We Are Leaders @ Kilimanjaro

The roof of Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest free standing mountain and the highest point on the African continent. It emerges from the ground and reaches its final peak at 5,895m (19,341 ft) above sea level. It is considered to be one of the most accessible mountains for trekkers with seven different routes that can bring you to the summit. Kilimanjaro has been on my list for some time now and I had my chance this past spring break with a group of incredibly motivated students.

We Are Leaders @ Kilimanjaro is part of the EBDA leadership program that I run in Education City. This is the first year we have taken a group of students to climb Kilimanjaro and this program is supposed to be the capstone of the EBDA experience. We accepted 5 male and 5 female students to join us in our quest to summit the mountain and our preparations began in November of last year.

Training for Kilimanjaro is difficult. The biggest challenges on the mountain are the altitude and the terrain, both of which are difficult to simulate. As we prepared for the summit all we could do was work on lung capacity and get the group to a comfortable level of fitness. We did weekly training sessions as a group and most people were working out 3-5 times per week in preparation. Regardless of how you prepare Kili is going to give you challenges but we will get to those.

I am not sure what I expected from Kilimanjaro. I had heard from others that it was difficult but with some training anyone can do it. I had heard that summit day was intense but the rest of the time was quite enjoyable. When we actually got to the mountain most of this was correct. Our group took the Rongai route which is considered to be the easiest of the Kilimanjaro routes. We spent the first 3 days acclimatizing to the high altitudes and preparing our bodies for the grueling summit day. Our group opted for a day summit instead of a night summit which allowed us more time to get up the mountain and less time in below freezing temperatures. When we woke up for summit day the group was in bad shape. Altitude was taking its toll on us and some people hadn’t slept or had a proper meal in two days. On that morning I was not very confident the whole group would make the summit but we were going to try.

We set off at 5am in the dark for the summit. As we left base camp we were cold, tired, but determined. The route was in 4 parts. Part 1 was from base camp to the main trail, part 2 was to the first summit at Gillman’s point, part 3 was to the actual summit, and part 4 was getting down the mountain to base camp. The real challenges came during part 2 as we worked up steep inclines and rocky paths to reach our summit at Gillman’s point. By that point most of the group had given everything they had yet we were 90 minutes from the summit and hiking at nearly 6,000m. The first group to reach the summit did so in just under 8 hours from when we left base camp. Miraculously, all of the group eventually summited. There were 14 of us in total. Once we summited and began to head back we began to feel exhausted and many of us needed help off the mountain. I was part of the first group to return to camp and it had taken us 12 hours in total, some others took up to 15 hours to return to camp. Summit day was an incredible challenge but one of the most powerful experiences I have had.

Going into the program I had my reservations about whether the group would summit. We were in good shape but not great. You never know how altitude will affect people. There were too many question marks. I can now comfortably say that the resilience and will to succeed that the students showed on summit day was one of the most amazing things I have seen. This also could not have been done without the support of our tour group, Team Kilimanjaro (http://www.teamkilimanjaro.com/). The TK team were incredible professionals and I could not recommend them more highly.

I could go on and on about the experience but I want to end with just a few lessons learned. Kilimanjaro teaches you that you are capable of far more than you could imagine. When you think you have nothing left you are wrong, there is much more. The mountain humbles you and teaches you about privilege. Our group of 14 was accompanied by 52 (yes…52) Tanzanian guides. This included porters, guides, cooks, etc. All of these men were incredibly gracious, kind, and supportive of our group even though their work is incredibly challenging. When you think you have done a hard day’s work, imagine climbing Kilimanjaro with a 25kg rucksack. That’s hard work. Finally, Kilimanjaro teaches you about reaching your goals. You don’t immediately run for the summit. You prepare, take things slowly (pole pole),and work towards your goal. You must be patient and you must be resilient, but with time you will make it.

It was such an honor to be part of this group and an experience I am still processing myself. So a HUGE thank you to all those that made it possible especially Maersk Oil who funded the program, Red Rock International who planned the program, and most of all the students who made it all possible.

The next adventure is returning to the US for some trainings and conferences. As I write this I am at the airport getting ready for a 14 hour direct flight to Chicago! So let the good times roll and thanks for checking in!