Day 9: The last miles

Start: Mweka Camp

Finish: Mweka Gate

Distance: 6 miles

Elevation gain: 3100m to 1640m

Climatic zone: Rainforest

The final day of the trek began with the usual routine of Ramaa tapping my tent, still announcing "Welcome to Tanzania Amy", despite the fact that I'd been in the country for over a week. "Your tea is ready! Did you sleep well?" he continued. Although I was excited at the prospect of sleeping in a bed, the thought of having to use an alarm and not being woken up this way made me want to stay on the mountain for longer. I was the first to the breakfast tent, with my appetite soaring from the increased oxygen and energy I had expended during the summit night. I heard Will and George bickering from their tent as usual, as they struggled to organise their gear with limited space. Saidi burst into the mess tent in his usual energetic style, smiling and saying "Morning boss, how did you sleep my summit champion?"He laughed at my eagerness for breakfast and joined me for a cup of tea as we chatted about the Kilimanjaro guide training programme. As part of the assessment to become a qualified guide on the mountain, you must prove that you can ascend and descend entirely on your own - carrying all your gear and keeping yourself safe. He explained, "If I can't look after myself and summit successfully, then how am I supposed to help a full team!" Most guides begin as porters, so they know the mountain well and if they can afford their college fees then they train as guides which is the route Saidi had followed. Everyone was in high spirits at breakfast, reporting of long and restful sleep and showing excitement at the prospect of our first shower in 8 days!

Following breakfast our team of guides, the chef, waiter and porters gathered. The guides would join us for the final descent, but it wasn't guaranteed that we would see the rest of our team again. We expressed how grateful we were of their support, endless energy and kindness over the last 8 days and Saidi translated this to the team. Nasibo smiled proudly as we praised his incredible food and Ramaa grinned as we thanked him for his lovely morning wake up calls. Simon, who had the least desirable job being in charge of the camp toilet, laughed as we showed our appreciation. I hugged Husain, who ensured I descended the mountain safely and rapidly. I laughed with Azizi who had bought me daily joy by whacking me with a tea towel! We gave a group tip which the guides would distribute fairly and in return they sang Tanzanian songs, pulling us in to dance with them as I got spun around and picked up! When they finished Will exclaimed, "I need a nap after that!" but Saidi announced we had 5 minutes to prepare before we would begin the last section of the route.

Anton was guiding from the front today, with Joey at the back, as Saidi stayed behind to pay his porters and help them organise all the gear. The route was easy, a gentle descending dusty path that we made quick progress on. Porters simply run this final section, eager to return home and have a rest after their time on the mountain. George and I chatted with Anton about the cost of food in Tanzania, as he explained it's very rare for people to use supermarkets over growing their own food. Anton, who had been our expert on the fauna and flora of Kilimanjaro, would occasionally stop and show us a plant - naming it and telling us medicinal uses. The air was warm and thick, it felt nice to be out of the endless layers and back into the rainforest. The thin, cold air and the hostility of the summit felt like a distant memory.

A couple of hours into the morning, George began to laugh as we heard a familiar voice singing loudly and the sound of footsteps running towards us. It was Saidi, he'd caught us up and joined us for the final miles shouting "I missed you all!" The final miles were wonderful as we reminisced about our time on the mountain, as monkeys darted through the trees. Our team had all successfully ascended and descended unscathed but despite this there were still reminders of the more sinister side of Kilimanjaro. A rumbling sound echoed down the slope as Saidi pulled me to the side of the path. Two men guided a rickety stretcher down the trail, bringing a woman back to safety, who lay in her sleeping bag with a rucksack as a pillow. The guides explained that if helicopters can't be organised or the client can't afford the $3500 fee, then this is the next best option. They demonstrated using a spare stretcher trolley, getting George to be the fake casualty and pushing him a few metres down the trail. It looked uncomfortable but when the best treatment for altitude sickness is to descend, all that matters is speed.

Up ahead in the distance I saw the Mweka gate, a signpost which marks the end of the adventure and the place where we would receive our certificates. Anton and Saidi pointed saying, "Amy! We are finished!" It was a bittersweet feeling, as although Kilimanjaro had not been without it's challenges, I had some of the best days of my life on this mountain and couldn't have felt happier during my time here. Saidi cheered saying "I can carry you now boss!", as he scooped me up and ran the last few metres with me towards the "congratulations" sign, with Anton laughing and running alongside us! We took photos at the sign while waiting for the others to catch up. The guides organised our certificates while we we sat on the benches basking in the warm sun, allowing the sense of achievement to sink in. Saidi protected our certificates, clutching them closely into his chest, explaining that he will take then to his friend's business to be laminated. We piled into the mini bus where we were reunited with Ramaa, Nasibo and Azizi who joined for the lift back to town. We were driven to Moshi town for lunch where we demolished everything from burgers, to steaks to huge plates of pasta before returning to our hotel. The shower was almost in sight and I couldn't wait to remove the dust and sweat that caked my skin and hair. Will and George were sharing a room and asked me who I think should be allowed to shower first. We decided if the sum of our combined room numbers was higher than 30 then George would shower first and lower it would be Will, using a game of rock, paper, scissors if the rooms added up to exactly 30.

Before getting our rooms, it was time to receive our certificates which Saidi had laminated and looked incredibly excited to present. Anton and Joey, along with the rest of the team that had joined for the ride gathered around. I thought they would simply give us our certificates but Saidi gave a personalised speech about each of us. George fought back the emotion as he hugged Saidi when getting his certificate saying, "You're going to make us cry again!" Will was frantically wiping tears away as he looked over to his brother proudly. Saidi began my certificate speech saying, "My dream is always that people come to Tanzania as clients and leave as friends and with Amy my dream has come true!" I smiled and shook my head at him, saying "Stop it, I told myself I wasn't going to cry!" He laughed saying, "Oooh no there's a lot more to say!" He continued by thanking me for my smiles and laughter, remaining positive on summit night, never asking how much further despite the altitude symptoms, helping everyone stretch after long days and "breaking the record for the fastest descent!" He pulled me into a hug as we both laughed and shared happy tears, that I'd frankly given up on fighting. He presented me with my certificate as Anton and Joey nearly knocked me over as they simultaneously gave me enthusiastic taps on my back! They all knew from their time with me how long I'd wanted to climb Kilimanjaro for and what getting to the summit meant to me and it felt like they genuinely cared about helping my dream come true.

We were given our room keys and despite our room numbers adding up to above 30, Will refused to let George have the first shower that easily as they chased each other to their room, shoving one another out the way. The long awaited shower arrived and it was glorious! I chaotically stuffed my gear back into my bag and used all my strength to close the zip. I joined George and Will for drinks by the pool before the guides returned for our final dinner together. The night was full of laughter, good food and drinks and celebrations. As we left for our rooms, I realised I only had an hour until I needed to be be awake for my transfer to the airport but I had a long journey ahead of me where I could attempt to sleep. We said an emotional goodbye to the guides, I couldn't have been more grateful for everything they had done over the days on the mountain and are by far the best team I have ever had. Saidi gave me a bracelet with the colours of the Tanzanian flag to remind me of my time on Kilimanjaro and Anton and Joey told us all we were welcome back anytime. I collapsed on my bed preparing myself for the dreaded alarm that wouldn't be accompanied by Ramaa giving me tea.

I felt sad to be leaving Tanzania, but sure that I would return to this wonderful country, after all Mount Meru is waiting to be climbed! Kilimanjaro delivered everything I expected and more. The incredible scenery, the challenge of summit night, new friendships and a true sense of achievement. The power of adventure is immeasurable to me. You never know what value an adventure will bring to your life. What lessons you will learn, what confidence you will gain, what strength you'll receive. It is often not even revealed on completion of the mission but instead you are drip fed the rewards in the months and years to come and you find yourself drawing upon the lessons in the most unpredictable situations. Although my physical journey on Kilimanjaro has ended, the memories and the lessons will continue to stay alive. I'd like to take the time to say thank you to everyone that has supported this journey whether that has been offering invaluable insight and advice, lending essential kit, following my journey, offering motivational and kind words. It helps immensely and although I like to undertake these adventures on my own, I never truly feel alone - rather that I have a team of people behind me routing for me. I hope you've enjoyed following along and taken some motivation to help you achieve your own goals. I'd also like to thank my wonderful expedition team and fellow climbers who made this adventure possible and shared laughter, miles and tears with me.

Thank you for taking time to follow my journey and let's have another adventure again soon!

Amy xx