Earn the View
By: Jean-Paul Courville
Less than a month before my 44th birthday I made the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, it was June 28th, 2016. I wasn't interested in high altitude summits nor was Kilimanjaro on my radar until the year before my trip. So why did I do it? The stories I heard from others both successful attempts and failures began to intrigue me. Before the summit of Kilimanjaro the highest elevation I had been was Mount Bwahitat (Ethiopia) at 4,437 Meters (14,557 feet) and Kilimanjaro (Kili) stands at 5,895 meters (19,341 ft). Two points of interest persuaded my decision to take the challenge; the first was the different climate zones you navigate thru and the second was the curiosity if I could achieve the summit without any altitude medication, a risky endeavor.
My plan was set, arrive in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with a connection to Kilimanjaro International Airport (which serves the cities of Arusha and Moshi). The next morning meet my guide and porters, climb Mt Kilimanjaro for a six day expedition then polish it off on multiple Safaris in Tanzania.
"When a plan fails is when the true adventure begins."
On June 20, 2016 I arrived to the Kilimanjaro airport but my checked luggage with hiking equipment and cold weather apparel did not. I had a carry on bag with an extra pair of socks, underwear, an extra shirt, basic hygiene items, and nothing warm to wear. The entire first evening I was awake most of the night waiting on a team of people from the airport and trekking company tracing the whereabouts of my bag. I was briefed at 1am that it was on the way so I went to sleep only to be awakened at 445 am by the operations manager to inform me my luggage wasn't found. He offered me a recommended option; "Mr. JP, we can hire (rent) you hiking boots, water proof bags, a sleeping bag, all essential items because your guide will be ready at 1045 am as planned. I had all of these items in my lost luggage but as tempting as it sounded I offered an alternate option. My suggestion (more of a demand) was to flip the safari by starting today and in four days start Kilimanjaro giving those additional days to locate my equipment. It wasn't easy logistically nor free to modify but we did it. I was prepared mentally to climb first then use the exploration on the safaris with elaborate accommodations to "lick my wounds" and reflect on the accomplishment of Kilimanjaro. Now I had to refocus and move forward with a new plan.
I had a three to four hour drive to the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge where I would begin my first safari the following morning. Before we departed I stopped into the town of Arusha where many local people were selling clothes, bags, souvenirs, and hustling anyone that walked by in the market areas. I was wearing only what I had on the plane and I could feel the temperature decreasing as I wasn't prepared for a Safari without my additional clothing. I found a small shop on a corner with a friendly gentlemen selling multiple colored jackets and shirts that were used and laundered. I purchased a Nike hooded sweatshirt and a large military colored green jacket with a hood.
Lake Manyara National Park
I arrived at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, a lovely tree house accommodation with Maasai tribesman as security and escorts around the camp. I was escorted to my room by a tribesman with a spear due to the threat of wild animals. That evening I took a shower on a bamboo platform sitting on a large tree branch and at sunrise I could hear lions roaring in the distance. I was informed at breakfast that these are the tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara, of course I find this out after my shower in the tree. My safari guide was a great local man, he and I were the only ones in the safari vehicle for the next few days. I was thrilled because I didn't want to share a vehicle with someone I didn't know who might be interested in photographing birds in one spot when there were the "Big 5" to locate, selfish? Absolutely.
We left the lodge just after sunrise and within 10 minutes a large African Elephant was feeding in the road. I was beyond excited, we stopped the vehicle and I watched this magnificent animal what seemed like an eternity. There was a forest on both sides of me, I suddenly heard branches breaking in the trees. I looked to my right and I could see the tree tops moving back and forth like a scene from Jurassic Park. Out of the trees walked more elephants next to our vehicle. What a way to start the day.
Within the first 10 minutes of a Safari
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti, a name that most everyone recognizes globally located thru Tanzania and Kenya known for the annual wild migration of Zebra and Wildebeest. I went during a time where the migration isn't in effect but the ability to see the animals and not the tourist was perfect. My safari guide told me where I had been on many days as the only vehicle observing a pride of lions there would be 50 vehicles in one line during the migration, no thank you. I witnessed all of the "Big 5" the Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Elephant, and the Cape Buffalo in the full day Safari of the Serengeti and to top it off I was the only person to visit a Maasai tribe village and interact on this particular day. I was given a tour of the village, watched some of their local customs, and was offered a glass of milk with cow blood (their guide to being fit a tribesman told me) as a good guest I tried it. I had the pleasure to sit in a session of the village school, the children with filthy clothes, dried snot on their noses, and yet they had the biggest smiles and warmest hearts as their bare feet rested on the dirt of the classroom. The teacher was teaching numbers in English written on a older variation of a chalk board while the students recited in unison. Later that day I observed the young Maasai boys coming of age with their faces painted, left alone in far locations from their village and left to survive alone for a period of time to be considered a man.
Maasai Tribe
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater was magnificent to explore with my accommodations overlooking the Crater. The animals in the crater don't participate in the annual migration as the natural setting of the crater traps them into a large bowl unlike the animals of the Serengeti plains. An incredible moment was witnessing a female lion take down a Wildebeest and feed her cubs, they lay inside of the carcass as Americans lay on a couch after a Thanksgiving feast.
I asked about my luggage each evening from the operations manager who was tracking my bag but there was no location of its whereabouts. I was returning from my last safari in the crater one evening and had given up all the positive possibilities that my luggage would arrive. During dinner I began to list the items I would need to hire/rent for the climb. When I arrived inside of my room to my amazement there was a fire in the fire place with my luggage and equipment sitting under a light. I didn't even ask questions on how, when, or why I was just thankful and organized my equipment for Mt Kilimanjaro.
The Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is a must stay
Mount Kilimanjaro
"When you earn the view I believe that you appreciate it more." - JPC
Mount Kilimanjaro is made up of five distinct climate zones. They are; Cultivation, Forest, Heather-Moorland, Alpine Desert and Summit climate zones. I chose the Machame Route in six days vice the recommended seven day trip. Kilimanjaro failures are from hikers rising to altitude to fast, the more days you have to acclimate the greater the success rate. There have been a few climbers who have made the summit of Mt Everest and K2 successfully but failed Kilimanjaro because of the fast elevation gain. The Machame Route appealed to me, camping in tents, meals provided by porters and cooks as if I was living in the old black and white movies where explorers sat in their tents at night, with a candle burning, reviewing a map and looking at the stars before falling asleep. The rule of altitude acclimatization is "hike high camp low", it can seem frustration to gain ground only to descend down just to sleep but this is a proven technique I learned in US Marine mountain warfare training decades earlier.
My guide, Mathew had made the climb more times than he could remember. I was on my own so he and I would be spending much time together. He taught me basic phrases in Swahili, and introduced me to my team of porters assigned. They carried the kitchen, the food, the tents, and all essential items up the Mountain including my luggage so I hiked with a large day pack with items I needed for the day. The porters would arrive to the next site ahead of us, set up my tent, the kitchen, and prepare dinner.
DAY 1
•Machame Gate to Machame Camp •Elevation: 1,790m (5,400ft) – 3,010m (9,400ft) •Distance: 11 km •Hiking Time: 5-7 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest
Hiking thru the rain forest was a great way to start and much colder than I had anticipated. The camp site wasn't very crowded as I fortunately arrived two to three weeks before the busy season started. Dinner was served in a large tent, a candle on a single table, a full course meal prepared on the mountain with popcorn as a starter to get my salt intake, soup, meat, vegetables, potatoes and coffee. I had learned a trick by taking my Nalgen water bottle (I also carry a three Liter Camel-back bladder) filling it up with hot water at dinner and placing it in my sleeping bag to stay warm. The evenings were cold and magical.
DAY 2
•Machame Camp to Shira Camp •Elevation: 3,010m (9,400ft) to 3,845m (12,500ft) •Distance: 5 km •Hiking Time: 4-6 hours •Habitat: Moorland
DAY 3
•Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp •Elevation: 3,845m (12,500ft) to 3,960m (13,000ft)
– NOTE: Lava Tower Hut is (4,640m / 15223ft) the highest hiking point today but lower elevation to sleep. •Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 6-8 hours •Habitat: Semi Desert
DAY 4
•Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp •Elevation: 3,960m (13,000ft) to 4572 meters (15,000ft)
– NOTE: Karanga Camp 4,035m (13,238ft) if you choose the 7 day route you would stop here with an extra night to acclimate, the 6 day route is a much longer hike on this day. •Distance: 9km •Hiking Time: 8-10 hours •Habitat: Alpine Desert
Masters of their own universe: Porters
DAY 5
•Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut •Elevation: 4,640m (15,300ft) to 5,895m (19,345ft) and down to 3048m /10,000ft
-NOTE: Uhuru Peak, the highest peak of Kilimanjaro •Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent •Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent
•Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
H-Hour
I arrived to the summit base camp at Mweaka Hut before an early dinner. The evening was set; bed down early, wake up at 11pm and begin the ascent before midnight to arrive at sunrise Uhuru Peak (summit). I started having trouble from the altitude during dinner, I hadn't taken any altitude medication and my headaches were becoming extreme. I forced myself to eat the dinner provided, drink an excessive amount of water and fortunately held it down.
When it was time to wake up after a few hours sleep I was not unfamiliar with waking up in the cold at ridiculous hours of the night, then getting dressed, preparing my equipment, and starting on a physical activity when all of your instincts are fighting for you to curl back in your warm sleeping bag. The result is that experience thru muscle memory prevail as habit in staying with a plan. I walked slowly behind Mathew with our headlamps illuminating the way, I was wearing additional layers of clothing and protection as freezing rain and snow sprinkled on my face. When I would look up its as if standing at the bottom of a ladder, I could see a hand full of headlamps climbing up the route. I began to feel sluggish in my responses to questions from Mathew, my coordination of placing my feet where I wanted was slowed down drastically and this was a strange experiment to feel my mind and body effected by the altitude. The night climb lasted for days it seemed but when the sun began to kiss the mountain and illuminate the views of glaciers and an ice capped summit I felt a surge of energy, a rebirth. I have never experienced a sunrise quite so elegant, the concave complexity of the world was beautifully on display. I was fortunate that I wasn't sharing the moment with an over abundance of other hikers, I felt almost isolated at sunrise. We couldn't stay very long due to the altitude and had to make the decent down to the next base camp which was much faster than the climb up.
DAY 6
•Mweka Camp to Moshi •Elevation: 3048m (10,000ft) to 1790m (5,400ft) •Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 3-4 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest
On my last morning I invited Mathew (my guide) to sit with me for breakfast. He was polite and declined because it was my trip and mine alone he told me. I convinced him that I wouldn't take no for an answer and that he was big reason for my success mentally over the past six days. Mathew agreed and we had a nice breakfast prepared by my team of Porters and cooks before making our way to the final location of Mt Kilimanjaro.
The completion ceremony is just that, my team presented me with a certificate, they introduced each individual team member, offered champagne and food, and then all together sang the Kilimanjaro song. I enthusiastically jumped into the celebrations with dancing and clapping. What a moment to cap off an incredible journey.
Do I recommend climbing Mt Kilmanjaro? Yes!
That's a wrap
BONUS: High Altitude Sickenss
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