“It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.” We were once again inspired by Ms Vani Mendon’s ascent of Africa’s tallest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. However, this time she wasn’t climbing alone. Her spouse, Mr Saboor Ahmad and Ayaan, their 8-year-old son joined them.
How does it feel to have scaled the tallest freestanding mountain in the world?
It was the best thing ever. And since I did it with my family, it feels even better. Nothing in the world comes close to it.
What motivated you to climb Mount Kilimanjaro?
My husband, Saboor was my inspiration. I have always liked exploring and I feel everything is a learning. My mind was free when I was on the top of the mountain.
I had also enjoyed scaling Mt Elbrus and that’s when I had told myself that the next trek would be with Ayaan as I wanted him to share the mountaineering experience with us. Surely, after Kilimanjaro, we would like to take him to Elbrus next year.
Describe the route that you took?
We don’t have rainforests in Dubai, so that trail was not normal for us. It was raining for three days, the temperature fluctuations were sharp. On the final day there were rocks everywhere, we had to climb the rocks. In Dubai the maximum we climbed was for 4 – 5 hours, and here it was 9 hours. The temperature was -20 degrees celsius, I could feel my skin peeling off. It was not easy. We had to gear up with six layers each. Each one of us had to carry bag packs of 15 to 20 kgs and as the altitude became rarer, everything including breathing became more difficult.
The day we had to summit Kilimanjaro, we started trekking at 4 am and climbed straight till 12 noon. The descent was harder because of the rocks and steep angles. Compared to Mt Elbrus, this was definitely the hardest thing we have done so far.
How did you prepare for this trek?
We exercised each day as a group for fitness. As we trained, we experimented with various exercises in the gym, such as circuit training, running, and making sure we did strength training every day. We also went on a day hike to Nepal and had to return the following day.
How do you balance your work life and personal life?
Honestly, it is not difficult. You have the time. Wake up early, 6-7 hours of sleep is more than enough. I go to bed by 10 pm and am up at 4 am. My day begins with a workout. I also make sure that I complete all my work by 3:30 pm so that I can spend more time with Ayan. Saboor and I both go to the gym everyday. We plan our day so that one of us is with Ayaan before and after school.
What aspect of the trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro stood out as the most memorable?
Every single moment was special. Since everything was with Ayan, everything including the temperature was new and different. The happiest moment was our family picture at the summit which is very special. There were jaw dropping moments as well.
As the temperatures dipped, I saw a child completely stiff with cold and crying in pain. This made me very nervous about Ayaan. Also since he would run up and down while we would be trailing. Thankfully, Saboor kept running after him and kept him safe. On the last day, I was in tears and wanted to give up but it was my guide who supported me. There were a lot of special moments throughout the trek and we will cherish them forever.
How would you describe your success?
I just wanted to do it. One month before the hike, we knew we wanted to do the summit. Not for once we thought we would not do it. I think ‘never say never’ attitude helps us push through our pain barrier.
What pointers/tips or advice would you like to give aspiring mountaineers?
Firstly it depends on the individual, if they want to do it, they really have to try it. In Fact I feel everybody needs to try this at least once because you never know what you are going to learn from it. I have conquered my fears from this trek, perhaps because I have faced them all. I used to be mortified of flying, especially during take off and landing, but now I am absolutely confident of flying.
Nobody is born fit but we all can work at it. Weight, for instance, is never a constant. We can pile on and just as easily, lose it if we work out and eat healthily. So everyone should take fitness seriously because health is the best gift we can give ourselves.
Ms Vani Mendon’s journey in Africa is truly inspiring, but what surprised us even more is little Ayaan’s never give up attitude. Ms Vani is a proficient leader and a multi-tasker who effectively manages her work whilst finding time for such outstanding accomplishments. She is a great example of grit, perseverance and achievement for all of us.
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