I knew it’s going to be tough as sh!t.
I also knew it will be one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. First time ever climbing a mountain, and I had to pick Kili…
I was aware that the trek will take us through the most beautiful and diverse scenery, like trekking through a nature documentary:
a 6000-meter snow-capped volcano on the equator, and when you finally reach the roof of Africa you might just think you can do anything.
What I didn’t expect though, was that I’d have so much fun & feel so much pain, and never want to trade it for anything different.
And I also didn’t expect this:
1.Dance The Beat in Scrambling
Barranco Wall, ladies and gents. Man, this looked beyond intimidating.
It was also – amazingly – the easiest part of the whole trek!
Barranco wall’s elevation is only 257 meters, although it looks much more frightening than that because of the steep incline and the fact that it looks like it would crumble at your every step!
So what’s scrambling? Well, let’s say it’s something between hiking, hillwalking, mountaineering, & rock climbing.
Yeah, I’m sure you get it now. Don’t worry, you’ll know it when you do it 😉
Back to the music: I’d like to tell you all about this successful Kili climb playlist that you all can try for yourselves; and I did think about patching up a special playlist. But eventually was just too lazy; so I just listened to whatever I had saved offline on Spotify.
Anything will do as long as it makes you happy and bouncy.
The Power Of Music much?
2. Watch a Raven Steal Chocolate
The flying fellow mischievously hopped closer and closer to the Snickers chocolate bar, then snatched it away from under our trek companion’s nose, before he had the chance to react!
It also seemed to noisily follow us for the next few days.. Birdie craving some sugar?
3. Frisbee Time!
You’re usually advised to bring a pack of cards, to keep the group entertained during the early hours of the evening. The dad & son in our group had the most excellent idea to bring a frisbee! Genius.
The dad & son in our group had the most excellent idea to bring a frisbee! Genius.
Which I wholeheartedly recommend – not just because of the great fun, but also a good way to stretch your limbs, after all that hiking.
Not to mention: bonding! Those two happy-camper Texans built an energy around our group that I swear gave us all the energy to go through it all – with a smile!
4. Sky Gawking
Ok, I’m lying. Of course I was looking forward to gawk my way through the night while on the mountain! But what I wasn’t expecting was for it to be such an otherworldly experience…
I’d not seen so many stars since I was a kid at grandma’s place – not that I can compare!
If you look long enough, you’re almost guaranteed to see some shooting stars.
5. Connect With No WiFi
I’ve not missed that damn thing not one bit!
Well.. apart from not being able to talk to my best friend when she gave birth. Yeah, there are some things you can never recreate..
6. Cry Me A Glacier
Full disclosure: I could not stop crying when I got to the freaking sign marking the 5.895 meters of Uhuru. Admittedly, it was a combination of dreams come true, exhaustion, dehydration, lack of sleep and utter beauty in the morning sunrise.
I still blame it on the beauty 🙃
You can read more about my Kili Climb here:
Amazing Kilimanjaro & how to get to 15,000 ft
It’s sad to think that the Kilimanjaro snow could all but disappear in only a few decades, with 85% of the glacial ice on Kilimanjaro having disappeared between 1912 and 2011.
What’s worse, a quarter of the ice that was there in 2000 was gone by 2007, the last time Kilimanjaro’s ice was mapped.
I’m only sorry I didn’t get to go up close & feel the glacier breathe its millennia down on me.
If ever there is a time to do things, it’s now. So Hakuna Matata and Pole Pole your a$$ to Kili!