Climbing Kili....The Photos......The Experience

Well, Kilimanjaro experience. What can I say? It does things to you that you never quite expected. It pushes you, it teaches you, it breaks you (or at least it broke me!). I went there thinking I would have millions of minutes of deep and life changing thoughts.....lakini wapi? I don't think I thought a decent thought for all of 5 days. It was hands down one of the most intense and most exciting experiences of my life. That is why words fail me in describing what we went through.What I went through. Enjoy the photos. They are not quite a Mutua Matheka production, but we tried!
Disclaimer: The photos might not be as visible as I'd want but hey......


A little place we were put up at on arrival. Don't be fooled, they were no men in it other than the ones I came with. I checked


The part of the mountain that we could see from our "Hotel/ Motel/ Holiday Inn....say what!!"


The gate the gate, the gate.Oh my God the gate....


Soma kwa Makini. They will only tell you once!


The general time lines and heights. Way to provide motivation people!!!!!


And the journey begins. We were almost skipping up the trail.


After a pretty drenching rain, the first peeps arrive at point 1:Mandara Huts...


I have good reason to worry deeply about my friends..Right?


Excited about another day on the trail.But I think we were more excited about the photo...tihihi!Act natural people...Act natural (Inside joke!)


The stories we could tell about a dear white friend...Infact the stories he could tell and he could tell many many stories. I shake my head!!


Our guides at the front teaching us some "Bongo Frava Frava jameni"


Point 2: Horombo hut....slightly more somber.


Acclimatization. Just to make sure your lungs and legs are still functional at the end of the day.


Supermaaaaaaaan!


To final destination....Kibo Hut!Mimi na Benja....tuko sawa. Lucy na Sakwa wanatulenga live!


Drinking pure Mt. Kilimanjaro spring water....mmmmmm....this was the last water point....That white point in the distance was the destination to hit that night. Uhuru baby!


.....before we embarked into the vast wilderness of emptiness and deep thought.


and much much more wilderness.....


Proof of facilities for all doubting Thomasinas. Up front is Hammond. you will probably not see him again since he was our official photographer!


Last check point: Kibo Hut!


Our first taste of snow and altitude sickness by those spotted kissing cold ice. Lesson for the day: The healing property of cold ice...hmmmm....


Some of my happy camping mates. Jeff and Lucy (She was my life saver all the way. Jeff also played a hand too.....)

Due to the graphic nature of the photos meant to come in this space, they shall not be posted. I shall maintain from this point on, we breezed up to the peak like fairies on a cloud. There were unicorns and little weaving birds that sang to us all the way to the top. tulululu.......We summited at 11.00 pm at night. Screams and wails were heard by many from a far...but we will never ever admit that they were from us. Never.


Me staring at the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. The Glaciers of Kilimanjaro (I made that up all by myself imagine!)


Number 1 on Uhuru. I actually hit this point with Hammond.He adamantly refused to take a photo. So I took two.One for him and and for me!


Number 3: Brian. The stories his guide could tell about their journey up;they will shock you, amaze you and then leave you in his total admiration (of the guide not the guided)and slightly embarassed (for the guided not the guide). He (the guided) however took photos for everyone he left back in Nairoberry.One for each person.


The most admirable of our lot. They tell you at the base...70% mental, 30% physical. Eric here was 150% mental and 2% physical. He experienced the climb like no one else.


The group!minus Hammond....our official Paparazzi....I'm your biggest fan dude! :D


Have you ever seen anything so pretty? It was all worth it in the end.....