Mount Kilimanjaro: ‘Walking up’ to the roof of Africa
Summiting the roof of Africa had been on my bucket list for a while. I had been planning this trip for so long that when the big day loomed up, it felt like it was happening all of a sudden.
My friend, Abdullah and I set out to do the full moon trek in August 2015.
After extensive research, we decided to take the Machame route, which is known for its scenic value and greater acclimatisation, and by extension, a higher success rate. So with just three weeks of incline training at the gym, I set out for the toughest challenge of my life.
But, on arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, I hit a slight snag. I had read online and even asked the airline I was travelling with, about visas, and was informed that Pakistanis get visa on arrival. Upon arrival, however, I was denied entry.
After some begging and pleading, I was asked to “show my generosity” to the immigration officer, so that he may in return, “show his humanity”.
A 100 dollars later, I was allowed entry in the United Republic of Tanzania. (Note to my fellow Pakistanis: there is a bright possibility that you will be asked for a bribe too, so it's better to keep some loose change so you don’t have to give out a $100 bill like i had to).
On arrival at the lodge, we met our guide, Michael, who checked our equipment. He informed us that we were going to be a group of four and asked us to be ready at 8:30am the next morning.
I tried to savour what was going to be my last shower for seven days and enjoy the luxury of a warm bed as much as I could. Our adventure would begin tomorrow.
Day 1
Machame Gate (1828m) to Machame Camp (3000m)
Distance - 10.5 km
We met our two travel buddies and set off for Machame gate.
The trek on this day passed through a beautiful rainforest with old trees and vines like the ones Tarzan would swing on.