Climbing Kilimanjaro - Day 7
It’s the final morning of the Kilimanjaro trek. I slept more soundly than I had the whole week previous, getting a consistent seven hours of rest. When I woke up and checked the time, I smiled so big at the amount of sleep I got. That’s when I noticed the feeling of pressure in my face.
What’s Wrong With My Face?
The week of sun exposure, strong winds, and icy rain on my face had finally made itself known. My lower lip felt swollen and stiff, my face felt puffy, and my eyes were watering. I wiped off my face and reapplied sunscreen, noting the new tenderness of my skin. I had worn sunscreen all week and reapplied consistently, but I only used Burt’s Bees chapstick that didn’t have SPF in it (this turned out to be one of my bigger mistakes). Taking a few more ibuprofen to start the day, we then got ourselves prepped for the last day of hiking which was nothing but down. On Day Seven I wore a pair of leggings and a short sleeve Under Armour shirt, my rain jacket, and donned a fresh pair of hiking socks. After getting myself dressed and packing up my duffel bag for a final time on the mountain, I stepped out of the tent and into the misty morning.
Taken at High Camp on our final morning.
Before we had breakfast I took some time to wander around the camp, noting the pied crows already starting their morning search for food. High Camp was affected by the wildfire a few years ago, so some of the trees were blackened caracasses. Our tents were nestled in these small trees, and as I walked around I noticed the moorland and rainforest canopies stretching out into the distance. This morning was such an emotional one for me, knowing our time on the mountain would be coming to an end in several hours.
After my walk about camp, I joined the rest of the group in the mess tent for our final breakfast. I opted for a pancake smothered in peanut butter and jam along with some orange slices. There was almost no wind at High Camp, so our mess tent was once again a quiet refuge to enjoy our meals. We also went through our snacks that we’d been carrying all week and left a few of them on the table for the crew to take if they wanted. What we thought was only CheezIt dust, fit for throwing away, was a great surprise to some of the porters who gladly enjoyed every last piece. As we ran out of thank you cards the night before, we decided our lead guide, Abuu, would get one of the extra Field Guide notebooks Danny and I brought with us. We brought it to the mess tent for breakfast and we each wrote a short note to Abuu inside the journal and included our trek dates and team name.
We wouldn’t be stopping for lunch, so Abuu and LuLu told us to fuel up as best we could. We did not do a morning health check since we were continuing to go down, and they weren’t concerned with our vitals at this point in the trek. After we finished up breakfast and discussed our plan for the day, we geared up and headed to the camp sign for our group picture.
First Stop, Mweka Camp
As we left camp, we passed several more pied crows and got to see how sprawling the camp was, with different hiking groups spread amongst the trees. The trail from High Camp to Mweka Camp was like a natural staircase - steps of rock and boulders that continued as far as we could see. At some points I opted to walk in the dirt path beside the boulders as it was easier on my knees, but I wouldn’t do this for long as trail etiquette demands you stay on the designated trail. I decided to bring up the rear of the group this time and Danny was in the front. We realized that if he and I hiked together in the front, with our naturally faster pace, it was more likely our group would get split up. With this realization (and proof of its accuracy from the day before) we decided to separate ourselves to ensure our whole group remained intact for our final day of the journey.
We soon entered the moorland and our views of Mount Meru returned, looking ever so lovely in the distance. We entered a section of the trail that was shaded by trees, giving us a slight break from the sun as we got closer to Mweka Camp. As we approached Mweka Camp, I remember we were saying, “There is NO way I would’ve made it this far yesterday. I’m so glad we stopped at High Camp.” Stopping at High Camp after summiting the same day was definitely one of our smartest decisions. At Mweka Camp we got another group picture at the camp sign, even though we didn’t stay overnight there. At this point I didn’t want to miss any of the camp or gate signs - I wanted a complete set of pictures. We rested for a short while and had a snack and water break while taking in the camp’s surroundings. There was one point where a particular plant caught my eye, and as I was walking toward it I saw Katie doing the same thing. It’s so interesting how we can be surrounded by millions of inputs yet two of us honed in on the exact same thing. Great minds, they say.
Was That An Animal?
As we left Mweka Camp the trail changed from rocky to dirt and mud, and it started getting significantly steeper in some parts. We were told that blue monkeys lived in the rainforests of Kilimanjaro, and we were hoping to see some wildlife on our final day. At one point, out of my peripheral vision, I saw something moving in the trees. The only thing I could make out was that it was a four-legged animal, darker in color, and it didn’t look extremely tall. I pointed it out to LuLu and we walked a bit further into the forest to try to identify it. Abuu had caught on to what we were doing by this point and with his extensive knowledge of Tanzanian wildlife said it was a type of anteater. It was so exciting to see even a glimpse of an animal in this area, as the trail seems to always be populated with people (and therefore, noise).
I soon needed a bathroom break and we pulled off so that I could find a place in the trees. We refrained from putting our bags on the ground during breaks so that ants and other bugs didn’t crawl all over them, but for me that wouldn’t matter soon. I always walk off the trail until I can’t see my trailmates before I stop for a bathroom spot, for privacy and also for trail hygiene. Here is where I got a nice collection of bug bites (that I would notice back at the hotel) all along my ankles and up to my calves.
Relieved and ready to continue forward, we got back in our hiking line. There was about an hour where it rained, our ponchos once again covering us and our packs, and the trail became a slippery slide. We all fell more than once, slipping in mud or taking a poorly calculated step. Thankfully none of our falls resulted in any type of injury and we were able to quickly recover.
Bongo Flava!
We got in a conversation about music at one point, and while our chef, Salim, was hiking with us he played a style of music called Bongo Flava through a speaker. Bongo Flava is a genre of music that started in Tanzania in the 1990s that is a combination of American hip hop and traditional Tanzanian music, with a hint of island/reggae beats. It was so fun to hike with this music in the background, listening to LuLu and Salim sing along to their favorite songs. It was another way I felt more connected to the culture and people of Tanzania, being able to share in something as powerful as music. This music helped the time pass and gave me something else to focus on instead of the increasing pain in my knees.
Salim handed the speaker over to Abuu and took off ahead of us, going to meet up with the rest of the crew at the exit gate. The entire crew would be waiting for us at the end to have a final celebration and for us to distribute their tips. We would stop to notice the incredible plants and flowers lining the trail, and would be reminded by our guides that the crew was waiting…basically, we need to keep this party moving! One thing I noticed about Tanzanian people is that they are very factual. There was a time I squatted to take a picture of a flower, and when I stood up I did so slowly and loudly, exclaiming, “Oh man, my KNEES.” LuLu looked at me straight faced and said, “You will be fine.” I told her that I knew that, and that I was just being dramatic. I guess there isn’t as much drama in Swahili as there can be in American English.
Don’t Wish It Away
This final day of hiking was hard for so many reasons. It was brutal on the knees, descending about 7300 feet in 8 miles. It was getting increasingly hot and humid, and my puffy face was only growing puffier. I also scratched what I thought was a bug off of my nose, only to then feel wetness on my nose in the same spot. Turns out it was the first of many blisters forming on my cheeks and nose from the sun poisoning that was starting to set in, and it was oozing.
As I was getting more tired, I felt myself thinking, “I’m so ready for this to be over. Where is the gate?!” I stayed in this mindset only a short while though, knowing that once we reached the gate, that was it - our Kilimanjaro trek would be complete. It was such a dichotomy of emotions - excitement to get off my feet and a visceral sadness that this incredible, life-affirming journey was ending. I wasn’t ready for the journey to end, not really. I got myself back into the present moment, absorbed in the scale of the fern trees and the natural umbrellas they created. I looked above me as often as I dared take my eyes off the trail, and was always greeted with a new view. I saw spiralized, moss covered vines that looked like cavatappi noodles, brightly colored flowers along the ground, and a rainforest canopy that let in only select rays of sunlight.
Abuu announced we were about 20 minutes from the gate (the day’s descent took us a total of 6.5 hours), and that our crew was waiting for us there. While the trail was big enough for maybe two people wide up until this point, it grew wide enough for a vehicle to easily drive down as we neared the end. Knowing the Kilimanjaro trek would soon be completed, I let myself sit in a deep sense of gratitude for everything I’d experienced. I was, and still am, so thankful for the entire journey. The people, the experiences, the trust in myself, the way this trip filled up my soul until it was overflowing. Everything about it.
The final selfie video of the Kilimanjaro trek.
A Real Toilet!
We made it to the end of the Kilimanjaro trek, arriving at Mweka Gate a sweaty, dirty, smelly, incredibly proud group. The Office Manager from Tanzania Journeys, Aly, was also waiting for us at the end and gave us big hugs as we arrived. He took our group pictures at the sign, frequently shouting at Abuu and LuLu to “PLEASE SMILE”, which always made me laugh. After our pictures were done, I looked around the area and was so impressed with how modernized it felt. The road and parking lot areas were all stone covered, there was a gorgeous park office with benches and umbrella covered tables to sit at, and a small store selling overpriced snacks and souvenirs, but also cold beers.
We dumped all our things at a table and quickly got out of our boots. We were told to carry our camp shoes in our day packs on the final day so we could change into them without having to wait on the porters. This was a very good tip as taking those boots off for the final time was a glorious experience. There were a couple locals washing boots for $5 a pair and we gladly handed our four pairs of boots over to them. Not only would we have clean boots to pack for our trip home, we’d also remove the possibility of carrying potentially harmful soil, plants, seeds, etc. out of Kilimanjaro and into other countries.
While our boots were getting washed, we got a round of Kilimanjaro beers (their version of a Bud Light) from the small store. The four of us hadn’t consumed any alcohol for three months in preparation for the trip, and that first sip of beer was absolutely delicious. It also went to our heads pretty quickly when paired with the dehydration, exhaustion, exertion, and emotions of the past week. Abuu took us into the park office where we officially signed out of the park and used the first real toilet in a week (it’s the little luxuries of life).
We then got all the cash we’d left with Aly, and Danny and I took it inside the office to begin separating it out for our crew. Depending on the position, our crew was tipped between $60 USD and $150 USD each. We were instructed to bring bills that were minted in 2009 or later, free of tears and markings, and preferably 20s and 50s as the crew would get a better exchange rate (10,000 Tanzanian shillings = about $4 USD). After the tips were inserted in the right envelopes, we reconvened with the crew in the parking lot for a few farewell songs.
Here’s A Certificate - Now It’s Official!
We circled up with our crew and they sang a couple of songs for us, including the Kilimanjaro Song. We were all dancing and singing along as best we could, soaking in these final moments with the 20 people who’d kept us fed, watered, and safe for a week. After the songs, the four of us each had a stack of thank you cards and started calling up the crew members one by one. We started with the porters, then the summit porters and special positions, then our chef, Salim, then the guides. We shared a few brief remarks about how amazing the trip had been and how grateful we were to all of them for everything they gave us. Abuu shared a few remarks then handed out our certificates one by one, with a handshake and picture to solidify the moment. After certificates were claimed and hugs were exchanged, it was time to say our final goodbyes to Kilimanjaro National Park. We loaded up all our gear and ourselves into the giant safari truck, along with Salim, LuLu, and Abuu. As we started the hour drive back into town, wind whipping into my face through the open windows, I felt a deep sense of relief and sadness wash over me.
How Is It Over?
We each had some gear we planned to give to Abuu to distribute to his crew, as we had learned earlier in the week that most of the porter’s gear is donated from climbers. We gave water bottles, solar battery banks, dry bags, Crocs, rain pants, leggings, dri-fit shirts, hiking poles, and all our leftover hand and body warmers, knowing they would be put to good use. We said our final, final goodbyes to Abuu, LuLu, and Salim, once again engulfed in mixed emotions. We’d be seeing Aly again the next day, as we chose to have him organize a day trip for us to Chemka Hot Springs on our rest day before traveling home.
As the truck pulled away, we carried all our belongings inside Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel and went to the front desk to check in to our rooms and collect our luggage from storage. When I said hello to the woman at the front desk she asked how the climb was, and I mentioned how sunburnt I got. In that factual, Tanzanian tone I was getting used to, she said simply, “It will go away.” I realized I would not be getting any sympathy from the locals, not that I should, but it was once again a distinct difference of social norms.
Now, when we’d checked our luggage with them a week prior, they’d given us a small piece of paper as a ticket. Since most of our belongings were soaked from summit day and/or lost in the shuffle of the climb, none of us had this paper. The woman at the front desk asked for photo IDs instead, which we explained were also in the bags she was keeping. Then she asked for a picture of the papers, to which we explained we also did not have. She wanted to see our ID before giving us access to our bags and so we went back and forth for a while, trying to explain that we can show her ID but we needed our bags first. We eventually got our bags, and were able to make our way to our rooms for a glorious, hot shower.
All our gear from the week on the mountain.
We were told to wait at least 10 minutes in between showers to let the hot water refill, but there wasn’t much to begin with. Showering off a week of dirt, sweat, and grime felt like being reborn anew, complete with clean hair and freshly moisturized skin. We agreed to meet in the lobby in a few hours to go to dinner, but Danny decided to get some chicken tenders from the bar while we waited. As he was getting the food, I had a moment of realization that drew fresh tears from my eyes. It was over. The Kilimanjaro trek was completed. It felt so harsh, so sudden, that we were back in a hotel with running water and cold drinks and internet and television. How could we be back in civilization so fast? How could it just be…over? I knew I’d write about the whole experience in time, but in that moment it felt like my world had been flipped upside down.
Our Final Rounds of Highs and Lows
We chose to go to a local restaurant called Maembe, a short distance from the hotel. We piled into a small cab and were dropped off at the restaurant that was nestled behind trees and flowers. We sat in the open-air yard of the restaurant, the only light from candles and lanterns in the trees. We ordered so much food, a round of drinks, and began sharing memories and laughs of the incredible week we’d had on the mountain.
After dinner was finished and our bellies were fit to burst, we asked the bartender to call us a cab to return us to the hotel. Back at the hotel, we bid each other goodnight, ready for a glorious night of sleep in a real bed. Behind our locked hotel room door, with our belongings scattered all over the room, I wondered if it had all been a dream. It may have felt like a dream at times, but it was one of the truest, most life-affirming experiences I’ve ever had in my life. As I drifted off into actual dreams, I knew I wouldn’t stop talking about the experience any time soon.
Asante sana, Kilimanjaro. Nakupenda.
Day Seven Stats
Day Seven starting elevation at Barafu Camp: 12,467 feet
Day Seven ending elevation at Mweka Gate: 5380 feet
Total hiking distance: 8.1 miles, 7267 feet descent
Highs and Lows
A nightly tradition during dinner was to share our Highs and Lows for the day. It was always a fun way to recap the day and see what everyone took away from it. Sometimes one person’s Low was another person’s High. I’ll share my own Highs and Lows for each day at the end of every blog post.
Day Seven Low: my face was so swollen and puffy and burnt, and it hurt the whole day
Day Seven High: having the entire crew waiting for us at the exit gate, ready to celebrate and send us off with love
Note To Reader
If you are reading this purely for entertainment, awesome! This disclaimer does not apply to you. If you are reading this in preparation for your own climb of Kilimanjaro, it’s important for me to note the following things. Before my climb of Kilimanjaro:
I was living in Colorado at an elevation of 5350 feet above sea level
I was in excellent physical condition and was 36 years old
I did not smoke, rarely drank alcohol and did not have any for two months prior to the trip, and did not have any other medical issues
I had been hiking to elevations above 12,000 feet for years and hiked in the mountains every weekend for three months before the trek
I physically trained for a year before my trek through cardio and weight training at OrangeTheory Fitness
I had a lot of gear already, although I did purchase a lot
Why do I include this information? Because research will be a part of your trip preparation and you’ll most likely read a lot of blog posts like this. A trend that I saw in my own research was that people didn’t include their personal background before giving advice or recaps of their own trip. To best understand my experience, I want to give you a basic understanding of me as a human, and the benefits I had before embarking on this journey. This may help you better prepare for and relate to the experiences I had along the trail.