WHAT KILIMANJARO TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Rising to Kilimanjaro’s Stella Peak, elevation 18,000’, I’m reminded how life is a journey, not a destination.  I may not have reached Uhuru Peak, but the success of that journey wasn’t defined by a summit.

Not three months prior I lie in my bed paralyzed by symptoms of Lyme Disease that interfered with my life for more than two straight months … and then I climbed a mountain.

Just three days before our ascent I spontaneously reversed my decision not to participate in this 7-day climb.  My team being so fantastic, I didn’t want to miss having this experience alongside them.  So… one duffle bag of rented clothes, a handful of borrowed gear and a $30 pair of used-boots later, I was on my way up the mountain.

Continuously finding metaphors during my international travels, I can’t help but compare this climb to life, especially my journey with nurturing a budding business.  “Pole, pole,” we’re told by our guides.  “Slow, slow…. One step at a time.  There is no hurry.  Rest when you need to rest.”  If only our guide Justin could ride home in my backpack to remind me “pole, pole” after a 14 hour day in the office.

We climbed for five days and one night, our objective to reach Uhuru Peak, the famous Kilimanjaro summit, elevation 19,340’.  Day one through fog and forest, we trekked through surreal settings of trees and vegetation.  Day two put us above the tree line as we gazed at vast skylines from our camp high up on the mountain.  Day three became a challenge as we pushed to our landmark, Lava Tower, and then onto what looked like a Dr. Suess-wonderland.  Day four was a scramble up the Barranco Wall followed by a grueling ascent up our steepest incline yet.  This is the day where I broke down in my tent wondering if I had it in me to go any further.  Day five was a push to our camp where we’d begin our ascent to Uhuru Peak. 

Our meal was served at 11pm in preparation for the summit.  We set out with headlamps for our last push of the week.  My energy level was down due to a parasite I’d contracted earlier in the trip, and I couldn’t eat a thing.  Between hot and cold sweats, my feverish body trudged one step at a time up that steep incline, our guides reminding me along the way: “pole, pole, one step at a time.  It’s the only way to the top.”  Three hours into the climb, with only three hours to the summit, I decided to turn around.

That week had me thinking about my growing business as I placed one foot in front of the other, a steady uphill climb.  In life, and as entrepreneurs, we aim to reach a summit in the form of long and short term goals.  We reach some peaks and dip through valleys, scramble up walls, and cry in our tents.  Sometimes even get paralyzed by illness which takes us out of the game completely.  But most days we press on, one step at a time, excited to greet the great unknown, all the while asking “How far can I go?”  “What can I achieve?”

What Kilimanjaro taught me is that there is only one way to approach any journey in life, “pole, pole… one step at a time.”  I sincerely take this to heart.  The destination itself does not define the success of the journey; the small steps it takes to climb are successes themselves.   

I didn’t reach the summit of Kilimanjaro during our August adventure.  But I did reach unexpected heights of 18,000’ with only 72 hours notice alongside an amazing group of individuals.  It’s a journey I’ll cherish and celebrate with my lifelong friends for years to come and value the lessons I learned that week.  Lessons that mimic life’s journey, taking one simple step at a time.

Jodi Nelson
Founder, PLAY it Forward Adventures

Tags: Adventure travel, kilimanjaro, Outdoor Adventure, Summit, Volunteer Vacation, voluntourism
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KILIMANJARO

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

The mountain is unknown to me- I haven’t reached its summit, I haven’t even seen it in person. I thought I might gain some insight about it by the meaning of its name, but even that is dubious.  Perhaps in the end, the mystery is the most important quality of this hunk of rock.

While I confess that I am a stranger to Kilimanjaro, I am no stranger to mountains. Having lived in Alaska for 5 years, I’ve spent significant time among the crags and precipices. And I know that there are certain characteristics these colossals would share with their African cousin.

In a shadow of a mountain, I am in awe of their timelessness. These giants are the silent sentinels of the centuries. Their fixture among a changing world is a tremendous source of stability.

Kilimanjaro has remained resolute in its oversight of a continent that has amassed quite a history.  The mountain sat quietly while pharos reigned, when the world came to Alexandria to learn philosophy, as colonial powers reached the shores and made their conquests, and as the struggles of apartheid gripped the people. It remained while the sounds, colors, and flavors of the culture made their way to distant lands. It will continue to watch, wait and witness the centuries to come, observing where new hopes may blossom. In Kilimanjaro there may lay a quiet assurance to the world’s poorest continent, ravaged by disease and conflict that “this too shall pass.”

Yet stability seems the antithesis of mystery. Despite the solid edifice, there are deep mysteries. The adventure comes in discovering what secrets the mountain may hold. What lessons does it share about the people it observes? What will you find out about yourself as you explore its cliffs and crannies (and your own inner world)? Each time you climb, it will be a different experience. You can never know what to expect.

Scaling a mountain is a spiritual journey of awakening.

The ascension from base to summit is wrought with struggle and surprise. It begins with an energetic vigilance, eager steps to reach the goal.  Soon the slope becomes steeper and steps become slower. The mountain begins to challenge each step, and it starts to take strong effort to push one foot in front of the other, and propel you foot by foot toward the top. Mountains have a particular fondness for cruelty to their climbers; they lure you into thinking you’ve reached the top, only to find more mountain to climb. This elusive apex challenges the fortitude of any climber.

Stop. Take a look around.  It is surprising how far you’ve already come. The view has become spectacular from this new perspective, which would have been unknowable without perspiration. Renewed and inspired, press on towards your goal.  After another grueling test of endurance you finally find yourself with no higher place to reach. You made it and the exhilaration fills your body and you feel like the eagle freely flying on a thermal updraft. The world below extends to the horizon, the individuals below so small and the trouble you left behind seemingly insignificant. The chill of the air awakens something inside as you take it all in. Then with one last sigh of contentment, you return to the world below.

Enthusiasm. Struggle. Reward. Perspective. Endurance. Doubt. Triumph. Freedom.

Sitting on the plains of Africa, Kilimanjaro patiently waits, beckoning for the next Sojourner to embark on a path of discovery. You will encounter something greater than yourself.

Play it Forward.

Nathan Worrell
PIF Sojourner, Guatemala October 2008

Tags: AIDS Orphans, Climbing, kilimanjaro, Outdoor Adventure, Volunteer Vacation, voluntourism
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PLAY it Forward with AIDS Orphans in Africa

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

In beautiful Tanzania, PLAY if Forward will work with a local non-profit that provides orphans with adequate care, education, healthcare, clothes, food, and a loving and warm family life. Sojourners on this adventure will contribute to these children in two ways. The group will be staying at a locally owned and ran lodge in Rhotia Valley whose funding provides sustainability for the children’s home. Sojourners will also be offering their time and support as they construct a much-needed cattle barn for preserving the culture of the children. The staff is 100% Tanzanian and the children are from the local village of Rhotia. Rhotia consists of mainly small farmers. The goal is for children to learn how to improve farming and be proud to teach and help their fellow villagers.

PLAY it Forward will travel to Tanzania this August to scale Kilimanjaro. Before setting off on the thrilling 7-day adventure climb, sojourners will be helping those in need. They will also experience African wildlife on safaris in two different areas.

Join PLAY it Forward on this thrilling and rewarding adventure! Visit http://www.pifadventures.com/trips/kilimanjaro for more information and call 651-493-8817 to book today!

Tags: Africa, AIDS Orphans, kilimanjaro, Tanzania, voluntourism
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