked for almost 6 hours crossing Lava tower which is another huge rock that is worth a nice climb. I did not try. Maybe next time, if I am here again. Photo Courtesy: Djilali

Mar 6, 2011: Destination Karanga Camp

Karanga camp is a very nice camp site slightly sloping but with great views of the plains down - I saw Moshi town late evening - beautiful. The south face of the Kili massif looked amazing from here. There were around 50-60 tents here since this place gets climbers from three different routes. There was a luxury group of climbers with around 30-40 tents with luxury toilet tents and other fancy stuff. We were quite happy though chatting in our cozy dinner tent quite late in the evening... A group shot with Kili in the background. Photo Courtesy: Djilali

How many tents? A beautiful morning at Karanga... enough to entice anyone to walk that last stretch to the summit camp. Photo Courtesy: Djilali

Mar 7, 2011: Destination Barafu Huts (Summit Camp)

Just before we started our last walk from Karanga to Barafu..... where we started our attempt for the summit at midnight... Photo Courtesy: Djilali

Barafu Huts - The camp site for the summit attempt. Don't get confused with the name "Huts"... there are none, the structure you see in the background is a toilet (aptly named "tourist toilet"), which you would never want to use if it wasn't extremely windy and freezing cold... We reached here just after noon. The idea was to give body and more importantly mind some rest before we started our summit attempt at the middle of the night.

Mar 8, 2011: Destination Uhuru Peak (Summit Attempt)

We started walking at the midnight of 7th and 8th Mar. I have been to higher altitude before, but found the summit day difficult for various reasons – midnight start of the attempt, accumulated sleep deprivation, extreme cold and hypothermia with a swollen face at the summit, a little bit of hallucinations in the wee hours and a difficult climb 1200m+ and 5 KMs to name a few.

Beautiful sunrise as seen from Stella point on the summit ridge... the climb to this point wasn't easy with mercury dipping substantially below zero and water in our bottles turning into rocks and almost no sensation in our fingers and toes... It took us almost 5 hours to reach Stella Point and as soon as we reached, Sun came out from hiding with beautiful views all around. Just before I reached Stella point, I seriously thought about returning, however, something kept me on. I calculated my strength and revisited my limits. I was physically exhausted and fatigued to the core, however, I felt very strong mentally. I turned and looked at the beautiful sunrise, I smiled. I felt I was very close to the nature. I “appreciated” the early morning breeze for its iciness and freshness. I wondered at the complexity of the first rays of Sun mingling with the clouds. I heard some other climbers passing by: “Poa!” (Well done!), one stopped, shook hands and told – you look good, you will make it. I decided to summit. There was nothing that could stop me. Photo Courtesy: Djilali

Beautiful views as we walk toward the peak. Photo Courtesy: Barry

Final walk towards the summit on the summit ridge. Looks easy... hmmm... Photo Courtesy: Barry

Mar, 8, 2011, 7:30 AM local time: Uhuru Peak (5, 895 meters, 19, 341 feet)

The views from the peak and the summit ridge were beautiful all around. I did not feel like taking my heavy camera out that I had carried all the way up, not that I had any strength left. We hugged, congratulated each other and started our descent. We stopped at Barafu for couple of hours where I took a much needed nap for an hour or so before we started for the Millennium camp where we spent our last night on the mountain. Photo Courtesy: Barry

Mar 9, 2011: Destination Mweka Gate

A beautiful view of Kili from Millennium camp on our way down. We took 6 days to get to the summit and only a day and half to get back to the civilization. This was almost a downhill run. We did not return the same way we used for going up. This downhill route is not used for climbing up as it provides almost no to very little acclimatization. Photo Courtesy: Barry

Every good thing comes to an end. Getting ready for the last walk at the Millennium camp. We walked for 5-6 hours downhill to reach Mweka gate where our vehicles waited. Our support staff sang in Swahili, danced, bid us goodbye and wished success for the future. We were humbled. We praised their importance in our experience... and yes I did hug the cook for feeding me great stuff on that mountain ;) Photo Courtesy: Barry I have already started thinking about my next mountain - Aconcagua in Argentina (around 7,000 meters/ 24,000 feet and 20 days on a mountain known for its crazy winds and extreme weather conditions). I am sure, there will be a set of completely new challenges, new experiences and opportunities to meet new people. While I am excited about the future, I would like to cherish the memory from this experience for a little while. Barry, Djilali and Laura - thanks for making the trip very memorable!