Reflections on our Kilimanjaro Expedition in 2022
Why did we do it?
Why did we put ourselves through the hardships of cold, altitude sickness, and exhaustion, when we could have simply stayed on an idyllic beach in Zanzibar?
I found myself thinking about all these things during our final descent from Kilimanjaro.
1. The Challenge
Some people run marathons. People who like to travel enjoy epic hikes.
Summiting the highest mountain in Africa certainly has a nice ring to it.
2. The People and Their Culture
When we first started preparing for the trip, we wondered: “Why do we need a crew with porters? We always carry our own gear.”
Believe me… you need a crew.
Kilimanjaro is an entire industry of thousands of people.
Their mission: helping climbers reach the highest freestanding mountain in the world.
Their focus: the client — always.
A typical day begins with waking up in a tent as a porter brings warm water to wash up, followed by a three-course breakfast. After packing our day packs, the porters carry everything else to the next camp.
Porters carry up to 20 kg:
5 kg of their own belongings, and 15 kg for clients and crew.
They transport tents, dining areas, tables, chairs, crew shelters, food, cooking gear, and all water — collected from nearby (or not-so-nearby) streams and filtered.
As we hike slowly upward, the porters break down camp, pass us with a smile and a warm “jambo,” and hurry ahead to set up the next camp before we arrive.
By noon, lunch is served. Camp is rebuilt again in the evening. Our belongings are already inside, warm water is prepared for washing, and we end the night with a medical check and briefing from the head guide.
This is not like making casual friends on beach chairs in Tulum.
You meet a group of incredible people with extraordinary strength, always greeting you with a genuine smile. Their motto: hakuna matata — no worries.
We traveled as a couple supported by a crew of 11:
2 guides, 1 cook, and 8 porters. We learned every name.
We booked our expedition with Exuberant Kilimanjaro, a small locally owned company — and they were outstanding.
3. The Scenery
During our six-day journey, we passed through five climate zones and ecosystems:
- Cultivation zone
- Tropical forest with blue monkeys and black-and-white colobus monkeys
- Semi-alpine heath moorland filled with giant lobelia and other surreal plants
- Alpine desert, all volcanic rock
- Summit zone, where glaciers appear
My only regret is still struggling with astrophotography — I couldn’t capture the unbelievable view of the stars and the Milky Way. It was brutally cold, and leaving my -40°C sleeping bag for even a minute felt impossible.
From the second day on, we were hiking above the clouds, witnessing spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
So, in conclusion, yes. We still look back to our Kilimanjaro trip as one of our most challenging, but memorable experiences.
On this photo: our Exuberant “Dream Team” on the last morning before our final descent.
