Final thoughts on porters and Kili

Last Thoughts on Kilimanjaro:

Emmanuel was a very good guide, he was helpful and supportive. He is 26, unmarried, religious.

He was a porter for 6 years, before going to school to learn to be a guide.

When we got back he laminated my certificate (and my gorilla one) on his own initiative.

He took me to town afterwards to get my head and face shaved.

He called me papa because I was the same age as his father.

I asked if his father had ever climbed Kili and he just said Tanzanians don't do that.

Kilimanjaro was the hardest thing I've ever done, mainly because of the altitude.

Rough camping was bearable but, the cold, lack of water for washing, and lack of company made it lonely and the amount of time spent alone in the tent made it boring.

The porters work very hard, they carry our stuff, set up camp, prepare food, carry porta potties, and climb up and down the mountain to get fresh water and food. Without them, this climb would be impossible, that's for sure.

It's amazing how many people were doing the climb, all ages, all walks of life, all with their own reasons I suppose.

This is a four kilometre climb vertically, Angel's Landing was less than one.

Would I do it again? - no way!