Six women went up the mountain in a group of 21 people. While each climber carried a backpack which contained the essentials for the day hike, they were assigned one porter to carry the rest of their gear.
Before climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the six 30-something-year-old women shared nothing in common except a social acquaintance.
None of them had climbed a mountain before. Tired of the repetitive social scene in Nairobi, they decided they needed a challenge.
“The beginning of the year was a good time because of the weather ... and we all happened to be free,” said Fawzia Jamal.
Physically training together for three months and mentally preparing themselves for one of the most difficult challenges they would ever experience brought them closer.
I’m sitting with them at Le Rustique restaurant, post Kilimanjaro, as they narrate anecdotes with one voice, finish each other’s sentences, joke about the most difficult moments experienced on the mountain.
Training
The group started their training regime last January, three months before the planned climb, with a detox plan and a training schedule that combined a daily exercise routine and weekend hikes at locations such as Karura forest, Subukia and Mt Longonot.
The Longonot hike was an eye opener, says Shivani Radi. “It was five hours up and down, and it was hot and dusty.”
The group also hiked up the Aberdares 10 days before the Kilimanjaro climb to adjust to altitude.
“We did a lot of things right when we went to Kili because we were determined to finish the climb,” says Neena Shah.
“Many people try to race up the mountain sometimes with tragic results. We walked very slowly to the extent that the guides had to hurry us up sometimes.”
Appetite
While they had been forewarned that they would probably lose their appetite once on the mountain, surprisingly their appetites increased.
“We were always really hungry,” Neena says with raised eyebrows, “and the food was great”.
She jokes about how they munched “guilt-free chocolate” all the way up Kilimanjaro.
The group started their climb on March 13 and returned on March 18. It took them four and a half days to climb up and a day and a half to return to base.
The first couple of days, they all enjoyed the pleasantness of the hike even though it was 7 to 8 hours of walking a day.
“And the views were fantastic. There was amazing rock structure,” says Fawzia.
Being city girls, they raved about the bright yellow flowers dotted across the mountainous terrain, and the beauty of the star-filled night sky.
As the altitude increased, the group passed through various terrains from rainforest to woodland to desert.
They experienced rain, snow and extreme heat with the weather changes eventually taking their toll on the strength and the spirit of the group.
“The weather conditions was one of the greatest challenges,” says Fawzia. “It could change within 15 minutes. One minute, we would be walking in beautiful weather, dressed in a fleece with hiking pants. And then in four minutes, there would be hail like crazy!
"You wouldn’t even have time to get your rain gear out of your backpack.”
The six women went up the mountain in a group of 21 people. While each climber carried a backpack which contained the essentials for the day hike, they were assigned one porter to carry the rest of their gear.
Two guides led the team and two followed from the back. Others carried the various tents and kitchen equipment and often went ahead to make preparations for camp.
Frozen
The women agree that the most difficult day was the last day of climbing. By this time, the oxygen had become very thin, barely 30 per cent of oxygen, and it was so cold that their drinking water was frozen.
“Every time we asked how far we had to go, the guides kept saying “2 hours 45 minutes” ... because if they had told us the truth, we would have probably given up, said Natasha.
Having climbed for the full day, that night the group was allowed barely an hour of sleep before being woken just before 11 pm for the final climb to the summit.
The guides encourage climbing the last section of the mountain at night for two main reasons.
First, during the day, the sunlight melts the snow and makes the ground slippery very quickly, and second, being able to see the altitude that you have reached is often a dizzying experience for many climbers.
“People say that it isn’t hard, but it is hard. That last night of hiking was all mental. We had nothing physical left,” said Natasha.
The whole team successfully reached the summit before dawn, and after a shared sense of accomplishment and awe, their first thought was, “And after all that, we have to climb back down!”
“Going downhill was the worst part for me,” explained Natasha. “The mental strength was gone. I should have set two goals for myself: going up and then going down.”
“We left here knowing we want to make it to the top because we wanted to raise money for charity,” explains Fawzia.
Through their Kilimanjaro climb, they raised Sh500,000 for the Kenya School for the Blind.
They chose the initiative because it caters to a group of people who will never get a chance to experience a Kilimanjaro climb in the way that these women did, with all five of their senses alive to the experience.
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