My sister got to experience the mother of all adventures early this year and like everyone of you reading this i thought “are you crazy”.. Okey help me out here, she is my sister, like i come right after her, she is the only one in our family that is that adventurous (except my mom that will tell you tales of her youth) but then again when she heard my sister was going she had a fit. Anyway it is very hard for us to admit she is our sister oohh because me and my brother have no bone what so ever for adventure, i mean if laying down on the beach somewhere is adventure thats my forte, thats  my story and i’m sticking to it.

Back to what i was initialy saying, as much as i was appalled on her behalf, and i suffered numerous calls from my ancestors just to know if she is okey i mean come on how would i know, she is on the mountain people! I was so happy for her, nervous as well but very excited after she returned that is, she couldnt move a muscle she lay down on my living room and i remmebr thinking whew you are bold and brave and i ams soo proud because i would have died, Period!. She wrote a piece i will share below and well i hope this from her angle will give you the excitement it did me and have it on your bucket list, in my oppinion she went on behalf of us all so lowkey i have experinced Kili through her, i would like to think  you’ll better than me (:

 

BETTY–

At the peak of Africa

Earlier this year (feels like many months ago, and not two months ago!)I fated my life- all thirty years oft- and hiked up The Kilimanjaro mountain. It was a gift to myself for surviving, living for 30 years so far, and I thought to myself, ‘why not celebrate in an epic way!?’
First, I think of myself as adventurous in my family and among most of my friends. So, I was not surprised when most of the friends that I thought would join me on this celebratory quest bailed out. one at a time, (Friends, I have forgiven all 4 of you!)But also vengeance does come around – I had also bailed on other friends the precious year from doing this same hike, oops!
Two months prior to the hike, I had already consulted the company I was climbing with; my main contact was good at updates and answering my numerous questions, and boy, could he sense how nervous I was as the date drew close.( i would recommend him any day btw) I went from a couple of questions a month to several missed calls, SMS and whatsapp messages in a day. I really wanted to be sure to cover each and everything before disappearing for eight days on Kili (that’s how long we hiked up and down that big beautiful mountain) leisurely pace, they called it, looking back i couldnt agree more.

Back to a couple of months before kili climb- I had started on a workout regime, mostly cardio and aerobics. Luckily we had a gym instructor at work that I fully took advantage of ( he was well aware) I was destined for 5,895 meters above sea level. I also did long walks on a weekly basis- 2-5kms, mostly Saturdays or Sundays when I’d just disappear for a couple of hours, walking up and down hills around the villages in karatu, with or without company, I’m a loner walker unlike my siblinsg who i bet if they ever worked up the nerve to walk would drag me along, I found out during this time; A walker who
likes to take pictures lots along the way and mumble to myself.
Monday 13 January was day one, I had had long phone conversations with my mom, grandma and brother, you would think i was going to war, all supporting me in this crazy ‘thing’ as they called it; my dad didn’t believe me at all; my sister, who’s ever supportive but never in it, was nervous for me as she came to see me off, and so she can call everyone in the family back to confirm I had actually gone, i know i put her on a hot seat because now everyone would blow her phone.

Met up with the rest of the group I was to climb with, Australians, great group, mostly friends and family that had travelled together right before this hike. After quickly warming up to each other (that’s what you do when you know you are in this together for the next week and a day!), the fun started. Off on Lemosho route!

Wait, did I mention a ton of items I had brought in my duffel and backpack (all legit for kili, mind you and did i also mention that i am a 5″4 barely)? Luckily there was a porter to do the heavy lifting, and I had to worry about my backpack which
contained the necessities. Out there these included water- whole 3 liters in a camelbak, sunscreen, camera-if i survived i needed proof for my future generation-, power-bank- I brought 2 of these with me because God forbid my mother misses me on the line enh she will call the Mountain authorities if there is such a thing), snacks, rain gear, lip balm- i was not about tpo be ashy out there in the mountains, sanitizer, wipes, water bottle and
more snacks.
Every trek and camp was different. I had a tent to myself. The views along the way were dazzling, ranging from deep forests, rocks, rivers, shrubs, ash and the snow at summit. The meals were fulfilling and the porters ever jolly. Some days were hard to trek ahead than others- my hardest were day 4 and 6; Specifically Barranco wall and summit night. Lord, did I need your grace and everything I had! The wall is exactly that, with crevasses and rocks that you climb over and up. It took me 2 hours to get to the top, it’s like climbing and hanging on a side of a cliff. Luckily on this day there was so much mist I could only hear the river and water fall from down below… no matter how I describe, you won’t get how massive and scary this bit is until you get there. Bottom line, I did not shit my pants- I fear heights.
Summit night was wearisome. Started off at 11:30 pm and got to Stella point at 6:20 am, at this point you have 170m to Uhuru peak. It’s the most excruciating minutes’ walk on wards- this is the point you hear voices in your head, “this far is enough. I can’t die here’. I went from cold, teeth chattering to hot, pretty bothered in all the layers I had on. I had to take numerous 2 minute stops along the way for water sips (before it froze), snacks and bush breaks. Not to mention how fast your digestion works up there…
well, let your imagination run wild.
From my experience, nobody told me how summit night would roll out or the descending. It took us a day and half to get to Mweka gate, to friends and pizza for late lunch. That ever downhill slope left my thighs sore for a whole week. From summit the movement is similar to skiing downhill, in ash then it changes to pebbles and rocky bits, and to slippery surfaces here and there. I did not know I could apply such breaks with my limbs mind you  i’m that driver, that holds the brakes so hard you would think ’m driving a tank! Suffice it to say I made it. Fair and square, and I have a certificate and lots of pictures to show for it. And I lived to tell about it.

Now friends (my family knows to stay out of it) ask if I would do it again… perhaps in another 30 years then let’s talk about it.

Cheers