The First 21 kms on Kilimanjaro Barefoot

Feeling so blessed to have the possibility to walk in the company of 8 strong, passionate, kind, world class women who want to change the world. We walked with love and support for all women and girls with each step and I will never forget how powerful we felt coming together. We named our group The Mountain is Us and our goal was to reach the summit of Uruhu Gate, on the top of Kilimanjaro, in 48 hours to set a World Record. Most people do it in 5 days.

The day before we started to climb, Stage 1, I had been given the name Mamma Simba by our Guides and Porters. They thought that I was strong like a lion but also had the mane of a lion because of my wild hair. They told me it would be disrespectful for them to call me by my first name or even Barefoot Sue because of my maturity. They honour their elders by giving them the title Mamma, before their name. How precious!

We did a group breathing session and a ceremony with cacao the night before we left. We were all anticipating this journey and everyone responded differently. I wasn't nervous but rather concerned with my breathing and how cold my feet would be and if I could do the entire climb barefoot, like I wanted to. The owner of the company we hired to support us on the journey, Filipo, had called me a couple of weeks before we left to warn me that it was very unsafe to go barefoot. He promised to have the lead guide call me to talk about the options, but that never happened as he was too busy. One of the ladies who did a lot of planning with Filipo also discouraged me from going barefoot the whole way as she didn't want me to jeopardize the group making it to the summit, by being slower to reach my personal goal. I would never not consider the group challenge. I had checked the weather on the mountain and it was quite good for climbing Kilimanjaro barefoot. Only -12 C at night. I could possibly manage that, but since our last stage started at 10:30 PM at night, I was also concerned about trying to walk in the dark barefoot as it can be quite dangerous. Overall, I felt like I didn't have a lot of support to stay barefoot and that I should just focus on getting to the top with the group, as we had all agreed.

The next morning we registered and started our climb around 10:00 am. During the first stage, we would climb up 2000 meters (6600 feet), over 21 kilometers. The weather was very comfortable. I'm not exactly sure what the temperature was but likely around 25 C when we started, and it got obviously colder as we climbed. My backpack was not working for me because they insisted we carry 3 litres of water. After a few hours of complete discomfort I handed it over to one of my porters and I didn't carry it the rest of the way. We walked on different terrains as we climbed and that included a lot of rock and sand. During that day my feet were cut, bruised, stubbed, swollen, and in the end, very tender. Dealing with high altitude, low oxygen, lots of rocks, the physical challenge, as well as being barefoot was extremely complicated for my brain and that's when accidents happen!

Before we left for this journey we had all agreed that we would set a group pace that everyone could follow, and stick together. That morning some of the women raced ahead right away and it was clear they walked faster than 3 of us did and they were energized and excited to meet the deadline of 48 hours. When it was time to have a break for lunch, we arrived at the hut just as they left, as they had already rested enough. It was difficult for me to be always trailing behind instead of being a part of a group and I had to work hard not to be discouraged by this.

When we arrived at our destination for that day, Horumbo Hut, the 6 faster women had already selected their bunkbed, washed up, and were ready to go have dinner. The three of us trailed behind but at the same time we had a fabulous experience bonding together. I was exhausted, a bit dizzy from the altitude, but feeling pretty good considering the climb that day. Here we are in the photo, and you can see the exhilaration once we finally arrived.

The whole group of women sat together at a long wooden table on benches and shared stories, laughed a lot, and we ate dinner that was served to us. The main guide, Miack, gave us a pep talk about the success of the day and assured us we made great timing. He reviewed the plans for the following day and also suggested that one of the 'slower' hikers walk behind the lead guide and set the pace for the entire group so that we all stay together. He suggested that person be me! The three of us who were a bit slower were very happy about that decision. I was really looking forward to the next day leading the group pace.

That night feet were a mess. Whenever I'm tired I tend to get more injuries and that day I was extremely exhausted.I had cuts on every toe and both my big toes were slashed open on the top. With the terrain, the physical challenge, and the lack of oxygen at that height, I struggled to keep my feet from injury. After dinner, one of the guides came and doused the cuts in iodine to help avoid infection.

The next morning we got up early and the guides brought us tea to our hut and a bowl of hot water for washing up. There was nervous excitement among all of us. We were at 3720 meters (12,204 feet) up the mountain. Next we would be in the morelands, between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo, and that day we would climb to 4700 meters (15,500 feet) were the vegetation turns into a moonscape. My feet were swollen and painful so I decided to wear my Xero Sandals for some protection. At least my feet and toes were exposed to the air so the sensory receptors could communicate to my brain about the environment around me. 

It was a beautiful day of intense hiking and we all tried to sleep through the night in preparation for the next day. To be continued.