Summit Dreams

My trip that expanded across the entire country of Tanzania has finally come to an end. It was very fun as well as successful. I am currently on the Super Feo Bus heading back to Songea from Dar es Salaam. I have about 12 hours to go so I thought I would write this blog post from my phone and then post it once I get back to the monastery in Hanga village.

I'm guessing I will be posting this on Easter Sunday which means the time frame for my trip went as planned. I am happy too because it isn't the easiest thing to travel through Africa especially when using practically every form of transportation. Things went smoothly, though.

Alright, so you want to hear about my ascent and descent of the highest freestanding mountain on earth, right? Yes? No? Well, whether you want to or not it's going to be told. :)

Let's take it back to Wednesday, March 16th and go from there. On the 16th I left the Pugu Parish for the Dar es Salaam airport. Once I arrived I was able to check in and grab my ticket for my flight to Kilimanjaro. All I had was a stuffed ruck sack (hiking pack) and so I was happy to hear I didn't need to check my bag. I hate having to check such a small item.

My flight departed for Kilimanjaro International Airport at 21:15 (9:15PM). The flight was a quick one. It only took about an hour. Once I arrived a taxi driver from the guide company I was climbing with, TeamKilimanjaro, was waiting for me. He drove me to Arusha where my hostel, Outpost, was located. I checked in and settled in for the night.

I really enjoyed the hostel. The others I climbed with thought it was alright, but they weren't coming from the village either. I was on cloud nine with the nice shower, mattress, TV and of course toilet seat.

I have come to really enjoy following the U.S. and world news while over here so I had CNN on while in the room.

Thursday, March 17th came quickly and I woke to grab breakfast at the B&B. Afterwards, I made sure to check over my pack and the items I would need for the climb. The random other stuff I stuck in a bag and placed it in the hostels safe. I would grab it upon my return from the climb.

The night of the 17th was my pre-climb briefing with my chief guide whose name was Jackson. Jackson was extremely nice as well as knowledgeable about the climb. He broke down the week ahead and then ran through the equipment I brought. Another member of my group, Jey, was also at the meeting with me. In addition to the things I brought I rented a winter jacket (the summit is cold), two extra water bottles and hiking poles. My Dad asked if I would need poles back in January and I naively said no. So, here it is Dad, you were right. I did need them. They helped tremendously. Especially on the way down the mountain.

At this point I was set. However, I began to worry a bit. Jey and the rest of the members of my group had their day sack (hiking pack that they would carry) and then an extra massive duffle bag. I did not have the extra duffle bag. I looked at this extra stuff thinking "What the Hell, did you bring your microwave and refrigerator too?"

The extra stuff was mostly clothing and so I was alright. I guess I am a much better packer than most. I literally just had my warm clothes packed, water bottles, head lamp and sleeping bag.

The extra duffle bag that the others brought was to be carried by the porters. Porters are the men hired to carry a large load of gear up the mountain. For a week climb this is required. They bring the tents, food, water and the extra stuff the climbers brought. I believe the porters were happy to see I didn't have any extra luggage. The porters are machines, though. The amount of gear they carry up and down the mountain on top of their heads is insane.

Alright, so the briefing went well and afterwards I went to bed. In anticipation for my climb I didn't get a ton of sleep, but I managed some.

Friday, March 18th began bright and early with our team of porters and climbers arriving at 8:30AM to pick us up and take us to the mountain.

The 6 climbers that were in my group were Mike (56), Caroline (54), Sam (33), Jon (31), Jey (30) and me (23). I was the baby in the group by quite a few years. Mike and Caroline were husband and wife while Sam was Caroline's daughter. Mike, Caroline and Sam were from Scotland, but had lived in Dubai for over 20 years. Jon is a contractor who was formerly a soldier who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He is from Virginia and was a really nice and funny guy. Jey was born in Sri Lanka, but had lived most of his life in Toronto. He now is a software engineer in San Francisco.

Then...there was this goofy long haired volunteer from Minnesota.

That was the team. The porters (guys who carried the extra equipment), chef, assistant guides and chief guide made up the rest of the crew. All in all I would say we were a team of 26. Yeah, a lot, I know. I didn't expect there to be so many porters either. The big team did add to the wonderful experience, though.

So, we headed out to the mountain and arrived at Machame Gate around 11:00AM. We unloaded the gear, weighed it, signed our next-of-kin forms (yes, a number of people die while climbing Kilimanjaro each year), and signed the entry form. Then we were off.

This first day was spent trekking through the Kilimanjaro rain forest. Yeah, I was pretty much in the movie Tarzan - no big deal. :)

The path at this level was defined and easy to follow. We were rained on a bit which lead me to use a garbage bag to cover my ruck sack (I should have looked into a waterproof case back in the day), but I persevered. Do It Yourself is cooler, right? Ha.

The entire team made it to the first camp which sat at 3,000 meters (9,900 feet). The porters had camp set and dinner cooking when we arrived. A healthy climber meal consists of 50% carbs, 20% protein, 20% vegetable and 10% fat. In addition a small amount of sugar and a butt load of water is required. This diet helps fend off altitude sickness which is the main reason for people not being able to summit and the reason some die.

So, porridge and potatoes (we called them porridge and tatters) were a big part of our meals. Soup was also served. This allows for vegetables and water to be added to our diet. Meat and vegetables were served as sides as well. Overall, the food was very good. I enjoyed it. Though, the biggest problem with eating is that high altitudes mess with your appetite. There were some days where we would chow down and others where we struggled to eat enough.

The second day of climbing brought us through the hither vegetation zone. I think that is what Jackson told us it was called. The incline was steep and our breathes became deep. Our campsite for Day 2 was at 3,800 meters (12,500 feet).

During the climb we were not the only team on this route up Mt. Kilimanjaro. A few others were ascending the same as us. There was a group of Norwegian girls (we called them "The Norwegians) and being the youngest male in the group my team continuously gave me crap for speaking with them every once in awhile. Can't a guy get a break? :)

Next was a group of Germans (we called them "The Germans"). And finally there was the dreaded "A Team". Okay, so the A Team wasn't that bad, but they were quite obnoxious and so right off the bat Jon and I marked them as our rivals. They also were a massive group. 20 something climbers and even more porters. This rivalry was completely internal and a joke because they had no idea about the competition. The joke was fun to keep up, though, and it helped motivate us while climbing.

So, we pretty much had Kili Olympics going on. It was fun.

The third day, Sunday, March 20th, was a difficult day. The day was used to acclimate to high altitudes which would help us prevent altitude sickness later on in our climb. The climb was a long one and it brought us around to the other side of the mountain. For lunch we stopped at Lava Tower which sits at 4,600 meters (15,200 feet). Our guide told us that it was normal to have a headache and nausea at this point. These are two popular signs of altitude sickness. If these persist then you must descend, but we all began feeling better once we left Lava Tower and descended to our next campsite which was much lower, 3,900 meters (12,900 feet). So, that is what acclimatization looks like.

Jey, Jon and Sam left Lava Tower a bit earlier than Mike, Caroline and I and so we were split into two groups. Once my group started descending Lava Tower there was an accident. Caroline had slipped on a rock and rolled sideways which brought her to fall 4-5 feet onto a pile of rocks below. I witnessed the fall which was a terrible thing to see because you never want to see someone fall like that. We raced over to her and luckily nothing was broken. However, she had hurt her back and what she believed to be her lungs on the rocks.

At this point, Jackson, our chief guide, was with us and so he took good care of her. We began to descend very slowly and so I moved ahead with some porters so I could get to camp faster. Mike and Caroline showed up 2 hours later.

Caroline had to asses her injuries and decided to sleep on it and see how she felt in the morning. Additionally, each night our chief guide would track each of our heart rates and oxygen levels with a special device. He would then record them and clear us for another day of climbing. I don't believe this procedure is required, but it shows you how in tune Jackson was. I was happy he kept a close eye on each of us.

Each night from the beginning to the end were pretty cold. My Minnesota blood enjoyed the cooler temperatures and so I dealt better than most, but I did have to add layers each night to keep warm in my sleeping bag.

Additionally, while climbing to such high altitudes it is critical that one drinks water. Like, a lot of water. 4-6 liters is recommend. Once again, I was the guy who was without the cool camelback water tank in their pack so I used three water bottles. The water used was from the mountain and was cleaned by adding chlorine. It worked well too. I never got sick from drinking the water. However, even though I was without the camelback hydration tank I drank the most water. I slammed water like it was my day job. The last thing you want is to be dehydrated while at a high altitude. Drinking enough water helps fight off altitude sickness.

So now you have a good picture of this goofy Minnesota kid. Everyone else had there really expensive boots, clothing and packs while I showed up in a full-on Super Target outfit ha. Though, my pack was phenomenal and I made the clothing work.

Drinking so much water obviously makes you have to go a lot. Honestly, I am fairly certain I provided enough water for all of Kilimanjaro's vegetation to survive another year. Crystal clear, folks.

This also means going at night was a popular thing. It's never fun getting out of your warm sleeping bag, but it's needed. On Sunday night (Day 3) I got out and looked up at the sky. I have never seen a more beautiful sight. Not only could you see a wide range of stars, but the Milky Way was very distinguished and stood out directly over the towering and large Uhuru Peak (the summit). I wish I had a camera that could capture it, but it will just have to be something I get to keep in my own memory.

So, Day 4, Monday, March 21st, was upon us. On Day 4 we had to ascend up a large rock wall while bouldering and snuggling in close to each rock. The wall stood hundreds of feet up from the campsite. This actually turned out to be the most fun part of the climb. Sam, Jon, Jey and I enjoyed the experience.

Yes, that does mean Caroline elected to go down and seek medical attention. Along with her was Mike. Mike went down to support her like a good husband would. It was quite sad actually. I really enjoyed having Mike and Caroline a part of our team. Mike was hilarious and was always cracking jokes. Caroline was very kind and had a great attitude.

I do think it was a smart decision for them to descend at this point, though. Day 4 brought forth not only a massive wall climb, but then we had to transcend the desert like vegetation and multiple hills until we arrived at lunch. After lunch we still had a 3 hour climb to base camp. Base camp was our final campsite before the summit. Base camp sat at 4,700 meters (15,500 feet). I'll admit, during this climb I began to feel a bit breathless. It was very high and we all were tired.

At base camp I was allowed my own tent, though. Jey and Sam had singles and Jon and I were rooming together the previous nights. I didn't mind. It's just a part of camping and climbing. However, now that Caroline and Mike had gone down I was able to sleep in the extra tent left behind.

Jon's snoring didn't bother me so much anymore haha!

That night, Monday, we had dinner on base camp and Jackson came in and surprised us all with his plan. Being at base camp early, we all thought we would be allowed Tuesday to rest and acclimate and then summit on Wednesday. However, he thought it may be better to wake early on Tuesday and ascend to the summit during the day rather than on Tuesday night. This would also allow us two full days to descend back down the mountain.

So, after an unanimous vote, we decided to wake early and ascend on Day 5, Tuesday, March 22nd.

This turned out to be a fantastic decision. We all felt a bit sluggish and weak in the morning due to the high altitude and the anticipation of going to the summit, but doing it during the day allowed for us to see where we were going and warmer temperatures.

The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is the only place in all of Africa where there is year-round snow. Well, in fact, it may be the only place where it snows at all. So it is a cold spot.

The summit day (Day 5) was difficult. The summit stands tall at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) which means we are breathing 50% of the oxygen we normally do and have to climb 4,000 feet straight up the volcanic cone.

I began to get a headache during the climb which is a popular symptom of altitude sickness, but I made sure to alert Jackson who reassured me multiple times that I would be okay. Altitude sickness has the ability to cause the brain to swell or cause the lungs to fill with fluid. Both things that you really do not want to happen to you. He told me that altitude sickness usually is accompanied by multiple symptoms, though. Also, he told me to think positively. This is huge. Many people begin to focus on the negative and once that happens everything turns bad. So, I began to focus on positive things. I also kept repeating "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." This helped push me forward. Before he descended, Mike was always saying "this is probably the closest we will ever be to God so if you can't be religious now then when can you?" I'm a religious man all year round, but I thought that was a funny statement.

My team also helped. Jon kept telling each of us that we have to just keep moving, that no one is going to be left behind and that we are so close so we better get our butts up this dang mountain.

Once we reached the top of the crater/dome we were standing at Stella Point. One of the three peaks of Kilimanjaro. At this point we were very close to the glaciers. Wow, glaciers are massive. I mean, they are really really big. It's an amazing sight that I am very glad I was able to get a look at. It's very sad to think these glaciers won't be there in a few years.

While at Stella Point we had a quick lunch made up of oranges, hard boiled eggs, water and chipata (like a rolled pancake). This was to give us energy and some electrolytes. The biggest problem, though, was that we all were so exhausted and not in the mood to eat. The lack of oxygen getting to our brains didn't help either.

We forced the food down, though, and from where we sat we could see Uhuru Peak off in the distance. At this point we all committed to making it there. We could not stop now.

I was so unbelievably exhausted like the others were. Seriously, if I had laid down I don't know if I could have gotten back up. I have ran a marathon, triathlon and played many sports, but I have never been this beat and worn out. We inched toward the summit. As we came upon it we all were renewed with excitement and energy.

At the top of the highest freestanding mountain on earth,
Mt. Kilimanjaro

We had done it! We had made it to the summit of the highest freestanding mountain on earth at 19,341 feet. 

Mt. Everest stands at 29,029 feet. So higher, but it is still cool to be in the ballpark. If you don't think it's in the same ballpark then I suggest you go to 19,341 feet and then reconsider.  

At this extreme altitude Jackson told us we could only spend around 10 minutes there and then we must descend rapidly. We took our photos and looked out across the volcano's crater that erupted 500,000 years ago. I collected a rock from the top to keep as a souvenir. It looks as if it is made of lava so it is quite old. So, I had finally done it. I had been to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, looked upon the crater and beautiful glaciers and was lucky enough to be caught in a snow storm at the summit. Being the only place in Africa where it snows it is lucky to be snowed on at the top. Many people don't get that experience, but as we took photos the snow began to fall. It was nice to have a taste of that Minnesota winter! :)

At the top each climbing company brings treats. We enjoyed Pringles, chocolate and Red Bull. It was so great! Also, I am actually really happy they brought Red Bull. I don't drink energy drinks anymore, but I swear that Red Bull you see in my summit picture helped give me a boost of energy to get back to base camp before the weather and altitude's effects became worse.

We all descended quickly down the volcano's steep cone and made it back to base camp. Jey and Sam had hurt their left knee previously so they had to take it easy, but Jon and I were having a great time practically running down this massive volcano. The rock we were running on is called skree. It is very loose rock and you can sort of ski through it with your boots. A fun time!

Upon our return to base camp our porter team came out and congratulated us all on our accomplishment. It was super nice of them. As Sam said "it was a bit teary-eyed." We had just realized what we accomplished and were so happy!

Our team was very helpful and so fun to be with.

After the summit we had dinner and slept really well that night. The altitude was much lower than that of the summit so we felt very good once back at base camp.

In the morning we packed our camp up and began our descent. We descended to 3,100 meters (close to 10,000 feet). Once there we enjoyed our extra oxygen levels and the return of our appetite.

We slept that night and woke on Day 7, Thursday, March 24th and descended to Mweka Gate where we were awarded our Kili certificate. These certificates signify that we have completed the highest mountain in Africa which is one of the seven highest peaks on earth. We are now a part of the club that tries to summit all seven of the highest peaks. Only a few have done so.

I have been asked if I will attempt to climb Mt. Everest now. My goal and dream was to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro and that is what I did and I am very happy with that. I have never had much of a desire to go up Everest. Also, it is super expensive to climb as well as has a higher death rate. That doesn't really encourage me to go for it ha. On Kilimanjaro the guides bring oxygen tanks in case of serious altitude sickness. On Everest the oxygen tanks I believe are required because it surpasses an altitude where the oxygen levels are so low life cannot be sustained. I am sure some have made it without oxygen, but that's really crazy (even for me). 

Mt. Denali, in North America, is around 20,000 feet. That could be a new challenge. 

However, for now, Kilimanjaro will remain my number one mountain and I am very very happy with that.

Jackson did tell me, though, that he has known a number of people who have made it to the summit of Everest, but did not succeed in making it to the summit of Kilimanjaro. This is because Mt. Everest is a mountain range which helps acclimate one to the altitude. Mt. Kilimanjaro is a whole other beast. The guides tell you that everyone must respect the mountain. It's not as simple as it may seem and you cannot just run up it (which a lot of Everest people try and do only to fail).

Slow and steady wins the race. Uhuru Peak will wait for you.

So, there it is. My ascent and descent of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Two years ago I made it to the summit of the Drakensburg Mountains in South Africa on Easter. Last year I did the same with the Guadeloupe Mountains in Texas in March and now this year I have topped Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania  at the same time. Crazy! I wonder if next year will bring on another adventure into high altitudes.

On Thursday, Day 7, everyone had moved over to the Kibo Palace which is a much nicer hotel than Outpost. I didn't want to spend the extra money and I was very satisfied by the Outpost so I stayed. However, I did head over there to meet my team for drinks. We all celebrated our accomplishment which was fun.

We were reunited with Mike and Caroline as well. They congratulated us and spent the night with us talking about the experience. Unfortunately, Caroline had slipped again on the way down on Day 4 and ended up breaking her ankle. She was in good spirits at dinner, though, and both Mike and her have vowed to come back and climb Kilimanjaro.

On Friday I checked out of my room, ate some lunch with my new Kilimanjaro shirt on and then caught a taxi to the airport. My flight departed at 21:30 (9:30PM) and arrived an hour later in Dar es Salaam. There I spent a few hours at the airport. Then I caught another taxi to the Ubungo Bus Station. The taxi driver, Ali, was very nice and he even stayed with me until my bus left. That was helpful because it can be dangerous during the night.

That is where I am now. On the bus back to Songea where I will get a taxi to Hanga village later tonight (Saturday, March 26th). (Edit on Sunday, March 27th: Wow, the taxi back into Hanga village was rough. Ha, of course it started to downpour while driving on the dirt road. I made it back safely, though).

Phew, I think that covers just about everything. I hope it makes sense. I will explain everything much better in person when I get home. That will be better.

If you are interested in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro I would highly recommend TeamKilimanjaro. A phenomenal team of guys and they will help you all the way to the top.

If you have specific questions about the climb and you want to ask me you may do so through Facebook. If not and you think I am crazy for even thinking about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro that's fair too. Haha we all have our own interests. :)

Pictures will be posted soon. Still have to collect many from my friend's cameras.

A month and a half left until my trip to Europe. My focus has always been and will continue to be to enjoy every second in Africa and do all I can for the people here.

I have just returned to my little room in the village and I must say it is wonderful to be back. It is funny how such a small space can bring so much comfort. I finally can relax!

After unpacking, clearing a few spiders that have made my room theirs, finally applying some deodorant and arranging my dirty clothes for laundry I am settled. The Sisters who are in Hanga were very excited to see me after Easter mass this morning. Sister Leah told me that she was very happy I have returned and that all the sisters were excited to see their kaka (brother) again.

It’s good to be back.

Alright I have just written 8 pages of blog on my iPhone and my fingers are tired so it is time for me to go. The monastery has dropped the ball once again – they did not pay the internet bill. The school I teach at has which is lucky. I say this just so you all know that if I do not post it is because the internet is down. I also have to figure out my visa and immigration papers this week. That should be a joy. Wish me luck. Hopefully it goes smoother than it did in Zambia.

Mission accomplished.

*A quick shoutout to all the people who wished me luck on my climb. Sue Beck, I do remember you telling me to be careful last year and then Connor and I laughed it off. Just wanted you to know I remembered! Thank you!

Happy Easter, everyone!

- From Hanga, Tanzania

Thanks for reading!