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| Jenny Olivier |
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| Mount Kilimanjaro |
Since childhood, and
having lived in East Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro eventually became very much a
part of me. I found myself attracted to this awesome extinct volcano and wished
so many times that I could one day stand at the summit, as thousands of other
people before me have done.
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| Africa’s highest point and the world’s largest free-standing mountain |
My sentiment and
passion for the mountain, and my wish to reach the top, gradually became a
reality. After many hours of walking and hiking all through the winter months
of 2007, together with extensive research and knowledge gained from the
Internet and from reading various books about the mountain which I combined
with information gathered from friends who have made the journey, I finally
felt confident enough to take the plunge.
Armed to the teeth
with sufficient warm clothing, with still more hired items to collect in
Tanzania, an ample supply of energy bars and Power Aid drinks and loads of
emergency medication as prescribed by my doctor, packing began in all earnest.
The schedule as set
out by the tour agency was a very tight one. I departed from Oliver Tambo
Airport on 9 October 2007 and arrived at my hotel in Arusha at around midnight.
We set of at the crack of dawn the next day for the mountain!
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| At the Machame Gate |
Formalities were
taken care of at the Machame Gate, and we set off at 10:00, “pole-pole”
(slowly, slowly). My heart was pounding with excitement as I took my first step
at the base of the mountain.
I was amazed at how
good I felt during the entire expedition - no headache or any sign of altitude
sickness at all.
I will admit that I
was quite emotional due to the excitement because I knew we were gradually
coming closer and closer to our final destination: the summit.
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| Standing on the Roof Top of Africa |
It was a very poignant moment at 08:15 on Monday, 15
October 2007 at Uhuru Peak. I was standing on the Roof Top of Africa. My dream,
my African Dream, had at last come true. I cried, and cried, and cried while
walking around the summit, absorbing the euphoria of the moment.
