Narrator: WILDLIFE EXPERT, JEAN DU PLESSIS,
EXPLORES NEW HEIGHTS AS HE CLIMBS AFRICA'S HIGHEST
MOUNTAIN, KILIMANJARO.
Du Plessis: OKAY, HERE WE GO.
Narrator: SCIENTISTS PREDICTED A QUICK DEMISE FOR ITS FAMED GLACIERS,
BUT TEN YEARS ON, THEY ARE STILL THERE.
Du Plessis: THERE'S JUST BEEN AN AVALANCHE UP THERE.
Narrator: NOW THE QUESTION IS, FOR HOW MUCH LONGER.
Du Plessis: EVERY YEAR, IT'S BECOMING SMALLER AND SMALLER.
Narrator: TO GET THERE, JEAN WILL VENTURE INTO THIN AIR.
Du Plessis: THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING SURVIVING UP AT THESE ALTITUDES.
♪♪
Narrator: AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE SERENGETI LIES THE RUINS
OF A MASSIVE VOLCANO.
MORE THAN TWO MILLION YEARS AGO, IN WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A
SPECTACULAR EVENT, AN ERUPTION EMPTIED THE VOLCANO'S MAGMA
CHAMBER CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE OF THE VOLCANO,
FORMING A MASSIVE CALDERA AND BURYING
THE SURROUNDING AREA IN A THICK LAYER OF ASH,
CREATING TANZANIA'S LUSH SERENGETI PLAINS.
THREE HOURS DRIVE TO THE WEST STANDS ANOTHER GIANT.
RISING NEARLY 20,000 FEET OUT OF THE SAVANNAH,
KILIMANJARO IS THE HIGHEST PEAK IN AFRICA AND THE LARGEST
FREESTANDING MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD.
KILIMANJARO IS A VOLCANO.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR ITS BASE BELIEVED IT TO BE EXTINCT,
BUT SIGNS OF ACTIVITY AT ITS SUMMIT CRATER ARE
PROVING OTHERWISE.
KILIMANJARO IS ONLY DORMANT, QUIETLY BIDING ITS TIME UNTIL
ITS NEXT MAJOR ERUPTION.
WILDLIFE EXPERT AND SAFARI GUIDE, JEAN DU PLESSIS,
HAS LIVED IN THE SHADOW OF KILIMANJARO FOR 20 YEARS,
BUT HE HAS NEVER CLIMBED IT.
THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE.
EVERY YEAR THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS COME TO TANZANIA TO CLIMB
KILIMANJARO; NO DOUBT DRAWN TO THE GLACIERS AT ITS PEAK,
THE FAMOUS SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO.
OVER A DECADE AGO, SCIENTISTS PREDICTED GLOBAL WARMING WOULD
MELT THE GLACIERS, BUT THEY'RE STILL THERE.
SO NOW, JEAN IS CLIMBING IT WITH A MISSION.
HE'S HEADING TO THE SUMMIT TO SEE FOR HIMSELF HOW CLIMATE
CHANGE IS AFFECTING THE GLACIERS.
ONCE ON TOP, HE WILL ALSO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE THAT THE VOLCANO'S
MAGMA CHAMBER IS ACTIVE.
JEAN'S GUIDE IS MOUNT KILIMANJARO VETERAN,
EDWARD SETH.
HE WORKS FOR A COMMERCIAL TOUR COMPANY CALLED
NATURE DISCOVERY TOURS TANZANIA.
Seth: I STARTED WORKING WITH THIS COMPANY AS A PORTER BEFORE.
NOW, I AM A GUIDE, BUT STARTED AS AN ASSISTANT GUIDE
AND NOW I AM THE HEAD GUIDE.
Du Plessis: HE'S BEEN WORKING FOR NATURE DISCOVERY FOR FIVE YEARS,
BEEN UP THE MOUNTAIN OVER A HUNDRED TIMES.
Narrator: THERE ARE TEN DIFFERENT ROUTES UP KILIMANJARO.
JEAN IS TAKING THE UMBWE ROUTE WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE
TOUGHEST BECAUSE OF ITS STEEP ASCENT,
RAPID CHANGE IN ALTITUDE AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS.
THE ASCENT WILL TAKE FIVE DAYS.
THEY WILL ESTABLISH FIVE CAMPS ALONG THE WAY,
INCLUDING ONE AT THE SUMMIT CRATER AT 18,990 FEET.
Du Plessis: AND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS ALL THE PORTERS ARE
GETTING THEIR EQUIPMENT OFF THE VEHICLE, SETTING EVERYTHING OUT
AND BEHIND ME IS A SCALE.
SO EVERY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WILL BE WEIGHED AND BY THAT,
IT WILL BE ESTABLISHED HOW MANY PORTERS WE NEED TO TAKE WITH US
ON THE MOUNTAIN.
Narrator: THE PORTERS ARE PACKING THE GEAR THAT
THEY'LL NEED OVER THE NEXT WEEK.
IT'S JEAN'S FIRST ALTITUDE CLIMB AND HE'S SURPRISED AT THE EXTENT
OF THE EXPEDITION FOR SUCH A SMALL TEAM.
AT THE MOMENT WE STAND AT 21 PORTERS. DO WE REALLY NEED
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AND ALL OF THIS STUFF? IT'S INCREDIBLE.
Seth: YES.
(Native language)
Du Plessis: THIS IS OBVIOUSLY MUCH MORE THAN JUST A GENTLE STROLL,
LOOKING AT EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING TAKIEN ALONG FOR US.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A FAR CRY FROM A PRIMITIVE STAY
ON THE MOUNTAIN.
THEY MAKE SOME FANCY MENUS.
WE ARE LIKE PROPER ORGANIC.
♪♪
NOW, WE JUST STARTED THE WALK, JUST THE LEFT UMBWE GATE AND
APPARENTLY THE KEY TO KILIMANJARO IS JUST TO TAKE YOUR
TIME TO GRADUALLY AND SLOWLY ACCLIMATIZE TO THE
ALTITUDE CHANGE.
Narrator: THIS IS A SUPPORTED CLIMB.
PORTERS CARRY ALL THE GEAR, EVERYTHING THE EXPEDITION NEEDS
FOR A WEEK.
THIS FREES UP THE CLIENTS TO GIVE THEM THE BEST CHANCE OF
ADAPTING TO ALTITUDE AND REACHING THE SUMMIT.
BECAUSE OF THE SHEER VOLUME OF EQUIPMENT AND THE CHALLENGES OF
THE CLIMB, THERE ARE PORTERS WHOSE SOLE JOB IS TO SUPPORT
THE OTHER PORTERS.
THE CLIMB WILL TAKE A TOTAL OF SEVEN DAYS;
FIVE DAYS UP, TWO DAYS BACK DOWN.
THERE ARE NO REALLY EASY DAYS ON A CLIMB THAT MOVES TO ALTITUDE
THIS QUICKLY.
TODAY'S FIRST HIKE WILL SEE A GAIN OF NEARLY 4,000 FEET
IN ALTITUDE.
KILIMANJARO HAS FIVE CLIMATIC ZONES;
THE MOST FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN ONE SINGLE PLACE.
THEY START FROM THE SAVANNAH AT ITS BASE,
THROUGH RAINFOREST, AND GIANT HEATHER.
AT ABOUT 13,000 FEET, THE SYSTEM CHANGES AGAIN INTO AN ALPINE
DESERT, AND THEN FINALLY ARCTIC CONDITIONS AT THE SUMMIT.
JEAN'S FIRST DAY HAS BEEN SPENT TREKKING THROUGH THE RAINFOREST
THAT COVERS THE LOWER SLOPES.
THIS RAINFOREST GETS UP TO SIX FEET OF RAIN A YEAR.
THE RAINFOREST HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF WILDLIFE,
BUT THE VEGETATION IS SO DENSE THAT IT'S HARD TO SEE
WHAT'S THERE.
Du Plessis: JUST FOUND SOME SYKES MONKEYS
OR BLUE MONKEYS UP IN THE TREES HERE.
THERE IS ALSO A GROUP OF COLOBUS WITH THEM.
THESE ARE TYPICAL MONKEYS THAT YOU FIND IN THESE MOUNTAIN
FORESTS, ESPECIALLY IN THESE AFRICAN VOLCANOES.
THEY MAINLY FEED OFF LEAVES AND THEN BERRIES AND THINGS THAT YOU
GET HERE, BUT THEY'RE GENERALLY LEAF EATERS.
CLASSIC TO THE COLOBUS MONKEYS, THEY'VE ONLY GOT FOUR FINGERS TO
AID THEM IN MOVING THROUGH THE TREES VERY QUICKLY,
WHERE THE SYKES MONKEYS ARE MORE OF YOUR TYPICAL PRIMATES WITH
THEIR HALF OF THEIR HANDS AS HUMANS.
SOMETHING THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THESE COLOBUS MONKEYS ARE
THAT THEIR BABIES ARE COMPLETELY WHITE AND THE THEORY BEHIND THAT
IS THEY ARE QUITE CLUMSY BECAUSE THEY ARE MISSING A THUMB.
AND IT'S VERY EASY FOR THEM TO DROP THE BABIES.
SO BY BEING WHITE, THEY TEND TO SEE THEM MUCH EASIER AND OF
COURSE, WHEN THEY DO DROP THEM, THEY CAN SEE THEM LYING DOWN IN
VERY DARK LEAF COVER.
YOU CAN SEE A SYKES MONKEY THROUGH THERE.
THEY ARE SCATTERING AWAY.
YOU CAN HEAR SOME VERY HIGH PITCHED,
ALMOST BIRD-LIKE WARNING CALLS.
TO THEM, WE ARE OBVIOUSLY A PREDATOR.
I THINK THEIR REAL PREDATOR IN HERE IS MORE THAN LIKELY LEOPARDS,
BUT THEIR NUMBER ONE PREDATOR WOULD BE CROWNED EAGLES.
Narrator: IT DOESN'T TAKE JEAN LONG TO DISCOVER WHY
THIS UMBWE ROUTE IS CONSIDERED KILIMANJARO'S MOST CHALLENGING.
Du Plessis: WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO WALK INTO OUR FIRST CAMP.
SO APPARENTLY THIS WAS THE TOUGHEST DAY OF THEM ALL,
VERY SERIOUS CLIMB, AT LEAST SEVEN HOURS OF HIKING AND IT WAS
PRETTY STEEP, I SUPPOSE.
WE ARE GOING UP KILIMANJARO, AREN'T WE?
SOME OF THE PORTERS ARE ALREADY AHEAD,
SETTING OUT CAMP.
ACCORDING TO EDWARD, THIS IS THEIR LEAST FAVORITE ROUTE AND
I CAN COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT,
CARRYING EVERYTHING THEY ARE CARRYING.
WHAT JEAN DOES NOT KNOW IS TODAY IS THE LONGEST DAY
AND NOT THE HARDEST.
EACH DAY WILL GET PROGRESSIVELY HARDER.
AFTER SEVEN HOURS OF HIKING, THEY'VE ARRIVED AT CAMP 1,
THEIR HOME FOR THE NIGHT.
Du Plessis: GOOD JOB. WELCOME.
DAY 1, DONE AND DUSTED.
WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND, AND UP IN A BEAUTIFUL
FOREST CAMP; MOSS AND LICHEN HANGING OFF THE TREES.
JUST MOVED IN AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT SO COLD,
JUST REALLY STUNNING.
THE CREW AND THE PORTERS ARE SETTING UP CAMP AT THE MOMENT
AND I AM READY FOR A NICE, WARM CUP OF CHAI.
♪♪
Narrator: WILDLIFE EXPERT, JEAN DU PLESSIS IS CLIMBING
AFRICA'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, MOUNT KILIMANJARO.
RISING NEARLY 20,000 FEET ABOVE THE SAVANNAH,
KILIMANJARO IS AFRICA'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN.
Du Plessis: VERY SERIOUS CLIMB, WE ARE GOING UP KILIMANJARO,
AREN'T WE?
Narrator: THIS IS JEAN'S FIRST TIME UP THE MOUNTAIN.
HE IS LED BY VETERAN KILIMANJARO GUIDE,
EDWARD SETH, WHO WORKS FOR NATURE DISCOVERY TOURS.
Du Plessis: ACCORDING TO EDWARD, THIS IS THE PORTERS' LEAST FAVORITE ROUTE.
Narrator: AS THE SUN RISES, JEAN PREPARES FOR THE CHALLENGING DAY AHEAD.
(Native language)
Du Plessis: THIS IS MORNING OF DAY 2; IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MORNING.
THE SUN IS OUT.
THERE IS NO CLOUD.
IT'S GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC HIKE.
THE CREW HERE BEHIND ME IS PACKING UP
AND THEY WILL SET OFF SOON.
IT'S A SHORT BUT VERY INTENSE DAY INTO BARRANCO CAMP,
ACCORDING TO EDWARD ABOUT FOUR HOURS, BUT EXTREMELY STEEP.
Narrator: IT'S NOT JUST A STEEP CLIMB, TODAY'S ROUTE IS ALSO
THE BEGINNING OF JEAN'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE;
ACCLIMATIZING TO THE ALTITUDE.
BARRANCO CAMP IS AT 12,700 FEET
THE PORTERS HAVE DONE THIS MANY TIMES AND CAN MOVE AT A FASTER
PACE AND WILL GO AHEAD.
EDWARD WILL KEEP JEAN MOVING AT A SLOWER PACE SO HE HAS TIME TO
ADJUST TO THE LOWER OXYGEN LEVEL.
THE BONUS IS THAT JEAN WILL HAVE TIME TO STOP AND EXPLORE THE
NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAIN'S DIVERSE LANDSCAPES.
TODAY'S ROUTE WILL TAKE THEM OUT OF THE RAINFOREST AND INTO THE
NEXT OF KILIMANJARO'S FIVE ECOSYSTEMS,
THE MOORLANDS.
JEAN IS TRAVELING THROUGH THE TAIL END OF THE RAINFOREST WHICH
OFFERS A LOT TO INVESTIGATE.
WITH UPWARDS OF SIX FEET OF ANNUAL RAINFALL,
THIS RAINFOREST IS A DENSE AND BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE LANDSCAPE.
Du Plessis: WE HAVE SOME MOSS AND LICHEN HANGING OFF THE TREES
EVERYWHERE AROUND US.
THAT IS ALSO COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS OLD MAN'S BEARD.
THE TREES EVERYWHERE HERE ARE COVERED WITH THIS AND IT'S
COMPLETELY RELIANT ON THE MIST THAT COMES IN HERE.
IT CATCHES THE WATER DROPS AND IT WOULD HOLD THAT AND SLOWLY
DURING THE DAY WOULD DRIP DOWN, PROVIDING A CONSTANT SOURCE OF
WATER FOR THESE PLANTS DURING THE DAY.
Narrator: BECAUSE OF THE STEEP TERRAIN OF THIS ROUTE,
THE SURROUNDINGS CHANGE QUICKLY.
THE THICK RAINFOREST CANOPY BEGINS TO THIN OUT,
ALLOWING MORE LIGHT TO PENETRATE THE FLOOR.
AS THEY TRANSITION INTO THE MOORLAND,
GIANT HEATHER RISES ABOVE THE THICK CARPETS OF MOSS
THAT COVERS THE GROUND.
THE MOSS IS A PERFECT HABITAT FOR SOME OF
THE MOUNTAIN'S SMALLER CREATURES.
Du Plessis: SO I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS CHAMELEON.
IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE A YOUNG, FLAPPED NECKED CHAMELEON.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT IT'S VERY DARK,
MUCH DARKER THAN CHAMELEONS YOU WOULD FIND AT LOWER ALTITUDES
AND THAT'S CLEARLY TO ABSORB MAXIMUM HEAT
IN THESE COLDER CLIMATES.
OF COURSE, ANOTHER REASON MIGHT BE THAT IT'S DISPLAYING WARNING
COLORING BECAUSE I PICKED IT UP.
IT'S FLUCTUATING BETWEEN BLACK AND YELLOW AND THE YELLOW IS
CLEARLY TO AID IN CAMOUFLAGE BECAUSE IT'S LIVING ON THIS
HEATHER AND THAT WILL HELP HIM TO BLEND IN MUCH EASIER.
HERE WE GO.
♪♪
Narrator: THE MAJORITY OF CLIMBING ROUTES ON KILIMANJARO
RISE GRADUALLY THROUGH THE RAINFOREST,
WHICH LETS CLIMBERS EASE INTO THE HIGHER ALTITUDES.
BUT THE TOUGH UMBWE ROUTE IS RELENTLESS.
IT HAS NO UNDULATION TO GIVE RELIEF TO CLIMBERS,
BUT CONTINUES STRAIGHT UP.
Du Plessis: I SAID YESTERDAY WAS THE HARDEST DAY.
THIS HAS BEEN VERY MUCH A STRAIGHT UP CLIMB FROM CAMP
THIS MORNING AND ACCORDING TO OUR GUIDE,
IT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE THIS ALL THE WAY INTO OUR CAMPSITE.
Narrator: SO FAR THE THICK RAINFOREST CANOPY
HAS BLOCKED THE VIEW OF THE SUMMIT.
BUT AS THE GROUP CLIMBS, THE HEATHER STOPS ABRUPTLY
AND JEAN GETS HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO.
♪♪
THEY ARE NOW OUT OF THE RAINFOREST AND ARE ENTERING
KILIMANJARO'S THIRD ECOSYSTEM, THE MOORLANDS.
JEAN, WHO KNOWS THE SERENGETI AND ALL ITS WILDLIFE WELL,
IS SEEING THIS LANDSCAPE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Du Plessis: WE JUST WALKED OUT OF THE FOREST AND
SUDDENLY STARTED TO GO INTO THIS MOORLAND ZONE
AND IMMEDIATELY WALKED INTO THIS GIANT GROUNDSEL FOREST.
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
IT'S MY FIRST TIME TO SEE THESE PLANTS.
IT'S LIKE WALKING INTO THE KIND OF AN ALIEN WORLD.
THIS IS A TYPE OF TREE THAT ONE FINDS ON MOST OF THESE LARGE
AFRICAN VOLCANOES, SIMILAR MOUNTAINS LIKE MOUNT KENYA,
THE RWENZORI, MOUNT MERU, ALL AT THIS ALTITUDE
YOU'LL FIND THIS TREE.
THESE GROUNDSELS ARE EXTREMELY WELL-ADAPTED FOR THESE COLD
CLIMATES.
YOU CAN SEE THEY'VE GOT FURRY STEMS,
OBVIOUSLY INSULATING THEM A BIT.
BUT THE BEST INSULATION IS DOWN HERE.
THESE GROUNDSELS HAVE ALL OF THESE DEAD LEAVES TO INSULATE
THE INNER TREE, PROTECTING IT
AGAINST THIS EXTREME COLD WEATHER.
ALSO ON THESE MOORLAND ZONES, YOU FIND A LARGE VARIETY OF
SPECIFICALLY ADAPTED FLOWERS AND GRASSES.
THERE IS A LOT OF THESE ALPINE GRASSES AND THESE FLOWERS ARE
HARD AND PAPERY TO MAKE THEM SURVIVE THESE EXTREME WINDY AND
COLD CONDITIONS THAT'S VERY FREQUENT ON THESE SLOPES.
Narrator: THEY HAVE BEEN CLIMBING FOR JUST OVER FOUR HOURS
AND ARE NOW AT THE BARRANCO VALLEY.
THIS IS WHERE THEY WILL MAKE CAMP TONIGHT.
FROM HERE, THEY WILL HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF THE MAIN PEAK
OF KILIMANJARO.
Du Plessis: WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO WALK IN TO OUR CAMP FOR TONIGHT.
THIS LAST STRETCH HAS BEEN REALLY NICE AND EASY AND IT'S A
BEAUTIFUL DAY, SUNNY, BUT FIVE, SIX HOURS ON THE TRAIL AND
A REALLY MUCH DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
Narrator: PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE THE SNOWS
OF KILIMANJARO AT THE TOP OF AFRICA'S TALLEST PEAK.
A DECADE AGO, SCIENTISTS PREDICTED THAT THE GLACIERS
WOULD BE GONE BY NOW BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE,
BUT KILIMANJARO'S FAMED GLACIERS ARE STILL THERE.
WILDLIFE EXPERT, JEAN DU PLESSIS,
AND NATURE DISCOVERY GUIDE, EDWARD SETH,
ARE CLIMBING TO KILIMANJARO'S SUMMIT.
Du Plessis: THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH A STRAIGHT-UP CLIMB.
Narrator: A FIVE-DAY TREK THAT WILL TAKE THEM TO SEE
JUST HOW FAR THE GLACIERS HAVE RETREATED OVER THE PAST DECADE.
IT'S DAY 2 OF THIS WEEK LONG TREK AND THEY HAVE JUST ARRIVED
AT THEIR CAMP IN THE BARRANCO VALLEY WHERE
THEY FINALLY HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF KILIMANJARO'S PEAK.
Du Plessis: JUST ARRIVED INTO THE CAMP FOR TODAY,
BARRANCO CAMP.
INCREDIBLE VIEWS UP INTO ARROW GLACIER;
WE CAN EASILY SPOT OUR TRAIL OF TOMORROW GOING UP HERE,
A BIT OF A...SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A BIT OF A SCRAMBLE
FOR THE FIRST TWO HOURS.
(Thunderous sounds)
THERE HAS JUST BEEN AN AVALANCHE UP THERE.
ALL OF THE WHITE WE SEE UP HERE IS PRETTY MUCH ICE AND GLACIERS.
SO THIS IS THE HOTTEST TIME OF THE DAY AND THESE GLACIERS START
TO MELT AND THERE'S A LOT OF BUILT UP OF WATER IN IT AND
IT MUST HAVE BEEN JUST A SUDDEN BREAK OF THAT.
THE ICE IS MELTING AND A LOT OF WATER KEEPS ON GUSHING DOWN AND
IT MUST HAVE BEEN BROKEN DOWN.
THE BOTTOM PIECE OF THAT GLACIER AND IT JUST CAME GUSHING DOWN
THE VALLEY THERE.
INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS THUNDER,
BUT IT WAS JUST THIS KIND OF DUST OF ICE.
Narrator: IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THIS GLACIAL BURST
IS A SIGN OF THEIR RETREAT.
JEAN HOPES HE'LL GET A CLEAR PICTURE
WHEN HE REACHES THE SUMMIT.
AS THE CLIMB PROGRESSES, JEAN REALIZES WHY THEY NEED
SO MANY PORTERS.
EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE KITCHEN
NEEDS TO BE CARRIED UP THE MOUNTAIN.
Seth: HELLO!
WE ARE IN A KITCHEN, JUST BE PREPARING THE DINNER HERE.
SO WHAT WE USE TO PREPARE IS, WE USE THE GAS TANK TO COOK A DINNER.
AS YOU KNOW THAT WITHIN THE NATIONAL PARK NOWADAYS LIKE KILIMANJARO,
WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE A -- TO COOK BY USING FIREWOOD.
SO THE COOK HERE PREPARING THE DINNER AS YOU SEE THERE,
SO THEY ARE PREPARING BEEF STIR FRIED AND THEN PEANUT STEW,
AND IT'S PEANUT SAUCE.
AND THEN THERE YOU CAN SPINACH SOUP AND RICE SOUP.
SO IT'S REALLY, THEY ARE VERY DELICIOUS FOOD THAT YOU ENJOY.
♪♪
WELL, I GET -- I HAD A VERY GOOD NIGHT.
I SLEPT WELL AND THEN JEAN IS DOING FINE TOO AND HE IS VERY
STRONG TODAY AND I HOPE YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE TO THE SUMMIT.
I CAN'T PROMISE ABOUT THE ALTITUDE,
BUT I HOPE YOU'LL BE FINE.
Du Plessis: IT'S MORNING OF DAY THREE,
AND THE CREW IS STARTING TO PACK UP CAMP.
IT'S HEATING UP VERY QUICKLY; IT WAS FREEZING COLD THIS MORNING.
TODAY'S WALK STARTS WITH A REALLY INTENSE CLIMB
UP THE BARRANCO WALL.
IT'S ABOUT TWO HOURS AND AS I AM LOOKING OUT INTO THE DISTANCE,
I CAN SEE THIS TRAIL OF CLIMBERS GOING UP.
SO WE'LL BE COMING IN BEHIND MOST OF THE PORTERS OF SOME OF
THE OTHER CAMPS.
Narrator:THE UMBWE ROUTE IS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FOR THE PORTERS.
SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CLIMB ARE TECHNICAL SECTIONS THAT MAKE
CARRYING LOADS DIFFICULT.
TODAY'S CHALLENGE IS THE BARRANCO WALL,
A STEEP, NEARLY VERTICAL SECTION UP THE SIDE OF
ONE OF KILIMANJARO'S LAVA FLOWS.
AT BARRANCO, THE UMBWE ROUTE MERGES WITH ONE OF THE MORE
COMMERCIAL CLIMBING ROUTES.
Du Plessis: IT'S A BIT OF A TRAFFIC JAM HERE.
NO IDEA HOW THESE GUYS GET THESE LOADS UP THROUGH THESE TINY
LITTLE VALLEYS AND CRACKS.
IT'S QUITE HUMBLING.
THERE'S ONE WAY TO DO IT -- ITS A BIT OF MUSIC.
Narrator: THE CLIMBERS HAVE TO SCRAMBLE ACROSS NARROW LEDGES
AND UP STEEP CRAGS.
THE PORTERS HAVE TO DO THIS WHILE CARRYING THEIR
PACKS OF EQUIPMENT.
EACH HAND AND FOOT PLACEMENT REQUIRES PRECISION.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ERROR.
A MISS WILL SEND CLIMBERS DOWN A SHEER DROP
INTO THE BARRANCO VALLEY.
Du Plessis: HEALTH AND SAFETY WILL APPROVE. BUT IT'S A NICE CLIMB.
♪♪
Narrator: THIS IS JEAN'S FIRST KILIMANJARO CLIMB
AND HE'S DOING WELL.
Du Plessis: WE ARE ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY
UP THE BARRANCO WALL AT 13,200 FEET;
AMAZING CLIMB THIS MORNING,
COMING ALMOST STRAIGHT UP THIS WALL.
CERTAINLY SOME OF THE STEEPEST PARTS OF THIS ROUTE SO FAR,
I HAD TO USE HANDS AND FEET, NOT QUITE TECHNICAL,
BUT CLOSE TO.
BEHIND ME, INCREDIBLE VALLEY, THIS BARRANCO VALLEY WHICH IS A
GLACIER VALLEY.
ABOUT 100 YEARS AGO, THIS MUST HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH ICE ABOUT
100 FEET DEEP, WHERE TODAY THE ICE ONLY STARTS,
STILL A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
Narrator: AT ONE TIME, THE EDGES OF THE GLACIERS WERE BELOW 14,000 FEET.
NOW, IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE RETREAT OF THE GLACIERS IS
A NATURAL PHENOMENON OR WHETHER IT'S CAUSED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY
AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
TODAY'S CLIMB IS NOT ABOUT GAINING ELEVATION;
IT'S ABOUT ACCLIMATIZING TO THE ALTITUDE.
AT KILIMANJARO'S SUMMIT, THE HUMAN BODY HAS ONLY 50% OF THE
OXYGEN IT HAS AT SEA LEVEL.
SO IT HAS TO WORK TWICE AS HARD.
AS IT ADAPTS TO THE THIN AIR, THE BODY STARTS PRODUCING MORE
WHITE BLOOD CELLS, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IN
THE BLOOD SUPPLY.
NOW THEY ARE HEADING INTO THE KARANGA VALLEY WHERE THEY FACE
THEIR NEXT CHALLENGE BEFORE HEADING INTO CAMP THREE.
Du Plessis: THIS IS THE KARANGA VALLEY AND THIS IS
OUR LAST OBSTACLE BEFORE WE GET INTO KARANGA CAMP.
IT'S A VERY STEEP CLIMB UP INTO CAMP,
BUT IT'S THE END OF THE DAY WHERE WE CAN KIND OF START THE
ACCLIMATIZATION PROCESS BECAUSE TOMORROW NIGHT IS AT THE SAME
ALTITUDE AGAIN TO GET READY BEFORE WE GO ON TO CRATER CAMP.
♪♪
Narrator: AS AN EXPERIENCED WALKING GUIDE, IT'S A POINT OF PRIDE FOR JEAN
TO STAY WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF THE PORTERS.
BUT IN SPITE OF HIS BEST EFFORTS TODAY,
THE CHALLENGES OF BEING AT ALTITUDE ARE SLOWING HIM DOWN.
THE PORTERS HAVE ALREADY SET UP CAMP.
WILDLIFE EXPERT, JEAN DU PLESSIS,
HAS LIVED IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO FOR MORE THAN
TWENTY YEARS, AND IS CLIMBING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
ALONG WITH NATURE DISCOVERY GUIDE, EDWARD SETH,
JEAN WANTS TO LOOK AT THE EFFECTS THAT CLIMATE
CHANGE IS HAVING ON THE MOUNTAIN'S FAMOUS GLACIERS.
IT'S DAY FOUR OF THIS CHALLENGING HIKE.
JEAN IS WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE SUMMIT.
NOW, WITH EACH GAIN IN ELEVATION,
THE RISK OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS INCREASES.
THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ON THE MOUNTAIN ARE CHALLENGING ENOUGH
SO THAT MOST CLIMBERS HIRE AN EXPERIENCED GUIDE AND
PROFESSIONAL PORTERS TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING.
Du Plessis: EDWARD IS AN AMAZING YOUNG GUY,
DOING THESE CLIMBS BACK-TO-BACK, YOU KNOW;
DOING AN EIGHT-DAY CLIMB, COME BACK, REPACK, GO UP AGAIN.
YOU MUST BE VERY STRONG, STABLE HUMAN BEING TO GO UP AND ALWAYS
TAKE FAIRLY LARGE GROUPS OF GUESTS ON TO HIGH MOUNTAINS IN
EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS WHERE EVERYONE IS GOING TO FEEL BAD.
SO BESIDES BEING VERY FIT AND ABLE PERSON TO DO IT,
HE ALSO IS YOUR PSYCHOLOGIST UP THERE AND HE IS YOUR FRIEND
AND HE IS YOUR MOTIVATOR.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW THESE TANZANIAN MOUNTAIN GUIDES CAN BE
ALL OF THAT AND ALMOST PUT THEIR OWN NEEDS ASIDE AND CHANNEL ALL
OF THEIR ENERGY INTO THEIR GUESTS AND MAKING SURE THAT
THEY HAVE NOT ONLY REACHED THE SUMMIT,
BUT THEY HAVE A GREAT TIME DOING THAT.
AND EDWARD IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE GUYS
JUST OF ALL OF THOSE QUALITIES.
Narrator: PORTERS CARRY LOADS OF SUPPLIES UP THE MOUNTAIN,
SET UP THE CAMPS, AND COOK THE MEALS;
A DEMANDING JOB IN AN INCREDIBLY TOUGH ENVIRONMENT.
Seth: WE ARE GOING TO TAKE IT, AND THEN MEASURE IT...
20 ON THE DOT.
Du Plessis: YEAH.
SO YEAH, 20 KILOGRAMS, IT'S INCREDIBLE LOAD TO LUG UP
KILIMANJARO BESIDES TO GOING UP AND DOWN IN THE PHYSICAL
TERRAIN, YOU ARE ALSO OPERATING AT THE REALLY HIGH ALTITUDE.
FOR ME, IT'S HARD SIMPLY JUST WALKING UP THESE HILLS.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR THE PORTERS TO BE CARRYING
20 KILOGRAMS ON THEIR HEADS AND ON THEIR NECKS,
INCLUDING THEIR PERSONAL GEAR AS WELL.
SO JUST IN ORDER FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER,
I'M GOING TO TRY AND CARRY THIS FOR A WHILE.
SO LET'S GIVE IT A SHOT.
Seth: TWENTY -- OK, YOU READY?
Du Plessis: OK -- OFF WE GO.
Narrator: EACH PORTER WILL DO BETWEEN ONE AND THREE TRIPS A MONTH.
WORKING AS A PORTER IS THE FIRST STEP TO BECOMING
A MOUNTAIN GUIDE LIKE EDWARD.
NOW IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE RETREAT OF THE GLACIERS IS A
NATURAL PHENOMENON.
Du Plessis: NOW, THAT WAS NO JOKE.
IT'S EXTREMELY HARD CARRYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
FIRST OF ALL, IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION,
EITHER ON YOUR HEAD OR ON YOUR NECK,
GOING UP THIS HILL WITH NO OXYGEN.
ONE NEEDS TO BE HUGELY RESPECTFUL TO THESE PORTERS,
CARRYING THESE MASSIVE LOADS UP HERE.
THE GUIDES ON THE MOUNTAINS ALL STARTED AS PORTERS AND THAT
SEEMS TO BE LIKE THAT LITTLE INITIATION THAT ANYONE THAT
WANTS TO GO SOMEWHERE ON THE MOUNTAIN NEEDS TO GO THROUGH.
♪ (Porters sing) ♪
♪♪
THIS IS WHERE AN EXPERIENCED GUIDE IS ESSENTIAL.
THIS IS JEAN'S FIRST CLIMB, HIS FIRST TIME AT THIS ALTITUDE AND
EDWARD IS KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON HIM,
WATCHING FOR ANY SIGNS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS.
ALTITUDE SICKNESS IS A SERIOUS CONDITION THAT CAN AFFECT
CLIMBERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR FITNESS LEVEL.
IT CAN CAUSE FLUID TO BUILD IN THE CLIMBER'S LUNGS OR SWELLING
IN THE BRAIN; BOTH CONDITIONS CAN BE FATAL.
EARLY SIGNS RANGE FROM NAUSEA TO MENTAL CONFUSION.
IF JEAN STARTS TO SHOW ANY OF THESE WARNING SIGNS,
HIS CLIMB WILL BE OVER.
THE ONLY CURE IS A RAPID DESCENT TO A LOWER ALTITUDE.
Du Plessis: JUST ARRIVING IN OUR FINAL CAMP
BEFORE THE SUMMIT ATTEMPT TOMORROW MORNING.
THIS CAMP IS SITTING AT 15,200 FEET AND I'M CLEARLY A LITTLE
BIT OUT OF BREATH.
IT WAS A STEEP CLIMB INTO CAMP.
THERE'S NOT MUCH IN TERMS OF VEGETATION AROUND.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING GROWS.
SO WE'LL SPEND THE AFTERNOON HERE JUST TO ACCLIMATIZE AND
GET READY FOR TOMORROW.
Narrator: IT'S AT THIS ALTITUDE THAT THE EXPERIENCE
OF THE OUTFITTING COMPANY IS IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THE PORTERS HAS BEEN CARRYING A PACK THAT HAS A
STATE OF THE ART EMERGENCY MEDICAL KIT.
Seth: SO WE HAVE HYPERBARIC CHAMBER HERE.
IT WORKS SAME AS OXYGEN.
YOU CAN USE THIS OXYGEN OR HYPERBARIC CHAMBER.
WHY?
IN CASE IF SOMEONE IS SUFFERING WITH HIGH ALTITUDE SICKNESS
LIKE PULMONARY EDEMA OR CEREBRAL EDEMA.
Du Plessis: DO YOU CARRY THEM IN THIS?
Seth: YEAH, WE CARRY THEM.
Du Plessis: WE ARE AT 15,200 FEET RIGHT NOW AND TOMORROW
MORNING, WE ARE GOING UP TO JUST UNDER 20,000 FEET,
THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE CLIMB, I MEAN IT'S A HUGE MISCONCEPTION
THAT KILIMANJARO IS NOT A DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN.
IT'S MASSIVELY DANGEROUS AND THE DANGEROUS DAY IS TOMORROW.
ALTITUDE SICKNESS CAN HIT YOU, IRRELEVANT OF HOW FIT YOU ARE.
IT CAN HIT ANYONE IRRESPECTIVE AND I'VE GOT NO IDEA HOW I WILL
REACT AT THOSE HIGH ALTITUDES TOMORROW.
SO JUST AS WELL WE HAVE THIS BAG WITH US.
Narrator: ABOVE 16,000 FEET, WE ARE NOW IN KILIMANJARO'S ALPINE ZONE.
IT'S A STARK CONTRAST TO THE VERDANT RAINFOREST
THAT STARTED OUT THE TREK.
EVEN IN THIS BARREN WASTELAND THAT IS DIFFICULT FOR HUMANS,
THERE IS WILDLIFE.
Du Plessis: BY FAR, THE MOST COMMON BIRD SPECIES FOUND IN
THESE HIGH-ALTITUDE CAMPS ARE THESE WHITE-NECKED RAVENS.
THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND IT'S NOT COMMON TO FIND THESE
RAVENS IN HUGE CONGREGATIONS.
GENERALLY ONE WOULD FIND THEM JUST IN A BREEDING PAIR AND THEY
WOULD LIVE IN THAT MONOGAMOUS BREEDING PAIR THROUGHOUT THE
BREEDING SEASON.
THESE STRAIGHT CLIFFS AND HARSH ENVIRONMENTS IS AN IDEAL PLACE
FOR THESE RAVENS TO NEST.
ONE WOULD GENERALLY FIND THAT A PAIR WOULD LOOK FOR A LEDGE.
THERE THEY WILL FIND SOME STICKS AND GRASS AND FURRY THINGS AND
MAKE A SOFT BED INSIDE WHERE THEY WILL LAY THEIR EGGS.
PRETTY MUCH THE MAIN REASON THESE RAVENS ARE IN THESE
CAMPSITES ARE BECAUSE THAT THEY ARE SCAVENGERS AND BESIDES
EATING SMALL LIZARDS AND MICE, THEY WILL EVEN SCAVENGE OFF
DEAD CARCASSES.
THEIR MAIN FOOD SOURCE IN THESE STARK ENVIRONMENTS MUST
CERTAINLY BE LEFTOVER FOOD FROM THESE HIKERS.
Narrator: THEY ARE NOW WITHIN A DAY'S WALK OF THE SUMMIT
OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO. AS WELL, JEAN IS HOPING TO TAKE A DETOUR
AND HIKE TO THE VOLCANIC CRATER TO LOOK FOR FUMAROLES.
FUMAROLES ARE HEAT AND VOLCANIC GAS OUTLETS IN THE GROUND THAT
INDICATE THE MOUNTAIN STILL CONTAINS AN ACTIVE MAGMA CHAMBER
JUST BELOW THE SUMMIT.
JEAN'S ASCENT HAS BEEN RAPID, JUST FOUR DAYS,
AND SO THE EFFECTS OF THE ALTITUDE ARE REALLY PRONOUNCED.
NOW THE CLIMB BECOMES A MENTAL GAME.
JEAN KNOWS THAT TOMORROW EACH STEP WILL BE A GAIN IN ALTITUDE
AND THE CLIMB WILL GET HARDER.
Du Plessis: IT IS VERY HIGH AND I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT HIGH.
Seth: OKAY.
Narrator: HE'S BEEN HANDLING IT WELL SO FAR, BUT THAT'S NO
PREDICTION THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO HANDLE THE THIN AIR WELL.
Seth: LET'S CHECK OXYGEN SITUATION AND THE HEART RATE, OKAY.
OXYGEN IS 80, HEART RATE IS 80.
YEAH, IT'S FAIR AND GOOD.
Du Plessis: 79, IT KEEPS UP TO 80, OKAY, 80 IS GOOD.
Narrator: THE COLD IS ANOTHER PHYSICAL STRESS FOR JEAN.
AS A SOUTH AFRICAN, HE IS NOT USED TO FRIGID TEMPERATURES AS
LOW AS -20.
Du Plessis: WE'LL HEAD OUT OF CAMP AROUND SIX O'CLOCK
AND INCREDIBLE SUNSET WE JUST HAD, KIND OF GOING DOWN
BEHIND KILIMANJARO WITH THIS MIST COMING AND GOING,
JUST REALLY, REALLY SCENIC VIEW.
WE THOUGHT FOR MOST OF THE DAY THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE THE
MOUNTAIN WAS VERY MISTY SINCE ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING,
BUT YEAH, STUNNING.
AND I'M REALLY SITTING HERE, JUST CONTEMPLATING MY DOOM
FOR TOMORROW.
Narrator: MOUNT KILIMANJARO IS 19,341 FEET.
IT'S AFRICA'S HIGHEST PEAK.
WILDLIFE EXPERT AND SAFARI GUIDE,
JEAN DU PLESSIS, HAS NEARLY COMPLETED HIS FIRST CLIMB.
HE'S COME TO SEE FOR HIMSELF HOW GLOBAL WARMING IS AFFECTING THE
FAMOUS GLACIERS AT THE TOP OF KILIMANJARO,
AND HE'S HOPING TO MAKE AN EXTRA TRIP TO THE VOLCANIC CRATER,
TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE THAT PROVES THAT KILIMANJARO HAS AN ACTIVE
MAGMA CHAMBER.
JEAN IS CLIMBING WITH VETERAN GUIDE,
EDWARD SETH.
IN THIS THIN AIR, SETH IS WATCHING CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE
THAT JEAN IS NOT SUFFERING FROM THE BEGINNINGS OF ALTITUDE
SICKNESS WHICH CAN BE FATAL.
♪♪
Du Plessis: SO EVERYONE IS UP, IT'S VERY COLD,
AND THE SUN IS JUST ABOUT TO RISE.
WE ARE GOING TO START TO TREK NOW.
WE EXPECT ABOUT THREE TO FOUR HOURS UP TO THE SUMMIT.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL UP THERE.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE SUN CATCHING THE SUMMIT THERE.
YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY;
I CAN'T WAIT.
Narrator: DAY FIVE OF THE CLIMB AND CONDITIONS ARE BEAUTIFUL;
COLD, BUT CLEAR.
THERE'S A LOT TO ACCOMPLISH ON THE SUMMIT.
SO THEY PUSH A STEADY PACE.
THE PLAN HAS BEEN TO MAKE A DETOUR AT THIS POINT TO THE
SUMMIT CRATER TO SEARCH FOR VOLCANIC FUMAROLES.
THAT ROUND TRIP WILL ADD FOUR HOURS TO THEIR DAY,
SO THEY NEED TO KEEP MOVING.
Du Plessis: SO THIS WHOLE MORNING WE'VE BEEN WALKING ON AN ANCIENT LAVA FLOW.
IT'S INTERESTING WALKING UP THIS MOUNTAIN WHERE YOU CAN SEE HOW
THESE DIFFERENT LAVA FLOWS OVER THE CENTURIES BUILT THIS
ENORMOUS VOLCANO AND IT'S ALWAYS STAGGERING TO ME THAT THIS WAS
REALLY AT SOME POINT DOWN AT GROUND LEVEL AND OVER THE
MILLENNIA THAT THESE VARIOUS ERUPTIONS IN THESE MILLIONS OF
TONS OF LAVA THAT BUILT THE STRATOVOLCANO TO BE THE SIZE
WHAT KILIMANJARO IS NOW.
♪♪
SO WE MUST BE REALLY AT LEAST HALFWAY,
BUT APPARENTLY, WE ARE NEAR QUARTER OF THE WAY.
SO THAT'S GOING AT A STEADY PACE,
FEELING GOOD, YEAH.
Narrator: AFTER FOUR HOURS OF CLIMBING,
JEAN IS APPROACHING THE CRATER RIM.
IT'S NOT THE SUMMIT, BUT IT ENDS THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE CLIMB.
FROM HERE, THE SUMMIT IS JUST 45 MINUTES AWAY.
IF THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THEIR TRIP TO THE VOLCANIC CRATER,
THIS IS WHERE THEY'LL MAKE THAT TRIP.
Du Plessis: ARRIVAL UP AT STELLA POINT WAS QUITE EPIC.
IT'S VERY STEEP HIKE THAT LAST DAY AND STELLA POINT IS THE
FIRST TIME AS YOU COME THE SIDE OF KILIMANJARO AND KIND OF REACH
THE RIM AND YOU ARE NOW LOOKING INTO THE CRATER.
AND IT'S A HARD HIKE, ESPECIALLY AT THOSE ALTITUDES.
WE HAD FAIRLY GOOD WEATHER ALL THE WAY UP AND WE NEVER REALLY
SAW SNOW OR ICE UP UNTIL ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE WE REACHED STELLA
POINT AND THAT I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THESE
ICE LAYERS COMING DOWN.
LOOKING INTO THE CRATER WITH THOSE GLACIERS THERE,
IT WAS A REALLY NICE, BEAUTIFUL SIGHT.
Narrator: THE TOP OF KILIMANJARO IS NOT A TRADITIONAL MOUNTAIN PEAK.
IT'S ACTUALLY A BROAD CRATER, WITH A LARGE INNER
CRATER AT ITS CENTER.
FOR A LONG TIME, THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM WAS THAT
KILIMANJARO WAS EXTINCT, BUT RECENT EXPLORATIONS HAVE
REVEALED THAT KILIMANJARO HAS ACTIVE FUMAROLES
NEAR THE SUMMIT CRATER.
THE PAIR HAD PLANNED TO TAKE A DETOUR TO KILIMANJARO'S VOLCANIC
CRATER, TO SEE WHETHER THERE IS EVIDENCE OF ACTIVITY BUT THIS
FAR ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE HUMAN BODY HAS TO WORK TWICE AS HARD
TO DO MOST NORMAL THINGS AND JEAN HAS REALIZED HIS
LIMITATIONS.
HE DOESN'T THINK HE CAN MAKE THE FOUR-HOUR ROUND TRIP TO THE
CRATER AND MAKE THE SUMMIT.
AFTER ALMOST A WEEK OF CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN,
JEAN HAS TO MAKE A CHOICE.
Du Plessis: WHEN I REACHED STELLA POINT, THERE WAS A DECISION TO BE MADE
AND I DECIDED TO RATHER WAIT AND CONSERVE MY ENERGY FOR THE
SUMMIT ATTEMPT.
Narrator: JEAN WILL STAY WITH THE ASSISTANT GUIDE,
WHILE EDWARD, WHO IS MUCH BETTER ACCLIMATIZED,
WILL EXPLORE THE CRATER ON HIS OWN.
UP UNTIL NOW, THEY'VE HAD FANTASTIC WEATHER,
BUT WITHIN A HALF AN HOUR, A BLINDING ICE STORM MOVES IN
AND EDWARD GETS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
STORMS ON KILIMANJARO CAN END AS QUICKLY AS THEY START,
SO EDWARD CONTINUES ON TO THE CRATER.
Seth: THAT'S A VERY, VERY BAD STORM THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO
SEE DOWN TO THIS RIM, BUT WE ARE ON THE TOP OF THE RIM NOW.
BUT AS YOU SEE THE WEATHER, IT'S REALLY,
REALLY AMAZING, VERY BAD.
DUE TO THIS REALLY BAD WEATHER STORM,
WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO STELLA POINT TO SEE JEAN THERE.
Du Plessis: YEAH, IT'S KIND OF GOOD THAT I DIDN'T GO TO THE CRATER
BECAUSE EDWARD WAS CAUGHT IN A MASSIVE ICE STORM UP THERE
AND HE COULDN'T SEE MORE THAN A FEW FEET IN FRONT OF HIM.
SO HE DIDN'T GET TO SEE MUCH OF THE CRATER EITHER.
ALSO SHOWS YOU THE EXTREME CLIMATE OF THIS MOUNTAIN,
I MEAN BEING THE HIGHEST FREE-STANDING MOUNTAIN IN THE
WORLD, IT'S SO EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND THERE'S NO
MOUNTAIN RANGES ON THE SIDES OF IT THAT BLOCKS THE WIND ALL AWAY
FROM THE INDIAN OCEAN.
YOU HAVE GOT THESE WINDS BATTERING THIS MOUNTAIN AND IT
CHANGE LITERALLY IN MINUTES, AND IT'S SUCH BUCKETS OF INTENSE
WEATHER WHERE I COULD SIT, ALMOST LESS THAN A KILOMETER
AWAY FROM THEM AND THEY COULD BE IN THE WORST POSSIBLE WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND I WAS FAIRLY SHELTERED.
Narrator: IT'S DAY 5 ON MOUNT KILIMANJARO AND HEAD MOUNTAIN GUIDE,
EDWARD SETH, HAS ABANDONED HIS EFFORT TO EXPLORE THE VOLCANO
SUMMIT CRATER AFTER A FREAK ICE STORM BLEW IN.
HE IS NOW BACK WITH JEAN AND THE WEATHER HAS CLEARED.
THE SMALL GROUP WILL INVESTIGATE KILIMANJARO'S GLACIERS BEFORE
PUSHING ON TO THE SUMMIT.
Du Plessis: I AM RIGHT ON THE RIM NOW, MAKING MY WAY ROUND
TO UHURU PEAK AND HERE BEHIND ME IS PART OF
THE FAMOUS SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO.
THESE ARE THE GLACIERS THAT UNFORTUNATELY EVERY YEAR IS
BECOMING SMALLER AND SMALLER.
EVEN EDWARD HERE IS SAYING, LAST YEAR THE SNOW AND THE ICE
EXTENDED WAY LOWER DOWN THE SLOPES OF KILIMANJARO.
NOW TODAY WHEN WE WALKED UP EARLY,
JUST AFTER REACHING STELLA POINT THAT WE START TO WALK IN BETWEEN
THE ICE.
Narrator: TODAY THEY ARE MORE THAN 500 YARDS AWAY,
AND GETTING NOTICEABLY FURTHER AWAY EACH YEAR.
WITH THE REDUCED SNOW PACK, THE GLACIER WILL SHRINK AT AN EVEN
GREATER RATE.
INSIDE THE CRATER, THE GLACIERS HAVE ALMOST ENTIRELY
DISAPPEARED.
IN 10 TO 20 YEARS, THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY GONE.
ALTHOUGH SCIENTISTS WHO PREDICTED THEIR DEMISE WERE OFF
BY 10 TO 20 YEARS, IT IS EVIDENT THAT FAMED SNOWS OF
KILIMANJARO'S DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
JEAN AND EDWARD PUSH ON TOWARDS THE SUMMIT.
Du Plessis: HERE WE GO, LAST FEW STEPS TO THE ROOF OF AFRICA.
(CHEERING)
Narrator: AFTER JUST FIVE DAYS OF CLIMBING,
JEAN STANDS ON TOP OF KILIMANJARO.
LOOKING DOWN FROM THE PEAK OF KILIMANJARO GIVES THEM A GREATER
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE SERENGETI MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE
TWO MILLION YEARS AGO.
THE PLAINS WERE BUILT ON THE ASHES OF NGORONGORO AFTER A
MASSIVE ERUPTION THAT DESTROYED IT,
BUT CREATED THE LANDSCAPE THAT HAS NURTURED LIFE FOR TWO
MILLION YEARS, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ONE DAY
KILIMANJARO WILL ROAR TO LIFE AGAIN IN A MAJOR ERUPTION THAT
WILL DESTROY ITSELF, CREATING A NEW CRATER LIKE NGORONGORO AND
BUILDING A RICH NEW ECOSYSTEM.
Du Plessis: KILIMANJARO FOR ME WAS A REALLY NICE EXPERIENCE AFTER LIVING
IN TANZANIA FOR SO MANY YEARS, DOING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IT WAS SCENICALLY JUST SO INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL,
GOING UP THROUGH THOSE FOREST AND SEE HOW THE VEGETATION
CHANGE THROUGH THE ALTITUDES AND BEING NEXT TO THOSE GLACIERS AND
JUST SEEING HOW MAGNIFICENT THEY ARE.
THAT WAS A REALLY NICE THING FOR ME TO DO CERTAINLY.
♪ (Porters sing in native language) ♪