|
|
03-13-2017, 03:03 PM | #1 |
Brigadier General
3478
Rep 3,722
Posts |
Climbed Kilimanjaro [Pic heavy]
Hey all, I recently had the experience of a lifetime exploring Tanzania and climbing Kilimanjaro. My fiance and I did it together with 8 other climbers in our group, and the help of our guides and porters (Gods of men they are!). We also did a 4-Day safari afterwards, which I'm still working on the pictures for (took way too many).
For those interested in the climb, we went through a UK based company called Kandoo, and chose the 8-day Lemosho route. I'm very happy with our decisions and this route is by far the most scenic. The first 6 days were wonderful, a mix of rainforest, alpine desert, moorland, and other crazy environments. The 7th day (summit day) was a grueling test of our mental and physical endurance, starting at 11:30PM the night prior (after very little sleep), climbing through the night to summit the Uhuru peak at sunrise after about 6:30hrs of climbing. We were allowed to stay there for a matter of only 15 minutes due to the severe lack of oxygen. I did my best to capture the moments and views both through my own eyes and through the lens. I also learned that I instinctively hold my breath when taking a photo, presumably to steady the camera as one would with a rifle. Such a subtle and normally unnoticed action yet it was an immense issue on the summit. However I found myself literally gasping after every shot and then chuckling at myself for doing it. After summiting we descended the steep slopes, which is arguably more difficult than climbing them, for another six hours. Finally resting after hiking for well over 12 hours straight, climbing 4,000ft and then descending over 9,000ft in vertical altitude, and covering over 10 miles in distance in one day. We slept very well that night. The final day was another 6 miles but I barely felt it. Anyway, enough text, this is a picture forum! I hope you enjoy my pictures, feel free to comment/ask questions. And the full gallery on flickr can be found here. Very first picture of the mountain as we approach the starting point. We're actually driving away from it here, which was upsetting lol Kilimanjaro-1 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Our wonderful porters taking the gear off our truck that got us to the starting gate for the Lemosho route. Kilimanjaro-2 by Matt Steele, on Flickr The first few days we were full of energy and couldn't get enough of the dense rainforest. Kilimanjaro-6 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Kilimanjaro-23 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Kilimanjaro-26 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Colobus Monkeys in our campsite Kilimanjaro-14 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Our first view out of the rainforest Kilimanjaro-27 by Matt Steele, on Flickr My fiance making her way, notice the people on the path in the distance Kilimanjaro-33 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Our first cold night, temperatures hit about 10F. Woke up to use the bathroom and could only make out the ominous figure of the mountain which we were unable to see on the approach due to clouds. Kilimanjaro-55 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Our view the next day, the mountain seemed impossibly distant Kilimanjaro-64 by Matt Steele, on Flickr "Moorland". A very interesting environment, lush in it's own ways Kilimanjaro-68 by Matt Steele, on Flickr My contribution to the stack rock "sculptures" found all over the paths Kilimanjaro-76 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Really starting to feel like we're on a mountain at this point Kilimanjaro-78 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Sleeping above the clouds Kilimanjaro-96 by Matt Steele, on Flickr A view of Lava Tower, much larger than it looks, and one of the porters Kilimanjaro-118 by Matt Steele, on Flickr More crazy landscapes Kilimanjaro-156 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Barranco Wall (the faintly visable path on the cliff), we would be climbing this the next day. It takes about 1 hour and is about 900ft straight up. Looked much worse, our guides kept telling us "our eyes are lying to us". Kilimanjaro-159 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Senecio trees can be found everywhere past a certain altitude. Apparently, each of the "growths" represent roughly 25 years of age. Kilimanjaro-160 by Matt Steele, on Flickr One of our camps on top of Africa. Other mountains looks small from here. Kilimanjaro-173 by Matt Steele, on Flickr The side of the mountain, making the peak (not visible) seem closer than reality. Notice the frost on our tents, it was a normal ritual to dive out of the tent in the morning to avoid getting soaked with defrosting ice. Kilimanjaro-170 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Porters making it look easy as they carry their own gear plus equipment on their heads up the mountain. Kilimanjaro-184 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Starting to forget the rest of Africa exists, it seems so far! Kilimanjaro-182 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Some days were less scenic, but still interesting. By the way, these are clouds, not just fog that we're in. Kilimanjaro-190 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Aside from the Earth and the humans, the clouds seem like a sight you'd only get from a plane. A constant reminder of the altitude. Kilimanjaro-195 by Matt Steele, on Flickr
__________________
"Tobias" 2013 135i ///M-Sport 6MT • Pure Stage 1 • XDI 35 HPFP • 404whp/440wtq |
Appreciate
14
Mr Tonka6058.00 AIRPOWER1682.50 fecurtis3262.00 jgoens3787.50 50shadesofhockenheim2162.00 EdM54066.00 Fakemike369.50 The Chaddening11585.00 shay2nak1070.00 Taskmaster2465.00 Sara5791.00 GoHokiesGo77.00 Xtabi1706.00 apexit214.00 |
03-13-2017, 03:04 PM | #2 |
Brigadier General
3478
Rep 3,722
Posts |
Now something to note. Basecamp (Barafu camp) was miserable. It was literally filled with feces, it was steep, rocky, dusty, hot when there were no clouds (80F+) and then instantly freezing when the sun was hidden (literally down to 20F in seconds). So I do not have any pictures of basecamp, I have failed you all here, sorry.
The next picture is the very first I took at the summit. It's not great (as will be apparent to you photo-snobs, but not so much my mother), but it's meaningful to me because it marks the moment that I had realized the Sun came up and turned around only to be hit with a wave of exhaustion, emotion, and warmth from the Sun itself. I still had about 30 minutes to the summit here, but I was so happy to have made it that (I'll admit it) I teared up quite a bit. The view was unbelievable, and none of my pictures do it justice. Nonetheless, I hope you'll enjoy these few from the top of Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro-213 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Looking into the ash pit from the edge of the crater. You can see the jagged sister peak, Mawenzi, under the sun as well. Kilimanjaro-217 by Matt Steele, on Flickr This is perhaps my favorite picture out of them all, looking back on the trail as the sun comes up over Mawenzi, with the glacier down to the right. The clouds make it feel like you're on an island and they are the ocean, when in reality the ground is many thousands of feet below them. There is a single trekker starting his descent, a ways down the trail. Kilimanjaro-222 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Mawenzi looking more ominous by the minute as the clouds envelope the peak Kilimanjaro-226 by Matt Steele, on Flickr Lastly, my final shot of the mountain during the descent. I wasn't able to take many pictures on the way down because at the top we were in a blizzard and at the bottom we were in a rain storm. Once the skies cleared the next day I snagged this shot, which is one of the only "holes" in the rainforest through which you can see the mountain on your way back down. Kilimanjaro-233 by Matt Steele, on Flickr
__________________
"Tobias" 2013 135i ///M-Sport 6MT • Pure Stage 1 • XDI 35 HPFP • 404whp/440wtq |
Appreciate
13
fecurtis3262.00 Axius4202.00 R3dliner934.50 Andrewthefirst1218.50 Mr Tonka6058.00 Aust350z243.00 sirdaft12204.50 smoosh2211.50 finaloption187.00 The Chaddening11585.00 slalomfever1099.50 Taskmaster2465.00 larryn2147.50 |
03-13-2017, 03:04 PM | #3 |
is probably out riding.
6058
Rep 2,292
Posts |
Any chance you can add elevation to the photos on the way up? Or a few of them? Highest i've been is 14,500 and i'm looking to put these into perspective.
__________________
"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice. -Charles de Secondat"
Last edited by Mr Tonka; 03-13-2017 at 03:17 PM.. |
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 03:05 PM | #4 |
Lieutenant Colonel
1683
Rep 1,812
Posts
Drives: 2015 6MT YMB M3, 1974 Corvette
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: NW Florida
|
AMAZING Photos......like looking at National Geographic.
Thanks for sharing!
__________________
AIRPOWER
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 03:26 PM | #10 |
YouTube.com/TvTara
6456
Rep 4,715
Posts |
Yay, you're back safely! Congrats!
__________________
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 03:48 PM | #12 |
Free Thinker
17048
Rep 7,456
Posts |
Awesome pics and write-up. Very nicely done.
Tonka, Kilimanjaro is 19,341ft. Highest I've been is also around 14,500 and I could barely catch my breath at that altitude. Props to these folks for trekking up another 5,000ft.
__________________
|
Appreciate
1
Mr Tonka6058.00 |
03-13-2017, 03:54 PM | #13 |
Major General
3788
Rep 5,776
Posts |
Awesome thread and a nice break from Cars and Trump.
__________________
2013 335i Msport Black sapphire/Coral red. MHD. stage 2--e30 VRSF DP, ER CP, Dinan Shockware. VRSF 12mm/15mm spacers. Cobra dashcam. Various codings.
Last car: 2011 335i Msport. JB4. Vrsf CP |
Appreciate
1
Zippster460.00 |
03-13-2017, 04:04 PM | #14 |
Colonel
2162
Rep 2,319
Posts |
How difficult was it to breathe at that altitude? I was snowboarding in Colorado at about 12k ft and that wasn't too easy. I can't imagine another 7k ft.
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 05:40 PM | #15 | |||||||
Brigadier General
3478
Rep 3,722
Posts |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Thanks, 8 days! Quote:
Quote:
Do it! Safe and sound Quote:
Quote:
I hear you Very difficult. You can breathe just fine, but it does you no good. Stuff goes in your lungs, stuff goes out, but you're still out of breath. Simply moving around in the tent was exhausting, and I'm in pretty damn good shape. That said, there's no sea-level exercise that can help you.
__________________
"Tobias" 2013 135i ///M-Sport 6MT • Pure Stage 1 • XDI 35 HPFP • 404whp/440wtq |
|||||||
Appreciate
1
Mr Tonka6058.00 |
03-13-2017, 09:12 PM | #16 | |
Colonel
2162
Rep 2,319
Posts |
Quote:
I wonder if those altitude workout masks help for that. Did you have backup oxygen just in case? This is what im talking about BTW: https://jet.com/product/detail/f7eea...bg0aAh108P8HAQ |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 09:31 PM | #18 |
Brigadier General
2205
Rep 3,338
Posts
Drives: X5 & E90 WTCC Racecar (SOLD)
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Chicago West Burbs
|
WOW! Outstanding. Thank you for sharing your experience. Just looking at those photos gives me the chills, because I would absolutely love to do this same trek. A few questions:
- What preparation did you do prior to the trip? (ie: train at altitude? Marathons? etc.) - What camera did you shoot with? Thank you again, incredible photos. |
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 10:01 PM | #19 |
Lieutenant
722
Rep 474
Posts
Drives: 2014 328D xDrive
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Maryland
|
Amazing trip man, congrats!
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2017, 11:57 PM | #21 |
Brigadier General
11468
Rep 3,408
Posts |
Incredible journey. Incredible photos. Thanks for sharing.
Questions: - You say you've only been 12.5k elevation prior. Is there any training you did for the additional elevation? Did anyone in your group get altitude sickness? - What kind of general training did you do before the trip to get in shape? Did your entire group summit? - It looks like you were just carrying day packs. How much weight were you carrying? Thanks again. Great photos. Good for you for getting out there. |
Appreciate
0
|
03-14-2017, 12:20 AM | #22 | |
Major General
2164
Rep 5,623
Posts |
Quote:
1) why did you go with kandoo versus others such as g adventure, etc? 2) what were the 'bathrooms' like, showers available? 3) can you provide a cost breakdown of this trip?
__________________
Cars: 07 335i ► 08 328i ► 11 328xi ► 13 M3 ► 17 M4 ► 14 M6
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|