Mt. Kilimanjaro Stories
A collection of stories from climbers who have attempted to climb Kilimanjaro.
What’s it like up there?
The first attempt at a nap
“I’d been awake most of the night, struggling for breath in the meager air “
Jon Krakauer from “Into Thin Air”
Cheyne-Stokes
No, this isn’t the newest diet fad or a way to stop someone from choking.
This is the name given to the process of running short of oxygen and being jolted awake by the horrible feeling of suffocation while attempting to sleep at significant altitude. Both my son and I experienced this potential altitude effect while cocooned in our minus-20 rated bags during our memorable night at Crater Camp (18,800ft), before our summit of Kilimanjaro the following morning.
“Sleeping is a problem for most high-altitude climbers due to a phenomenon known as Cheyne-Stokes breathing. While dozing, the climber breathes normally for a minute and then stops completely for thirty seconds. Suddenly, breathing resumes at an accelerated rate. One minute you sound out of breath, the next, dead. It is often more disconcerting for the tent mate than the sleeper.”
John Roskelley from “Nanda Devi, the tragic expedition.”
Please understand this missive is for edification not condemnation because I was the flatlander who had chosen to climb the Western Breach and camp just under the summit. I was the flatlander who thought doing an overnight at 18,800 ft. would be the experience of a lifetime. And I’m the one who wouldn’t trade that sleepless night with my son for anything in the world.
Date: April 12th, 2007 |
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16 Canadians Summit Kilimanjaro
A group of 16 Canadians recently got off the mountain this last week, and a story was published about them in a Canadian newspaper. The interesting thing was that most of group was over 50. The group leader was in his seventies and had just recovered from a hernia. Some of the group had never slept in a tent, others had never not had a shower for more than a day, and most of them were in modest shape. But they made it! They endured, the climbed, the fought, and they hiked for a week to Africa’s highest point.
Read this …
Date: January 23rd, 2007 |
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A Challenge on the Mountain
My son and I climbed Kilimanjaro by the Lemosho/Western Breach route. It remains the most daunting and cherished adventure we have ever completed.
Being a guest blogger on this site has given me the opportunity to share our experiences. My mission has been to hopefully inspire, educate and entertain.
The following account comes under a very different category but happened on our trek, nonetheless. Please remember this was all happening at 17,000+ ft., which limits cognitive and emotional flow to that of a dribbling faucet. I’ve been asked to share this because of its rareness.
The greatest challenge we faced was not headaches, fatigue, altitude sickness or weather issues. It was the cluster bomb of emotion thrust upon us the morning we discovered we were going to have to climb the Western Breach past a dead man being removed from the route above us. The same route we had just spent the last 8 days preparing to climb.
Date: January 3rd, 2007 |
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Missing Climber Body Found in China
Sorry folks, this is non-Kilimanjaro related story, but does go to show you the power of mountains - something you should consider when climbing Kilimanjaro. As many of you know, one of the owners of Mountain Maddness, Christine Boskoff, has been missing for the last few week in China, having not come home from a climbing expedition. Well, it looks like they found one of the bodies. This is very sad, as Christine was a integral part of the mountain and adventure community.
Read CNN Story
The thing about this, and the recent story on Mt. Hood in Oregon …
Date: December 27th, 2006 |
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Kilimanjaro Traverse - Camps of the Lemosho and Mweka Trails - Part Six
Crater Camp – 18, 370 ft., one night
Getting to the crater ascending the Western Breach with my son will remain as awesome a task as I have ever completed. The Breach is closed now but there are some outfitters that will guide you to Crater Camp climbing during the day from Barafu camp. Anyway you get there is well worth the experience.
As a flatlander and student of climbing history, I had to experience camping at 18, 370 ft. Peering from our tent at the frozen glaciers can hardly be put into words but seeing them illuminated in …
Date: December 21st, 2006 |
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Kilimanjaro Blog - Day to Day Account
Here is a great Kilimanjaro blog, on a day-to-day account climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. He has some great pictures going up the mountain and a nice crisp story.
Read Robert Barta’s Blog
I remember when I saw the woman puking and crying, 20 feet from Stella’s point, while everyone walked past her. I also remember my friend Zamoyoni eyes roll back in his head - and he couldn’t talk. It’s pretty scary when you get to the summit.
This is a great part of his story, somewhat similar to one of my experiences.
“Now some people would not believe some of the things …
Date: March 30th, 2007 |
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Rongai Route: A Story
I stumbled upon a good story in one of BootsnAll’s blog about hiking the Rongai route of Mount Kilimanjaro. If you want to read a day-to-day account of this guys experience climbing Kilimanjaro, you might want to check it out. It’s pretty good. I like how his guide got pissed off because the tip was too little. It’s really important to set the expectation with the guides that tips are “earned” not just given. If the guide gives you any slack, tell the company he works for.
Read the Rongai route story.
Date: January 19th, 2007 |
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Want to feel like shit? Climb Kilimanjaro, mate.
Just because Mount Kilimanjaro is one of those well-known mountains that everyone likes to climb, you should be forewarned that it’s not always a happy experience. Climbing Kilimanjaro can, and will, kick your ass - and can make you feel like shit. You probably are wondering why I am on this rant about the mountain? Well, I stumbled across this great blog of a guy’s experience climbing Kili. He had a really tough time and, in the end, it was hard on him physically and mentally. Not even the climb, but …
Date: December 29th, 2006 |
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Kilimanjaro Traverse - Lemosho and Mweka Trails - Part Seven
Millennium Camp 12.500 ft., one night
It took five days to ascend the distance we now covered in five hours.
Much of our descent was running down the scree slide and it did not take long for us to appreciate the increase in oxygen.
Millennium is an hour or so further down the mountain from Mweka camp and looked to me like it was less crowded. Nestled into the edges of the rain forest, we found the addition of green and the smell of Cedar almost a re-birth.
We were reunited with our complete team as only half of them went …
Date: December 22nd, 2006 |
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Kilimanjaro Traverse - Camps of the Lemosho and Mweka Trails - Part Five
Arrow Glacier Camp – 15,925 ft., one night
When the Western Breach was open only 5% of the annual trekkers used this route and camp. Closed in January 06, I recon very few souls will ever see it again.
Situated on the flanks of a gigantic debris field at the foot of the Breach, This camp, like no others we visited, had a transient and nomadic feel to it.
After less than two hours journey from Lava Tower, we dropped our gear and followed our guide, Stephen, up about one third of the Breach to continue our acclimatization process. …
Date: December 20th, 2006 |
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