It is now more than two weeks ago that, together with the other Autovista Ascenders, I stood on the summit of Kilimanjaro. And it still feels unreal, as if I wasn’t there myself. But I was…

What did I worry about before? Would my training be enough? How do I adjust to the altitude? How do I cope if I don’t manage it despite everything – primarily towards myself, but also towards the many doubters? And there were many doubters, most of them quietly, some more openly. At this point, many thanks to two power women who believed in me from the beginning, my aunt Doris Reiss and my friend Kathrin Brehme!

The last preparations in Germany were exhausting. I hate packing. In the office, the year wanted to be concluded and Christmas was also approaching quickly. I was looking forward to finally taking this first step on the mountain. And from then on, just put one foot in front of the other and see how far that would lead me. As far as the goal on Kili was concerned, for the time being I only had the Kibo Hut Camp in mind, the base camp before the actual summit. Up to there I wanted to get, everything else would be the encore and dependent on so many aspects.

Being reunited with my Ascenders this class trip feeling was there again. We all had a common goal in mind, shared similar concerns, carried our own little emotional package up the mountain and knew that we could only manage this adventure as a team. And we are a team, from the first to the last moment of the journey! Otherwise we would never have made it to the summit all at once and then almost at the same time.

On the first morning in the hotel, I arrived in the breakfast room and was sent straight back outside. From our garden you could see the Kili thanks to the bright blue sky!!! It was indescribable to see it so real in front of us, so far away and yet somehow very close. So huge or not?

After breakfast we faced our first big challenge. The luggage from Heathrow had not arrived and there was a risk that Keris, Pippa and Simon would not get their equipment in time. After breakfast they wanted to sit down and check what they had, what was missing and how the missing things could be procured. The Ascenders would not be the Ascenders if they had been left alone with this task. We all sat together and went through the packing list. Many of the missing things could be contributed by someone else and only some had to be bought or rented. This discussion was so helpful for all of us. Keris, Pippa and Simon knew that everything was going to be fine and the rest of us were able to deal intensively with what we really needed and what we might not need – an unexpectedly strong team building exercise. But luckily the luggage showed up in the evening.

At noon the equipment check and the briefing by our guides, Whitey and Julio, followed. For this we should lay out all things on our bed. There was a knock at my door and there stood Christine, our English guide, with Whitey, our head guide. His big laugh hardly fit through the door and I knew from that moment on that I was in the best of hands. This smile would certainly lead us up the mountain and down again.

This impression was reinforced at the following briefing and I was even more looking forward to this first step on the mountain, the first of so many. Have you ever heard that to be a good leader you have to learn to follow? That’s exactly what I wanted to do, trust my guide, simply do what he says and climb Kilimanjaro step by step – simply because he knows so much better.

And then we were off, to the Rongai Gate. The adventure began. It went uphill, but not so steep. It was warm, but not too warm and we just walked, through the rainforest and later through heather and moorland. Clare and Hilary, our support team, were also there! And this is the opportunity to say “Thank you” to Clare and Hilary, but also to Michelle and Beth in London. Without you all this would not have been possible. You have worked so hard to make this dream possible for us. Thank you so much for that, you were in our hearts with us at the summit!

Earlier than I thought, we reached our first camp, the Simba Camp at 2671m. Just in time before the big rain, we made it into our tents, where we were started to settle down for the next 6 nights. At 6 p.m. we had dinner, like every evening, with the obligatory measurement of the oxygen saturation in the blood and the pulse rate. We also started with our very important ritual, the 1-10 round: “On a scale of 1-10, how are you today? How was your day and what are your highlights and lowlights?” We learned a lot about each other in these rounds and knew very well about who is struggling with what, who needs help or who has energy to help others.

The first night in camp came and it was far from quiet. I could hardly sleep like many others. It was raining and I had to go to the toilet all the time. After all, drinking a lot was probably the key to success and against altitude sickness. Time to get used to the loud noise of zippers at night and camping toilets.

The next morning it was time to say goodbye and hello at the same time. With singing and dancing and in a good mood we got to know our whole team of guides, cooks, porters etc.. An absolute highlight for me. And while dancing I noticed for the first time that the air got thinner. I got really out of breath. Before we left for the Second Cave Camp we had to say goodbye to Clare and Hilary. For them, the Simba Camp was their Kili summit and they would wait for us in the hotel, give news to the outside world and of course be ready for any emergencies.

As we went further up the mountain, the vegetation became sparser. Our conversations as well. Some of us preferred to walk in silence and concentrated on ourselves and our breathing. Others enjoyed talking and talked a lot. Slowly it became clear who needed what and with whom we could best walk together. I definitely belonged to the silent ones and tried to breathe very consciously. Deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth. I actually believe that this breathing, which I also used during the long sleepless nights, helped me a lot.

In the Second Cave Camp we experienced one of those magical moments on our way. Everything was covered in clouds and it rained again. But in the afternoon it cleared up and the Ascenders explored the area and the cave that gave the camp its name. Almost everyone was scattered in the camp as something was slowly emerging behind the clouds. Was that??? We asked one of the guides if it was the Kibo and got the actually redundant confirmation. After a few minutes the summit showed itself in full splendour, very close and infinitely far away. An indescribable moment for all of us!

The camp procedures started to be established. Arrival, rain, rest in the tent, crawl out again for an afternoon snack, dinner at 6, medicine check, 1-10 sessions and briefing for the next day. That evening Whitey told us that we would change the route due to the weather. We skipped Mawenzi and instead took the shorter, direct route via the Third Cave Camp to Kibo Hut Camp. As I said, if Whitey thinks that’s right, it’s right, I was completely relaxed.

The night was wet, very wet, outside and in my tent. Unfortunately it was a bit leaking and so I didn’t really sleep that night. But everything was fine in the end, for the next night I got a different one. The sleeping or not sleeping was a bit annoying, but Hubertus explained to us on the first or second evening that we should not let ourselves be so stressed. If we don’t sleep, but still lie calmly and relaxed in our sleeping bags, our body already gets 80% rest, that must be enough.

On the third day there was a short hike to the Third Cave Camp at 3800m. And for the afternoon we planned an acclimatization walk at over 4000m. I got the opportunity to put my slightly damp sleeping bag in the sun for a short time before it started raining again.

After a longer break in our tents (I heard the playlist for which I had asked for song donations) we started our acclimatization walk around 4 p.m.. Very slowly, pole pole, and steady. As usual, I went second behind Keris, my little clockwork. She took such steady steps that I easily found my rhythm. Thank you Keris, this rhythm was also a key to success! It wasn’t difficult and it wasn’t far until we arrived at a rock at 4100m. Over 4000m, for the first time in my life, incredible. And then I got very emotional. I was so proud of myself, and I was so happy that I was doing so well! I had a headache, since the second day I think, and everything was a bit more exhausting. My heart beat faster, that didn’t let me sleep well at night and shortly before the Third Cave Camp I had to fight a very short moment of dizziness. Only for one minute and that was shortly after I had talked a little longer. And now I was here, over 4000m, still quite fit and in good spirits. That was more than I had expected and I cried. I don’t know exactly when Whitey gave me my new name, but at that point I already had it – Simba-Lady, the lioness. And feeling like a lioness, I would also tackle that summit now.

We arrived at the camp in high spirits. The next day promised to be hard. A slightly longer distance and 800 meters altitude difference to the last camp, the Kibo Hut Camp at 4720m, where we would spend two nights instead of one. We planned to spend two nights at the Mawenzi Tarn Hut, but we never went there, instead we went via the Third Cave to the Kibo Hut. Usually you arrive there, sleep only for a short time and start the ascent to the summit at midnight, we would definitely have more time before. But we didn’t know exactly when we were going to ascend.

The fourth hiking day didn’t start well for me. In dry weather I packed my things and went for breakfast, the rain started soon afterwards. My rain gear was in my backpack, it was outside and suddenly everyone tried to get ready in the mess tent, the only reasonably dry place. You couldn’t get out, you couldn’t get in, very difficult situation for me. Quite stressed out we started off in rain gear and it took me a while to get back into the tunnel and into the rhythm behind Boss-Lady Keris. The rain turned to snow and we trudged on. We even had the strength to shoot a legendary Last Christmas video in the snow on Kilimanjaro, thanks Simon!

And then, after a short break, I fell back a bit and got out of step. And I got cold. It can’t be that it was wet under my incredibly expensive jacket, can it? It was definitely wet and getting colder and colder. The altitude did the rest and my strength dwindled. Whitey threw his Poncho over me and did not leave my side any more. He led me through the rain and snow, over the rocks and all the way to my tent number 15 at Kibo Hut Camp. I was completely exhausted and couldn’t party with the others, especially not when we hadn’t really arrived at our camp yet. In the tent the whole mess became apparent. Everything about me was wet. I had to change as soon as possible, but that was easier said than done. My head hurt, I was incredibly cold and everything went in slow motion. Whitey stopped by and asked if I had any wet clothes to dry and I gave him my jacket and fleece, soaking wet. “Now I am not surprised anymore” he said and disappeared with my things in the direction of the kitchen tent. I urgently needed something to warm up and still walked rather wobbly towards the mess tent. There were already a few other Ascenders and took care of me – thank you so much, guys! With a hot chocolate in my hand I cried from exhaustion at Jan’s shoulder – thank you Jan!!! I soon felt better and after a powernap in the tent I was restored. So it was time to look for the geocache nearby, only 70m away. In front of my tent I met Jan and asked him if he would come with me. He did, and so we climbed through the rocks in search of a small film box – ultimately with success!

No one knew exactly what was going to happen. Will we have a whole day of rest here before we go to the summit the next night? We didn’t, we would try the next morning, during the day and almost a day earlier than planned! That was a little shock for some. And what about Martin and Keris, who suffered the worst from the altitude today? They actually needed the longer break, but would they really feel better? Commander White had spoken and we followed, everything would be fine!

After a short night without much sleep we were to start for the summit at 6:30. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over Mawenzi and Kibo greeted us in a clear sky.

Hardly anyone could have a proper breakfast, everything was fairly quiet in the camp. Martin and Keris were there, the first major heroes of the day. Today I handed in my backpack right from the start, I knew I wouldn’t make it with my backpack, it was simply too heavy with all the water and the thick clothes and snacks. Quietly we started in the same step (at least Whitey, Keris and me at the beginning of the queue). Endlessly, just keep on going, further up. I had absolutely no sense of time anymore and didn’t notice much around me. That Pippa suffered a lot and struggled with her stomach was not to be overlooked though. Princess Pippa was so brave and just walked on. Thibault joined her later, two very special heroes that day.

Endlessly we wound our way up in a zigzag, again and again over the loose ash scree. Between the scree zigzag and Gilman’s Point, our first destination at the crater rim, a rocky, steep section waited for us. Did I mention that everything seemed endless?? But we had to go on, don’t think. That was physically the hardest part of the whole hike and took so much strength. But we managed it, all together. And then there was this sign, the sign of which I had already seen many photos, the sign to Gilman’s Point, at 5685m. And when you have reached Gilman’s Point, you have officially climbed Kilimanjaro. The Autovista Ascenders had all climbed Kilimanjaro together, unbelievable. There is no question that tears of joy, relief and exhaustion flowed again. It was indescribable. Of course we already took a group photo with banner here, we didn’t know what was to come.

From Gilman’s Point you can see Uhuru Peak, the highest point of the summit. Doesn’t look far. So we made our way through more or less high snow and narrow paths. The fact that we did the ascent during the day also had the advantage that nobody but us was up there! We passed Stella Point, the end point for some other routes and went on and on. It was three hours at the end, but as I said above, I didn’t have any sense of time anymore. At some point Guide Chunga walked past me and smilingly said something like “See, I told you you’d make it to the top”. “You did”, I replied, “but how did you know?”. “I have seen your willpower, Simba-Lady”.

Between Stella Point and Uhuru Peak the altitude and the exhaustion caught me. I could have fallen asleep standing up and that’s exactly what I wanted. Every step was incredibly difficult for me and at some point I hooked up with my guide Justin. Just keep going, it can’t be far anymore. Justin supported me and Whitey fed me and Keris with dextrose. After a short stop on a stone, we made it, we were standing at Uhuru Peak, together with ALL the others!!

We took pictures, we celebrated and I ate cookies. Christmas cookies baked by my husband Christopher, something very special. And actually, Christopher is also a hero of this day. He had to put up with it for over eight months and endure a Kilimanjaro-crazy woman. We are both glad that we now get our life back again. Thank you for everything!

Then it got hectic, after the ascent is before the descent and that is usually tricky too. We were already walking for 11 hours at this time. The endorphins carried us to the summit and then said goodbye, so we went down without. Fortunately we could rely on our crew again! Additional helpers had come from the camp to guide us all safely down, partly in the dark. I reached Gilman’s Point when I heard someone say that we only had half an hour of daylight left and therefore had to descent quickly. Was it really that late? I had no idea, just put one foot in front of the other. At breakneck speed we headed towards the camp, always supported by at least one guide. It was pitch dark and I was so tired. The descent seemed endless and my left knee started to hurt, I must have twisted it somewhere on the gravel slope. So my guide Justin supported me a little bit more on the left side and safely brought me down to the camp and into the mess tent at 8 p.m.. There the first Ascenders were waiting for every other successful climber and immediately started to prepare a hot drink of their choice. These little things also made our team so incredibly special. I think until 8:30 everyone was down from the mountain and went more or less directly into their tents and sleeping bags. My eyes fell shut and for the next three hours I slept as deep as I hadn’t slept for days. I had actually made it. I stood on the summit of Kilimanjaro!

The next morning started with a wonderful sunrise and picture-perfect weather. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, only around the summit there were strange clouds, storm clouds as I learned shortly afterwards. Such luck that we weren’t up there right now, as it was originally planned. Our program on this sixth day foresaw a moderate descent to our last camp, the Horombo Camp at 3720m. In best spirits and condition we started over the wide saddle between Kibo and Mawenzi and enjoyed the newly found ease of our steps, the relaxed atmosphere and the breathtaking views. The hike today was one to celebrate and enjoy. My knee didn’t want to celebrate completely and pinched, especially on the steeper and rockier parts, but it didn’t matter now. Today it wasn’t so quiet on the way anymore, there was chattering and laughing, thanks to some more oxygen. We were now on another route, not on the Rongai route, which only leads up the mountain. For our descent we followed the Marangu Route and suddenly had oncoming traffic from many porters who brought the equipment to the Kibo Camp for their guests.

Around noon we reached the Horombo Camp and could go directly to lunch. That was also bitterly necessary. The evening before hardly anyone had eaten anything, so chips and chicken were just right. Then we had to rest and recharge our batteries. We also learned that Christine and Martin would start their journey to the hotel this evening, the Horombo Camp is one of the few camps that can be reached by car. So when it got a bit busier in the afternoon on the “village square”, I climbed out of my tent warmed by the sun and walked with the others to the camp exit to say goodbye. We finished the afternoon with coffee, tea and hot chocolate in the mess tent.

The medical check was no longer necessary on our last evening, but we did not miss the 1-10 session. The fact that we all had very high values should come as no surprise

After the last night in the tent (was it really already over?) we had to descend another 20km to Marangu Gate, about 2000m lower. Not an easy matter, but what should stop us now. OK, my knee maybe, but that was soothed with a bandage and painkillers. But before we left there was another highlight on the agenda, the farewell of our crew. These guys and our heroine Ekeney made the whole thing possible for us and were always there, big and small. They led us to the summit, carried all the equipment to the top, cooked incredibly tasty food and appeared out of nowhere to help if, for example, a zipper was stuck or a water bottle required filling. We were honoured to sing and dance with them before we started our long way down.

At the Mandara Hut we enjoyed our last meal on the mountain, and the sun, and the first real toilets in days! It was also a welcome opportunity to air our descent-troubled feet a little and in some cases to treat them. The whole week we managed without blisters etc., but the long descent took its toll. And then there was no holding us back. As fast as everyone could, we continued through the rainforest towards the exit, towards the bus and thus also towards the shower. Behind every tree, behind every bend I expected the exit gate. And when it was there, it was strangely quiet. We beamed with joy, we were happy, but maybe we hadn’t quite understood what happened in the last 7 days. I don’t think I have yet.

Hilary welcomed us with a big grin, cold drinks and snacks. Strangely enough she stressed that she had to have a single seat in the bus… We were surrounded by a certain Kilimanjaro stink, which we didn’t even notice. In the hotel Clare, Martin and Christine waited for us and yet again tears of joy flowed. But then something else, water, flowed out of the shower. Admittedly there wasn’t that much coming out of the pipe, no wonder when all the Ascenders jumped into the shower at the same time. Some other liquids flowed down our throats in the evening, when we had a proper celebration. In a very nice ceremony Whitey handed us our certificates and there it was in black and white…

So it was accomplished, perhaps the greatest adventure of my life, but certainly the greatest physical achievement. Something I considered unthinkable 12 months ago. I worked eight months towards it and developed from an absolute non sportsman and non hiker to a summit striker. It was a hard piece of work and I had to discover completely new worlds, and every single moment was worth it. I started the journey as a bumblebee, as someone who can’t actually fly, but just does it anyway. And this determination gave me my Kilimanjaro-name: Simba-Lady, the lioness.

I’d like to say “Thank you” again. I would like to thank everyone who supported me in different ways and followed my adventure. To all who have helped us to reach our goal and to all who have cheered us on with their messages. I have mentioned a few people above, a few others are still missing. I thank all the Ascenders for making us the team we were. I am firmly convinced that we have carried each other up this mountain, you have a permanent place in my memory and in my heart. Thanks of course also to Clare, Hilary, Michelle, Beth, Kirstin, Matt, Sarah, Donna, Jo who have worked so hard over the last few months to make our journey possible and to let the world know about our adventures! Thanks also to the team of Physio Aktiv Bastian Hehner, especially Patricia and Vanessa, who made me fit for the summit. And thanks to my Julia, for everything and for taping my knees and the massage before it started. Not only my neck needed it, but also my soul. Thanks to my parents and in-laws who were so afraid for me, I am back again! Thanks to all my colleagues who stood in for me even in hectic times, I would like to explicitly mention Christof, Christian and Ana – thanks for everything! And of course a big thank you to Lindsey and the Exec team for giving us this opportunity!