TIers do amazing things every day at work and when they are out of the office. In our ongoing series, ‘Out of Office,’ we showcase the unique and fascinating hobbies, talents and interests of TIers all over the world.
When TIers Stephanie and Michelle met at new employee orientation in 2013, they found an immediate connection in their mutual love of adventure and the outdoors.
They joined a local climbing gym and, eventually, their thoughts turned to the challenge of Kilimanjaro, which at 19,341 feet is Africa’s highest peak and one of the world’s highest, non-technical summits. With two other friends, they began researching and preparing. They bought their gear. They created color-coded spreadsheets to track all the details. And finally, after months of planning, the cost of flights to Tanzania dropped to affordable levels, and they bought their tickets.
The hike on Day 1 was a nice, easy stroll through the rainforest.
“We got a relatively late start, setting out around noon,” Michelle said. “We learned right off the bat that there is little sense of urgency in Africa – it's a relaxed culture in which people take things slow and enjoy themselves.”
“Our guides taught us the meaning and importance of ‘pole, pole’ which means ‘slowly slowly’ in Swahili,” Stephanie documented in her travel journal. “They would remind us constantly of this phrase as well as ‘maji ni uhai’ – ‘water is life’.”
“The name of the game for Kilimanjaro isn't about strength, technical prowess, or even overall fitness – it comes down to listening to and taking care of your body with three simple things: water, food, and time to acclimate.”
As they trekked through the terrain – focused on the dirt path ahead – the group stopped and someone pointed at the canopy above.
“One of those moments I was reminded to always look up,” Stephanie wrote. “We marveled at how the trees outlined each other, forming perfect cut outs, and wondered why that was so. We let the question linger and then walked on.”
For the next five days, they worked their way up the mountain, supported by a team of two guides and 15 porters who make their living hauling supplies needed for successful summit bids.
They trekked through the mountain’s varied ecosystems, from rain forests to desolate heights far above the clouds.
“In complete jaw-dropping awe as the sun set on the first day of the new year,” Stephanie wrote. “It felt like we were on top of the world as we overlooked Mount Meru in the distance. But of course, we knew we still had a long way to go.”
Their team of guides and porters were the all-important key to their successful climb.
“There was one porter whom we called Santa Hat (we would later find out his actual name was Filburt),” Michelle said. “He wore his hat every single day of the trek.
“You could say it was his all-weather, faux fur-lined beanie. Super technical piece of gear,” Stephanie added. “Seeing the porters and what they were wearing going up the mountain was almost comical. I felt ridiculous thinking about how much time and effort I spent researching winter gloves, hats, wicking shirts, and base layers.
"Don't get me wrong – the importance of being prepared and having good gear is not to be taken lightly. But then you see people like Santa Hat and it puts all things into perspective – Revelation #1: I am really not that legit. Not even close.”
As the trekkers entered low alpine zones, Dendrosenecio Kilimanjari plants – or Giant Groundsels – dotted the landscape, serving as reminders that they were truly in Africa.
As the days passed, they learned valuable lessons that would serve them as the climb became more and more difficult.
“Day 3 involved a hike up to Lava Tower (4600m) for a picnic lunch and acclimatizing,” Michelle said. “This was an important moment for me, because I began to feel the effects of the increasing elevation, and I was relieved that we descended that evening to sleep, giving my body time to acclimatize.”
The hike brought with it a lesson about moderation.
“By the time we reached this point (around noon), two of us had already drank ~3-4 liters of water. It finally occurred to us, we might be overdoing it. Hence the saying our guides kept reminding us of: ‘Water is life... until it drowns you.’”
As they ascended above the cloud line, the air around became crisper and colder. They broke out their gear and set their sights – and wills – on the difficult ascent ahead.
“Over the next few days, we will be challenged and stretched to our limits – experiencing cold, altitude, and strenuous night hiking that none of us have experienced before,” Stephanie wrote in her journal. “A strong will, positive thoughts, and full spirits will be crucial for our final summit hike. It's difficult to grasp what's truly ahead of us. Just need to take things ‘pole, pole,’ one step at a time.”
"On Day 4, I unzipped my tent to see the clear sky above the clouds and Mount Meru peeking out right at my front door,” Michelle said. “I had a moment of true thankfulness for the life that I have that allows for amazing friends, an able body, and the flexibility in my life to travel and experience this trip. This is a moment I will never forget.”
By dinner time, the clouds cleared, giving the group a full view of the summit “in all her splendor and glory,” Stephanie said.
“Filled with so much stoke,” she wrote in her photo diary. “Could not believe how close we were.”
The plan for Day 5 was to reach base camp and then spend the afternoon relaxing, enjoying dinner and getting some rest before waking at 11 p.m. to make their final, six-hour push to the summit.
The explorers savored some pasta for their final meal before the journey. It was like “manna from Heaven,” Stephanie said.
“By this time, we were totally counting down the hours. I felt jittery, anxious and fully awake. It was such a good time of rest and our most precious camp day,” Michelle said.
Finally, at 11 p.m. that night, they began the final climb. Their headlamps lit the dark path.
Then a storm hit as they approached the summit.
“We were covered in ice,” Michelle said. “Our hoods felt like helmets. Our pants were frozen and we couldn’t bend our knees. I have never felt so cold in my life.”
Mental fortitude, the strength of their guides and the determination to put one foot in front of the other at an altitude of almost four miles got all of them to the top at sunrise.
It was a test of how much misery we could handle,” Michelle said. “It all came down to will. We just had to look ahead and pace ourselves. Our guides kept telling us, ‘Slowly, slowly.’”
They unfurled a Texas flag and captured a few pictures at the summit before the extreme cold quickly drained their camera and phone batteries.
“I have never been so relived to reach a destination. The mental and physical exhaustion I experienced reaching the summit… It’s indescribable,” Michelle said.
Exhausted, the mountaineers immediately began the eight-hour hike down to the camp where they would eat supper and recover from the effects of high altitude.
“Reaching the summit was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life,” Stephanie said. “It was the coldest and highest I’ve ever been. The day we summited, I kept thinking that the misery was temporary and that every step got us closer to our goal.
“Friends kept telling us that we were doing something awesome, but we couldn’t have done it without the porters, who carried our load,” Stephanie continued. “They carried our cookware and food, and they cooked for us. They got water from the rivers and boiled it so we could drink it. They set up our tents. That’s how they make their living, so we decided to be the best clients we could be.”
Now back at their jobs in Dallas, Stephanie and Michelle have learned to see adventure all around them.
“Adventure is learning to see things with new eyes,” Michelle said. “It could be visiting an exhibit at the art museum or just going for a hike where you live. Adventure is a way of life.”
