Kilimanjaro Diary

08 01 05- The Big Tree - alt: 2085 meters - 5:30 pm
In my tent now. Nice and comfortable here. Have a plate of popcorn at my side. Just finished hot Milo. (Wondering how this is any different from home? Hold on, I'll get there.) Relaxing after my first day's walk. We came here at 3:30 which was quite good considering that we started from Lemosho gate just before 2:00. I was mentally prepared for another hours walk.


I registered at Londorous Gate at noon and then we drove down till Lemosho Gate. However, on the way our jeep got stuck in the mud and we had to push it out. (Alas, Murphy's law strikes!) So later when the path started getting narrower, Johnnie (my guide) decided to park the vehicle. We had a quick lunch and started off by foot to the Gate which was half an hour way. I got to see Colobus Bega, the monkey with the furry tail, which I had already encountered in Moshi during my walk in the jungle.

The tent is quite clean and the facilities around are good. I only wish if all treks could have such luxury.

Dinner time - 8 pm - The boys have been good at the catering department. Just finished a candle lit dinner of cucumber soup along with bread, followed by crisp potatoes with yummy vegetable sauce. Not to forget a lot of fruit for desert.

Day 2 - Kilimanjaro Diary

09 01 05- Shira II - alt: 3700 metres - time 5:42 pm
Have safely and triumphantly made it up to Shira II. Yeah! Since my trip is only for six days we have halted at Shira II instead of Shira I. Left from the Big Tree at 8 in the morning and reached here at 4. So I have successfully survived one of the longest treks.

In the morning Johnnie mentioned that probably I should avoid the Arrow Glacier and descend down to Baraffu and climb again to Uhuru. In his experience most trekkers get psyched on seeing the wall and they don't make it. Though I have little experience in climbing on snow, I don't want to take risks about which I have no idea. I guess I will decide on what to do when I have to.

We reached Shira I during lunch time and after that had to walk through a slight drizzle. Today wasn't too difficult and had I walked fasted I would have probably saved an hour. But I wasn't in a hurry and with my history of slipping, I didn't want to take a chance. By the time we reached Shira II, Johnnie suddenly seemed impressed with my speed and he suggested trekking till Arrow Glacier tomorrow and to go for summit at midnight. Though I would love to reach summit in just four days, I politely declined as I am not sure I want to take the chance.

Met a British guy here and we got chatty. He tried to explain to me on how I could save time by not descending from Lava Tower to Baraffu and instead heading to Arrow Glacier. But I think I'll listen to whatever Johnnie feels as it makes sense to look for the best way to reach to the top

Dinner time 8:11 pm - Made the mistake of speaking to the British guy again and now I am scared about climbing from Arrow Glacier. After giving me some useful advice about traveling in East Africa he took out his map which showed how steep the 6 ½ hour climb through Arrow Glacier actually is! Now I am extremely anxious. I guess I should forget about it and just relax and read my book. I have just finished reading "Fury" and have taken my second book of this trip - "The monk who sold his ferrari" - a spiritual fixit book; I guess I need all the help that I can get!

Day 3 - Kilimanjaro Diary

10 01 05 - Baranku Camp - alt: 3950 - time 4 50 pm
At Baranku Camp now. Reached Lava Tower at noon and decided to descend down to this camp. Johnnie mentioned that another client of the company died at the Glacier, two days back and that the weather has been extremely bad. The matter of fact manner in which he conveyed this news to me, was quite a shock to me, as like any other person I get highly moved hearing about death, especially for something as trivial as climbing a mountain.

From Lava Mountain (4600 meters) we have come down to almost the same altitude as last night (3950 meters compared to 3700 yesterday) I wasn't feeling good today. My tummy has been giving me trouble and my feet are aching badly too. Nevertheless I made it in two hours from Lava Tower to Baranku.

Dinner Time 7:26pm Just finished dinner. Wasted a lot of pasta. I guess I should be more bothered about my tummy now. Been drinking lots of water. Feeling slightly better now. Dinner was yummy though. Apart from pasta, there was pineapple, some great soup and a couple of pancakes. I was highly impressed with supper and I took some pictures to show my folks back home on how I survived, considering the fact that I am a hardcore vegetarian.

Day 4 - Kilimanjaro Diary

11 01 05 - Bafaru Camp - time 7:03 pm
Today's trek was slightly tiring. Will rest here for some time and at midnight today we start again so that I can catch the sunrise at Uhuru summit. I am slightly psyched about tomorrow. Want to get over with it, just spoke to Johnnie and he said that I'll make it to the top 100%.He won't be coming over with me, as he has hurt his knee. Also Toro (porter) is very sick and he has to stay back and do the needful. James (cook/porter) will be coming with me. I am not too convinced whether it is a great idea, but Johnnie did a great job of convincing me that James was no less than any guide. I don't have much of an option now, so let me just be positive and go all out with that attitude.

Day 5 - SUCCESSFULLY REACHED UHURU PEAK!

12 01 05 Mweka Camp
I honestly think that was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life! First problem was the lack of sleep. All I managed to sleep was about two hours and we started at midnight. The midnight lights from Moshi made the view very attractive and I am positive I saw shooting stars at least thrice during the climb. In an hour I am very tired, extremely drowsy and the second I shut my eyes I am off to sleep. My mountain sense tells me It is the altitude getting to you :) so just walk on! It felt like one of those nights before an important exam where the bigger challenge is to keep the eyes open and brain functioning. And today I was completely off! For every five steps I wanted to take a break. And giving up seemed to be a realistic alternative to this torture.

I think the one thing which kept me going was my stamina. Mentally I had decided that no matter how many hours extra it takes I will still keep walking Polle Polle! (slowly in swahilli) So hour after hour passed by and I just kept walking. Tried different things - to keep my mind in control - techniques I had learnt at Darjeeling. Like counting 100 steps and then taking a break. Or just following the footsteps of the guy in front and not looking anywhere else - that took me a long way as I got in between of the large groups passing by. Another traditional approach was to keep the mind completely diverted which I was attempting.

The problem with this particular trek was that taking breaks could prove very risky as not only was it very cold, but this particular night they weather was extremely ruthless. So here I was in a completely painful situation! There seemed to be a huge conflict where my body wanted to rest and my mind wanted to continue. In between my shoelaces came off and my fingers couldn't figure out how to tie them back. After what seemed like eternity I tied them and in the state I was started walking :) towards the opposite side :-) Maybe my subconscious mind thought wanted me to go down instead of up!

I finally reached somewhere in the dark which seemed to me the halfway point. And the darkness had begun to fade. I asked James how long more. 1½ hours to Stella point and 3 hours to Uhuru, he replied. As it turned out Stella point was 15 minutes away (in fact 15 minutes only because it was very steep) and Uhuru was an hour way (because of extremely bad weather)

The weather had ensured that I wouldn't be able to see the crater and I wouldn't be able to spend more than half a minute on the peak. As I was walking from Stella point getting closer and closer to the roof of Africa, there seemed no excitement, no pain! in fact no feeling at all. I just kept walking slowly towards the board which said "Congratulations!"

Dinner time - I have not been exactly thrilled all day. I reached back to Baraffu with great difficulty. It was extremely difficult for me to keep my eyes open. I would just stand in one place for a long time, take a few steps ahead then again wait for a while. So the timing was extremely poor. It was also scary at times and I would feel like losing my grip and fainting any moment, especially in the wall facing Baraffu camp which was full of sharp stones. Felt like a drunkard walking in a middle of an expressway : ( not knowing when he would be run over. After reaching my tent after what seemed like a lifetime, I was extremely pissed to hear that I would get a break for only an hour before starting for a four hour walk back to Mweka. It seemed absurd to me to walk again, when I could barely keep my eyes open. I made a huge fuss about staying back there itself and skipping the night halt at Mweka. I said that I was prepared to do a seven hour walk the next day. All I wanted that time was to sleep peacefully.

In the end I had to give in. The only compromise my crew was ready to make was to give me an additional hour of sleep. The walk back to Mweka wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I still managed to have some reserves of energy and I walked through heavy rain, slipping in the slush through really dark lonely pathways littered with what seemed to me like snake skin. Now at hindsight I guess I was hallucinating BIG TIME! Anyway all is well that ends well. I should be happy that I achieved what I had set out to.

Day 6 - Back to Moshi

13 01 05 - Moshi
The feeling that I have completed the trek is yet to sink in. Had a nice walk from Mweka to the Gate. Picked up my certificate. Again slightly numb to do a hurray!! Had to sign in a not-too-old register which had no entry from an Indian at all! It felt nice at first, and then I realized it was nothing to be proud of! I'd like to see a lot more Indians in the book.

Got in a 4W drive and we slowly got out of the Park. Somehow I felt that I would come back again and probably do it all over again, maybe next time trek over the glacier, struggle in the last day, and basically go through the motions all over again.