[Matticus91]

Hey all, I recently had the experience of a lifetime exploring Tanzania and climbing Kilimanjaro. My fiance and I did it together with 8 other climbers in our group, and the help of our guides and porters (Gods of men they are!). We also did a 4-Day safari afterwards, which I'm still working on the pictures for (took way too many).

For those interested in the climb, we went through a UK based company called Kandoo, and chose the 8-day Lemosho route. I'm very happy with our decisions and this route is by far the most scenic. The first 6 days were wonderful, a mix of rainforest, alpine desert, moorland, and other crazy environments. The 7th day (summit day) was a grueling test of our mental and physical endurance, starting at 11:30PM the night prior (after very little sleep), climbing through the night to summit the Uhuru peak at sunrise after about 6:30hrs of climbing. We were allowed to stay there for a matter of only 15 minutes due to the severe lack of oxygen. I did my best to capture the moments and views both through my own eyes and through the lens. I also learned that I instinctively hold my breath when taking a photo, presumably to steady the camera as one would with a rifle. Such a subtle and normally unnoticed action yet it was an immense issue on the summit. However I found myself literally gasping after every shot and then chuckling at myself for doing it. After summiting we descended the steep slopes, which is arguably more difficult than climbing them, for another six hours. Finally resting after hiking for well over 12 hours straight, climbing 4,000ft and then descending over 9,000ft in vertical altitude, and covering over 10 miles in distance in one day. We slept very well that night. The final day was another 6 miles but I barely felt it.

Anyway, enough text, this is a picture forum! I hope you enjoy my pictures, feel free to comment/ask questions. And the full gallery on flickr can be found here.

Very first picture of the mountain as we approach the starting point. We're actually driving away from it here, which was upsetting lol
Kilimanjaro-1 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Our wonderful porters taking the gear off our truck that got us to the starting gate for the Lemosho route.
Kilimanjaro-2 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

The first few days we were full of energy and couldn't get enough of the dense rainforest.
Kilimanjaro-6 by Matt Steele, on Flickr
Kilimanjaro-23 by Matt Steele, on Flickr
Kilimanjaro-26 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Colobus Monkeys in our campsite
Kilimanjaro-14 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Our first view out of the rainforest
Kilimanjaro-27 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

My fiance making her way, notice the people on the path in the distance
Kilimanjaro-33 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Our first cold night, temperatures hit about 10F. Woke up to use the bathroom and could only make out the ominous figure of the mountain which we were unable to see on the approach due to clouds.
Kilimanjaro-55 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Our view the next day, the mountain seemed impossibly distant
Kilimanjaro-64 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

"Moorland". A very interesting environment, lush in it's own ways
Kilimanjaro-68 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

My contribution to the stack rock "sculptures" found all over the paths
Kilimanjaro-76 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Really starting to feel like we're on a mountain at this point
Kilimanjaro-78 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Sleeping above the clouds
Kilimanjaro-96 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

A view of Lava Tower, much larger than it looks, and one of the porters
Kilimanjaro-118 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

More crazy landscapes
Kilimanjaro-156 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Barranco Wall (the faintly visable path on the cliff), we would be climbing this the next day. It takes about 1 hour and is about 900ft straight up. Looked much worse, our guides kept telling us "our eyes are lying to us".
Kilimanjaro-159 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Senecio trees can be found everywhere past a certain altitude. Apparently, each of the "growths" represent roughly 25 years of age.
Kilimanjaro-160 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

One of our camps on top of Africa. Other mountains looks small from here.
Kilimanjaro-173 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

The side of the mountain, making the peak (not visible) seem closer than reality. Notice the frost on our tents, it was a normal ritual to dive out of the tent in the morning to avoid getting soaked with defrosting ice.
Kilimanjaro-170 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Porters making it look easy as they carry their own gear plus equipment on their heads up the mountain.
Kilimanjaro-184 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Starting to forget the rest of Africa exists, it seems so far!
Kilimanjaro-182 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Some days were less scenic, but still interesting. By the way, these are clouds, not just fog that we're in.
Kilimanjaro-190 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Aside from the Earth and the humans, the clouds seem like a sight you'd only get from a plane. A constant reminder of the altitude.
Kilimanjaro-195 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

[Matticus91]

Now something to note. Basecamp (Barafu camp) was miserable. It was literally filled with feces, it was steep, rocky, dusty, hot when there were no clouds (80F+) and then instantly freezing when the sun was hidden (literally down to 20F in seconds). So I do not have any pictures of basecamp, I have failed you all here, sorry.

The next picture is the very first I took at the summit. It's not great (as will be apparent to you photo-snobs, but not so much my mother), but it's meaningful to me because it marks the moment that I had realized the Sun came up and turned around only to be hit with a wave of exhaustion, emotion, and warmth from the Sun itself. I still had about 30 minutes to the summit here, but I was so happy to have made it that (I'll admit it) I teared up quite a bit. The view was unbelievable, and none of my pictures do it justice. Nonetheless, I hope you'll enjoy these few from the top of Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro-213 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Looking into the ash pit from the edge of the crater. You can see the jagged sister peak, Mawenzi, under the sun as well.
Kilimanjaro-217 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

This is perhaps my favorite picture out of them all, looking back on the trail as the sun comes up over Mawenzi, with the glacier down to the right. The clouds make it feel like you're on an island and they are the ocean, when in reality the ground is many thousands of feet below them. There is a single trekker starting his descent, a ways down the trail.
Kilimanjaro-222 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Mawenzi looking more ominous by the minute as the clouds envelope the peak
Kilimanjaro-226 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

Lastly, my final shot of the mountain during the descent. I wasn't able to take many pictures on the way down because at the top we were in a blizzard and at the bottom we were in a rain storm. Once the skies cleared the next day I snagged this shot, which is one of the only "holes" in the rainforest through which you can see the mountain on your way back down.
Kilimanjaro-233 by Matt Steele, on Flickr

[Mr Tonka]

Any chance you can add elevation to the photos on the way up? Or a few of them? Highest i've been is 14,500 and i'm looking to put these into perspective.

[AIRPOWER]

AMAZING Photos......like looking at National Geographic.

Thanks for sharing!

[fecurtis]

That's awesome, would love to do something like that some time.

[Joekerr]

Very nice!

How long was the trek?

[Axius]

Absolutely amazing.


Seeing it first hand probably makes these awesome pictures futile in comparison. Nice shots man, way jealous.

[BMW F22]

Woooowwww!! Nice pix and thanks for sharing! You have guts of steele to do something that cool!

[R3dliner]

Sick shots. Def on my bucket list

[bimmette]

Yay, you're back safely! Congrats!

[Andrewthefirst]

Brilliant pics and inspirational indeed

Thanks for sharing.

[M_Six]

Awesome pics and write-up. Very nicely done.

Tonka, Kilimanjaro is 19,341ft. Highest I've been is also around 14,500 and I could barely catch my breath at that altitude. Props to these folks for trekking up another 5,000ft.

[jgoens]

Awesome thread and a nice break from Cars and Trump.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

How difficult was it to breathe at that altitude? I was snowboarding in Colorado at about 12k ft and that wasn't too easy. I can't imagine another 7k ft.

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

Any chance you can add elevation to the photos on the way up? Or a few of them? Highest i've been is 14,500 and i'm looking to put these into perspective.

That's a good idea, I'll see what i can do

Originally Posted by AIRPOWER

AMAZING Photos......like looking at National Geographic.

Thanks for sharing!

I appreciate the kind words! Happy to share

Originally Posted by fecurtis

That's awesome, would love to do something like that some time.

It was unforgettable, but by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

Originally Posted by Joekerr

Very nice!

How long was the trek?

Thanks, 8 days!

Originally Posted by Axius

Absolutely amazing.

Seeing it first hand probably makes these awesome pictures futile in comparison. Nice shots man, way jealous.

First person it feels like you're on another planet falling into the sky. Crazy.

Originally Posted by BMW F22

Woooowwww!! Nice pix and thanks for sharing! You have guts of steele to do something that cool!

I see what you did there

Originally Posted by R3dliner

Sick shots. Def on my bucket list

Do it!

Originally Posted by bimmette

Yay, you're back safely! Congrats!

Safe and sound

Originally Posted by Andrewthefirst

Brilliant pics and inspirational indeed

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, and sure thing!

Originally Posted by M_Six

Awesome pics and write-up. Very nicely done.

Tonka, Kilimanjaro is 19,341ft. Highest I've been is also around 14,500 and I could barely catch my breath at that altitude. Props to these folks for trekking up another 5,000ft.

Yep it's tough up there!

Originally Posted by jgoens

Awesome thread and a nice break from Cars and Trump.

I hear you

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

How difficult was it to breathe at that altitude? I was snowboarding in Colorado at about 12k ft and that wasn't too easy. I can't imagine another 7k ft.

Very difficult. You can breathe just fine, but it does you no good. Stuff goes in your lungs, stuff goes out, but you're still out of breath. Simply moving around in the tent was exhausting, and I'm in pretty damn good shape. That said, there's no sea-level exercise that can help you.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Very difficult. You can breathe just fine, but it does you no good. Stuff goes in your lungs, stuff goes out, but you're still out of breath. Simply moving around in the tent was exhausting, and I'm in pretty damn good shape. That said, there's no sea-level exercise that can help you.

I wonder if those altitude workout masks help for that. Did you have backup oxygen just in case?

This is what im talking about BTW:

https://jet.com/product/detail/f7eea...bg0aAh108P8HAQ

[HXS]

If I was ever at the summit, I'd tear up a bit also.... but from pain and exhaustion

Congrats and beautiful pics!

[sirdaft1]

WOW! Outstanding. Thank you for sharing your experience. Just looking at those photos gives me the chills, because I would absolutely love to do this same trek. A few questions:
- What preparation did you do prior to the trip? (ie: train at altitude? Marathons? etc.)
- What camera did you shoot with?

Thank you again, incredible photos.

[Uber Commuter]

Amazing trip man, congrats!

[BMW F22]

What camera setup were you using?

[sygazelle]

Incredible journey. Incredible photos. Thanks for sharing.

Questions:

- You say you've only been 12.5k elevation prior. Is there any training you did for the additional elevation? Did anyone in your group get altitude sickness?

- What kind of general training did you do before the trip to get in shape? Did your entire group summit?

- It looks like you were just carrying day packs. How much weight were you carrying?


Thanks again. Great photos. Good for you for getting out there.

[hl0m4n]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Incredible journey. Incredible photos. Thanks for sharing.

Questions:

- You say you've only been 12.5k elevation prior. Is there any training you did for the additional elevation? Did anyone in your group get altitude sickness?

- What kind of general training did you do before the trip to get in shape? Did your entire group summit?

- It looks like you were just carrying day packs. How much weight were you carrying?


Thanks again. Great photos. Good for you for getting out there.

^ questions i was going to ask in addition to:

1) why did you go with kandoo versus others such as g adventure, etc?

2) what were the 'bathrooms' like, showers available?

3) can you provide a cost breakdown of this trip?