1. Top of Africa September 2007 by Jayant Doshi
(A walk up Mount Kilimanjaro)
It was in 1956 that some friends mooted the idea of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro,
and I was very excited by the
very thought of doing so, but the
idea was rejected by our parents
and the climb never took place.
But even at that young age, the
spirit of adventure existed within
me, and it lay dormant inside me
for years to come. Only in the last
decade has that spirit of
adventure reared its head out of
the depths of my inner spirit.
When I met my neighbour
recently, and he mentioned that
he was climbing Mount
Kilimanjaro, I immediately jumped on the idea even though I had just come back
from a gruelling long trek in the Himalayas. Having done a nineteen day trek, I
was told that climbing the highest mountain in Africa would be a iffy. Only time
will tell if this was so.
Mount Kilimanjaro is one of
those independently standing
mountains, and has the highest
peak in Africa, standing at 5895
metres or 19650 feet height, and
one of those rare mountains
which can be reached to the top
by just walking without
requiring any skills or gear for
mountain climbing. As such,
trekking to the top of the highest
mountain in Africa has become a very popular destination for novices who wish to
try their luck and spirit of adventure by climbing this mountain. Mount Kilimanjaro
has three peaks, and the Kibo peak is home to Uhuru, the highest point on the
mountain. The mountain is a dormant volcano, and most of the mountain is formed
from volcanic lava.
For me, this was going to be my fifth
foray into the mountains at similar
heights, and my third such trek in
twelve months, so I was the most
experienced in the group. I guess one
falls in love with these mountains. God
created all these wonders, and it is nice
to be able to go up there and appreciate
His creation. The trek was organised
for a worthy cause; Sanakara Eye

2. Foundation which runs several
hospitals in south India, and are
planning to build a new one in Gujarat,
India. The Foundation aims to create
self financing modern hospitals, and
use the surplus to finance the
treatment of those who cannot afford
eye treatments in such hospitals.
Some of the group, including myself,
left London on 1st September, and
reached Nairobi airport late afternoon,
and found the place in total chaos. We
just about managed to get our onward flight boarding passes, and reached Moshi
in the evening. We reached our lodge for our stay for the next two nights. Others
were joining us the next day. We had a briefing from the guides on Sunday
evening who answered our questions, and then checked our baggage to ensure
that no one was forgetting any essential equipment.
We were twenty one in the group, and
for me this was a different experience
as in the past treks the maximum I had
was a group of four. The group varied
in age from the youngest at 17 and I
being the oldest, with an array of age
range that covered each decade with
largest group in their forties. The
professional mixture was also very
impressive with two doctors, including
a cardiologist, two dentists, two
lawyers, a few pharmacists, five
students with hopes of becoming professionals and one retired person none other
then myself. We had five ladies. Four of the group were coming from USA while
the rest were coming from London. It was an impressive mixture of age, gender,
profession and origin.
We were told that we would be picked up at 9.30 in the morning on Monday to
start our trek, but it was almost 11.00
when we left the lodge and arrived at
Machami Gate. There were hundreds of
other trekkers waiting there to get a
clearance before they started their trek. It
was almost 1.00 when we started our
climb on Mount Kilimanjaro. Everyone
was fresh and enthusiastic, and as such
the start of the trek was brisk. We
stopped for lunch soon after; and after
lunch the steps became faster, and the
group split into small groups. The walk
was through forest, and the thick cover of
trees protected us from the glare of the

3. sun. It was dark by the time we reached
our camp, and it was drizzling. The fast
pace of walking had tired few of the
members. Our camp was at Machami Hut
at a height of 3000 metres. After dinner
everyone went to sleep. It was first time
experience for many to unpack the bags
and sleeping bags in the confines of a
small tent, and sharing it with someone
else.
Our dining tent was a tight squeeze for a
group of twenty one. It was quite an art
to learn to sit on a three legged stool, with our heads brushing against the tent,
but soon everyone mastered the art. Sitting close by in tight spaces was resented
at first, but soon everyone got used to it, and over the next few days began to
enjoy the cosy atmosphere in the tent. The dining tent became the centre of our
gatherings, with some jokes being exchanged and lively conversation made the
tent look like a palace. Our breakfast and dinner in that tent became like our
meeting point; other then that the whole group hardly met to do any activity. The
ladies took on the task of serving
porridge in the morning, and soup in
the evening. Compared to Nepal, the
food quality and variety lacked any
imagination, variation or culinary
quality. At the end of the sixth day,
everyone had got fed up with porridge
and same sort of soup.
Next morning, we started later then
planned, and this was to be expected
when so many people were involved.
We were warned that today’s walk
was over steep terrain and were advised to walk together at slow pace. The main
guide put down his foot next morning, and demanded that we all follow the guide
who led the party, and walked at his pace. The guide in front walked at a very
slow pace, and kept the group together. We all got used to that pace, and with
hindsight, it seems that the pace was right to avoid tiredness. We had crossed the
forest, and now we were in open rugged
land with lots of lava rocks and scree
(loose dry soil with tiny stones) on the
ground. It was five in the evening when
the first group reached the camp site, and
it was almost seven by the time the last
ones arrived. We had camped at Shira
camp site at a height of 3900 metres. It
was a long tiring day, and after sleeping
problems the previous night, everyone had
sound sleep on the second day.
Wednesday was no different. It was a
long tiring day when we climbed to 4500

4. metres before coming down to 3850 metres to camp at Barranco camp site. After
dinner there was little energy left for anyone to do anything but to sleep.
As we went higher up, it got colder. As
we were advised to drink lot of liquids,
it was natural that most of us needed to
wake up at night to relieve our
bladders. Sharing a tent with another
person, getting into the liner, which had
been inserted in the sleeping bag, was
difficult enough; but then to wake up in
the middle of the night, wriggle out of
the liner and the sleeping bag without
disturbing the partner, putting on warm
clothes and the boots, go out in the
dark, of course with a torch, and then
to come back, remove the boots and the extra clothes, and then wriggle back into
the liner and the sleeping bag would be counted as the most difficult task
undertaken by us during the trip. But to turn back to go to the tent, and suddenly
realise that you are not sure which is your tent, from a cluster of 11 tents all
looking same, and then fiddle in the dark with the torch to find your tent could be
the most embarrassing and nerve
wrecking moment. In the process, the
person would be waking up most of the
other tent residents. Sound of the
zipper being opened and closed made a
shrieking noise in the silence of the
night, and tended to wake up most
other then very sound sleepers.
With such a large group it was to be
expected that medical problems would
be prevalent. The doctor was kept busy
advising about all sorts of problems. All
the group members, with my exception, started taking diamox (medicine for
altitude sickness) from the very first day, and they took extra dose on the very last
day. I took the chance but luckily, I did not get any effects of altitude sickness.
Actually, I did not have any sort of problems except slight headache on one day. I
did not get any leg aches after long day’s
trekking, nor did I feel tired as such. I
had offered to do yoga exercises, but we
got a few opportunities and some of the
group took advantage of stretching
exercises after a day’s trek.
On Thursday, we had a short day of
walking, but we were asked to be ready
by eight. We were woken up later then
planned, but we left earlier then previous
day to everyone’s surprise. I had
disturbed night of sleep. Today we were

5. going to climb the awesome looking, steep and perpendicular Barranco wall. From
our camp site the Barranco wall
looked daunting and difficult. We
were pre-warned that we will have to
use our hands more then the poles.
For most of the time, we literally had
to use our hands to hold a rock, and
lift our bodies. To our surprise, no one
found this steep climb difficult, and
the general concensus was that this
was the most interesting and
challenging day of trekking, and that
the day made the whole trip worth its
while. We camped at Karanga which
was at a height of 3930 metres,
though we had climbed Barranco wall to a height of 4200 metres. We were
advised that we all must try to sleep in the afternoon after lunch. But I found it
difficult to get any sleep. We were woken up at five to take our dinner, and then
asked to sleep till ten. While some
managed to sleep I could not get any
sleep in spite of the fact that previous
night I did not sleep too well either.
We got up at ten at night and prepared
ourselves for a long night of walking.
As it was expected that temperatures
will drop to minus fifteen or even
twenty, we were advised to put on all
the clothes we had brought, or carry
some of the spare ones in our day
packs. We were given hot porridge to
warm our bodies. By the time we
started our walk, it was 11.35 at night. The talk of those low temperatures scared
some of the novice trekkers, and they overloaded themselves with too many
protective clothing. I knew from past experience, and from my ability to bear cold,
that too many clothing can hinder walking and the body can get too warm.
We were all following the guide, and
walking at a very slow pace. It was
dark night; with no moon, but a clear
sky was littered with thousands of
stars shining as if there were holes in
the vast blue sky, and the light from
beyond was shining through those
holes. At the base of the mountain, one
could see thousands of street and
building lights from Moshi, as if the
ground had been covered with a carpet
of stars. It was cool, but the
atmosphere was pleasant and electrifying. We kept walking and the guides
advised us not to take any rest as the cold would affect our ability to walk after a

6. rest stop. My head lights stopped
working soon after we started walking.
I could have changed the batteries, but
that would have taken time. The guide
very rudely told me if I am not able to
see, and I had to admit that I could see.
But then I had to follow the light of the
person in front and back to guide
myself.
We kept walking. By three or a bit later
in the early morning the temperatures
suddenly dropped. I could feel my
fingers going numb, and I could feel the chill on my ears and the face. I put on my
ski gloves, and covered my face the best I could. For some time it felt as if my
hands were going numb. Suddenly I felt
as if I was wrong to advise not to wear
too many clothes, and a wave of fear
crossed my mind that the cold would
affect my hands with frostbite or similar
affliction. But the extreme cold did not
last for that long.
I started to feel the effects of fatigue.
There was no pain in the legs, but it
appeared as if the mind had stopped
working. The body felt as if it had lost its
driver and navigator, and began to lose
its balance. I had to resort a few times to my walking sticks to steady myself. I
asked the guide if we could rest for a little while, and he nodded his disapproval
and denial in very certain terms by the look of his gaze. The last hour or more was
walking in zigzag pattern across the very steep final ascent on the mountain face.
I wanted to stop, but my mind and my heart wanted to finish the walk. I kept
telling myself that I could do it and there was not much more to go. After really
struggling for the last few hundred steps, I reached the top of the mountain named
Stella point. At that very moment the sun rose from the horizon, and I took some
lovely photos. It appeared as if the struggle of the last hour was worth for just
seeing this lovely sun rise.
I just wanted to sit and rest my legs
and my body. But the guide
persuaded me to keep going. He kept
telling me it is not too far now and that
I can do it. On top of the mountain
peak, another peak protruded and
rising up to a height, called Uhuru
peak which is the highest point on this
mountain, and about two hundred
metres higher then Stella point. My
body was refusing to move, but the
mind could not say no to the guide,

7. and goaded the body to keep moving. By
about eight I was there with a great sigh
of relief. There were huge crowds and all
jostling to take photos near the sign post
declaring that as the highest point in
Africa (5895 metres or 19650 feet). I
managed to get a photo taken, though I
was in no mood to remove my gloves and
take photo on my own camera. While we
had achieved what we had set out to do,
and most of us did that, I could not
savour the moment. There was no
scream of joy telling the world that we had reached the highest point on the great
continent of Africa. We were here on top of Africa, and we could not celebrate it.
Hardly the photos were shot and the guide goaded us to start moving down the
mountain without wasting time. Our pleas for rest were rejected, and we were
advised that it was no good staying at such heights for long.
We were coming down a different route,
and the route had scree on the ground
which made walking very difficult. The
younger and fitter ones literally ran
down those slippery slopes but for the
veterans the fear of breaking a limb
was upper most on mind, and we
walked slowly and with care. In spite of
the extreme care, I slipped quite a few
times; mostly I managed to control
myself with help of the walking sticks,
but I fell on the ground three times,
though no damage was done to the body except a few scratches and bruises. I
kept taking lot of rest every now and then. The body was too tired with all the
walking and sleepless night. Few had gone much faster while few were coming
very slowly behind us. It was noon by the time we reached the camp site. The last
hour was a struggle. The body could not take such long hours of walking without
any sleep. I had walked for thirteen hours in the Himalayas, but then good sleep
rested my body. Here, I had bad sleep on Thursday night, no sleep during Friday
day time, no sleep Friday night, and in a period of about thirty four hours, we
walked almost twenty two hours. There is a limit how much the body could take,
and especially with aged body like
mine. On reaching my tent, I crashed
into my sleeping bag, not even
bothering to remove my boots or
removing my clothes. An hour of lying
there helped to recover from the
torment of twelve hours of walking.
But I knew that after lunch we had to
do more walking. We had our lunch,
and then we packed our bags. Soon
after two we started our descent to the

8. next camp. The walk was all downhill,
and we could cope with that at this stage.
Rain had made the path slippery and
again I slipped and fell three times, and
the last time was a hard fall. Luckily, no
damage was done to the body. We
reached the camp site when it was dark.
Others came much later. After a quick
dinner, I crashed into my sleeping bag
and had good deep sleep for the night.
Next morning everyone was in a cheerful
mood. The porters danced and sang for
us. Lots of photos were taken. Each porter was given a generous tip which
pleased them a lot. It took us about three hours to reach Machami Gate, where a
buffet lunch was laid out for us. Certificates were collected for each one of us. Out
of our group, seventeen managed to walk up to Uhuru peak, while other four did
manage to walk to the top up to Stella point. This was a great achievement, as it
was a hundred percent success for the group. Even those who felt very doubtful if
they will make it, did ultimately make it
and felt so proud about it.
We reached the lodge in the afternoon.
Later each one of was presented with
the certificate that stated that we had
reached either Stella point or Uhuru
peak. The guides were given their tips.
Everyone was in a very jovial mood,
and very happy that they had
successfully completed the trek. For me
this was another feather in my cap.
After trekking for eighteen or nineteen
days in the Himalayas, and at times
walking for twelve or thirteen hours in a day, this should have been a piece of
cake for me. It was exactly that, except the last two days which really were taxing
on the body. A fit body can undertake any amount of walking, but a fit body
cannot last if it does not get enough sleep, and that is what was lacking on the
last two days of our short trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

9. Compared to my Himalaya treks, this one was very short in duration and did not
feel like a trek. Compared to Himalayas, this trek overall is much easier, though
the last day is a killer. But being with such a large group was a wonderful
experience particularly when I hardly knew any one and yet they gave me so
much respect and affection. I fulfilled my ambition and desire to climb this highest
mountain in Africa, and at the same time I had a wonderful time with so many
people who became friends and gave me so much to remember.
If you wish to see the photos then email to: jubhai@aol.com
Sanakra Eye Foundation website for further information: www.sankaraeye.com