Killing Kili

I’m am a fan of some people’s blogs but new to blogging per se and so follow those who have gone bravely before me.

Here’s my account of killing Kili and conquering the summit. I cheerfully admit to plagiarizing the name from other sources but I’ve earned the right to call the mountain that now and that expression cannot be bettered plus it’s late and I’m too tired to think of another name and I have to get up for work in a few hours time.

Thurs 13 Sep 07

Finally made it to Africa and more importantly the luggage as well. I had read too many horror stories of people losing their luggage on way to climb Kili so it was a great relief that all my gear made it.

The plane was full and it was reassuring at Amsterdam seeing other trekkers dressed in their combats and hiking boots, all of us with the same objective. Kilimanjaro Airport was quite small and my first introduction to African bureaucracy. I was met by Richard of African Walking Tours and was really glad to have organized the airport transfer in advance as there were no taxis outside at that time of night and it took about 2 hrs to reach the hotel. The last 4 hrs almost killed the car’s suspension as it was more of a dirt road than a road.

Fri 14 Sep

I spent the day mainly at the hotel and I’m glad I arrived the day before as the hotel, the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort, is located about 2000m above sea level and the acclimatization had already begun.

I had breakfast and saw a couple of other climbers having their victory breakfast, and who were preparing to leave the hotel. I decided to do some exploring and went next door to the hotel to the Chagga Live Museum where I met the other land only passenger who has been living and working on and off in East Africa the past couple of years. The museum was not that much but what it lacked in substance, it made up in the enthusiasm of the guide who really brought his subject to life with his vivid accounts of lives lived long ago.

We went back to the hotel and had lunch and in the course of eating we met the other Exodus trekkers who arrived later than expected and without their bags as their plane was already overweight and couldn’t take the additional weight. The other trekkers were from Scotland, Wales and England and as the solitary Irish guy we made up quite an eclectic bunch with our diverse backgrounds and stories. Ambassadors of adventure or mad fools, we were now all finally here and on the eve of departing.

We all had dinner that evening followed by a briefing from a guide with the African Walking Company who were Exodus's ground agent and going to be organizing the trek. They had our rented sleeping bags and down jackets, and gave us a thorough briefing of what lay ahead of us. I had done a lot of research online and read about other people’s experiences going up Kili but it was still quite sobering and intimidating listening to a guide who had gone up some 200+ times and had seen it all. After that we quickly turned in as we had an early start the next day, but there was little sleep that night as the guy who I was sharing with snored like an elephant in heat.

Sat 15 Sep

Up for breakfast and we had to wait out front for the jeeps to come to pick us up. While waiting I went through another trekker’s guidebook and discovered this fact which I’ve never come across in any of the blogs I’ve read, (maybe they were too shy to write about it or just choose not to pay any attention to it, or did not know about it, who knows…) but apparently it’s “a well known fact that the regular breaking of wind is a sure sign that you’re acclimatizing satisfactorily” (Henry Stedman from his guidebook, Kilimanjaro). I thought it was just indigestion from dinner the previous evening but apparently vociferous and cheerful flatulence is to be welcome as is frequent peeing, while the arrival of a bruising headache combined with a loss of sleep and appetite are the negative symptoms of those struggling to adapt to sudden changes in altitude.

We eventually set off in two 4WDs. I was piggy in the middle in the back and a bit squashed but this was to my advantage when we were on our way as the front windows were down and my companions on both sides were quickly covered in dust from the dirt track we were driving on, and my contacts were still bearable.

We were taking the Rongai route up Kili which is one of the least popular and frequented routes and on the Kenyan border. So for 2 ½hrs we shaked, rattled and rolled our way there and also helped to accelerate the digestion of our breakfast in the meantime.

We finally arrived at the start of the Rongai or the Nalemuru route. It appeared we were the only trekkers there until we met four Irish girls from the west coast of Ireland, otherwise the only people there were the porters who were distributing the various loads among themselves. Those guys are truly impressive and it was a bit uncomfortable to see them sort out our duffle bags among themselves while we only had to deal with our considerably lighter daypacks. All of them were really friendly and move so nimbly in comparison to us gangly, clumsy foreigners. They really made the trip for all of us.

Off we start and it’s hard to believe that I’m off after so many years dreaming of making this journey. The first day was only a ½ day trek of about 4 hrs on a small path that had a steady and consistent gradient through a lush forest and it was quite a gentle introduction for what lay ahead of us. We eventually arrived at our campsite where the porters had water ready for washing which was unexpected but welcome. There is no nook, cranny, pore or orifice that the dust will not enter and you quickly learn to love your wet wipes.

After our wash, we went off for a brief acclimatization walk that turned into a mini-adventure. Our guide pointed our some elephant spore to us which got some of the girls excited (there were 3 vets in our group) and we saw some elephant tracks along the very path we were trekking on. As we were looking down and listening to the guide talking, we all heard the unmistakably loud trumpet of one echoing across the landscape but how close we did not want to contemplate that very moment. We were instantly as still as mice, and our guide seemed to be the most petrified among us all. After looking at each other in terrified amusement, the guide after a minute or two decided the coast was clear and with him leading the way we fled back down the path. This was bit more adventure than we all anticipated and it gave our trek on the first day that extra edge of excitement.

After having our appetites sufficiently whetted, dinner was served shortly after and the cook really excelled himself. The food was well prepared and was much better than the meals we had at the hotel; every day lunch and dinner began with soup to encourage a sufficient intake of water followed by a heavy carbohydrate packed main course.

That evening over dinner also generated the quote of the trip. Personal vanity and modesty quickly fall by the wayside when trekking up Kili, and we got to talking about personal hygiene given that one of the group had made the effort to shave earlier when washing. Some of us guys hadn’t shaved and were cultivating several degrees of designer stubble that George Michael would have been proud of, and one guy had slightly more stubble than he normally would have because of a lack of beard in general and which he was carefully cultivating. This new beard led one of the girls to remark “I shave my armpits more than you shave your chin!”.

After dinner we went to bed and none of us really got much sleep that first night. Camp that day was 2600m and no signs of altitude sickness. Lots of farting and peeing that day so hopefully acclimatizing well.

Sun 16 Sep

Porters woke us with a cup of tea and water for washing, small touches that helped to make us feel more human after a restless first night. After a filling and substantial breakfast of porridge followed by bacon and eggs, we packed our bags, got our water and were off once more. I had taken some of those energy drink supplements which flavoured the water and gave you some extra energy from the fructose and other ingredients, rather than drinking water which only washes through you. They really made a difference as you were metabolising your food a lot faster than usual.

The second day started cloudy and stayed that way all day. Our trek that day was a steady but inexorable ascent up to the “Second Cave” at 3450m. I had to break out the poncho as the mist rolled in quite fast and I quickly metamorphosed into a combination of a beached whale and the hunchback of Kilimanjaro. They’re not the most flattering of things to wear but very practical and a few of the porters had them on. I preferred them to waterproofs that other people in the group were wearing, you sweated less as the air could easily circulate more and they were easy to put on and remove.

After lunch in the First Cave or Second Cave, I don’t remember which, we headed off in the direction of Mawenzi. We were on the 6 day Rongai route with an extra day included for acclimatization and were trekking across moorland on a smaller path towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second of Kilimanjaro’s volcanoes. Our campsite that day was in a sheltered valley near the Kikelewa Caves at 3600m.

Due to the mist and damp conditions, trekking that day was more difficult and I slipped a couple of times as part of the path was a bit treacherous and lightly sprained my ankle, but a support bandage and ibrobrufen helped that night.

My main excitement that day while trekking was that my bladder burst. Bladder, as in water bladder aka camelbak, though with the frequent peeing (Mother Earth has never been so well fertilized) it could have been the more literal one, apart from the constant dripping of orange isotonic flavoured water down my backside and squelching with each step. Fortunately, Ron, another trekker helped me to get my backpack off and bending backwards wrung my fleece and t-shirt off the excess water. We must had made quite an absurd sight looking back on it now but your fellow trekkers are your best support and a sense of humour can help you make light of it all. I had some plastic bags buried at the bottom of my rucksack and could quickly salvage the other contents inside the rucksack. It transpired that the tube connected to the water bladder/container had worked itself loose, probably because the camelbak itself was quite new and therefore the tube still quite stiff and inflexible.

Two people had to leave that evening as one of them was quite ill and his friend decided to accompany him down the mountain. They left that evening and trekked during the night which was quite an adventure in itself given our brief experience with the wildlife the previous evening.

To Diamox or not Diamox, that is the question. I took the decision to start the Diamox the next day. While there are many schools of thought on the subject, the ultimate decision to take the drug is an individual one and that was the best piece of advice I found when researching the subject online. I had an on/off headache that evening and was very tired and lethargic, which was due in part to having to trek in wet clothes for a couple of hours. One of the other trekkers had already started on the Diamox before she commenced the climb and so far no side effects, and as a sea level dwelling person I wanted to give myself the best possible chance of success having come this far.

Mon 17 Sep

Got up that morning and we were down to 8 people, it was quite sobering and we all hoped they had made it down safely during the night.

Quite a steep climb today with some stunning vistas. The fauna was quite interesting as there were some unique plants in the moorland we were passing through, though we also came across some thistles more native to Scotland than Tanzania.

Mist rolled in quite quickly so the poncho had to come out as we trekked in the direction of Mawenzi Tarn which is set in a valley. The temperature dropped quite suddenly and we saw snow glaciers for the first time. We were now at 4330m and we all felt it and started to shiver more. Had another surreal moment today, when I was going pole, pole, slowly,slowly with another trekker, a porter was taking up the rear and had a radio blasting away with Kenny Rogers and then Michael Bolton belting away and accompanying us up the slope; I can still hear them now as I write this.

The Diamox side effects had started to kick in with tingling fingers and thumbs, it wasn’t unpleasant and it felt good that the Diamox was starting to kick in or maybe that could have been a placebo effect. I had to take a paracetomol later for a sore throat and sinusitis that had started to kick in big time.

We went for another acclimatization walk and most of us felt the difference that evening with some acute mountain sickness symptoms, mainly a loss of appetite and minor headaches.

After dinner, I took a couple of water bottles, and Magyver style improvised by using them as a makeshift hot water press at the bottom of my sleeping bag to dry off the damp t-shirt and trousers from yesterday. I was using my spare pair and needed to dry the other clothes for the next day's trekking.

Tues 18 Sep

Another early start, and after breakfast and our fresh refills of water, we set off. It was a short trek today and we were finally rewarded with our first glimpse of Kilimanjaro, which until then had consistently eluded us. We were coming round the corner, leaving Mawenzi behind and about to start crossing the beautiful but stark and barren lunar desert of the “Saddle” and there she was, rising up in front of us, in all her majesty. There it stood, this mountain that had captured my imagination many years ago. Even the most lyrical and imaginative description cannot describe or construe in one’s eyes the image of this geological tumour in just a glance. What is about this mountain that attracts so many people to make this pilgrimage to her?

There were amazing views of the Saddle and many great photo opportunities this high above the clouds. Our destination today was Kibo and the trek across the Saddle was relentless. As well as seeing Kilimanjaro, we also saw the sun and glimpses of a bright blue sky for the first time. It was quite warm but it quickly changed about an hour into the trek with the arrival of a sharp cold biting wind and we had to stop to put on our fleeces.

The trek across the Saddle, while beautiful, seemed endless and the closer we seemed to get to Kibo camp, the more it teased us the promise that we were almost there. We stopped for a water break and someone, either a fellow trekker or a porter had made a sign saying BIG SMILE which shored up our spirits and served to spur us on.

We eventually arrived and Kibo was a hive of activity. We signed the logbook and quickly got lunch. We rested that afternoon and had an early dinner with a briefing afterwards to tell us what to prepare and expect in about 6 hrs time.

Some of the group had spoken to a couple of people who had just come back about a couple of hours earlier, they were exhilarated but shattered and wrecked from the long trek. Was this to be a harbinger of what was to come? Nerves started to set in along with excitement and a desperate need to pee, bloody Diamox.

After dinner we went back to our tents to sleep which proved futile. We were woken around 11pm and I had already changed into the base layers earlier and left the outer layers until when we were to be called. The temperature had plummeted considerably and after a cup of tea we were to begin our summit attempt.