The Roof of Africa

Clara Bent ‘24

The journey to reach Mt. Kilimanjaro alone was a rigorous one. The trip included four flights, a fourteen hour layover, and over 36 hours of travel. Only one day after arriving in Moshi, Tanzania I would begin the 8 day trek on the Lemosho trail to summit the 19,341 ft mountain.

On the fourth night, we slept at Barranco Camp (12,800 ft). I will never forget the feeling of sitting on the edge of a ridge, the glacialized peak to my back, looking out over a sea of clouds. There was this incredible sense of untameable wildness, and I relished the opportunity to bear witness to it.

Throughout the hike I became obsessed with documenting the astonishing landscapes and people that made up this experience. In particular, I became entranced by the work of the porters and often found myself capturing them with my camera. Many of these men and sometimes women, make this journey once a month, bearing the weight of supplies and gear, hiking at incredible speeds, and supporting groups like my own by keeping morales up and sharing their vast knowledge of the landscape and their culture.

While each day was challenging and exhausting in its own right, the real challenge did not come until the summit night. After hiking all day to reach Barafu Base Camp (15,330 feet) we ate as much as we could considering the altitude and tried to sleep for a couple of hours before the start of our ascent.

The lengthy and slow ascent to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak began at 10 p.m.. The temperature was in the negatives, it was pitch plack, and the wind felt as if it went straight through me. It was probably the most physically and mentally testing experience of my life. As the sun rose, hidden by the clouds and stormy weather that characterized our summit night, we reached Stella point around 8 or 9 a.m. I was experiencing frostnip on my face, fingers and toes, each strand of my hair was encased in a sheet of ice, my back was peeling from a severe sunburn, and my feet were blistered and bleeding, but I was so unbelievably content. During the last two-hour round trip along the crater rim to Uhuru peak, I got this incredible rush and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling and giggling. I practically ran the rest of the way.

July 2021

All images were taken on and around Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.