Martina Kingman Klimbs Kilamanjaro !!

Kilamanjaro gets "K'd"

Martina’s Excellent Adventure
to the Roof of Africa

I’m not sure when my childhood friend, Nathalie and I decided to climb the mountain. As teenagers growing up in the San Fernando Valley, our goals didn’t seem to go beyond school dances and shopping at the “Galleria”. Later, our interests changed – hers was cycling and mine was running. When we met up at our 20th High School reunion, we thought it would be fun to do “an event” that would challenge both a cyclist and a runner. I guess this was when we first mentioned Kilimanjaro.

Noted as the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 19,340 feet, Kilimanjaro is actually an inactive stratovolcano which last puffed smoke as recently as 200 years ago. We were told that, although it was not a technical climb, it would provide the challenges and the rewards that we were seeking.

Our journey began at the gates of the Machame route through lush banana and coffee plantations through green fauna and water falls. Throughout the 6 day trip to the summit, we would hike through dense rain forest, heath and moorland, to the high desert and finally through scree towards the peak.

On day 4 it snowed on us. This was such a memorable moment for us, as scientists are now saying that snow will cease to exist on Kilimanjaro in as little as 15 years from now.

Our highest camp was located at 15,600 feet. On summit day, we left camp at 10 pm under a full moon to begin our ascent of nearly 4,000 feet. The key and mantra we were told by our guides was “Pole Pole” (pronounced pol-ay pol-ay) – Swahili for Go SLOWLY! The 8 hour ascent wasn’t as physically challenging as it was mentally challenging. We
both begin to experience the effects of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Although there is the same amount of oxygen at this elevation as sea level, it is the air pressure (or lack thereof) that affects the way one thinks, feels and functions. For the last 2 hours of our ascent, we were in a semi-trance state, staring at our feet as they seemed to move inch by inch. Reaching the summit was like a hypnotist snapping his fingers to wake us up. Suddenly, everything became as clear as daylight. To the east we could see the sun peaking over the sea of clouds to welcome us to a new day. It shone upon our weary faces and the great glacier that sits upon the top of Kilimanjaro. We had made it! Although the balloons and fanfare that usually accompany the finish of a race were absent, none was needed for this event. The Great Rift Valley appeared below us – an awe-inspiring moment indeed.

Thus, the two San Fernando Valley Girls became Great Rift Valley Girls.