Photos and article by Tony Mangia
At first, going to Tanzania during a pandemic seemed like a crazy idea, but the restlessness from months of self-isolation was numbing and the lure of conquering Mount Kilimanjaro just too strong.
The Machame Trail is one of the most popular — and shortest — of the seven main routes up Kilimanjaro. It is usually a seven-day trek with a difficulty rating of challenging, but my team (a guide, a chef and four porters) and I made the top in six.
My guide, Michael, told me mid-September was usually one of the busiest times on Kilimanjaro, but COVID had discouraged or scared away most tourists — even the adventurous ones.
The Machame’s thirty-seven miles of up-and-down footpaths, dotted with many rock, gravel and scramble sections, are hailed as some of the most awe-inspiring trails in the world. The numerous panoramic views helped take my mind off the rugged hike while I plodded on.
Climbing independently made it difficult to pace myself against anyone except the porters who always passed me a couple of hours after I left them breaking down the campsite — and with 25 kilos of gear on their heads, to boot.
But the solo aspect of my journey had it benefits.
There were many moments, looking out onto the magnificent horizon alone, with the unseen mountain’s silent power always looming, which lent themselves to quiet contemplation. These special instances, concurrent with the lack of internet and television, made it easy to forget about all the troubles in the world — including COVID-19.
A sort of social media distancing.
There were cold nights (15°F) and foggy mornings bookending the usually sunny days. I’ll never forget the invigorating scramble up The Baranco Wall — an intimidating, winding artery of slippery rocks — or crossing the moonlike Alpine Desert and a snow-showered lunch at Lava Rock.
Staring up at the Milky Way through the chilly, nighttime air, made it was easy to wax poetic about the journey I was undertaking, but, when my hands were too cold to scribble or the dazzling view actually left me speechless, there would be a traditional celebratory dance with song by my team under the million-year gaze of Kilimanjaro the morning after my summit that paid tribute to its majesty.
My pre-dawn, moonlit start from base camp to the crest also rewarded me with a glorious sunrise breaking over the surrounding peaks before reaching the top — hypoglycemia and altitude sickness be damned.
Descending down Mweka Trail, when the six days of inspiration, seclusion and media-free introspection was nearing an end, it was easy to imagine that all of the world’s problems had vanished — coronavirus and all.
Isolation isn't so bad … if you find the right place to do it.
