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Today was the big day! While most of you were sleeping, 10 adventure hungry souls woke up at midnight somewhere very high in Africa to undertake a challenge that would take them completely out of their comfort zones. Namely climbing to the top of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,895m.
We were blessed with a gorgeous full moon that was not entirely in the plan or as one Aussie fellow climber told us in a very thick accent and a tone we couldn’t produce except by slanting our mouth down and to the left “ahh you jagged it”. He actually meant to say we got it by luck.
The first couple of hours were brutally cold and it took everyone a while to get into their rhythm which allowed us to set a good combined pace. Unfortunately this didn’t last too long as the wind picked up again around 3AM and the temperature dropped even further.
The Pioneers busied themselves either by singing songs or going into their own world as everyone searched for their ideal way to focus. The going was tiring and relatively steep. We stopped every hour to pee, add or remove items of clothing and hydrate. We stopped at the halfway point to see if the group was interested in splitting up to accommodate different speeds but we decided to continue using the same strategy except that Hisham wanted to move a bit slower. So an assistant guide and myself joined him for the remainder of the climb and the rest pushed on.
What transpired after this was an amazing demonstration of strong will and determination especially on Hisham’s part. 9 people made Uhuru peak which is the true summit of Kilimanjaro and Hisham got to Stella Point which is only 1 hour climb from the true summit. The truth is Hisham was extremely tired long before but somehow constantly found the mental stamina to push himself further. I kept watching with amazement as he pushed himself over one mental boundary to the next. Because of this, he is a happy man and so is the other 9 who have earned thier name in the Kilimanjaro history books. The moment of reaching the summit was emotional as everyone had given it everything they got. There were laughs, tears and alot of celebration photos and videos which we hope to share with you very soon.
As i write the team is preparing to descend to 3000m to spend their final night in the national park before leaving tomorrow morning and concluding what has been a truly epic adventure!
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05/04 After being delayed for a day in the village of Sugapa, the team finally managed to fly out but it still took 6 flights just to get back to Bali where 2 nights of intensive celebration were highly due! My knee is feeling better and I am no longer limping in the streets. It took another 3 flights to finally get back to Cairo making the total number of flights taken in this 3 week trip reach 16!! Talk about jet lag and exhaustion! I am now in Cairo enjoying lengthy sleep and food on tap. After eating white rice for breakfast and dinner every day for weeks, I am still rather bemused by these places here you can go and actually PICK what you want to eat... I think they call it restaurants. Civilization does have its advantages! :) With the 4th of the 7-Summits done successfully with the Egyptian flag on top, it is only a matter of days before preparation for the next phase of the challenge will begin! |
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"It was hard going to sleep on the 16th. Everyone had the summit day in their minds. It felt like we were going to sit for an exam the next day, only much worse. Eventually all the team members managed to sleep for a few hours before the climb. I slept at 9.30pm and woke up at 3am for breakfast.
We quickly made our final preparations under the lights of our hear torch and quietly ate our food as our watches ticked away, bringing our start closer. It was slightly windy and cold but the sky was semi-clear with a few stars visible yet Elbrus was hidden from view. Above us was a big full moon casting its light on us.
At 5am we were at 4500m and ready to begin our final climb. The weather was very cold and the wind strong. We put on our crampons and began climbing at a good pace. The idea was that Sergey, our Russian guide, would hold the front and I would always remain at the back to make sure everyone was doing well. Mohamed was in good form that day and moved quickly right behind Sergey. Mido was having problems with his stomach and so was trailing a little behind. Elia kept moving back and forth to get good footage! All in all the team moved in sync up the steep slopes leading to 5000m and what is known as the traverse, which is a long seemingly-never-ending uphill crossing around the east summit of Elbrus to the back of the western summit where we'd begin our ultimate approach. The danger here lies in the narrowness of the trail, less than a meter wide at times, and the 1000m drop off to our left. The storm had begun to pick up quickly and the resulting lack of visibility made matters even worse.
By 9am we were right in the middle of the worst snow blizzard the mountain had seen in 10 years. Wind picked up to over 100km/h and the temperature, as a result, fell to -25C. We could hardly see 5m ahead. It made going much harder and dangerous but the team was going strong so we decided to push on. Conditions kept getting worse and worse.
Finally at 5410m the team was faced with a heartbreaking decision. Mohamed had been beginning to show early signs of altitude sickness for a while despite his good pace. Beyond that point the climb got significantly steeper an there were even steeper drop-offs to the right this tie. The visibility was so bad that it was often hard to see where the trail ended a drop-off began! It was an extremely emotional moment for us all to split, especially knowing that he could have made it in other conditions. Wind that pushed you off your feet, even with them firmly on the ground, is not something to be underestimated. Mohamed gave the mountain 200 percent and was very strong on the day but sometimes nature and the frailty of the human body against these extreme altitudes cannot be overcome.
Still we had to take the Egyptian flag up. The rest of the climb was extremely tough and just when we thought conditions couldn't get any worse, they did! Mido at this point was fighting with every power inside him against elements and his stomach pains which had only gotten worse. Eventually, after a long and tiresome 2 hours we saw the summit for the first time. The final steps were emotional. Mido, Elia and I hugged for a few seconds and then fulfilled our mission by proudly raising our Egyptian flag high. Amidst the storm, you could see the colors of our flag waving in the air and suddenly all the struggle was worth it!
The footage we shot throughout the climb will be made into a film by director Elia Saikaly. The courage and strength that this man showed in carrying his camera up the mountain to capture these special moments is legendary. Stay tuned for the film trailer." |
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Day 5, 1:41am Thursday, May 1
Omar decided not to camp at ‘Barafu’ and go 100 meters higher to allow an easier approach to the mountain. He left the high camp at 1.30am, where it was a clear night offering great views of stars and the moon behind, but this also meant a colder night.
The climb began steep and got steeper, the terrain went from rocky at the outset followed by patches of snow. As Omar got closer to 5,400 metres, everything was completely covered in white. After a final steep ascent, he reached the first Kilimanjaro peak called ‘Stella’ point and from here it was another 1 hour climb to reach the real summit called ‘Uhuru’ peak at the top of the mountain.
The weather was -12C reaching a chilling and windy -18C. Omar arrived at the summit just as the sun was rising over Africa offering breath taking views of the surroundings. Kilimanjaro is the world’s highest free standing mountain which means it stands alone and not in the mountain range where the view is completely unobstructed and looking at the horizon seems like looking at a whole continent.
A few minutes only were spent at the top, due to the cold, taking photos with the flag. Omar then began his decent to high camp which was tricky because of the steepness of the mountain and the snow which was beginning to melt at that point.
He arrived to high camp at 9.15am and continued the descent in the afternoon. 3 ½ hours later he arrived at ‘Mweka’ camp at 3,100 meters facing difficulty descending against the rainfall and slipperiness.
Tomorrow is the last day on the mountain for Omar, but there will be more news to follow. |
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Omar has successfully become the first Egyptian to summit mount Everest at roughly 7.20p.m Egyptian time this morning. We all await his return to base camp for a longer conversation and details. |
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