#this took me 3 MONTHS i can FINALLY WORK ON MY OTHER DESERT DUO IDEAS WOOOOOO
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nightmare. or, a “double victory” and its consequences
#desert duo#third life smp#grian fanart#gtws fanart#3rd life smp#traffic smp#trafficblr#(squidwards real estate agent voice) ARE THERE ANY OTHER TAGS I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT#this took me 3 MONTHS i can FINALLY WORK ON MY OTHER DESERT DUO IDEAS WOOOOOO#this one is technically part of a comic(?) idea i had but the howls moving castle inspo worked best as its own illustration :3c#if i were a fast artist itd b OVER 4 all of u desert duo enjoyers out there#my art
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bechloe road trip / part I
a/n: this is unedited and probably shitty as hell but enjoy it anyway! will this have more chapters or end up as a one-shot bc i’m bored? we will never know.
the first day.
They had been driving for hours, Chloe’s eyes fixated on a book as her head bopped to songs sounding through her earbuds while Beca’s eyes were fixated on the road car set in cruise control so she was able to relax a bit into the driver’s seat.
It had taken Chloe months to fully convince Beca to go on a road trip with her. At her first attempt, the brunette had just laughed at her, square in the face. “There is no way I will drive around this hell-hole of a country for longer than a maximum of two hours.” Beca had said, glaring at the pouting redhead before bringing her attention back to her phone.
Her second attempt, or rather attempts, had been as unsuccessful as the first. Chloe decided that she would ask Beca to join her on her summer trip every single day. She did it at the most random places and the most inappropriate times. When Beca was 1 second away from falling asleep she would receive a text from Chloe that asked her whether she was tagging along or not. Right before their Worlds performance, Chloe had whispered an invite to the road trip into the brunette’s ear, and she had shoved Chloe away from her firmly as she released a loud sigh. Sometimes when Beca was carelessly sitting on the couch, the redhead had tried seducing her into going, using physical contact.
The last attempt was successful though, and it took quite some effort. It wasn’t that Beca was opposed to the idea of the two Bellas spending time together- because that was one of the bright sides of the entire thing to Beca. The main reason she did not look forward to the whole thing was that it wasn’t a planned out idea. Nothing ever went smoothly when it came to the Bellas. Why would this be different? How much money would the entire thing cost? How were they going to charge their phones if they had to spends their nights in tents somewhere in a forest? How long were they going?
So, Chloe had planned out the entire trip to perfection. She had thought of every little thing there was to think of. There were about 15 charged power banks packed in their suitcases, along with plenty of food and drinks if they were to desert somewhere without gas or phone signal. The redhead had spent (too much) time reading books on how to make fires, what to do in case of emergencies and obviously how to get the most out of your road trip. On top of working out every single detail, she had invited the other Bellas along with them. Separate cars, of course. Beca would’ve gone crazy having to spend longer than 2 hours crammed in a small space with any Bella, except for Chloe. Chloe was okay. More than okay. When she had pitched the entire thing to Beca, the brunette hadn’t been able to resist the sparkle in Chloe’s blue eyes. She couldn’t say no to all the work she had put into this, it’d be a real dick-move.
There were 3 cars all headed in the same direction, following Beca’s lead. Beca and Chloe were seated in the first car, more like a van, that was packed with most of their luggage. The trunk and backseats were filled to the brim, so that the other Bellas could fit in the other two cars. The second vehicle was home to Stacie, Lily, Amy and Flo. The third car was occupied by Aubrey, Emily, Cynthia-Rose, Jessica and Ashley. Stacie and Aubrey were driving because they were the somehow serious ones of them all.
Beca indeed would’ve gone absolutely nuts if she were to be in the other two cars. Stacie was blasting Backstreet Boys, loud enough for pretty much everyone on the highway to hear. Aubrey’s car was filled with chatter and squeals of Aubrey catching up with her old friends and Emily being excited about- basically anything.
Beca’s car was filled with peace, soft music sounding through the vehicle whilst Chloe was leaning back into the passenger’s seat, feet resting on the headboard. Most of the time the redhead was busy reading her book, and occasionally she would look around at the view or stare into the landscapes they were passing by.
“So, ready to tell me where we’re headed to?” Beca was allowed to know every detail, except for the places they were going to. Obviously, she could know the addresses but she was not allowed to look up the spots they were going to. Chloe had done hours of research to find perfect places to settle. Beca being the good friend she is didn’t want to ruin Chloe’s surprise and had resisted her curiosity of googling everything beforehand.
“It’s not as thrilling as you’re expecting it to be, I’m afraid,” Chloe said, releasing an earbud from her ear but not removing her eyes from the book in front of her. “Trust me, my hopes for this trip aren’t extremely high to begin with.” Chloe chuckled and grabbed the bookmark she kept in between the pages, closed the book around it and put it on the ground.
“We’re staying in a motel for the first night.” The total cliché hadn’t really affected Chloe but Beca raised her eyebrows and shifted her eyes towards the redhead. “Really?” “Yup.” Chloe was still not looking at the brunette. “Why a motel? There’s a motel like five minutes from our apartment.”
Chloe sighed as a smile started to form on her lips. She had spent days trying to find a motel that fit the whole road trip aesthetic. There had to be a neon sign that said Motel. There had to be a dinner like Pops in Riverdale or the one in Lady Gaga’s Telephone music video but without the intoxicating of all the guests. It shouldn’t be abandoned but not too touristy as well.
“Because it’s hot.” Chloe couldn’t help the cheeky smile that rested on her face as she finally looked at Beca. The brunette raised an eyebrow at the comment and then rolled her eyes. “Of course you think motels are hot. Do I want to know why you find them- hot?” She mumbled, eyes back on the road.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never seen a movie scene where they hook up in a motel,” Chloe said, part of her believing that Beca had in fact never seen such a scene. “You want to hook up in the motel?” Her voice was on the edge of a chuckle but she was able to keep it in. “Not this time, unless you really want me to. Isn’t that basically what motels are for though?” Beca shrugged and they think about it for a split-second. “Not my point.”
Chloe tried explaining Beca why motels were such a sexy place to go to on their road trip and the brunette couldn’t keep the grin off her face the entire time. “Also I read online that choosing motels over hotels is a nice way to get a hold of the locals. Y'know, go to the sketchy dinner instead of the commercial restaurants. We can get to know the places we’re visiting.”
“And all the others know your motive behind going to a motel as well?” Beca saw Chloe nod in the corner of her eyes. “And they understand?” Beca almost yelled, not believing all Bellas were as crazy as the redhead next to her. “I’m surprised you don’t find it hot.” Chloe folded her arms in front of her, looking out of the window.
Aubrey was a huge fan of the motel idea. So was Amy and they both helped her on her hunt to find the one. They judged her choices of motels carefully and had both agreed a hundred percent on the one they were going to. “I guess you need to convince me a little more,” Beca mumbled, making Chloe grin but deciding not to dig into the subject any further. There was time for that later.
_
After a couple more hours of driving with occasional performances to songs in Beca’s playlist and conversations about light subjects, the Bellas arrived at their destination. They all spent a good five minutes stretching their backs and other body parts, them being sore from sitting in the car all day. It was about 6 PM and the car ride had worn down most of the Bellas already. “You are definitely driving tomorrow,” Beca said to Chloe as she put her hands on her back. “Sure, grandma.”
The Bellas made their way to the entrance of the motel, where they got the keys to their rooms. They paired up groups of two, one of three. Beca and Chloe were naturally a duo and when they opened the door to their room, they found what Beca had been fearing. “Double beds, seems like we’ll be cuddling tonight.” Chloe grinned as she moved swiftly past the brunette.
She had closed her eyes in frustration. She didn’t share beds with Chloe often and whenever they had shared beds, Beca could never turn down any invitation of physical contact between the two. It stripped her down from her badass vibe completely, and up until now, only Chloe was allowed to see that side of her. Sometimes.
“Fun.” She said dryly, rolling her suitcase into the room. “Don’t sound too excited.” Chloe was in the bathroom, checking out the shower she was definitely planning on hitting after they had unpacked their essentials. Beca looked around the room. It was relatively luxe for a motel, but not overly done. It was light and pretty spacious. The bathroom was nice, nothing gross.
“So? Hot right.” Chloe said, walking back into the bedroom. Beca could hear the smirk on her face and it made her grin as well. “Yeah, it has me all riled up,” Beca said, sarcasm dripping off the comment as she lifted her suitcase on the bed. She zipped it open and unpacked her toiletries and pajamas, laying them out on the bed.
“I’m gonna hit the shower real quick before we go get some food,” Chloe stated after she had unpacked her towel from her suitcase. “Care to join me?” The redhead joked flirtatiously, making the brunette snort quietly. “Never again Beale.” She said, unfazed by her invitation. “Bummer.” The door closed and the brunette looked up, a shit-eating grin settled on her lips.
It was well-known that Beca and Chloe were quite flirty around each other, most of it coming from Chloe’s side. Occasionally Beca would join her banter but most of the time she’d turn red and commanded Chloe to stop before she was going to punch her. It also wasn’t a secret that Beca found the redhead attractive. She often complimented her but did it sneakily. “You’re lucky you’re that pretty.” or “Get your cute butt over here.”
Flirting had always been something Chloe enjoyed doing. It joyed her even more when the receiving end turned mushy and flustered over her flirtatious remarks. Beca was like this most of the time and oh, how she loved it. And up until now, Beca had never confessed to feeling uncomfortable or out of place by Chloe’s flirting. In fact, when the redhead had asked about that Beca had shrugged. “I would’ve absolutely told you by now if it made me uncomfortable.”
_
As promised, they visited the dinner that was across from the motel and it was everything it was expected to be. The local drunks enjoying a beer as they chatted with the waiters, the meals were pretty basic as were the milkshakes, but it was doable for the Bellas. They had spent the entire night chatting. Lack of space made them pair up in groups of 3 and 4, each of them sitting at different booths.
CR and Lily threw fries towards Fat Amy’s direction, who caught each one in her mouth and she found that very incredible of herself. Emily, Flo, Jessica and Ashley enjoyed their meals as they chatted calmly. Chloe and Aubrey sat next to each other, Beca and Stacie opposite from them.
“Please explain to me why this whole thing is considered hot because I’m not convinced yet.” Beca didn’t even try to make it sound like a question. She pretty much demanded an explanation, receiving a grin from the redhead in front of her. “Well,” Stacie started “First of all, a motel is mysterious. You’ll probably never ever stay in the same motel twice, so it always feels like you’re leaving your fingerprints on there. Second of all, neon is always sexy.” She gestured towards the large neon sign that spelled out M O T E L. “However, it would’ve been better if one of the letters would occasionally jitter but it’s fine.” Chloe chuckled as she bit down on the straw in her milkshake, enjoying the way Stacie explained the whole thing. “Last of all, how incredibly adorable is it to sit in this dinner, that would’ve been pretty much empty if we weren’t here, and eat unhealthy food while sharing milkshakes with your friends?”
Chloe looked at Beca with her ‘I told you so’- look and folded her arms in front of her, which made Beca squint her eyes at her before allowing a smile on her lips. “Convinced?” The redhead asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Pretty much.” “Great.” Chloe wore a proud smile before turning her attention back to the other two girls at the table.
_
Around 9 PM the Bellas decided to head back to the motel, most of them being exhausted by the car ride. Everyone besides Chloe, who had talked Beca into staying back at the dinner with her for a little longer.
“I want to do two more things before heading back. You’re probably going to hate them but that doesn’t matter because you love me, so you’re going to agree to do them.” Beca chuckled. “Well, it sounds like I don’t really have a say in this whole thing, so- whatever. What do you want to do?”
Chloe took Beca’s straw from her milkshake and it made the brunette frown, not really understanding what she was doing until she put the straw in her own milkshake and shoved it in the middle of the table. “If you say anything remotely close to this being a gross cliché I will dump this shake onto your head.” The redhead mumbled, then smiling at Beca sweetly. “You’re so weird.” Chloe took her straw between her lips and waited for Beca to do the same. She stubbornly kept her arms folded over her chest but eventually gave in to the baby-blue eyes in front of her and too wrapped her lips around the straw.
She was forced to look at the face in front of her, and normally she wouldn’t have been able to keep a straight face, but Chloe wasn’t looking at her funnily. Instead, her head was resting on her hand and her eyes radiated an ease that seemed to alter the entire dinner into a peaceful haven. Sounds of dishes rattling or drunk laughing didn’t catch Beca’s ears and her attention was fully on the face in front of her. She felt calm all of a sudden, intensely enjoying Chloe’s presence a lot at that moment.
The sound of slurping made the brunette snap out of her gaze, looking down at the empty glass. “Great. That was- great.” Beca leaned back and returned to sitting with her arms folded across her chest. “Don’t tell me that wasn’t nice,” Chloe said, cocking an eyebrow at her grumpy friend. “It was okay.” She didn’t want to fully admit how nice the cliché had been, but Chloe knew she had in fact, found it a little nice. But sadly, she had to accept that the brunette was never gonna be vocal about that.
“Let’s head out,” Chloe said, getting out of the seats. One of the other Bellas had already paid for their meals and with a quick goodbye to the owner of the dinner, the two girls left their spot. “Didn’t you want to do two things?” The brunette asked, confused as to why they were heading back to the motel.
“We’re not done yet,” Chloe said, wiggling her eyebrows as she walked ahead of Beca, making the brunette follow her. They made their way to the gas station that was connected to the motel. “We,” Chloe started, turning around to face Beca, “are getting cheap booze at the gas station and drinking it while we sit and watch the stars.”
She pulled the brunette into the little store with her, not allowing her to protest against the idea. They greeted the woman sitting behind the cash desk as they headed towards the coolers that kept the drinks cold. Chloe grabbed two beers and looked over at Beca. “Please?” She asked, holding each beer to the side of her face as she pouted.
Beca rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Whatever Chlo.” She mumbled before following the excited redhead towards the cashier. They paid for the drinks and headed outside. They made their way to Beca’s car and leaned against the front of the truck. “Cheers.” Chloe clinked their bottles together and smiled before taking a sip.
“Is this romantic to you?” Beca asked, using sarcasm as a camouflage for her genuine curiosity about whether or not Chloe Beale thought chliché’s were romantic. “Obviously.” Their eyes were up to the sky, wandering around the millions of stars above them. Beca swiftly looked over at the redhead, whose eyes were big and sparkly, trying to gaze over every fleck of light above them. Then Chloe turned her head towards Beca and smiled.
“You?” Beca thought about the question for a bit. This had in fact been one of the most thought out dates, she had been on. Not that they were necessarily on a date, but they did do date-like things. Most of the ones Beca had been on were movies or fancy restaurants. And for a small moment, Beca understood why Chloe preferred these types of nights over boring films and expensive food. Those were the real clichés.
“A little,” Beca answered softly, after a while of thinking passed them. It made a smile grow on Chloe’s lips and she stepped closer to Beca to lean her head on the brunette’s shoulder. “Don’t get too excited,” Beca mumbled, and she heard a soft giggle from the redhead which made her heart melt.
And Beca was a hundred percent sure that Chloe was her best friend, but in moments like this she felt a wave of butterflies course through her stomach and a heavy feeling loathed her chest and head. She allowed letting the feelings course through her blood and enjoyed watching the stars with the redhead nuzzled against her shoulder. And she successfully ignored the fact that when Chloe did things like this, Beca fell in love with her little by little. For now, they enjoyed the stars above them and their cheap beers.
#bechloe#bechloe fanfic#roadtrip#road trip#au#road trip au#one-shot#one shot#beca mitchell#chloe beale#beca x chloe#beca#chloe#pitch perfect#pp3
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7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route
Climbing Kilimanjaro. pic credit: Justin Brown
History is filled with stories which never got told, however, I promise you this one will not be it.
Ok, cut to the chase and drama, here is my story of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mountains have always inspired me and after the EBC Trek (Everest Base camp) it was time for my new adventure and it was only Mount Kilimanjaro on my mind.
The usual suspects were taken into confidence, my teammates Meera and Justin from the last trek, my mom to babysit and hubby to agree to the plot. The planning started months in advance and soon it was time to set off to climbing Kilimanjaro.
Now for the story…
Climbing Kilimanjaro: Acclimatisation Day
I arrive at the Kilimanjaro airport
We arrived from different parts of the world to Springland hotel in Moshi. It was a 16 member team, including our team leader and guide, Sanjeev Ganju from White Magic Adventure Travel. Meera, Justin and I knew each other from our last EBC trek. There was a Singaporean gang and an Indian gang. There was Jackie, Chisa, Carrie, and Rupinder, then there was Ajai with his two kids Ahilya(22) and Ahan(16) and Arun from Singapore. From Dubai, we had a mother-son duo, Alka and Aashay and Dr. Sanjiv and Jayesh Choksi from India.
Basically, Moshi is at 1400 mtrs above sea level and we stayed at the Springland Hotel here for a day to acclimatise. We got to meet and mingle with our team followed by a briefing from our team leader. Our support staff from the local agency of Zara Tours, consisted of 45 Tanzanian individuals – porters, cooks, guides, etc. This time I had a personal porter as well because I had a shoulder injury(minor cartilage tear) and I didn’t want to carry any heavy loads. Whew! That was a lot of people!
Day 1 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Simba final altitude 2600 mtrs
We were driven to Kilimanjaro National Park at 2340 mtrs from Springland hotel on a bus.
Ready to go!! pic credit: Carrie Chow
The ride is around 2.5 hours. One thing to observe is no one drives fast even if the road is empty. There are cops hiding everywhere.
It was an “easy day”, consisting of about 4 hrs of easy walking through a rainforest. We could have definitely walked faster but our team leader set the technique of walking ‘Pole Pole’ or slowly in a line, which was frustrating at this gradient but would help us when it gets tougher. Since you walk through the rainforest today, you hardly get to see any views today. We camped at Camp Simba that day which is at 2600 mtrs.
There was also an oxygen level check done every evening to check how our lungs were coping with the altitude. It was almost like getting marks after a school test and became a competition and betting point.
Day 2 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Kikewaki final altitude 3600 mtrs
Meera and I were sharing a tent and after sharing a few adventures together we have become comfortable and have a system in place on how to share and pack and get ready. Honestly, having at least one friend on a trek is a huge comfort factor.
On Day 2 there was gradation as we were climbing a 1000 meters but it wasn’t tough. In fact, I found all other days apart from the summit night and day pretty average. After walking for four hours our porters created a makeshift camp on top of a hill and served us lunch. Talk about comfort and camping in the wild.
We walked through the Kilimanjaro national park with hardly any views. After a few hours of walk, we got the first glimpse of Kilimanjaro but very soon it went behind the clouds. I prayed to ‘Jua’ or the Sun God, every day to stay with us and it had been working. It took us another 3 hours to reach our campsite Kikewaki at 3600 mtrs.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
First view of Kilimanjaro
Unlike EBC where we did not climb more than 500 mtrs in a day, we were gaining altitude fast on this trek but as our oxygen rating showed we all were coping pretty well. It was already getting cold and I wondered what the summit will feel like.
Also, unlike EBC here after reaching our camp, we would change, eat dinner and just retire to our tents. It was just too cold to sit and chat or bond with teammates for long.
Day 3 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Mawenzi -final altitude 4350m
The temperature was starting to dip – we had frost on our tent overnight.
Mawenzi is one of the craters of Mount Kilimanjaro and it means the mountain that cannot be climbed. Did you know Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain made of three craters, Mawenzi, Kibo, and Shira? And that it is actually not a typical mountain but years of volcanic ash piled on.
In just 3 hours of walking ie by 1 pm, we had reached Mawenzi but it was a steep climb today and I was surprisingly a bit tired.
pic credit: Justin Brown
The campsite was around a waterbody and after we reached there, ‘Jua’ was shining bright on us today and we had half a day to lounge around. I think it just uplifted our spirits.
It got us out of our tents and into squeals of laughter over card games like ‘Oh, hell!’ and ‘Dhumaal’ all games courtesy our EBC trek :). We even had people singing at the lunch table and no oxygen levels did not drop :).
Well, the sun does make you want to pose :). That’s Rupinder and Justin for you!!
I even managed to shoot this lovely mountain song to which I owe my knowledge of Swahili.
Jambo! Jambo bwana!
Habari gani? Mzuri sana!
Wageni, mwakaribishwa!
Kilimanjaro? Hakuna matata!
Tembea pole pole. Hakuna matata!
Utafika salama. Hakuna matata!
Kunywa maji mengi. Hakuna matata!
Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,
Kilimanjaro, mlima mrefu sana.
Which basically means, welcome guest you are here for Climbing Kilimanjaro, no problem. Just go slow and drink lots of water for Kili is a huge mountain.
Day 4 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Acclimatisation day at Mawenzi
I call these the bonus days in my mind. They break the monotony of the climb and give me a chance to breathe. Acclimatisation day does not mean a complete rest day though we did get to sleep in a little late as today we were to do a mock climbing exercise on scree. Think of scree as loose gravel and climbing on it needs concentration. The summit climb is full of scree so this was a good practice. We started hiking only at 10 am. Today, Sanjeev gave us our positions based on our speeds and made sure we kept in a line. This was a good thing I thought, so no one gets left behind or marches ahead.
Each day is a step closer to climbing Kilimanjaro
It’s pretty dusty so a breathable buff comes in very handy. At the top, Meera, Justin and I were shooting our Bollywood Slo-Mos in memory of our EBC times.
From the left. Sanjeev, Meera, Justin and Me.
It was fun as usual and our new teammates were either aghast or enjoying our craziness. Descending the scree was fun but I fell a few times and so did others. Jackie slipped 5-6 times and injured her back.
Once back, we had our card games on and the fun continued. I couldn’t find my Nalgene bottle and panicked. Babbu, the lead guide from Team Zara offered me his bottle which I was grateful for but finally, we found my bottle and didn’t need his. We packed for the summit night as we knew the next day there was going to be no time or respite.
Day 5 and 6- Kibo Huts and Final summit and descent to Horombo Huts- 4850 mtrs- to climbing 5895 mtrs to- descent to 3700 mtrs
I have put the days together as it was difficult for me to say when one ended and the other began. Day 5 we started our walk from Mawenzi to Kibo huts, this is an almost flat but a vast stretch and is known as the saddle, as it connects Mawenzi to Kibo.
pic credit: Justin Brown
This was the most boring stretch I have walked on this trek. While it was flat we were not to break the line and Kibo huts can be seen from a far distance but take forever to reach. Almost, like a mirage in the desert. When we finally reached there it was cold and at 4850 mtrs we were breathless.
We somehow managed to click pictures, eat our lunch and just retire into our tents till it was dinner time at 6 p.m. The idea was to conserve energy and rest as much as possible. We were asked to wear our entire gear and sleep after dinner as we would have to start climbing from 11.30.
We had an early dinner, followed by a debrief about our summit attempt starting at midnight. We set our alarms for 10.30 pm, we didn’t want to rush and up we were and raring to go. We were given some hot porridge before we started. Some of us missed the guides call and so we got a bit delayed and finally left at 12.15 pm.
I wasn’t tired or sleepy. In my mind, I had played this night many times. The one thing I hadn’t planned well was a good playlist, as you need to keep your mind occupied. We set off into the darkness under the starry skies in a line towards our goal. It was the biggest eclipse of the century and it had come right after a full moon night. Our world was a zone we created around ourselves. The light from our headlamp, gave us view only of the person in front and you followed their rhythm. We took short standing breaks every hour. We would have water, some chocolates, energy gels, and it was super tough to do this with gloves on. Our porter helped us with this and I didn’t complain or feel The climb was steep and the air kept thinning. I was gasping for breath. In contrast, our Tanzanian guides were in full swing, they kept singing in Swahili;
“Jambo…Jambo Sana..! Kilimanjaro? Hakuna Matata!
On our way up, we could see other groups as well. An Asian girl struggling her way up, with her guide literally holding her hand and leading her. ‘Keep your focus’, I had to keep reminding myself. Somewhere between the second and third stops, I started shivering through all my layers. It was just too cold and I remembered Sanjeev telling us that a lot of people give up because of the cold. I gathered all my strength and told Babbuu our guide that I was feeling cold. He immediately gave me his heavy-duty Parka which brought back life into my being. What happened afterward is a blur. I just remember reaching Gilman’s point just as the sun rose up the mountains in its full glory.
Sunset At Gilman’s Point. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
It was too cold for me to even want to take off my gloves. We were given a hot cup of ginger tea at the top and God, I was grateful for that!
All 16 of us made it!! pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Meera was still coming up, so I waited for her and it is at this point, we got separated from the rest of the group, which decided to plod on. Jackie had been unwell for the last 2-3 days and how she managed until here was also commendable. She returned after Gilman’s point. Unlike, what we had expected the next 200 mtrs to Uhuru peak was not a gentle walk, unlike our briefing. While it’s not a steep climb anymore, you push beyond exhaustion, there are many sharp turns with deep We kept trodding on and somewhere between Stella point and Uhuru Peak, I realised a guide was walking along with me who kept nudging us to not give up. While I am not the kind to ever give up, it just was good for my morale.
The never ending walk to Uhuru Peak. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Usually, you don’t see snow at the top in July but this year, there was plenty and we were prepared with our cleats to handle it. Snow slows you down further. By this time, I had forgotten hunger or thirst, there was just one goal to reach Uhuru Peak. I would walk ten steps and stop to breathe. After what seemed almost a decade I reached the Peak and was happy to see the rest of our team. I had made it and I knew I would be fine now.
pic credit: Justin Brown
Our group was ready to leave in five minutes but I wanted to wait for Meera who joined us soon enough. On my way, I saw a woman being rescued and a guy being given oxygen. The altitude here at 19000 plus feet is not a joke.
Godfrey, my guide kept insisting I keep moving so I started walking. A downward slope has always been my forte and the goal was already achieved. I walked through the ice really quickly. Somewhere between Stella and Gilman’s point, Meera started feeling dizzy and the first signs of AMS started showing. I was worried. Luckily we had two guides and a porter with us. Our group was nowhere in sight and I knew we had to get her down quickly. In the middle of giving instructions and quick action, somewhere I heard a familiar voice. It was Arun, he was behind us and had assessed the situation. He just overtook, giving porters clear but firm instructions which they apparently followed without a question. We sent a porter ahead to catch up with Sanjeev so that he could take care of the situation while we headed to Gillman’s point. Once we reached there, we realised that the group had already moved on. It is at this point that I got a bit dizzy too. I checked with Arun and he wasn’t feeling great either. We had spent too much time on the top and the altitude was playing havoc. We discussed one ill person with 3 porters was better than three ill people with three porters. Meera was still a bit behind, we shouted to her to let her know that we were going to descend fast and the porters were going to get her back to safety. I am not sure how much she heard. Arun led the way and after Gillman’s point, it was mostly scree. We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down.
We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down. While we shouted and informed Sanjeev about Meera’s condition, a mild snowstorm had started even before we could reach them and we had lost them again in the mist. Arun and I continued screeing down and many times, I felt we had lost our way.
“We have been walking down for so long, did we really climb this much? Are you sure we are on the right path”, I would keep asking him and he told me to keep the faith.
It is said by porters that had the climb been done in the daylight most people would give up midway.
We took a good 6 hours to climb down all the way from Uhuru. Meera reached almost at the same time as us. Descending fast had helped her and she was her chatty self again and I was relieved. The day had cleared up and once again ‘Jua’ was bestowing us with a smile.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done after the 100 kms Oxfam walk. Unlike EBC, this was a summit and summits required a different level of push.
Day 7 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro: Marangu gate 1,860 mtrs
You would think now that the goal of climbing Kilimanjaro is done we will get to rest a bit but no, the last day was another 6 hours of walk to Marangu gate. Meera, Justin and I trodded on peacefully, chatting as the goal was done and now we were just walking to leave the National Park. With our feets already swollen and this being a downhill rocky path, we soon developed blisters which made the rest of the walk a little painful but the excitement and the endorphins kept us going.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
When you exit the park, you have to register with the authorities who will give you a certificate saying that you have sucessfully completed your trek.
Before leaving we had our troop of 45 guides, porters, and cooks singing for us. It was a lovely end to yet another adventure.
The post 7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route appeared first on Maa of All Blogs.
7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route published first on https://parentcenternetwork.tumblr.com/
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7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route
Climbing Kilimanjaro. pic credit: Justin Brown
History is filled with stories which never got told, however, I promise you this one will not be it.
Ok, cut to the chase and drama, here is my story of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mountains have always inspired me and after the EBC Trek (Everest Base camp) it was time for my new adventure and it was only Mount Kilimanjaro on my mind.
The usual suspects were taken into confidence, my teammates Meera and Justin from the last trek, my mom to babysit and hubby to agree to the plot. The planning started months in advance and soon it was time to set off to climbing Kilimanjaro.
Now for the story…
Climbing Kilimanjaro: Acclimatisation Day
I arrive at the Kilimanjaro airport
We arrived from different parts of the world to Springland hotel in Moshi. It was a 16 member team, including our team leader and guide, Sanjeev Ganju from White Magic Adventure Travel. Meera, Justin and I knew each other from our last EBC trek. There was a Singaporean gang and an Indian gang. There was Jackie, Chisa, Carrie, and Rupinder, then there was Ajai with his two kids Ahilya(22) and Ahan(16) and Arun from Singapore. From Dubai, we had a mother-son duo, Alka and Aashay and Dr. Sanjiv and Jayesh Choksi from India.
Basically, Moshi is at 1400 mtrs above sea level and we stayed at the Springland Hotel here for a day to acclimatise. We got to meet and mingle with our team followed by a briefing from our team leader. Our support staff from the local agency of Zara Tours, consisted of 45 Tanzanian individuals – porters, cooks, guides, etc. This time I had a personal porter as well because I had a shoulder injury(minor cartilage tear) and I didn’t want to carry any heavy loads. Whew! That was a lot of people!
Day 1 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Simba final altitude 2600 mtrs
We were driven to Kilimanjaro National Park at 2340 mtrs from Springland hotel on a bus.
Ready to go!! pic credit: Carrie Chow
The ride is around 2.5 hours. One thing to observe is no one drives fast even if the road is empty. There are cops hiding everywhere.
It was an “easy day”, consisting of about 4 hrs of easy walking through a rainforest. We could have definitely walked faster but our team leader set the technique of walking ‘Pole Pole’ or slowly in a line, which was frustrating at this gradient but would help us when it gets tougher. Since you walk through the rainforest today, you hardly get to see any views today. We camped at Camp Simba that day which is at 2600 mtrs.
There was also an oxygen level check done every evening to check how our lungs were coping with the altitude. It was almost like getting marks after a school test and became a competition and betting point.
Day 2 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Kikewaki final altitude 3600 mtrs
Meera and I were sharing a tent and after sharing a few adventures together we have become comfortable and have a system in place on how to share and pack and get ready. Honestly, having at least one friend on a trek is a huge comfort factor.
On Day 2 there was gradation as we were climbing a 1000 meters but it wasn’t tough. In fact, I found all other days apart from the summit night and day pretty average. After walking for four hours our porters created a makeshift camp on top of a hill and served us lunch. Talk about comfort and camping in the wild.
We walked through the Kilimanjaro national park with hardly any views. After a few hours of walk, we got the first glimpse of Kilimanjaro but very soon it went behind the clouds. I prayed to ‘Jua’ or the Sun God, every day to stay with us and it had been working. It took us another 3 hours to reach our campsite Kikewaki at 3600 mtrs.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
First view of Kilimanjaro
Unlike EBC where we did not climb more than 500 mtrs in a day, we were gaining altitude fast on this trek but as our oxygen rating showed we all were coping pretty well. It was already getting cold and I wondered what the summit will feel like.
Also, unlike EBC here after reaching our camp, we would change, eat dinner and just retire to our tents. It was just too cold to sit and chat or bond with teammates for long.
Day 3 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Mawenzi -final altitude 4350m
The temperature was starting to dip – we had frost on our tent overnight.
Mawenzi is one of the craters of Mount Kilimanjaro and it means the mountain that cannot be climbed. Did you know Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain made of three craters, Mawenzi, Kibo, and Shira? And that it is actually not a typical mountain but years of volcanic ash piled on.
In just 3 hours of walking ie by 1 pm, we had reached Mawenzi but it was a steep climb today and I was surprisingly a bit tired.
pic credit: Justin Brown
The campsite was around a waterbody and after we reached there, ‘Jua’ was shining bright on us today and we had half a day to lounge around. I think it just uplifted our spirits.
It got us out of our tents and into squeals of laughter over card games like ‘Oh, hell!’ and ‘Dhumaal’ all games courtesy our EBC trek :). We even had people singing at the lunch table and no oxygen levels did not drop :).
Well, the sun does make you want to pose :). That’s Rupinder and Justin for you!!
I even managed to shoot this lovely mountain song to which I owe my knowledge of Swahili.
Jambo! Jambo bwana!
Habari gani? Mzuri sana!
Wageni, mwakaribishwa!
Kilimanjaro? Hakuna matata!
Tembea pole pole. Hakuna matata!
Utafika salama. Hakuna matata!
Kunywa maji mengi. Hakuna matata!
Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,
Kilimanjaro, mlima mrefu sana.
Which basically means, welcome guest you are here for Climbing Kilimanjaro, no problem. Just go slow and drink lots of water for Kili is a huge mountain.
Day 4 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Acclimatisation day at Mawenzi
I call these the bonus days in my mind. They break the monotony of the climb and give me a chance to breathe. Acclimatisation day does not mean a complete rest day though we did get to sleep in a little late as today we were to do a mock climbing exercise on scree. Think of scree as loose gravel and climbing on it needs concentration. The summit climb is full of scree so this was a good practice. We started hiking only at 10 am. Today, Sanjeev gave us our positions based on our speeds and made sure we kept in a line. This was a good thing I thought, so no one gets left behind or marches ahead.
Each day is a step closer to climbing Kilimanjaro
It’s pretty dusty so a breathable buff comes in very handy. At the top, Meera, Justin and I were shooting our Bollywood Slo-Mos in memory of our EBC times.
From the left. Sanjeev, Meera, Justin and Me.
It was fun as usual and our new teammates were either aghast or enjoying our craziness. Descending the scree was fun but I fell a few times and so did others. Jackie slipped 5-6 times and injured her back.
Once back, we had our card games on and the fun continued. I couldn’t find my Nalgene bottle and panicked. Babbu, the lead guide from Team Zara offered me his bottle which I was grateful for but finally, we found my bottle and didn’t need his. We packed for the summit night as we knew the next day there was going to be no time or respite.
Day 5 and 6- Kibo Huts and Final summit and descent to Horombo Huts- 4850 mtrs- to climbing 5895 mtrs to- descent to 3700 mtrs
I have put the days together as it was difficult for me to say when one ended and the other began. Day 5 we started our walk from Mawenzi to Kibo huts, this is an almost flat but a vast stretch and is known as the saddle, as it connects Mawenzi to Kibo.
pic credit: Justin Brown
This was the most boring stretch I have walked on this trek. While it was flat we were not to break the line and Kibo huts can be seen from a far distance but take forever to reach. Almost, like a mirage in the desert. When we finally reached there it was cold and at 4850 mtrs we were breathless.
We somehow managed to click pictures, eat our lunch and just retire into our tents till it was dinner time at 6 p.m. The idea was to conserve energy and rest as much as possible. We were asked to wear our entire gear and sleep after dinner as we would have to start climbing from 11.30.
We had an early dinner, followed by a debrief about our summit attempt starting at midnight. We set our alarms for 10.30 pm, we didn’t want to rush and up we were and raring to go. We were given some hot porridge before we started. Some of us missed the guides call and so we got a bit delayed and finally left at 12.15 pm.
I wasn’t tired or sleepy. In my mind, I had played this night many times. The one thing I hadn’t planned well was a good playlist, as you need to keep your mind occupied. We set off into the darkness under the starry skies in a line towards our goal. It was the biggest eclipse of the century and it had come right after a full moon night. Our world was a zone we created around ourselves. The light from our headlamp, gave us view only of the person in front and you followed their rhythm. We took short standing breaks every hour. We would have water, some chocolates, energy gels, and it was super tough to do this with gloves on. Our porter helped us with this and I didn’t complain or feel The climb was steep and the air kept thinning. I was gasping for breath. In contrast, our Tanzanian guides were in full swing, they kept singing in Swahili;
“Jambo…Jambo Sana..! Kilimanjaro? Hakuna Matata!
On our way up, we could see other groups as well. An Asian girl struggling her way up, with her guide literally holding her hand and leading her. ‘Keep your focus’, I had to keep reminding myself. Somewhere between the second and third stops, I started shivering through all my layers. It was just too cold and I remembered Sanjeev telling us that a lot of people give up because of the cold. I gathered all my strength and told Babbuu our guide that I was feeling cold. He immediately gave me his heavy-duty Parka which brought back life into my being. What happened afterward is a blur. I just remember reaching Gilman’s point just as the sun rose up the mountains in its full glory.
Sunset At Gilman’s Point. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
It was too cold for me to even want to take off my gloves. We were given a hot cup of ginger tea at the top and God, I was grateful for that!
All 16 of us made it!! pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Meera was still coming up, so I waited for her and it is at this point, we got separated from the rest of the group, which decided to plod on. Jackie had been unwell for the last 2-3 days and how she managed until here was also commendable. She returned after Gilman’s point. Unlike, what we had expected the next 200 mtrs to Uhuru peak was not a gentle walk, unlike our briefing. While it’s not a steep climb anymore, you push beyond exhaustion, there are many sharp turns with deep We kept trodding on and somewhere between Stella point and Uhuru Peak, I realised a guide was walking along with me who kept nudging us to not give up. While I am not the kind to ever give up, it just was good for my morale.
The never ending walk to Uhuru Peak. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Usually, you don’t see snow at the top in July but this year, there was plenty and we were prepared with our cleats to handle it. Snow slows you down further. By this time, I had forgotten hunger or thirst, there was just one goal to reach Uhuru Peak. I would walk ten steps and stop to breathe. After what seemed almost a decade I reached the Peak and was happy to see the rest of our team. I had made it and I knew I would be fine now.
pic credit: Justin Brown
Our group was ready to leave in five minutes but I wanted to wait for Meera who joined us soon enough. On my way, I saw a woman being rescued and a guy being given oxygen. The altitude here at 19000 plus feet is not a joke.
Godfrey, my guide kept insisting I keep moving so I started walking. A downward slope has always been my forte and the goal was already achieved. I walked through the ice really quickly. Somewhere between Stella and Gilman’s point, Meera started feeling dizzy and the first signs of AMS started showing. I was worried. Luckily we had two guides and a porter with us. Our group was nowhere in sight and I knew we had to get her down quickly. In the middle of giving instructions and quick action, somewhere I heard a familiar voice. It was Arun, he was behind us and had assessed the situation. He just overtook, giving porters clear but firm instructions which they apparently followed without a question. We sent a porter ahead to catch up with Sanjeev so that he could take care of the situation while we headed to Gillman’s point. Once we reached there, we realised that the group had already moved on. It is at this point that I got a bit dizzy too. I checked with Arun and he wasn’t feeling great either. We had spent too much time on the top and the altitude was playing havoc. We discussed one ill person with 3 porters was better than three ill people with three porters. Meera was still a bit behind, we shouted to her to let her know that we were going to descend fast and the porters were going to get her back to safety. I am not sure how much she heard. Arun led the way and after Gillman’s point, it was mostly scree. We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down.
We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down. While we shouted and informed Sanjeev about Meera’s condition, a mild snowstorm had started even before we could reach them and we had lost them again in the mist. Arun and I continued screeing down and many times, I felt we had lost our way.
“We have been walking down for so long, did we really climb this much? Are you sure we are on the right path”, I would keep asking him and he told me to keep the faith.
It is said by porters that had the climb been done in the daylight most people would give up midway.
We took a good 6 hours to climb down all the way from Uhuru. Meera reached almost at the same time as us. Descending fast had helped her and she was her chatty self again and I was relieved. The day had cleared up and once again ‘Jua’ was bestowing us with a smile.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done after the 100 kms Oxfam walk. Unlike EBC, this was a summit and summits required a different level of push.
Day 7 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro: Marangu gate 1,860 mtrs
You would think now that the goal of climbing Kilimanjaro is done we will get to rest a bit but no, the last day was another 6 hours of walk to Marangu gate. Meera, Justin and I trodded on peacefully, chatting as the goal was done and now we were just walking to leave the National Park. With our feets already swollen and this being a downhill rocky path, we soon developed blisters which made the rest of the walk a little painful but the excitement and the endorphins kept us going.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
When you exit the park, you have to register with the authorities who will give you a certificate saying that you have sucessfully completed your trek.
Before leaving we had our troop of 45 guides, porters, and cooks singing for us. It was a lovely end to yet another adventure.
The post 7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route appeared first on Maa of All Blogs.
7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route published first on https://bestbabyinc.tumblr.com
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Text
7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route
Climbing Kilimanjaro. pic credit: Justin Brown
History is filled with stories which never got told, however, I promise you this one will not be it.
Ok, cut to the chase and drama, here is my story of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mountains have always inspired me and after the EBC Trek (Everest Base camp) it was time for my new adventure and it was only Mount Kilimanjaro on my mind.
The usual suspects were taken into confidence, my teammates Meera and Justin from the last trek, my mom to babysit and hubby to agree to the plot. The planning started months in advance and soon it was time to set off to climbing Kilimanjaro.
Now for the story…
Climbing Kilimanjaro: Acclimatisation Day
I arrive at the Kilimanjaro airport
We arrived from different parts of the world to Springland hotel in Moshi. It was a 16 member team, including our team leader and guide, Sanjeev Ganju from White Magic Adventure Travel. Meera, Justin and I knew each other from our last EBC trek. There was a Singaporean gang and an Indian gang. There was Jackie, Chisa, Carrie, and Rupinder, then there was Ajai with his two kids Ahilya(22) and Ahan(16) and Arun from Singapore. From Dubai, we had a mother-son duo, Alka and Aashay and Dr. Sanjiv and Jayesh Choksi from India.
Basically, Moshi is at 1400 mtrs above sea level and we stayed at the Springland Hotel here for a day to acclimatise. We got to meet and mingle with our team followed by a briefing from our team leader. Our support staff from the local agency of Zara Tours, consisted of 45 Tanzanian individuals – porters, cooks, guides, etc. This time I had a personal porter as well because I had a shoulder injury(minor cartilage tear) and I didn’t want to carry any heavy loads. Whew! That was a lot of people!
Day 1 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Simba final altitude 2600 mtrs
We were driven to Kilimanjaro National Park at 2340 mtrs from Springland hotel on a bus.
Ready to go!! pic credit: Carrie Chow
The ride is around 2.5 hours. One thing to observe is no one drives fast even if the road is empty. There are cops hiding everywhere.
It was an “easy day”, consisting of about 4 hrs of easy walking through a rainforest. We could have definitely walked faster but our team leader set the technique of walking ‘Pole Pole’ or slowly in a line, which was frustrating at this gradient but would help us when it gets tougher. Since you walk through the rainforest today, you hardly get to see any views today. We camped at Camp Simba that day which is at 2600 mtrs.
There was also an oxygen level check done every evening to check how our lungs were coping with the altitude. It was almost like getting marks after a school test and became a competition and betting point.
Day 2 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Kikewaki final altitude 3600 mtrs
Meera and I were sharing a tent and after sharing a few adventures together we have become comfortable and have a system in place on how to share and pack and get ready. Honestly, having at least one friend on a trek is a huge comfort factor.
On Day 2 there was gradation as we were climbing a 1000 meters but it wasn’t tough. In fact, I found all other days apart from the summit night and day pretty average. After walking for four hours our porters created a makeshift camp on top of a hill and served us lunch. Talk about comfort and camping in the wild.
We walked through the Kilimanjaro national park with hardly any views. After a few hours of walk, we got the first glimpse of Kilimanjaro but very soon it went behind the clouds. I prayed to ‘Jua’ or the Sun God, every day to stay with us and it had been working. It took us another 3 hours to reach our campsite Kikewaki at 3600 mtrs.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
First view of Kilimanjaro
Unlike EBC where we did not climb more than 500 mtrs in a day, we were gaining altitude fast on this trek but as our oxygen rating showed we all were coping pretty well. It was already getting cold and I wondered what the summit will feel like.
Also, unlike EBC here after reaching our camp, we would change, eat dinner and just retire to our tents. It was just too cold to sit and chat or bond with teammates for long.
Day 3 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Mawenzi -final altitude 4350m
The temperature was starting to dip – we had frost on our tent overnight.
Mawenzi is one of the craters of Mount Kilimanjaro and it means the mountain that cannot be climbed. Did you know Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain made of three craters, Mawenzi, Kibo, and Shira? And that it is actually not a typical mountain but years of volcanic ash piled on.
In just 3 hours of walking ie by 1 pm, we had reached Mawenzi but it was a steep climb today and I was surprisingly a bit tired.
pic credit: Justin Brown
The campsite was around a waterbody and after we reached there, ‘Jua’ was shining bright on us today and we had half a day to lounge around. I think it just uplifted our spirits.
It got us out of our tents and into squeals of laughter over card games like ‘Oh, hell!’ and ‘Dhumaal’ all games courtesy our EBC trek :). We even had people singing at the lunch table and no oxygen levels did not drop :).
Well, the sun does make you want to pose :). That’s Rupinder and Justin for you!!
I even managed to shoot this lovely mountain song to which I owe my knowledge of Swahili.
Jambo! Jambo bwana!
Habari gani? Mzuri sana!
Wageni, mwakaribishwa!
Kilimanjaro? Hakuna matata!
Tembea pole pole. Hakuna matata!
Utafika salama. Hakuna matata!
Kunywa maji mengi. Hakuna matata!
Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,
Kilimanjaro, mlima mrefu sana.
Which basically means, welcome guest you are here for Climbing Kilimanjaro, no problem. Just go slow and drink lots of water for Kili is a huge mountain.
Day 4 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Acclimatisation day at Mawenzi
I call these the bonus days in my mind. They break the monotony of the climb and give me a chance to breathe. Acclimatisation day does not mean a complete rest day though we did get to sleep in a little late as today we were to do a mock climbing exercise on scree. Think of scree as loose gravel and climbing on it needs concentration. The summit climb is full of scree so this was a good practice. We started hiking only at 10 am. Today, Sanjeev gave us our positions based on our speeds and made sure we kept in a line. This was a good thing I thought, so no one gets left behind or marches ahead.
Each day is a step closer to climbing Kilimanjaro
It’s pretty dusty so a breathable buff comes in very handy. At the top, Meera, Justin and I were shooting our Bollywood Slo-Mos in memory of our EBC times.
From the left. Sanjeev, Meera, Justin and Me.
It was fun as usual and our new teammates were either aghast or enjoying our craziness. Descending the scree was fun but I fell a few times and so did others. Jackie slipped 5-6 times and injured her back.
Once back, we had our card games on and the fun continued. I couldn’t find my Nalgene bottle and panicked. Babbu, the lead guide from Team Zara offered me his bottle which I was grateful for but finally, we found my bottle and didn’t need his. We packed for the summit night as we knew the next day there was going to be no time or respite.
Day 5 and 6- Kibo Huts and Final summit and descent to Horombo Huts- 4850 mtrs- to climbing 5895 mtrs to- descent to 3700 mtrs
I have put the days together as it was difficult for me to say when one ended and the other began. Day 5 we started our walk from Mawenzi to Kibo huts, this is an almost flat but a vast stretch and is known as the saddle, as it connects Mawenzi to Kibo.
pic credit: Justin Brown
This was the most boring stretch I have walked on this trek. While it was flat we were not to break the line and Kibo huts can be seen from a far distance but take forever to reach. Almost, like a mirage in the desert. When we finally reached there it was cold and at 4850 mtrs we were breathless.
We somehow managed to click pictures, eat our lunch and just retire into our tents till it was dinner time at 6 p.m. The idea was to conserve energy and rest as much as possible. We were asked to wear our entire gear and sleep after dinner as we would have to start climbing from 11.30.
We had an early dinner, followed by a debrief about our summit attempt starting at midnight. We set our alarms for 10.30 pm, we didn’t want to rush and up we were and raring to go. We were given some hot porridge before we started. Some of us missed the guides call and so we got a bit delayed and finally left at 12.15 pm.
I wasn’t tired or sleepy. In my mind, I had played this night many times. The one thing I hadn’t planned well was a good playlist, as you need to keep your mind occupied. We set off into the darkness under the starry skies in a line towards our goal. It was the biggest eclipse of the century and it had come right after a full moon night. Our world was a zone we created around ourselves. The light from our headlamp, gave us view only of the person in front and you followed their rhythm. We took short standing breaks every hour. We would have water, some chocolates, energy gels, and it was super tough to do this with gloves on. Our porter helped us with this and I didn’t complain or feel The climb was steep and the air kept thinning. I was gasping for breath. In contrast, our Tanzanian guides were in full swing, they kept singing in Swahili;
“Jambo…Jambo Sana..! Kilimanjaro? Hakuna Matata!
On our way up, we could see other groups as well. An Asian girl struggling her way up, with her guide literally holding her hand and leading her. ‘Keep your focus’, I had to keep reminding myself. Somewhere between the second and third stops, I started shivering through all my layers. It was just too cold and I remembered Sanjeev telling us that a lot of people give up because of the cold. I gathered all my strength and told Babbuu our guide that I was feeling cold. He immediately gave me his heavy-duty Parka which brought back life into my being. What happened afterward is a blur. I just remember reaching Gilman’s point just as the sun rose up the mountains in its full glory.
Sunset At Gilman’s Point. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
It was too cold for me to even want to take off my gloves. We were given a hot cup of ginger tea at the top and God, I was grateful for that!
All 16 of us made it!! pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Meera was still coming up, so I waited for her and it is at this point, we got separated from the rest of the group, which decided to plod on. Jackie had been unwell for the last 2-3 days and how she managed until here was also commendable. She returned after Gilman’s point. Unlike, what we had expected the next 200 mtrs to Uhuru peak was not a gentle walk, unlike our briefing. While it’s not a steep climb anymore, you push beyond exhaustion, there are many sharp turns with deep We kept trodding on and somewhere between Stella point and Uhuru Peak, I realised a guide was walking along with me who kept nudging us to not give up. While I am not the kind to ever give up, it just was good for my morale.
The never ending walk to Uhuru Peak. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Usually, you don’t see snow at the top in July but this year, there was plenty and we were prepared with our cleats to handle it. Snow slows you down further. By this time, I had forgotten hunger or thirst, there was just one goal to reach Uhuru Peak. I would walk ten steps and stop to breathe. After what seemed almost a decade I reached the Peak and was happy to see the rest of our team. I had made it and I knew I would be fine now.
pic credit: Justin Brown
Our group was ready to leave in five minutes but I wanted to wait for Meera who joined us soon enough. On my way, I saw a woman being rescued and a guy being given oxygen. The altitude here at 19000 plus feet is not a joke.
Godfrey, my guide kept insisting I keep moving so I started walking. A downward slope has always been my forte and the goal was already achieved. I walked through the ice really quickly. Somewhere between Stella and Gilman’s point, Meera started feeling dizzy and the first signs of AMS started showing. I was worried. Luckily we had two guides and a porter with us. Our group was nowhere in sight and I knew we had to get her down quickly. In the middle of giving instructions and quick action, somewhere I heard a familiar voice. It was Arun, he was behind us and had assessed the situation. He just overtook, giving porters clear but firm instructions which they apparently followed without a question. We sent a porter ahead to catch up with Sanjeev so that he could take care of the situation while we headed to Gillman’s point. Once we reached there, we realised that the group had already moved on. It is at this point that I got a bit dizzy too. I checked with Arun and he wasn’t feeling great either. We had spent too much time on the top and the altitude was playing havoc. We discussed one ill person with 3 porters was better than three ill people with three porters. Meera was still a bit behind, we shouted to her to let her know that we were going to descend fast and the porters were going to get her back to safety. I am not sure how much she heard. Arun led the way and after Gillman’s point, it was mostly scree. We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down.
We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down. While we shouted and informed Sanjeev about Meera’s condition, a mild snowstorm had started even before we could reach them and we had lost them again in the mist. Arun and I continued screeing down and many times, I felt we had lost our way.
“We have been walking down for so long, did we really climb this much? Are you sure we are on the right path”, I would keep asking him and he told me to keep the faith.
It is said by porters that had the climb been done in the daylight most people would give up midway.
We took a good 6 hours to climb down all the way from Uhuru. Meera reached almost at the same time as us. Descending fast had helped her and she was her chatty self again and I was relieved. The day had cleared up and once again ‘Jua’ was bestowing us with a smile.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done after the 100 kms Oxfam walk. Unlike EBC, this was a summit and summits required a different level of push.
Day 7 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro: Marangu gate 1,860 mtrs
You would think now that the goal of climbing Kilimanjaro is done we will get to rest a bit but no, the last day was another 6 hours of walk to Marangu gate. Meera, Justin and I trodded on peacefully, chatting as the goal was done and now we were just walking to leave the National Park. With our feets already swollen and this being a downhill rocky path, we soon developed blisters which made the rest of the walk a little painful but the excitement and the endorphins kept us going.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
When you exit the park, you have to register with the authorities who will give you a certificate saying that you have sucessfully completed your trek.
Before leaving we had our troop of 45 guides, porters, and cooks singing for us. It was a lovely end to yet another adventure.
The post 7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route appeared first on Maa of All Blogs.
7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route published first on https://parentcenternetwork.tumblr.com/
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7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route
Climbing Kilimanjaro. pic credit: Justin Brown
History is filled with stories which never got told, however, I promise you this one will not be it.
Ok, cut to the chase and drama, here is my story of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mountains have always inspired me and after the EBC Trek (Everest Base camp) it was time for my new adventure and it was only Mount Kilimanjaro on my mind.
The usual suspects were taken into confidence, my teammates Meera and Justin from the last trek, my mom to babysit and hubby to agree to the plot. The planning started months in advance and soon it was time to set off to climbing Kilimanjaro.
Now for the story…
Climbing Kilimanjaro: Acclimatisation Day
I arrive at the Kilimanjaro airport
We arrived from different parts of the world to Springland hotel in Moshi. It was a 16 member team, including our team leader and guide, Sanjeev Ganju from White Magic Adventure Travel. Meera, Justin and I knew each other from our last EBC trek. There was a Singaporean gang and an Indian gang. There was Jackie, Chisa, Carrie, and Rupinder, then there was Ajai with his two kids Ahilya(22) and Ahan(16) and Arun from Singapore. From Dubai, we had a mother-son duo, Alka and Aashay and Dr. Sanjiv and Jayesh Choksi from India.
Basically, Moshi is at 1400 mtrs above sea level and we stayed at the Springland Hotel here for a day to acclimatise. We got to meet and mingle with our team followed by a briefing from our team leader. Our support staff from the local agency of Zara Tours, consisted of 45 Tanzanian individuals – porters, cooks, guides, etc. This time I had a personal porter as well because I had a shoulder injury(minor cartilage tear) and I didn’t want to carry any heavy loads. Whew! That was a lot of people!
Day 1 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Simba final altitude 2600 mtrs
We were driven to Kilimanjaro National Park at 2340 mtrs from Springland hotel on a bus.
Ready to go!! pic credit: Carrie Chow
The ride is around 2.5 hours. One thing to observe is no one drives fast even if the road is empty. There are cops hiding everywhere.
It was an “easy day”, consisting of about 4 hrs of easy walking through a rainforest. We could have definitely walked faster but our team leader set the technique of walking ‘Pole Pole’ or slowly in a line, which was frustrating at this gradient but would help us when it gets tougher. Since you walk through the rainforest today, you hardly get to see any views today. We camped at Camp Simba that day which is at 2600 mtrs.
There was also an oxygen level check done every evening to check how our lungs were coping with the altitude. It was almost like getting marks after a school test and became a competition and betting point.
Day 2 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Kikewaki final altitude 3600 mtrs
Meera and I were sharing a tent and after sharing a few adventures together we have become comfortable and have a system in place on how to share and pack and get ready. Honestly, having at least one friend on a trek is a huge comfort factor.
On Day 2 there was gradation as we were climbing a 1000 meters but it wasn’t tough. In fact, I found all other days apart from the summit night and day pretty average. After walking for four hours our porters created a makeshift camp on top of a hill and served us lunch. Talk about comfort and camping in the wild.
We walked through the Kilimanjaro national park with hardly any views. After a few hours of walk, we got the first glimpse of Kilimanjaro but very soon it went behind the clouds. I prayed to ‘Jua’ or the Sun God, every day to stay with us and it had been working. It took us another 3 hours to reach our campsite Kikewaki at 3600 mtrs.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
First view of Kilimanjaro
Unlike EBC where we did not climb more than 500 mtrs in a day, we were gaining altitude fast on this trek but as our oxygen rating showed we all were coping pretty well. It was already getting cold and I wondered what the summit will feel like.
Also, unlike EBC here after reaching our camp, we would change, eat dinner and just retire to our tents. It was just too cold to sit and chat or bond with teammates for long.
Day 3 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Camp Mawenzi -final altitude 4350m
The temperature was starting to dip – we had frost on our tent overnight.
Mawenzi is one of the craters of Mount Kilimanjaro and it means the mountain that cannot be climbed. Did you know Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain made of three craters, Mawenzi, Kibo, and Shira? And that it is actually not a typical mountain but years of volcanic ash piled on.
In just 3 hours of walking ie by 1 pm, we had reached Mawenzi but it was a steep climb today and I was surprisingly a bit tired.
pic credit: Justin Brown
The campsite was around a waterbody and after we reached there, ‘Jua’ was shining bright on us today and we had half a day to lounge around. I think it just uplifted our spirits.
It got us out of our tents and into squeals of laughter over card games like ‘Oh, hell!’ and ‘Dhumaal’ all games courtesy our EBC trek :). We even had people singing at the lunch table and no oxygen levels did not drop :).
Well, the sun does make you want to pose :). That’s Rupinder and Justin for you!!
I even managed to shoot this lovely mountain song to which I owe my knowledge of Swahili.
Jambo! Jambo bwana!
Habari gani? Mzuri sana!
Wageni, mwakaribishwa!
Kilimanjaro? Hakuna matata!
Tembea pole pole. Hakuna matata!
Utafika salama. Hakuna matata!
Kunywa maji mengi. Hakuna matata!
Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,
Kilimanjaro, mlima mrefu sana.
Which basically means, welcome guest you are here for Climbing Kilimanjaro, no problem. Just go slow and drink lots of water for Kili is a huge mountain.
Day 4 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro– Acclimatisation day at Mawenzi
I call these the bonus days in my mind. They break the monotony of the climb and give me a chance to breathe. Acclimatisation day does not mean a complete rest day though we did get to sleep in a little late as today we were to do a mock climbing exercise on scree. Think of scree as loose gravel and climbing on it needs concentration. The summit climb is full of scree so this was a good practice. We started hiking only at 10 am. Today, Sanjeev gave us our positions based on our speeds and made sure we kept in a line. This was a good thing I thought, so no one gets left behind or marches ahead.
Each day is a step closer to climbing Kilimanjaro
It’s pretty dusty so a breathable buff comes in very handy. At the top, Meera, Justin and I were shooting our Bollywood Slo-Mos in memory of our EBC times.
From the left. Sanjeev, Meera, Justin and Me.
It was fun as usual and our new teammates were either aghast or enjoying our craziness. Descending the scree was fun but I fell a few times and so did others. Jackie slipped 5-6 times and injured her back.
Once back, we had our card games on and the fun continued. I couldn’t find my Nalgene bottle and panicked. Babbu, the lead guide from Team Zara offered me his bottle which I was grateful for but finally, we found my bottle and didn’t need his. We packed for the summit night as we knew the next day there was going to be no time or respite.
Day 5 and 6- Kibo Huts and Final summit and descent to Horombo Huts- 4850 mtrs- to climbing 5895 mtrs to- descent to 3700 mtrs
I have put the days together as it was difficult for me to say when one ended and the other began. Day 5 we started our walk from Mawenzi to Kibo huts, this is an almost flat but a vast stretch and is known as the saddle, as it connects Mawenzi to Kibo.
pic credit: Justin Brown
This was the most boring stretch I have walked on this trek. While it was flat we were not to break the line and Kibo huts can be seen from a far distance but take forever to reach. Almost, like a mirage in the desert. When we finally reached there it was cold and at 4850 mtrs we were breathless.
We somehow managed to click pictures, eat our lunch and just retire into our tents till it was dinner time at 6 p.m. The idea was to conserve energy and rest as much as possible. We were asked to wear our entire gear and sleep after dinner as we would have to start climbing from 11.30.
We had an early dinner, followed by a debrief about our summit attempt starting at midnight. We set our alarms for 10.30 pm, we didn’t want to rush and up we were and raring to go. We were given some hot porridge before we started. Some of us missed the guides call and so we got a bit delayed and finally left at 12.15 pm.
I wasn’t tired or sleepy. In my mind, I had played this night many times. The one thing I hadn’t planned well was a good playlist, as you need to keep your mind occupied. We set off into the darkness under the starry skies in a line towards our goal. It was the biggest eclipse of the century and it had come right after a full moon night. Our world was a zone we created around ourselves. The light from our headlamp, gave us view only of the person in front and you followed their rhythm. We took short standing breaks every hour. We would have water, some chocolates, energy gels, and it was super tough to do this with gloves on. Our porter helped us with this and I didn’t complain or feel The climb was steep and the air kept thinning. I was gasping for breath. In contrast, our Tanzanian guides were in full swing, they kept singing in Swahili;
“Jambo…Jambo Sana..! Kilimanjaro? Hakuna Matata!
On our way up, we could see other groups as well. An Asian girl struggling her way up, with her guide literally holding her hand and leading her. ‘Keep your focus’, I had to keep reminding myself. Somewhere between the second and third stops, I started shivering through all my layers. It was just too cold and I remembered Sanjeev telling us that a lot of people give up because of the cold. I gathered all my strength and told Babbuu our guide that I was feeling cold. He immediately gave me his heavy-duty Parka which brought back life into my being. What happened afterward is a blur. I just remember reaching Gilman’s point just as the sun rose up the mountains in its full glory.
Sunset At Gilman’s Point. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
It was too cold for me to even want to take off my gloves. We were given a hot cup of ginger tea at the top and God, I was grateful for that!
All 16 of us made it!! pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Meera was still coming up, so I waited for her and it is at this point, we got separated from the rest of the group, which decided to plod on. Jackie had been unwell for the last 2-3 days and how she managed until here was also commendable. She returned after Gilman’s point. Unlike, what we had expected the next 200 mtrs to Uhuru peak was not a gentle walk, unlike our briefing. While it’s not a steep climb anymore, you push beyond exhaustion, there are many sharp turns with deep We kept trodding on and somewhere between Stella point and Uhuru Peak, I realised a guide was walking along with me who kept nudging us to not give up. While I am not the kind to ever give up, it just was good for my morale.
The never ending walk to Uhuru Peak. Pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
Usually, you don’t see snow at the top in July but this year, there was plenty and we were prepared with our cleats to handle it. Snow slows you down further. By this time, I had forgotten hunger or thirst, there was just one goal to reach Uhuru Peak. I would walk ten steps and stop to breathe. After what seemed almost a decade I reached the Peak and was happy to see the rest of our team. I had made it and I knew I would be fine now.
pic credit: Justin Brown
Our group was ready to leave in five minutes but I wanted to wait for Meera who joined us soon enough. On my way, I saw a woman being rescued and a guy being given oxygen. The altitude here at 19000 plus feet is not a joke.
Godfrey, my guide kept insisting I keep moving so I started walking. A downward slope has always been my forte and the goal was already achieved. I walked through the ice really quickly. Somewhere between Stella and Gilman’s point, Meera started feeling dizzy and the first signs of AMS started showing. I was worried. Luckily we had two guides and a porter with us. Our group was nowhere in sight and I knew we had to get her down quickly. In the middle of giving instructions and quick action, somewhere I heard a familiar voice. It was Arun, he was behind us and had assessed the situation. He just overtook, giving porters clear but firm instructions which they apparently followed without a question. We sent a porter ahead to catch up with Sanjeev so that he could take care of the situation while we headed to Gillman’s point. Once we reached there, we realised that the group had already moved on. It is at this point that I got a bit dizzy too. I checked with Arun and he wasn’t feeling great either. We had spent too much time on the top and the altitude was playing havoc. We discussed one ill person with 3 porters was better than three ill people with three porters. Meera was still a bit behind, we shouted to her to let her know that we were going to descend fast and the porters were going to get her back to safety. I am not sure how much she heard. Arun led the way and after Gillman’s point, it was mostly scree. We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down.
We screed down at some amazing speed and we saw our group on their way down. While we shouted and informed Sanjeev about Meera’s condition, a mild snowstorm had started even before we could reach them and we had lost them again in the mist. Arun and I continued screeing down and many times, I felt we had lost our way.
“We have been walking down for so long, did we really climb this much? Are you sure we are on the right path”, I would keep asking him and he told me to keep the faith.
It is said by porters that had the climb been done in the daylight most people would give up midway.
We took a good 6 hours to climb down all the way from Uhuru. Meera reached almost at the same time as us. Descending fast had helped her and she was her chatty self again and I was relieved. The day had cleared up and once again ‘Jua’ was bestowing us with a smile.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
This was not the end of the day though. Everyone had lunch and we had to leave Kibo huts immediately. It was another 4 hours of walk from Kibo Huts to Horombo Huts. The day that had started at 12.15 pm the previous night, ended at 8.15 pm in the night.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done after the 100 kms Oxfam walk. Unlike EBC, this was a summit and summits required a different level of push.
Day 7 Of Climbing Kilimanjaro: Marangu gate 1,860 mtrs
You would think now that the goal of climbing Kilimanjaro is done we will get to rest a bit but no, the last day was another 6 hours of walk to Marangu gate. Meera, Justin and I trodded on peacefully, chatting as the goal was done and now we were just walking to leave the National Park. With our feets already swollen and this being a downhill rocky path, we soon developed blisters which made the rest of the walk a little painful but the excitement and the endorphins kept us going.
pic credit: White Magic Travel Adventures
When you exit the park, you have to register with the authorities who will give you a certificate saying that you have sucessfully completed your trek.
Before leaving we had our troop of 45 guides, porters, and cooks singing for us. It was a lovely end to yet another adventure.
The post 7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route appeared first on Maa of All Blogs.
7 Days And 6 Nights Of Climbing Kilimanjaro- Rongai Route published first on https://parentcenternetwork.tumblr.com/
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