Editor Profile - Denny K Miu was the Founder and former CEO of two companies, Gigamon Systems and Integrated Micromachines (now Touchdown Technologies). Denny has extensive experience in developing technology, products and business relationships. He has been a Professor, an engineer, an entrepreneur, a team leader as well as an individual contributor.
Denny is currently the Executive Editor of LoveMyTool.com, his third start-up. You can follow him on Google Buzz or subscribe to his RSS feed.
Kilimanjaro is a non-active volcano located inside Tanzania near the Kenya border. It is the tallest mountain in Africa (19,331 ft from sea level and 15,100 ft from its base). Although it is the fourth tallest mountain in the World measured from sea level (after Mount Everest at 29,028 ft, Cerro Aconcagua of Argentina at 22,841 ft and Mount McKinley of Alaska at 20,320 ft), it is in fact the tallest "free standing" mountain.
Kilimanjaro also has the additional distinction that among the tallest mountains of the World, it is the only one that is "non-technical" meaning that it is accessible to novices (like me) requiring no mountaineering skills and safety equipments. In other words, anyone could walk up to the summit provided that they are reasonably fit and possess extraordinary determination.
Shown above is a video excerpt taken from a well made IMAX movie (which you can purchase from Amazon
On the other hand, in retrospect, this DVD doesn't quite convey the full spectrum of the actual climbing experience. The following is another great video - shot three years ago by members of the same expedition group, International Mountain Guides, that my son and I had joined, taking exactly the same route as we did. In this much less polished amateur video, you get to experience the physical exhaustion, constant heavy breathing and the occasional cussing.
This two-part article is part of my ongoing series on startups, entrepreneurship and bootstrapping, talking about lessons that I have already written extensively in the past but now re-learned through a completely different context. In this Part 1, if you could bear with me, I would like to first describe my journey to the roof of Africa.
We climbed using the so-called Machame Route which takes six nights and seven days, transversing a total walking distance of 40 miles and a vertical elevation gain of 13,438 ft (2.6 miles). Now, to put things in perspective, for those of us who live in or are at least familiar with the Bay Area, this is exactly the same lateral distance if you were to drive from the Oakland Airport to the San Jose Airport. Also, the total elevation is similar to six times the height of Mount Hamilton (tallest mountain overlooking the Silicon Valley).
So in some way climbing Kilimanjaro is very similar to an extended hiking trip, just more demanding, if you discount the extreme cold and near absence of oxygen during summit and lack of toilet facilities and showers throughout the trip.
DAY 1 - We left our hotel in the morning and were driven to the Machame Gate by noon which has an elevation of 5,900 ft or 1,800 m (bottom left corner of the above map). This was our last contact with civilization. The mountain is actually a well guarded national park. No one gets in and out without government permission. And the park authority enforces a "leave no trace" policy which basically means that we bring everything we need into the park and we must bring everything back out when we leave, leaving nothing behind. This turns out to be an important part of the overall challenge.
There were fifteen of us in the group, all from the States, including our lead guide, Andy Politz, who had previously climbed Mount Everest seven times. Andy was travelling with his teenage son and his best friend, both had lots of climbing experience. In addition, we had four local guides who each had climbed Kilimanjaro more than 150 times (they said they had stopped counting after the 100th).
Then there were forty-nine porters of different skills - three were cooks, four were stewards (serving us hot meals and taking care of our personal needs) and six more had enough experience that they also acted as rescuers. The rest were to carry provisions and to set up and tear down our tents when we travelled from camp to camp.
For this trip, we each had two duffle bags, one we left behind in the hotel and one was carried by the porters who also needed to carry their own equipment plus everything we need for the next seven days (food, water, fuel, tents, lawn chairs, etc.). We each carried our personalized necessities (camera, energy bars, toilet paper, Purell, additional jackets, etc.) plus adequate water (2 liters) for the day.
On our first day we climbed straight up for more than five hours for a total distance of six miles. We gained about 3,900 ft, going through essentially an extensive rain forest. The trail was muddy and slippery allowing us to fully appreciate the functionalities of the various pieces of recommended climbing gears including gaiters
Our camp is the Machame Hut which sits at the edge of the rain forest and the beginning of the next climate zone (there are a total of four zones before we reach the summit). Upon arriving the camp site, we also witnessed our primitive toilet arrangement which was basically a hole in the ground used every day by the incoming groups, until someone decided to dig a new one. Coming from a third world country, knowing how to squat was the one survival skill that I had that other team members did not.
DAY 2 - Today is similar to Day 1, trekking more than six hours for a total distance of five miles and gaining another 2,400 ft. When we entered our second camp which is called the Shira Hut (upper left corner of the above map), we were at an elevation of 12,000 ft (3,720 m). The terrain was very different from Day 1. Instead of rain forest, we were now in the so called Heath zone.
All through the day we enjoyed great scenery, seeing all kinds of unusual plants and vegetations. We crossed a small valley walking along a steep rocky ridge which was covered with heather. When the ridge ended, the route turned into a river gorge which we had to cross. Then we had to climb another hour to reach camp which was on top of the gorge. On the way up, we saw porters rushing down with large water bottles. They were busy preparing our dinner (keep in mind that we left the last camp before they did).
DAY 3 - Today we had the first taste of the challenges ahead. We learned first hand the concept of "scrambling" which was slightly less demanding than hardcore rock climbing and required no safety harness. We also had to climb down which turned out to be much more difficult than climbing up (more exhausting and more dangerous). At above 12,000 ft, breathing was becoming a challenge and simple chores such as climbing up a vantage point to take better pictures required noticeable effort. Fortunately none of us experienced headache which would have been the onset of altitude sickness.
We were on the trail for eight hours walking only a short but difficult three miles (including a break for hot lunch brought to us by our ever endearing porters). We climbed 2,500 ft up but 2,000 ft down, reaching our third camp, the Barranco Hut (middle of the above map), which had an elevation of 12,800 ft (3,900 m). Along the way, we passed the Shira Plateau and the Lava Tower (at 14,950 ft). We went through two climate zones, starting with the Moorland and ending with the Alpine Desert. It was a good day for group pictures.
By the way, in the past, from Lava Tower, the most demanding route to summit Kilimanjaro was to climb straight up from the west side of the mountain (called the Western Breach). However, in 2006, there was a rock slide accident causing death of three tourists and serious injury to numberous local guides and porters. As a result, this route was closed (a minor fact that I did not disclose to my wife until we returned).
In any case, today was the day that I finally realized how physically unprepared I was for this trip (even though I had been training nominally for six months). I had given up on keeping with the rest of the team and simply walked on my own pace, accompanied only by the trailing guide. Enthusiasm had gradually morphed into apprehension.
DAY 4 - Today was more of the same but several times more difficult, climbing between huge rocks that were almost vertical. It was a six hour day for another three miles. Interestedly we gained no elevation at all today, having to climb 985 ft up and 985 ft down, reaching Karanga Valley which was our fourth camp (bottom right of the above map). By mid-day, it was obvious that I was having a hard time keeping up. Our lead guide was concerned enough that he fell back and became my personal trainer.
I was told that the most important challenge for high-altitude climbing was breathing. By the time we reached summit, the available oxygen would only be about 50% of where we started. So basically breathing meant more than just real-time oxygen consumption but also taking reserve for the future.
Andy taught me about "pressure breathing" which breath by pursing the lips and blowing out forcefully one or more times. By emptying the lungs, the idea was that fresh oxygen would rush in making the process more effective and efficient.
In addition to breathing, there were also essential techniques such as balancing of the poles and locking one knee after another so the weight of the body is rested properly ("rest stepping"). Also, one must learn to "trust his boots" so you can balance properly on loose rocks and "think ahead" such that your unlocked leg could reach for the next strategic spot. Finally, the key is to slow down the pace but keep a consistent pace (taking very small steps but similar size of steps each time).
In other words, there were six and seven things that I must learn to do if I were to survive the rest of the trip. By the end of the day, I knew what the steps were. I just didn't know how to do them all at the same time.
Day 5 - Today was the day before summit and we had to reach high camp which was Barufu Hut located at 15,090 ft or 4,600 m (center right of the above map). We were told that it would be an easier trek (at least compared to the last two days). We just need to climb 2,295 ft, for a total distance of three miles which would take about three hours.
When we reached high camp, we would not sleep overnight (which was dangerous at high altitude, we were told). Instead, we would rest, eat, hydrate and get ready to summit at midnight. I was determined to make the best use of today; it was my last chance.
So after breakfast, instead of falling behind the rest of the team as I had done in previous days, I decided to give myself a headstart. It turned out that Andy had the same idea and had already asked one of the local guides to walk with me. As we left the camp at Karanga Valley, it is clear that this would be another tough day. The only good news was that we only had to go one direction which was up.
As I walked behind the guide, I started to practice my rhythm ... left foot down, stop, breath out once, lock my knee, breath out twice, lift right foot, take a small step, find a rock, land, rotate my hip, lock my knee, etc. I also walked very close to my guide, using his back to block my view so I didn't have to search for the top (which was very far and devastatingly discouraging).
Also, I discovered a trick which was to look up just enough so that I could identify a rock about five paces in front of us, look down again to concentrate on my breathing and when I finally saw the same rock under my foot, I would look up again to find the next rock.
So on and on I go and I was making progress. At first, the guide was looking back constantly to be sure that I was following him. Then after awhile, he just kept moving since he could hear from my breathing that I was behind. Then all the sudden I realized that I wasn't thinking anymore, I was in fact doing all the right steps in the right order and I wasn't struggling any more. I was just climbing, one foot at a time.
I was so incredibly happy that I started crying, so much so that my Maui Jim sunglasses
He immediately dropped his backpack, took out his portable blood oxygen meter
We were both so happy that we hugged each other and started dancing. At 13,000 ft, that had to be quite a sight.
After a brief rest, we continued. By now, I was more confident and I proceeded to climb all the way to camp without stopping. We were there more than 30 minutes before any one else. When the rest of the team finally showed up (including my son), they were quite impressed. By now I was reasonably assure that I could make it to the top, all i had to do was to start early and finish late.
Unfortunately my euphoria didn't last. While having lunch at Barufu Hut, I learned that when we reached summit the next morning, we would only stay there for no more than 10 minutes. In other words, the plan was to leave at midnight, climb to the rim of the volcano in time for sun rise, rest a little, continue to climb to the summit, take a few pictures and get off the mountain as quickly as we could. And we had to get off the mountain together, otherwise they would have to divide up the guides, the rescue porters and the medical equipment which was not something that they liked to do.
So I had to come up with a different plan. But there were no other plan. Either I climbed to the top or not. I could do it. I knew that. I just couldn't keep up.
The engineer inside my head told me that if I couldn't change my objective, I would have to loosen up the constraint. So I went to Andy and said, "I want to start at 10:00 pm."
Andy said OK.
So at 9:30 pm, my guide came woke me up at the tent and took me to the mess tent. There they had hot coco and biscuits which they asked me to eat. Then the guide took out his backpack which was empty except for a portable oxygen tank. He took my backpack and put it inside his, which contained my water supply, my camera, toilet paper and my enormous goose down parka
At 10:00 pm, we left camp and as I passed my tent, I leaned over to where my son was sleeping and whispered, "I love you ... see you at the top."
DAY 6 - The first two hours of the summit climb was uneventful. It was obvious that this was going to be a very tough day, probably tougher than all the previously days combined. Basically we had to climb 4,000 ft for about 3 miles to reach the rim (twice the height at twice the inclination as the day before).
After reaching the rim which would take six to seven hours, we would climb another hour to hour-and-a-half to reach the summit (which was only 450 ft higher than the rim but another mile-and-a-half more climbing in extremely high altitude). So up until midnight I was doing pretty good. I was putting everything I had learned in practice, taking small steps and breathing properly.
The scenery was magically. Whenever I looked up, There were stars everywhere. I could see the lone mountain with its snow cap reflecting off the full moon. At first, I didn't even have to turn on my head lamp. The moon light was more than enough to guide me.
It was cold, however. It was already freezing when we left camp and the temperature continued to drop as we climbed. But I had two pairs of wool long johns, two summit-series fleece jackets (with wind-proof zippers) and a Goretex wind-breaker with hood. I also had fleece pant as the liner, water-proof padded ski pant on the outside, two pairs of wool socks, gloves and leather mittens, a scarf, ear muffs, face mask and ski cap. I was warm enough. And I still had my parka in my backpack.
Then my back started to hurt, just the muscle in between my shoulder blades. Carrying my own water had been tough on my back. In the last few days, the first thing I did when I arrived camp was to go inside the tent, take couple of Ibuprofen and lied flat on my back. But leaving at 10:00 pm meant that I never had a chance to relax my back. And now I was paying the price. I also forgot to bring my pain medicine.
The pain had gotten so bad that I could not walk anymore. So I sat down on a rock hoping that the rest of the team would catch up. I figured someone would have the medicine that I needed. As I sat I started to hallucinate and I started to feel really cold. So I knew I had to continue to climb in pain to generate body heat or I would die. I had no choice but to catch up with the team further up.
So I continued to climb and later on, seeing a row of head lamps, I could start to see them slowly coming up the hill. But I couldn't stop to wait and I needed to continue to climb. It took another three hours before we finally met up and it was the longest three hours of my life.
When we met we happened to meet at the mid-point (about 17,000 ft). Sure enough, someone had the medicine that I needed. I took them quickly and sat on a rock as the rest of the team passed me by. I was completely exhausted. I saw my son at the end of the line. He was determined to get to the top.
After the team left, I lost all will to continue. I figured I had achieved what I had come here to achieve. Helping my teenage son get this far and knowing that he had an opportunity to go further on his own was enough. I didn't need to climb to the top. So I turned around and told my guide that I was ready to get down. He was visibly happy, in fact, a little too happy.
In the last few days, I had learned more about our porters and our guides. Almost all of them are from the local Chagga tribe. They are proud people with a strong work ethnic. Not needing to climb to the top actually does not give them much pleasure. They are warriors and they would rather help their clients achieve their goal. So there had to be something else.
Being an inquisitive mind (even at high altitude), I had to probe. So we started talking and quickly I was told that there was actually a bet among the guides that I wasn't going to make it to the top! So it wasn't a big surprise that I asked to return.
I thought about it and I said to myself that it would be silly for me to do something to spite others. I clearly was not all that sure myself that I could make it to the top. However, now that we were at the halfway point, perhaps I could continue and turn this into a geometrical exercise.
So I said to my guide, "I don't want to get down yet. But I am not sure I could go all the way up. We still have time and I can still climb some more. So why don't we cut it in half. I will continue but you let me know when we get to the three-quarter point. Then I will make another decision and we could either come down from there or cut the remaining distance in half once again."
So off we go and now the temperature really started to drop. I took out my parka to keep my body warm but after a while, my fingers and my toes started to feel like they were frozen since they were the most exposed. Behind my face mask, I could see tiny icicles forming around my nostrils. In fact, when I took out my water bottle I was drinking ice slushes, which was kept inside a thermal sleeve, wrapped around by a pair of spare wool socks and inside two backpacks. My son later told me that his multifunction wristwatch
Besides the cold, each step was getting harder and harder. I felt like there were no oxygen in the air. At one point, I had to breath out five times after each step to get enough oxygen into my lungs and after every five steps, I had to stop and breath out ten to fifteen times before I had enough strength to continue.
Then around 5:30 am, the sun came out and we reached the three-quarter point. It was beautiful. We were on the east facing slope above the cloud and the only visible features were the bright sun and Mount Meru in the distance. The cloud was so thick and so steady that I felt like I could just walk between the two glacier peaks.
With the sun coming out, the temperature started to rise. I also noticed for the first time that my guide had very little clothing. So I took off my parka and gave it to him as a gift (which costed more than a month of his salary). Instead of carrying my jacket on his backpack, he now carried it on his back. Everyone was happy.
After some rest, I decided to continue. But we were still pretty far from the top. Another three hours went by and I could finally see the rim. Now after every step, I had to rest so I was fighting for my life one step at a time. But I could see people standing on top including a few from our group. I even thought they were waving at me.
The last 100 ft was just brutal. I was no longer climbing rocks but on lava sands. I would take a forward step and would fall back two steps. My guide measured my oxygen level and he was worry. I was not oxygenating.
He finally said we didn't need to get to the summit which was called Uhuru Peak. If I could get to the rim I would have reached Stella Point and I would still receive my Tanzania government issued official certificate. So he suggested that I took some oxygen and just climbed to the rim. He said only one out of two people ever made it this far. I don't need to stay there very long. Just long enough to take some pictures to prove that I was among the 50% of tourists who successfully climbed to the top of Kilimanjaro.
But I said I wanted to do this on my own. If I had wanted oxygen, I would have done it long ago. But after trying another ten minutes, I still wasn't making progress so I said "screw it" and asked him to hook me up for oxygen. Then I figured since I was now on artificial life support, why not get some more artificial help. I was proud but I was also practical. So I asked my guide to call down some of his friends.
I finally reached the top with three guides, two holding my arms, one on each side and one holding the oxygen tank.
It was not what I originally had in mind. But I reached the roof of Africa. It took me eleven and a half hours, but I made it.
By the time I caught up with my breath, I realized that everyone in my group made it to Stella Point but only nine out of the fifteen made it to the Uhuru Peak. My son was among the nine and he was the only one with no prior climbing experience. Everyone was proud of him, especially me. We waited for everyone to come down, took some pictures together and we went down the mountain in a hurry.
Getting down Mount Doom was even scarier than coming up and I had to have lots of help from the rescue porters (for the first 2,000 ft, they lifted me by my arms and practically carried me down but that's another story). By the time we reached our next camp which was Mweka Camp, we had descended 8,340 ft. It was 8:00 pm when I walked into camp, two hours later than everyone else. I had been on my feet for twenty two hours climbing one kind of rocks or another.
DAY 7 - The next day after breakfast, we hiked for another three hours, through the rain forest once again, for another four miles and down another 5,100 ft to the Mweka Gate, our exit from the Kilimanjaro national park.
By now I was a veteran climber. My blood was over-saturated with oxygen so at least for one day, my 53 year old body was keeping up with my 35 year old mind.
In Part 2 of this two-part paper, I will talk about the lessons that I have learned in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro that are relevant to entrepreneurship. Stay tuned.
--Denny--
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