Mount Kilimanjaro

The highest peak in Africa

Fahad Badar recounts his first mountain summit on Kilimanjaro in 2018, and how climbing Africa’s highest peak inspired his mountaineering journey.

The first time I summited a mountain was in mid-2018, following an impulse purchase of a place on an expedition to Africa’s tallest peak. While climbing Kilimanjaro does not involve ropes, ice axes and sheer climbs, it is nearly 6,000 meters high, so represents a considerable physical effort with a risk of altitude sickness.

We set off for the summit in darkness, and as I witnessed a view of sunrise on a high mountain for the first time, the sensation was uplifting. Reaching the top filled me with immense satisfaction. There was no doubt after this experience that I would continue to seek the thrill of summiting other iconic peaks. If there were technical feats to master, I would master them; if there was an ultra-high level of fitness to reach, I would achieve this; and if there were tests of determination, nerve and resilience to overcome, I would meet these challenges to the best of my ability.