Soon after I returned from climbing Kilimanjaro, I received a phone call from my 10 year old niece, Joy. “Aunt Shelly, will you come speak to my class at school about your climb?” Without hesitating I said, “Yes!” So, last Friday I laced up my boots, strapped on my daypack and hiked into Mrs. Darvin’s 5th grade classroom at Somerset Intermediate School in North Plainfield, NJ.
I had a great time telling the students about my climb, showing them pictures, explaining the hiking gear, telling them about climbing to help children with AIDS, and answering their questions. I think you’ll enjoy some of their questions as well as the answers.
Jenna asked, “How old was the oldest person to climb the mountain?”
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Carl Haupt, age 79, is the oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro. However, in 2010, George Solt, age 82, and Bernice Buum, age 83, both summited. If their climbs are verified, they will become the oldest man and woman to have climbed Kilimanjaro.
Jerifer asked, “Were there any living things there?”
No animals can live above a certain elevation. We did see birds in every zone from the Alpine Desert Zone and lower. We saw mice in the Alpine Moorland Zone and monkeys in the Tropical Forest.
Sefane asked, “How long is the trip to Africa?”
Our flight to Africa was about 13 hours. Our flight home was 17.5 hours because we stopped in Mombasa, Kenya and Rome, Italy.
Nataly asked, “Did you feel a change of pressure when you got to the top of Kilimanjaro?”
I did feel a change in air pressure at various times along the journey up and down Kilimanjaro as my ears would pop.
Jasmine asked, “Was it hard to breathe up on the mountain?”
Yes. At the top of Kilimanjaro, we moved at a pace that was slower than normal, yet we needed to breathe more deeply than normal to get enough oxygen. Some describe it like breathing through a straw.
Alveiry asked, “Did you see the three cones named, Mawenzi, Shira and Kibo?”
Honestly, I should have studied more before I climbed Kilimanjaro because I didn’t know there were three cones until I started preparing to visit your class. L But, I definitely saw Kibo and Kibo’s crater.
Steve asked, “When was Mt Kilimanjaro discovered?”
Kilimanjaro has been around a long time, but for many years the people living near Kilimanjaro were fearful of the mountain so they never attempted to climb it. On October 6, 1889, Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller were the first to summit Kibo.
Demetrius asked, “When you got tired of climbing, did you stop and rest or keep going?”
We took breaks every two hours. This allowed us to drink water, eat a snack and go to the bathroom as well as rest. On summit day, we took a break every hour until we reached the summit. These breaks were very short so that we did not get too cold.
Anthony asked, “How and when was Kilimanjaro formed?”
Kilimanjaro is a volcano so it was formed as it erupted and layer upon layer of lava formed the mountain. It’s difficult to know when Kilimanjaro was formed. Some believe it formed a million years ago. Others believe it formed when God created the earth approximately 10,000 years ago.
Joy asked, “Did you feel little on such a big mountain?”
I love this question! I can’t say I felt little because the mountain was so big. I do remember thinking that God is incredibly creative because the mountain around me was filled with such beauty and views I’d never seen before.
Kevin asked, “How many mountains did you climb in your mountain climbing career?”
One. Kilimanjaro. It has been a very short career. J
Christopher asked, “How many people climbed this mountain?”
Every year approximately 20,000 attempt to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Simon Mtuy, the owner of our guide company, grows coffee on his farm. He showed us the
process of making coffee and this is included in the presentation at
http://portal.sliderocket.com/BCCTL/Kili_Women2011. We drank his coffee every day and it
was very good. It does taste different than much of the coffee in our grocery stores because
that coffee is often grown in Colombia.
2. People die each year trying to climb Kilimanjaro.
Because so many people now climb Kilimanjaro each year, it can be easy to forget that people
still die on this mountain. The most common reasons for death include falls and hypothermia.
Most deaths are from hypothermia and affect the porters (Tanzanians who carry gear up and
down the mountain). Our guide company is a member of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance
Program and they are committed to providing adequate food, shelter, gear and wages to their
guides and porters. The guides are also trained to address mountain illnesses and apply first
aid. These factors increase safety for anyone climbing with our guide company.
Thank you to Mrs. Darvin and her 5th graders for inviting me share my Kilimanjaro experience!
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