yoga

11

december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg

Start of the climb with my daughter Saanya – 5895m in 5 days!

Mt. Meru sticking its head above the clouds

A Great Start
We flew in from Singapore to Arusha via Addis
Ababa. We were an enthusiastic bunch and
stayed overnight at a cute lodge in Arusha,
even sneaking a chance to explore the town
and its neighborhood. We got a glimpse of
the ice-clad majestic Mount Kilimanjaro as
we drove to a quaint town called Moshi—it
appeared so majestic and overpowering from
far away. Our guide called himself “a 99%
man” implying his success rate for climbing
was just that. He said his secret was “pole,
pole” which means “slow, slow” in Swahili.
“Being slow and steady, with lots of water, will
make you summit,” he said. “Hakuna Matata!”
We began our ascent to Camp Machame the
next day. Our porter was a very enthusiastic,
engaging and helpful man called Joshua.
Machame Gate was at 1800m and we were
supposed to climb to 300m over the next
5 to 7 hours. The path was a combination
of manmade and natural winding lanes
surrounded by lush green rain forest that
protected us from the harsh rays of the sun.
Calm and crisp air surrounded us and chatter
grew among the group as we got to know
each other, exchanging notes about our
families, profession and life in general. We
took small breaks along the way, ate boxed
lunch and resumed our climb. Joshua offered
us water often, and we reached the camp late
afternoon to check into our tents. It was not a
hard day, and the group shared home-made
savories with hot tea, coffee and popcorn, and
even enjoyed a game of “Ungame”.
The night was beautiful. I stared at the starlit
sky and watched my favorite star, Venus,
twinkling bright in the horizon, full of energy. I
hadn’t seen a star-filled sky in many years and
was mesmerized by the view. It was this sight
and the distant conversation between guides
that lulled me to sleep, eager to wake up for an
early climb at dawn.

Feet on the Mountains, Head in the Clouds
The morning began with eggs for breakfast,
and soon we headed out towards Camp Shira,
a climb of 3750m, one that was not just steep
but also had many switchbacks and rocky
paths. Two hours later we were walking above
the clouds, surrounded by fluffy cool cotton
everywhere. It was amazing! We could see
Mount Meru, the second highest peak, sticking
its heads above the clouds–majestic and
beautiful!
By the time we reached the camp site around
late afternoon, I could feel a mild headache
and nausea setting in as my body tried to
acclimatize to the altitude. Others in the team
complained of headaches too, and lack of
appetite, but the guides insisted we eat. A

Camping above the clouds – calm and peaceful