Congratulations! The team reached the summit of Kilimanjaro this morning. They woke up early this morning for the classic “alpine start,” leaving the Barafu Camp by headlamp in the middle of the night, and climbed up to the top of Kilimanjaro just after sunrise. It is the biggest day of the climb, leaving from 15,340 feet at Barafu Camp and climbing over 4,000 feet to the summit of Kili at 19,341 feet. The climb reaches the rim of the summit crater at Stella Point at 18,885 feet, and then the final push ascends the old crater rim to the highest point in Africa and the summit known as Uhuru Peak. Climbers plan to reach Stella Point as the sun is rising and then are typically on the top watching the sun spread out across the plains of Africa below. After spending some time on the top and soaking up the views, they began their descent, which might be the hardest part of the day. The descent takes them back down the trail they climbed to the Barafu Camp, where they stopped in to rest for a bit, pack their bags, and have some hot tea and a good meal before continuing down the mountain. They descended to Mweka Camp, where they are settled in now for a well-deserved rest and a big celebratory dinner. Mweka Camp is down at 10,170 feet, so they will have descended over 9,000 feet!

It is the longest day of the trek and here’s the stats: Distance – 11.2 miles. Altitude gain – 4,000 feet. Descent – 9,171 feet.

Congratulations to all the trekkers and the crew for a job well done! Here’s Danny Newberry with the call from the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro Summit Expedition Dispatch