“Then they began to climb, and they were going to the east, it seemed ... and there ahead, and all he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro and then he knew that there was where he was going.”
— Ernest Hemingway,
The Snows of Kilimanjaro, 1937
For centuries, Mount Kilimanjaro has beckoned adventurous travellers to experience for themselves the view from Africa’s highest mountain peak on a journey that requires stamina, good common sense, and the assistance of several guides and porters.
When David and Joanne Genyk of Alix watched a television documentary about the climb five years ago, they began discussing the possibility of making the expedition themselves. The couple, who are both in their late 50s, had the opportunity in February to live their dream and experience a trip to Tanzania and a climb of the world’s tallest freestanding volcano.
“Watching that documentary piqued our interest in climbing Kilimanjaro,” said Joanne.
“We both enjoy hiking and the outdoors and we decided that if we were ever going to do this, we better do it now. People who are older than us have done it, but as you get older, your chances of reaching the summit decrease.
“We didn’t want to go all that way and not make it to the top.”
There are many routes that climbers use to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro and each side of Kili has a beauty all its own.
Shorter trips are available with some companies, but they also carry with them greater risks.
A slower ascent helps to prevent issues with altitude illness that often foil climber’s attempts at reaching the summit.
The Genyks ultimately decided on a new nine-day traverse of the mountain known as the Lemosho route.
Although the traverse is considered by some to be the easiest route in terms of day-to-day hiking, it also presents the most mountaineering challenges and provides extra time on the mountain to acclimatize to the altitude.
After the two-day flight from Canada to Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania, the couple were met at the airport by representatives from Berg Adventures. On their way to Arusha, they made a planned stop at the Linde School to visit with local children and drop off some donated school supplies. They also enjoyed visiting some local markets, meeting their guides who were named Julius and Eric, and enjoyed a practice climb to a waterfall on Mount Meru to stretch their legs after the long flight.
After an overnight stay in Arusha, they began their climb at the western edge of Kilimanjaro at the Lemosho Glades.
“One of the things that is most striking about this journey is the amazing contrast between the five different climate zones on the mountain,” said David. “You have to be prepared for everything. You begin the journey in a tropical rainforest and it gets colder as you go up. We travelled through everything from moorland to high desert to an Arctic zone in a few days.”
The mountaineering on the Lemosho Route required the pair to place complete trust in their guides.
“If you take Lemosho Route, you will have to traverse the Barranco Wall, a traverse that is about 150 metres straight up,” said Joanne. “At one point, I had a guide on each side of me and I was hugging the wall. We had complete trust in our guides Julius and Eric and they helped us get through the more difficult parts of the climb.”
One of the unexpected highlights of the journey was the daily arrival into camp and the high quality of the meals the pair enjoyed on their journey.
“Each day the porters and cook would travel ahead of us and arrive well before we did,” explained David. “Each day, we climbed high and slept low to ensure that our bodies were properly acclimatized to the altitude.
“When we arrived in camp each evening, the porters would sing and dance to mark our arrival.
“The meals we enjoyed in camp were actually pretty amazing. We enjoyed everything from bacon and eggs for breakfast to Mexican or Italian food at supper.”
On the morning of their ascent to the top of Kilimanjaro, the couple arose at 6 a.m. and left camp at 7 a.m. with their guides and three of the porters. The air was very thin as they climbed to Stella Point, arriving at about noon.
“The wind was blowing and it was bitterly cold, but from Stella Point, we could see Uhuru Point in the distance about one mile away,” said Dave. “On one side we could see the snow-covered crater of the volcano and on the other side was the massive glacier. A snow-covered trail led to the summit, which we reached at about 2 p.m.”
“Standing on the summit was incredible,” said Joanne. “When you looked behind you and saw how far you had come to get there it was an amazing feeling. I think the best part was the fact that we did it together.”
If you go:
• The Genyks booked their climb of Mount Kilimanjaro with Berg Adventures, an adventure travel company that has a location in Canmore. A nine-day Lemosho route traverse of Kilimanjaro costs US$4,800 per person with the company and includes the services of two expert private guides, a cook and about 20 porters. To find out more about the company, visit: www.bergadventures.com or drive to Canmore and speak to them in person.
• To view more images and read more about the Genyk’s journey, visit: http://www.bergadventures.com/v3_cyber/2011/2011-02-13-kili- lemosho/main.php.
• Physical conditioning is vital if you want to be successful in reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. The Genyks trained by walking, snowshoeing, stair climbing and hill climbing. They also got used to wearing backpacks and prepared themselves mentally for the journey.
• A visit to the Travel Clinic is essential if you plan to visit Tanzania. You must receive a yellow fever immunization in order to enter the country. Other immunizations are also recommended.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. If you have a travel story you would like to share or know someone with an interesting travel story who we might interview, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.