The Kilimanjaro Porters & Guides My Motivational Inspiration- Karen Jolly

In June 2011, I was given the opportunity to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and the highest free standing mountain the world. Mt. Kilimanjaro towers above Moshi, Tanzania at 19,340 feet above sea level.* Beginning with my very first realization that I would actually be climbing this amazing wonder of nature, I saw this adventure as a metaphor for the many trials and obstacles I’ve overcome in my lifetime. On my journey up Kilimanjaro, I made it to Kibo Camp at 15,550 feet above sea level. The most profound experience that I had while on the mountain was meeting the porters and guides, whose sole purpose is to get climbers up and down the mountain safely. I was touched so deeply by their strong work ethic, as well as their sincere kindness, that I often think of them when I need a motivational boost in my daily life here in the United States. This presentation honors the porters and guides of Kilimanjaro by illustrating how my encounter with them has changed my life. The following slides will give insight into the world of these brave men who climb Mt. Kilimanjaro every day as part of their job. *Source for Kilimanjaro facts: http://www.journeys.travel/portal/kilimanjaro/kili_facts.html

While doing my research before climbing Kilimanjaro, I found information regarding the porters and guides who accompany climbers along the journey up and down the mountain. Meeting them in person and witnessing their work ethic has changed my outlook on life. All I carried up the mountain was my backpack, containing water, my rain gear, my iPod and snacks. The porters carried everything else, as well as their own gear, buckets of water collected along the trail, and food they would prepare at the campsites for everyone on the climb. Our touring company required that we weigh our duffle bags at the hotel, with a limit of 30 pounds, which means each porter carried this as a minimum, along with items mention above. The picture below was taken at the Marangu gate before we entered the rainforest of Kilimanjaro.

Along the climb, I got to know some of the porters by name, as we were on the mountain for six days with these men. This is Casey, and he is carrying his own gear and supplies, as well as a climber’s gear, on his neck and back. The porters have to go faster than the climbers up the mountain, because they set up the campsite before we arrive.

Here is another picture from the gate before we embarked on the climb. This porter is actually carrying gear on his head. I saw this quite often as I navigated the slopes of Kilimanjaro.

This porter is collecting water from a stream along the trail. The porters take the water in buckets to each campsite, boil the water at night, and refill the climbers’ water bottles for the next day’s journey.

These porters are taking a short break as we reach the famous volcano of Kilimanjaro. Swahili is the language spoken in Tanzania. “Pole pole” (pronounced “polay polay”) is a phrase that I heard often as we ascended and descended the mountain. This means take the mountain “slowly slowly”. So we were taking a “pole pole” break here! Also, the cloud in the picture was directly above my head!

This picture was taken the second day of our climb. During the first day and a half of the climb, we were in the rain forest of Kilimanjaro and the famous volcano was not in site. Midway through the second day, I turned a corner and there she was – breathtaking! This is a picture of a porter along the climb as we are taking a “pole pole” break. When I realized I would not be able to keep up with the younger climbers, I felt frustrated and embarrassed to be so far behind on the trail. A porter stopped and said, “Mama, do not worry. Take the mountain pole pole and you will make it!” That kind encouragement helped to get to the campsite that day. Calling an older woman “mama” in the African culture is a sign of great respect, so I was called “mama” quite frequently by the porters and guides on my climb.

This is Juma, the lead porter on our climb. His kindness touched me on the deepest level. At age 48, I was the oldest climber in our group. The other climbers were in their 20’s, and most of them were athletic and could take the trail much faster than myself! As a result, I would often get to the campsites last, while the other climbers had already had their meal. Juma would make sure that I had hot soup, tea, and the main meal as soon as I arrived. He would also put out bowls of warm water for us to wash our hands before meals. I learned the Swahili phrase “Asante sana, rafiki”, which means “Thank you very much, friend”. I said these words many times to Juma along our trek. Juma would bow and respond with “Karibou”, which means “You are welcome”. This picture was taken at Horombo camp, and the sea of clouds behind Juma were below us on the mountain!

This is my guide, Mahamed. No one can climb Kilimanjaro without a guide, so Mahamed stayed behind with me each day as I trekked “pole pole” up the mountain! This picture was taken at Zebra Rock near one of the campsites.

This is a picture of Mahamed and me as we descended from Zebra Rock. The trail downward was so steep, along with the volcanic scree and rocks on the path, that my feet had slipped right out from under me! Mahamed took my hand and helped me down the rest of the trail. My daughter was waiting at the bottom the hill and took this picture. I held Mahamed’s hand several times as we ascended and descended the many steep hills of Kilimanjaro!

This is a picture of Mahamed as we trek upwards on Kilimanjaro. He is carrying his own gear, along with my backpack! Halfway through each day, he would say, “Mama, give me your backpack. I will carry it for you.” This kindness allowed me to navigate the high hills more quickly and efficiently. Quite often I would apologize for being so slow and behind the rest of the climbers. Mahamed would respond by saying, “Hakuna matata, Mama…no worries!” In this picture you can also see some of the unique vegetation on Kilimanjaro.

This picture was when we began to descend Kilimanjaro on the fifth day of our climb. My daughter, Anna, actually reached Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro. Coming down the side of the volcano, she breathed in some of the loose scree on the slopes. As a result, she was having difficulty breathing after the climb. Mahamed and Casey picked her up and ran with her down to a lower altitude so that she could breath more easily.

This picture was taken on our last day on the mountain as we make our way back to Marangu gate. Mahamed stopped on the trail and told me the story of how a porter died here six years ago. He was behind his team and trekking up the mountain alone. He leaned back against the embankment on the trail, crossed his arms, and died. The porters and guides that found his body took him back to his family in the village. They returned to the place where he died and created this natural memorial in his honor. A common myth is that climbing Kilimanjaro is easy for the porters, since they are all locals that have grown up on the mountain and they do this everyday for a living (for the equivalent of three US dollars a day). However, porters die every year from overexertion, altitude sickness, and hypothermia (in the Artic zone). This was a very solemn and moving experience as Mahamed told me this story.

This is a picture of Juma and myself back at the hotel the night after we returned from the climb. The porters and guides had dinner with us, so I asked Juma to take a picture with me. I was so moved by his dedication and kindness, and I wanted to make sure that I had a picture of us together. This was taken after we had our showers after not having a bath for six days on the mountain!

Two days before our climb, we took a nature hike through a jungle near our hotel. This woman was coming out of the jungle carrying this load of wood on her head! She had most likely cut the wood herself and was making her way back to her home to use the wood for cooking. Even before I met our porters, this woman was a strong inspiration for me!

This is my daughter, Anna, and I during the second day of climbing. This was one of the rare occasions where I made to the lunch stop shortly after the other climbers had arrived! You can see the mists rolling in behind us. Since most of the mountain is above the clouds, it seldom rains at the higher elevations. The mists roll in every afternoon to provide water for the vegetation on Kilimanjaro

Anna had been in Moshi, Tanzania on a study abroad for a month before I arrived. The University of Georgia students worked at several orphanages as part of their service learning trip. I had the privilege of visiting two of the orphanages the day before we climbed. This precious little girl stole my heart! Most of the children in the orphanages had lost their parents to the AIDS virus, and some of the children were actually HIV positive themselves. I often look at this picture and think of this little angel!

While I was climbing Kilimanjaro, I faced many high hills that seemed impossible to navigate. From the very first day, I called the mountain “Mama Kili” and began to see each steep hill as a metaphor for the difficult things I have overcome in my lifetime. As I would climb up one step at a time, I would thank Mama Kili for helping to overcome that obstacle in order to see the amazing views revealed at the top. I would reflect on my life and my own motivation for personal growth. Since returning to the United States, I have brought this lesson back to my daily life. When I have difficulties at work or in my personal life, I think about the porters and guides who are climbing Kili while providing kindness and service to the many folks trekking upward. I call on their strength to help me get through tough days. And I still use their advice and take my life “pole pole” as I attempt to reach my personal summits of each day!