Why I quit smoking (post 1 of 10)

I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro for the first time in August 2008. I share my observations from that climb, including a day-by-day account of one of the most life-changing experiences I have had.

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I don't remember the first time I decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, but it could have been eight years ago. For no particular reason, I decided I wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Making that decision was the easiest part, implementing the decision was a totally different matter. Years came and went and I realised if I did not take drastic measures, I would never climb the mountain.

As the years passed, I found more reasons for climbing the mountain. I kept on meeting people from all over the world who had climbed Kilimanjaro while I had not. I felt deprived that Tanzanians had a treasure enjoyed by many foreigners but known to few Tanzanians. I decided I could not live anymore with a situation where I would meet a foreigner who had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro while I had not.

In the past decade a lot has been said and written about global warming and its effect on the natural habitat. Some experts predict that because of global warming the snows of Kilmanjaro will melt away in the not-too-distant future. I was determined to reach Africa’s highest peak to before that snow disappeared.

There is an opposing view claiming that the glaciers on Mt. Kilimanjaro are retreating, not because of global warming, but because of a combination of other factors. I was not going to wait for the experts to agree.

In August 2005 I met Gen. Mirisho Sarakikya, former Chief of Defence Forces of the Tanzanian Army (1964 - 1974) and a veteran climber of Kilimanjaro. He has climbed Kilimanjaro 46 times. I promised him I would join him in September 2006 but I did not and his words kept on haunting me: “I would be very disappointed if you were one of those Tanzanians that I meet once and never see again.” Read: those Tanzanians who pledge to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro but never show up for the climb.

One reason why few Tanzanians reach the summit is the cost. It costs an average of $US1,500 to pay for the 8 day trek, a sum which is beyond the reach of most Tanzanians. Tanzanians who can afford to pay that sum, probably lack the resolve to tackle a climb that, to most average people, is considerably challenging.

I was surprised to find out that, apart from the guides and porters, there were virtually no Tanzanian climbers on Mt. Kilimanjaro. I probably met more than 100 climbers during my first climb, but I met only one Tanzanian on his way up when I was descending. He had succumbed to altitude sickness and was brought down on a stretcher.

Next post: Preparing for the climb.

Related post:
http://blogkili.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-i-quit-smoking-post-2-of-10.html

The seven hills section on the Lemosho route

The seven hills section on the Lemosho route is one tough climb.

For the novice climber, that is. It is reached on the second day of the climb and is between Mti Mkubwa (2,785m) and Shira 1 (3,504m) camps.

This climb begins in dense forest and with each step and altitude the climber emerges on a landscape of shorter vegetation and finally to a stunning panorama of hills and mountains.

The seven hills section on the Lemosho route.

The day takes the climber to the Shira Plateau. The shorter hike stops at Shira 1 camp, but the longer hike takes the climber to Shira 2 (3,895m) camp to conclude the second day on the Lemosho route.

The training continues....

I continue with my cycling routine as part of my training schedule. In the third week of this new effort, I am already feeling considerable improvement in my level of fitness.

I still have some discomfort tying my shoe laces - there's that bulging obstacle above my waist that compels me to make an extra effort to reach at my shoes.

After cycling with Ross, he recommended a cycling app called MapyMyRide that I have used since and as I resume my recent cycling routine, I have attempted to log my routes with this app but not without some disappointment. The past few sessions went unrecorded because I had made an error in the settings and instead of logging hours of cycling I recorded hours of crunches and leg lifts.

The other good news is I am already cycling on a 22.2-kilometre route, something I had planned for December and only after I got used to the 13-kilometre route.

That perennial question of motivation for training

Remember one of my recent posts announcing that I am resuming training? Read here. It has not happened. The training, that is.

The training was as brief as the post. But I am not giving up. It's all in the spirit of facing the challenge of climbing a mountain. Giving up should not be in the climber's vocabulary, but props up regularly all the way to the summit.

To seasoned mountaineers, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is an easy task, but to any ordinary individual who has little training, Mt Kilimanjaro is a tough proposition.

So, as I prepare myself (again!) for the next climb, probably in June 2017, I applaud those who did not give up and reached the summit. I equally applaud those who tried as much as they could but did not reach the summit.

Reaching the summit is great achievement, but it is not everything.

On climbing gear and bragging rights

I am discovering mountaineering from the cart to the donkey, rather than the other way round.

When I first climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2008 one of my relatives, who had climbed Mt. Meru earlier, gave me some high altitude clothing he had used during his climb including a down jacket, and a high altitude trekking trouser, made by North Face. At the time I had no idea where North Face stood in the pecking order of outdoor product manufacturers.

On my first ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro I reached the summit in the afternoon and spent an extremely cold night in this tent on the crater floor. I woke up the next morning to take this photo of part of Furtwängler Glacier. I was fully clothed in the sleeping bag throughout the night and the North Face down jacket and high altitude trousers provided great relief.

Several years later of climbing Kilimanjaro I have gradually learnt that I was wearing a top-rated brand. I also recently found out that North Face products are popular with college students in the United States. Some of these students have little interest in using their North Face products for outdoor activity; they buy North Face products for the sole purpose of acquiring bragging rights for owning a coveted brand.

I have been slowly adding up my gear for my long-term mountaineering quests, and have recently bought a North Face duffle bag. I have spent money on hiring gear over the years, and I realize it's cheaper to buy some of the equipment.

Continuing with my learning curve on the hidden aspects of mountaineering, I am wondering whether someone may have spotted me with my duffle bag at the airport and quietly sneered at me for showing off.

Back to square one on training

In my penultimate post, I wrote of my preparations for the January 2016 Mt. Kilimanjaro climb. I missed the climb because of a loss in my family and that loss kept me off training for a long time. Now, I begin the arduous task of reminding my mind and my body of the direct link between adequate training and reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro.

This author suggests that once the brain is reminded that training is worthwhile (read worthwhile as also meaning "enables one to reach the summit") then it becomes easier to jump into that routine.

Kibo, as seen from the Marangu route.

Here are more ways to motivate yourself to exercise (written for women, but works just as well for men).

Snowfall in Maryland

I am spending some time in the state of Maryland in the United States and a sudden snowfall triggered memories of home, in more than one way.

I forwarded a photo I snapped from the kitchen window, below, to friends and joked that I had a

 feeling that it was time to go home alluding to the fact that 'home' was warm and sunny and amenable to strolling down the main village road and catching a conversation with friends and acquaintances, or where Zebras roam the plains, whereas in Maryland (at least where I am) it made more sense to remain inside than venture out into the cold weather.

...where Zebras roam the plains.

The flip side of 'home' is where it is much colder than what I am experiencing at the moment: Mt. Kilimanjaro. on reflection, I gradually moved from my stereotypical depiction of home to a more balanced depiction of what Tanzania is: warm in some places, and bitterly cold in others.

A climber, right, with two Tanzanian guides at Stella Point (5,685m) on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

And, surprisingly, I miss both of them.