Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro – Review of the Lemosho Route

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Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro had been on my bucket list for a while. It was one of those goals I was never sure if I’d ever cross off, never quite sure if I’d be ready for it.

I’m not sure anyone is ever really ready for Kilimanjaro. The highest mountain in the continent, you’ll get to stand on the rooftop of Africa. It sounds thrilling, but what is it really like?

I will write other posts about the experience from a practical point of view: what to take, how much it costs etc. But while this experience is fresh in my mind – and my aching body – I want to capture the good, the bad and the ugly of possibly the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. Including how a trek that started with a bus ride, ended in an ambulance. And how I left blood, sweat and tears on this infamous mountain.

The Swahili words that echo throughout the entire experience are pole pole (polay-polay) which mean slowly, slowly. A gentle yet constant reminder that this is no easy feat and that altitude sickness will get you badly if you rush.

Despite all the challenges a trek like this brings, I am without a doubt proud of my achievement and incredibly glad I did it. Were there things I wish I knew before I did it? Absolutely. Keep reading to see what they were.

Please note, this was my experience and everyone’s experience is different. Your reaction to altitude, to the physical demands of trekking Kili will never be the same as anyone else. I hope my review helps you feel a little more prepared, but this is an amazing goal to have and I wish you the best of luck if you take it on.

Preparing for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

I think my first error was spending more time before my trip worried about what to bring, than actually facing the gravity of the task at hand. All the talk about extreme temperatures, having the right equipment, what to bring for your guides was all a major distraction. Not that that’s not important, but you’re climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, a huge mountain, so make sure you actually do enough physical preparation.

Living at sea level in Vancouver, Canada I was most concerned about the effects of altitude. There aren’t really any ways to prepare for that. And from what I read, it’s unpredictable to know who will be affected. 60+ year old smokers have evaded reactions where 30 year old athletes have not.

Talk to a doctor about Diamox (altitude medication) before you leave, and this is about the best you can do other than pick a route that takes longer to ascend, giving you the best chance of acclimatization.

So a big part of my pre-trek preparations involved long distance walks with full backpack and hiking in the mountains near where I live. We chose hikes with higher elevation gain, and ones that would give the leg muscles a good workout. Stamina and leg work is the best thing you can do for attacking the infamous summit night.

Seeing the mountain for the first time

We drove over the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The highway stretched out in front, barren landscape, dotted by a few trees framed either side. In the distance, the trees moved. No, wait, those are actually giraffes. Africa is amazing.

Coming into view in front of us, though, was a huge mountain. The peak partially hidden under wispy clouds. My friend and I looked at each other, took a deep gulp and said “I think that’s our mountain”. Nervously we started to choke up in anticipation of the task that lay ahead. Deep breath.

Anyway, turns out it wasn’t Kilimanjaro, it was Mount Meru which is about 1000 meters lower than Kili. So our mountain was going to be bigger? F&*#! Our mountain was to the east, and so tall that it was actually hidden by clouds.

We would not see Kilimanjaro for another few days, after our safari, and while on the drive to the gate where we would begin our hike.

Meeting our group

The night before we began climbing Mount Kilimanjaro we met our lead guide, Ray. He’d worked with Climb Kili for a number of years. A man of few words, he would eventually become one of the people most pivotal in me reaching the summit.

But for now, he looked us up and down and calmly stated that we would be fine and will reach the top. While his confidence outweighed mine, I had no choice but to believe him. Asking him how many times he’d summitted Kili, he paused for a second then said “I don’t know, I’ve lost count”. Good enough for me – he was the guy we wanted taking us.

We wouldn’t meet the rest of our group until the next morning. There were 5 of us in total: my friend Val and I; Sarah and Andrew, an Irish couple who now live in New York; and Han, a solo traveler from Hawaii who joined the tour only two weeks before. I was the oldest at 40 years of age, the others ranged from 33 to 38.

Given that Val developed a knee injury just a few weeks earlier, and I had recently visited hospital with occipital nerve pain causing migraines and neck problems as well as having an injured rib from a safari-related incident, we felt broken in comparison to our three new friends who seemed ready and raring to go. And that was before we even started hiking.

Climb Kili – our tour company for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

We did a lot of research when it came to finding a company to travel with. For anyone unfamiliar with climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, you can’t just rock up and start hiking. You must be part of an organized group since this is a national park.

We researched everything from pricing, dates and availability, sustainability efforts, the way they treat their staff, routes offered and responsiveness to our inquiries. In the end Climb Kili fared better than most others we looked into and we booked with them.

I would say the responsiveness of their program manager, Tiffany, was one of the big reasons we decided to book with Climb Kili. We had a LOT of questions (most people do for such an expensive trip, I would imagine).

The second was the fact that Climb Kili didn’t have set dates to book into, but would start a new date for a climb should you request it. Plus each group would be a maximum 6 hikers so you had a more personal experience.

Another good thing about Climb Kili is that if you provide them with email addresses for your loved ones they will send a daily email detailing your progress.

Admittedly, this was a more generic email about the group rather than any one individual. But they included photos that were taken and it was at least “proof of life” to our nervous family members back home.

The Climb Kili team

Team size varies depending on the number of hikers in the group. We had 5 hikers, and therefore ended up with a team of 19.

There will be a guide for every 2 people, so in our case we had one lead guide and two assistant guides. That really helped when some of the group (us) were slower than others so we weren’t holding people back.

The majority of the team were the fantastic porters who carried everything we needed for the trek: the tents, the food, our gear other than what we had in our day pack.

After that we had a cook and team members for managing the tents, the toilet, dishwashing etc. Our crew were amazing, always friendly and happy to help, and lots of fun to be around.

The tents

Val and I had a 3 person tent which was more than enough room for us, a lot of our gear and some personal space. Sarah and Andrew had the same size tent, and Han had her own tent as a solo traveler.

Each day we arrived at camp our tents were already put up, with our sleeping pads inside and our gear bags there too. Each morning we just needed to pack our gear up, and the team would take down the tent after we left.

TOP TIP: Tents are often close together and camps can be loud and busy – make sure to bring ear plugs and a sleeping mask for a great night’s sleep.

The toilet

The big question everyone seems to have when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is about the toilet. 8 days on a mountain – what do you do? Well, at camp we had a toilet tent. In this zip up tent was an actual sit down porta potty toilet complete with toilet paper.

When you need to go, you simply slide open the cover and do what you need to do. After you’ve finished there’s a pump on the side that rinses the toilet, and you replace the cover.

While hiking during the day you can either find a tree or rock to hide behind, or there are occasionally toilet huts with a hole in the ground (hold your breath). Or if you’re like me, you somehow managed to make it from camp to camp without the need to go despite guzzling 3 litres or more of water a day. I guess I’m part camel.

TOP TIP: Psst, girls – not sure about the full squat once you get past the part of the mountain with adequate tree and rock coverage? You can always give a female urination device, like the SheWee, a go. While I didn’t use it a lot, it was handy to have.

The food

The things our cook was able to do with a simple stove while hiking a mountain. We never failed to be impressed. Although your appetite will start to disappear with the oxygen in the air, the team will constantly bring food and encourage you to eat. Try your best to force as many calories down as you can. Energy is vital when climbing mount Kilimanjaro.

Breakfast always started with a huge pot of oatmeal, followed by fruit, pancakes, eggs, sausages and toast. We had a selection of hot drinks, jam and peanut butter available all the time.

Lunch was usually once you arrived at camp early afternoon. There was always a huge pot of soup – different flavor each day. This was the highlight for all of us I think, the soup was so good. Usually there were toasted sandwiches, more fresh fruit and other light snacks.

About an hour or two before dinner was popcorn and hot drinks time. With the altitude they started bringing us ginger tea to help with the nausea.

Dinner was a carb fest that started with more soup (yum), and usually pasta or rice with vegetables, meat dishes, sometimes fried potatoes and more fruit. As a vegetarian I was definitely catered for well, and they always made sure there were options.

Daily health checks and debriefs

After dinner we would always start with a health check. Asking how we’re feeling, any symptoms of altitude, plus a pulse oximeter check to gauge our oxygen levels. We turned this into a friendly competition of who had the highest oxygen level each evening.

We never had any big issues, even when we saw drops in stats with the altitude. But they would probably start getting worried if you’re below 75% and monitor you a bit more.

Next was always a debrief of how we thought we did, followed by a summary of the next day. How long the hike would be (distance and time), any difficult terrain we should know about, and ideas of how we might want to dress.

The debriefs I think were where we lacked the most. The info we got sometimes felt like pulling teeth, and it ended up a nightly joke as we tried to figure out what to expect the next day. We weren’t afraid to ask questions which probably contributed to this evening ritual of back and forth as we did all have a good rapport.

My favorite exchange was night 4. The next day was the day a lot of the supplies were replenished and restocked. We asked what they would be bringing. The response “They will bring some things”. By this time we were baiting the guides with our questions a bit, so I replied “But not others, right?”. “Correct”. Well, that cleared that up!

Things I wasn’t prepared for

While preparation was a big part of our planning, there is only so much you can do. So much you can read. I spend hours going down rabbit holes about tipping ceremonies, the snacks to bring and over analyzing every item of clothing in my ever growing suitcase.

But it was the things that people don’t talk about as much that were the big surprises when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Like the fact that there is so much dust. It’s everywhere. It gets in your throat, under your nails and in your nose. Every nose blow resulted in a black tissue (TMI?). And my nose was so irritated from the dust that it kept bleeding. Fingers were also caked with mud and dust despite wearing gloves all day. How is that even possible?

Or the ailments that stick with you long after you’ve gotten off the mountain. The toes you lost feeling in for months; the cold-like symptoms from inhaling dust for 8-days; or the fact your ears might not “pop” for days afterwards like you’ve been on an airplane ride.

These won’t happen to everyone, and are rarely long term. But our group had a Whatsapp chat going after we all flew home and for weeks we were still comparing our individual lingering issues. It became almost a fun game.

I know how many people talk about climbing Kili, but I also wasn’t quite prepared for the sheer volume of people. The camps were busy, people constantly passed on the trail, and some of the narrower sections bottle-necked the crowds.

It’s hardly surprising given how much people talk about this mountain, but if you’re looking for a peaceful mountain getaway you might want to find another mountain. That said, there was nothing and no-one standing between me and a restful night sleep after a hard day hiking, no matter how packed camp might be.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro – 8-Day Lemosho Route

There are a number of routes up Kilimanjaro. They vary from 5 days to 8 in length and varying degrees of difficulty. Given this was the only time I planned on summiting this colossal mountain, I wanted to give myself the best chance of success.

With each day you add to your hike, the odds of reaching the top go up. Why? Because you acclimatize to the altitude the slower you go. Therefore we picked the 8-Day Lemosho route, a popular choice.

Day 1 – Lemosho Gate to MtI Mkubwa Camp

The drive from Arusha started at 7am and took about 4 hours with a rest stop. When we arrived at the park gate our guides needed to organize the permits, so we were served lunch.

Months of planning and training and the day had arrived. But we were also just eager to start climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. After lunch and being distracted by some Columbus monkeys, we finally set off around 1:30pm.

It was warm, we were in the rainforest here the sounds of monkeys and birds were all around. The occasional view peeked out between the trees, and this all became very real. The easygoing trail soon started to incline more gradually.

Porters passed us almost constantly, which was the biggest thing to get used to. Each carrying about 20kg, you didn’t want to feel like you were in the way. We took a couple of rest stops, but overall managed a pretty consistent pace. I was eager to prove I could keep up with the group.

The hike was 7km, 500m in elevation, and supposed to take around 3-4 hours. We made it in a little over 2.5 hours. Take that Kilimanjaro. Tired, and happy to be there, day one was complete. Seven more to go. Our gear was already in our tents, and we were ushered into the dining tent for popcorn.

Dinner wasn’t far behind, and we spend the early evening getting to know each other a bit more. Reality set in when we were informed of the 5:45am wake up call, so off to bed we all went at 8:30. I slept like a log.

Day 2 – Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp

Being woken up at 5:45 in the morning is never a good feeling. More so when it’s by someone you don’t really know unzipping your tent in the dark. Although the offer of a hot drink being brought to us in bed did boost the experience by a point or two. Juggling a hot cup of coffee while wriggling out of a sleeping back to get dressed for a hike is no simple feat though.

After a hearty breakfast we were on the trail by about 7:30. Today would be 8km and was slated to take around 5-6 hours. We would ascend around 1000m in elevation.

The day began with a steady incline that turned steep way too fast for my liking. One foot in front of the other is all you can do. Slow. Determined. Mind over matter. The rainforest, buzzing with the sounds of nature, provided at least some shelter from the heat of the day. Warming with every hour, I understood why an early start was beneficial.

Quite narrow in places, we often had to shuffle aside to let the porters zip past on the trail, carrying heavy bags like they were pillows. Faster groups also lapped us, but speed isn’t a factor in successfully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Luckily for us.

At the top of what felt like an endless incline we broke past the rainforest and into the moorland. Tall trees became sparse and squat brush plants dominated the landscape. It was instantaneous, like walking through an imaginary door. Leaving the rainforest and entering the next ecosystem came with one big negative for a pasty white Brit – there was nowhere to hide from the sun.

The lead guide, Ray, stuck with Val and I, while the other two guides, Steve and Gaudas, led the other three ahead. Words of encouragement balanced our self-deprecating commentary as Ray made us feel good about how we were doing.

The home stretch for day two was a predominantly flat trail for the final half hour where we could see camp in the distance. We got our first views of Kili, partially hidden behind the clouds which were at that time protecting us from the sun.

As we trudged towards the sign for camp, Ray told us he was proud of us and I almost cried. Exhausted, we rolled into camp, surprisingly only 45-minutes behind the rest of the group.

A delicious lunch, followed by a nice relaxing afternoon allowed the reality of being a quarter way through our trek sink in. I watched giant white sided ravens skulk around camp, and as it got dark the sky was filled with stars and for the first time we saw the peak of Kilimanjaro, illuminated by moonlight.

Despite day two remaining my least favorite day of the trek, viewing this huge mountain in front of me actually gave me the feeling I could actually do this, for the first time since I booked the trip. At 7pm, we crashed for the night and slept soundly.

Day 3 – Shira Camp to Moir Camp

Frost coated the tent and the ground was frozen outside. But in the tent it was warm, despite the ungodly hour we got up – 5:45am again. Emerging for breakfast I was in awe of Kilimanjaro dead ahead, crystal clear in the early morning light.

We set off at 7:30am again. We got three different answers on the length of today, ranging from 10km to 14km. Either way it was long, but with 700m elevation it would be a little less intense. The first few kilometers were easy enough, flat and with a stunningly picturesque landscape.

Slowly inching closer to the looming mountain peak in front of us, we maintained a gentle but steady pace for the day. We were fine getting to camp a little later if it meant we made it overall and didn’t exert too much energy, or succumb to the thinning oxygen. The altitude left me with shorter breath at times, and a couple extra breaks helped.

A few kilometers in, Sarah and Andrew pull ahead while Val, Han and I go at a slower pace alongside Ray and Steve. They are encouraging, and suggest breaks as they see us flagging. We keep on top of our water intake, and a couple of snacks for energy.

We ascend slightly through some trees and the altitude starts to kick my ass a little more. Nausea sets in, as does a headache for the first time since we began climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I gently hum the Lion King as I lumber along, hoping it will distract me. There’s a good bit of climbing over rocks today. We pass a porter who is struggling and Ray takes her bag for a while to help.

Given the length of the day, there was talk about lunch along the way, but it was decided we should push on. However one of our crew, Nestor, is waiting with water for us to refill our bottles. It came at just the right time.

The remainder of the hike is beautiful, and more relaxed. We see camp in the distance, but it being a long day we still need to maintain our pace.

One of the porters who has already reached camp, returned and insisted on taking our bags for the last 30-minutes. We share our snacks with the crew as we continue at our pace, never feeling rushed from anyone.

Day 3 ends up being a 7-hour hike, we arrive around 2:30pm and immediately eat lunch. There’s an optional acclimatization hike this afternoon but we decide to conserve our energy.

Again, I end my day grateful to all the crew who help us every step of the way. Tonight we celebrate the crew with singing and dancing and get to know them all. They are encouraging about our progress, and I couldn’t imagine a greater group to lead us up this mountain.

Day 4 – Moir Camp to Barranco Camp

Today is an acclimatization day. That means we do a lot of climbing but end up camping at around the same elevation as the night before. Climb high, sleep low is the way to build up your tolerance to high altitudes.

It is a bitterly cold start to the day. It’s obvious we are not in Kansas anymore at these much higher elevations. I’m glad to get hiking just so we can warm up. However, the first 30-minutes are a grueling uphill slog. Gasping and spluttering I made it to the ridge where the reward was magnificent views of Kili’s peak on one side, and rolling clouds below us on the other.

Being above the clouds is easily my favorite “I can’t believe it” feeling from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. There’s not much cooler than that. This place is surreal. I mean, how are we this high up?

Today, despite the uphill, we kept good pace with everyone. The final push was our mid-point for the day, the Lava Tower. And it was way more of an uphill than it looked when someone pointed it out a kilometer back. But we made it.

Originally lunch was planned at the Lava Tower, but we were doing so well for time they decided we’d just wait until camp. The Lava Tower sits at 4600 meters, and my headache set in something fierce. A mix of altitude, sun, and a heavy bag pulling on my neck, I spend the afternoon descending into the Barranco valley thinking my head would explode. Spoiler: it didn’t.

Our 3km hike to camp was all downhill except for one brief incline. That helped. We passed a river and a waterfall, had a front row seat to the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro to our left and descended into a valley filled with incredible giant plants that look like dinosaurs wouldn’t be out of place walking among them.

My headache nixed all the excitement I should have been feeling as I just wanted to reach camp and lie down. Arriving at our home for the night, a rocky outcrop where you could almost feel like it was possible to step out onto clouds, I collapsed on a rock, head in hands.

While everyone ate lunch I sat quietly on a rock, deep breathing to suck in as much oxygen as I could. In reality, I just couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in a tent with everyone talking when I just needed silence.

After around 45-minutes my headache vanished. I guess I acclimatized. After eating lunch I followed the trail of people heading out to the rocky point. I thought they were going for the view – turns out it was the one spot on the trail where you get really good cell reception. For the first time in 4 days I was able to send photos and messages back home.

4 days. I was halfway through. Tomorrow’s Herculean effort, the great Barranco Wall, loomed over camp. Well, until the clouds rolled in and it disappeared. Maybe just as well.

Day 5 – Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Why is the Barranco Wall one of the most famous parts of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? Because this 300 meter high section of the trail has a cliff-like drop on one side. Oh, and the trail is so narrow in places that no-one can pass. There’s even a point called the Kissing Wall where you hug the wall so tight a lot of people kiss it on the way past.

Scrambling up and over boulders is also necessary, so this all adds up to a long line of people taking forever to get up it. We hung back to let the crowds go, and had our first late start of the trip, getting moving at 9:30am.

While many people fear this section, I actually quite liked it. Val will hate me for saying this, since the Barranco Wall is where her knee problems flared up to the point where I thought she was going to throw her trekking poles into the abyss out of pain and frustration.

For me, the slow pace meant I was not the slowest of the group anymore. I was able to keep up, and catch my breath as I needed. And upon reaching the top of the wall? The most unbelievable view we’d seen yet on the trail.

Kili’s peak was so close we felt like we could almost touch it. And the clouds rolled up to the cliff edge, like fluffy cotton wool floating for miles in every direction.

We sat for a while, eating snacks, enjoying the view, and giving Val’s knee time to rest. I watched two ravens scavenge from a pile of nuts someone had carelessly discarded, cramming their beaks with as many as they could carry back to their presumably waiting offspring.

I also sat watching someone do yoga and handstands at the top of the wall, infuriated that someone had so much energy while we lay half defeated on a boulder.

We’d separated from the group, naturally, and the early afternoon descent only led to a greater divide. It was steep, up and down, an undulating trail to camp just a short few kilometers away.

Finally on the flat, we could see camp. What we failed to see was the sheer descent followed by steepest ascent we’d seen so far on the trek. Tired, dirty, weathered and beaten we arrived at Karanga Camp.

Despite the arduous day, we were at the same elevation as our previous night. As night fell, we could see the bright lights of the town of Moshi far below. Just over 24-hours and we would be getting ready to summit.

Day 6 – Karanga Camp to Kosovo Camp

One of the best things about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with Climb Kili is that they are able to get a permit to stay at Kosovo camp. That was our destination for today. Kosovo is higher than where the majority of people stay at Barafu Camp, and eliminates an hour-long scramble over boulders in the dark to start summit night.

We departed Karanga Camp in the foggy early morning. It was dark and damp, and the trail inclined quickly. Still, we stuck together as a group until the trail evened out. The trail became dusty, but wide enough to pass and be passed. We savored the easygoing stretch until the ascent to Barafu Camp.

At the top of this steep incline we saw all the tents at Barafu. Usually tents meant we got to rest for the day, but not today. We did get a small rest while our guides sorted out our permits for Kosovo Camp.

This gave me time to nurse my altitude headache before we started the precarious climb to camp. I am instantly grateful to not have to do this in the dark tonight.

It’s at this point we start to see people coming down the mountain. They clearly summited that morning and are now heading back down. Some seem in good spirits, some look tired, others are being held up by guides and appear ready to drop.

Everyone we pass knows we are going to be in their place in 24 hours. They bid us “good luck” and some read the looks on our faces and tell us it was difficult but worth it. I’m having trust issues, but why pry and find out more. It’s not going to help.

Camp sits at 4800 meters of elevation. By now I have completely lost my appetite. I nibble my way through lunch, the soup being the only thing that goes down easily as it doesn’t involve chewing.

Our briefing is, well, brief. We’re informed that dinner is at 5:30, we can rest before then and after. Our hike will begin around midnight.

We try to negotiate dinner, hoping to get uninterrupted sleep, however the crew is not having any of it. I couldn’t sleep before dinner, although for the amount I ate it didn’t seem worth getting up for.

Val and I would be woken at 10:30 to leave at 11:15. The others would have an extra hour of sleep since we are known to be slower. I manage to get about 2 hours of sleep, going to bed in all my layers so I don’t waste time and energy getting dressed when I wake.

Day 7 – Summit Day

Nothing can prepare you for a late night wake up call after minimal sleep and 6 previous hiking days. Or the realization that this may be the hardest climb of your life. 10:30pm, a knock on the tent and the simplest statement with the deepest meaning. “It’s time”, said our guide. A deep breath, instant nausea and out of the tent we get.

A plate of biscuits with smiley faces were waiting for us. The irony of the joyous sweet treat on what would be the most miserable night. A pot of porridge was brought in and we slurped down as much as we could. We were handed a mango juice box for the road. Let’s do this.

Almost immediately the trail went up in a steep incline. It didn’t stop for the next 7+ hours. The silty, sandy ground gave way under every step making it even harder. It was like walking along a tropical beach, a step forward and a slide back.

Freezing cold, I could barely feel my toes even though I was wearing three pairs of socks and had my insulated boots lined with toe warmers.

My fingers just as bad, despite the two pairs of gloves and hand warmers I had donned. I wiggled all of my digits almost constantly, aware that not doing so could be detrimental.

The trail was relentless. In the dark, lit by the glow of a full moon, hundreds of people snaked up the path towards a summit that never seemed to get any closer. Like anyone who has ever decided that the Eiffel Tower doesn’t look far on a trip to Paris, our destination evaded us.

Still so far to go

Step by step. Mind over matter. Slowly, slowly, pole, pole. Ray led the way, I followed, echoing every step he took. Where he stepped, so did I. Behind me, Val traipsed with Ellie bringing up the rear. Ellie was in charge of tents, however had a goal of becoming a guide. He therefore volunteered to be our additional assistant guide for summit night.

The silence of our walking was punctuated only by my uttering of “I don’t know if I can do this” every now and again, yet on I went. I was afraid to look up in case I saw how much was still to go. It was at this point climbing Mount Kilimanjaro felt like a never-ending task.

Around 3am I was battling a constant state of nausea, tiredness and a headache to end all headaches. Val muttered something about seeing birds. She continued talking about the birds when I started really listening. Our guide piped up that yes, there are birds around here. I countered with “but not at 3am right?”. He concurred, and I pointed out that Val was currently seeing them.

After side whispering to me that she just saw Sasquatch it became evident she was having hallucinations. “This is not good, it means the altitude is in the brain” stated our guide. “What do you want to do?”.

We agreed that it wasn’t good and Val said “I think I’m tapping out”. We’re still unsure if “tapping out” was understood as “let’s get the hell off this mountain” because we were led on for a little longer.

A quick break for some of the sweetest hot tea you’ve ever had in your life, we felt a little more energized. The hallucinations had stopped, yet exhaustion persisted. Our guides took our packs off us, their bags more or less empty in anticipation of this. We carried on.

I thought I could see the top of the major ascent, Stella Point. It was here at 5am that we began the most frustrating exchange to have when you’re tired and cranky. I asked how much further up, Ray responded with 800m left to go. Since we knew the hike was only just over 1000m in elevation I argued that this couldn’t be true after 6 hours of hiking.

Back and forth, back and forth. I gave up arguing and on we went. I later found out he was talking distance on the trail, meaning less than a kilometer.

The sun started to rise, the horizon getting brighter. Our hopes of reaching Stella Point by sunrise seemed to be gone. On we went. We paused briefly to watch the sunrise only meters from the top. I feel like I flopped off the trail and onto the ridge. Did I actually make it?

Just a little further to Uhuru Peak

Well, not quite. Stella Point is the end of the worst of it. From there it’s a “short” 140m elevation. But first we needed a rest. The others in our group were there waiting. The juice box came out and the sugar rush hit me. So did the emotions as I looked down at what we’d just done.

Given our slow pace, and jelly legs, not to mention a litany of altitude symptoms, we contemplated ending the hike just short of the peak. The thought of doing more seemed almost impossible. But determination and stubbornness got the better of us – that and a desire to be able to say we’d reached the top.

The next hour was the hardest part. We inched slowly along, almost shuffling. Ray grabbed me by the hand and essentially walked me like a toddler, uttering words of encouragement. I passed a woman in her sixties who was wearing an oxygen mask, her guide holding the tank in one hand and guiding her with the other.

At 8:55am we reached Uhuru Peak. More than 6 days of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and we’d made it. I cried. I sat down. And I could barely be bothered to get my photo taken. Yet somehow I did.

Surveying the landscape all around I could see a dirt filled crater, the odd wall of snow loomed over with clouds bubbling all around. A few photos, a couple of deep breaths to savor the moment and we had to begin our long descent.

The rush back to oxygen

Typically hikers will not be allowed to stay at summit too long due to the altitude. For us, given the time it took to get up there, it was even more vital to leave quickly. I don’t remember a lot of the way down. Ellie linked arms with me to support me better, while Ray led Val along. We almost glided along the dusty trail to Stella Point.

At that point I think I’d forgotten how to use my legs. Ellie was supporting me because without him I likely would have sunk down to the ground. We took to the trail like a ski run. Barely lifting feet, I shoop-shooped through the dirt in a zig-zagging fashion. Every 15 minutes or so I had to stop as a wave of nausea caught me off guard.

After around two and a half hours of this, we made it back to Kosovo camp. Just let me sleep, I wanted to yell. I was plonked in a chair, handed a juice box and I zoned out while crew members came over to high five me. We had an hour to rest and have lunch, then had another 3-hour hike ahead of us. WHAT??!! That can’t be right.

I fell asleep for almost the hour, quickly ate, then we were told there was a change of plan. Instead of our originally planned camp, we wouldn’t go as far so we could rest better tonight. It meant a longer day tomorrow, but I was barely listening at this point.

The hike down went fast, until it didn’t. It wasn’t difficult, just long, and on zero sleep and after hiking all day already. At one point Val asked how much further. “One hour” was Ray’s reply. I saw her feet visibly slow down. We walked another 10-minutes and she asked again. “One hour”.

I want to say this happened four times in total before she complained about us not getting any closer, unable to draw a correlation between the slowing down speed and the distance still to travel.

I forged on ahead, eager to get to camp, and passed out in my tent for about 13 hours. During that time I was woken three times. Once for popcorn and drinks to which I not so politely declined. Once for dinner which I also declined. And once for a medical check which I miraculously passed.

Day 8 – To Mweka Gate and the finish line

This is the day that never ends, it goes on and on my friends… An early start and I choked down some porridge and fruit. Probably not enough calories to counter what I’d already done and what I needed to do today. But nausea was my friend that wouldn’t leave.

It was now that we had to figure out tips for the crew. I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t in the mood for mental arithmetic or prolonging my time on the mountain. In advance of the trip, we’d been told we would give all tips to the lead guide who would distribute them. In reality we now needed to figure it all out ourselves.

After more math than our brains could handle we had our numbers. We mustered up enough energy to go outside and do the tipping ceremony. It was actually rather fun, with everyone super happy, and more singing and dancing with Kilimanjaro’s peak looming in the background.

We hugged everyone as they congratulated us, and we thanked them for making it possible. It was maybe the perfect goodbye to our mountain.

Crossing the finish line in an ambulance

The rest of the hike was slippery with the most mud I’ve ever seen on a trail. It was slow going and we were not doing well. Between exhaustion, lingering altitude issues and Val’s bad knee, we were going through the motions for hours. By this time I had lost all my hearing, and my balance was shot with it. Val couldn’t feel some of her toes. We were doing great!

There came a point when our guide announced that the van would meet us about 2km from the end of the trail. This was to help us and our injuries, but the underlying unspoken comment was that it was because we were slow and they wanted to get home this side of Christmas.

With Val ahead, she yelled to me that she could see the road. Of course I couldn’t hear a word she said so 5 minutes later I exclaimed “the road!”. Here’s where it got interesting. Our “van” which we presumed was the one we came in, come to meet us on the trail, was actually the Kilimanjaro trail ambulance. Not wanting to look a gift ambulance in the mouth we were boosted in, and promptly relaxed, glad it was finally over.

Mere meters from the gate, we stopped and got out. We’d made it. Kind of. I mean, we climbed it, even if we felt like we somewhat unknowingly cheated the last small part. And that’s the main part, the UP is what counts, right?

We met up with the rest of our group nearby and were fed some more and handed beer – which I declined in favor of a Fanta. I found a bathroom where I was able to take off my mud-caked gaiters, and wash about 25% of the dirt from under my fingernails, sure the rest of it would remain with me until I was 80. There was real soap and I almost cried again.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

I’ve never been so tired, so achy, and so in need of a shower. Some people seem barely fazed by undertaking this enormous physical achievement. Not me. I’ll admit that it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But also the most rewarding. Reaching the top was one of the best moments of my life.

I might be slow but I made it. Val and I joke that our name is “Team Sloth hiking club”. We even have t-shirts. But Team Sloth still made it to the top. It’s true that we may be the only people in the history of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to hear the Swahili words for faster, faster. It’s haraka haraka if you’re interested. But we made it.

A lot of what I read before doing climbing Mount Kilimanjaro myself focused on the planning as well as the facts about the hike. I didn’t find a lot of people who talked about the struggles they faced.

I’m a seasoned hiker who has done a lot of challenging trails. And while Kili is not a technical trail, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The altitude challenges as well as the sheer physical exertion needed to hike 8 days in a row are not a walk in the park for everyone.

I can honestly say that without the incredible guides and staff at Climb Kili it is very unlikely I would have made it to the top. I owe the biggest part of that to Ray and Ellie, and I won’t ever forget that.

The constant support of all the crew (both physical and emotional), friendliness and willingness to help in any way possible, made this a reality for me. Having support, words of encouragement and good wishes from our friends and family back home also helped immensely. Kilimanjaro tried to take me down, but I didn’t let it. I conquered it.

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