The Milestone Hike
(Day 6)
Tanzania, Kilimanjaro – Dec 24/ Jan 25
Every Trip a Purposeful Trip
I started the hike with an open mind and heart, and finished with my soul full of stories — not just of mountains and altitude, but of healing, connection, and rediscovery.
1 Jan 2025 (Hiking Day 6)
🗺️ Route for the Day
Route: Barafu Camp (4673m) → Stella Point (5755m) → Uhuru Peak (5895m) → Millenia High Camp (3950m)
Distance: ~15km total (up + down)
Elevation Gain: +1222m, then descent
Zone: Summit / Arctic Zone → High Alpine
Duration: ~6.5 hours ascent + descent
And then the day came.
The one I’d been walking toward since February.
The one I put on my vision board in April.
The one that began as a whisper inside me — and grew into a summit.
This wasn’t just a climb. It was the culmination of something deeply personal.
A moment to witness the outside catching up to the inside.
🕛 Midnight. New Year’s Day. 2025.
As the mountain echoed with cheers of “Happy New Year!” It was just… magical!
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Grateful for everything 2024 brought — you’ve truly been amazing. 10 min before 1 Jan 2025!
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At 12 midnight, it was a spectacular sight: the shimmering trail of hikers’ headlamps lighting up the night as we all celebrated the arrival of 2025!
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The scene was just spectacular. The shimmering headlamps of all the hikers while everyone celebrate New Year 2025!
🚶Off to the Summit!
Setting off for the summit at 12.30am; headlamps lit the path like stars on the ground, snaking slowly up the dark slope toward the heavens.
The temperature dropped sharply — someone said it was -25°C. Winds howled. My fingers went numb. Every breath was a conscious act.
But still, I walked.
Pole pole.
One step. Then another.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
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The trail to Uhuru Peak, illuminated by the headlamps of fellow hikers. Onward we go!
Snow stretched across the ridge — soft, silent, sacred.
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The last stretch to the peak was blanketed in white snow, guiding us to the summit.
Moodi and Jafary!
🚶The Descent
What goes up must come down — and fast.
We descended in just over an hour.
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Big thanks to Moodi — always smiling and giving me pats on the back along the way. So heartwarming and encouraging!
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Downslope fun shots and videos!
⛺ Rest & Descent to Millenia High Camp
After a short rest at Barafu, we continued to Millenia High Camp (3950m) — where I’d spend my final night on the mountain.
It was the perfect end to a powerful day.
🏔️ The Future, I Look Forward To.
As I stood at the summit — on the first morning of a new year — I felt it in my bones:
No change is too small. Every step counts.
Every effort adds up — even when it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.
Every part of this journey has been meaningful — not just the peaks, but the pauses.
The waiting. The wondering. The choosing to keep going.
And if you’re in a hard place right now — if you’re standing at rock bottom — then maybe this is your sign: What do you have to lose by trying to rise?
No, it’s not always easy. And no, you don’t need to be loud, or perfect, or ready.
But I’ll leave you with something I once read — something that stayed with me:
You are the beacon of hope. The driver of change. Even in the darkest times, beauty still exists. So get back up. Dust yourself off. Keep shining. You are loved. You are valued. You make a difference.
And no one — no one — gets to tell you that you can’t change.
