Climbing Kilimanjaro ticked off bucket list
Mullins achieve his 15 years mountain dream
“For the past 15 years I wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, but something always got in the way. Over the 2022/23 holidays I decided that this would be the year to do it, and started my preparations in January 2023,” Matt Mullins, who was born and bred in the Eastern Cape, and who has had a cottage at Bushmans River Mouth for more than 30 years, said.
“If I had known how difficult it would be I would have had second thoughts,” Mullins said.
“The preparation was intense, not just for the physical exertion but for eight nights sleeping on the mountain.”
Mullins did the Lemosho route, which involved six days of trekking from the western extremity of the mountain to skirting the southern and southeastern parts, culminating in a midnight push to Uhuru Peak, at 5,895m AMSL (above mean sea level).
“The summit night was the hardest part, and nothing prepared me for this. Six hours of intense climbing brought us to Stella Point, and then another
hour or so to Uhuru Peak. We summitted just after sunrise, with the spectacular full moon still in the sky.”
About 1,000 people a day attempt the ascent, with about 650 succeeding.
Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa and the world’s highest free-standing stratovolcano.
The daily hikes were “quite challenging” Mullins said.
The beautiful scenery
extends through six climatic zones from rain forest to alpine desert, and the preparation has to take into account the different trekking zones and temperatures.
“We were very lucky not to have any rain during the climb, and overall trekking conditions were excellent,” Mullins said.
“This was a once off, although there are people who have summitted Kilimanjaro who are well into their 70s or older,” the 65-year-old said.
Rainfall and temperatures in Port Alfred for the week Wednesday October 4 to Tuesday October 10 2023 (Rainfall in millimetres and temperature degrees Celsius). Wednesday: 0 (16°C) Thursday: 0 (15°C) Friday: 6 (16°C) Saturday: 14 (13°C) Sunday: 9 (13°C) Monday: 2 (14°C) Tuesday: 2 (13°C) Total: 33mm Seven-day mean temperature 14.2°C (Median 14°C)
Average for the month 94.75mm
YTD 619mm
MTD 33mm
— Rainfall and temperature measurements, recorded at 6am in Forest Downs, Port Alfred by Emil Jurgensen.