Manama: When Rasha Yousuf, a travel photographer, received a call from a friend asking her if she wanted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, she did not hesitate for a second. The promise of an African adventure like this was too tempting to miss.
It was only after she put down her phone, and thought more clearly about what her friend had just told her, that the enormity of the challenge dawned on her.
How could a young woman from Bahrain, where the highest peak – Jebel Al Dukhan – was 141 metres high, climb to the rooftop of Africa – 5,985 metres?
Yousuf knew she was in no physical shape to scale such a peak.
Besides, although she has seen more of the world than most people will in their lifetimes, she had never been atop a mountain, and did not have the slightest idea about the type of preparation needed. All she knew was that she was drawn to the call of Kilimanjaro.
“Kili is calling me and I will respond,” she said to herself, determined to take on the challenge.
A day after the receiving the call, she got up at six, and began arduous sessions at the gym. She also took up jogging and committed herself to the Iron Girl 5K race, an international running event. It was held in Bahrain on November 24, 2017.
Yousuf told Gulf News she would keep up the routine for two months, shaping up and pushing her mental and physical endurance to levels that would enable her to undertake the challenging climb.
“It [the preparation] was like nothing I have ever done before. It was a tough journey. Still, I loved every minute of it.”
In the meantime, she developed contacts with the other enthusiasts, all but from Gulf countries.
Eleven Bahrainis – Rasha, Fajer Talal Mufeez, Fatima Ali Al Mahmoud, Noor Talal Mufeez, Nada Hameed, Faten Ebrahim Matar, Nawara Bahzad, Alia Al Qahtani, Noor Al Saad, Mona Zainal and Nadya Eqab – were joined by two young women from Kuwait, and one each from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iraq to form the largest Gulf women expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro.
The adventure started with the trip to Tanzania, where a wildlife safari set the mood for the bigger adventure that lay ahead. As the preparations for the historic climb were being finalised, there was excitement mixed with concerns.
However, there was no looking back, as far as the women were concerned.
They undertook seven days of gruelling mental and physical tests. The preparations included map-reading and climbing techniques, and were conducted between the girls and the guide.
The expedition took the Lemosho Route, considered the most scenic trail along Kilimanjaro, but also a scary one.
The climbers had to walk during odd hours, and through near-freezing temperatures, to reach Uhuru Peak, the summit of the mountain.
As they progressed, altitude sickness combined with cold overnight temperatures compounded their difficulties.
There were also concerns about ‘non-responsive reflexes’ due to both extreme conditions and unusual situations.
“I remember the clouds and the dead silence, you cannot help but listen to your deep thoughts and reflect,” Hameed said, of the situation at 4,000 metres above sea level.
These were harsh conditions but the women hey refused to give up, and drew on their willpower, strength and each other’s support. They were on a mission and they wanted to succeed, for their own sake and for the sake of all those who believed in them.
“We were highly motivated. We wanted to make it. I wanted to place the flag of Bahrain and see it soar atop Mount Kilimanjaro,” Hameed said.
The new year started with an amazing feat for the young women.
On January 1, 2018, they reached the summit.
“It was an incredible experience. I cannot believe I made it. But that is the beauty of the mountain. It makes you discover your own strength,” said Yousuf.
“We started training two months earlier as we needed to ensure we had enough mental strength and physical stamina to make it. Climbing a mountain is basically a mental challenge, not a physical one. Today, when I reflect back on the trip, I realise how much we have learned and how people can push their perceived limits and engage in all forms of endeavours despite the formidable challenges.”
For Mufeez, who defines herself as an adventurer and globetrotter, the Kilimanjaro climb was only the start of a series of mountaineering attempts.
Yousuf noted: “It was tough, it was emotional and it was dangerous at times, but we made it. I was fortunate to be with the strongest and most inspiring bunch of ladies I have known. Engineers, doctors, photographers, philanthropists, bankers, architects, officers and leaders – we all came together to spread the message of peace. We gained strength from one another. We dropped all artificial barriers and showed our faces with no touch ups, our bare hearts and emotions blown out by this rollercoaster of an experience.”
Her message to women? “Keep fighting, keep working-hard, keep loving, keep inspiring, keep glowing, keep giving and keep making the world a better place.”
