Uhuru Peak Kilimanjaro Summit Part 2
The two hours before reaching Stella Point were challenging, just as our guides said in the briefing. I walked with our watch, which beeped every kilometer, and to be honest, the final kilometer before Stella Point felt like an eternity when we looked at the clock. I suggested to Benni, "Let's not look at the number. We will reach Stella Point soon. Metrics are valuable, but when it becomes more arduous, the mental battle requires more than time, kilometers, and heart rate data.
To climb summit night requires mental toughness. A head-down, grit, and resilience that surpasses numbers, and that was what we did.
Another group of hikers who progressed very fast overtook us. Every 45 minutes or so, we took a very short break because once we sat down or stood still for too long, it became colder and more challenging to move the joints, especially the fingers and toes. We were feeling the iciness even through the layers. I was thirsty and took sips of water but not too much to avoid nausea.
Tiredness crept in, fingers freezing but upward and onward we went, a four-man (two males and two females) team moving closer with every step toward the roof of Africa. At that point, we were aware of the clouds below us, and I recalled how beautiful the sight of the clouds was at Kosovo camp, where we were standing above the clouds, which looked almost candyfloss-like.
What caused much delight and exhilaration for me was the thin air and the challenge of climbing at altitudes I'd never been at. One never knows how the body will react to climbing at high altitudes, which is different and unique for each person. Each step higher is moving into the unknown, and every hiker hopes that their bodies will acclimatize to the lower level of oxygen. We can predict that climbing higher than Kilimanjaro Uhuru peak can cause more severe altitude sickness, but even 4000 meters can stop a hiker from progressing higher. There have been many rescue attempts to move hikers as quickly as possible to lower camps by using Kilimanjaro ambulances. I have to share a picture with you of how the ambulance looks! The guides and porters rush down with the hiker lying on a stretcher with wheels.
"Thirty minutes to Stella Point, we are moving very well," came the encouraging words from August. A short while after, we could hear the excitement from the first group arriving at this crucial point on summit night, and next was our turn after a steep and rocky climb. We took a brief stop of 5 minutes at Stella Point. It was still dark, and photos were not possible, although we did stop for photos on returning past Stella Point. Even if it was lighter, taking gloves off to take pictures is risky due to the extreme cold. We were taking a sip of steaming hot tea in our Kilimanjaro cups that Retha-Mari engraved for us to remember our Kili trip, and adding more layers of clothing where possible was essential.
The wind picked up, and the temperatures dropped between -9°C and -15°C. Pushing on from Stella Point to Uhuru peak, we continued to move our fingers, trying to fend off the pins and needles, numbness and pain, and rub our noses. It was still dark, and thoughts of Paul, Erin, Ross, Mom Linda, Dad Pieter, Retha-Mari, our guides, and porters, all of whom have sacrificed much for me to be at this point. It provided the motivation for the final 800 to 1000 meters final push. And indeed, the words of Paulo Coelho were so apt, "The darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn."
The signs of the sun peaking on the horizon started showing, and the overwhelming hope it brought difficult to put into words, but I'll try. Heat, life, hope, grace, mercy, and love of the Creator for us, part of the Creation, was palpable. I felt close to the Creator, wanting to experience the holiness, vastness, and magnitude while humbled by the privilege. The sun started to rise on our right, and we walked on an icy singletrack section with the ice on the rocks next to the path sparkling like diamonds. I joked with August that we don't even pick up the diamonds next to us and the always witty and sweet August answered," Yes, I need to start collecting these diamonds."
The first group reached Uhuru peak with congratulatory hugs up ahead, still dark to take photos, while we covered the final few hundred meters. We passed large glaciers on our left, and the thickness surprised me. Sadly the glaciers, although appearing big when one stands next to them, have shrunk in size. It was at that point that we could see Uhuru peak and the first group gathering in front of the Kilimanjaro sign. After another final push and after months of preparation and days of walking, we reached the destination. We did it! Successfully summiting the highest peak in Africa.
The first group waited for us to take a photo of them. Benni and August took theirs, and their guides took our photos, an unwritten courtesy.
Now it is your turn. Start your preparation, contact G2G Adventures, and go for it!
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