Should I or shouldn’t I? During Corona times? And on top of that, on my own?
Climbing Kilimanjaro had been on my bucket list forever. And as life has been teaching us all lately, plans and wishes can be thrown overboard from one day to the next, and what remains are wishes and dreams.
The first holiday in over a year – this time I didn’t want to let anything slip: and I decided on the trip to Tanzania! With a lot of heart-pounding…
…and it was the best decision of my life! And the dream holiday even more wonderful than I had imagined.
The common thread of these 14 days was the laughter and the warmth of all the people I met. Not only “my” team, but all porters and guides, as well as the hotel staff, always had a “Jambo” and one or two short questions and phrases ready. The radiance of these people went straight to the heart, and I felt so welcome.
The procedure and organisation were also perfect. My comfortable tent was always set up when I arrived in camp, the food was excellent (even if the amount I ate was critically checked with “Did you eat enough?” and “Are you really full?”), warm washing water and hot tea water came right after arrival, and the announced times were always kept.
The hotel in Arusha was wonderful and an oasis. On the rest day I could let my soul unwind here and prepare for the next tour.
My first tour – the summit of Mount Meru – was perfect. The ascent through Arusha Park was already an experience in itself. Accompanied by a ranger, the absolute highlight was walking right through a herd of giraffes. And the shock when a warthog suddenly shot past us out of the bushes (much to the delight of my guide and the ranger).
In the distance Mount Kilimanjaro could be seen: sometimes in the haze, sometimes very clear, and most beautifully at sunrise from Socialist Peak at 4,566 metres.
Climbing the highest mountain in Africa was then the second stage. We started off through the rainforest – in the haze and with the sounds of the birds and monkeys it was very adventurous and exciting.
But already on day three we were in the “volcano area”. It was very surreal here. The lava rock, the volcanic ash and an incredible silence. And in front of us the summit. The tension and excitement grew from day to day, and then it was finally there: the night of the ascent.
How do you keep going for 6 hours of hiking through complete darkness? Especially when you’ve already got so many vertical metres in your legs? Quite simply: by switching off your head, trusting your guide and following him!
My guide Brighton – whom I would follow even through hell – brought me onto the summit plateau right in time for sunrise. I don’t know what I had expected or how I had imagined the summit. In any case it was much more beautiful! Incredible and indescribable. And yes: I burst into tears first!
All questions about why I was putting myself through this, why at my mid-fifties I was sleeping in a tent and why I was doing without the European standard of sanitary facilities were answered in one go. For exactly this view!
Now, almost two weeks later, I still carry this feeling of happiness in me, and I have a big piece of Africa in my heart. And to anyone who dreams of Uhuru Peak I can only say: do it!!!
Heidi L.
https://www.geodiscoverytours.com/produkt/meru-und-kilimandscharo-trekkkig/