Sistahs to the Summit: What It’s Really Like to Take On Mount Kilimanjaro
Climbing nearly 20,000 feet above sea level to the top of one of the tallest mountains in the world is no easy feat. But on October 7, 2022, I joined 13 women from different walks of life and traveled to Tanzania on a soul-searching eight-day adventure to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Overall, we were looking for inspiration—some wanted to answer the “whys” in our life, others were on a mission to rediscover our identities. I was there because at times I find myself trying to compare my life to my friends’, and I was beginning to question: Am I living my best life? As a producer, I love to document stories, so I brought my camera on the trip to capture our growth, our hikes, and our special moments on the mountain.
Kilimanjaro stands at 19,341 feet above sea level and has three dormant volcanic cones, Mawenzi, Shira, and Kibo. The mountain sees nearly 30,000 climbers each year who attempt to trek through four ecosystems. Like so many other of the world’s natural wonders, Mt. Kilimanjaro is enduring the ravaging effects of climate change. The 12,000-year-old glacier that sits at the top of the mountain is expected to melt drastically within the next decade.
Reaching the summit is far from guaranteed. With a nearly 50 percent fail rate, getting to what’s known as the Roof of Africa, the peak of Kilimanjaro, takes a hefty amount of work against significant odds. For my group, the strategy was clear from the start: We decided it was best to take the longest route around the mountain to better acclimate our lungs and have better chances of reaching the summit. It took a full team of 72 guides and porters to move us—all 14 of us—from each of the seven campsites up and down the mountain. It took a total of seven days to reach the summit. We suffered from sunburn, loss of appetite, headaches, and nausea, but developed the most amazing sisterhood.
The dynamic group of 14 Black women are of varying professional backgrounds and range in age from 31 to 53. The trip was spearheaded by a friend who is preparing to celebrate her 50th birthday. While most of us are connected through friendship, some attended college together and others are members of sororities and social organizations. Each of us was in search of a personal journey, seeking a renewal of mind, body, and soul. A time to slow down and focus on ourselves. In the end, we became one of the largest groups of Black women climbers to ever reach to the summit.
In the video above, take an inside look at our historic climb to see how we weathered the many challenges we faced, including altitude sickness, living outside in our campsites, and the changing temperatures. We overcame every time because we leaned into our newfound sisterhood. For me, that solidarity among women was the biggest inspiration of all.
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