Digital Mileage

On June 26, 2009, 52-year-old John Holt, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of The Cobalt Group and his 14-year-old daughter Gemma stood in flip flops and shorts on a warm summer day in Tanzania, Africa, near the western gate to the 19,340-foot summit of Kilimanjaro. What began as a dream had become a daunting reality as they hydrated themselves with plenty of water, double-checked equipment, ran through the pre-trip orientation, rechecked the 15- to 20-pound packs they would personally carry and prepared physically and mentally for the nine-day trek to the top of Kilimanjaro. Though the climb doesn’t require technical gear or training, you do need to be in top physical condition, and high altitude and low temperatures increase the difficulty and danger. Acclimatization is essential, and even then, most people suffer some degree of altitude sickness.

What was the catalyst and motivation for you to climb Kilimanjaro?

John Holt: “For me it was an affirmation of personal possibilities and personal vigor coupled with a desire to do things I want to do while I’m on the planet, like climb big mountains. After I turned 50 I realized I needed to start doing some of the things I’ve always wanted to do while I am still physically able to do things as I have always done them. While planning our family safari to the Serengeti I realized the mountain would be ‘right there’ and I just did not want to miss the opportunity to make the attempt.”

Why climb Kilimanjaro with your daughter?

John Holt: “I needed a companion and my daughter Gemma is very strong physically and more importantly mentally and emotionally capable, even though she’s only 14. Gemma ski races competitively, loves to rise early, and doesn’t mind extreme cold. I felt the experience would catapult her self-confidence forward and empower her for the rest of her life and we would also enjoy a great time together as climbing peers and father/daughter. My wife and I are committed to raising our three daughters with ‘there are no limits’ attitudes and philosophies. Climbing Kilimanjaro for Gemma would give her the opportunity to learn some lessons very early in life few young people get a chance to learn on how to reach your goals and what kind of planning, commitment, and endurance excelling takes. Sharing this experience with her was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done as a parent.”

What kind of planning and preparation was needed?

John Holt: “I trained for a year to prepare for the climb and I was in the best shape I have been in as an adult. The preparation included extensive reading and research; along the way we needed to eat good food and carry the right clothing, boots, equipment and emergency supplies. There are lots of reasons people don’t reach the summit, altitude sickness being number one. I thought through all the possible scenarios so we would be as prepared as possible. Altitude sickness is a constant threat no matter how physically fit or how prepared climbers are, it can strike you at any point along the route. Interestingly, young men who tend to try to charge right up the mountain are the most likely to fail.

I found out that reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro takes more planning, patience, and the ability to pace oneself than brute strength and speed. The more days — even hours — on the mountain, the better your chances of reaching the top. There is a strong correlation between the number of days on the mountain and success. A successful summit is usually more a question of how well a climber can acclimatize to the high altitude, rather than the climber’s physical ability to ascend. How one reacts to high altitude is uncertain. Some people’s bodies adjust well to the decreased oxygen levels; others do not. Being physically fit and in good health is necessary but no guarantee of your ability to acclimatize. This uncertainty was my constant companion over the course of the climb.”

Did you travel with a group?

John Holt: “Yes we were very fortunate to be in a group of eight that were all coincidentally Americans. There were two mother/daughter teams, a very nice couple from New York, and Gemma and me. It was great: Gemma had two other young women aged 18 and 22 to share the trip with. Out of this random pairing we formed a strong social network. After nine days of sharing meals, sleeping in tents next to each other, climbing together each day, and watching each other cope with the challenges we became by the end a close family unit. Experiencing those nine days together created a bond that will last a lifetime whether we ever see each other again in person or not.”

Of course we had wonderful guides and porters. Once on the mountain our well-equipped guides and porters carried everything except our day packs – hiking ahead to make camp for us each night. The porters transport your gear and the supplies up and down the mountain. Our guide Wilfred and assistant guides Loshi and Edward were big contributors to our successful summit attempt. For the duration of our Kilimanjaro climb they said us to us over and over Pole’, Pole’, (Swahili for SLOWLY, SLOWLY). At times we went so slowly it seemed like we were making no progress at all. Yet this wisdom and experience keeping us at such a slow pace created precious time for our bodies to acclimate to the altitude – and that paid off big for us on summit day.”

Can you share some of the highlights of the climb and the route you took?

Day I – Londorosi Entrance Gate to Forest Camp – 5,900 ft to 9,281 feet

Day 2 – Forest Camp to Shira One – 9,281 ft to 11,499 feet

Day 3 – Shira One to Shira Two – 11,499 ft to 12,795 feet

John Holt: “We took the Western Route which starts at an altitude of 6,000 feet. We camped each day at a different altitude. Day one we registered at the main entrance gate where we met our porters; 32 of them gathered to carry our gear and all the other equipment and supplies needed to make the trek. We left at 1pm that first day; the altitude is as much in your face on day one as it is all the rest of the days.

I live in Seattle at sea level, so the first night’s camp at 10,000 feet requires a pretty sudden altitude adjustment. I experienced slight nausea that first day which was the first indication what a challenging task lay ahead. The route passes though six climate zones; you spend the first day and a half in the rain forest. The first camp was perched between huge trees and thick undergrowth. We knew elephants were around us though we didn’t see any; we were already too high for most other animals, including poisonous snakes.  Civilization was already far behind including the conveniences of indoor plumbing – we would now take what our guides called “monkey breaks” to relieve oneself. We had many good laughs over that! And monkey breaks came often as we needed to drink an abundance of water each day to stay hydrated and help us stave off altitude sickness – they recommend three to four liters per day.

We didn’t see the mountain that first day, but the stars were unbelievable that night.  There is no light pollution at all, and there was no electricity at all in camp.  Shortly after leaving the camp the second day, the forest starts thinning and is replaced by heather, the next climatic zone. After a long day’s hike of around six hours we turned a corner and for the first time we could see the peak of Kilimanjaro, with magnificent glaciers hanging off the top. It was an unbelievably moving moment, even though it was still 30 miles away. It reminded me of a line from a poem I read a long time ago, ‘the object of our desire,’ which is how I thought about the summit of the mountain the rest of the trip. The object of my desire was making it to the top.

Our camp on night two was situated in the Shira Plateau at just over 12,000 feet.  If we had any thoughts of staying clean on the trip, they were spoiled by the microscopic volcanic dust that covers the area. For the rest of the trip this dust covered everything and made its way all the way down to the base of our finger nails. In the morning when we rose for breakfast there was white frost on the ground and it was quite cold; we wore hats and gloves to breakfast.  From this day forward we stayed above the clouds the entire time as we made our way to the east, around and up the mountain. We were surrounded by white clouds below us and the glaciers above us, it was really quite magical.”

To be continued…..Part Two coming soon….

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