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Published: January 26th 2010
Moshi & Kilimanjaro - Day 14-21
spread the money ... in different geographical parts of Tanzania
As we came back from the Safari we headed directly to Moshi town which, despite it's name (Moshi means 'Smoke' in Swahili), is a clean town located near the mountain area. Moshi would be the base for our next adventure - climbing Uhuru peak at Kilimanjaro. The main reason we didn't book our climb from Arusha is mainly that I wanted to spread the money we spend in different geographical parts of Tanzania. I learned this from Uncle Tan and explained it earlier in
Jungle trees, spiritual trees and palm oil trees and I absolutely believe in this way of travelling. However, as I later learned, Kilimanjaro is a serious expedition that requires not only good preparation but also the choice of a great operator. It is NOT an expedition where you should look for the cheapest possible way of doing as I would find out later. The porters' situation is simply horrible and I didn't realize that they are paid less than minimum wage by almost all operators in the industry (both in Moshi and Arusha) making them partly or fully dependent on tips. (This fact was one of the main reasons why I later founded www.fairtravel.com)
At the bus station, we were picked up by Walter a.k.a Pangalo who turned out to be another intelligent person with his heart on exactly the right spot. He picked us up with Asha, his mother of children to be :P, and we had a very nice Mishkaki dinner while learning from their experiences in micro finance (Asha) and NGO's (Walter). Although he was leaving for a 3 day vacation in Mombasa, he left us the keys and asked us to leave them with the neighbours before climbing - so we did.
Every day we were leaving one magnificent landscape behind for another.
Uhuru means Freedom and our course to freedom would start in the rainforests of Machame. Believe it or not but this means alot of rain and a hard time of keeping things dry. Still we managed pretty well thanks to the advise of Tanya (whom we'd met at Ngoro Ngoro camp), good preparation and great equipments (thanks Gladys). We hiked and climbed around 5-6 hours per day and enjoyed the scenes presented to us. Last year I happened to climb Mt. Kinabalu, my first real mountain in life. I also happened to reach the top as the first person among all who tried. I had a inner
The whole crew
Mussa is the guide, Ayoub is ass. guide, then we needed a cook and 4 porters to carry tents and supplies all the way to Barafu camp. Hard labourwish to repeat this challenge on Kilimanjaro. However, due to the vicious combination of altitude and malaria pills, I felt a constant heavy feeling and pressure in my head. Yoga-breathing and good rate of ascent turned out to be my key for endurance. Every day had its own challenges. From forests to shrubs and slim trees to alpine desert to arctic at the summit. We had only thing on our mind - UHURUUUUU PEAAAAAAK!!!!
Summit day
...coming first was not as important as reaching the top as a group.
The 4th day was summit day and the hardest. First we ascended for 5-6 hours to Barafu summit camp at 4600m. We got a glimpse of the liberating top and enjoyed the amazing views before eating and going to bed around 7pm. It was hard to sleep since my sleeping bag was still wet, which I had endured the other days, but now it was getting colder. Sleeping on and off, we woke up four hours later for some hot tea and porridge. Appetite had been weakened since 3000m but we still forced ourselves to drink and eat some biscuits for energy. At that altitude, everything must be right or you get easily irritated. There is no more room for sarcasm or stupid
jokes. Especially
no negative words must be uttered. Smallest thing can make you loose valuable attitude and determination. We were in good hands! For the summit, Ayoub would assist Mussa in order to make things easier. So Mussa, Ayoub, Kassra and I we were sitting quietly when we suddenly heard the first group pass our tent to attempt the summit. I felt a bit stressed but kept my cool. I really wanted to reach the top first and I understood that this was a peak you can not race to, in contrast to Mt. Kinabalu. So even if I thought that starting time was crucial, I didn't want to rush anyone. At this point, the atmosphere in our tent was very different from other days. All the philosophical, cultural and motivational talk was now replaced by contemplation and uncertainty of what was
really expecting us this night. Previously, we had never climbed more than 800-1000m per day but now, already tired from the first stage, we had to make another 1300m. We heard more walking sticks and some more groups passed our tent - we had been sitting over an hour and it was getting time for us to move
as well. The process of changing clothes was exhausting. Every effort at this altitude is triple to what it should be. Finally, after refilling our bottles (hot water) and taking only what we need (chocolate bars, cashew-nuts, water and head torch) we were ready to start - it was now 12.50am and we were the last group to set foot on the summit section.
Summit
nobody wanted to ask the dangerous question: How far is it now?
Last year at Mt. Kinabalu, we also started late. The feeling was great and addictive but the outlook of coming first to Uhuru was no longer realistic to me. Kilimanjaro summit is covered with snow and loose rocks in all steepness. You cannot just overtake climbers as easily as on Borneo. Besides, with the headache and tiredness, I had to refocus all efforts to breathing and putting one foot in front of the other. It was going to be the toughest mental challenge I'd experienced so far. I gathered physical energy from Snickers and KitKats while I learned to use the ground, the mountain, the surrounding rocks, the snow, the full moon, the stars and the people around me as a vital source of spiritual energy. Those who've tried this know what I mean!
Sometimes, in the midst of everything, I zoomed out of myself and looked down on us, realising where I was and what I was experiencing. The feeling of being a small part of a completeness had never been stronger in me than this night.
...coming first was not as important as reaching the top together - as a group.
Our strategy was to take
few and short breaks. This meant that we were doing 1.5 distance when other were doing 1. It meant drinking and eating quickly before getting too cold and loosing valuable energy. I had never ascended like this and for so long. Every time I saw a mountain ridge above us, I hoped it would be followed by a flat area - I would be disappointed as each ridge held another steep path for us. We kept struggling and my will had taken over my body. It was just the head, if only my head would ease up. Deeper breaths. breathe in through the nose, breathe out through the mouth. In! And out! Come on, you can do it! Feel the ground underneath. Feel the rocks that want to give you energy. Look at the stars shining. Accept the moon light. Let them touch your soul. Let them be you. Let
yourself be them. You are the same. You are one. And so on....these were my thoughts most of the time but at some point I discovered I had fallen asleep while still walking. Wake up. Focus! Think Uhuru - liberation. Do it for the people. Africa unite! AFRICA UNITE! It took us 4 hours of zig zagging until we finally reached the crater. This was the first section that felt humane to us. We had overtaken many groups while seeing others give up and turn back. But we were not there yet obviously and nobody wanted to ask the dangerous question:
How far is it now?. Still, the most crucial moment of the whole expedition was yet to come. It turned out that we were now in the lead as we had passed 3 groups in the crater area.
Maybe there was still a chance to actually make it first. Ok, come on! Let's do this! I must focus on my breathing and steps again. Remember Kinabalu. It's easy to relax when you're in the lead - don't. Put more effort. Maybe I can do this anyway, maybe. Maybe. While going on like this, Kassra stopped and wasn't moving anymore.
He was so tired that we had to take a break immediately. The look on his face was something I've never seen. He was in another concious level. Probably falling into the same sleeping mode as I had been. I had to wake him up - physically and verbally. So I hugged him telling him how strong he was. Encouraging words. Visions. Love. I tried to warm him and share the natural mystics of my soul with him. Share the stars, the moon.
Kassra look at the stars. Feel their energy. Look at the rocks, accept them to help you. Feel the mountain. Embrace all the energy and let them in. Look at the moon. It's all beautiful. It's for us. We are here. Can you imagine. We are almost at the top. We can do this. Together! UHURU PEAK! My voice got mixed with the sound of 2 other groups passing us by again. I felt a disappointment but coming first was not as important as reaching the top together - as a group. I focused on the positive again. We were going to make it! And we were soon moving again towards the top. This had been our
last stop.
Peak
...coming first was not as important as reaching the top together - as a group.
We were determined like buffalos now. We all knew that stopping would no longer help any of us so we fought. Nothing could stop us now. And nothing did. We continued in the same speed as we had had throughout the climb. A determined speed that none of the leading groups could match. We had passed them again and we would see them to greet at the top. Some 30 minutes later, the peak was visible. Throughout the whole climb, the four of us had been tight with each other within 5 metres. Now we were a bit scattered and I let my individualism take over for the first time on the summit. I let my joy and nature take control and determine the speed. I found myself running. My body was running dispatched from anything else I had mental control over. I was running to reach UHURU. 300m, 200m 100m and finally - I did it! I had reached the top and all hardship was transformed into the sound of joy -
"AAAAAAAH!" "AFRICA UNITE!" Then came Mussa, then came Kassra and Ayoub. Then came tears! I was deliberated and reborn at Uhuru Peak, 29th
of Dec, 2010. And I could make it because of the things I love - I love love, I love my family, I love people and I love our planet. I love you!
Dedicated to: Kassra, Mussa & Ayoub
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monia lundgren
non-member comment
stars, moon, unite
Hahaha så du övergav din kusse i slutet ändå.....och sprang för toppen....hihi hade du sagt att jag skulle take in the moon, the stars the balbabala hade du nog fått en punch "THATS FOR THE ALTITUDE"!