Recently Harshal and I completed our first multi-day hike together and were successful in climbing to the Roof of Africa- Mt Kilimanjaro Uhuru Point! After we returned a lot of people had a lot of questions for us. Here were the top questions we got to answer for our friends and family. Lastly, doing anything like climbing Kilimanjaro helps to reflect on life in general and I could not end this blog without sharing some of the "Aha moments of Life" :) Enjoy!
Why did Harshal and I decide to climb Mt Kilimanjaro?
It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves-in finding themselves- Andre Gide.
Who went on the trip?
If you have seen the movie Ratatouille, you may remember a line from that movie- "Anybody can cook!" It further shows how a rat becomes a famous cook- thus proving that passion, anything is possible! Similarly, I truly believe that"Anybody can climb Kilimanjaro!"- assuming you have some decent level of fitness and can fathom the thought of subjecting your body to multiple days of long hikes, sleeping in a tent with sub-zero temperatures, and last but not least, doing all this without taking a shower for 8 straight days!:)
One surprising aspect of Kilimanjaro compared to hiking Machu Picchu was walking slowly in a single file. We spent as much time observing the gaiters and footwear of the person in front of us, as much as we did observing the surroundings. The beauty of this walk is that you don’t stop, except for breaks -snack breaks, lunch breaks, photo breaks and potty breaks! It is hard work- slow and steady! The reward is that you climb a very tall mountain and the view from the top is priceless.
On the mountain, you need to trust your guide and we were blessed to have an exceptional guide on our climb. Raymond (in the picture above) took many decisions that were strategic, uncommon and sometimes hard, but in the end, it helped us get to our goal and the summit of Kilimanjaro. For instance, when the entire campsite was empty on Day 5 of our hike up Barranco wall, we left last, had the entire mountain to ourselves and really did not exhaust ourselves waiting in a “traffic jam” on an ominous wall! My biggest lesson was to place your trust in your guide. The guide knows best and can help you get to your goal.
Why did Harshal and I decide to climb Mt Kilimanjaro?
It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves-in finding themselves- Andre Gide.
Hiking, trekking and mountain climbing have always been close to my heart. As a child, we took family vacations in mountains in the foothills of the Himalayas. Those Himalayan mountains remain special! During my vacation after completing high school, I was fortunate to have done a 1-month residential mountaineering course in India, again in the Himalayas. Fast forward a few years- marriage, husband and two kids later, our new family unit also started hiking and trekking locally. Having done Classic 4 day hike to Machu Picchu about two years ago with a group of friends, it was time to take on a bigger challenge- a longer multi-day hike. We decided that Mt Kilimanjaro would be our next challenge and after more than a year of researching companies and routes online, we decided 8 Lemosho Route with Climb Kili for a full moon hike with start date of Sunday, July 22, 2018.
Hiking and climbing a mountain is a form of personal meditation. I work in the technology space and being connected 24/7 is the way of life. Nature is a wonderful teacher and being on a mountain, away from technology, just absorbing the splendid scenery and sounds are the best form of relaxation. For some, it's lounging on a beach with a martini in hand. For me, it is laying in my sleeping bag on a mountain and observing the night sky after a long day of strenuous climbing! The sight of snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro’s Kibo peak and twinkling night sky will stay with me forever!
There were six of us “desi” Philadelphians who went on this trip- C (60), A (55), M (52), Harshal (39), yours truly (39) and last but not least, our unofficial group leader and the youngest member of our team, J (38).
Having hiked with M, A, and J previously, I was certain that we would have a blast! C had decided to take on this challenge as a 60th birthday present for herself! I had heard that C was physically fit and had a few half marathons and a marathon under her belt. During our first meeting, it was quickly confirmed that not only was she physically fit to take on the challenge but had a strong mental resolve to complement it! Secretly, I only wish that at 60, I am like C- in a physical state to gift myself an adventure like this! I secretly also missed a lot of other friends who wanted to take on this challenge but decided to postpone the plan until next year for personal reasons!
However, since I titled the post "Second Honeymoon", by far the best part of this trip was being able to travel to Africa with Harshal- my hubby! After 10 years, this was our first trip without kids. We both turn 40 in the next few months and this was a personal challenge to welcome our “Fortitudinous Forties”, together, as a couple!
Did you summit? Did you reach Uhuru peak?
Yes, all six of us summited Mt Kilimanjaro at 2pm on July 28, 2018. From day 1, we had made Uhuru peak our goal and left no stone unturned to reach that goal, by our actions, physically and mentally. There are several external factors, some we were within our control and others had to be left to chance. The factors we could control were what route and preparation leading up to the trek. This required a lot of research online and several hours spent watching YouTube videos and reading a variety of blogs. Factors outside of control would be weather during our trek, staying healthy and not experiencing altitude sickness.
Our research did pay off and lady luck shined upon us! It turned out that we ended up chosing an excellent company based on online reviews- Climb Kili- and a route that offers the best chance of success – Lemosho route. We got great weather and found ourselves in hands of a superb guide and a very hard working and excellent crew that aimed to please. Raymond our guide and his calculated strategic decisions along the way, helped all of us reach our goal. And we had great fun along the way. One of our guides mentioned that we were one of the most talkative groups he had seen! Although there were some signs of mountain sickness- lost appetites, upset stomachs, etc, we never once gave up on the goal!
How did you prepare for this?
If you have seen the movie Ratatouille, you may remember a line from that movie- "Anybody can cook!" It further shows how a rat becomes a famous cook- thus proving that passion, anything is possible! Similarly, I truly believe that"Anybody can climb Kilimanjaro!"- assuming you have some decent level of fitness and can fathom the thought of subjecting your body to multiple days of long hikes, sleeping in a tent with sub-zero temperatures, and last but not least, doing all this without taking a shower for 8 straight days!:)
Both Harshal and I prepared for the trip by becoming “weekend warriors” as far as some endurance training was concerned. Running, Orange theory classes, Yoga, and most importantly, hiking local area state parks quickly became our weekend activity for about 6 -7 months leading up to the hike. Our two elementary school age kids love to hike with us too. During the busy school year, Saturday morning was Harshal’s and Sunday morning was mine! Closer to our trip, training turned out to be fun-filled family hikes with our kids, and all of us hiking for as many as 10-12 miles in Poconos/Catskill /Adirondack area!
In addition to training, we had to do a lot of research, talk to others who had undertaken this hike previously and read up a lot on all items that we would need on this trip. We would be walking for long distances for 8 straight days at very high altitudes. The last night of the summit, we would be at the highest point of 19, 340 feet or 5,895 meters in Africa and that was our goal! So, right gear was going to be extremely important and we did our homework and after multiple trips to EMS and REI, we were all set with the right gear. It turned out that all that we took we used and albeit encountering multiple sub-zero nights I was super warm and toasty. Some killer tips to follow in a separate detailed blog post detailing day-by-day itinerary soon.
Life lessons and reflections reaching 19, 341 feet!
We spent a lot of time walking over 8 days and it was really hard work. Each day we walked anywhere from 6-8 hours. The last day of the summit was probably the hardest thing I had ever done in my life! With a lot of time to reflect, there were three lessons I took from the mountain and the overall experience.
Lesson 1: “Pole Pole” wins the race
One surprising aspect of Kilimanjaro compared to hiking Machu Picchu was walking slowly in a single file. We spent as much time observing the gaiters and footwear of the person in front of us, as much as we did observing the surroundings. The beauty of this walk is that you don’t stop, except for breaks -snack breaks, lunch breaks, photo breaks and potty breaks! It is hard work- slow and steady! The reward is that you climb a very tall mountain and the view from the top is priceless.
“Pole Pole” means slow and steady. We did not rush up the mountain but took small and deliberate steps right from day 1 of the climb. Those who haste up the mountain are usually needed to be brought down due to mountain sickness.
It’s like that with any project or activity in life- a work project or a personal project- if you keep at it with persistence, one small step at a time, eventually you can accomplish a lofty goal! You just need the perseverance for taking that one small step at a time!
Lesson 2: Teamwork matters
Climbing that mountain was hard and we were a team of 6 climbers supported by a team of 27! We had a lot of help and we drew on each other’s strengths. Each person on the team did what they did best- cooks cooked, porters carried our stuff, dishwasher washed dishes and our “tent engineer” as he called himself, made sure our tents were pitched! At the end of the day, no matter how hard the day had been, we all sang, danced and celebrated together. A great team was key to success on a mountain.
I am blessed to have exceptional team members on my project at work. And as I thought about it further, it is my family that is the most important team in life! I was fortunate to take this trip with my husband. Kids spent time in India and we both were blessed to have an extended team in India who took excellent care of the kids and even took a trip to show them the Taj Mahal! Teamwork matters no matter what team you belong to! Try to be the best teammate you can be!
At work, this guide comes in form of leaders and mentors. And in life, the guide is none other than that one superpower- call it God or whatever else you call it. Give it your best and trust in that superpower. With a positive mental attitude, all goals can be accomplished. We have all heard “When life throws lemons, make lemonade” but the biggest lesson I learned was that there is a reason that life threw lemons…trust the superpower! Good or bad- make most of whatever life throws at you, do not lose sight of your goal, be the best you can and with perseverance and patience, success will be yours. Have a cold one to celebrate!
Hope you enjoyed reading!
