The highs and lows of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in eight days

As we enter by the little city of Moshe in Tanzania from the Kilimanjaro International Airport, I mentally put together myself for the trek forward. At the age of 72, I had educated arduous to have the ability to climb this mountain. Weight coaching, strolling with a six-kilogram weighted vest and climbing the 2 hills in my metropolis at the least twice per week; Tirusulam Hill and St Thomas Mount in Chennai. I additionally swim two kilometres twice per week. All these construct resistance and provide you with a raised coronary heart fee ; which is beneficial once you climb at an altitude.

Kilimanjaro is the very best single standing mountain on the planet that isn’t a part of a variety.  The summits are Stella Point at 5,756m and Uhuru Peak at 5,895m. It can also be thought-about to be one of many Seven Summits in Seven Continents.

We are a bunch of 10 climbers. Six from India (Chennai and Hyderabad), two from Australia and two from Germany. We have a big help employees of 25. The leaders are Bongo and Afrikaan, whose firm, Kili Worldborn Safaris is accountable for dealing with the logistics of the journey, together with transportation, lodging, meals and trekking preparations. There is the chief information and his assistants, chef and kitchen employees, tent boys, bathroom boys and our private porters who stroll with every of us to information and assist us alongside the path. This has been organized by Arjan Kripal Singh and his firm in India, Get Up And Go!

We are pushed to the beginning level on the Londorossi Gate of the Lemosho Route, which is a scenic two-day trek that goes by a rain forest. The Lemosho Route crosses the complete Shira Ridge, a plateau that goes from West to East. The climb to the summit and to the final camp takes us eight days of trekking. We have a brand new camp every night time at designated campsites. 

We often start at 7am and climb for about 5 to 6 hours every day. The terrain progressively modifications from tropical rain forest to Arctic zone to alpine desert because the path climbs greater. I usually pause to catch my breath and soak within the gorgeous views, brilliant with unique flowers and vegetation that develop on this harsh terrain. 

The trek is difficult. Especially on day three, after we climb from Shira Camp to Moir Hut, and about midway by the trek, encounter rain. This makes climbing tough because the stones and rocks turn out to be moist and slippery. Rain water flows down the mountainsides, and apart from being chilly and slightly moist, our sneakers are drenched. My spirits are down as I climb with cumbersome rain gear on.

We stick with it climbing regardless of this, praying all the way in which. Fortunately, the climate miraculously clears up and for the subsequent few days now we have superb climate. Sunshine and clear skies every single day after this, and daybreaks and sunsets within the mountains are all the time breathtaking.

The temperatures go right down to the low 10s and 15 levels Celsius as we climb greater. By summit day, it’s is nicely under zero and on the higher ranges, nearer to the summit, minus 12 to 14 levels Celsius. On summit climb day, midway up the mountain there are heavy swirling winds and snow and ice on the bottom all the way in which to the highest.  

We quickly fall right into a routine, waking up at 5am and heading out after breakfast, well-fed with eggs, toast, porridge and fruit, which is a staple.

On day 5 of the trek, we got here to some of the difficult elements. From the Barranco Camp wanting throughout the ravine is the notorious Barranco Wall, a 900 ft steep cliffside, at an nearly 90-degree angle, that must be climbed. Initially slightly intimidated, I realise as I climb, that I’m as much as the problem and really begin having fun with it. After two and a half hours of regular cautious climbing up the very slim ledges, up a slim twisting path of types, we go the Kissing Rock, which is definitely a large rock that juts out forcing us to wedge our well beyond. Finally, on reaching the highest, we feature on to the Karanga Camp.  We have an in a single day keep right here.

Connecting after this with the Mweka Trail, there’s a rocky part to trek by to the Barafu Camp. This is the camp from the place we are going to make the ultimate climb to the Kilimanjaro Summit – Uhuru Peak.  We nonetheless have yet another camp on our last trek down after summiting.

In order to succeed in at day break, we begin to climb at 10pm that night time, with solely headlamps to mild up the slim mud path. We are warmly layered with thermals and three layers of drugs, with down jackets over this. We are carrying rain gear in our backpacks and pray that we’ll not want it!  The temperatures are nicely under minus 10 and get colder as we climb. We climb steadily with frequent stops to catch our breath and sip water. The air is rarified as we go the 5,000m degree, making respiration tougher. Keeping apace, I’m rewarded with magnificent views of the plains under, the city of Moshe glittering like a jewel field.

Very quickly after, there may be probably the most fantastic dawn throughout the horizon. The view lifts my spirits and encourages me to maintain going, though it is a powerful part with rocky areas to climb over. After a few hours of climbing, there may be snow all over the place now even on the slim paths, stepping fastidiously, with my private information subsequent to me, able to catch me if I had been to slide. One step at a time, respiration extra laboured now, not trying to see the summit level, that appears so shut. It is dawn now and hastily climbing previous the ultimate part, I’m at Stella Point at 5,756m. 

After a few images, I climb for an additional 40 minutes to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m.  It is an exhilarating second to grasp that I’m on the summit of some of the iconic mountains on the planet. 

Climbing right down to the summit base camp at Barafu Camp takes nearly 12 hours. A fast lunch, then heading down, we take one other 5 hour trek to the final camp; the Mweka Camp. This might be harder than all that I had achieved thus far. The steep, tough rocky path wants cautious negotiating, as drained legs might make a misstep right here. We head down safely to Mweka camp, which is ready in a phenomenal wooded space. 

On the ultimate day we climb right down to the Mweka Gate, that is the final gate, from the place we can be picked up, to be pushed again to the resort for our last day in Tanzania. It is a big muddy path stuffed with free stones and steps. We get pleasure from this trek by the gorgeous rain forest on a ten kilometre stony, mud path. It turns into hotter as we go down the mountain, and shortly we’re on the last pick-up level at 5,380ft. I’m completely exhausted, however in a state of full exhilaration, as I had achieved what I had got down to do — summit Kilimanjaro. 

Vidya Singh is a health fanatic who has accomplished 19 treks in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Peru and Patagonia. She has participated in over eight Masters National Swimming Championships and Pan Indian Masters occasions, successful a number of gold medals.