{"id":1394,"date":"2021-01-14T20:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T19:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/melanditravel.com\/2021\/01\/04-01-2021-08-01-2021-moshi-the-mountain-is-calling\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T22:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T20:53:40","slug":"04-01-2021-08-01-2021-moshi-the-mountain-is-calling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melanditravel.com\/en\/2021\/01\/04-01-2021-08-01-2021-moshi-the-mountain-is-calling\/","title":{"rendered":"January 4, 2021 to January 8, 2021 – Moshi – The Mountain is Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Almost on time at 9 am the next day, we were picked up at the accommodation by Kessy Brothers with all our luggage. Arriving at the office, we had to buy plastic bottles and some energy snacks (in Kilimanjaro National Park, disposable plastic bottles are forbidden). We got a SIM card to maybe have some internet on the way (in Tanzania, the SIM was quite easy for a change – passport and fingerprints were enough) and tried out the borrowed things for the tour – winter jacket, ski mask, etc. Mel borrowed some hiking boots, as the ones she had brought from Germany were leaking. So we boarded our small shuttle for the one-hour drive to the start of our mountain tour with our own lightened but expanded luggage (we left most of our things at the office – someone has to carry the stuff up the mountain). On the way, we bought provisions and a gas tank for the gas cooker. Arriving at the starting point, we already met our two guides Stewart and Genes, as well as a small part of our team. Equipped with a lunch box and enough water, we were able to start our ascent at around 1:10 pm. <\/p>\n\n

Day 1 – To the Mandara Hut – The ascent begins<\/h2>\n\n
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Full of energy and verve, we start our adventure<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

Full of energy and verve, we started our adventure at exactly 1700 meters altitude. In retrospect, the question arises: how do two untrained average Central Europeans from the lowlands even get the idea of attempting to climb a mountain almost 6000m high? This question will probably have to remain without an answer and it was also completely meaningless as we walked our first kilometers through tropical rainforest. Our assistant guide Genes (55 years old and somehow a strangely funny guy) led the way that day, swearing us into the motto of the coming days: “Pole Pole”. This is Swahili and means something like “slowly, slowly”. This motto was to accompany us during the next few days almost throughout all our activities – no matter whether we were walking, eating, or drinking – the Tanzanians are a leisurely bunch. <\/p>\n\n

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The path itself was actually quite easy to walk. The constant incline was manageable and only became steeper and rockier in places – due to the humid, hot climate, the stones were very slippery in places (and we were very sweaty) and you had to watch carefully where you stepped. Keeping an eye on the person in front and using the borrowed hiking poles were good aids to move forward slowly (Pole Pole) but steadily. <\/p>\n\n

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About halfway through the day’s stage, we took a break to refuel some energy, drink water, and lighten our lunch boxes, which also lightened our own backpacks overall – every sip of water was a few grams less that we had to carry. But why are we complaining here? The greatest respect is deserved by our porters, who would carry the complete equipment and food for 12 people (yes, 2 crazy people want to climb the mountain and suddenly 10 more people get involved in the whole thing) up the mountain during the 5-day tour and carry the collected waste and equipment back down at the end. These porters kept overtaking us with such ease and speed that we were left speechless. While overtaking, they still had a friendly “Jambo” (hello) and “Pole Pole” on their lips and were already on their way again. <\/p>\n\n

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So we reached the Mandara Hut at 2720m after almost 4 hours, 8km, and just over 1000 meters of altitude. Our head guide Stewart showed us our simple hut for the first night, waiter Tumain (Tuma for short) brought 2 plastic bowls with warm water to freshen up, and shortly after, one of our porters (Emanuel) came to bring our things into the hut. We would spend the following nights all in more or less the same way – simple wooden huts with thin “mattress” and sleeping bag, no showers, and only basic toilets. We were only somewhat surprised that there was light and electricity everywhere to charge our phones, for example – thanks to the solar panels and countless batteries in each camp. So we enjoyed the view and noticed what the daily routine would be: walk, arrive, freshen up, tea and coffee, wait for food, go to sleep. And there would be more than enough food on this tour, as would become apparent today and in the coming days. <\/p>\n\n

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Day 2 – To the Horombo Hut – The Fog of Dread<\/h2>\n\n
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On the morning of the second day, we were supposed to be woken at 7 am with coffee, but we were already awake since about 6:30 am. Tuma brought the 2 water bowls again and a piece of soap, as well as tea and instant coffee. For breakfast, there was “power food” again. Besides fruit, egg, pancakes, and the already familiar sweet toast, there was a large pot with gray, semi-slimy contents completely without taste – they called it porridge here. By the way, we had this delicacy every morning… we never managed to empty the pot. For the toast, there was also jam and peanut butter. However, since we didn’t need either this morning, we never saw these containers again. <\/p>\n\n

So our “hiking day” today began – with freshly filled supplies in the backpack – at 8:15 am, after our oxygen saturation in the blood had been measured for the first time. The device showed 98%, everything was fine. Our head guide was satisfied and so the emergency oxygen bottle could remain packed. Stewart led the group today and took a small detour with us to show us the nearby Maundi Crater, also an extinct volcano. Shortly after viewing and crossing the crater, there was the first and last warning from Stewart on this tour, because Andreas still had 3 of our 4 full water bottles in his backpack in addition to his personal things and the lunch boxes for both of us (Stewart wanted to hand Andreas the backpack and almost collapsed when lifting it). A solution had to be found, so one water bottle went to Mel and Stewart now carried both our lunches. <\/p>\n\n

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Maundi Crater. The small white snow strip in the background is our destination <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

Scenically and weather-wise, this day started wonderfully. It was dry and pleasantly warm, and the rainforest gave way after a short time to a light forest and meadow landscape. Again we moved forward “Pole Pole” towards the summit, and the further we progressed, the more clearly one could see the effects of the severe fires that had raged here for about a month in October 2020. But it was also all the more beautiful to see that not everything had burned and the ash of the burned plants was wonderful fertilizer for new life. Especially during our drinking breaks, we kept seeing young green shoots sprouting through the gray-black ash. <\/p>\n\n

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Around 1 pm, we took a half-hour break next to giant ravens to destroy the lunch packages and shift some weight from our backs and shoulders into our stomachs. Shortly before our break, the weather had started to deteriorate slightly, and so after the break we continued through dense fog or through the clouds to escape even worse weather (it’s already damp enough in the clouds). <\/p>\n\n

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Shortly before our destination, the Horombo Hut, the fog cleared, the sun burned into our faces again, and we saw the camp a few hundred meters away in front of us, where seconds before nothing had been visible. Happy but still somewhat exhausted, we reached our destination that day after 7 hours (including breaks), 11km, and another 1000 meters of altitude. Now we had already arrived at 3720 meters altitude and you actually started to notice a slight difference regarding the oxygen content. Because this middle camp was already quite full, we had to share the small hut with two Indians who now live in Nigeria and were absolutely not prepared for this tour. Our initial concerns about sharing quickly gave way to interesting conversations – the sharing would only be for one night, as we were supposed to set off early the next morning, while the Indians and what felt like 99% of the other tourists up here would spend another night to acclimatize. Already a somehow strange feeling when everyone else chooses the 6-day tour with acclimatization and only 2 crazy Germans want to reach the summit in 5 days. <\/p>\n\n

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After the once again too lavish dinner (it would have filled 4 people – fortunately nothing was ever thrown away, there were always a few hungry mouths to be found in the camps), we chatted a bit more with Stewart and Tuma apparently liked us very much – we spent most of the time in the camps with him over the next few days and talked most with him – he started teaching us a few bits of Swahili. Karibu. Asante sana. <\/p>\n\n

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Tuma and us<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
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Day 3 – To the Kibo Hut – A Desert Way Up High<\/h2>\n\n
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After it hadn’t stopped raining the previous evening, day 3 greeted us with sunshine but still very fresh. After the very good breakfast – “porridge” was also available again in large quantities – we set off with fresh supplies in the backpack at 8:42 am for the third stage. Before that, Stewart had measured our oxygen level again, which had risen from about 87% to 92% compared to the previous evening – great values. That reminds us: sorry for the quality of some of the pictures – due to the weight, Andreas had decided with a heavy heart at the last moment to leave the DSLR camera in the valley. <\/p>\n\n

This day led us through a barren, rocky landscape – the alpine desert. We had already been warned about sudden weather changes and we were already wearing two to three layers of clothing to keep warm despite the movement. Especially during breaks, you noticed that a different climate prevails here and you cool down faster than you can say porridge. So it wasn’t surprising when it started to rain and hail lightly during our lunch box lunch break. The four of us sought shelter in a rock field. <\/p>\n\n

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After the hail had subsided, we continued and finally reached the Kibo Hut at 4720 meters altitude after 6 hours, 9km, and, you guessed it, another 1000 meters of altitude. Our goal was getting closer, “only” 6km and another almost 1200 meters of altitude now separated us from the summit of Kilimanjaro. <\/p>\n\n

The Kibo Hut was the simplest accommodation so far – only a pit toilet (a hole in the ground on a slope) was available and there was no longer any possibility to freshen up or brush teeth. Dinner was no longer served in a communal hut, but directly next to our simple beds. For the first time on this tour, we ate everything, our appetite was very large that evening, which Stewart, Genes, and Tuma considered a very good sign – most people lose their appetite at this altitude, or have to vomit constantly. However, the nightly oxygen measurement had to be canceled because Stewart had dropped the device from his pants into the “toilet” after the morning measurement… shit happens. <\/p>\n\n

The sun had returned in the meantime and we had a great view – unfortunately we couldn’t enjoy it for long. At 6:30 pm we went to bed, as we were supposed to be woken at 11 pm to tackle the last stage to the summit. <\/p>\n\n

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Day 4 – To Uhuru Peak – This Path Won’t Be an Easy One…<\/h2>\n\n
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The phone gives up – you can’t see much at this time anyway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

It was 11 pm on January 6, 2021, and the alarms tore us from our half-sleep. Not 10 seconds later there was a knock on the door – Tuma stood there, as always in good spirits and with a big smile on his face. He brought us tea and instant coffee and a few cookies – our breakfast and the only food for the next 12 hours. When we set off punctually at midnight on January 7, it was pitch dark and cold – without the pale glow of our headlamps, we wouldn’t have been able to see our own hands in front of our eyes. We set off in tight single file into the darkness – this stage would be the steepest so far, maybe it was quite good that you couldn’t see everything. <\/p>\n\n

In places we had to climb as we moved forward – without the hiking poles, which also provided better grip, we probably wouldn’t have had much chance in this terrain. Mel had had slight stomach problems since waking up, Andreas’s stomach was also rumbling mightily. We had to take short breaks again and again to drink a small sip of sharp ginger tea, which Stewart had wisely brought along – he simply knows his way around here perfectly. <\/p>\n\n

The steep ascent along a steep wall in zigzag seemed to have no end. Without seeing a goal and with increasing cold (the higher, the colder, and the lowest temperatures are reached between 3 and 6 am), our motivation slowly but surely waned a bit. At some point a low point was reached – Andreas’s headlamp failed and he could hardly see anything, Mel had the feeling of slowing down the small group and first tears briefly flowed. Stewart and Genes kept motivating us, having come so far and giving up now would have been pure madness. So we fought our way forward despite the hardships and it slowly got lighter. Around 6 am we had reached the first stage goal – Gilman’s Point. Stewart and Genes congratulated us and as a reward there was a hug and a break to admire the rising sun. <\/p>\n\n

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Now only 2km and 214 meters of altitude separated us from the actual summit. Full of new strength, we set off. It continued over scree, over and through snow and ice. The next goal was reached quite quickly – Stella Point (still 1.5km and 139 meters of altitude to summit) and from here it became a fight! <\/p>\n\n

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As if out of nowhere, all our strength and energy had suddenly disappeared. Every breath burned in the lungs and every single step became torture. From now on, each of us fought on alone – our guides continued with ease. We felt like we had to take breathing breaks every 10m and our steps were now only half a shoe length. Leaning on the hiking poles, eyes only on the tip of the shoe, we fought with ourselves, the air, and the ice under our shoes. Stewart and Genes constantly cast scrutinizing glances at us and our steps – the emergency oxygen bottle always at the ready. Andreas said to Stewart with effort: “No oxygen. I’ll make it to the summit like this even if it’s the last thing I do!” <\/p>\n\n

Two hours had passed since our departure from Gilman’s Point 2km away when we reached the summit with our last strength and touched the summit sign at almost exactly 8 am. Now all the floodgates broke. The tension that had been almost tangible before fell away from us abruptly. Feelings and emotions literally exploded as we fell into our guides’ and each other’s arms crying. They were tears of joy that we shed – this magical moment was and is simply indescribable and will always remain in our memories. <\/p>\n\n

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The stay at the summit was only brief – after 10 minutes we were already making our way back down and this was by no means going to be easier. First it went very steeply down the 6km to the Kibo Hut. Where we had initially taken a zigzag course in the night, we now chose a more direct route. On the loose scree we slid and slipped rather than walked toward the hut. Even Genes had visible problems in places and so it was only a matter of time before Andreas sat down on his bottom and Mel started sliding so much that she could barely catch herself. Genes was loudly concerned about our health from falling, while Stewart saw the whole thing more relaxed and couldn’t stop laughing. About one kilometer before the hut, 2 of our porters came toward us, brought us all mango juice, and together we returned to the Kibo Hut to applause and many congratulations. Here there was food for the first time since the day before, and after an hour we set off on the further 9km descent to the Horombo Hut. <\/p>\n\n

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Arriving there, we were able to “freshen up” a bit for the first time. After dinner – Tuma had meanwhile “organized” some instant coffee from ascending hiking groups (maybe he traded it for the missing peanut butter) – we fell into bed dead tired, exhausted, but satisfied. <\/p>\n\n

Day 5 – Back to the Starting Point – The Shower is Calling<\/h2>\n\n
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The next day, after the obligatory porridge breakfast, we tackled the 2-stage, final descent route. With sore thighs, a real pleasure! First we went 11km to the Mandara Hut. On this section we nicely burned our faces and noses due to the high-altitude sun. After a short break and our last mountain meal, we went directly and without further break the last 8km to the Marangu Gate, which we reached at 3:30 pm. Here we were presented with certificates for the successful ascent and descent and we performed the obligatory “tip ceremony”. Yes, such a mountain climb takes a hard toll on the wallet. After that we were brought back to the Kessy Brothers office, where we were received with Kilimanjaro coffee and beer. While we chatted and gazed lovingly at our beer, Andreas realized that he still had to wait a bit for the redeeming shower (the first shower in 5 days), because due to a small change, Mel already had other plans for us. <\/p>\n\n

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The complete team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

A huge thanks to the entire team, without whom we would never have come so far (from left to right): Malewo – cook, Emanuel – porter, Benson – porter, John – porter, Christopher – porter, Stewart – head guide, Peter – porter, Genes – assistant guide, Simon – porter, Tumain (Tuma) – waiter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Almost on time at 9 am the next day, we were picked up at the accommodation by Kessy Brothers with all our luggage. Arriving at the office, we had to buy plastic bottles and some energy snacks (in Kilimanjaro National Park, disposable plastic bottles are forbidden). We got a SIM card to maybe have some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81,82,80],"tags":[100,99,83,97,98,86,84],"class_list":["post-1394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-tanzania","category-travel","tag-adventure","tag-ascension","tag-holidays","tag-kilimanjaro","tag-mountain","tag-tanzania","tag-travel","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t