Journal from Kilimanjaro

While on the mountain I wrote in my journal every day, keeping a record of our progress and the various thoughts floating through my head that day. From equipment planning in advance and outdoor camera gear tips, to reaching the top, here are some excerpts of how I planned/trained for the mountain and our daily progress while on our BeTheExecption Kilimanjaro adventure.

Day 1:

July 4th, 2011
Sitting in my tent in forest camp! I can’t believe I’m actually on Kilimanjaro! After checking in at Londorossi gate, we headed to the Lemosho trail head and we hiked for around 3 hours today through the forest. We saw Colobus monkeys along the trail, forest caterpillars, and birds. It was increadable. Forest camp is packed with people today which makes it a bit noisy, but we are all excited to be here.

Day 2:

July 5th, 2011
Made it to Shira camp 1 and were greeted by our amazing porters who sang for us! Shira camp is much larger than Forest camp, and all the teams are spread out now. We are filthy dirty and it’s only day 2. The fine dirt engulfs everything! But as we walked through the Heather zone we saw our first glimpse of Kibo and being on the mountain feels so real now! There were many up and down hills today so I was glad my stair training was paying off. And after talking with our guides I learned a great deal about the Masai. I am fascinated by them and often wonder if they would tell me more details about Masai life if I wasn’t a foreigner or a woman. There are no clouds tonight and I can even see the glaciers on top of Kibo, It’s so beautiful here, I am having the time of my life.

Day 3:

July 6th, 2011
We have made it to Shira camp 2. It took about 4 hours from Shira 1 and it was a nice hike with not much up hill as we have stayed around 12,000 feet or so. It was hazy earlier but the mountain looks lovely at the moment. I tried to take a shower but it was difficult to use and decided bath wipes would be easier than attempting the shower tent again. Not to mention it was very windy and the thought of the tiny shower tent blowing over with me left squatting there for all the world to see wouldn’t have been in my best interest. LOL! But the feeling of even somewhat of a shower felt fantastic after a few days without one, covered in dust. Since the Scott Fischer memorial is about an hour hike away from camp, we went to visit it this afternoon. I’m acclimatizing, currently listening to Enya and the Lion King soundtrack on my iTouch, I’m sleeping under the most amazing stars I’ve ever seen, with the snows of Kilimanjaro in the background. I still can’t believe I’m in Africa! And I’m enjoying every second of it!

Day 4:

July 7th, 2011
We have made it to Barranco camp about 13,000 ft elevation. It was a long day of trekking today, we ate lunch at the Lava Tower around 15,000 ft. I’ve had a slight headache, I don’t think it’s mountain related but rather due to the fact I have had no caffeine now for 5 days, and I normally drink coffee or have a soda every day. So I’m hoping it will pass. This is actually the most healthy I have drank and ate that I can remember. Our cook Jackson is amazing, I don’t know how he makes such lavish meals on the mountain but he manages. I have eaten nothing but soup, veggies, fruit, toast, porridge, meat, and been drinking around 4 liters of water a day. Lets just say it’s quite cleansing. This camp is my favorite camp so far. It’s nested in a valley below the Western breach and Uhuru peak keeping the wind minimal. You can see the lights of Moshi town at night below the clouds, and the stars encircle Kibo. Camps are very spread out and it’s beautiful here. Tomorrow we head up the Barranco wall! I’m excited!

Day 5:

July 8th, 2011
Karanga camp. Today was the hardest day by far but it was also the most fun! We rock scrambled up the Barranco wall and I loved it! I kinda wish more of this route had scrambling like this. There is one part called the kissing rock where you practically have to make out with the rock face to get around it. After the Barranco wall there were many rocky up and down hills getting to Karanga. Just when you think that’s the last one you get to the top and see the trail go back down again. It was exciting but tiring and I’m falling asleep now. Zzzzz….

Day 6:

July 9th, 2011
At Barafu camp now around 15,000ft. We are so close to the top!! It’s really exciting! I’m listening to music thinking about my family and wondering what they are up 2, I can’t wait to share my experiences with them. I’m realizing why I enjoy spending time in nature so much. It puts things into perspective, life into perspective, it reminds you of who you really are, and it challenges you to be a better person than you were yesterday. I’m so thankful to be sharing this journey with the BeTheException women, we are all different but all the same and I am having the time of my life with them. We are learning Swahili, making friends with the porters and pushing ourselves to truly be the exception. I know that I have made lifelong friends on this trip.

Day 7:

July 10th, 2011
Summit day!! We woke up early, left around 7am and set out with our sights on Uhuru peak! It has been the hardest day for sure! As we gained over 4,000ft of elevation and made it to the famous summit sign around 2pm. At around 17,500ft at times I felt a little dizzy but I just kept drinking water and taking mountain breaths and it would go away. “Pole Pole” today for sure! When we made it to Stella point I knew I was going to make it to the top, and once I could actually see inside the crater… I’m not gonna lie, I cried. It was epic finally seeing inside the volcano, and seeing the glaciers. The hike from Stella point to Uhuru peak was a cake walk compared to reaching Stella point and it was great because we didn’t summit at sunrise, so there was NO one at the summit but us! It was fantastic!! We actually were originally supposed to summit tomorrow but figured we were so close why not just do it now. After reaching the sign and taking a lot of photos, we descended into the crater for our night at crater camp.

Day 8:

July 11th, 2011
Crater camp is everything I had dreamed of. I walked right up to the last remnants of the Furtwängler Glacier and touched it. I took some photos and video of it as I know it will be gone soon. It’s sad really, and I’m thankful that I get to see these amazing glaciers before they are gone. Our guide thinks in about 5 years they will be gone. I didn’t spend much time taking night photos as it was to cold to take my gloves off for long, and once you put them back on it took a while to get warm fingers again. I could hear the glaciers cracking and popping at night, and it sounded like gun shots going off and echoing around the entire crater. You could feel the ground shake as rocks fell and I found sleeping impossible. Not because of the sounds but because after trying to lay down for a while I would just get up trying to breathe. To avoid breathing in the cold air I wore my balaclava but it then felt like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen and still felt like that when I took it off. I spend the night sitting up taking mountain breaths enjoying the noises of the glaciers, contemplating taking Diamox and waiting for sunrise so we could head out. We were originally going to do a double summit, heading out around 4am back up to Uhuru peak to see it at sunrise. But we were all so tired and decided we had done it already and didn’t want to get up so early. And as you could still see the sunrise as we headed to Stella point that morning I still feel I got to enjoy that experience, plus seeing the amount of people attempting the summit at that time made me happy we were able to enjoy that moment alone.

Day 9:

July 12th, 2011
Made it down to Mweka camp in one day. Wow that was a LOT of downhill for one day and my toes are killing me! LOL.
We spent the night in the forest for the last time, we sang and danced with our porters and guides. We played Farkle for the last time. All I could think of was how I was so close to being able to take a real shower again! That and how much I will miss all of the porters/guides who have become my friends on this journey. It’s bitter sweet really, I want to get off the mountain but I know a part of me will always be on it.