This is a fictional story about a girl named Brooke climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It is written as journal entries, and follows Brooke through the week-long journey. Here is Brooke’s journal entry as she packs for the trip, and her first day of climbing.
Before The Journey:
My name is Brooke Spears, and I am getting ready to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. There is so much stuff that I have to pack! Some of the equipment includes: sunblock and a hat (very important!!!), hiking gear, first aid kit, a medicine for altitude sickness called diamox, clothing, jackets, photography equipment, and an extra warm insulated sleeping-bag. It can get really cold, especially at night. Thank goodness that I don’t have to worry about food, water, and tents. The porters will take care of that. Suddenly, my phone rings. It’s Dan Frost, our climb guide. He says that there is a change in the climb timing. Our climb is postponed till a day after the original timing. Oh well. Doesn’t hurt to be early. The phone call reminds to call my friend Mira. I have to pick her up, since we have the same flight. I tell her that I am going to come in an hour. My mom calls me downstairs. I run downstairs. My mom hands me a brand new camera! It’s the camera that I’ve always been wanting! My 18-year old younger sister, Rachel comes into the kitchen and tells me to send her all the pictures, and hugs me. Before I know it, it’s time to go. I hug my parents and Rachel and promise that I’ll share every detail with them. My mom tells me to be careful. I wave good bye, take a deep breath, and set out for my journey.
Day 1:
I am wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts. I grab my hat, put on my trekking shoes, and put my camera around my neck. I put on my backpack, and grab my jacket and phone. I feel very nervous and excited as I head outside. Outside, it is sunny and warm. Our team is made up of 50 porters, and 11 climbers, plus a guide. It is very chaotic. All the porters have been preparing for 5 hours! A few minutes later, we finally begin our journey. We separate into 2 groups, and climb into the jeeps. We drive to the first zone: cultivated areas. We go up to about 2,600 ft, and then we will meet the other jeep, and start our climb. We are going to climb 4.9 miles and we will stop at the Kikelewa Campsite and set up our tents, in the beginning of the rainforest zone, at about 6,000 ft. There are lots of small mammals, and birds, but I don’t see any big animals. It is mostly crops and grassland, and it is about 69 degrees Fahrenheit. We keep climbing. On the way up, Mira and I talk about how Mt. Kilimanjaro is rich with plant and animal life, and human industrialization has affected it in the past We were so busy taking in the sights and talking that we didn’t even notice that we were so close to the campsite that we could see it in the distance! We stopped about 20 minutes later. The porters set up our tents, and we ate rice and chicken for dinner in the food tent. I climb in my tent and zip it up behind me. I yawn and climb into my extra warm insulated sleeping bag.
To Be Continued