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 16,000 feet
Ending elevation 19,344 feet
Elevation gain 3,344 feet
Distance hiked 4.5 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
Friends & Family -
A team of 14 climbers are resting now at Barafu Basecamp (~16,000 ft) preparing to begin their Summit Night trek to Uhuru Peak (19,341 ft).
Thankfully the group has had amazing weather and all are in good spirits. They are experiencing the typical altitude symptoms but are doing well as a whole.
We invite you to take a moment and pray a special prayer over these friends as they begin their climb around 5:30 EST.
Pray for strength & safety.
Pray over our Guides and Porters leading them and serving the team,
Pray their spirits would be filled.
Pray for their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs as they journey to Uhuru Peak (“Freedom” in Swahili).
THE TEAM
Jamie Hanson
Lanni Hanson
Ken Tankersley
Tyler Tankersley
Kevin King
Sam Stigler
Steve Carmichael
Hadley Carmichael
Olivia Holtzclaw
Mark Moore
Jackson Moore
Parker Moore
Olivier Munyemana
Drew Voyles
Pamoja Pamoja. Together Together.
The final climb to the Summit began at midnight, after a quick dinner, prayers and final preparations. It was surreal experience starting out from base camp in the dark and cold with a multitude of other climbers. The headlights up the mountain provided the only glimpse of what was to come. We established a slow methodic rhythm. The frequent stops we had enjoyed throughout the week were absent due to time constraints and the need to keep moving in order to stay warm. The hours passed by slowly and conversation became less and less frequent while heavy breathing, soreness and pain increased. We were allowed a brief reprieve with hot chocolate and coffee, while the breaking of the dawn brought new hope with a unique view of the sun rising "above" the clouds. The ledge of the crater rim came into sight, but the loose pebbles "scree" made the last stretch the most difficult. The exhausted group arrived at the crater in "pieces", accompanied by joy, tears and the realization that a hike around the rim and 500ft of elevation still separated us from the top. Supported by the prayers of friends and family, all 14 members of our expedition made it to the top. Words can't express the emotions felt as we accomplished a dream over a year in the making. At dinner that evening, 6k feet below and 10 hours later, we celebrated nothing short of a miracle that only could have been accomplished with the Lord's strength, the incredible support of our guides and the bond of a newly established group of amazing friends…
~ Steve Carmichael