Kilimanjaro travel log:

This is a faithful transcription of a journal that the author kept on his climb of Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this year. Entries were recorded at the times mentioned, though altitude and fatigue might have caused lapses in judgment of which embellishments were appropriate for comedic effect and narrative structure.

Day 1: Mti Mkubwa. Distance hiked: 6km Elevation: 2895m (+396)
Weather temperate, very sunny but lots of tree cover. Sunscreen split in day pack, and cost a quarter of my wet wipes to clean. There was water for washing, which was unexpectedly nice, and did a lot more than I gave it credit for. I feel almost clean. Food good so far. We had met an older lady back at Moshi who had failed to summit with her friend. She encouraged us to rest lots and that the days became harder as the fatigue accumulated. Started taking Diamox. Might have to poop soon. Battery life holding up well. Ankle holding up well after climb. 6 more nights of camping left to go; it’s more the discomfort with being dirty that is really wearing me down than physical fatigue. Yet I feel sleep creeping upon me. Perhaps I will not have as much time to read this trip as I had planned.

Day 2: Shiratour. Distance hiked: 21km. Elevation: 3900m (+1120)
J feeling nauseous, sprits low after 21km hike. Because we compressed the hike owing to scheduling, we did what is effectively a two-day hike in one, Shira I and Shira II — but with the accent of the guide, it sounded like Shiratour. Sounded a bit Tolkien. Food is good as always, no appetite problems from me. The longest I’ve ever gone without Duolingo in 4 years. I miss my girlfriend. Outhouses are not as rancid if I don’t pee while pooping. There are some beautiful white flowers, metallic with the dust in the air. The guide said that they were permanent, and never died. They certainly looked that way, made of blades. Or maybe the altitude is already starting to affect me more than I know. Long days without distraction. I still feel very good. Starting to get cold and windy. The mountains still look so far. I am severely sunburnt. Ankle is feeling sore.

Day 3: Baranco. Distance hiked: 12km. Elevation: 3960m (+740, -680)
Good slow steady climb today. We ascended nearly a kilometre, then descended. Tough on the knees. Nearly at the halfway mark I heard that the final day has an elevation gain of 1km. J is feeling better, spirits are good, but anticipating a lot of work on summit day. Changed underwear today. Peed before pooping to avoid stirring shit. I wonder if the person who created the expressions “stir up shit” and “shit disturber” had ever actually done so before. Because it makes a lot of sense. Shit is there, smelly and present, but until you stir it up, it’s not rancid. Apparently, Diamox is a diuretic. Today, the guide said something that sounded like ad astra, and I kept on repeating it to myself: per aspera ad astra.

30 Hours until summit: Karanga. Distance hiked: 5km. Elevation: 4035m (+75)
Sitting in the tent in the afternoon. Today we climbed the Baranco Wall, which was a large rock face. I’ve realized that J and I look like anime villains: androgenous siblings, one with no hair and the other with stomach length hair. It was a cloudy day, and the silver white flowers looked extraterrestrial today, the only living thing left at this altitude. A porter fell ill today and there was a man who had to get heli-rescued off. The mountain is unforgiving. Today two more mantras appeared in my haze, both from Brandon Sanderson: Journey before destination, and The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it?
It’s the next one. Always the next step.

8 Hours until summit: Baranfu. Distance hiked: 6km. Elevation: 4640m (+605)
Finally reached base camp a few hours ago, and the mountain finally looks in reach as well. I’m feeling good, despite knowledge of the 15 hour hike tomorrow. Saw some ravens, and wondered what they were doing up here with the thin air. Surely, there was nothing to eat. But then I wondered if they were thinking the same about us, these hairless apes who’ve made the pilgrimage here for some inexplicable reason. With the altitude meds, I didn’t feel any nausea or other symptoms except shortness of breath. It feels like the blood flow restriction from a light choking, my buff adding the sensation of a pair of hands lightly wrapped around my throat. I will not elaborate further. The clouds look fluffy like cotton balls. One of our guides had to descend with yet another porter today. The mountain is undiscriminating. Tomorrow is summit day.

Summit Day: Distance hiked: 7km +/-. Elevation: 5895m (+/-1255)
2300 wakeup. Breakfast of popcorn and tea. I wore compression tights, fleece leggings, and joggers, a compression layer, a base layer, Uniqlo HeatTech, a wool sweater, a soft-shell, and brought a parka. It took six hours to reach the top of the mountain, and another to summit. It was a cold trek through a mountain of sand. Truly, it felt like walking through a snowstorm, slowly shuffling up by the light of a full moon. I never knew the moon could be so bright. Mentally I was strong until we arrived at the top, and I learned it was another hour to summit. I practiced box breathing. In the end, we made it with no issue. The summit was frozen and barren, without much to look at, but we made it. The desert upon the descent was another beast altogether, a 3-hour descent downhill, slowly sliding down sand, dust, and rocks. I fell and tripped numerous times, I was so exhausted. We made it down to base camp at 900. Most exhausting trek of my life. I am cranky and I have a headache. I do not know why this is billed as an accessible hike.

Day 6: Mweka. Distance hiked: 7km. Elevation: 3080m (-2815)
Exhausting four-hour trek down to camp. All downhill, all blisters, all knees. Neck and arms are finally peeling. Today at camp, I asked the guide how far the porters had to go to get water for us. The nearest source of water was an hour away. It was a bit sadistic watching J brush her teeth with an electric toothbrush while a string of porters thundered by, carrying water on their heads. Absolute exhaustion. I just want to sleep forever.

Day 7: Moshi. Distance hiked: 10km. Elevation: 1630m (-1450)
Returned to Moshi in time for lunch. Wonderful to shower, and finally shampoo. Though the porters that had made it down the mountain ended up being okay, the friend of the old lady we met before starting off had a cerebral hemorrhage and died in a nearby hospital. The mountain takes no prisoners. But we had done it. We had climbed the mountain. And the mountain is a great teacher.