by Ellie Bishop McKenzie
Day 7 Continued… September 3rd, 2024 – 7am
I knew before we started up the mountain that we would hit a false peak first. What I didn’t know was how far away the True Summit lay behind it. As I stood there I looked across the ridge of the mountain and I spotted the real summit, tiny in the distance, dotted with climbers taking photos.
My group was utterly exhausted and I knew that the sight of that distant goal would crush their spirits. So, I kept quiet, took a deep breath, and pressed forward. We kept telling each other it’s right over here – just a little bit farther.
The Battle Within
It was at this point that I had to dig deep. A battle waged inside me: I made it to the top – or close enough. Do I really need to go to that last summit? I was cold, starving, sleep-deprived, and desperate for this ordeal to end. But another voice reminded me how disappointed I would be if I gave up now. I could imagine having to live with the fact that I quit for the rest of my life – that I made it SO far and then I gave up. I might never get to do something like this again – this is it. So I walked.
Midway across the ridge, our guides -ever attentive – recognized our fatigue. They stopped us for a light snack – a crisp apple and a sip of Red Bull. Nothing like a shot of caffeine to push you that last little bit. And that apple? It was the most scrumptious, life-affirming apple I had ever eaten. Absolutely delicious! Fueled by caffeine and the taste of something extraordinary, we pushed on.
The journey from the false summit to the true summit took about an hour. It felt like eternity.
We made it!
Then there we were: on the true summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa, enjoying the view while we waited for the rest of our group. Here you could see that we were standing on the edge of a massive volcanic crater. Snow was sparse in most areas, but in others you could see the towering glaciers clinging to the shadows. This is something very few people will ever see in their lifetimes.
We now had two climbers who had fallen behind. Miraculously, the first climber with the severe stomach issues was only 30 minutes behind us and hit the false peak at 7:30. Athumani, our fearless leader from Team Kilimanjaro, had run back down the mountain to encourage her. Gripping the ends of her trekking poles, he literally dragged her step-by-step up the final stretch of the mountain. Remarkably, she recovered enough to continue and joined us triumphantly at the summit where we were waiting.
Our second hiker, physically and mentally drained, was resting with one of our guides, Dula. His legs felt like lead and he did not have the mental drive to force himself the last bit up. The voice in his head was winning. But then, a much larger, older, man passed him with two porters. Dula seized the moment and said, “Are you going to let that old guy beat you?”. That challenge lit a fire and he gathered all of his courage and trudged the last little bit up the mountain.
Ultimately, we all made it to the top. All the way to the True Summit. Despite exhaustion, sickness, and those nagging voices in our heads, we conquered the mountain.
That Feeling Inside
As we sat on the summit waiting for our two climbers I allowed myself to rest and I fell asleep for a few minutes. A dangerous move at that altitude where hypoxia can set in. Hypoxia is a dangerous condition that occurs when the body’s tissues don’t have enough oxygen. It can be generalized, affecting the whole body, or local, affecting a region of the body. Luckily, I woke up easily feeling renewed, grateful, and proud that I had accomplished this goal. Beneath my jacket, I wore my “Journey to Extraordinary” T-Shirt. I shed the jacket wanting this moment etched in time – a testament to my extraordinary journey.
While sitting there at the True Summit I thought about my dad. I reflected on life’s challenges that all of us go through. I thought about that voice in my head that often tells me I’m not good enough or that things are not important. I thought about how doing hard things makes us better people and I figured after this I must be amazing! And I thought that as hard as this was, there are things in life that are so much harder – like losing loved ones, doubting our own self-worth, and staying in our comfort zones and missing this kind of awe. That would be harder.
This climb was more than a physical feat. It was a reminder: we are capable of so much more than we think. And it is in pushing ourselves, even when it feels impossible, that we discover who we truly are.
Next – just when you thought the hard part was over… the long way down.