Kilimanjaro - The Longer Version

We had Kilimanjaro on the list of things to do in Africa, not only because it is the continent's highest peak but also because it is one of the few high peaks around the world which can be done without technical climbing skills. But it was still no walk in the park and required the services of a guide and support crew - including a cook and numerous porters to carry the extensive wardrobes which each of us were taking to the top.

This was all relatively easy to organise and we set off from Arusha last Monday in a Landrover loaded with gear and people. There are numerous routes to the top of Kili. We had chosen the Marangu route, the best developed of all, and we reached the starting point at Marangu gate (1,900 metres) after a couple of hours drive. Then there were lots of formalities to complete, hefty park fees to pay and a repack of all the gear so that each porter had a sensible amount, whether on his back, in his hand and/or on his head. Finally we were on our way, the two of us, one guide, one cook and four porters. It was a gentle 3 hour climb through rain forest to our first overnight stop, Mandara hut at 2,700 metres. Our guide used the opportunity to teach us how to walk in the most energy efficient way - polepole (slowly, slowly) - which was to prove important on the final climb to the summit several days later.

The Mandara hut exceeded expectations. We had opted to use huts rather than camping in tents but we weren't expecting too much. In fact, the huts were a series of A-frame buildings which accommodated 4 persons each (we shared with two Morrocans) and there was a large communal dining hall where all the climbers ate the meals that their cooks prepared. Even solar powered lights in the rooms. It was pretty flash - I have hiked in many places but never before seen a hut complex that has a reception building and keys to each room. True, there were no showers or hot water (except for the small plastic basins delivered twice daily to our door), but we had conditioned ourselves to the prospect of a week without showering ... Our evening meal, like all our meals on the trip, was very sustaining - we found ourselves always with big appetites. It rained heavily at night, but wasn't too cold.

The next day dawned bright and clear and we hiked to Horombo hut at 3,700 metres. This took around 5 hours and, as we climbed higher, the environment changed from forest to open moorland. At times (as the cloud allowed) we could see the peaks of both Kili and its neigbour, Mawenzi. Kili still seemed so high and so far away. Hard to believe that we might soon be on top of it. The Horombo hut complex was much bigger than Mandara, to accommodate people coming down from the summit as well as people going up, than but still the same basic design. That night we shared our room with an Englishman - very friendly but also a very loud snorer.

After a night on which Kili's summit was dusted with fresh snow, we spent a further day at Horombo hut. This was recommended in order to get properly acclimatised to the altitude. However, the extra day was not a full rest day. We hiked nearly 5 hours to a colourful rock formation called the Zebra rocks and beyond to the foot of Mawenzi at almost 4,500 metres. No obvious ill-effects. So we figured that we were ready.

On Thursday, things started getting serious. We rose early and hiked 5 hours in the sunshine across the alpine desert to Kibo hut at 4,700 metres. This is the final camp from which attempts are made on the summit. Suddenly the summit seemed much closer. But also much higher. How were we going to get up there and back in a single journey? We arrived at the hut in the early afternoon and immediately rested. No time to take in the surrounding scenery. Then our last meal before the climb and a few more hours of sleep.

We were roused at midnight and pulled on our rented cold-weather gear. Boots, heavy jackets and pants, gloves, woollen hats. With a cup of tea to fortify us, we went out into the night to begin the ascent to the summit. It was very cold, but not as cold as we feared. And it was a beautiful clear night with the night sky full of stars. The trail became very steep almost right away - much steeper than anything we had encountered in the previous days. With only the light from our headlamps, the two of us, along with our guide and one of the porters, inched slowly up the side of the mountain. It was hard work, the trail switched sharply from side to side and the altitude made every movement a little more demanding. We could not really see where we were going - and maybe that was actually a good thing! We just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, slowly, slowly. It was not long before we met other climbers being escorted down. These were the people who found they could not go on. We did not want to be one of them. But the altitude was starting to taking its toll. First, I began to lose my sense of balance, which was quite unnerving. Then our guide became sick and had to descend, leaving us with just the porter. But the three of us carried on, one step at a time. We still thought we could do it.

After about 5 hours we reached Gilman's Point at 5,680 metres. This is the point at which the trail joins the rim of Kili's crater. But it is not the summit. It was still dark and now freezing cold. The drinking water had frozen. Others were turning back, deciding not to go on to the summit. We drank a cup of tea to try to warm up. Mercedes began to vomit. I was still struggling with balance. But we knew that the summit was only about 200 metres higher. And we had to make it. We started the trek around the crater rim towards the summit. We could see the sun just starting to come up on the horizon. The colours looked spectacular. And we had the perfect position to admire Kili's beautiful glacier, sparkling white against the brightening sky. The scenery gave us the inspiration to go on. Every metre higher seemed more effort. But now we were getting encouragement from other climbers on their way back from the summit. 15 minutes to go, they said. Then 10 minutes. We crept on. And finally, at around 7:45 am, we reached the summit. It was a tremendous feeling.

It was so cold that we only lingered a few minutes to take photos. We could not savour the occasion for very long. We were exhausted and it was still a very long way to get back down. We went back around the crater rim and began the sharp descent from Gilman's Point. With the benefit of daylight, we could see just how steep the trail was. So steep, in fact, that we didn't even try to follow all its turns. We used our trekking poles like ski poles and just slid down the mountainside on the soles of our boots, wondering all the time how we ever managed to climb up there earlier in the day. Just as well we hadn't been able to see it on the ascent - it would have been totally demoralising. The descent went on and on and on. Eventually, we could see Kibo hut, but it never seemed to be getting any closer. We stopped more and more often. We had no energy left.

And then finally we were there - back at Kibo hut where we could finally stop and think about the achievement. It was a special moment.

Simon