Hiking
Mount Kilimanjaro Reflection
August 1, 2014 my family and I are
busy packing for our trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. Just packing alone for Mount
Kilimanjaro is quite a challenge. It is unbelievable the amount of gear that is
needed to complete an eight day hike. We are hiking from August 3rd
through August 11th. On August 2nd my family and I
boarded the plane for Tanzania. We will be hiking through five biomes: lower
slopes (6560 ft. / 2000 m), rain forest (9840 ft. / 3000 m), heath and moorland
(13,120 ft. / 4000 m), high desert (16,400 ft. / 5000 m), and summit (19,680
ft. / 6000 m). In order to be able to proficiently hike these different biomes,
an array of clothing is necessary. For the lower slopes and the rain forest,
hiking pants SPF 40 that zip off into shorts, a long sleeved wicking ability
shirt, a hat with a large brim, hiking boots that are ankle height, sock
liners, and wicking ability socks are needed. In the heath and moorland and
high desert you would add long johns and a fleece. Summit you need at least
five layers on the top and four layers on the bottom along with gators. The
five layers on top consist of: long johns, wicking ability shirt, fleece, down
jacket, and raincoat. The four layers on bottom consist of: long johns, fleece
pants, hiking pants, and rain pants along with gators around your boots.
Our group of 11 hikers from Ultimate
Kilimanjaro began our journey in the lower slopes on August 3rd. On
day 1 we moved from Londorossi Gate to Mti. Mkubwa, which was a 4 hour hike with
an altitutde of 11,500 ft / 3,505 m. On day 2 we moved from Mti. Mkubwa to
Shira 1 Camp, which was a 6 hour hike with an altitude of 12,500 ft / 3,810 m.
On day 3 we moved from Shira 1 Camp to Moir Hut, which was a 6 hour hike with
an altitude of 13,800 ft / 4,200 m. On
day 4 we moved from Moir Hut to Barranco Camp, which was a 6 hour hike with an
altitude of 13, 044 ft / 3,976 m. On day 5 we moved from Barranco Camp to
Karanga Camp, which was a 6 hour hike with an altitude of 13,106 ft / 3,995 m.
On day 6 we moved from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp, which was a 5 hour hike
with an altitude of 15,331 ft / 4,673 m. Summit night, we moved from Barafu
Camp to Uhuru Peak, which was a 8 hour hike with an altitude of 19,341 ft /
5,895 m. On day 7 we moved from Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp, which was an 8 hour
hike with an altitude of 10,065 ft / 3,068 m. On day 8 we moved from Mweka Camp
to Mweka Gate, which was a 4 hour hike with an altitude of 5,380 ft / 1,640 m.
My very first observation of Mount
Kilimanjaro was my flight into Tanzania through the airplane window. My
perception at that time – that mountain looked humongous. At that moment I
realized I had a big challenge that awaited me. It was going to take both
physical and mental strength to get through these eight days. My commitment is
100%, my attitude is 100%, and I’m ready for this climb.
Some of the highlights that I encountered
in the beginning of our hikes on Mount Kilimanjaro were the beautiful fauna and
flora deep within the rainforest. The flora was deep and vibrant. The sounds
were exotic. The temperature was warm. I had the opportunity to eyewitness
first hand a family of Columbus monkeys in the wild.
My physician had prescribed Diamox for
altitude sickness. My family and I began to take it the day before we hiked.
Some of the strengths and weaknesses that accompanied the Diamox were the side
effects: frequent urination, tingling and numbness in the extremities, and dry
mouth. The strength that it took me to drink 3 liters every day was a challenge,
but became easier throughout the days. One of my limitations was that I
suffered from frequent mild headaches. However, I learned that drinking lots of
water would relieve the headaches.
This journey on Mount Kilimanjaro I
cannot compare to anything else. It has placed me in an element of newness. I
would not have changed a single thing. I feel this was well orchestrated and I
encountered no problems.
For future goals this hike on Mount
Kilimanjaro has placed some desire to possibly hike Machu Picchu, Peru in the
future.
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