Marrakech – Yasmine Louz, a 20-year-old Moroccan, achieved a remarkable feat by reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on July 17.
Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, standing at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) above sea level.
Yasmine and her team embarked on the challenging Machame route on July 13, which typically takes seven days to complete.
However, they condensed the trek into an intense six-day journey. The final push to the summit began at midnight, with the team enduring freezing temperatures as low as -12 degrees Celsius during a grueling six-hour ascent.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Yasmine shared her experiences and insights from the expedition. When asked about her physical and mental preparation, she explained that “the Kilimanjaro project dates back to 3 years ago, just after my ascent of Toubkal, but it only materialized a year ago.”
She added, “For physical preparation, I didn’t change my habits, which were to run at least 3 times a week. I necessarily added some muscle strengthening sessions, but my sports routine has always been the same.”
Yasmine also emphasized the importance of mental strength, stating, “For the mental aspect, which is, without lying to you, 90% responsible for your success or not, we can say that when you want to realize one of your biggest dreams, nothing can stop you.”
She further explained that “thinking about my family was my greatest strength to overcome the difficulties of Kilimanjaro.”
Reflecting on the toughest moments of the climb, Yasmine shared, “Honestly, the hardest moment is the final ascent, which starts at midnight to be able to reach the summit at sunrise.”
She continued, “It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s windy, and the fatigue of the last 4 days is felt, especially at high altitude where oxygenation is low. It’s at this moment that you question everything, and your mind takes over your body.”
Despite the challenges, Yasmine found motivation in the support of her loved ones and the connections she made during the journey.
“Kilimanjaro is also about beautiful memories and sublime encounters for life,” she said, adding, “Meeting people from all over the world, but especially exchanging with these guides and porters passionate about their job, were my most beautiful memories!”
When asked about the insights gained from the experience, Yasmine shared that the experience had allowed her to learn that “nothing is taken for granted, but also that all work pays off.”
She advised, “Believe in your dreams, stay true to your values, seek to surpass yourself, but above all, find joy in the effort that will lead you to excellence.”
Looking to the future, Yasmine plans to embrace the impact of this achievement with humility while considering her next adventure.
“For now, I really want to enjoy the feedback from this experience and what it has brought me with a lot of humility,” she said, before concluding, “The fulfillment of one dream always brings another. The future will tell us what the next adventure will be!”
Read also: Moroccan Progify Youssef Tazi Aims to Conquer Europe’s Highest Peak
