Kilimanjaro Day 8

August 10, 2024

Why break tradition now? It was another 06:00 wakeup call, accompanied by a big, steaming cup of fresh coffee. As if the early morning wasn’t enough, Doug also chimed in with his own 06:10 wakeup call. Seriously, what was he doing up at that hour? If David and Bob were at the cushy hotel like Doug and Koby, there’s no way we’d be up before 09:00! They must’ve had early morning nail appointments back at the hotel salon or something! (Haha, lucky them!)

David and Bob were the last two standing on the trail today—the lone stars left to finish the journey. But no rest for the wicked, and the final day of our Kilimanjaro adventure had arrived. We kicked off the day with a familiar breakfast: porridge, sausage links, and an egg omelet. Fuel for the long haul ahead.

13.5 kilometers today. Yikes! David and Bob were determined to get off this mountain as fast as possible. After days of grueling hikes and the thrill of summiting Kilimanjaro, this final stretch felt more like an endurance test than a victory lap. The trail down was rough—rocks embedded in the riverbed and a trail slick with water and mud in the rainforest zone. Every step was a slippery challenge. The rainforest, typically lush and beautiful, became a muddy, tricky obstacle course for our tired legs.

When we finally rounded that last corner and caught sight of the parking lot, the relief was indescribable. David and Bob did it—start to finish! We "HAULED ASS" today, and every step down felt like one closer to victory. Naturally, we had to take one last victory photo at the "CONGRATULATIONS" sign, just like we had at every camp entrance along the way.

Afterwards, we headed to the Ranger Station, where we signed out of Kilimanjaro National Park and received our Official Certificates, commemorating our climb. The certificates listed our names, ages, and the date we summited Mt. Kilimanjaro—a very cool souvenir to mark the end of an incredible journey.

There was a minor hiccup at the exit Ranger Station. They were having printer issues, which delayed our certificates. Rather than wait forever, we made an executive decision to head down to the nearby restaurant and souvenir shop for a farewell meal that Chef had prepared for us.

While waiting for lunch, we browsed the souvenir shop—clearly a well-coordinated stop by the tour companies to get a little kickback. No complaints, though, as we found some perfect gifts for our loved ones back home. Tanzanite jewelry was the winner of the day (side note: we’ll have to write a separate post on Tanzanite later).

Lunch was simple but delicious: french fries, beef strips in a tomato cream sauce, and a pickled veggie tray. For dessert, Chef outdid himself, creating a stunning fruit tower that included watermelon, carrots, bananas, oranges, and pineapples. It was a refreshing and delightful end to our trek.

STATS:

• Distance: 8.4 mi / 13.5 km

• Time: 3 hrs 7 mins

• Pace: 25 mins 48 secs/mi

• Cadence: 86 steps/min

• Descent: 6,748 ft / 2,057 m

Then came the 2-hour drive back to the hotel. It felt like an eternity, especially considering that Tanzanian roads are a chaotic blend of everything—cars, trucks, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, tractors, you name it. Traffic was HORRENDOUS. We passed the time by sightseeing (if you can call it that) and saw some wild sights: a motorcycle taxi with a couch strapped to the back, and later, another motorcycle with a king-sized bed frame somehow balanced on the rear. How anyone manages that is beyond us!

We finally pulled into the hotel around 18:30, completely spent. Thankfully, Doug, in his wisdom, had scheduled David and Bob for a 90-minute massage. After eight days of relentless trekking, that massage was heaven. Every muscle that had screamed during the descent was now bathed in relief. It was the perfect way to cap off our Kilimanjaro journey.

Tomorrow, it’s back to reality, but for now, the 4 of us basking with a couple of beers in the afterglow of an adventure well-conquered.

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