As we passed Stella Point, darkness surrendered to the orange light which illuminated the sky. Pink hued rays of sunrise kissed the glacier and turned it pink. Standing on top of Africa on my 30th birthday, it was a celebration to my 20s and a salute to my voyages in the past 7 months. Although it felt like a grand finale, I knew, it just marked another beginning. 
Getting Ready
The cab drove to my hotel in Moshi around sunset. I checked in, ordered myself two beers at dinner, took a long shower, and rolled around on my soft bed – knowing that I would get none of those for the next seven days. Hadn’t worked out for the past six months and totally out of shape, I was more relaxed than I should have been. Perhaps the journeys on the road taught me that things would always work out, even if that means I have to drag my fat ass every day.
I woke up with excitement the next morning, couldn’t wait to meet the team. There’s no better way to bond than going through struggles to achieve a mutual goal together. I was extremely lucky again to share this journey with an incredible team and learning so much from each one of them.
“Nihao! And that’s about all the Chinese I know.”
I first met Declan, a fun Irish man full of grit, disciplines, and responsibilities. Declan works in wine distribution amongst many other jobs, only if I knew him before my Ireland trip, at least I won’t be only drinking Guinness next time in Dublin. Next walked in Anita & Marcus, mother, and son from South Africa who shares endearing bonding. We were getting used to their never-ending laughter and story. Last came Steynjt & Sander, a lovely Dutch couple who supported each other through the struggles in the high altitude. Without any previous experience, they showed positive spirits throughout the entire journey.
6 climbers, 4 countries, 3 continents, let the journey to African’s roof begin.
Moshi – Machame Gate (1828m) – Machame Camp (3020m)
We started the journey with an easy and relaxing hike through the forest. “Pole Pole” (Slowly slowly in Swahili) Said our guide Safiel and Roger. It was the best way to acclimatize and keep your energy, but I found myself getting impatient again. Taking a few deep breaths of the crisp fresh air, I looked around the lush green vegetation in the national park, and reminded myself to appreciate the surrounding nature and forget about the goal for a moment. 
When arrived at the campsite, the tents were already set up, not even leaving a chance for us to help. We were treated with afternoon tea and warm popcorns. What a luxury. Without any yaks and donkeys to support, the porters on Kilimanjaro had to carry all the supplies throughout the trip. Most of them effortlessly put the bags on their heads and sprinted past us. I almost felt a little ashamed for feeling so comfortable. 
Before dinner in our cozy kitchen tent, I plotted with Safiel to prepare something special for Declan’s birthday. The entire team showed up with cake made out of watermelon and pineapple and filled our tent with birthday songs in both English and Swahili. Couldn’t ask for a better 1st day to start the expedition.
Machame Camp (3020m) – Shira Camp (3847m)
As we were reaching the southern edge of Shira Plateau. I finally started to feel climbing a mountain. The trek was still quite relaxed, but the vegetation changed dramatically as we went up. Roger kept us with the “Pole Pole” pace and pointed out the unique flora along the journey.
“They are the everlasting flower.” Roger pointed to the white flowers blossoming along the trek. Among the small, scraggly shrubs, and the alien-looking groundsels, they survived the highest altitude and flourish in the rich volcanic soil. As fragile and intricate as they seemed, the ever-lasting flowers are resilient and vigorous, withstanding the extreme conditions of the mountain, reaching close to the summit.
“What a romantic name.” I stopped to snap a shot, “But nothing is ever-lasting.” 
The campsite was already above 3800m, fortunately, I didn’t feel any symptom yet. Both blood oxygen levels and heartbeat were in a good range. As the sun hid behind the mountains, the temperature dropped dramatically, I sat in my tent, watching the raven hovering above the campsite. One stopped right in front of me, staring into my eyes as if he couldn’t comprehend why I was here.
The team again surprised us with the live performance. The melody danced with the wind, bringing more upbeat energy to our voyage. 
Shira Camp (3847m) to Lava Tower (4642m) to Barranco Wall
Knowing that we were going above 4600m today, I decided to take half of a Diamox in the morning. Compared to the struggle I had in Nepal – the headache, lack of breath & loss of appetite – this trip almost felt too comfortable. After a pleasant walk and getting intimate with the 500-year-old groundsel, we arrived at the foot of Lava tower. The enormous rock formation was formed when Kilimanjaro was still an active volcano. Standing at its foot, I tried to imagine lava shooting out from a vent, cooled, and hardened, leaving this natural sculpture standing majestically in front us of. 
Still smiling at Barranco Camp, plenty of energy left. 
Climbing Barranco wall was one of my favorite parts. It was a sharp change from the gentle slopes we were trekking on. Following Roger’s lead, we used both our hands and feet climbing up the steep wall. As fun as it was for me, the Barranco wall could be intimidating for some. Truth is it is a lot easier than it looked, and we would get a rewarding view at the top.
The porters looked as effortless as always. They zig-zagged all the way up as if the loads on their head didn’t exist. With their help, I picked up one of the bags and put it on my head. Immediately feeling the pressure, I didn’t know where to grab with my hands and lost my balance. I stumbled a few steps before dropping it back on the ground. 
Karanga Camp (4040m) – Barafu Camp (4681m)
Last day until the summit, the last day before my 30th birthday.
I was ready to stand on top of Africa but wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my 20s. Turning 30 wouldn’t a big deal if I wasn’t standing at a big crossroads. What would happen after this odyssey? I turned into Kilimanjaro, hoping she would give me some inspiration. She felt so close now, I could almost imagine the chill of the glacier at the top. 
Summit – Uhuru Peak (5895m)
I had no sleep at night, waiting restlessly for the summit wake up call. Around 11pm I after a knock on the tent, I put on all the layers I could find and stormed out of my tent. We forced some hot tea and porridge in our stomach, we started marching on the long winding road. The summit trek in pitcher-darkness was long and tedious. Whenever I began to get bored and impatient, I looked up into the sky and lost myself in the mesmerizing starts.
“Happy Birthday to you….”
Team’s birthday song to me lingered in the starry sky, it lit up my mood again and filled the freezing air with joy.
Gradually, members of our team started to struggle, luckily my only suffering was the wind. Altitude or fatigue didn’t seem to affect me this time. I wasn’t sure whether my body was getting used to the hell I put it through, or my mind just got tougher and didn’t give a fuck anymore.
Standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro, I couldn’t feel my fingers and toes anymore, but my heart was dancing with fire. All the moments of last year started flashing back: from Antarctica to the Arctic, from Everest to Kilimanjaro, struggles in the Himalayas, spiritual encounters in Bhutan, cultural clash in middle east, Shenanigans in Germany, heartache in Ireland, and the endless enchantment in Africa… The overwhelming emotion couldn’t be blown away by the merciless wind. What a journey, I padded on my shoulder, you did it.
Staring at my specially made birthday cake at the basecamp, I secretly whispered goodbye to my 20s. Thank you for being curious and wild, thanks for never losing courage while being confused, insecure, and trying too hard to impress the world. Hello to my 30s, I promise that I’ll let go of things that weigh me down, pursue what I believe and love without holding back, and always, always stay true to my heart.
When I first started this journey, I thought I would have everything figured out by the end. But at this moment I am still not sure. The past seven months have given me more clarity, but none certainty. Then I thought, perhaps life is the process of figuring things out. Just like my odyssey, the surprises, twists, and turns were what made it so beautiful. After all, how boring would it be if everything in my life is already unfolded?
FIFINONO - a blog about cultural exploration 
Leave a comment