Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and has long been one of the most challenging for climbers around the world.
For years, climbers have broken records during their climbs like one person making the first 3G call from the top of Mt. Everest, another climbed Mt. Everest without oxygen assistance. This week, a group of South African climbers will attempt to break another record.
A team of climbers will attempt to climb the African mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, barefoot.
“Over the next few days,” reads a Gadling report, “these barefoot adventurers hope to scale the mountain in an effort to raise funds for a children’s hospital back home.”
The climbers will attempt to climb the 5895m mountain which is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, and the highest in Africa.
The five climbers are already on their way; they started their climb on Jan. 23. and will attempt the Rongai route that ascends Kilimanjaro from the north-eastern side of the mountain, along the border between Tanzania and Kenya.
“This route retains a sense of unspoilt wilderness and offers a different perspective on Kilimanjaro by approaching it from the north,” reads BareFootImpi.org.
The team has been keeping the world updated with blog posts. The team is now in day 3 of the climb and in the latest post, one climber explained, “Sean had planned our third day to be more of a acclimatisation day rather that a hard push to gain ground so an easier day on the feet was ministry to the Barefoot souls. Once again the terrain was by no means easy but negotiable with the slow climbing speed.”
“The second half of the morning was a very steep 2 and a half hours, and the air was noticeably thinner every step. As we gained altitude and crossed the 4000m ASL barrier as we summited the ridge that we had aimed for, the aches and pain evaporated into thin air (excuse the pun) as we gazed over the most magnificent camp site nestled next to the mountain tarn below Mawenzi Peak at 4300m. SPECTACULAR!,” the climber added.
Not anyone can say they’re attempting to climb a mountain barefoot, as these climbers committed to a couple of harsh rules that were established and must be adhered to at all times during the climb in order to achieve and claim a barefoot summit.
Rules include climbers must walk and climb every meter of the mountain from a Mt Kilimanjaro Park gate to Uhuru Peak barefoot and during set climbing times, and establish a start and end mark at the beginning and end of each day and climb between these marks each day. The end mark of each day will automatically become the start mark of the following day, among other things.
Would you climb barefoot?
