The 6 Things I Learned Climbing Africa’s Tallest Mountain
Rachel Guevara
1. Kilimanjaro’s ‘trekking’ reputation is a myth.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. It is a renowned bucket list item for trekkers and climbers alike, as it is a “non-technical” mountain. What many individuals do not know is that Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, is also a “non-technical” mountain. Due to this “non-technical” reputation, Mount Kilimanjaro attracts many individuals not prepared for the conditions and circumstances they will encounter on the mountain. From hands and knees rock scrambling at 19,000 feet to plunge kicking down a 30-degree scree slope, Mount Kilimanjaro is no cakewalk. The mountain’s low death rate of only 10 deaths per year is only maintained due to the porters and guides carrying down the hoards of climbers that collapse unconsciously at the top, and cannot get down on their own will. On our team’s summit day, we witnessed 5 helicopter evacuations for fatal Acute Mountain Sickness, 18 hikers carried down the mountain in stretchers, and countless individuals being carried down from the summit by guides.
2. Acute Mountain Sickness kills but is also necessary for your survival.
At 19,341 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is considered an extreme altitude peak. At its summit, there is 10% less oxygen in the atmosphere than at sea level. Due to this, an individual must acclimate to the lack of oxygen in the air.
An individual who is not acclimated to the lack of oxygen will quickly develop the fatal conditions of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). Throughout the standard acclimation process, an individual will experience non-threatening symptoms of headaches, dizziness, fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
On the fourth day of the expedition, our team made an acclimation run up the mountain. The objective was to hike high, expose our bodies to the thin air and trigger the production of more red blood cells, then sleep low to recover. At 15,419 feet, during our acclimation run up the mountain, I came down with a severe migraine. After descending back down to 13,900 feet for camp, even laying down in my tent was a nauseating activity. I awoke the next morning unable to eat, with a sickening feeling in the bottom of my stomach. The days’ arduous ups and downs only allowed me to force down two ginger candies and small sips of water. Later that night, I consumed a slice of bread and a few slices of mango, but nothing would stay down. I had never felt more miserable. But without this bout of Acute Mountain Sickness, I wouldn’t have summited or made it off the mountain under my own will.
3. A fast pace will be your demise.
On the mountain, the guides use the term pole pole, which means slowly slowly. The guides would set the pace, using a technique called the “rest step,” where you employ rhythmic breathing to actively slow your cadence and heal your muscles as you walk. As we entered the extreme altitude zone (18,000+ feet) our pace fell below half a mile an hour. It was difficult at first to accept the pace. But with discipline I trudged forward, understanding clearly at Stella Point—where we joined the hoards of climbers from other routes—why pole pole saves so many people's lives. I looked around at the climbers being administered emergency bottled oxygen, vomiting blood, or simply unconscious. I asked my lead guide if this was normal for Mount Kilimanjaro and he said “Yes, because so many simply go too fast.”
4. An umbrella can be better rain gear than a rain jacket.
Mount Kilimanjaro only has two seasons, a wet season and a slightly less wet season. While most climbers elect to climb in the slightly less wet season, the mountain is often still plagued with constant mist and the occasional equatorial downpour. Our team had an extremely wet beginning to the expedition. On the second day, everyone’s rain gear soaked through, leaving our limited base layers soaking wet and unable to dry in Kilimanjaro’s tropical climate. This was the case for all but one. Thomas—a Yale Ph.D. student—hiked in trail runners, cotton socks, gym shorts, a cotton t-shirt, and an umbrella he stole from a New York hotel. While Thomas pranced into camp dry and toasty every single day, we waddled in with our $300 Arc’teryx rain jackets, drenched and frigid.
5. Uhuru Peak is incredibly underwhelming.
I was moving slowly behind my lead guide when suddenly, the mountain stopped going up. There was no place to climb higher. We had reached Uhuru Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro’s true summit. But instead of this miraculous, euphoric, “Holy crap, I did it!” moment I just thought to myself “What now?” There were over fifty people on the summit. The line waiting for the summit sign made it look like Disneyland. There was even high-speed wifi on the top. My experience on Uhuru Peak only solidified that with mountaineering, and overall adventuring, more often the significance of the experience lies in the journey rather than the destination.
6. It is the people.
My 2022 was filled with two incredible journeys. The first was a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,653-mile trail from Mexico to Canada. The second was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. While it is the superficial experience—hiking, mountaineering, peak-bagging—that initially attracts me to pursuing such extreme expeditions, it is the people (“Tramilies”) with whom I share such expeditions whose memories and impacts are eternal. On the Pacific Crest Trail, I met my best friend, who still supports me in all walks of life. On Mount Kilimanjaro, I met individuals who inspire me, are inspired by me, mirror me in a different generation, supported me, and made it so incredibly difficult to go home. On any adventure you go on, especially the adventure of life, cherish and love the people that you meet. Because in life, it is the people.
