I recognize that it all started with the second "pink" line of a predictor. A woman awash in happiness, a man locked in uncertainty, and a gynecologist witness. «Laura, Mario is on his way and. "Now I ask you to let me climb Kilimanjaro."
She gave me her consent and the doctor approval.
To find out how the African gods observe their continent, one must climb to the top of this famous conical volcano.
Africa should be treated as Queen Mother. Queen for being the daughter of gods and Mother for seeing us born as a species. His divine kinship must be true, because once you are at the top, to observe her, you must bow your head down and with it your gaze, And what is that but a bow?
Once you are at the top, to observe her, you must bow your head down and with it your gaze
The legendary mountain can be climbed by different routes. One is so famous that it is known as the "Coca-Cola route.". They say that it is the most suitable for its endowment, although the least advisable due to its popularity.
We went up the Machame route, also called whiskey route. The hard.
And that's what we got between chest and back, 62 kilometers of a good whiskey "on the rocks"!
We went from the humid heat of the jungle, to the dry cold of the top. From over thirty-something degrees, at least "diecialgo". From the cool cotton t-shirt, to the warm feather bag.
The Machame route is designed for those mountaineers who prefer the challenge of the tent, to the pleasure of the refuge. So once we decided that the store was our choice, guide, Phillip, He introduced us to his team to the rhythm of "Jambo Gana, No trouble" .
The Machame route is designed for those mountaineers who prefer the challenge of the tent, to the pleasure of the refuge
This Swahili chant would become a hymn at times, and in a mantra in others, since those 5895 meters were going to demand the best concentration we could achieve.
Today fresh produce and mineral water, tomorrow can and river water "they tell us. The budget was limited and with it the number of porters.
Machame is a demanding route, you climb a lot in a short distance, although in return it offers movie sets.
You go through five different habitats and some of them would be indescribable to me, if not for a good photograph. The fact that it is a volcano is an incentive to the visual spectacle. Reliefs, stone sculpted textures and folds show the mummified guts of our planet.
Reliefs, stone sculpted textures and folds show the mummified guts of our planet.
Machame is severe but kind. In many stages you sleep lower than the highest point you reach during the walk, and that's life insurance, a golden rule, to appease mountain sickness.
With height, atmospheric pressure decreases and with it the ease of oxygen exchange in your lungs. This reality can cause you in mild or medium cases, Headaches, fatigue, sickness, and instability, and at the ends, you can even fall into a coma. This tissue asphyxia is known as hypoxia.
In the early stages you look strong and emotion pushes you towards a useless waste of energy. After a good night conversation comes the insomnia of illusion. An unacceptable luxury. A good guide will tell you that on the mountain, like in a long distance race, you must work on the "after", If you have excess energy in the "now".
The mountain will steal calories from you, and it will be necessary to combine the physical demand with the mental toughness of the mountaineer. Rest is the key to the vault.
I remember cramps, headaches and occasional nausea. To combat them, I will not forget even the hypercaloric meals without appetite, nor the heat of my jacket, nor the breath of my two great friends, the Sancho brothers, who did not leave me alone before the "Promise of the predictor". Thanks.
We keep climbing. The clouds are already below and the spirits are through the clouds.
Starting 3800 meters you do not see fauna that exceeds a foot from the ground. We keep climbing. The clouds are already below and the spirits are through the clouds.
We arrived at Lava Tower (4600m), a huge stone shaped like a shark tooth, and we begin the "paradoxical descent" to the Barranco camp (3980m). Every step down brings you closer to the top.
Multi-armed giants, palm cousins and cactus brothers, guard the amazing road to Barranco defying natural laws. They are the “brazudo” guardians of Don Kilimanjaro.
A huge wall, Breakfast Wall, guard the camp and have a tattoo on a path that you must save with your feet and hands if you want to get to Karanga Hut. Place where sorcerers and necromancers will fight for your soul. We are in the heart of magical Kilimanjaro.
Karanga's spell will determine if by your purity, Africa opens the doors of its sanctum sanctorum or not… And he opened them to us!
I anticipate that in the last stage we left at 00:30 hours. We left Barafu, and even Uhuru, the top, We expect 1.212 meters of unevenness and seven hours of night suffering. More the descent.