Anwarul Ansari

Kilimanjaro is a massif volcanic mountain located in northeastern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya in East Africa. The name of this mountain comes from the Germanic word ‘kil’, which means three, and ‘manjaro’  adopted from the Kiswahili word meaning mountain. Snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro is known as ‘Roof of Africa’ because at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft), it is the tallest mountain in Africa. Kilimanjaro is famous for its three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira.
My story started in excitement through a special offer from my school, Dar es Salaam International Academy, in Tanzania. We  started our preparation for hiking this marvelous mountain in September 2015 with a group of 33 students from different classes of MYP (Middle School Year Program). Before starting, our hiking club coordinator asked us to research and gather more information about Mt Kilimanjaro, like its formation, history, flora and fauna. I found interesting stuff about Kilimanjaro, which gave me clearer vision while seeing those things when ascending the mountain from March 16-23 this year.
Many from our hiking club thought it was too much for them. I didn’t give up at any time, I had hope and confident in myself that I could succeed in climbing to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro. The total number of people who climbed along with me was finally 15, including 11 students, three teachers and a doctor.
The difficulties that I faced during hiking this mountain included breathing problem and bleeding due to higher altitude, loss of appetite, not getting proper hygiene and sleeping in cold and dense weather. If you are climbing any mountain, try to motivate yourself and hike slowly because it requires a lot of energy.
The route that we took was Marungu, which is known as the ‘Coca-Cola’ route and some  tourist officials describe this straight route in the eastern part of the mountain as very easy to climb. When I first started the hike, I feared that I would not make it to the summit, Uhuru Peak, or even to the first hut (Mandara). But then the guides told me that the hike next day would be a lot easier, because by then I would have adapted to the climate and the gear I was wearing. Reaching Mandara hut was a huge achievement, and it was then that I felt like I could make it all the way, the only fear I  had was getting sick.
Walking to the Horombo huts the next day was not very hard because we were told to walk at our own pace, so we would not get tired. By the time we got to Kibo hut, I was freezing and felt really sick. On our ascent to the summit, that’s when I thought I was just going to collapse. I struggled through William’s Point, and while going up to Gilman’s Point, I was just crying as I feared that I would not make it to the top. For me, getting up so far was already an achievement, but it would hurt more to go back down without achieving what I came here for, I thought. So, I pushed myself until I made it to Uhuru Peak.
When I arrived at Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Kibo’s crater, at the end of the trail, I felt excitement and joy because I had actually reached the ‘Roof of Africa’ from where I got an excellent view of the sunset. Actually, it was a hard and horrified moment, too, which I will cherish all my life. I would like to warmly thank my teachers, friends and my club members, particularly our beloved guide Mr Whitey who encouraged and gave me confidence that I could reach my goal.
The journey ended in an interesting way. Our teacher Ms Sara and the chief guide for this trip, Mr Coabat, informed us that we were going to take a jeep to get down the mountain. I was shocked: how are we going to climb down the mountain in an old Toyota safari jeep? It was awesome riding a jeep to climb down the mountain. After reaching the bottom, a hotel car was waiting for us. At the Weru Weru River Lodge, the  staff organised a cheerful dinner and an African show just for our Kilimanjaro group. After a good rest, the next morning we left for Dar es Salaam to share this adventurous trip with our parents and friends.
Our trip to Kilimanjaro was amazing, I made so many new memories and it was an incredible opportunity to learn from. I learnt that I can do anything if I set my mind to it and think about the positive things, rather than the negatives.
I grew closer to people I never even knew before. I don’t think I will ever forget this trip. Kili was amazing!

 The writer is a 15-year-old Bangladeshi boy living in Tanzania.
Photos: Courtesy