After several years of planning and training, the dream commenced for real by traveling to Tanzania in late June. After two days of acclimating and participating in community service projects in the city of Arusha, our all-woman team (eight were age thirtyish, one age forty, and then me, the “old lady” of sixty-five) was ready to go. My nine new “daughters” immediately started calling me Trail Mama. Our US guide was a twenty-six-year-old guy undertaking his first solo guided trip up Kilimanjaro, although he had made numerous summits since his teenage years. Plus, we had four lead Tanzanian guides who touted hundreds of summits under their belts. We proved to be in excellent hands.
We start our seven-day trek at the Machame Gate (6,800 ft. elevation), trudging up a muddy and winding trail in the shambas and montane rainforest boasting monkeys and numerous songbirds. After six hours and 3,000 feet of elevation gain, we reach the Machame Campsite (9,840 ft. elevation). Our wonderful Tanzanian porters transported our tents, sleeping gear, clothes, food, water, and other necessities up the mountain so we could enjoy a hot dinner after a challenging first day.
On Day Two, we spend six hours hiking out of the rainforest up a steep ridge, then through open moorlands and across a large gorge to reach the Shira Campsite (elevation of 12,450 ft.—another gain of 3,000). We’re now about as high as Humphreys Peak, which is the highest mountain in my adopted state of Arizona. On Day Three, we have a long climb to Lava Tower Ridgeline to reach 14,800 feet of elevation, followed by up and down trekking for eight hours to settle at Barranco Campsite for the night. The nights are getting colder and colder as we climb higher, so I appreciate having a hot water bottle to put in my zero-degree sleeping bag while camping on the frozen tundra ground. The early morning hot tea in my tent literally brings tears of joy and thanks. Many members of our team (including me) have a sleepless night, worrying about what awaits the next morning.
Day Four begins with much trepidation of hiking across the Barranco Valley and then having to climb up the treacherous Barranco Wall. The best advice from our guides: Don’t look down, and just hug the wall. Yeah, right. Happily, we all successfully navigate the Wall and continue to climb into and above the clouds. After five or six hours of trekking across the Karanga River Valley, we arrive at the Karanga Campsite (13,400 ft. elevation).
Day Five involves only five hours of hiking (3,000 elevation gain) up the ridge to Kosovo Campsite (16,076 ft. elevation). Summit Day looms large, and we need to prepare both mentally and physically for an early morning push to the crowning achievement.
