Climbing Kilimanjaro: Living in the Shadow of Africa’s Highest Mountain

“For me, the mountain is life. Every trek has taught me a lot.
Sometimes you are not good at something, but when you understand what is important, you begin to improve.
You learn to be good, kind, and present, with love and a smile on your face.
The mountain changed me.” — Manu, Kilimanjaro guide

The Adventure Begins

Climbing Kilimanjaro was never my dream, until it became my dream. Yes, I know. A cliché. My first encounter with Kili happened during my first visit to Tanzania, when we took a day trip after our safari to Materuni Waterfall, at the foot of Kilimanjaro. Perfect scenes of nature. Greenery, coffee plantations, banana trees everywhere, which I became slightly obsessed with at one point, water, and fresh air. But Kili was hiding and we could not see it.

Our young guide explained that the mountain does not reveal itself often and that those it chooses to appear to will have a lucky day. If Muhammad will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Muhammad. Or, to paraphrase: “If Kili won’t show itself to Asima, Asima will go to Kili.” And so it was.

Eight months later, Dijana and I are sitting in a hotel room in Arusha, slightly nervous, waiting for the guides to check everything on our Kilimanjaro packing list. Someone knocks on the door. They have arrived. They introduce themselves. One is Manuel, or Manu, and the other is Roland.

At the time, I knew very little about the people who would lead us toward the summit over the next few days. Almost two years later, I spoke to Manu again. This time, I did not ask him how much water we needed to drink or what awaited us on the next section of the trail. I wanted to know how the mountain had become his life.

As the conversation begins, and we slowly relax. Our equipment is fine. They give us a few tips and explain what to expect over the coming days.

The night was long. I honestly do not think either of us slept. Morning finally came. Soon, it´s time to set off. Manu and Roland lead the way. On the way, we meet Jefrey, the cook, and Joshua, the waiter. There is music, singing, and a relaxed atmosphere in the car.

Day 1: Into the Rainforest – Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

We arrived at the starting point of the Marangu Route. Our route of choice because we wanted a little “luxury.” It is the only route with huts where climbers can sleep. Girls need beauty sleep.

Along with Dijana and me, there are eight crew members. There, we meet the rest of the team who join us there. After completing the required registration, slowly but surely, the adventure begins.

Only the guides stay with us, while everyone else has already passed us. They explain that this is normal because the rest of the crew will be waiting with dinner when we reach the first hut. Everything is going well. We admire the scenery. The paths are marked, while black-and-white colobus monkeys and blue monkeys play in the trees.

A small stream crosses our path, and we meet many other hikers. The number of people surprises us, but most are day visitors taking one of the shorter hikes instead of the full ascent. Our guides cheerfully answer every question, and before we know it, Mandara Hut is in front of us. The walk takes about three to four hours, and I enjoy every minute of it. Kili seems surprisingly easy. Manu smiles. Later, we understand why.

After freshening up and changing our clothes, we go to the communal dining area. Coffee, tea, popcorn, and cookies are waiting on the table. Joshua brings us hot water, and I make my first coffee on Kili—not counting the one from the previous year, when I visited a plantation and went through the entire coffee-making process.

The first day on Kilimanjaro begins in the lush rainforest, where dense vegetation, moss-covered trees, and winding trails make it easy to forget you’re climbing Africa’s highest mountain.

For us, it was our first day on the mountain. Manu experienced his first day on Kilimanjaro as an eighteen-year-old, after finishing secondary school. His parents did not have enough money to pay for him to continue his education.

One day, his uncle, who worked as a cook on the mountain, visited the family and suggested that Manu should start working with him. His parents did not agree because they thought he was too young and too small for the job.

Later, he told them, “I am a man. It is time for me to find a job and make decisions about my own life.” His father agreed. His mother still did not, but Manu decided to go to the mountain anyway.

Joshua brings us dinner, and I think it was the first time I had ever tried hot cucumber soup. It was delicious, as was the rest of the meal. We ask him to tell Jefrey, “Chakula ni kitamu”—the food is delicious.

After dinner, it’s time for the standard health check. Blood pressure is measured, and we complete the medical form used to assess whether we are ready to continue.

Everything looks good. Healthy and ready to continue, we head to bed before tomorrow’s climb.

Day 2: Above the Clouds – Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

Liston comes to collect my large duffel bag. This makes the climb much easier for us because we only carry our daypacks, with essentials such as snacks, layers of clothing, and several liters of water. Because of the altitude, everyone is advised to drink around five liters of fluids a day. As it became colder, however, I did not feel particularly thirsty. Still, every so often we heard, “Sipi, sipi,” meaning “drink water,” probably derived from the English phrase “take a sip.” Either way, if you do not want to “upset” your guide, it is better to listen and drink.

Five hours of walking lie ahead of us – or five hours of beautiful views. Mawenzi, Kili’s second-highest peak, appears near the beginning of the hike. Kilimanjaro consists of three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Uhuru, the highest peak and the one everyone climbs, is on Kibo. Not everyone can climb Mawenzi. A special permit is required because the ascent demands serious technical skills. Shira is the third cone. It collapsed over time, leaving behind an almost flat plateau. Unfortunately, it is on the other side of the mountain, so we did not see it. The Lemosho and Machame routes cross the Shira Plateau area.

At first, tall trees still surround us, but there are fewer with every step, and shrubs slowly replace them. The trail is still well worn and gently inclined. Manu and Roland are not only our guides but also our DJs. Music stays with us the whole time. So do the words pole pole and sipi sipi. At one point, Joshua passes us. It is incredible how the rest of the crew stayed behind to clean and pack everything, then overtook us with such ease.

On the way from Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut, the landscape gradually opens up as the rainforest gives way to the moorland. Then, for the first time, Kibo reveals itself in the distance—a moment every Kilimanjaro trekker waits for.

Somewhere around the halfway point, we stop for lunch at an area with benches and a toilet. I have to admit that the infrastructure is very well organized here. Proof that we are climbing is the fact that the city is no longer visible. It has disappeared beneath the clouds. And we are above them.

We continue and cross a small bridge over a stream. We can see our huts ahead, but we still have to reach them.

As we climb higher toward Horombo Hut, the landscape becomes more open and rugged. We stop for a short break before continuing above the clouds, leaving the rainforest far below.

Manu’s First Climb

While we were still enjoying the views and gentle ascent on our second day, Manu later admitted that after his first trek, he had made a very different decision. He never wanted to return to the mountain.

„The first time I went to the mountain, it was hard. I did not know what to do or where to go. I was working as a porter, but I was not walking with my uncle. Still, I tried my best and finished my first trek.”

Two months later, however, he called his uncle and said he wanted to climb again.

„Life was tough and I needed money. As a man without work, life was not easy. I was not able to take care of my responsibilities. Even regular things, like cutting your hair or looking smart, require money.”

It hurt him that he had no money. He did not want to borrow it, so he decided to give the mountain another chance. Every climb after that became easier because he already had experience. Days and months passed, and eventually he became a waiter.

“Most of the clients were very happy with me and the way I provided my service. I smiled even when I was tired.”

We use the time for a short photo session. Later, when I looked at the pictures, I realized that I had photographed the construction site more than anything else: the new, taller huts and the wooden roof structure. I kept thinking about how they had brought up the cement and built concrete walls while leaving the surrounding nature untouched.

I think they call that an occupational hazard.

Horombo Hut finally comes into view..

An Evening at Horombo Hut

Still smiling, despite feeling a little tired. Our hosts, of course, are not tired – or at least they do not look like they are – as they welcome us with the song “Waje tena”, meaning “Come again”. Even when a guide is tired, he does not show it. He smiles and does his job responsibly.

With each passing day, our climb feels more and more like a luxury trip. We find out that we have a hut to ourselves again tonight and do not have to share it with anyone. It is the little things that make us happy. The huts have four or six beds and are usually full during the high season.

While waiting for dinner, we take a walk as the sun begins to set. The scenery feels unreal. A-frame huts, clouds, and Mawenzi in the background. Every hut has its own solar panel. It is clear that they pay considerable attention to sustainability and living in harmony with nature. The rule on the mountain is “trash in, trash out.” Whatever rubbish you bring in, you must carry back out.

After dinner, as usual, follows blood pressure and pulse checks, followed by the rest of the standard procedure. At this elevation, the lack of oxygen is already noticeable. We walk and speak more slowly because we get tired more quickly. Despite that, Roland tells us he believes we are ready to continue toward the next base tomorrow.

According to our original plan, most of Day 3 was intended for acclimatization. We would remain at this elevation and hike to Zebra Rocks, at approximately 4,000 meters, with a view of Mawenzi. This would allow our bodies to adjust to the lower oxygen levels. The principle is known as “climb high, sleep low.” Horombo Hut sits at 3,720 meters. Together with our guides, we decide to continue to Kibo Hut the next day and keep this “extra” day in reserve in case we need a second summit attempt.

The rest of the evening is reserved for chatting with the other climbers, retelling the day’s events. Spending few days together is enough time to get to know one another. Although most of these conversations begin and end with the question of whether someone else might be breathing more easily than you.

For Manu, meeting people from different parts of the world is one of the reasons he loves this job.

“This job allows me to create friendships, kindness, and trust. I learn from other people, especially people from abroad. They know many things.

Before, we heard that white people were not good or that black people were not good. But when you meet people, you understand that it is not about color. It is not about where people come from. It is about their hearts.

You start wondering if people with such good hearts still exist.”

Not all his experiences have been like that. Manu does not like talking about it, but unexpected situations sometimes happen. Once, a couple got into a serious argument. When he tried to calm them down, they began insulting him as well. The mountain rangers became involved, the trek was stopped, and they had to descend the next morning. Once the tension had passed, the couple apologized to him.

Day 3: Toothless Mawenzi and Rounded Kibo – Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

The next morning, we hear a knock at the door. Joshua has arrived with tea. It has become our morning routine. We drink it while trying to wake up. I had already stopped drinking coffee on the second morning. I never thought that could happen to me, but it did. I do not know whether the taste was different or whether it was something else, but coffee gave me a strange feeling at that elevation. That was only my personal experience; everyone reacts differently. The pleasure was gone, so I switched to tea.

While we drink our tea, Joshua brings us a basin of warm water for washing. After that, we eat breakfast.

We pack our daypacks and start walking.

There is an inexplicable sense of calm in the simplicity of these days. You wake up, the sun rises, you get ready, walk through untouched nature, watch the sun go down, then lie down and sleep. You begin to understand what really matters in life, and the desire to find that feeling again grows stronger with time.

Nature calls you back to it.

My increasingly heavy breathing pulls me out of these thoughts and reminds me that I have enough energy to walk, but not enough to think.

When Safety Comes First

As we approach the next hut, the air becomes thinner, making it harder to breathe and move. We are not the only ones affected by the altitude. You can see it in the landscape around us.

In situations like these, a guide has to judge when it is no longer safe to continue.

On one occasion, Manu was guiding two women when one developed altitude sickness. He decided that they had to descend. She insisted on continuing to the summit because she had paid for the entire trip. But the decision to go down had already been made.

Once they reached a lower elevation and she felt better, she thanked him and left a review that later helped him considerably.

Fortunately, our climb continues without such problems. We walk toward Kibo Hut as the landscape around us changes more and more.

When we set off that morning, there were still shrubs around us. Gradually, they became shorter and less dense. Then only the occasional blade of grass remained. Now it feels as though we are on Mars. Or so I conclude, as an experienced Martian.

The only things that remain are Kibo and Mawenzi. They stand proudly before us in all their size, while Kibo hints at the reward waiting for us if we make it to the end. According to a Chagga legend, Kibo and Mawenzi were brothers. One day, Mawenzi’s fire went out, so he went to Kibo to ask for embers. But this kept happening. Eventually, Kibo became so angry that he struck Mawenzi. That is how Mawenzi became toothless, jagged, and broken, while Kibo remained rounded and covered in snow after Mawenzi threw white, boiling porridge at him.

Kibo (left) and Mawenzi ( right) – brotherly love

Life at Kibo Hut

We reach the hut. Happy to see the sign, we take out our flag and check that its yellow triangle is facing the right way and that all the stars are accounted for. Everything was in order—and Bosnia could rest easy.

Our steps are becoming shorter, and even drinking water is getting harder, although we obey every “sipi, sipi” command. Dinner is being prepared, but we are not hungry. If anyone is looking for a quick-fix diet, I recommend going to an elevation of 4,000 meters. You will definitely lose weight. For more “healthy” advice, keep reading Navadala Stories. Like and share with your friends.

All we feel is exhaustion. As on every trip, toilet-related conversations easily make the top ten list of topics. I wonder whether I should use the lower toilet, which is newer, or save my strength, avoid those extra twenty or thirty steps, and use the older one which is nearer to the hut. I choose the second option.

I return to the hut and gather the strength to climb the stairs. But some black birds are sitting on the railing outside the door. I climb slowly, one step at a time, partly because of the lack of oxygen and partly because I am afraid of birds. I hope I will scare them away. I stretch out my arms to make myself look bigger, but I am the only one who ends up being scared away. I call Dijana to rescue me. She has no idea why I am shouting and opens the hut door. Luckily, the birds fly away. Birds of a feather flock together, while Asima retreats to her hut.

The balcony and stairs at Kibo Hut, where the birds we had just chased away had been happily sitting on the railings.

Even today, I do not understand how they manage to live at that elevation. I later learned that they were white-necked ravens.

This is our most important night. We do not have much time to rest. We reached the hut shortly before dark and had dinner. During the meal, they explained what we needed to wear and take to the summit. The clothing part was simple: basically, everything we had brought needed to go on our bodies. Thermal leggings, pajama bottoms, leggings, another pair of leggings, hiking pants, and another pair of hiking pants. The upper half was much the same. I was not even sure I would manage to pull it all on.

Another important detail is the insulation around the drinking tube because the water can freeze. It is seriously cold at the summit.

It is nine in the evening, and they tell us it is time to sleep because we are leaving for the summit at eleven. Another night when sleep refuses to come. And I can safely say that the summit is not the only cold place. It is freezing inside the hut too, even with four layers of clothing and two sleeping bags.

Day 4: Summit Night – Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak

I eventually fall asleep because the now-familiar sound of Joshua knocking wakes me. It is time for tea. And final preparations. Everything moves quickly, and soon we are on our way. I am happy to see that Liston is coming with us too. The more, the merrier. At first, things are somehow manageable. Then, instead of a worn trail, we begin climbing over rocks and boulders. I can see city lights in the distance. Everything else is darkness. Our headlamps are the only light we have, so it is important to keep looking directly ahead while climbing over the rocks.

It is cold, and every attempt to breathe normally fails. We take short breaks for a few sips of warm tea, but even that becomes difficult with time, so Liston helps us. I think they also took our daypacks to relieve us of as much weight as possible.

The mountain knows how to show you its power without saying a word.

For the Chagga people, the mountain has long been associated with ancestors and forces that humans cannot control. Manu has his own relationship with it: “You need to be nice to the mountain. Then the mountain will be nice to you.”

The Final Push to Uhuru Peak

We reach Gilman’s Point, around 200 meters below Uhuru. Climbers who reach this point are also considered to have climbed Kili. At that moment, those 200 meters of elevation and approximately two kilometers of distance seem almost unreal because every step requires so much effort.

Next comes Stella Point, at an elevation of 5,756 meters. By then, I am already wondering whether I will make it to the end. Each step is harder. Snow appears, and walking becomes difficult. We meet climbers from the other routes. We do not say much, but we understand one another through our expressions.

Somewhere between a completely empty mind and those rare moments of awareness—when I wondered why I needed this in my life when I could have been somewhere in Zanzibar, preparing to lie in the sun and drink a coconut water—the first rays of sunlight began to appear.

We meet climbers who are already descending. They are smiling and encouraging us: “You can do it,” “You will make it,” and “You are almost there.”

We Made It — It Was All Worth It

And we made it. The sun is still rising, and we are on top of Africa. Everything around us is white: the mountain, the clouds, people are happy. And smiles everywhere. The sign reads: “Congratulations! You are now at Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5,895 m.”

It was all worth it.

We take out Bosnian flag and pose for a photo. Somehow, we have managed to turn it upside down, even though we paid attention to that detail throughout the entire climb. But at almost 6,000 meters, I think we can be forgiven.

Even after reaching Uhuru Peak, there was one final challenge—getting the Bosnia and Herzegovina flag the right way up. Climbing Africa’s highest mountain turned out to be easier than figuring out which way our flag should face.

So Close, Yet So Far

We enjoy the view for a little longer, but soon it is time to descend. I can see our hut before long, but reaching it is not easy. So close, yet so far. Every step of the descent becomes a little easier. I am genuinely excited to descend below 5,000 meters. On Kilimanjaro, you lower your standards very quickly. Literally.

At Kibo Hut, we have time to sleep for an hour or two. Because of the altitude, we do not stay any longer, and soon we are on the way to Horombo Hut. Despite the exhaustion, I cannot stop smiling. A few hours of broken sleep, the highest peak in Africa reached, and more than 20 kilometers on my feet almost without stopping. But I am proud of myself.

The Responsibility Behind the Smile

In one of our later conversations, I asked Manu how he manages to keep smiling. He says he smiles because he sees no reason not to. “When you smile and people see you, you give them hope. A smile is medicine for other people.”

Sometimes he is tired too, but he does not want people to notice. He understands the responsibility that comes with the job. “People think being a guide is easy, but it is not. You have a lot of responsibility. Everything is on you: the team, the clients, and the trek. If something happens, the responsibility is yours.”

Still, he believes it is his calling. He now wants to return to college and complete a first responder course so he can save lives and become a chief guide. “For me, the mountain is life. Now I am able to pay my rent and buy shoes or a bag. I earn money. I can pay my brother’s school fees and help my family.”

Day 5: The Long Way Down – Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate

We are still descending. We notice things we did not see on the way up. Kilimanjaro is home to both endemic and more widespread plants, including everlasting flowers and the Kilimanjaro impatiens. The atmosphere feels relaxed. We dance and sing to the music again. We meet other climbers and encourage them and tell them they can do it and to enjoy every moment.

Flowers of Kilimanjaro

When we reach the first road, a car collects us and takes us to Marangu Gate. There, we receive our gold certificates for reaching Uhuru. The entire team of ten gathers one last time.

This is the team that stood behind us and made our climb possible. The people who sometimes remain in Kilimanjaro’s shadow, but without whom our ascent to Uhuru would not have happened. They carry our belongings to make things easier for us, cook our meals, bring us tea, and answer all our questions. They do their jobs so professionally that climbers feel they are in safe hands.

We say goodbye with a promise that we will return.

Where Are They now?

Manu broke his arm at the beginning of 2026, so he was unable to climb for a while. Liston and Roland are regularly on the mountain. Joshua received his guide’s license in November 2025 and also makes beaded jewelry. He made two bracelets for Dijana and me, which Manu gave to us. Jefrey is still working as a cook and sometimes comes to watch them play football.

When I decided to write this story, I asked Manu, “What do you hope every climber remembers after leaving Tanzania?”

“I hope that after they leave, they remember that Tanzanian people are very kind and welcoming.
In the future, when someone wants to come to Africa or Tanzania, I hope they will be our ambassadors.”

And this is my way of trying to be that ambassador.