Summit night on Kilimanjaro
The Following post is from an expedition to Kilimanjaro I led in 2019 for Earths Edge.
Camping on Kilimanjaro
Like many others, I’ve always had a fascination with Africa that always captivated my imagination. A feeling of both curiosity and adventure always accompanied wandering thoughts of traveling to one of its many diverse and unique countries. Lured by its stunning natural beauty, amazing wildlife and intrigued by its diversity of culture, I eventually found myself among its breathtaking landscapes, experiencing its enchanting charisma for myself while on expedition with earths edge to climb Kilimanjaro.
Each time I visit Tanzania, my experience surpases the last, and each time I climb to Uhuru peak, I am always greeted with the same familiar smile from Africa, that paints they morning sky with golden pinks, and presents one of the most incredible sunrises I have experienced. Its magical blissful orange glow, and alluring warmth travels right through you, giving you the inspiring confidence and infectious energy needed to reach Kilimanjaro's summit. It's the ever so gentle change of colour in the beautiful starry night sky just moments before dawn, that becomes a twilight ablaze with brilliance, which illuminates a spark of strength and determination within every person making their way to the top of the mountain. Whether its a client, a guide, or a porter, everybody shares the same indescribable feeling of courage and radiant energy they absorb, as the sun slowly comes up over the horizon to the east, spilling out boundless light across the neighbouring Mawenzi peak with a warming luminosity that eventually brings out the jagged mountains coffee and tawny coloured slopes, and takes away its shadowed darkness we become so used to seeing through out the night.
Sunrise on Kilimanjaro.
Leaving the warmth of our tents at midnight, we begin our final summit bid after some warm food and tea in the mess tent. We leave as one team, one family, ready to encourage and push each other on until we all reach the top. Everyone focused, with our minds set on standing on the top, we climb higher and higher through the clear, starry night, listening to the incredible local guides and porters sing in captivating Swahili, songs of confidence and reassurance, and light hearted tunes that gently echo across the mountain side and add a little bounce to everyone's step. The air is always cold on summit night, but everyone is wrapped up well, and prepared for the cold dancing breeze that accompanies us nearer to the top. Everyone knows its roughly six hours to Stella Point, 5,685m, and when we see the dawn beginning to break around 6am, we know were close.
When the light reaches Mawenzi peak, there is a sigh of relief as we arrive at Stella Point, and confidence is buzzing among the team as we feel the gentle heat from the early morning sun beginning to warm our bodies up. The sudden distinct aroma of ginger tea fills the air as hot flasks come out and cups are filled, and the taste is so sweet with every gulp, its magical properties make the nights hardship seem distant in memory and suddenly resets our focus to our main goal, as everyone turns their head and sets their gaze on the summit, Uhuru peak 5,895m, which is so close it creates inevitable and contagious smiles all around.
Stella point to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
From Stella point to Uhuru peak its an atmospheric and incredibly beautiful hours trek on a gentle incline, with Kilimanjaro's stunning glacier walls just a stone throw away glimmering with blue and white light sparkling through the ice, towering above the sea of clouds down below. The stunning view of the horizon is accompanied with the distinct jagged peak of Mawenzi to the east, and the top of Mount Meru to the west, with just their summits petering out through the clouds in the distance alone in the morning sky. We reach the summit together, as one team and one family, as the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the team are fulfilled. We enjoy the taste of success as hugs and high fives are shared, and moments full of happy smiles are captured in memory and on camera.
Whether I reach the summit or not, the real prize Kilimanjaro presents is greeting that early morning sunrise across the great plains that's granted freely to us each day, and the freedom to take in the breathtaking views it endlessly offers to everyone on the mountain. Seven days on the mountain, presents seven moments of morning magic. An experience that will always keep on giving, that early morning african smile that is openly and endlessly offered to everyone each day throughout our african mountain odyssey, and who can manage to roll out of bed early enough to witness it! Which I can tell you is easier said than done!
On the summit of Kilimanjaro!
JANUARY 12, 2021