Kilimanjaro - Failure to Summit

Failure to Summit

It hurts to write that. But, I thought I would begin by telling everyone we did not summit Kilimanjaro - the tallest free standing mountain in the world. I'll be honest, it was a real blow to get within 1/2 hour of the peak and decide to turn around. But, eg0 now thoroughly in check, I'll try to describe what was, without a doubt, one of the best things I have ever been a part of in my entire life. The fact that Lisa and I did not make it all the way to the top (we turned around with about 1/2 hour to go to Stella Point and another 1/2 hour to Uhuru - the actual highest peak) pales in comparison to the beauty of the scenery, the friendships formed, and the personal challenges we all faced. Not to sound too contrived, but this has been some of the greatest days of my life. So, I do not take shame in not reaching the summit in light of everything else that has happpened in the past few days.

Mitigating Factors

Not to make excuses, but here are a few of the realities of Kili -

1. Cold - it's freakin' cold that high up. We were blessed with clear weather all but the first day. Nevertheless, it is just cold at night. Especially the summit day was very cold.
2. Altitude - I underestimated just what an effect altitude would have on everything. It is just difficult to move! Most of the time, especially toward the end, our group looked like we were walking some sort of a death processional - hunched over and placing one foot barely in front of the other. One of our group members actually became very ill with altitude sickness and had to be sent back down. Scary stuff.
3. Dark - we attempted the summit in the dark. It was way more mentally challenging than I could have imagined. Not being able to see the end point makes a difficult task that much more difficult. As soon as the sun started poking it's head up I felt rejuvenated. But, of course, we were already descending.
4. Appetite - as you climb, you lose appetite and consequently energy. I was fine with appetite (go figure) but Lisa started losing hers and had not eaten well for a few days prior to the summit attempt.
5. Headaches - I did not get headaches, but everyone else in our group did. Lisa especially suffered two nights from migraine headaches. The change in altitude really takes a toll.

OK - now that all of my "excuses" are out of the way, I'll try to briefly describe how AMAZING this experience really was.

The Food

We ate like kings. Hands down. We had warm soup every night along with some great pastas, meats and vegetables. Mornings were eggs, coffee, toast and porridge. To climb up an enormous hill and have fried chicken and french fries waiting for you is a real treat! Let's just say, I did not go hungry!

The Terrain

This was my favorite part. Kilimanjaro has at least five distinct ecosystems. We hiked through them all. I just cannot describe how beautiful it is to be above the clouds and watch the sun setting while the peak of Kili is in the distance. I saw plants I swear were out of a Dr. Seuss book. It is also a fairly easy hike. If not for the mitigating factors (see above), hiking Kili is just like any other hike. We went up the Macheme Route, which is a bit more arduous than some of the others. But, even that was not terribly challenging. I would strongly encourage anyone interested in this adventure to do it!

The Company

Lisa and I were joined by fellow teachers Scott, Ben and Victor. Scott's cousin JJ and two of his fellow pilot buddies Brian and Will joined us. Let's just say everyone clicked well. Poor Lisa had to spend six days on the mountain with all guys though!

The Crew

We went through Tembea Africa for the climb. They were so good. Imagine being a porter and having to carry a basket of stuff on your head, a backpack on your back and trudge up a hill past people to get camp set up before they get there. These porters, guides and cooks redefine tough to me. Plus they did all their hard work with a smile on their face.

Final Thoughts

This was easily one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. I feel so blessed to have experienced the country we did in the way we did with the people we did. It is a humbling thing to be out of breath because there is no air and also because the scenery around you is so phenomenal. So, not making it to the summit, even if only by a little bit, quite pales in comparison to the teeming treasures that were gained along the way.