In November this year, I completed the Save a Man Challenge for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia by spending 12 days trekking to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

I know it might sound a little cliché but the best thing about memories is making them. I will never forget the memories during this trip with my fellow hikers, whilst we collectively raised over $60,000 for such a worthy cause.

Mount Kilimanjaro promised to take our breath away both figuratively and literally. The views during our climb towards the summit were incredible. The challenge of climbing to approximately 19,340 feet above sea level and crossing five ecological zones was tough.

Some highlights from the trek included:

1. Porters:

The Kilimanjaro porters carry all the gear so you don’t have to. These hard workers are an integral part of climbers reaching the top. Without their assistance, very few climbers would summit. Our group of nine had the support of 38 porters, carrying about 30kgs each on their heads!!

It’s the Jambo song…

Sung by your guides and porters after a successful trek, it’s an exuberant, joyful song, accompanied by clapping and the voices of the entire crew.

SWAHILI

Jambo! Jambo bwana!
Habari gani? Mzuri sana!
Wageni, mwakaribishwa!
Kilimanjaro? Hakuna matata!

Tembea pole pole. Hakuna matata!
Utafika salama. Hakuna matata!
Kunywa maji mengi. Hakuna matata!

Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,
Kilimanjaro, mlima mrefu sana.

Na Mawenzi, na Mawenzi,
Na Mawenzi, mlima mrefu sana.

Ewe nyoka, ewe nyoka!
Ewe nyoka, mbona waninzunguka.

Wanizunguka, wanizunguka
Wanizunguka wataka kunila nyama

ENGLISH

Hello! Hello sir!
How are you? Very well!
Guests, you are welcome!
Kilimanjaro? No trouble!

Walk slowly, slowly. No trouble!
You’ll get there safe. No trouble!
Drink plenty of water. No trouble!

Kilimanjaro! Kilimanjaro!
Kilimanjaro, such a high mountain.

Also Mawenzi, also Mawenzi!
Also Mawenzi such a high mountain.

Like a snake, like a snake!
Like a snake you wrap around me

You wrap around me, you wrap around me
Trying to eat me like a piece of meat

The song begins with a few tips useful for any trekker: walk slowly, drink plenty of water, and don’t worry too much about it!

But by the end, the mountain seems menacing, enormously high and doing its best to chew you up and spit you out.

No wonder they sing this after you’ve made it to the top and back again…

2. Kilimanjaro sunrise:

Photos of the sunrise we witnessed as we neared the summit cannot do it justice. Viewing it from above the clouds as we approached Uhuru Peak in the early hours was an experience I’ll never forget.

3. Mawenzi:

Mawenzi is an older peak than Kibo, formed by a volcanic eruption that subsided before Kibo Peak was formed. Mawenzi provided an opportunity for acclimatisation and spectacular views from above the clouds.

4. Glaciers:

Mt Kilimanjaro’s 10,000 year old glaciers have drastically disappeared by 85% over the last 100 years. Because of this rapid rate of decline, many experts expect the glaciers to completely disappear in the next 50-70 years. The glaciers were one of the most awe-inspiring sights during the final stages of the ascent.

5. Kibo crater:

There are three volcanic cones on Mount Kilimanjaro: Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo. Kibo crater is the main crater and the largest, located near the summit of Kilimanjaro. As we walked towards the summit, the crater appeared endless.

6. Uhuru Peak:

Finally, at 19,340ft, Uhuru Peak is the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro. The word Uhuru means “freedom” in the Swahili language. Although freezing, the feeling of making it to the top was like no other.

7. Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari Plants:

The rare flora species Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari have evolved and adapted themselves to the unique and unpredictable weather of Mt Kilimanjaro in order to survive. They are but one example of the diversity of flora encountered during the challenge.

8. Shira Plateau:

The Shira Plateau is located on the western side of the mountain. The plateau is actually a caldera, a collapsed volcanic crater, created 500,000 years ago that was later filled with lava debris from another eruption. The vast nature of experiencing this is difficult to describe.

9. Plane crash site:

In November 2008, a small passenger plane carrying four tourists and the pilot crashed on Mt Kilimanjaro at 14,200 feet. The wreckage remains on the saddle between Uhuru and Mawenzi. The ingenuity of the porters has seen parts of the plane positioned in various locations to assist with identifying the most efficient paths during snowfall.

10. Rainforest:

Kilimanjaro routes begin in the lush rainforest, which receives approximately 80 inches of rain annually, mostly during the rainy season months of April, May and November. Thankfully we only encountered one evening of rain!

I am grateful for the donations I received to assist me in raising funds for Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, a charity which I passionately support. I am also so grateful for the opportunity to climb Mt Kilimanjaro.