KILIMANJARO - 2009 - DAY 12

 FEBRUARY 25

The summit day starts before midnight. The weather is much worse, the temperature has dropped to -20°C ( -4°F) and the wind is still around 60 km/h (37 mph). It is snowing heavily and the strong wind causes the snow to travel practically horizontally. It is too windy to prepare a breakfast and as a result we climb Kilimanjaro without it. We put on our warm clothing, turn on the headlamps and head on up the trail.

The beginning of the trail is not too difficult, but after about an hour the slope steepens and the trail starts to zig-zag. We walk 30 m (100 ft) in one direction before turning 180 degrees to another switchback. Every straight run increases our elevation by not more than a few meters. The wind slows our progress in the zig direction but pushes on the zag leg. Every half hour, we stop to rest and drink.

The visibility is still zero and the whole world is reduced to a small circle of light in front of me which shows the boots of the climber in front. The climbing continues on and on, hour after hour. I have no idea how high we are. I have no difficulties with breathing and do not feel tired. Except for the dreadful weather, the climb is a proverbial walk in the Kilimanjaro Park.

It is still dark when we finally reach the edge of the caldera. This is the lowest point of the ridge. It is called Stella Point. The only indication of arriving at the point is that the trail suddenly flattens and the wind increases. We take a short break. It is around 6:30 am and the distant horizon to the east of us is slowly getting lighter. The sun is rising from behind Mawenzi as we continue our final push to the summit. The trail is mostly flat and fully exposed to the wind and snow. At rougly an hour from Stella Point, we finally arrive on the Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Africa. The wind is so strong that I cannot keep my camera steady and the picture is dancing in the viewfinder.

The summit is a very busy place. We have to lineup to get our few seconds at the summit sign. Our group from left to right: Adam, Raya, Vanessa, Wanda, David, Living, Thomas and Jack.

Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kibo, is like no other mountain in the world. The famous glaciers of Kilimanjaro have mostly disappeared. It is caused by a combination of diminishing snowfall and high winds. The very top is practically without snow cover. The wall of glaciers starts well below the summit ridge. The view is spectacular, especially with the dense clouds over the plains below which create an interesting background for the layered ice wall.

On the opposite side of the summit plateau, the vast caldera is filled with snow. The ash cone in the center is barely visible. The snow continues to fall but I am not sure if it is new snow falling from the clouds or the wind simply blowing the snow from the ground.

After about an hour on the summit it is time to return back to Barafu Camp. As we descend from the Stella Point, the weather improves slightly and  I have a chance to snap a few pictures.

Trail from Uhura Peak to Stella Point. Mawenzi in the background.

The trail from the Stella Point is still covered with snow. The summit of Mawenzi towers above the Barafu Camp located on the lava ridge in the center of the picture.

Switchbacks on the return way to the Barafu Camp.

We arrive back at our high camp around 10:00 am. The wind continues, the kitchen is not working and the promised breakfast is not available. We try to relax inside the tents munching on some chocolate bars, but the strong wind has weakened the poorly set tents. The noise and shaking make resting very problematic. Around noon, I have had enough and we decide to descend to the Barafu Camp. Upon our arrival at the camp, Living offers us some hot soup prepared by the rangers. Their huts are made out of steel sheets. The whole building thunders like a drum but at least the floor is stable. The soup tastes rather delicious. It is our first meal in more than 20 hours. Unfortunately, this is not the end of the day. Around 2:00 pm we start trekking down to the Mweka Camp. Our guides and porters are anxious to get home as soon as possible. But to reach the Mweka Camp we have to descend from 4680 m (15,350 ft) to 3,110 m (10,200 ft). Total descent from the Uhuru Peak is 2,785m (9,140 ft). Half way through we arrive at the Millenium Camp, located at 3,840 m (12,590 ft). This would be an ideal place to spend the night. However, our porters have already left this camp on the way to the Mweka Camp. We have no choice but to continue. The trail is easy, but we are slowly getting tired.

We arrive at the Mweka Camp around 6:00 pm after 22 hours of action. I can hardly keep my eyes open during dinner.