Lawyair On The Run

Kilimanjaro! The word is poetic. Majestic even. It has been rolling around in my mind for a long, long time. A lone mountain in Tanzania Africa that has enticed and beckoned me to come have a look and give it a crack; it is an imposing geographical oddity that has called me to test my inner being and physical stamina.

Standing just shy of twenty-thousand feet in elevation, it is one of the world’s highest peaks. Some thirty-thousand trekkers attempt to climb it each year; it is accessible, but also deadly. Only three quarters of those that start the climb reach the summit, and ten die on its slopes each year. Altitude sickness is the main culprit brought about by climbing too fast and not allowing the body to acclimate to the rarified air. It is but no means a walk in the park.

The Masai call the mountain the “House of God.” It is a big, beautiful mountain that was formed by the twin forces of fire and ice. It is three volcanoes, with the dormant peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi forming the summits of two of them. Uhuru Peak is the highest peak of Kibo and the goal of my climb. Although dormant, hot, molten magma lies only 400 meters below the surface, and scientist say an eruption can happen any day.

I leave for this journey on Thursday, October 5th, my Mother’s birthday. It is fitting to depart on that day, since she is largely responsible for my adventurous streak. She thought there was nothing I could not accomplish in life. She inspired, prodded, and cajoled me into trying bigger, scarier, and more demanding tasks. She imprinted in my mind the fact that I could face my fears and just do it. She loved life, travel, people, and adventure. She would not only approve of this quest, but she would have been my biggest cheerleader. Although she is no longer here to do that, she is very much alive in my soul and spirit. It is with that spirit that I will always seek bigger and better things.

I fly from Atlanta Thursday night and arrive in Amsterdam Friday morning. I plan on staying the day to acclimate to the time change, and then catch a KLM flight to Kilimanjaro Saturday morning. The flight arrives at 1950, where I expect to be greeted by an REI representative to usher me through customs and then on to Moshi. Moshi sits in the midst of coffee farms started by Catholic missionaries in 1898. After a night’s rest and breakfast, a trekking orientation will be followed by a coffee plantation tour and a warm up nature walk.

On Monday, we will start by hiring porters, signing in, and beginning the climb. The trek begins at the park gate at the 6,000 foot level and hikes 6 miles up to Mandara hut through the bamboo rainforest (home of blue monkeys and the vivid Impatiens Kilimanjari). The Mandara huts are named after the fearsome chief of the Moshi, a warrior whose skill and bravery on the battlefield was matched only by his avarice off of it.

Day four (Tuesday, 10th), involves an eight hour, strenuous trek to the 12,340 level. It is at this level the first glimpse of the Kibo summit is available. The hike passes from rainforest into high moorland and beneath the rocky southern face of Mawenzi, one of the three volcanic peaks that make up Kilimanjaro.

Day five is an acclimatization day as we hike high and camp low. A climb up to Zebra Rocks will allow for a view across The Saddle and exercise to help cope with the thinning air. After the hike, its back to camp for dinner and a little time to read and reflect (I am bringing Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations with me to read and contemplate upon).

Day six we cross The Saddle in about seven hours and reach the 15,520’ level. The steepness of this leg of the climb, along with the altitude, slows people down. The Saddle is a wide flat plateau at the base of Kibo. The views are said to be fantastic. After a light dinner, it’s rack time. But not for long. The guides will wake us before midnight for day seven and the summit attempt. By Gillman’s Point (18,640’), the temperature will be below freezing. The hike at this point is extremely steep and on a scree slope; it will be one step at a time taking time to focus on breathing and ignoring head and other body aches.

If all goes well, the sun will rise by this time and the plains of Africa will be visible all around. But we will not stop here. With another 2 to 3 hours of trekking, the true summit, Uhuru, lies ahead. At 19,340’, the top is the goal. With the very thin air, not much time is spent here before the descent is started. From the peak down to Horombo Huts is 9.5 miles, making it about fifteen hours of hiking for the day.

The final day (Saturday the 14th) is a five hour descent from Horombo to the park gates for a celebration dinner. After dinner, its back to Moshi and the first shower and cold drink in a week. On Sunday the 15th, I catch a flight back to Amsterdam and then connect to Atlanta and home on Monday around 1500.

I invite you to follow my progress as I post on FaceBook and other media sources. I hope that you will be inspired by what I am doing, not just for the physical aspects, but the mental as well. Life is an adventure and is truly beautiful. We all have it in us, we just need to dig deep and bring it forth. Find what inspires you, and do it. Don’t sit on the sidelines, but tally forth and participate.

Until my next post, twendai (Swahili for, let’s go)!