Day 8 - Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Mike and I at the finish line at Mweka Gate. From here, our bus awaits!
I haven't had a piece of paper with my name on it framed since I graduated with my MBA, but this one is getting framed! Thank you Manny and all of Climb Kili. Together, WE did it!
Strava Map of the Hike from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
The last day was an emotional high, but all downhill literally. It was easy relatively speaking. The dry creek bed of yesterday with its boulders and drops was behind us and what started out as a nice wide trail became a nice wide road after a few kilometers. Now, I say it was easy, but we did encounter a few people that clearly came down the mountain damaged. They were struggling to walk and once the trail became a road there was a handful of ambulances that were waiting and picking up hikers who just couldn't finish off the last few miles. The Strava map of the hike today is here.
One practical lesson learned was you do need to try and train for the downhills. At the very least test your boots down the steepest hills you can find. Getting to the summit isn't the goal. You need to get down too. You need to have a little, maybe even a lot, left in the tank for the trip down.
As the Climb Kili brochure suggested, this last day was one to reflect on the experience. Doing something this far out of your comfort zone does indeed impact you. The mountain changes you. I left 15 pounds and 3 toe nails (again, down is hard!) on the mountain, but I'm taking away so much more. The mountain showed me how much more i'm truly capable of and the power that is within us all if we really try. It taught me how to suffer but also reminded me of the simple joys in life. I know part of its for show, but the Tanzanians taught me to smile more and has me questioning why we don't sing in life. I've been relishing a bit more solitude and have continued the reflection that started on the mountain of where my life is and where I still want to take it.
When I called my wife and told her that I had made it, I told her that my mountaineering career began the week before and ended that week. She wisely said, "we'll see about that". Since getting back I have found myself doing a bit of research on what it would take for me to climb Mount Rainier and/or do an Everest Base Camp Trek.
As the old saying attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson goes, its not the destination, its the journey. This was and continues to be, one heck of a journey.