Day 8: Climb to Summit Uhuru Peak

MOUNTAIN ROUTE OVERVIEW

Summit is an 11 to 16 hour day. Climbers go to sleep after an early dinner the night before and are woken up around midnight to being their summit attempt. After a light snack, they ascent into darkness, cold, and wind. Temperatures usually range from -4° to 5° fahrenheit. This is where climbers feel the altitude, so they’ll carry as little as possible, hike slowly, and take many rests to ease the symptoms. They’ll make their way up a trail that is flanked by the Ratzel and Rebman Glaciers. After climbing for around six hours, they’ll reach the edge of Kilimanjaro’s crater between Stella and Hans Meyer Points. They’re just an hour from the summit when they get here! After a hot cup of tea and rest, they’ll begin climbing on a rocky and icy trail to the summit, Uhuru Peak, at 19,344 feet which is the highest point on the continent of Africa. Once they reach the summit, they’ll spend a few minutes making sure they touch the sign, celebrating with the group, and taking pictures before descending to Kosovo Camp. Once they reach camp, they’ll eat lunch and take a short nap before continuing their descent to Mweka Camp. Once they arrive at camp, they’ll have dinner and go to bed early after a 13 to 19 hour day of hiking!

MOUNTAIN ROUTE STATS

ASCENT

Starting elevation 15,400 feet

Ending elevation 19,344 feet

Elevation gain 3,944 feet

Distance hiked 4 miles

Average hiking time 8 to 10 hours

DESCENT

Starting elevation 19,344 feet

Ending elevation 10,200 feet

Elevation loss 9,144 feet

Distance hiked 8 miles

Average hiking time 7 to 9 hours

12am. Sleepy, bellies full of hot porridge prepared by the kitchen, and more layers than we could count. We were off to a good start. No wind! Pole, pole (Swahili for slow). We would surely make it to 19,341 feet, one step at a time.

1:08am. We stopped for our first break with optimism and hope still lingering, pushing us forward.

2:00am-5:30am. Our version of hell on earth…blistering winds, freezing hands, exhausted bodies, faint spirits, and darkness with no end in sight. What did we get ourselves into???

6:30 SUMMIT. Tears, hugging, relief, pictures, celebration. WE DID IT!

This timeline barley scratches the surface of this experience. The details within the context of this timeline will in many ways, remain on the mountain for all of us. But, if I can share one of those details from my perspective with you, I’d love to.

In the 2am-5:30am gap of time this is where your mental and physical strength is put to the test. If our body is like a car dashboard, all the signals are flashing red. To our saving grace, we have the best of the best guides out there. Walking with us every step of the way and knowing exactly what to do in each situation that arose. In this timeframe, I felt utterly desperate to reach the end. I kept asking one of the guides, Marko, “when will the sun come up?”

We’ve been saying it all week as a team and I’m sure you know the phrase well too, but taking it “one step at a time” took on a whole new meaning for me today. It was the only thing I could do. I watched my Dad in front of me in the early hours of the morning take steps one by one, enduring through this crazy thing we were doing together. I thought about how he has been there since my first steps as a kid and was with me today as we both stepped on the tallest point in Africa. These steps we take are never wasted. Even when they feel slow, they are always on time.

It’s a fight to remember to take things one step at a time, but in moments like today it reminded me how important it is. Especially in the struggle. Today was a dream come true! It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but this group of people made it so worth it.

Thank you Jesus, praise you Jesus.

~ Kally Huffty