Kili kicked my ass!

We made it! After 5 days of exploring the Kilimanjaro mountain area on foot, myself, and 3 women friends summitted Kili at sunrise on a stunning morning. After 5 days of a lot of rain, our summit weather held just long enough to view the impressive and quickly melting glaciers surrounding the highest point in Africa.

And I must say oddly enough it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Odd because I've done much "tougher" mountains. I felt totally awesome on both Elbrus and Orizaba which are not much lower than Kili. I felt like I was completely out of it on Kili and getting up it ON A TRAIL, no less, felt unbelieveably difficult physically. I was very intrigued with the odd way my body felt at altitude - mostly due to the inadequate aclimationg process we did prior to our summit bid. I learned much more about how my body works at altitude. All in all an excellent climb in a very unique spot on the planet.

I'm finding Africa to be gorgeous and complex and the people lovely. Tomrrow we leave for a 2 day safari. I'll be back at you with much more detail soon!

xoxo

Terri

Kilimanjaro

The meaning of the name Kilimanjaro is still reputedly discussed and the answers will vary depending on which dialect you are speaking. In Chagga it means 'Something which cannot be conquered'. Others refer to it as the Mountain of Greatness, or the White Mountain.

Though today at 19,318 feet at its summit, Kili is still ‘white’ and glacier capped, geologists calculate that more than 80 per cent of Kilimanjaro's glacier has melted since it was first mapped in 1912. The summit ice will potentially be gone by 2015 due to global warming effects.

When the ice finally abates not only will some of the mountains beauty will be lost, so will the most valuable records of tropical climate that are contained in the ice. A few core samples will remain in archives, but not the large samples needed to resolve many further questions about this diverse area.

Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the continent of Africa, sits in Northern Tanzania on the border of Kenya. To climb Kili one must pass through five different climate zones beginning in a tropical rainforest and ending in an Arctic environment. All in all it sounds like a perfect spot for a holiday adventure, so a few of us girls are heading down to check out this amazing part of the world and try our hand at hitting its fragile glacier.

As per tradition before a big adventure, Louise and I have been busy with very important prep for this upcoming trek up the mountain - massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, leg wax, and frequent shopping for stuff we're sure we'll need. We've even had our requisite discussion of what shoes we are bringing on the trip.

I’d say we’re set.

After a few days stopover in London, I’ll be heading down to Kilimanjaro for our 6-day climb and then a 2 day safari in the Kili region.

Stay tuned for more from Africa!

Terri
Note: Many thanks to Outdoor Research, Leki, and Montrail for continuing to make some of the best gear on the planet. Your efforts in putting out top notch gear make my adventuring such a pleasure.