Kili Climb 2011 – Day 6

Posted: January 14, 2011 at 6:59 AM By: Kristian Walker

After an 18-hour day – reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 19,340 feet and hiking back down to find our sleeping bags in the Millennium Camp at 12,795 feet – we were on our feet again for the 6th day of the World Serve Kili Climb 2011. 6 more hours of hiking down to the Mweka Gate was an overwhelming thought with all the sore body parts we were nursing, but the thought of getting a hot shower and resting our legs spurred us on…

As we walked down the remainder of the mountain we heard so many stories being told of people fighting through pain, injuries, headaches, nausea and the effects of altitude to reach the Kili summit at Uhuru Peak. There were only a few people who didn’t reach the very top of Kilimanjaro due to altitude sickness, but their stories were also powerful as they testified of reaching the highest altitude of their lives and rooting the rest of the team on to the summit with their thoughts and prayers. One of the greatest things we experienced as we descended into the alpine region and through the rain forest was the lush foliage and beautiful sound of birds and wildlife, which we had been void of for several days when we were above the tree-line. Soaring on the mountaintops can be awesome, but there are some things you can only experience in the valleys…

We reached the Mweka Gate at varying times between 1:30 and 2:30 pm on Wed., Jan. 12, signifying the completion of an incredible climb of the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. We celebrated briefly then loaded the bus for a 2-hour ride to our hotel, where everyone enjoyed the opportunity to clean up and have a nice dinner together. Our Kili Climb guide, Simon, was there to present official individual certificates commemorating the accomplishment of the team members who reached Stella Point and Uhuru Peak at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

7 days ago a team of 44 people representing World Serve International set out to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (the hight point in Africa) to help tackle Africa’s greatest challenge (the desperate need for clean water). The magnitude of what we learned and endured during our 6 days on this incredible mountain is beyond what any of us dreamed of experiencing. Through it all this team has bonded in a unique way that very few groups of people ever have the chance to do. We have collectively raised funds for wells in East Africa that will save the lives of an uncountable number of people, and through this initiative we know that even more wells will be provided for in the days and years to come. The most exciting part is that all these wells are laying the foundation for the message of the Living Water to be shared and received.

More to come…
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN TRANSIT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT PLEASE GO TO www.KiliClimb.org TO FIND MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF THE INCREDIBLE THINGS WE EXPERIENCED ON THE WORLD SERVE KILI CLIMB 2011. A FINAL WRAP-UP VIDEO WILL BE COMPLETED AND POSTED UPON OUR RETURN, AND A FULL DOCUMENTARY WILL BE IN DEVELOPMENT OVER THE COMING MONTHS THAT WILL TAKE A DEEPER LOOK INTO ALL WE EXPERIENCED THROUGH THIS ENDEAVOR ON MT. KILIMANJARO, INCLUDING SPECIAL FOOTAGE FROM SOME OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WORLD SERVE IS DOING IN EAST AFRICA.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!

Kili Climb, Day 6 – Final Reflection from Millennium Camp (12500 ft)

Posted: January 12, 2011 at 8:32 AM By: AlPulis

This is an excerpt from my video blog journal during the Kilimanjaro Climb with World Serve in Jan., 2011 – final thoughts and summary from Millennium Camp at 12,500 feet. We descended quickly from this point. Read more

Kili Climb 2011 – Day 5

Posted: January 11, 2011 at 9:24 PM By: Kristian Walker

Today was an incredibly intensive day. After yesterday’s arrival at Barafu Camp we immediately went to our tents and crashed for about 3 hours of sleep (or less for many who couldn’t sleep for various reasons)!

Simon our lead guide called for wake up at 12 midnight to begin our 4000 foot ascent to the summit. Wow that was hard! But everyone was pumped and John Bongiorno gave us quick charge and motivation on the reason we are here in the first place. In the pitch black of the night we headed out with our headlamps, bundled for a cold night.

Eight solid hours of straight up climbing proved to be the most difficult thing any of us have ever done. Our bodies were weak and our minds delirious but we just kept pushing on. Finally at around 9:45 am we arrived at the highest point in Africa, Uhuru Peak on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro!

What an exciting moment and a huge goal attained for the cause of clean water. The blog is short today because we are all very tired. We woke up at 12 midnight and we didn’t lay down until almost 10 pm, as we had to descend back to Barafu Camp, pack up, then hike 2 more hours to Millenium Camp where we spent our last night on the mountain.

We wake up tomorrow morning for Day 6 and a 7 hour hike down to the Mweka Gate, where busses will pick us up and take us back to the hotel ft a hot shower and good night’s rest in real bed! Woohoo!!

Kili Climb, Day 5 – Last Video Pan from the Summit, Uhuru Peak (19340 ft)

Posted: at 10:42 AM By: AlPulis

This is an excerpt from my video blog journal during the Kilimanjaro Climb with World Serve in Jan., 2011 – taking 1 last video pan from the summit before our descent. Read more

Kili Climb, Day 5 – Singing “Majestic” at Uhuru Peak (19340 ft)

Posted: at 10:25 AM By: AlPulis

This is an excerpt from my video blog journal during the Kilimanjaro Climb with World Serve in Jan., 2011.  Although I was dead tired and breathing only 50% oxygen at the Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, I was inspired to sing this song, “Majestic”, at Uhuru Peak (19340 feet).  There’s not much else to say when you are face-to-face with one of the great wonders of the world, standing on top of the highest peak on the continent of Africa that God created with the swipe of His finger. Read more

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