Kilimanjaro Day 7

August 9, 2024

We began our summit push last night at 23:45 under a blanket of stars, with absolutely no light pollution to guide us—just the glow of our headlamps cutting through the inky darkness. The first hour of the climb, to put it mildly, kicked our butts. The steep incline was relentless, and the terrain was unforgiving, made up of striated rock that forced us to engage every muscle.

Doug, unfortunately, wasn’t feeling well from the start. His energy was drained, and after a difficult hour of climbing, he made the tough but wise decision to turn back with one of the guides. The ascent to Stella Point was nothing short of insane—a crowded and very steep trail.

David, eager to (video) capture the sunrise over Kilimanjaro, decided to break off from the group with Armani, one of our guides. Determined to make it to Stella Point before dawn, they POWERED through the ascent. Their effort paid off—David recorded an incredible video of the sunrise from one of the most iconic spots on the mountain.

For the Koby and Bob, the trek to the summit took closer to 7.5 hours—every step was a battle against exhaustion and altitude, but we finally made it to Uhuru Peak, the "Roof of Africa." Standing there at 19,341 feet, with a clear sky that stretched for miles, was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The view was breathtaking—vast, unending horizons and the sheer majesty of the mountain itself. We were exhausted, but the sense of accomplishment was exhilarating. We stayed at the summit for about 30-45 minutes, soaking in the moment and snapping photos before starting the descent back to Barafu Camp.

The descent, as we quickly discovered, wasn’t much easier. The first two-thirds of the trail were covered in loose dirt and gravel, which made for a difficult, quad-burning journey down. By the time we reached base camp, the strain in our legs was real. Today's hike was a total of 12.5 hours for the entire summit and return trip—a long, grueling day.

SUMMIT STATS:

• Distance: 4.7 mi / 7.6 km

• Time: 8 hrs 38 mins

• Steps: 28,400

• Cadence: 13 steps/min

• Ascent: 3,959 ft / 1207 m

Once back to base camp, Koby, unfortunately, had trouble regulating his breathing during the descent and showed signs of potential heat exhaustion. To be on the safe side, it was recommended by our Lead guide, Freddie, that he take a helicopter Air-Evac off the mountain for medical evaluation. The situation became a bit chaotic as we tried to coordinate his evacuation. Our guides were amazing, juggling the logistics while our chef prepared lunch that, unfortunately, went untouched as we were all too concerned about Koby’s well-being. Doug accompanied Koby to the heli-pad, both skipping the trek to High Camp and the final descent.

With Koby and Doug evacuated, the day still wasn’t over for David and Bob. Unbeknownst to us, we weren’t staying at Barafu Camp that night! We needed to pack up, gather our remaining energy, and hike another 4 kilometers to High/Millennium Camp (3,950 m). UGH!

Despite being physically drained, something clicked—we caught a second wind (or maybe it was our fourth or fifth) and set our sights on Millennium Camp. Knowing it was downhill gave us a bit of a psychological boost. The estimated time for the trek was two hours, but we were so motivated to reach camp that we shaved it down to just 1 hr and 10 mins, racing against exhaustion.

MILLENNIUM STATS:

• Distance: 2.10 mi / 3.38 km

• Time: 49 mins 49 secs

• Cadence: 98 steps/min

• Ascent: 1,965 ft / 599 m

• Pace: 26 mins/mi

We missed lunch, but it consisted of soup, pancakes, egg and cheese omelet, spaghetti, and oranges for dessert. By the time we reached Millennium Camp, dinner was ready—pumpkin soup along with rice with bean sauce. Both David and I were so exhausted that even the simplest meal felt like a feast. Sleep came easy that night. We needed the rest because tomorrow, we’d be tackling the final leg of the journey: a 13.5 km hike out.

Tomorrow will be our last day on the mountain—an emotional end to an unforgettable adventure.

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