Reflections on Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro
On July 27, 2011, I embarked on a 3-week trip to Africa with my rafiki (friend in swahili…the tiny bit i know) Hollins Gause and her mother Dr. Suzette Stines. Even with all of the traveling that I have done—it was the trip of a lifetime. We watched the sunset in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; jetted to Arusha and stayed in tree houses; flew to Mombasa, Kenya and toured old town; laid on the white sandy beaches in Diani, Kenya; saw elephants and wildebeests in the Kwele District in Kenya; toured the great pyramids in Egypt and caught up with friends in Amsterdam on the route back to New York.
The highlight and purpose of the trip was of course: to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro! Somewhere on my crazy bucket list is to climb the seven summits of the world. I basecamped (not summited) Everest—the Tibet side when I was 20yrs old and that was grueling and we had to climb w/ oxygen tanks because of the altitude. I heard that Kilimanjaro was not as intense and the altitude sickness was not as bad (as I refused to take altitude medicine).
Months of preparation, cleaning out REI and northface.com, and practice hikes led me and my two other travel companions to face one big mountain. 7 days, camping, on a route not populated by the masses. Hiking in peace. No oxygen tanks needed. Amen.
There is no way I can properly encapsulate my feelings about the entire experience so here are a few highlights.
Things I did not realize (though I read about) until I hit the mountain:
- 16 porters would be necessary to assist 3 women (me, hollins, mom) up the mountain.
- The roll of toilet paper I was told to bring was not a misprint. I squatted for 7 days….good thing I lived in China for 6months and was used to this.
- Those baby wipes I picked up at Walgreens in Brooklyn right before I left were CLUTCH… no running water.
- No matter how many baby wipes…after 7 days w/o running water…your fingers will be caked with dirt.
- At cold temperatures, wipes freeze at the most critical times. Sigh…. No more comment.
- No shower for 7 days…obviously.
- Sunrises above the clouds > sunrises anywhere else
- There are no plugs or USB connectors on a mountain. Discmans are still used somewhere in the world.
- Sleeping bags meant for temperatures below -15F are real things…and they save lives… like my own.
- Porters make you embarrassed at your athletic ability & make you wish you could do more.
- That headlight I purchased and thought was a cute “toy” was one of the smartest inventions ever…there are no lights on a mountain and it gets dark very early.
- Once you get up a mountain…well…you have to walk back down.
- Laughter and good company ease away pain and cold.
- You are stronger than you know
Day 6, Summit Day: Woke up at midnight to have breakfast. Put on long johns, fleece layer, snow pants and jacket, gloves, hat, boots. Begin hike at 1am in -15F temp. Pitch black out w/ only our headlights to guide us.
3am: I can no longer feel my toes. I am aware of frostbite on the mountain. I am instructed to take out my hot packet, and put it in my shoes to prevent having black toes. I do that but taking my feet out in -15degree weather is painful.
4am: we are all going at different speeds and split up with different guides.
6am: the sun rises—ideally I’d be at the summit but I got altitude sickness and my body can barely move. I see people all around me fainting and falling down the mountain. I’m concerned but determined.
8am: my guide is ready to give up on me as I have been going at a snails pace & have a headache. I’m stuck on Gilmans Peak… an invention I’m sure the Devil created.
10am: Another guide comes to assist/encourage me. I make it up Gilmans Peak (18,638 feet). Down a Red Bull and an energy bar and try to dig deep into my soul for the strength I need to summit.
11am: I SUMMIT!!! When I tell you that it took everything in me… I mean it. I collapsed at the summit. It was much later than I should have been up there but at 19,340 feet (the highest free standing mountain in the world)… I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. Africa is beautiful from up there.
*Dr. Stines made it to Gilmans Point & Hollins summited 3 hours before I did.
Much love to Hollins and Dr. Stines for being the best travel companions a girl could ever ask for!
Though I already knew it before, it bears worth repeating: the world is an exciting and humbling place…
We never get to places by ourselves, through our own work. Thanks to my wonderful parents and to everyone else all for the warm wishes, prayers, and support. Your love lifted me up that mountain.
Pictures of the trip: https://picasaweb.google.com/megan.francis/ClimbingMtKilimanjaro?authkey=Gv1sRgCM6U__PQxMqXjQE
