Her boots seemed heavy. Her body was tired. Her energy levels had plummeted and she was gasping for air. To make matters worse, altitude sickness was playing havoc on her system.
Ferdinandus' guide noticed that she was having trouble breathing and suggested that she turn back. You cannot go on, he told her. But Ferdinandus was almost in tears. No, she kept imploring him. "I want to make it to the top. I will go on. Please allow me to."
It was one of the worst nightmares a mountaineer can ever experience - having the summit almost within sight and having to turn around. She wanted to go on but her body was simply refusing to obey her commands. "I stood still for a few moments and tried to stay positive."
When Yani Ferdinandus wrote to us about her trek to Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, late last year, my first response was "OK, but haven't so many others done it?"
I could reel off names of at least half a dozen people who have scaled that peak, some perhaps twice. Of course, it was no easy task. It called for much determination, grit, perseverance and tremendous levels of physical fitness. But with modern methods of climbing and support systems, the mountain in itself is not as daunting as it once was.
Nevertheless, I decided to call Ferdinandus and find out more about her trip. And that's when interesting details about the mountaineer and the reason she climbed the mountain began to emerge.
"I did not take up the challenge of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro just because I wanted to see how the world would look from a height of 5,000-plus metres," Ferdinandus says. "I wanted to do it to raise funds and reach out to help less privileged children who live in the foothills of Kilimanjaro,'' she adds.
What makes Ferdinandus' story even more interesting is that she had never climbed even a hill, let alone a mountain before she decided to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. "I had no idea what my physical fitness levels were,'' she says. What she was sure of however was that she wanted to do something for the Amani Centre, an organisation that is helping street kids in Tanzania.
And once she had made up her mind, there was no looking back.
Ferdinandus signed up for a six-month programme in mountain trekking and began to build up her endurance levels before she took off for Tanzania. The two-and-a-half weeks she spent there was a life-changing experience in more ways than one. It taught her important lessons in life and living.
I was keen to meet her to find out what made her take up this challenge? How it changed her life? What hardships she underwent? And what it means to challenge the humdrum rhythm of a staid urban life, to push the envelope and plunge right out of the comfort zone, then extend a helping hand to a bunch of completely unknown kids?
Sitting in a busy cafe, recreating every bit of her journey, over a cup of coffee, I found this petite girl was nothing short of a package of bright and positive energy.
"I am very passionate about travelling,'' says Ferdinandus, who is truly international in her outlook. She is an Indonesian national with a residency in Australia and working as a marketing executive in Dubai. "Last year I decided that if I was travelling, I would do something more than just visit different countries, enjoy the scenic beauty of a place, relax and take photos. I wanted to do something which would bring about a life-changing experience. Maybe, climb Kilimanjaro." It was definitely a big challenge for her and something that she had never imagined she would be able to do.
But why mountain climbing?
"Adventure and mountain climbing in particular was never my forte,'' she says. "I was not a fit person and had never been exposed to high altitude. I realised I would never know what my limits were unless I pushed myself to find out."
But this (climbing Mt Kilimanjaro) was not some trial-and-error experiment or the luck-of-draw. Ferdinandus was keen on realising her dream and she wanted to ensure she did not fail. For which she needed to train well. She felt she needed a companion who would see her through this all the way. "So I called my friend Paul Smallbon" who was only too happy to join her in her endeavour.
The boot camp begins
The first thing Ferdinandus did was draw up a fitness programme. She jogged, swam and worked out in the gym for six months.
"Smallbon and I used to drive from Dubai Marina (were I am staying) to the trekking camp in Dibba," she recalls. They had to jog, hike, go rock climbing... They also went mountain climbing in Dibba, Fujairah, every other week.
"Our mountain treks usually lasted 3-6 hours." The last mountain they climbed before setting off for Tanzania was Jebel Qihwi (which can be approached from Ras Al Khaimah) and "which is said to have a terrain similar to that of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is an easy climb in the beginning but gets progressively steep. If we could successfully climb this one, it meant we could make it to the summit of Kilimanjaro," says Ferdinandus, recalling the tough climb.
Before she set her mind on Mt Kilimanjaro, climbing even Jebel Qihwi was something beyond her. "But when you set your mind on doing something, you can build the courage to achieve it. I knew that the two main things that would get me to the summit of the highest mountain in Africa were dedication and determination, hence we stayed focused."
Not all of the preparation entailed climbing mountains or even being outdoors. Ferdinandus also researched on Tanzania, the country that would play host to her while she was on a mission to realise her dream.
She wanted to give back to the community for having provided her with such an amazing opportunity in their country.
"I was looking to do voluntary work once I scaled the peak and during my searches I stumbled upon an organisation in Moshi, called, Amani, a centre for street children (Amani means ‘Peace' in Swahili).
"The Centre looks after around 100 children who are scouring the streets to escape hunger, neglect or abuse. Amani centre provides the children with food, education, counselling and medical care.''
Ferdinandus applied to the centre offering her services as a volunteer and was accepted as an ambassador. She was told she could volunteer at the centre for a week.
So busy was she working on the project and getting the required clearances, that before she knew it D-day was upon her. "Due to very limited time left before leaving for Tanzania, I did a last-minute fund-raiser by e-mailing friends and soliciting donations for the centre,'' she says. Ferdinandus was in for a pleasant surprise. "I was overwhelmed by the response I received. I collected approximately Dh3,700. This donation ensured that the kids continued to receive education, nutrition, health care and of course, love.
"The charity depends on donations like this to keep it running and I was happy that in my own small way I had provided them with hope for a bright future," she adds.
Set for Tanzania
Finally the day arrived when Smallbon and Ferdinandus found themselves at the airport on their way to Tanzania.
"The first time I saw Kilimanjaro through the plane's window, it appeared tall, unwavering and powerful.'' The local people too made her feel at ease almost immediately. "People in Africa are amazing. I felt right at home as soon as I got there."
Action began the next morning when a ten-member support team, including cooks and porters from the organisation she had hired arrived at the hotel.
Initially, Ferdinandus and Smallbon couldn't understand why they required so many people to assist them. "The first couple of days were relatively easy for us,'' she says. The serious climbing lessons they learnt in Dibba were put into practice. Soon the weather began to get cooler and a climber's worst nightmare - altitude sickness - hit Ferdinandus.
"Our guides were very helpful and kept motivating us to eat properly and get enough rest. They gave us brown porridge which was difficult to stomach. But the nutrition was important if one had to survive in those climes and climb. Water is absolutely essential and as you climb higher you have to drink at least three litres of a day.
"On the night before we reached the summit I became anxious. I went to bed early but even though I closed my eyes, my mind was alert I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen in the next few hours.''
The final lap
At around midnight, Ferdinandus and Smallbon were roused from their slumber and told to prepare for the summit. "It was freezing cold. After consuming hot snacks we started climbing slowly (‘pole pole' as they say in Swahili). It was by far the hardest physical thing that I have ever done in my life. Paul was doing well and did a great job in being a very supportive climbing buddy. But then that is the reason I asked him to accompany me. When you are climbing this high, it is very easy to get demotivated and turn back at the slightest discomfort. Even a single negative thought can pull you down. But Paul was very positive, strong and supportive and that was what I really needed to make it to the summit," she says.
But her steps began faltering at a height of around 5,000m.
"At around 5,000m I began to suffer from altitude sickness. A guide saw me struggling to breathe and asked me to descend. But I was not keen to give up having come so close to the summit. After having spent six months training to climb mountains I was reluctant to give up when I was barely two hours away from the summit.''
Of course, the guides were not in a hurry to give her the green signal. "My guide had some discussions with the assistant guide and finally they allowed me to continue under the close supervision of the head guide.
"It was getting harder as I walked further but the guide kept motivating me to carry on,'' she says.
Ferdinandus would walk about ten steps, stop, catch her breath, then continue. She encountered the second-most difficult ‘turn back' moment when she was 200m away from the summit. The altitude was beginning to affect her and she was on the brink of giving up and turning around. "I stopped and tried to stay positive and convince myself that it was only me who could make it. I told myself that if I made it to the submit, that rush of joy, the sheer novelty of the experience would only be mine and no one else's. I needed that! That gave me the last burst of energy to make it to the final destination.''
The positive thoughts had the desired effect. Ferdinandus put one shaky step after the other and, after some excruciating moments, pulled herself on top of Mt Kilimanjaro.
"What I felt when I was standing on the peak defies description." she says.
After the photo ops and a few minutes relishing the feeling of success, it was time to head down.
Hours later the team was back at the base camp. "The trek to the summit and back took us 20 hours.''
A new chapter
Two days after this exhilarating triumph, Ferdinandus got down to the Amani Centre in Moshi to begin yet another chapter in her life. "I had the most beautiful experience of my life during the week I spent at the centre," she says.
After being welcomed by the managers, Joe Ventura and Valerie Todd, being shown around the centre and introduced to the kids and staff, Ferdinandus felt at home. She immediately got down to planning her day. "My tasks included teaching the children English language, drawing, helping with cooking, playing sports and games. They were a bunch of happy kids and very easy to please. In a big city it's always about getting the biggest, the best and finest. But what touched me was the fact that money did not rule people's happiness. These kids do not have much in terms of money but I can guarantee you that they lead a much happier life than many people.
"During my time there I woke up every morning with enthusiasm as I knew that many happy, sincere faces were waiting for me at the Centre. I'll never forget that feeling."
In the seven days she spent at the centre the little kids grew to love her so much that when it was time for her to leave they were reluctant to let her go. In a card decorated with kiddy designs, they simply wrote, "Please don't go!"
That day is etched in Ferdinandus' memory. "On my last day, the kids were trying their best to sing a farewell song for me in English, it was beautiful. We had a special lunch together, I received many beautiful notes from them asking me to stay and they were holding my hands tight when I was walking away. It was truly an emotional moment. It definitely broke my heart to say goodbye, but at the same time I felt over the moon that I met such wonderful and amazing people and had the opportunity to have this experience in life."
Ferdinandus' life changed for ever and now back in Dubai she has carved out a special corner in her heart that will forever be Tanzania. She continues to be in touch with them, write about them on her Facebook page and has already got others inspired to continue some good work at the Amani Centre. "[A friend named] Bojan from Spain has already contacted me and has to date raised Dh30,000. He plans to visit the Centre soon.
"I am glad that people are responding to my experience. I want to encourage more people to get out of their comfort zone, realize that there is a huge world outside their home and beyond their 9-to-6 job. One has to be fearless and take these challenges to grow as a person and live life to the fullest.
"I have come to believe firmly in what Albert Einstein said: ‘Only a life lived for others is a life worth living'."
Ferdinandus advice to anyone planning to climb Mt Kilimanjaro
- Plan well and select a good travel company, which has responsible guides.
- Build up your stamina prior to the climb.
- Be motivated and positive throughout.
- Consult a tour guide and get your gear in order.
- Eat well, especially what the guide asks you to. They know best.
- Climbing a high peak like Kilimanjaro's Uhuru largely depends on your own determination and partly a collective effort of a good and resolute team. So always think of yourself as a part of the team you are climbing with.
For details about Amani Centre, visit http://amanikids.org/ or write to yani2801@yahoo.com.au
