Along with 3 friends ( from Dec. 27, 2000 - Jan. 21, 2001 ) I went to Tanzania, Africa specifically to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and then relax on the beaches of Zanzibar for a week and then finish the trip with a safari to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.

Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania in East Africa 3 degrees south of the equator. The sun is directly overhead for most of the day. Hot, hot, hot! It is an old volcano which is 50 miles wide at its base and like most big mountains makes its own weather. The consistent weather pattern is of clear,crisp,cold in the mornings with thick clouds and fog rolling in like clockwork at almost precisely noon every single day. The three peaks are Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo the latter being the highest peak and Uhuru ( freedom ) point at 5,896 meters being the goal.

You climb through 5 climatic zones on the way to Uhuru peak. The first zone appeared as we were driving from the small town of Moshi to the base of the mountain. Outside the National Park the lower zone is sweeping plains farmed by the Chagga people who grow bananas and coffee. As with most big mountains there are many routes up the mountain. We would not be taking the popular Marangu route in 5 days but a less popular route called the Makame route in 6 days. Over the course of a year some 10,000 people climb the mountain. We arrived at the Makame gate and met our porters who had been arranged by our guide Baltazarimtui who weighed all of 90 pounds and carried an umbrella walking stick as his constant companion. Did he know something we didn't know? We just carried our personals in our little backpacks and the equipment, tents and food would all be carried by our porters. Many of them wore regular clothes and sandals or rubber boots and were lean and fit. They started out ahead of us and when we arrived at our first campsite the tents table and chairs would be set up and tea and a snack would await us. Our guide instructed us to keep hydrated and to hike slowly ( in Swahili - pole pole ). Our first day of climbing had begun through the second zone of a rain forest of huge trees and vines and moss and pouring rain at times and mud, mud, mud! Each day we hiked about 6 hours and when we reached Makame Hut ( 3000 m ) the weather cleared in time for us to dry our gear and enjoy the view and the tea and fruit.

The next day we left the forest, followed a steep ridge and passed through heather and open moorlands with two very unusual cactus-like plants: Lobelia and Giant Groundsels. We crossed a large valley and reached Shira Hut ( 3800 m ); camp was ready , tea downed , supper eaten and of to bed for another early start next day. The third day we turned eastward and continued ascending through the dry landscape before dropping again to reach Barranco Hut ( 4600 m ). There were other tents scattered around here from other guiding companies and there must have been about 90 people assembled at this campsite.

The fourth day we followed the path which climbed steeply out of the Barranco Valley. The porters amazed us with their strength, balance and fitness as they carried their equipment, supplies and tents and fresh food on their heads as they climbed this steep trail. We crossed the Karanga valley and turned north to reach Barafu Hut ( 4600 m ). Now we were in a tundra-like desert with basically lichens and mosses for vegetation. We were camped on a very rocky ridge and there was some wind too so we had all our cold-weather gear on as we had already done so for the last two days. The end was in sight. We could see the summit from here and the snow cap as well. It would be an early start in the dark next morning so after supper off to bed for some much needed rest.

The fifth day was summit day and headlamps could be seen in the distance as some teams were already ahead of us. Again we went very slowly now as some of my companions had headaches and dizziness along with some vomiting and diarrhea bouts.We also had tingling in our hands from Diamox which we took to stave off altitude sickness. As we reached the crater rim at Stella Point we were in time to see the sunrise and the surrounding vistas and the fifth zone we had just come through. It was barren rock and scree with no vegetation at all. This zone has arctic conditions - freezing, cold nights and moderate days with intense burning sunshine until the noontime clouds roll in. The temperature difference in one day can sometimes be up to 50 degrees. From here it was another half hour to Uhuru Peak at 5896 m. The day so early in the morning was clear and the snowcap with its 50 meter high walls was very visible. By the time we arrived there were some 40 other climbers at the top and more on the way. For a half hour I took in the view and pictures and then with amazing speed headed back to our campsite. We took a nap and then headed back down to our previous campsite for our last day on the mountain.

Lasting thoughts and impressions? There were many. We know what slow, slow , slow means and how it is important to minimize altitude sickness. Drink lots and stay hydrated. Almost 6000 metres is very, very high. Five climate zones on one mountain in such a short time is amazing. There are a lot of climbers on Kilimanjaro! Altitude sickness is no fun. Porters rule and deserve the extra tip. Great views and great people. An experience of a lifetime and one I will never forget!