The team that went on the six-day Mt Kilimanjaro Charity Climb last month had planned a celebration at the top, but in the end no climber had the energy left to party, reports Special Correspondent AHMED MERERE.

The final group of 44 had a challenging task ahead of them: The next day, they planned to climb what the Chagga people used to called kilema kyaro, or unconquerable mountain – today known as Mt Kilimanjaro. The aim was to raise funds for the fight against HIV/Aids in the country. 

Although most of the party were Tanzanians, they were accompanied by climbers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. The climb was organised by Geita Gold Mining Ltd. The aim was to raise funds for the Tanzania Netherlands Support for Aids (Tanesa) Project. 

Zara Tours and Spring Lands Hotel, both of Moshi, were contracted to manage the expedition. Preparations started on the evening of January 31, when the hikers met for an introduction to the route they would take and how to make it to the top by walking "pole pole (slowly), at your own pace." 

The more difficult and longer Machame route was chosen, signifying the challenges that face the world in taming the Aids pandemic.

Jessica Thompkins from Idaho in the US, was one of the climbers who participated in the six-day Mt Kilimanjaro Charity Climb. "When we woke up the next morning," she says, "Kilimanjaro towered majestically against the clear blue sky. It was magnificent. I believe that everyone was looking at the mountain with apprehension, excitement and a bit of intimidation."

After signing in at Machame gate, the climb started. 

On the first day, the climbers walked through the rainforest for about seven hours. "As we neared our first camp, the ring of green rainforest at the base of Mt Kilimanjaro abruptly ended. At 3,000 metres above sea level, the heat was replaced by a sudden chill that took everyone by surprise. A Tanzanian woman named Jane was not doing so well. The altitude and physical exertion had made her ill, and she had already vomited on the trail," Thompkins recalls.

They found the porters were waiting at the camp. Each climber got a litre of warm water. "You must bath selectively with that little water. I prioritised my face, while wondering how I would smell after six days of washing only my face!" recalls a climber.

The morning of the second day was freezing cold. But Jane was feeling better, ready to try again.

It was on this second day that the first climber quit the expedition. Overcome by altitude sickness, he had to be escorted by porters down the mountain. 

The hikers arrived at Shira camp after an eight-hour trek. It was now so cloudy that no one had any idea where the summit was. The conversation at dinner was lively and for an hour or so no one thought to look outside the tent. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "There it is!" And there, against the blue sky, stood Kibo in all its glory, looking much closer and larger, the glaciers sparkling high above their heads. Three more days to the top, and everyone was wondering, "Will I make it? Will I fall sick?"

The next day, the expedition was going to climb to a point 4,600 metres above sea level. As the nine-hour climb progressed, many of the climbers began feeling the high altitude, with symptoms such as headaches and vomiting. After ascended to 4,600 metres before descending to the Baranco camp at 3,950 metres, where they were able to recover somewhat from the altitude effects. After the luxurious litre of hot water, Thompkins sat down to speak with Yusuph Lugata. 

Lugata admitted: "Today was tough, more than the other days. Tomorrow will be more difficult. I have heard some people are on their hands and knees!"

The fourth day claimed one more climber, the heavily built Glenn Colgan, an Australian who supervises the gold room at Geita Gold Mine. The terrain was barren and hostile. The cold fog once again descended. Occasionally, the sun shone through, heating the climbers to the point that they would take their outer clothes off. Nature was playing a cat and mouse game with the hikers. 

The fourth day, several people arrived at the Barafu camp feeling quite ill. They were now at 4,600 meters above sea level. The view from the camp was spectacular, as Uhuru Peak was now visible and at last looked reachable. Here, climbers were allowed to sleep for four hours before commencing the final climb at midnight.

They were informed that the climb would continue until about 8 am, and then there would be a three-hour descent. The idea of resting for only four hours after a nine-hour trek and then continuing to walk for another 11 hours sounded crazy. 

The remaining 39 hikers were woken at 11.00 pm to prepare to start climbing again at midnight. They were being escorted by 10 porters and a couple of guides. Two climbers were unable to continue from Barafu camp. It was the first time during the adventure that there was near silence among the hikers.

Nine more people were forced to stop and return to Barafu camp during the first four hours. Stella point was the first peak that the expedition reached, after about seven and a half hours. It was just 200 metres to the highest point, Uhuru Peak, which stands 5,896 metres above sea level. Those last 200 metres took a full hour to cover. 

"The trekking was tremendously slow, as if we all were extremely sick, fighting to climb each step up the hospital stairs. Although my body felt ill, more inhibiting was feeling that my spirit was beaten down. In the past 24 hours we had been climbing for 19 hours, and the fatigue was extreme. I wanted to enjoy the beautiful, massive glaciers, but lifting my head was too much effort. I began to shed a few tears, but that pained my head tremendously. Too sick to cry! The expressions of the other climbers displayed the same pain and despair that I was feeling," Jessica Thompins later noted in her notebook.

"Everyone had envisioned a celebration at the top, but no climber had the energy for that. The thrill of making it to the top of Kilimanjaro would come later, but at this moment we were just existing at the top of Africa, not doing much more than that, just existing," Thompkins went on. Later, she said those six days, "were to be remembered for a lifetime."

The climbers spent about 10 minutes at the top before taking the same trail down to the camp that they had struggled up in the dark.

In the end, 30 climbers made it to the top. Geita Gold Mine hikers raised Tsh40 million ($41,670) for the fully-fledged Tanesa project that fights HIV/Aids in Tanzania's Lake Victoria regions of Mwanza, Kagera and Shinyanga. Geita Gold CEO Harry Michael announced at a ceremony in Moshi that his company would make the Mt Kilimanjaro climb against HIV/Aids an annual event.