On top of Mount Kilimanjaro

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I did it! I made it all the way up to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro during seven grueling days and nights climbing, sleeping and living on this majestic mountain. The experience was surreal. I have so many stories to share about this amazing journey and the friends I met along the way. But for now I need to get home and rest.

I will leave you with this short video of our second night on Kilimanjaro, a view of sunset from outside my tent. It felt like we were floating high above the earth and clouds. If there is a heaven, I believe I saw it.

Stay tuned….

Author’s note: This post is part of a series on my recent trip and climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, to read all posts click here. 

56 thoughts on “On top of Mount Kilimanjaro”

  1. Alison and Don – Occupation: being/living/experiencing/travelling. In our sixties, with apparently no other authentic option, my husband Don and I sold our apartment and car, sold or gave away all our stuff and set off to discover the world. And ourselves. We started in Italy in 2011 and from there have travelled to Spain, India, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, SE Asia, South America, Egypt, Japan, etc. - you can see the blog archive. We travelled full-time for nearly six years, and then re-established a home in Vancouver. We now travel 2-3 months per year. We are interested in how the world works, how life works, how the creation of experience works, how the mind works. As we travel and both "choose" our course, and at the same time just let it unfold, we discover the "mechanics" of life, the astounding creativity of life, and a continual need to return to trust and presence. Opening the heart, and acceptance of what is, as it is, are keystones for us both. Interests: In no particular order: travel, photography, figure skating (as a fan), acceptance, authenticity, walking/hiking, joy, creativity, being human, adventure, presence, NOW. Same for Don except replace figure skating with Formula One motor racing.
    Alison and Don on said:

    WTG Nicole. Congratulations. It must have been an amazing experience. Looking forward to more posts!
    Alison

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much Alison! It was GREAT!!! Can’t wait to share!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Debra! It was so amazing. I really loved it. The people were amazing and it was so beautiful. 🙂

      Reply ↓
  3. Manja Maksimovič – Toscana – A Slovenian in Italy for love. Blogger, photographer, translator and would-be writer who would be a writer if she wrote. Plus reluctant but emerging poet. Beware.
    Manja Mexi Movie on said:

    Thank you so much for allowing us to fly up there with you.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Janet! Still jet lag and legs still healing. Can’t wait to share the adventure with everyone!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! I will be writing a lot on the trip soon so stay tuned!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much!!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Debbie! It was quite an adventure. Still recovering as I hurt my knee a bit before the climb and each day it is getting a little bit better. Can’t wait to get back to blogging!

      Reply ↓
  9. RoarLoud – My love of nature has always drawn me outdoors. Being curious like a cat has lead to various adventures and travels. This blog highlights my travels, adventures, gear and random interesting tidbits of my life roaring loudly. The story behind my nickname (Wildcat) and my roaring can be read here. http://wp.me/p5yqsL-4m
    RoarLoud on said:

    Looks beautiful, makes me even more excited for my climb in September!! Roars to you for an amazing accomplishment!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      What path are you taking? we did the machame 7-day and although I would have liked the 6 day, every one of us made it to the summit and i had no altitude sickness! it was such an amazing trip. I loved it. Let me know if you want any ideas/recs. I had a zero degree sleeping bag but I was still cold so would have preferred a warmer thicker bag.

      Reply ↓
      • RoarLoud – My love of nature has always drawn me outdoors. Being curious like a cat has lead to various adventures and travels. This blog highlights my travels, adventures, gear and random interesting tidbits of my life roaring loudly. The story behind my nickname (Wildcat) and my roaring can be read here. http://wp.me/p5yqsL-4m
        RoarLoud on said:

        Same route also 7 days, glad to hear of everyone’s success! I had planned on my lighter sleeping bag but I keep hearing how cold it is. I think I’ll bring my warmer heavier bag as I run cold! Was there anything you forgot or wished you had brought? Also we plan to donate to an orphanage and a village- what seemed to be the most needed? Thanks!!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Good question. Pack light but pack smartly with lots of layering tops and bottoms. We lucked out and it was seasonably warm and for me being from Minnesota, only my feet were cold for about an hour of our ascent. It was probably about 10-15 F with no wind. I heard the guys before that it was crazy cold like -20F! so be prepared with a very warm jacket. I wore shorts the first two days hiking, then two pairs of hiking pants are enough. I didn’t need all I brought as I ended up wearing the same long sleeve t-shirt every day with a short sleeve one underneath. You really don;t sweat much so 3 pairs of socks is enough and only 3 tops. Just remember the layers. Having snacks is good as you get hungry and sometimes food isn’t ready. Camelback 3 L is critical as are nalgene refillable water bottles, headlamp, warm wool hat covering ears, ear plugs, and hiking shoes. We had a great gear list sent to us beforehand and it was great. I have an unlocked cell phone but never got email so best to get a sim card to use for texting only but even texting is hard at times. If you listen to podcasts or music, a solar charger is great. As for the orphanage, I’m not exactly sure so you may want to check with them. Otherwise school pens, crayons, paper are always nice and even simple things like balls, frisbees, etc are often truly appreciated.

      • RoarLoud – My love of nature has always drawn me outdoors. Being curious like a cat has lead to various adventures and travels. This blog highlights my travels, adventures, gear and random interesting tidbits of my life roaring loudly. The story behind my nickname (Wildcat) and my roaring can be read here. http://wp.me/p5yqsL-4m
        RoarLoud on said:

        I’ll hope for unseasonably warm weather too:) We have a solar charger and a Delorme inReach that can send messages. Thank you for your tips!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        You will be all set!

  10. advocacine – An independent, advocacy filmmaker and researcher based in Manila, Philippines who currently focuses on the plight of special children and persons with disability for society's awareness. Loves photography; wants to regain drawing / sketching skills and dreaming of doing oil portrait paintings again.
    advocacine on said:

    Wow!!!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! It was pretty amazing! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  11. Congratulations Nicole, although I had no doubt you could do it! Wish altitude was not an issue for me. I would love to try to tackle this mountain. You must be on a high in so many ways! Looking forward to hearing more. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks LuAnn! Our entire team made it which was astounding because some had never ever done any hiking at all. We took 7 days and I think it truly helped with acclimatization. Three got sick but were fine once off the summit. I don;t get altitude sickness so far so I felt great. It really was an experience!

      Reply ↓

      • Maybe there is hope for me then. I would love to do something like this. Can’t wait to hear more. 🙂

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        I am sure there is LuAnn. You start out slow and move on up ensuring great acclimatization. 🙂

  12. Sue Slaght – Calgary, Alberta Canada – www.traveltalesoflife.com Many years from now, when I am an old lady sitting in the nursing home, I hope to be the twinkly eyed resident still entertaining anyone who I can corner to listen, about all of the wild adventures attempted in a lifetime. Well into the second half of the game of life there is no time like the present to get out there, live big and laugh a lot. Living in Calgary, Alberta, married to my best friend Dave for over thirty years and Mom to adult children; my decades as a nurse have shown that in a moment life can change completely. Passionate about social justice, volunteerism and not letting the phrase “What would people think?” or my own fear get in the way of trying something new; the possibilities are endless. Enjoy the tales and I hope you will be inspired to try something you have been thinking about doing.
    Sue Slaght on said:

    Fantastic! Congratulations!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Sue! Can’t wait to share. I think you and your hubbie should do it!!!

      Reply ↓
      • Sue Slaght – Calgary, Alberta Canada – www.traveltalesoflife.com Many years from now, when I am an old lady sitting in the nursing home, I hope to be the twinkly eyed resident still entertaining anyone who I can corner to listen, about all of the wild adventures attempted in a lifetime. Well into the second half of the game of life there is no time like the present to get out there, live big and laugh a lot. Living in Calgary, Alberta, married to my best friend Dave for over thirty years and Mom to adult children; my decades as a nurse have shown that in a moment life can change completely. Passionate about social justice, volunteerism and not letting the phrase “What would people think?” or my own fear get in the way of trying something new; the possibilities are endless. Enjoy the tales and I hope you will be inspired to try something you have been thinking about doing.
        Sue Slaght on said:

        We had some
        Challenges with altitude in Peru Nicole. How did you find it?

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        I have no issues with altitude so far, and I attribute this to my dad who does amazing at high altitude whereas my brother can’t do the mountains of Colorado. Three out of Ten of us were sick but the ascent about 15,000 to the summit and back down is normally done in enough time for people who develop severe altitude sickness to get down safely. You can also take Diamox but I never have and I’m not 100% sure it works. The key is going up slow. On the mountain, you go up, go back down, etc and start from the bottom ensuring a very high success rate whereas when you are in Peru and rest of the Andes, you land so high you don’t have much time to acclimatize. 🙂

  13. Sas – Cardiff, UK – I'm vegan. I love to travel. I challenge myself to visit at least one new place and try at least one new activity every year. When I'm not writing, I like to ski, rock climb, keep fit and bodyboard.
    Sas on said:

    Amazing! And by that I mean both you and the mountain 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Sas. I think you should put this on your bucket list!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much! 🙂 It was pretty wild. Knees still hurt but I guess at 43 what should I expect?!

      Reply ↓

  15. Congratulations Nicole. Just wonderful. The video is sensational. Thanks for sharing. Safe return home. Look forward to reading all about your adventure. Warm wishes 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Andrew! I have a lot of catching up to do. It was such an amazing experience. Just pushing yourself like that feels so liberating. Looking forward to sharing my adventure and of course catching up on your beautiful blog. 🙂

      Reply ↓
  16. anotherday2paradise – Durban South Africa and Florida USA – I enjoy writing about absolutely anything, and started blogging with WordPress in 2012. This was my 'Hammock Lady' blog, and I really enjoyed sharing my travels here: http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/ In November 2013, I decided it was time for a change of scenery, so I started my blog afresh, and here it is. I love to travel, and have been fortunate enough to do two round-the-world trips and visit more than forty countries so far. This year we visited our 7th continent, Antarctica. I enjoy photographing wildlife, especially in my backyard in Florida. I was born and brought up in England. My husband and I emigrated to South Africa in 1970. We now live in Florida, USA. I have a son and a daughter and five gorgeous grandchildren currently aged between 6 and 21 years. I'm so happy that you've taken the time to visit my blog, and would love for you to join me on my travels. Sylvia.
    anotherday2paradise on said:

    Congratulations, Nicole. My son-in-law did this trip for his 50th birthday. He said it was an awesome experience. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Sylvia! it was quite the experience!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! A week later and my knees are still recovering from the slippery downhill! But it was worth it! 🙂

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much! More soon Emily!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Jennifer! It was quite a trip. I really enjoyed the visit to the Maasi training camp too. I was the only guest there!

      Reply ↓

  20. Pingback: Brigantine woman to climb Kilimanjaro for Crohns | Buzz IDEAS

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you! Yes it was quite the trip indeed. Hard to believe I even did it now that I’ve been back three weeks! More stories are coming soon!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Lisa! 🙂

      Reply ↓
  23. maamej – Australia – I'm a single white Aussie mum of anglo-celtic background with a teenage son whose dad is from Ghana in West Africa. I’m blogging to share experiences, insights & funny stories about living in a mixed family. I also blog about health, politics, culture, racism and food.
    maamej on said:

    Congrats & well done! I knew you were doing this but haven’t had a lot of time for the blogosphere. Now I finally have a chance to catch up with your adventure.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yay! Thanks so much for stopping by and all your commenting! I’m slowly catching up on replies and look forward to reading them all from you! Thanks!!!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thank you! I loved the experience.

      Reply ↓

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