ISU Bengal

Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Outdoor

Media Credit: Olson, Dana

Towering 19,340 feet over the plains of Tanzania, Kilimanjaro stands as a symbol for local villagers and mountaineering enthusiasts alike. The tallest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro is one of the "Seven Giants", representing the highest peak on each continent. Some live in its shadow, while still others see it and want to climb it.

In August of 1861, a wealthy baron and a young English geologist made the first determined, documented attempt to summit Kilimanjaro. With the aid of 50 porters, they set off for the top of the monolith. They were overwhelmed by the mountain's enormity. Bad weather and exhaustion forced them to turn back after three days, before reaching even 9,000 feet. Their efforts were rewarded, however, with the first unobstructed view of the summit. That was all it took; they would return, and legions would follow.

A century and a half later, Kilimanjaro still astonishes and inspires the more adventurous to challenge the summit. The Outdoor Adventure Center's Dana Olson, with three companions and a team of 21 guides, cooks and porters recently spent nine days pushing towards the top of the great mountain. They met some of the same challenges as the original team; exhaustion and failure to acclimate forced them to turn back just above 17,000 feet. "It was very frustrating," Olson explains, " but we had to do it. The porters were getting sick because we were taking them higher than they usually go. When they were done, we were done."

The group had reason to make special use of the porters. The party included a man with cerebral palsy and another with paraplegia. Unable to make the trek without assistance, the two made the journey with the help of porters and a three-wheeled wheelchair-like device called the Hippocampe. The Hippocampe may be powered manually by the passenger and can be pushed, pulled or even carried for short distances.

With the use of this device the party was able to complete three-quarters of the journey to the summit from base camp. The immense scale of the mountain and the length of the trek wore the team down, and they turned back. During their journey the group experienced all Kilimanjaro has to offer, save the summit.

"Kilimanjaro is a huge mountain," explains Olson. "It's just immense. We started in the jungle, and as we gained altitude the climate changed. The animals, the plants, everything. When we turned back we were in this volcanic area and there was no vegetation at all. It's an incredible experience. And the sunsets are unbelievable."



Olson says but for its size, Kilimanjaro is a very summitable mountain. There are many camps along the way, very well spaced, so each day you move into a different zone. The locals and other climbers are helpful and friendly. "The important thing," she says, "is to bring enough supplies to last for the trip, and you must pace yourself. You must move slowly enough to adjust to the altitude."

Though the party did not summit, they are not discouraged. "We are definitely going back," Olson says. Fueled by the same passion for the outdoors that originally drew mountaineers to Kilimanjaro, they and the thousands of others who visit each year are touched by the mountain and awed by its beauty. And like the original team, having glimpsed the summit's lofty heights, they want more.

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