On top of the world (well, Africa!)

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Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro - 5895m, the highest peak in Africa, the largest free-standing mountain in the world. I made it!

On the first day of our climb, we set off from Marangu Gate and started our trek through a rainforest. It was a beautiful place, and thankfully not too wet. It was mostly a gentle climb, and our guides constantly told us to go "polepole" - slowly. We were to hear this phrase an awful lot over the next few days! After hiking for about 4 hours, we reached Mandara Huts, where we were to stay for the night. The accomodation was very basic, but there were beds which were a welcome change to tents! After settling in, we did a short acclimatisation walk to the top of a nearby crater to become used to the altitude. Dinner was very good (with lots of carbs for the climb!), and we played cards and chilled out afterwards which was good fun.

Day 2 had an early start, and on the way up the mountain the terrain changed from forest to moorland, covered in scrub-like vegetation. The path was very dusty, and my boots and legs got covered in a thick layer of it. We arrived at Horombo Huts (3720m) in the late afternoon, where there were only 22 beds ready for the 32 of us! After getting sleeping arrangements sorted out, we did another acclimatisation hike to "Zebra Rocks". It took about an hour to reach them, but it was amazing to see the rockface covered in black and white stripes. Later on, when we went outside after dinner, the sky was alight with a beautiful vista of stars. I had never seen anything like it.

The morning brought another lovely view, with fluffy clouds stretched out below us as far as the eye could see. We had a slightly later start, and progressed through more moorland and on to alpine desert. The route got a bit steeper, but we continues with our slow pace. We could see the summit of the mountain for most of the day, and it was very satisfying to be getting closer and closer to it. The view from our hut for that night was great - the vista before us looked like the surface of Mars. We had an early dinner and went to bed at 7pm, to prepare for the climb to the summit.

We were woken at 11pm, and packed up and left shortly after midnight. The route was very steep from the beginning, and we traversed the scree slopes towards the summit. There was some scrambling over rocks involved as well, and the trail seemed to go on forever. It was satisfying to look down the mountain and see hundreds of lights making their way up behind you, but equally frustrating to look up and see how far it was to the top! Some people were severely affected by the altitude, with one member of our group having to head back down, but I felt remarkably fine. It got colder and colder as we got higher, and it became a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. However, just as I was starting to feel very tired and frustrated, we reached Gillman's Point on the rim of the crater. As we celebrated reaching that point, the sun began to rise above the clouds, setting the sky on fire. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

From Gillman's Point there was a further trek to reach the summit - Uhuru Peak. There were amazing glaciers and the crater on the way, and seeing these really spurred me on. It was a fantastic feeling to finally reach the summit - it was such an amazing achievement to have made it. After the obligatory photos by the signpost, we headed back down to the huts for brunch. It was great fun to run/slide down the scree slopes and to realise that we had actually been to the top. We then headed back to Horombo Huts, where I phoned home to wish Ewan a happy birthday.

The last day was a bit of a drag, as it felt like there was no purpose in going down the mountain, and we were all pretty tired from the summit day. At the bottom, a lot of Kilimanjaro lagers were consumed, and there was an great sense of celebration within the group. Back in Moshi that night, we went out for a celebration dinner and party, which was enjoyed by all.

We travelled back to Nairobi yesterday, and today a group of us ventured to a Masai market to do some last-minute haggling, and then to a shopping mall. This had a swimming complex, and we had a lot of fun being big kids and going on all the flumes.

This evening we will have a final meal together as a contingent, and the majority of those remaining travel back to the UK tomorrow. I have one more day here, and I hope to go on a day trip to the Rift Valley to enjoy the remaining time. I can't believe that my time here is almost over, but I am looking forward to seeing my family and sleeping in my own bed!

Thanks very much to everyone who has read my blog - I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed doing the things I have described. This has really been the trip of a lifetime, and I have so many stories to share when I get home.

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Comments

[Jean Fraser]

Congratulations!
We knew you would do it Heather, but what an amazing experience, I have loved reading your Blogs. Safe journey home, All the best Jean

[moira and john]

well done
Well done Heather and thank you so much for the blog- we have enjoyed every word