In Kyle Edmund’s Words…..
“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop… the journey to the top is always going to have moments where it sucks, [but] these moments will make everything else worth the struggle.”
Motivation needs to be endless to reach the top of any mountain. If it’s Kilimanjaro, then a great spirit needs to be at the top. Kevin Adler, Neil Crouthamel from the USA finds an unbeatable source of strength and motivation to tackle a record-breaking mountain Kilimanjaro Climb – and support a cause.
Let’s Get In Through Their Motivational Story Of Kelvin & Neil…..
- Location: JRO Airport
- Duration: 9 days
- Package: Northern Circuit Route
- Grading: Challenging
- Start Date: 5th June 2021
- End Date: 13th June 2021
Preparation Is Endless & Research Is Something To Lookout For
Nothing could quite prepare us for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro… We knew it was going to be difficult – it is the highest mountain in Africa after all. We were about to get on a life-changing challenge and a rollercoaster of emotions awaited on our journey to the summit.
Kilimanjaro Preparation was endless – what to buy, what do we actually need? The list goes on and the advice can be daunting and mystifying. You basically want to cover all prospects with regards to weather and temperature and make sure you have lots of warm, dry, and breathable layers. Boots, walking poles and a really good backpack for your daily necessities are your new best friends and worth every money spent.
So we read, researched, and shopped; we bought stuff, we took it back, and then bought more stuff. Finally, we got one of the best Tour Operators in Tanzania named Jerry Tanzania Tours who was really the blessing for us to make ourselves prepare for the summit and make it happen.
Packing took forever. This was the hardest Kilimanjaro Trek any of us had ever packed for and there was no room for error or luxuries. Exactly how many pairs of socks and packets of wet wipes to include had started to turn into an obsession? Finally, though, we flew out with Kenya Airways via Nairobi into Kilimanjaro International Airport, arriving at the tiny but very serviceable airport.
Choose Northern Circuit Route
There are several ways to Kilimanjaro Summit, but we chose Northern Circuit Route. The nine days it takes, (seven up and two down) gives you a better chance of acclimatizing to the high altitude, and the varied scenery on this 9 Days Northern Circuit Route is really beautiful too. We slept in tents at designated campsites, ate in a dining tent, although sometimes outside too, and shared some of the best and worst days of our lives amid the unbelievable landscape of Tanzania.
Early to rise and early to bed each day, we walked and we walked and we walked some more; through tropical rainforest to start with and then moving through a lunar landscape of rocky lava ridges and sparse vegetation. We descended with greener views, looked up at towering cliffs, and came across lots of very strange-looking plants along the way.
We observed amazing sunsets, with the clouds spread out beneath us – a sight none of us will ever forget. We conquered Barranco Wall, a challenging but fun upwards scramble and through valleys and volcanic scree to Karanga Valley. It was fascinating to see how much the landscape changed around us, not to mention the temperature as we went from T-shirts on the first day to thermals at night and practically all the clothes we’d packed, on the last night.
Summit Night
Thankfully, and crucial if you want to be successful in reaching Uhuru Peak, we all managed to eat and get some rest before our Kilimanjaro Climb assent. All our additional summit night kit was ready, with lots of layers including warm clothing and waterproofs, fresh batteries in our head torches, an extra pair of socks, hand warmers, warm hats, and scarves. We slept in most of our clothes and waited. Midnight came round quickly, it was time to get up and start the ascent – we were ready.
We won’t say this was easy – it wasn’t. Our bodies were operating on just 50% oxygen levels and we were really exhausted. It took us about nine hours, and five of these were in the dark lit only by our head torches.
Jeremiah & Team Is Really Great
Not much was said, Kevin, think the longest conversation anyone had was “can you get a chocolate bar out of my backpack for me please?” We willed each other on and the Kilimanjaro Guides were amazing too, singing to encourage us and keeping an eye on our general stamina and well-being at all times. We couldn’t have done it without them and each other. And, when the going got tough, we reminded ourselves of why we took on this challenge – to raise more funds for Just a Drop. These opinions gave us the boost we needed to keep going.
We Made It!
The feeling when we all finally reached Uhuru Peak was incredible; we were on the rooftop of Africa but felt on top of the world. We cried, took lots of photos, and admired the views we were rewarded with.
We would like to take to say an enormous thank you to Jerry Tanzania Tours who helped support us along this life-changing journey.
Truth About Climbing Kilimanjaro……
In our view, Kilimanjaro is not a technical climb, so anybody who can hike can do it, but the altitude and length take a toll.
The main message that we hope flows through the article is that trying your best will always be enough. It is okay to not succeed on your first attempt at your dream, but sometimes it is also okay to accept defeat as long as you come back and try again.