Climbing
Kilimanjaro Climb the 2nd time: Rongai Route
“Hello there brother from another mother.”
I hear someone call out to me and immediately I know that I am in Tanzania. Back in this part of the world after two years to climb Kilimanjaro again. This time leading an eclectic group of high-spirited climbers from various parts of the world with different backgrounds but with a common love for the mountains. So when we started preparing for the expedition six months ago I knew that reaching the top is a foregone conclusion and it was.
Ernest Hemingway, who once lived around here said,”Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 5,895m/19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai ‘Ngaje Ngai’, the House of God. Close to the western summit there is a dried and frozen carcas of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.”
Forget the leopard, I am sure that most of the people (non-trekkers) would be perplexed and wondering what this group of 12 climbers was seeking at that altitude?
We, climbers have our own personal reasons and quests.
While all of us successfully summited, we hardly spent much time in that hostile, cold, rarefied top (so much like life).
It was the journey that started 6 months ago to Kilimanjaro to the top where we came together and spent most of the time.
And that journey was the most memorable experience with the camaraderie and the teamwork that the group displayed that made the all difference.
Thanks to the support staff of guides, cooks and porters. Without them this expedition wouldn’t have been possible.
Thank you and congratulations again to the Team Raha (which means happiness in Swahili), formerly known as dirty dozen (as now everyone have taken a shower hopefully).
Amit Nandi, Amol Karnik, Arathi Mohan, Dipak Bhatt, Hasit Bhatt, Jit Shen Tan, Kohila Palanisamy, Pradeep Kumar V, Ritu Agrawal, Shruthi Venkatesh, Vikram Suresh.
Some stats behind the mountain and our challenging climb:
Elevation: 5,895 m/19,430 ft
Summit: September 2019
Total Time (Summit Night): 13 hrs
Temperature range: 5 to -20 deg Celsius
Wind Speed: 20-30 kmph
Expedition Duration: 9 days
Mountain Range: Stand Alone Mountain (Extinct Volcano, Tanzania)
7 Summits: Highest mountain in Africa.
Some pics from the trip 
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