22.7 miles and 19,341 vertical feet later... WE DID IT!

Jambo from Arusha!

I am pleased to announce that on January 8th, 2014 at 8:00am the entire Mountains for Moms team made it to Gilman's Point on Mt. Kilimanjaro to summit the world's tallest freestanding mountain. It was a wild journey, the likes of which we will never experience again, but completely and totally worth it. Every single member made it up there safe and sound, and back down again in similar fashion. The mountain pushed us to dig deep and believe in ourselves more than ever before, and we were thankful to have guides that helped us every step of the way. In the end, we made it, and it felt so amazing to know it was for such a great cause.

As an overview of the last week, we departed from Flamingo Lodge to have our second safari in the Tarangire National Park on January 3rd, where we were able to see unbelievable amounts of elephants and giraffes! We were able to take tons of photos, and enjoyed a lunch in the park before departing for Marangu Hotel, which was about 4 hours away in a very bumpy car ride. We had one stop to make - in Moshi - where George, the director of Mtaki Brothers (our travel agency for the safari), insisted we stop for a certificate ceremony and some beers. He doled out t-shirts galore to our team, and shook each of our hands enthusiastically as he presented each of us with our safari certificate. After that, it was on to Marangu Hotel where we would have dinner before getting a good night's sleep and preparing for the start of our climb on January 4th!

Thankfully, we did not have orientation the night of January 3rd, like I thought we would, and instead we had a wonderful group dinner at the hotel before heading straight to bed in some very nice rooms! The hotel has a courtyard, bar, a dining room, and a nice lounge, and so we understood why it was one of the top-rated hotels in Moshi. The next morning we woke up early for our 7:30am breakfast, and had to have everything out on our beds that we planned to pack, because Dora, one of the managers (a tough little lady who had climbed the mountain many times back in her day) would come around to make sure we had everything we needed. Following our pack-check, we stuffed everything into our duffles and our day-packs and went to orientation with Seamus, a fantastic guy with large ears and a charming accent. Only a person like him could make nausea, vomiting, and cerebral edema (many of the things he warned us about) sound so delightful. After the orientation, we met our crew of 7 guides, 1 chef, 2 waiters, and 23 porters. It was a huge crew, and all to make sure we would get up the mountain! They were very nice, and clearly extremely athletic, and so after quick introductions we loaded onto our bus and were off to the Marangu Gate! 

We signed into the park, received our permits, and were off. With about 3 liters of water and a packed lunch, we had a 4-5 hour hike ahead of us to get to Mandara Hut. The main thing that the guides told us to focus on when hiking was "pole, pole," which means "slowly, slowly," as the altitude could have serious effects if we ascended too quickly. So we went very "pole" up the mountain, at a pace that seemed excrutiatingly slow, but according to Seamus, we'd be doing it wrong if we ever found ourselves out of breath. We arrived at Mandara Hut full of energy, and excited to be there. We were even more elated when we found that all 13 of us would be bunking together in the top floor of the dining hut! Also, it was our first chance to see what the food would be like on the mountain, and we were not disappointed. Our meal then, and all that followed, started with a vegetable soup, then rice or potatoes, cabbage or some other veggie, with a veggie stew in a sauce, with bread, and fruit for desert. We were never hungry, and they even accommodated members who were gluten-free, vegetarian, or carnivorous - they did anything! 

Our next day was a long hike to the next hut, Horrombo Hut, at about 12,500 vertical feet. It was going to be a large jump in altitude, so pole pole we went. Charlie, our lead guide, headed up the train of us hikers as we made our way through Maundi Crater, an area where the ground had collapsed, up out of the rainforest and into the alpine zone, and then up to Horrombo Hut, a more desolate environment that was already above the clouds. During our first night there, some began to feel the altitude, but after drinking lots more water, everyone felt better and was able to rest after the long day of hiking (8:00am-5:00pm). 

The next day was our acclimatization/rest day at Horrombo, and was welcome after the previous day's travels. We hiked to Zebra Rock, a natural black and white rock at about 14,000ft, where we had beautiful views of Mwenzi, the neighboring peak (still part of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but not the highest peak - the highest peak is Uhuru, and that's where we summitted). Leaving after breakfast, we made it there at about 11:30am and were able to return for a large lunch at the hut. Then all afternoon we made use of the rest day; so some napped, some journaled, and others explored the area around the huts!

Then we were off to Kibo Hut, the last hut before the summit, at about 15,000ft. Leaving early, we hiked past the last water point, where porters had to pack in all of the water for the next part of the trip. We could only imagine how heavy their loads were after that. We had lunch in some rocks, as trees had completely disappeared by that point, and slowly made our way through the completely barren landscape until Kibo hut was in sight, where we had popcorn, cookies, and tea waiting for us. 

It was summit night ahead of us. Something different was in the air, and there was a general feelig of apprehension, anxiety, and nausea, in the hut (especially as we walked by those who were not so fortunate in how the altitude affected them). However, our group was in the best of spirits! We were joking around, eagerly eating our food (despite warnings that altitude would destroy our appetites) and excited for the adventure ahead. Summitting Mt. Kilimanjaro requires a crazy schedule - you arrive at the hut at about 4:00pm (if you're slow like us, between 1:00pm and 3:00pm if you go faster) and have dinner at 5:00pm to load up on carbs for energy for the hike. Then, you have about 5 hours to sleep before waking up at 11:00pm to prepare for the hike, which requires that you leave from the hut at midnight, no matter what. Waking up at 11:00pm was somewhat disorienting, but we gathered our things, had a couple last cups of tea and biscuits, and were off, trudging into the dark, following our brave leader Charley into the night. It was pole pole again, and soon the steepness required a pace almost slower than crawling. The altitude began to affect some, and we took periodic breaks about every hour and a half in the shelter of caves or other large rocks. The hours dragged on, and more than one of us doubted exactly why we were doing this. But there the guides were, confident that we could make it, and helping us each step of the way, holding a pack here, and offering words of encouragement when necessary. After a long and tiring 8 hours, all 13 of us made it to Gilman's point, and happily snapped photos in our altitude-induced delirium. We then had a decision to make, as Gilman's Point is not the highest point. You can still receive a summit certificate upon reaching Gilman's; however, the highest point and true summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is Uhuru, which was another 2 kilometers away. That may not sound like much, but at that point many of us felt nauseous, were extremely cold, and didn't have much water as many of our Camelbaks froze. However, 11 decided to bravely continue, and reached Uhuru at 10:30am, after another exhausting 2.5 hours of trudging along the crater ridge in the snow. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and we couldn't see anything at the top, but nothing in the world will ever compare to the feeling we had when we finally made it to the summit, knowing that we have accomplished one of the biggest feats that any of us will ever attempt in our lives. 

Then we had to go back. It was another hour to Gilman's, then another hour and a half down to Kibo, and by this point it was well into the morning and we saw the true nature of the landscape we had just climbed, and it was STEEP. We essentially skied down the mountain, sliding on the "scree," or small pebbles, that covered the slope. Our thighs burning, we slid faster and faster to beat the hailstorm that was fast approaching us. Finally, we all made it back to the hut, and had a large lunch before an all-too-short recovery period to pack and get ready to hike another 10 kilometers back to Horrombo Hut, where we would stay for the night. Total hours hiking that day: 16 hours. Something we hope we will never do again, but will always treasure the crazy day that summit day was, and all the ups and downs throughout.

After our last night on the mountain at Horrombo, we walked down to Mandara huts for lunch, and then down to the gate by 2:00pm, where we officially finished the hike. With burning muscles and sore knees, we collapsed at the bottom to wait for all the members and guides to come down before heading back to Marangu Hotel.

We all gratefully grabbed our room keys in anticipation of much-needed showers and then quickly sorted tips before running to our summit certificate ceremony with Charlie and the entire crew! All 33 members were there, and after presenting our tips, we were serenaded with two traditional songs, one about Kilimanjaro, and one called "Jambo." It was so much fun, and we took a fantastic group picture with all of Mountains for Moms and the whole crew (to be uploaded when we are back in the US). Then we all gathered as a group to celebrate both Rebecca's and Alyssa's birthdays, and the successful completion of the climb, which went better than any of us thought possible!

We are now volunteering in Arusha (about 2 hours away) at the United Africa Alliance Community Center, where they run computer, English, music, yoga and engineering classes, as well as provide a home to 21 wonderful children between the ages of 5 and 16. We've been enjoying time getting to know all the kids, work on English skills with the students, decorate their computer lab, and even teach Excel and Powerpoint. It's been amazing to get to know the people that call Tanzania home, and we couldn't have had a better way to end the trip.

We will be leaving from here tomorrow (January 14) and heading to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for our flight at 6:15pm. We'll arrive in Dar Es Salaam at 8:25pm, where we will be picked up and transported to Tanzania Executive Suites for the night, a nice hotel about 10 minutes from the airport. On January 15th, we will head to the airport at about 1:00pm, for our 4:15pm flight from Dar Es Salaam to Dubai, then to Milan, and on to JFK, where we will arrive at 7:45am (EST). 

Our experiences in this country with the people we have met, the challenges we have faced, and the incredible energy our group has carried along with us each step of the way has made this trip a life-changing experience for each member in their own way, and I hope that each person will carry these memories with them for a lifetime. Not only have we climbed the world's tallest freestanding mountain, but we were able to change the world in our own way, and share our love, energy, and knowledge with all we met, so we could learn about this wonderful place and learn about ourselves too.

Thank you for all the support, we cannot come close to expressing how much it has meant. Asante sana (thank you very much) and we will see you all soon!