Daniel Dorr - Kissing Kilimanjaro: Leaving It All on Top of Africa

KISSING
KILIMANJARO

LEAVING IT ALL

ON TOP
OF AFRICA

DANIEL DORR

THE MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS
is the nonprofit publishing arm of The Mountaineers Club, an organization founded in 1906 and dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and enjoyment of outdoor and wilderness areas.

1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134

2010 by Daniel Dorr

All rights reserved

First edition, 2010

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Distributed in the United Kingdom by Cordee, www.cordee.co.uk

Manufactured in the United States of America

Copy editor: Amy Smith Bell

Book design and cartography: John Barnett/4 Eyes Design

All photographs by author unless credited otherwise.

Author photo: Lisa Dorr

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dorr, Daniel.

Kissing Kilimanjaro : leaving it all on top of Africa / by Daniel Dorr. 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-59485-370-8 (trade pbk.) ISBN 978-1-59485-371-5 (ebook)

1. HikingTanzaniaKilimanjaro, Mount. 2. MountaineeringTanzaniaKilimanjaro, Mount. 3. Dorr, DanielTravelTanzaniaKilimanjaro (Mount) 4. Kilimanjaro, Mount (Tanzania)Guidebooks. 5. Kilimanjaro, Mount (Tanzania)Description and travel. I. Title.

GV199.44.T342D67 2010

796.510678'26dc22

2010015580

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-59485-370-8

ISBN (e-book): 978-1-59485-371-5

FOR LISA

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point on the African continent (Photograph by David Macready)

I used to wonder what would ever possess anyone to trudge up a mountainside on the far sides of the planet, into harsh, frigid winds and thin air, thousands of feet above sea level. For decades men have died trying to reach Earths highest points, to survive in places where humans were clearly not meant to endure. Was it for the glory of standing where few had dared to tread? Was it to test oneself against the elements and ones own inner weakness? Or was it simply another way to impress women?

For me it was a little bit of everything. But if Im really honest with myself, I probably did it to impress a beautiful woman. My journey to the top of Africa started in a small coffee shop in Laguna Beach, California. I was on a date with that womanour first date actually. Lisa sat across the table from me, cupping her hands around a mug of hot cocoa. I couldnt stop gazing at herher long dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a smile that made me slightly dizzy. I had known her for almost ten years. Lisa and I had met in Japan right after college, where we were both teaching English as part of an exchange program in the early 1990s. At the time I was in the middle of a long-term relationship, so I became Lisas safe guy friendsomeone she knew wouldnt hit on her at every opportunity. Together we explored the country, and over the course of a year we became close.

After that year of adventures, however, our paths separated. I returned to the United States to start my real life while Lisa stayed in Japan for another year. She moved to Switzerland to study French for a few months before finally returning to her home state of Hawaii, where she worked in a scuba shop. I moved around as well. My relationship had ended, and I decided on New York City as the place to start my career in the high-tech industry. I soon joined the other techies in San Jose, California, however, flocking to Silicon Valley for the Internet revolution. Lisa and I had stayed in touch throughout all these years, with infrequent letters and even less frequent phone calls. We couldnt help but feel inspired by each others adventures and life changes, so wed kept the connection alive.

Everything changed in 2001, when Lisa settled in Laguna Beach, Californiaonly four hundred miles away! We started to talk on the phone more frequently, rebuilding our friendship. The calls eventually got longer and the bond grew stronger. One Friday evening as we were chatting late into the night, catching up on old flames and failed relationships, Lisa posed a question: Dan, how come you and I have never dated?

I was stumped, speechless. We had been friends living on opposite sides of the world for so long that the thought had never really crossed my mind. But a week later I was on a plane to Laguna Beach to find out if there was that kind of chemistry. We spent the day playing remember when, reminiscing about our free-spirited travels across Japan. That evening, sipping our hot cocoa, we dreamed together about all the places we wanted to see: Alaska, Machu Picchu, New Zealand. The list went on.

Then Lisa uttered five fateful words: I want to climb Kilimanjaro.

Thats perfect! I blurted out, without thinking anything through. Ive been thinking about doing that for a long time. Her warm smile melted my decision-making skills. Lets do it, I said in all seriousness. Lets climb Kilimanjaro together. And with that, I was committed. Granted, if Lisa had suggested that we drive sled dogs across Antarctica, I probably would have signed on to that just as eagerly.

Climbing Kilimanjaro. It wasnt such a crazy idea, really. In 1980, American businessman and amateur mountaineer Richard Bass decided to climb to the highest point on each of the seven continents. He completed his task when he reached the summit of Mount Everest only five years later, sparking a new competition among the great mountaineers. Suddenly they all had to demonstrate their prowess by copying Bass. By 2003 a hundred climbers had joined his elite Seven Summits club.

While towering 19,340 feet above sea level, Kilimanjaro is by far the most attainable of the Seven Summits and is frequently the first one people attempt. Climbing it requires no special mountaineering skills, training, or equipment, and can be achieved at a reasonable expense. This everymans Everest is a mecca for aspiring mountaineers, adventure tourists, and guys like me who just dont know when to shut up.