Days 6, 7: to Uhuru Peak (5896 m)

Finally, after last-minute preparations are complete, we get on the trail to the Summit around midnight.
Left: leaving camp at midnight
There is very little wind now. We quickly cover the rocky area we had tried out earlier in the day. Soon, we get on to a more steady incline of gravel and small stones. The going is not too tough, with Bruce leading at a slow, steady pace. However, I'm finding it very cold on my face, particularly on the forehead and ears. Surprisingly, my feet, legs and torso are very warm (almost too much so).

The moon rises to our right, a flaming half-circle that looks like a bonfire in the distance. As it rises further, we see that it is a peach-colored crescent.

People are passing us, but Bruce maintains the consistent, slow pace. Looking up and down the mountain, I can see a string of lights, the headlamps of other climbers on the slope. There must be hundreds more on the summit climb this night.

We stop for a break, and I put on the balaclava Bruce gave me, and it immediately reduces my head's exposure to the cold. I am warmer and find the going fairly comfortable. We push on in the night up the slope. The trail goes consistently higher with no flat sections - the hike seems neverending. Eventually, Bruce tells us we are within 40 minutes of Stella Point, the first, lower, peak at the top of Kilimanjaro. To our right, a red line spreads across the sky. Dawn is coming. As we continue to climb, it broadens and begins to glow.

Right: Dawn at Stella Point

Finally, we reach Stella Point at about 6:45, just as the Sun is coming up. There is a general feeling of elation and enormous relief.

Left: Alisa, Brian, Nitin at Stella Point

We pause and take some photos. The brilliant glaciers are visible across the crater. Very quickly, Bruce gets us moving again, headed towards Uhuru Point. A quick climb up the crater rim, followed by a downward section, and another long, grinding haul upwards.

As we scale each rocky slope, another one appears, and I'm convinced this next one is the summit. Finally, we see the wooden signpost at Uhuru Point. It is at the edge of a small, wind-blasted, rocky area. There is a small crowd of people there, taking photographs, or waiting for the opportunity.It is extremely bright and cold. The glacier is to our left, seemingly close enough to touch. I fumble with my phone to take some photos. (The extreme cold exhausted the battery in my camera.)

Above: The group, at Uhuru Point

We get some group photos at the sign, and have a brief celebration. After 15 minutes, we are getting ready to descend - it is better to keep moving in this cold. Led by Fuat, we descend very quickly. Soon, we move off the route we ascended, and we start to slalom down a series of sandy switchbacks. We are racing! Eventually we see the Barafu Camp in the distance. It seems very near, but it still takes us another hour to get there. Eventually, at about 10 AM, we get into camp. We have been hiking for over 10 hours! A porter is waiting with an orange drink for each of us. I am exhausted and cranky, but very relieved that it is over. We get in to our tents and try to sleep for a couple of hours - we need to be ready to leave again at 1:30 PM for another hike to the lower camp where we'll be spending the night.

I fail to get any sleep in the hot noon-day sun, and at around 2 PM, we are on our way again, hiking down towards Mweka Camp. We trek through a barren, rocky area that soon gives way to some sparse vegetation. The dust that had been absent at Barafu and higher up is all along the path again, and soon we are covered in it. The terrain quickly changes, getting greener and more varied as we go. The trail follows a dried river bed -- the dust is everywhere! Eventually, the trail becomes more groomed and well-maintained. Suddenly, the green forest gives way to a large campsite, with several permanent structures. This appears to be the biggest campsite we have yet seen. We get to our tents, in a noisy corner of the campsite, surrounded by the tents of the porters. It is about 4:30 PM and we are finally finished hiking for the day, more than 16 hours after we started!

Later, we have dinner, with a couple of special items in honor of our achievement: special samosas, and a bottle of gin, from Bruce! (The gin stumps us. Nobody wants to drink it, but we dont want to insult Bruce. Eventually, Brian returns it to him, but agrees to have a meal in Moshi the following night, and share the gin then.) We quickly get back to our tents, and I fall into a deep, uninterrupted sleep. I sleep solidly till 6 AM the next morning, more than 9 hours.