Conquering Kilimanjaro

I’m at the top of Africa.  This is the highest point on the earth between the Himalayas and the Andes.  This is Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro.  The sun is rising over the horizon, which looks endless from this elevation on the highest freestanding mountain in the world.  Taking my camera out of my bag requires extra concentration from my oxygen-deprived brain and extra effort from my fingers that have been numbed by the bitterly cold wind.  I’m nearly overcome by emotion as Aloyce, my guide, hugs me and says “Congratulations!”  I made it!

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Aminieli, one of our porters, shakes my tent at 10:35pm.  I’d barely slept in the last four hours after dinner; my mind was filled with anxious thoughts about making it to Kili’s summit.  After all, yesterday when we arrived at the Barafu base camp, we watched as several dazed-looking people, barely able to walk on their own, were being led down with arms over the shoulders of their guides and assistants.  One relatively fit-looking guy in his 20s or 30s was even being led down with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

My Words About Their Words: Kilimanjaro

At 19,341ft (5895m) above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.  Kilimanjaro is actually a dormant volcano consisting of three volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo.  Uhuru Peak is the highest point on the rim of Kibo and thus the highest point on the mountain and in Africa.  Conveniently, Uhuru Peak can be summitted without any climbing equipment or technical mountain climbing skills.  You just have to be able to withstand the effects of an altitude where there's half the amount of oxygen in the air as at sea level, bear the subzero temperatures, and walk to the top.  It sounds so simple, but my past experience with high altitude trekking in the Himalayas and written accounts of Kilimanjaro "climbs" tell me otherwise.

Kilimandjaro by Jeremy V on Flickr (used with permission)

In preparation for my upcoming "climb" of Kilimanjaro,