After spending 9 months planning a potential unsupported run and dozens of discussions about how to be respectful and work within the park regulations, I finally took off at 5am on October 6th into the misty forest from Umbwe Gate.
I spent the previous 8 days on the mountain with my guides Simon Mtuy (previous two time record holder) and Jackson Mtui on Kilimanjaro getting familiar with the terrain, trails, and ecosystem. Due to the strict permitting system we couldn’t exit the park before running it so we camped back down at Umbwe Gate the night before the run. I was tired from the 8 days of scouting, summiting, and camping up and down the mountain so it wasn’t exactly the best set up for a hard athletic effort, but there was something really special about spending a continuous timeline on the mountain from the first steps inside the park to the final exit after the run.
Going unsupported with limited access to water sources as well as making sure my guides were comfortable with the amount of food and emergency gear I carried meant my pack ended up being quite heavy. In addition to extra fuel and hydration, I had all my warm layers, rain jacket, first aid, headlamp, batteries, emergency blanket, and an inReach.
To work within the park rules that state you must have a guide on the mountain, Simon made a plan to run the same route but only after I had a significant head start and by no means could we cross paths during the run. It’s not my ideal version of unsupported but as I am a guest here in this country and on this mountain, it was the best way to stay within the rules of the park as well as meet the guidelines of FKT. I did email FKT beforehand to make sure this set up would be acceptable. Simon finished his run a few hours after I did.
The morning of October 6th I woke up at 3:30am and had an early breakfast with Simon before breaking down my tent and packing up. I started my watch at 5am after we had snapped a few images at the gate and I said good to Simon and the crew. I made my way up into the forest and made it to Umbwe Cave Camp in 1 hour and 55 minutes. The sunlight hit just above Umbwe Cave in the heather forest and I got to see a perfect clear view of Kibo. I made it to Baranco Camp in 3 hours 36 minutes. My one water refill for the run was at the stream crossing on the way to Arrow Glacier Camp. I refilled all my bottles for the duration of the route. I made my way up into the alpine desert and arrived at Arrow Glacier Camp in 5 hours and 7 minutes before climbing Western Bridge. Despite the thick clouds, temperatures were perfect and there was no rockfall while I ascended. I experienced a bit of altitude lightheadedness near the top but to be honest it was pretty fun. I summited Uhuru Peak around 7 hours and 11 minutes. I was moving fast enough to be warm in just my sun hoody- never needed my gloves or jacket. I ran down to Barafu Camp at a moderate pace but walked when I made my way through the camps to be polite as they were all very crowded and chaotic. My legs were feeling shredded anyway from the previous week so I descended at the best pace I could manage- not what I was hoping for but oh well. The clouds stayed tightly bundled around the mountain for the rest of the effort which was great for staying cool. I arrived at Mweka Gate in 10 hours and 30 minutes and met Jackson and my crew on the big terrace. It was so amazing to see everyone there and I got so many high fives and hugs that I actually forgot to pause my watch for a bit.
We had a big dinner of ugali that evening at Simon’s house with the team. I can’t thank Simon and Jackson enough for being not only l fantastic guides, but fantastic ambassadors of their mountain. And mega asante to the rest of the crew- Alex Masunya, Awadhi Maningo, Samson Kikoti, Said Bakari, Pudensiana Kimaro, Yohana Ngonda, Romanius Marcus, Gabriel Olomi, and Raymond Elisha. Thanks for hosting on Kilimanjaro.