Gap Adventures Travel Oasis

120th Anniversary of First Kilimanjaro Summit

Posted on 05. Oct, 2009 by admin in @ Gap Adventures, Pic of the Week

Located in northern Tanzania and 125km (200 miles) south of equator, the 5,895 meter summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is not only the highest elevation in Africa but is also one of the largest free standing mountains in the world.

Today marks the 120th anniversary of when Johann Rebmann and his German colleague, Johann Ludwig Krapf, first summited this snowcapped mountain. It wasn’t easy, in fact there were several failed attempts before them and many who turned back due to cold weather conditions such as ice and snow. 120 years later, people are still putting their limits to the test by tackling the altitude, thin air and the freezing weather of this mountain. It’s hard work, but I think we can all agree that sometimes our greatest accomplishments come from our biggest challenges.

In celebration of this milestone, we asked some of our friends who made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro to share with us some of their memories from that moment. We’d love to hear about your experiences too, so feel free to comment with your stories or send us an email at marketing@gap.ca

Tony Hsieh, CEO – Zappos.com : “The tour guides that showed us around were friendly, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun. I can’t wait for my next adventure with Gap Adventures!”

Lyndon: I remember the dark pre-dawn hours on the assent. The cold. The headaches. The nautious feeling in my stomach. The pain. The exhaustion. Why was I doing this?  “One step at a time” and “poly-poly” I kept saying to myself. Eventually, the sun rose behind us, and gave me the boost I needed.  Suddenly, things seemed easier, and 8 hours after we set out from Kibo hut, we had made it to the summit. It was because it was so hard and demanding that makes summitting such a special achievement. I recall how hard it was…but I will never forget the sence of achievement, and looking down from the roof of Africa.

Sandra: I made a bet with myself, if I made it to the top, things would be different…and I did it!  On the night climb to reach the summit, we split off with our own guides and went at our own pace – every man and woman for themselves!  As two of my friends took off ahead of me I’m sure they thought that was the last they’d see of me.  I wish I could have taken a picture to capture the look on their faces as I came up over the last ridge to Uhuru Peak.  They were just heading back as I arrived and I will never in my life forget that moment…pure joy and a true sense of accomplishment like I’d never felt before in my life.  If I could do this, what’s next?

Kris on proposing to his fiance at the summit: I was worried she might find out.  I had been hiding the picture of the engagement ring in my backpack for just over two weeks and I hadn’t quite thought about how and where I was going to do it.  What if I didn’t make it?  What if one of us had to turn back down the mountain? Our second week in Tanzania found us on the ultimate adventure; we were to spend five days hiking to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, where I would ask Tricia to marry me.  We had just come off a week-long safari in the serengheti, and were still buzzing from finding the elephant in our campsite the previous morning.At the end of five days, we were at the top of the world, both in mind and body. Tricia said, “Yes!” and we had made it to the summit together.  Standing on top of Kilimanjaro with my wife-to-be was the most rewarding experience of my life.