Climbing Kilimanjaro On My 33rd Birthday

Tracking Down the Big Five

After Dubai, I flew to Tanzania, spent a few days on the paradise island of Zanzibar off the Tanzanian coast, and hopped on a Land Cruiser to explore Serengeti National Park in order to track down the BIG FIVE.

The last time I was on a safari was in 2014 when I visited South Africa and we managed to see only 4 of the BIG FIVE, most of which were so far away, I almost didn't see them, but not this time.

Serengeti National Park is known for its abundance of wildlife and the high concentration of lions. We managed to see all the BIG FIVE in just 2 days, including the elusive leopard, which is one of the hardest BIG FIVE to see.

Despite seeing all the BIG FIVE in Tanzania, with a leopard and rhino sighting from afar, I decided to continue tracking down more BIG FIVE, this time in Kenya, hoping to see these two elusive animals up close.

Lo and behold, we eventually tracked down a leopard and got to see it in its full glory in Masai Mara National Park, and that's not it. We also had a close encounter with both the black and white rhino at Lake Nakuru, which was *chef kiss* 😗👌. My safari journey is completed.

Climbing Kilimanjaro, the Highest Mountain in Africa

But that's not the sole reason why I visited East Africa during my birthday month. Every year since I started traveling in 2014, I have always tried to dedicate my birthday to doing something awesome and extreme.

It began with an epic skydive in Queenstown, New Zealand in 2014 and spending 4 days alone in the foothills of the Andes in Peru in 2016 to trekking the Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Ri for 15 days alone, reaching the height of 5,644.5 m (18,519 ft) for my 30th birthday, the highest I had ever been.

I thought I would never top that personal record, but for 2021, after being locked down in my own country for the past 2 years, I decided to do something that had been a dream of mine before I even started traveling: to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest single freestanding mountain in the world.

It was a long grind starting at the elevation of only 1,743 m (5,718 ft) from Machame Gate. I took the Machame route, which is one of the most beautiful routes but also not the easiest, and it took me around 4 days to hike over 4 km vertically to reach the Barafu Camp at 4,645 m (15,239 ft).

Up until that point, the hike was difficult but quite manageable until the summit day. The hardest thing about hiking Kilimanjaro, which makes it even harder than the Everest Base Camp, in my opinion, is the summit day. The Kilimanjaro summit day is one of the toughest things I have ever done, both physically and mentally.

You see, for the Kilimanjaro summit day, you have to wake up at midnight and start hiking for about 6-8 hours to reach the summit by sunrise. Although the climb is gradual, the higher you go, the less air you have, which makes it more and more difficult to climb as the night goes on.

The worst part of the summit day is the constant strong wind and the temperature drop at night, which made the long push so torturous. If you have camped in the high-altitude mountains before, you know how cold it is to be out of your tent at night. Imagine hiking in that cold for 6-8 hours.

It took me 6 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Kilimanjaro. I was completely battered. My nose was dripping, my throat had dried up, and my lips, hands, and feet were all swollen into shapes I do not recognize.

It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, and yet it was also the most emotional and memorable birthday present I have ever given myself.

So Why Do I Hike On My Birthday?

Why did I put myself in such a torturous condition for my birthday? I kept asking myself this question many times during my hike. To tell you the truth, I do not know.

What I know is the fact that, at 33, my body can still endure so much more than I thought it could. I also know that when I was up there, I felt euphoria in a way no other activities can make me feel. Even now, as I am down at sea-level, relaxing and watching the sunset at Diani Beach on the coast of Kenya, I still remember the euphoric feeling of being up there, at the top of Africa.

That's probably why I kept coming back to the mountains for my birthday. A birthday should be a day dedicated entirely to yourself, and I treated myself with the best possible present anyone could give me: the feeling of true happiness. Unlike material objects, my 33rd birthday will be with me for many decades to come.

Further Reading for Inspiration

Looking for more articles to help inspire you to travel more? Here is a collection of articles you might like:

• Hiking to the Everest Base Camp is one of the most memorable epic moments of my life. Here's a long-read piece about my experiences hiking the Everest Base Camp: On My Way To Everest Base Camp.
• Ever wondered what it is like to travel the world on a third-world passport? Check out: Traveling The World On A Third World Passport.
• Looking for the most beautiful travel blogs to follow? Here are the 24 Most Beautiful Travel Blogs to Follow.
• Did you know that you can travel without leaving your couch? Here are the 8 Great Travel Books You Should Read.
• For the best travel videos to inspire you to travel even further, here are the 20 Most Creative Travel Videos of All Time.
• Ever wondered what it's like to be a travel blogger during COVID-19? Check out: Being a Travel Blogger During COVID-19 - What Is It Like?
• If you lose your bag while you travel, here is how to deal with the situation: My Bag Was Stolen In Germany.
• Have you ever felt that you do not belong in a place you were born in? Read this: Where Is Home? - My Quest In Search Of Where I Belong.
• Travel friends come and go, but that may not be such a bad thing. Here is why you should embrace your travel friends: A Life of Brief Encounters.
• Hiking is life. Here's why: One Year Of Incredible Discomfort - 10 Things I've Learned From Climbing Mountains.
• Here's why having no plan is the best plan: Magical Things Happen When You Have Nothing To Do - The Art Of Doing Nothing.
• Is life getting you down? Here's why you can't always blame life for everything: Life Doesn't Suck. We Just Suck At Living It.
• Want to know why I chose to travel alone? Read this: We Travel Alone, NOT To Be Alone.
• For a meaningful solo trip, you need to share it with someone. Here is why Happiness Is Only Real When Shared.
• The Himalayan Mountain is one hell of a teacher. Here are the 7 Life Lessons The Himalayas Taught Me.
• Want to travel alone but scared that you might get bored out of your mind? Here is How To Enjoy Yourself And Have Fun While Traveling Alone.
• Here is a simple story on how I started traveling: F*ck It, I'll Do This Alone.
• For more inspiring articles like this, visit my Inspiration page.