... the roof of Africa

When Suraj Mulani, a Dubai-based investor and business owner, scaled Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, he was simply answering the call of the wild.

"Mountains always held a fascination for me. Since I was a teenager, I've loved reading about the first attempts on summits and was inspired by the climbs of famous mountaineers," says Mulani, 28.

"Having never had the opportunity to go mountaineering, when I read about Mount Kilimanjaro it seemed to be the perfect opportunity."

The lure of ‘Kili' is that it can be attempted by anyone who is fit enough for the challenge. Technical climbing is not necessary to reach the summit. It's just a very, very high altitude trek.

"So I set about training myself for the task. My regimen included running, walking uphill for hours with a heavy backpack, climbing stairs and working out with weights. My final training sessions involved climbing 400 floors and running a few miles every day.

"After 15 months of training, I arrived in Tanzania on November 23, 2002. I spent a night in Moshi, the base town for Kilimanjaro climbs.

"The next morning my guide, Elias, a 48-year-old weathered man who had been born in the mountains, and I left for Machame Gate (1,490m) where we registered with the park authorities. Then we made our way through the thick rainforest."

Crowning Kili is Kibo, a volcanic cone that appears flat-topped when viewed from below. The highest point on Kibo is Uhuru Peak (5,896 metres).

"There are a few routes you can take up Kili. We took the Machame route. The path was easy to follow and initially the gradient was undemanding. An hour into the trek, rain poured down.

"It became muddy and slippery and even with ski sticks it became difficult to balance at times. After seven hours we arrived at Machame Camp at 2,980m. Stepping out of the rainforest ... I saw the snowcapped peak of Kibo. It stood tall and imposing in all its glory, an unforgettable moment in my life.

"I woke up the next day with my legs cramping. We trekked along a steep, rocky ridge and after a couple of hours reached a rest spot. Towards the end of the day, the slope became less steep and we reached Shira Camp (3,840m), where I witnessed a beautiful sunset before the clouds moved in."

Day three was a challenge for Mulani. The higher you are above sea level, the lower the concentration of oxygen. Ascending too rapidly can cause Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), the symptoms of which include headache, nausea, lack of appetite, fatigue and rapid pulse.

At its most severe, AMS causes pulmonary or cerebral oedema and can be fatal. So the most important aspect of high-altitude trekking is acclimatisation.

"The only way not to succumb to this illness is to give your body sufficient time to acclimatise to the thin air," says Mulani.

"Climbers use a technique called ‘climbing high and sleeping low'. Our plan for day three was to climb to Lava Tower (4,630m) then down to Barranco Camp (3,950m), where we would spend the night.

"The first couple of hours were fine, but then I developed signs of AMS. My heart raced and I soon found it difficult to put one foot in front of the next. But I persisted and made it to Lava Tower then descended to the camp.

"We started the next day by climbing the Great Barranco Wall, a strenuous scramble that involves using both hands and feet. Once we were over the wall, we had a magnificent view of the Heim Glaciers.

"We then hiked to Karanga Valley, the last water stop on the route. The trek had been short and there was lots of time to dwell on what lay ahead. Only the next day's trek to Barafu Camp remained before the push to the summit.

"The trek to Barafu Camp (4,550m) took only three hours. The point of the short treks before the summit push was to acclimatise adequately. The camp was in exposed, inhospitable terrain. My tent, pitched on a narrow, stony and dangerous ridge, was hit by strong and unrelenting gales.

"We were to make our push for the summit at midnight. It would take about six to seven hours to reach Uhuru Peak where we would catch the sunrise. So at midnight, with my heart pounding, I stepped out of my tent and met Elias, who asked me if I had prayed.

"The climb was tough. It was difficult to see where I was going , even with my headlamp and Elias's torch. The terrain was steep and I stumbled a great deal. The wind picked up and blew relentlessly from then on.

"Within an hour I felt cold and exhausted. I sat down on a rock to rest and at that moment I felt as though I just couldn't go any higher. It was a terrible moment.

"But as I sat there, I saw two other climbers give up and turn back. For a few minutes I visualised myself doing the same; I pictured myself reaching my tent, lying awake then watching the sunrise, defeated.

"In the end, the decision was easy. I got up and continued up the mountain. The icy wind made the going extremely difficult. Every time I stopped for a break, I started to shiver. This was followed by a warm feeling and drowsiness. I knew this feeling was perilous and I would start moving again.

"At 5.30 am the sun began to rise. It must have been beautiful but I was past the point of caring. Uhuru Peak was still far away and I was fatigued. All I could do was put one foot in front of the other to reach my goal.

"At 6 am I saw people coming down from the summit. That motivated me and I pushed myself harder. By 6.30 am I had reached Uhuru Peak ... I was literally on top of Africa!

"It was an exhilarating moment. I didn't feel tired or cold ... I felt alive in a way I never had before. At that moment I thought that if life is a journey of the spirit, then the character of that spirit is defined by the places it visits and the stops it makes.

"The summit of Kilimanjaro was one of my stops. The memory of it I'll carry to the end of my journey."