Summit!

The highest point on Mt. Kilimanjaro is Uhuru Peak on the volcano Kibo. It stands at 5,895 meters (19,341 ft).
Learn more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilimanjaro.

We reached the summit via the Machame route at 6:20am on December 21, 2008

We are back from climbing to the highest point on the African continent, Mt. Kilimanjaro! It was a great time and 5 of the 6 of us made it to the summit, one person got altitude sickness about 2 hours from the summit and had to go back to camp. It was a very challenging climb, greater than I expected. On summit day, four people in our team threw up including our head guide, one person was very delirious and couldn't walk in a straight line for the last hour of the climb, and as mentioned previously one person had to turn back.

I wish this computer had the capabilities to crop photos, oh well, the photos below will give you an idea of what our 6 days on Mt. Kilimanjaro were like. Chase is updating his blog about the climb, visit his blog by linking to it on the top right of the page under Chase in Africa.

Camp 1.

Day 2, just hiking up and up. Our climbing team including our head guide. Standing from left to right: Chase, Hans, Jimmy, and Rasta (our guide). Sitting from left to right: Patrick, Ali, and me.


One of our delicious dinners in the mess tent, Jimmy is being served by the Assistant Cook. Our Head Cook Richard was wonderful and we always had plenty of food.


Climbing through the steep green portion of the mountain.


What appears to be a leopard print on the trail. Too bad we didn't get to see the cat.


Some trees and clouds.


Another camp's tent and a beautiful ridge line.


A tent from another climbing team and a mountain in the distance, not Kili.

The sunset from camp 2 looking out to another mountain, not Kili.


Mine and Chase's feet in our sandals at 4600 meters, 14,950 feet. We hiked in them all the way up to this point. After that is was too cold to go further without shoes.


Chase and I, loving life on the mountain!


Chase and I lounging around, the clouds rolling in.

Camp 3.

Mt. Kilimanjaro from camp 3.

The climbing team in the clouds at camp 3.


Sunrise on camp 3.


These trees are so bizarre, we loved them.


An amazing view.


A portion of the steepest part of the hike, nothing too technical.


Some trail action. Notice how much the porters carry, they hold rice bags full of gear on their heads. They are amazing.


Ali and Jimmy cruising up the trail.


Me with the trail we hiked in the background on the right, the same trail from the photo just above.

Hiking on day 4.

Camp 4, a view of my tent and Mt. Mawenzi in the background.


The sunrise while reaching the summit.


I finally reached the summit!

It took us 6 hours to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro where we watched the sunrise. From left to right: Chase, Ali, Hans, Me, Rasta (our Head Guide), and Patrick.

A view of the crater on Mt. Kili, looking west.

Our porters, cooks, guides, and climbing team on Day 6. An entourage just shy of 30 people.

An view from the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro of the glacier to the south.

Cloudy Mt. Kili.

Me and the mountain during our descent.

Kids getting firewood and grass to feed there cattle from the mountain.

Me with two of our Assistant Guides, Anew and Happy God, at the gate leaving the Mt. Kilimanjaro national park.

My certificate saying I reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 6:20am on December 21, 2008.