Straight off the highest mountain in Africa, Reho Travel’s Chief Executive, Karsten Horne, takes a moment to give us the full rundown on what to expect & do when climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.
Attitude check, intimidating cliffs… check. Commitment is there as you push through the pain barrier. Training is key and is this life changing? ABSOLUTELY.
Here is my A to Z take on my climb of Mt Kilimanjaro:
A IS FOR ATTITUDE
Which is the biggest challenge of the climb; it affects everyone in some way.
B IS FOR BARRANCO WALL
An intimidating cliff face that we conquered on Day 4.
C IS FOR COMMITMENT
Without it a challenge like this remains a dream.
D IS FOR DETERMINATION
You need it to push through the pain barrier.
E IS FOR EXPERIENCE
A life changing one.
F IS FOR FITNESS
We trained hard and prepared well, in the end it was the difference.
G IS FOR G ADVENTURES
Their goal was to get us to the top safely and ensure we had the time of our lives.
H IS FOR HERO
Which applies to everyone who conquered the mountain.
I IS FOR ICE
At dawn on our frozen tents, our frozen water bottles and under our feet on the summit.
J IS FOR JAMBO
Hello in Swahili, a greeting shared with the amazing porters and crew.
K IS FOR KILIMANJARO
The highest mountain in Africa and a spectacle that will remain in our hearts forever.
L IS FOR LEMOSHO
The route we chose, as it is the longest, the most spectacular and best for acclimatization.
M IS FOR MOSHI
The nearest town to Mt Kilimanjaro and home to the Union Café.
N IS FOR NATURE
Which is captivating and inspiring, energising yet calming, and allows you to surrender control.
O IS FOR OXIMETRE
Every night our oxygen saturation levels were measured to ensure we were able to continue.
P IS FOR POLE POLE
In Swahili it means slowly which is the only way to walk in high altitude.
Q IS FOR QUIT
A word that never entered our heads, no matter how hard it got.
R IS FOR REWARD
The reward of looking down from the top of the mountain to the clouds below.
S IS FOR STELLA POINT
When we finally reached it; we knew that we were going to make it to the top.
T IS FOR TENT
Our home, our protection, our comfort and our place to rest.
U IS FOR UHURU
At 5895m the highest point of the world’s highest freestanding mountain.
V IS FOR VEGETATION
Which changed every day as we trekked through five distinct climate zones.
W IS FOR WATER
You dehydrate quickly in high altitude, we were encouraged to drink at least 3 litres a day.
X IS FOR THE X FACTOR
No matter how fit you are or how much training you have done, the altitude can stop you in your tracks.
Y IS FOR YOU
If you really want to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, you can do it.
Z IS FOR ZERO
We felt pretty sick on the first two days, until Gerard our guide said “Don’t worry you will soon go from zero to hero”
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