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.

DAY 12 | BLOG 13 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

My wake - up call Patrick brought me Milo and washy washy at 6 am and asked me to get ready.  At 7 am I had the breakfast  mainly its sausage eggs ,some fried snack and fruits.

Mandara hut - Horambo Hut

Altitude: 3700 m/12140 ft

Distance: 12km

Hiking Time: 5-6 hours

Habitat:  Moorland

We start the day continuing through the forest until the trail opens into high moorland. 

Trail was so enchanting and took a break to have our box luch at the shelter. We reached Horambo hut around 3 pm. From  Horambo  I saw the first views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks – two of the three volcanic peaks that make up the summit of Kilimanjaro. Horambo lies in a valley surrounded by giant lobelia and groundsel, flora which are characteristic of this semi-alpine zone. Bathrooms are available with running water.

DAY 11 | BLOG 12 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 Finally, all sorted and we started our trek by 1.30 pm.

Marangu gate - Mandara hut

Altitude: (2700m/8860 ft)

Distance: 8km/5m

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Habitat: RainForest

The hike begins with an ascent through a lush tropical forest. At the upper edge of the forest line, we have the opportunity to see a blue monkey, Eucalyptus trees,  elephant trunk flowers, birdlife, and Colobus monkeys.

A small shelter was there between Marangu and Mangara hut to take a break and to use the washroom. The trail widens and exposes beautiful waterfalls until we reach Mandara Hut.   We reached the Mandara hut by 4.30 pm. My wake-up call Patrick bought a basin to warm water for me to freshen up and the called it ‘’washy washy’’.  By 7 pm dinner was served. It's a 3-course meal.  African type meal but it was so tangy. As I don't like tea or coffee I had a cup of Milo.

After my dinner, Immanuel was there to check my blood oxygen level. Rooms in the huts are shared quadruple rooms, and bathrooms with running water were available. Went to bed by 8 pm.

DAY 10 | BLOG 11 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

The registration process and checking the porter’s bag weight took around 2 hr.  Before the climb, they will check your heart rate and blood oxygen level. In the meantime, I was served a  healthy box lunch. 

After my lunch, I was browsing around and met a wonderful guy and his name was ‘’Hug’’.  He explained to me the historic importance of the Tanzanian flag. In the United Republic of Tanzania, the colours represent several significant events. Tanganyika's flag has green, yellow, and black colours. In the flag of Zanzibar, blue, black, and green are used. Each colour has a meaning:

Black: People

Green: Land

Blue: Sea

Yellow: Mineral

And explained to me about the first explorers who summited Mount Kilimanjaro.

DAY 9 | BLOG 10 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 On Nov 3rd 2021, I started my Kilimanjaro trek. My guide Immanuel was in the hotel at 10 am. Packed my duffle bag and the tour company I booked the trip with provided me with a sleeping bag. So all set to go. It's 1 hr from Keys’ hotel to Marangu gate.

We reached Marangu gate by 11.30 am. A licensed guide is required to climb Kilimanjaro. The Tanzanian government and Kilimanjaro National Park Authority changed their policy regarding unsupported treks on Mount Kilimanjaro in 1991. 

The Parks Authority requires us to register before beginning the hike, and we must sign in at each camp. As part of the standard Kilimanjaro trek, porters carry tents, gas, food, as well as trekkers' equipment, and the weight limit is 15kg. There is an average ratio of 1:4 between trekkers and support crew.

DAY 8 | BLOG 9 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 After ​​enjoying a refreshing dip in the natural pool at Materuni waterfalls, we walked toward the coffee plantation. The family of my guide welcomed me to their mini coffee farm and showed me the entire process.

I got a chance to participate in the process of making organic Materuni coffee. Here we will also learn how coffee is cultivated, dried and roasted. And an opportunity to listen, dance and sing with the Chagga people.

Before saying goodbye  and returning to Key’s hotel, I  was fortunate to  savour the coffee.

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DAY 7 | BLOG 8 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 Located at 2500 meters above sea level, Materuni Waterfall is about 90 meters tall and spews crystal clear glacier water into its basin. The water flowing from the waterfall originates from Kilimanjaro's melted glacier, which is freezing.

There was a small cave, into which we could climb, which led us behind the waterfall. And I got an opportunity to meet some local people.

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DAY 6 | BLOG 7 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 Our first stop was at a nearby toddy shop. A speciality drink is brewed banana beer.My guide gave me a brief overview of the history of Materuni Waterfall.Locals refer to Materuni Waterfall as Nambe Waterfall, which means "first-born’’.Chagga people live in Materuni village, which is located in the Uru area. Materuni settlement, located around 1800 meters above sea level, is the last village before entering the Kilimanjaro national park. 

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DAY 5 | BLOG 6 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 We began our hike with a nice pair of shoes; flip-flops are not permitted. Because it is a plantation, the soil is muddy, and the people water them frequently to obtain corps.

It's also worthy to note that the hike can get rather challenging. There are many slick spots, primarily due to the mud. Throughout the hike he explained to me about vegetation and main crops they grow.Corn and banana are the principal crops.

He showed me beehives perched on a tree, where honeybees are raised and the beekeeper harvests honey for private consumption. They feed a flower to the cattle to obtain high-quality cow dung manure, and they practice no grazing.

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DAY 4 | BLOG 5 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

 Before starting the trail, Aamen  gave me an outline how the trail  is gonna be like. In addition to the   waterfall, there is a coffee tour in the village.With about eight kilometers of walking and climbing 300 meters amidst the cultural immersion made this an excellent warm-up for the legs and for the mind as well.Trail is going to be manageable, but muddy. Activity should take 3- 4 hours.

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DAY 3 | BLOG 4 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

After a hotshower and a nap , I got ready for my Materuni waterfalls day trip. My driver arrived at 2pm EST. It was about a 45 mins journey to Materuni Village passing through Moshi Town. The road is so bumpy and muddy. 

During the journey,my driver explained a bit about Marteruni village. It is simply a little village with Chagga people, Which is one among many tribes in Tanzania and like several other tribes,they have their own unique traditions. Their main occupation is farming.

After our herky- jerky drive we reached Marteruni entrance and met my guide Aamen.

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DAY 2 | BLOG 3 | Throwback To Kilimanjaro With Milasha Joseph

The immigration procedure was so smooth and my driver Ali Kinota was waiting for me outside the airport. He greeted me with a pleasant smile. And we started our journey from Kilimanjaro Airport to Keys hotel Moshi.

It was about an hour's journey.Ali showed me around and explained to me about local markets, fruits and their lifestyle. The Journey was so enchanting.I was surprised to see motorbike taxis they call “Boda bodas” and they call auto-rickshaws as bajaj or Tuk-Tuk.

Finally, we reached Keys hotel. There two Immanuel’s were waiting for me. In Tanzania,Immanuel is a widely used name.Literally, everyone is Immanuel.After check-in, I did my documentation for the climb with Immanuel who was my local tour organizer and he recommended me to visit Materuni waterfalls as I was free that afternoon. Now it's time for my guide Immanuel to check my gear.

He checked my gear and confirmed I am all set to go and said bye and will meet again tomorrow@ 10 am EST. By this point,I was starving like hell so I ordered chicken curry and rice.I have to say the food from the Jambo restaurant was so fresh & tangy.They served both in a claypot.

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