BREAKING NEWS - SUMMIT DAY!! Late Sunday Night into Monday, February 15

By 11pm we set off for the summit. It was cold but not that bad in the beginning. It was a bit disorienting as it was in the middle of the night and we only had the light from our little headlamps to lead the way. Of course our guides had done the climb several times before, and our head porter said this was his 30th ascent...but still it was pitch black outside. As we began the climb, several other groups were ahead of us, and many more behind us. Walking very slowly and doing our deep breaths, we inched up the mountain, using our poles to climb over boulders and to help navigate the switchbacks. Sometimes we had to set aside our poles and climb with both hands over rocks. I was in the back of the pack between our guide Sara, who was in front of me, and Rugate, one of the porters who was behind me. Often Sara would offer me her hand to help climb over a big boulder or slippery rock, and Rugate would give me a little push from behind to get me up & over! I called Sara my "angel" because she not only carried my backpack every day filled with water bottles and various clothing items (due to my chronic shoulder/neck pain), but because she believed in me from the very beginning and was determined to lead me up all the way to the top! Rugate was a 24 year old very bright and ambitious young man who through his 4 years of being a porter had acquired very good English. He was intellectually curious and we got into many interesting conversations through the course of the 2 weeks.

But no one was talking as we climbed up and up and up in a weaving line in the dark. It was a mysterious and strangely beautiful site to see the dots of the many headlamp's light winding up the mountain. It was all anyone could do just to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other in what seemed like an endless slow shuffle upward. Occasionally we'd stop to rest, but the stops were short, just to catch our breath and drink some water. Many people have asked WHY this climb is done in the middle of the night, and it's a valid question. My answer would be "If you saw what we were climbing in the light of day, you'd never do it!" But the actual reason is three fold - #1 to ensure you arrive on the crater rim or at the summit in time for sunrise, and #2 In case the weather turns at any point, you will be descending in daylight, and #3 By setting off early, you will guarantee that you will have sufficient time to descend from the summit not only to Barafu Camp, but then 5 hours further down to the next camp where you will spend your final night (ie you won't want to spend another night at Barafu Camp - remember it's 15,100 feet in altitude).

After climbing for 7 hours, daylight came upon us in a beautiful and dramatic sunrise over the African plains. By this time the switchbacks had ended and we were walking up a direct ascent on fine, loose gravel...almost like a sand-dune. We paused a few times to catch our breath and take in the incredible red and gold colors before us on the horizon. Suddenly before us we see the huge, enormous glaciers in the whitest of white color..sheer walls of white. We reach what seems like the top, but it isn't! We are now at the crater rim, called Stella Point at 19,000 feet. (Stella Point is named after the wife of Kingsley Latham, a member of the Mountain Club of South Africa. They both reached this point in 1925!) Mentally you feel like you've done it!...but you still have a ways to go. We walk around the rim which gradually still climbs upward for well over another hour to FINALLY the high point called Uhuru Peak at (can you believe it?!!!) 19, 340 feet.

There were some in our group that knew they'd make it. They were mentally and physically prepared, and were confident from the get-go. Then there were those (ie ME!) who told everyone beforehand that "I have NO intention of going all the way to the top...I'll go as far as I am comfortable and then will relax in my tent and do my needlepoint until the rest come down". But here I was at the very top of Kilimanjaro...I couldn't believe it! No one was more surprised than I was...it is a testament to simply putting one foot in front of the other and slowly but surely going forward. It was an amazing feeling and we all were very excited at our accomplishments! We took a million photos next to the Uhuru Sign, including a special one of the 4 Palisadians - Cindy, Bill, Donna, and Frank - holding a copy of the most recent Palisadian Post. We will be submitting this photo to our local newspaper in hopes that we make the front page (above the fold, pluuuzzzz)


(Later that night...Phone message from Kurt Wedberg - 9:45pm)

Hello everyone. Sorry for speaking softly but everyone is asleep now. Cindy had planned on calling herself but she is also asleep. Just wanted to let you all know that we 100% summitted today, and reached 19,340 feet!! Everybody is safely back down at camp now, and tomorrow we will be walking out (hiking down the mountain) – it will be about a 4 hour walk-out. It was an absolutely lovely and memorable day today, and something that we are all very very proud of.

I just wanted to give you all the good news... I’m sure Cindy will follow up with more details.

Off to bed now. Good night.