Part 3 of 4 parts:
Moonshine
trekking to the top of Kilimanjaro
(the
article continues here)
Stella
Point - the first big obstacle
Well assisted by the local guides, the girl and I reached
the flat plateau, Stella Point, the so called crater rim, at the same time. From
here we could see the snow-filled Kibo crater. The travel company don't approve
the edge of the crater as the top, so it was still a short distance to walk to
the top. Near the crater rim I saw the man who got the big problems earlier. He
was throwing up.
He had
still retained his extremely good guts as I knew him from the earlier part of
the tour. My friend said something like that: "I puked so beautiful in red
that it was an aesthetics enjoyment". At the same time he was angry at
himself because he had problems. After he was finished puking, he walked
straight on towards the top. I was convinced that nothing could stop this
man.
There
was no need to rush the last part. I had to sit down for a while. I drank water
and juice, as much as I could. I also got some chocolate and other candies from
the guides. My energy level rose quickly again, and I felt much better
immediately. I could see that some members of my group started to walk towards
the top. Encouraged by the new energy and sunlight, I rose up again and started
walking after them. I became stronger in my belief that I could make it.
A
few metres from our resting area, I again met the girl in our group who had
really big problems. It looked like she was throwing up. She stood with her head
turned down. I encouraged her to continue. She lifted her head a little bit up,
and halfway looked at me without responding. I could see she had a hard time,
and I wished her good luck. I knew that this girl was very though, so she
wouldn't give up easily. So I continued in a higher speed so I could catch up
with my friends. After a while I reached them, but then I was so tired that I
had to take a rest again. I had to take my time. I wanted so much to stand on
the top together with my friends. Anyway I had to realize that I had to walk on
my own the last part. I asked the local guide Beatruce how far it was to go. He
said that we were very near, and that I should keep on walking. Each time I
thought I was near, there was a new distance. It seemed to be
endless.
| Photo. My group is approaching the top. |
 |
|
Photo. Tove and Ann Iren.
To brave and happy climbers from my group.
It`s hard times. Keep up the good mood! |
 |
I
was thinking: Kilimanjaro, you can't hold me back now. I am coming up
anyhow. Supported by the helpful guide Beatruce, I didn't need to crawl up.
He also carried my small backpack, but my photo camera and video camera were
still hanging around my neck. Finally I reached the top. I
had used 7,5 hours, so it was a little bit behind the schedule. I had hoped to
see the sunrise from the top. Everybody in my group were standing there except
one person. This was the girl, but she made it later. She was well supported by
our Norwegian guide Oddbjørn and the local guide Victor. I walked on a zigzags
path beside the crater rim. On one side, I could see the deep craters, and on
the other I could see the beautiful glaciers.
Photos.
On the top - beautiful claciers.
With
great enthusiasm, my friends welcomed me with wild shouting and cheers. I was so
tired that I almost couldn't respond. As I planned, I made a big Tarzan-roar,
and banged myself on my chest. I had made it. There was no doubt. I have never
been so near the sky standing with my feet on the ground. I felt I had beaten
Kilimanjaro. It was a hard fight that caused blood, sweet and tears. Other
things I had planned to do, I had to skip. I had to save energy for the
descending. For they who manage to keep their conscious on the top, not like me,
they can probably see a sign on a flag pole where they can read a quote from
President Nyerere that you have reached the highest point in Africa.
| Photo. Sign post on the definitive top! |
 |
Even
though Kilimanjaro was not the highest peak on the earth, I felt like the top of
the world, but there was no time to enjoy the view, even though it was clear
weather. I just threw a short look at the craters and glaciers for the last
time. I was nearly out of control and had to focus on taking care of myself.
Before we started to walk from the last camp, our guide Marc advised us to stand
on the top just 5 - 7 minutes. For me it was better to return immediately. I
wouldn't like to be tumbling around on the top. Irrational behaviour could be
quite dangerous.
| Photo. Me on the top - with strong mixed emotions! |
 |
Marc
also told me personally to walk down immediately. So I did. I threw myself down
the steep hillsides and slid down on the gravel. I wouldn't say that I had
nerves of steel, but I was desperate to descend quickly. My knees got a real
hard time on the way down, and after a while I had to stop unwillingly again. I
was totally empty, and the sun burned like hell. My body temperature rose up to
a critical level, and I became worried about a heart-attack. This was
Kilimanjaro`s drawback, and I was far from finished with the mountain yet. I
still had to walk for 6 -7 hours to descend to the Mweka Camp at 3000 metres.
The first couple of hours felt like torture. The last part became easier, and I
started to look more optimistic on life again.
Recovering
The
day was over. Finally it was time for relaxing at the last camp, Mweka Camp
(3000 metres), but even though I was totally exhausted, it was not easy to sleep
on the rocky ground. In addition I felt like a horse when I tried to sleep. It
was so steep on the ground that I had to sleep in a half standing position. In
my imagination horses would also be exhausted after a night in a standing
position trying to sleep. It was just what I felt when I tried to relax in the
tent. The night was terrible and it was not the comfort I needed for reloading
my batteries. Anyway I was happy. The night gave me time to think back on the
struggling to the top. It gave me peace in my soul, and the strength was coming
back to me.
The
real heroes
In
addition to our 3 local guides Marc, Victor and Beatruce, our crew covered 26
porters from the same tribe; the Marango tribe (more than 2 porters per
climber). They all seemed to be in pretty good shape. They kept an incredible
high speed ascending the mountain, day after day. The porters passed us each
day, and we didn't have a chance to keep up with their speed. We shouted
"pole pole" to them when they passed us. It means "keep it slow" in their
local language. They just smiled at us and kept walking in the same speed.
|
Photo.
One of the great porters.
The
porters carried our heavy backpacks,our tents, food, drinks and other equipment.
|
|
Each
porter was allowed to carry stuff up to a maximum of 17 kilos, but it seem to me
that they carried a lot more!
This
was including their own food and clothing, which they bounded to our bags. Their
payroll system was very advanced, and based on their tasks and how much they had
carried during the tour. Being a porter is connected with high prestige in
Tanzania, and it's a well-paid job.
|
Photo. Coocking in the tent.
The food was excellent and it gave me a lot of energy. I
really wondered; how could they make so good food during such small,
narrow and high conditions? |
 |
My
friends and I were incredibly impressed by these people. We couldn't have gotten
a better crew. Many of them take this tour 2 -3 times a month during the whole
year. It's probably not good for their health. Their bodies are continuously
exposed for the extreme geographical conditions. Many of them die at a very
early age. Of course they are more used to heights than us since they have been
growing up about 2000 metres above sea level. Because of that they have bigger
lung capacity and more red blood legumes. The porters have my
deepest respect for the incredible job they do. For me one thing
stood clear: the porters are the real heroes of the Kilimanjaro! I also
mentioned this after the tour when I held a short speech to thank them.
The
7th sense
It
was amazing to see how brave some people were. They didn't give up despite their
big problems. I also think many people have to prove them selves. Probably I was
one of them. Yes, I have to admit it. I had just turned 40, and had to prove,
both to myself and to my friends that it was still possible to be active. I
refused to be an armchair explorer, and to keep up my self-confidence I had to
do a tour like this. Even though some climbers were almost unconscious, their
brain still worked. How could they navigate so well under such conditions, I
wondered. In one way or another they knew where they should
go.
|
Photo. Steep climbing was very exhausting and
almost took our breath breath away!
It looked as if it was the 7th sense that was switched on.
Some people were still heading for the top, and other were on their way
down. But some had already "crashed" totally, and was carried down. We
noticed that some Americans and French people had to return before they
reached the top. |
 |
Independently
of the route climbers choose, it's a pretty hard undertaking, which has to be
taken seriously. To put it in another perspective: climbers at Kilimanjaro have
to bear in mind that the top, Uhuru Peak, is over 550 metres higher than the
Mount Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas, and that trekkers there use at least 2
weeks to reach this camp from Kathmandu. You never know how the altitude would
affect your mind and body.
Even
though you are really fit, you can get serious problems. An example of this is a
cross country skier from Norway;
who was one of the absolute best in the world for few years ago. He made a
serious attempt to conquer Kilimanjaro. He didn't make it to the top despite his
incredible physical and psychological capacity. Perhaps he tried to reach the
top quicker than the rest of us. Anyway it proves that altitude sickness can hit
everyone, so it has to be treated with respect. The 7th sense can`t always help you.
Read
more of this article in part 4 (the last part).
Stein Morten Lund, 8
august 2003
Additional
information
Facts
about Kilimanjaro:
·
The
highest peak, Uhuru
Peak,
is 5895 metres above sea level.
·
The
highest peak is 550 metres higher than the Everest Base Camp that climbers use
at least two weeks to reach.
·
Kilimanjaro
stands 330 kilometres south of equator, on the northern boundary of
Tanzania.
·
It's
the highest mountain on the African continent.
·
It
composes three extinct volcanoes: Kibo 5895 m (19340), Mawenzi 5149 m (16896 ft)
and Shira 3962 m (13000 ft)
·
It's
one of the world's highest free standing mountains.
·
The
first man on the top was Hans Meyer from
Germany
in 1889.
·
The
Kilimanjaro massif has an oval base about 40 metres to 60 kilometres across, and
rises almost 5000 metres above the surrounding plains.
Facts
about myself June 2003:
I
started to train more seriously 3 - 4 weeks before the departure to
Tanzania.
I had just turned 40, and to many people, including myself, that feels like a
heavy burden. To prove to my friends and colleges that I'm not that old yet, I
challenged a robot computer in rowing at S.A.T.S (training studio). I programmed
the robot with the following abilities: 28 years old (also much younger than
myself), weight (5 kilo lower than my weight), high activity for rowing and
speed, and high difficulty level. Believe or not: I beat the computer with small
a margin. It was a real photo finish. The distance was nothing to boost about:
just 500 metres. I was fully aware that Kilimanjaro would be a quite bigger
challenge, but I was very much conscious about not putting artificial
limitations on myself.
By
reading my story you can understand that most people can do the same. Reaching
the top of Kilimanjaro it's not unique in itself, but it's a great personal
victory for most people. I remember Neil Armstrong's famous words when he became
the first human on the moon: "One small
step for man, one giant leap for mankind". I would like to put it this way:
"One small step for mankind, one giant
leap for me"!
Our
tour programme:
·
Departure
Saturday
5 July 2003
from Oslo.
·
Start
climbing Sunday 6 July.
·
Reached
the top Saturday 12 July early in the morning.
·
Safari:
from 14 July to 18 July.
·
Departure
from Tanzania
to Oslo:
18 July.
Presentation
of the travel company Hvitserk:
Hvitserk
is an Norwegian well-known tour operator and guiding company, specialised on
climbing and trekking on high mountains around the world. Over the years they
have guided Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Brits, Dutch, Swiss, German, Austrians,
Canadians, Americans, etc, on unique adventure tours, especially in
Greenland.
Hvitserk
has arranged several expeditions to the highest mountain in the entire
Arctic:
Gunnbjornsfjell - or HVITSERK as the Vikings named it. The Hvitserk-guides have
also more than 30 successful full Icecap crossings behind them, either with
dogsleds, ski sails or by man hauling pulkas.
Some
other tours, which have been very popular:
·
Kilimanjaro
(Tanzania)
·
Himalayan
(Nepal)
- Everest Base camp and Island
Peak
·
Elbrus
(Caucasus)
·
Acouncagua
(Argentina)
·
Rwenzori
(Uganda)
For more information about planned tours, ongoing tours and
bookings,
take a look at
Hvitserk`s website www.Hvitserk.no.
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