DAY 18 | BLOG 20 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

Just across the Kenyan border and near the busy city of Arusha lies the little-known jewel of Tanzania, Arusha National Park.

There is an incredible diversity of vegetation in Arusha National Park, such as swamps, grasslands and montane forests, as well as the mountain slopes of Meru that are covered in tropical rainforest.

I ate an early breakfast. The first thing we did was my RT PCR at a hospital. After leaving Moshi at 9:00 am, we drove an hour to Arusha National Park. 

To stretch my legs after arriving, I chose a walking safari with a ranger who would take me through the rainforest to a sparkling waterfall where I spotted black and white colobus monkeys. On the drive through the park after lunch, to see the Lakes of Momella and the Ngurduto Crater, as well as buffalo, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra and gazelle, among other wildlife.After the drive, I was driven back to the Moshi Hotel.

DAY 17 | BLOG 19 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

Around 2pm, I reached Keys' hotel, had lunch, and rested for a few hours. I was picked up by my team for the farewell dinner at 7.30 pm. Our next stop was an Indian restaurant, where we had paneer butter masala and naan. After the meal, my guide presented me with my climbing certificate.

 

DAY 16 | BLOG 18 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

It's time to say Good-Bye to Kilimajaro.

I had breakfast at 7 am said bye to my German buddy and began our descent towards Marangu gate. Got to see some ravens's at Horambo.

My descent was so emotional. I was happy and sad at the same time. We reached Marangu gate by noon.My crew was there to collect me and dropped me at Keys’ hotel.

DAY 15 | BLOG 17 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

Although the struggle and challenge of reaching the summit have ended, we are only halfway there.It's a steep descent that requires a lot of focus as the terrain is challenging.

As quickly as possible, we must descend below 5,500m/ 18,000 feet.

After Stella Point, we took a different route to Kibo Hut, where we did sun skiing. Arrived at Kibo hut at 11.30 am and ate some food. Relaxed for 2 hours. We then started the descent down to Horombo hut.

In addition to losing my appetite, I had an emotional roller coaster that day because of the altitude.After a healthy dinner of fruits and a good night's sleep, I'm feeling fine.

DAY 14 | BLOG 16 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

The summit night on Mount Kilimanjaro will undoubtedly be challenging! 

We started hiking at 12 am. The route from Kibo hut to Gilman's point (5685) is a vertical climb followed by a zigzag. Depending on the weather, each stop will last approximately two to three minutes. When we reached 5,500m elevation, we stopped every 30 minutes due to the lack of oxygen. 

Once we got to Stella Point (5756m), which was very cold, we took a 5-minute break. Then, we continued to hike and took about an hour to make it to the summit. At 8.23 am we reached the summit of Uhuru Peak at 5895m.

DAY 13_1 | BLOG 15 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

Patrick brought me Milo and washy washy at 6 am and asked me to get ready.  At 7 am I had the breakfast  bread,eggs and  plenty of fruits.

Horambo hut - Kibo hut

Altitude : 4700 m/15420 ft

Distance: 10 km/6 miles

Hiking Time: 5-8 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

Today's stage is long and arduous. Walking onto the Kilimanjaro saddle between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi after passing the last watering site. As we enter the desert-like alpine zone, the vegetation thins down, and the Kibo peak comes into view as we cross the saddle. Around 12.30 p.m., we arrived at Kibo hut and had lunch there. Now I can sense the increase in altitude. Dinner was served early.  We will experience an emotional roller coaster as your altitude rises. My guide awoke me at 11 p.m. to get me ready for the summit push, which begins at 12 a.m.

DAY 13 | BLOG 14 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

Horombo Hut was shared with a lovely girl from Germany. Patrick was kind enough to provide me with a washy-washy. An evening snack was offered after freshening up. It was  Popcorn and Milo.

I met a group from Switzerland whose members were mostly in their 60s. They were incredibly inspiring and encouraging. On the mountain, age isn't a barrier. In that group, I met a couple in which the husband is simply accompanying his wife to accomplish her dream, although he's had multiple knee surgeries and suffering from hearing impairment. He's doing it to see the joy on his wife's face.

Hatts off to this wonderful man.My dinner was served  around 7 pm,  3-course meal, which was absolutely delicious.