Mount Kilimanjaro
At first, going to Tanzania during a pandemic seemed like a crazy idea, but the restlessness from months of self-isolation was numbing and the lure of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro just too strong.
The Machame Trail is one of the most popular — and shortest — of the seven main routes up Kilimanjaro. It is usually a seven-day trek with a difficulty rating of challenging, but my team (a guide, a chef and four porters) and I made the top in six.
My guide, Michael, told me mid-September was usually one of the busiest times on Kilimanjaro, but COVID had all but scared away tourists — even the adventurous ones.
The Machame’s thirty-seven miles of up-and-down footpaths, dotted with many rock, gravel and scramble sections, are hailed as some of the most awe-inspiring trails in the world. The numerous panoramic views helped take my mind off the rugged hike while I plodded on.
There were many moments, looking out onto the magnificent horizon alone with the unseen mountain’s silent power always looming, which lent themselves to quiet contemplation. These special instances, in tandem with the lack of internet, made it easy to forget about all the troubles in the world — including COVID-19.
A sort of social media distancing.
There were cold nights (10°F) and foggy mornings mixed in with the sunny days. I’ll never forget the invigorating scramble up The Baranco Wall — an intimidating, winding artery of slippery rocks — or crossing the moonlike Alpine Desert and a snowy lunch at Lava Rock.
The pre-dawn, moonlit start from base camp to the summit rewarded me with a glorious sunrise breaking over the surrounding peaks before reaching the top — hypoglycemia and altitude sickness be damned.
In the meantime, during that inspiring, secluded, news-free venture, it was easy to imagine that all of the world’s problems had vanished — COVID and all.
Isolation isn't so bad if you find the right place to do it.
