REFRESH - RECHARGE – RENEW

Closing 2022 on a high note

While most people visit the East African country of Tanzania for its vast wilderness, Serengeti National Park, and first-class safari experiences, Altix Consulting CMO and co-founder Anne Cappel closed out 2022 by embarking on an adventure of a lifetime: To climb the world’s tallest freestanding mountain and Africa’s highest peak: Mount Kilimanjaro.

During an 8-day climbing expedition, Anne conquered one of the Seven Summits and what’s been dubbed “the ceiling of Africa” with her 19,341-foot (5,895 meters) climb.?Upon her return, we bombarded her with questions about her experiences, and she happily shared them so that we can all vicariously learn from them:

Why Kilimanjaro?

In 2019 while in Kenya, I first saw Mt Kilimanjaro from a distance while traveling from Nairobi to Mombasa by train. I remember imagining what it would feel like to be “on top of the world”.

2022 has been an exciting year professionally and personally, and I needed to recharge my batteries for 2023 which promises to be another exciting year.?

How did you prepare for the climb?

Finding the right expedition was key: I was very fortunate to find one of the most reputable expedition companies, Team Kilimanjaro on the internet. I felt I was in good hands from the first communication with John the owner.? I trusted I would be safe and that I would have the right team to support me and give me a good shot at making it to the top.? https://teamkilimanjaro.com/?

Physical fitness: I had a total of two months to train, shifting from my regular fitness schedule to an accelerated climbing training program with daily walks, at the gym training program, and longer hikes on Sundays while carrying a backpack and doing multiple rounds climbing the University of Cincinnati Nippert Stadium stairs (up to 7,000 steps on the last Sunday before leaving).?

Equipment: The right equipment is key. It starts with good hiking boots. I bought, borrowed, and rented what proved to be the perfect set of equipment for the climb.

Mental preparedness: I knew the climb would be a formidable challenge.? I stayed very focused on my training and on convincing myself that putting one foot in front of the other will be what will get me to the top. No shortcut. Just put the effort in, safely and consistently.? My biggest fear was failing to summit.?

What are your take-aways from the climb?

Training is key: while my training was short (2 months) and I had never climbed a mountain before, my training was spot on. Special thanks to my husband and personal trainer.? While Mike did not want to join the expedition, he couldn’t have been more supportive, and it was great to share an important part of this project together.?

Utmost RESPECT for the crew: it takes a crew of 16 people to support 3 climbers: porters, a cook, and 2 guides.? Everything we needed for 8 days was carried up the mountain on people’s backs: tents, clothes, sleeping bags, mats, cooking equipment, food, etc. It takes an average of 225 pounds of total luggage per trekker to get to Kilimanjaro’s peak and back. Porters are young men and some not so young, carrying up to 40 pounds of cargo on their backs and balancing more on their heads, while literally running up and down the mountain.? You have to see it to believe it.?

Climbing is mentally intense: each step requires full attention as a slip, twist, or fall can mean the end of the expedition. We walked for hours in silence, looking intensely at where we set foot. The climb includes some trails, but also quite a bit of non-trail hiking and some areas with large boulders to climb. And then, there is “The Assault.” On day 6, we hiked early in the morning to reach the base camp to the Assault. We rested in the afternoon and woke up at 11:45 pm for the climb to the summit. From midnight to 8 am we climbed a steep 45-degree mountain side until we reached the summit at sunrise.?

The mind is powerful: mental strength takes over when the body wants to quit. I kept picturing myself on top of the mountain. My legs followed my mind.

Breathe and remain calm:?Know that altitude sickness is real and that it is as much mental as it is physical. Anxiety can trigger mild to severe altitude sickness symptoms. Our guide, Athumani, kept close to us the entire expedition to listen to our breathing.? When he detected some level of anxiety, he would stop and point to a plant or a rock and tell us a most interesting story to calm our minds.?

Take in the mountain with every step and every breath:

• 4 climate zones: in 8 days we walked from the rain forest with monkeys to Moorland with low shrubs, to the Alpine desert mostly rocks, and Arctic Ice and glaciers at the summit?
• Stars: I have never seen anything like it, the night sky is filled with stars, constellations, and the milky way.? Some nights, an orange crescent moon hung on the side of the mountain.???

Exude confidence - not only to give yourself strength but also to reassure family and friends back home.

What goes up must go down: Hiking down the mountain is actually much harder than up!? I got my first blister on the last 2 hours of the 8-day expedition.?

Eight days disconnected from the world is an incredible luxury:?My phone was off the entire 8 days. Athumani posted daily updates on a blog accessible to my family and friends. I loved the off-the-grid experience.? I focused on the climb, had plenty to reflect on, and I read a book.??

I am grateful to all who made this exceptional journey possible. Family, friends, colleagues, and most of all the incredible crew of Team Kilimanjaro.?

?I am ready for new adventures in 2023.??