Way to the top

Amateur mountaineer narrates the saga of her ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro to Anupa Pratap

She conquered Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania earlier this month. She now has her sight set on the highest peak in South America. Hafsa Al Ulama, the first UAE national woman to successfully scale the tallest mountain in Africa, gave Gulf News a glimpse of the daily rigours faced by her during the climb.

An economist and strategist by profession, Hafsa works for the Government of Dubai and regularly faces challenges that involve the growth and development of the emirate. She left Dubai for the climb on August 9, by a morning Emirates airline flight to Nairobi.

Hafsa said: "Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and Nairobi is in Kenya. But the distance from Nairobi to Arusha, where the mountain is located, is convenient." She spent the night in Nairobi.

August 10: "I woke up early and took a riverside shuttle to Arusha in Tanzania, where Mount Kilimanjaro is located," she said.

"I was extremely excited by now, along with being anxious as to whether I'll be able to complete the climb or not. The journey was very interesting, the bus was full. It took about three-and-a-half hours to the bus depot in Arusha.

"The minute I got down, I was swamped by people trying to sell me tours and trips. I finally managed to find the agent of the American company that had organised my climb.