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MOUNT KILIMANJARO, Tanzania — “Step by step, inch by inch” rang through my oxygen-deprived mind as I trudged the last 1,000 feet of the summit push toward an elevation of 19,478 feet.

The radiating sun slowly creeps across the frozen glacier field as my lips begin to go numb. I’m not thinking, I am just walking, walking … walking. A porter smiles at me and offers to take my pack, and I just shrug him off.

I am going to do this. I did not go all this way, ruin my heels with hellish blisters and eat porridge for nothing! My dad walks besides me, just talking, softly whispering words to me. Do I look at him? No. I have to keep my eyes on the target, and I absolutely cannot stop. Stopping would mean I quit. Stopping would mean the mountain beat me, and my competitive nature would not have it. Continue Reading…

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Map of Routes On Mount Kilimanjaro

The Marangu Route (5-6 days) or ‘Coca Cola Route’ is the oldest and most popular trail, and the one that comes closest (though not very) to the trail Hans Meyer took in making the first successful assault on the summit.

It is the only trail where camping is not necessary, with trekkers sleeping in dormitory huts along the way. From the Kibo Huts, trekkers climb up to the summit via Gillman’s Point.

The average trekker will take five days and four nights to complete the trail though an extra night is often taken after the second day to allow trekkers to acclimatize