Paraglide Kilimanjaro - Expedition One Done and Dusted

We've been up and come all the way back down, and as always, the magic was palpable.

The adventure kicked off under glorious sunshine as we trekked slowly up the forest zone of the lower meander, before the rain decided to gatecrash the party when traversing the heather-moorland zone that blankets the mid-mountain. 

Silver lining? We stumbled upon an epic bouldering spot, a proper playground for when the mist rolled in. What’s more, the sunrises that pierced the morning fog made for many dramatic landscapes.

Our campsite was host to countless cups of tea that continuously kept spirits high, and laughter echoed off the rocks and around the escarpment. 

Eventually, we broke above the cloud carpet and found ourselves eye-to-eye with a lamagi-bearded vulture — an absurdly rare, totally majestic creature that made the climb feel otherworldly.

Nothing like a bird giving you side-eye at 5,000 metres to remind you who’s boss.

While this sighting, paired with the cloudless blue skies, was a good omen, the air around the peak was completely blown out. But that never stops us from trying anyway, of course.

The usual challenging 12 am wake-up call, slow slog to the top of the crater, and at 6.35 am, we reached the summit. The altitude affected us all, and one of our team members had to call it after reaching 4,800 metres. The rest of us pushed on in hopes of catching a flight back down.

However, the too-strong winds meant that paragliding from the summit was unfortunately not an option. So plan B came into effect: take off at 4,900 metres at the "school hut". The wind gods played nicely, and finally, we were airborne!

Four of us managed to get lift off, and I enjoyed a lovely tandem flight all the way to land at the Rongi gate, where we started.

A magnificent nature exploration and equally as majestic company, so a success nonetheless. Kilimanjaro always keeps you guessing. Now onto the next!

Here are a few snippets of our adventure: