Climbing Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. It dominates the north-eastern marches of Tanzania and if you stand at its snow-encrusted summit, with an unrestricted view in all directions, you gaze upon a remarkable tract of land, its limits defined only by the curvature of the earth and the haze of distance, out to a distance of 125 miles.

Kilimanjaro is made up of three volcanoes: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. These main three vents emerged around 750,000 years ago and over thousands of years Shira was the first to die out. Shira presently is heavily eroded, an ancient caldera filled with lava and ash with a heavily eroded rim. Mawenzi contrasts starkly, with mile deep gulleys and heavily eroded steep sides. At 16,896 feet, Mawenzi is linked by a 7 mile saddle to Kibo, the youngest dormant vent. Kibo has not erupted in recent times although may have emitted ash around 300 years ago. Sulphur and steam are still emitted.

Despite being 3 degrees south of the equator, Kilimanjaro has numerous glaciers which have been a strong force in shaping Kilimanjaro, especially the youngest peak, Kibo. From pictures taken in 1912 compared to the present day it has been observed that Kilimanjaro has lost in excess or 75% of its ice cover, although the impressive ice cliffs on the northern and eastern side remain as do glaciers on the south and south western flanks. At projected rates, the ice could be lost forever by 2015 - 2020.

A journey up the slopes of Kilimanjaro takes you on a climatic world tour, from the tropics to the arctic. The grassy cultivated lower slopes turn into lush rainforest inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo and antelope. Higher still, heath and moorland covered with giant heathers become surreal alpine desert and finally give way to ice, snow and magnificent beauty.  Frontiers Kathy Schulz climbed to Kilimanjaro's summit in December of 2004.  The following is an excerpt from her experience:

A Dream Come True -- from the Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro
December 13, 2004

"Hikers attempting to reach the summit should be physically fit. If you have a sore throat, cold or breathing problems, do not go beyond 3,000 meters A.S.L. Children under ten years of age are not allowed above 3,000 meters A.S.L. If you have heart or lung problems do not attempt the mountain at all without consulting your doctor. Allow plenty of time for the body to acclimatize by ascending slowly. Do not push yourself to go if your body is exhausted or if you have extreme mountain sickness. Drink 4-5 liters of fluid each day. Water is best but fruit juices are good."

My companion and I read the above notice at Machame Gate, the beginning of our seven-day expedition to the summit of Kilimanjaro. We were doing our best to appear nonchalant as our trusty team of porters packed baskets with provisions under the watchful eye of Abel, who was to be our guide. As we set off, Abel uttered the Swahili words that were to echo in our ears over and over -- "pole, pole" ("slowly, slowly"). Ten minutes into the climb, we were surprised to find that we were already breathing heavily and doubts about what we were attempting grew! We climbed steadily through the rain forest, seeing Colobus monkey, scores of beautiful birds and signs of elephant. After about five hours we reached our first camp at 10,000 feet. Accommodations consisted of comfortable, private, igloo-shaped tents with two cots and foam mattresses.

Today's schedule warned of a hard, uphill trail for the first hour followed by two hours of moderate walking through moorland and rocky scenery. After lunch, two more hours brought us to Shira Camp at 12,500 feet. Our porters had already set up camp and cooked a delicious, hardy meal. A wide variety of food was offered throughout the trek, which was amazing considering that the porters had to carry everything needed for meal preparation. Unfortunately, the altitude was affecting our appetites and we couldn't eat much.

Day three was tough although, we had to admit later, very rewarding. Abel had made this climb 364 times and knew the importance of acclimatization, so we climbed slowly yet steadily to 14,500 feet. My leg muscles were beginning to lose strength and a cold rain added to the difficulty. After stopping for lunch and being able to only drink tea and orange juice, we descended 1,500 feet to Barranco Camp. Across the valley was a huge cliff and above it, emerging as the weather finally cleared, we caught our first glimpse of Uhuru Peak. Abel pointed out the steep Barranco Cliff that we would attempt to conquer tomorrow. It looked very difficult, with some narrow ledges that required hands as well as feet to grip the jagged side of the mountain.

The next morning we set out for a real trekking day. We ascended to 13,900 feet trying not to look down and following switchbacks for what seemed to be an eternity. We then took another path that brought us down to 13,000 feet again. This allowed us time to rest and adjust to the increasingly higher altitudes. Along the way, we passed numerous streams and waterfalls and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

Day five was relatively short (five and a half hours) and mostly on a moraine with a view of Mawenzi Peak towering majestically to the right and Kibo Peak overhead. It was seemingly just out of reach, but we needed another day of acclimatization as we arrived at Barafu Camp. We knew we had to turn in very early as tomorrow would be our longest day.

We were awakened a little before midnight to start our final ascent. The porters offered us hot drinks and we put on as many layers of clothing as possible to help fend off the frigid temperatures and wind. We donned our head lamps and set out, saying little, feeling very emotional, climbing up "pole, pole." The path was barely visible and Abel encouraged us to concentrate on breathing and drinking lots of fluids before they froze. We stopped often to rest, sometimes at five-minute intervals. After about six hours, dawn was breaking and we could see Stella Point, where the "Whiskey" route (ours!) meets the "Coca-Cola" route. We struggled on, with the top seemingly getting no nearer, until at last we were there.

You can say that you have climbed Kilimanjaro if you reach Stella Point, at 18,630 feet and on the rim of Kibo Crater, but we wanted to go for it all! The final push to Uhuru Peak was still one hour away. We passed the crater on our right and huge glaciers on our left, which glistened in the intense light. At 7:05 AM, we reached the summit -- 19,340 feet -- the roof of Africa. We had done it! The view above the clouds was spectacular and you could see for miles. We were thrilled, but incredibly exhausted and bitterly cold. We quickly snapped a couple of photos and began our descent to 10,200 feet and our last campsite on the mountain. Total trekking time today was 13 1/2 hours.

The last day's three-hour hike took us through open moorlands, forest glades, and the rain forest to the base of the mountain. We arrived exhilarated with a sense of accomplishment like no other. Having a good traveling companion and experienced, professional guides are "musts." My gratitude is extended to each of them for making my dream of conquering Kilimanjaro come true.

I organized my climb through our personal contacts with Abercrombie & Kent's local office in Tanzania. A "Kili climb" can be a wonderful extension to a photographic safari in East Africa or a stand-alone trip to Africa. I can also highly recommend a few days of "R & R" afterwards at some of the fine new properties on the island of Zanzibar.'

Contact our Africa Department to discuss your own expedition to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Department Manager Kathy Schulz has been an agent for 24 years, with numerous trips to Africa under her belt. Complementing her safari experience in East and Southern Africa, she has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, sailed off the coast of fabled Zanzibar, gone cage diving with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa, and most recently completed one of her dream trips, trekking for mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda.