I Tried Being a Porter on Africa's Tallest Mountain | Superskilled with Eva zu Beck
[Eva zu Beck] Some of the strongest people on the planet don't hang out at the gym. Hell, they're probably nothing like what you imagine. These women work as porters on the tallest mountain in Africa. They carry gear, food and equipment up and down rocky trails at extremely high altitude all the while setting up camps, guiding tourists, and blazing the trail for other women. I don't know how these guys do it. I want to find out how they get so strong.
Uhh! Do they have any training secrets? Ah! And what does it take to work as a high-altitude porter? [Eva] Pole, pole. Slowly, slowly. In this episode, I plan to climb the tallest mountain in Africa all the while carrying heavy loads just like the porters of Kilimanjaro. Why did I decide to do this? And given that I don't really frequent the gym, this could just be a terrible idea. [crying] Frankly, I just don't want to keep going.
I'm Eva zu Beck, and I'm an adventure filmmaker and YouTuber. And my mission is to show you the powerful potential hardwired into the human DNA and help you unleash it for a healthier, happier and wilder life. This is Superskilled.
[Eva] Hey. [Josh] Hey. [Eva] How's it going? [Josh] Good. How you getting on? [Eva] Yeah, getting there, I think. But, you know, it's just that feeling before a big trip where you're like, "I'm sure I've forgotten something." But I think, I think we'll be good. My mission here in Tanzania is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
But this isn't your typical Kili trek. My challenge is to become a porter for a week and see what it's like to carry heavy loads at a high altitude. Honestly, I'm not sure why I keep doing these things to myself. You know, looking around here, it's so lush and green and beautiful. You definitely think that we're going to some tropical resort, you know, and not to climb Africa's tallest mountain. I don't know why, but I'm feeling just like a teeny tiny bit nervous.
It's weird because I've been on this mountain before, so I should know what to expect, but, you know, the last time I was here I was just a tourist with a light pack. And this time I'm trying to replicate what the porters do. So going from tourist to porter feels like a completely different ball game, and, um, I don't think this is going to feel like a holiday at all.
Kilimanjaro is a pretty serious mountain. The tallest peak on the African continent, it stands proud at 19,340 feet. That's taller than any mountain in Europe or the contiguous United States. Okay, it looks like we're almost there. I was about to meet my climbing team, the guides, the porters, the staff that would hopefully lead us to the summit. It's a predominantly female team, and I'm so excited to learn from these strong women.
So, this here, this is the real behind-the-scenes of any Kilimanjaro expedition, because in order to go up the mountain, you need to carry a lot of stuff with you-- food, shelter, gear, equipment. And to do that, you need a lot of people. So all this stuff is being carried up Kilimanjaro by people, by the porters of Kili. And over the next few days, I'll be learning how to do that, too.
The porters of Kilimanjaro are the true unsung heroes of the mountain. They're the ones who carry all the gear and food up and down these trails, setting up camps, and ultimately making the mountain accessible to 30,000 tourists that visit every year. Just a few years ago, it was an all-male profession, but more recently, women have started to join their ranks. Rose, Eliamani, and Gracie here are some of these porters, and they were about to teach me all about their line of work. Eva.
Oh, yeah! That is like 50 pounds right here. This is just like one person's headcarry. I've no idea what's inside, maybe like a propane tank. It's heavy.
Let's weigh it. [grunts] 42 pounds, 20 kg. And I'm supposed to be carrying stuff like this on my head? That's just, I do not see this happening at all. It's a really tough job, so why do people do it? Well, it happens to be one of the best-paid gigs in the region. If you spend two weeks working on Kili, you end up making as much money as you would over an entire month back in the city.
Starting tomorrow, I'll be learning how to carry the standard load that every porter is required to handle, but today I get to warm up with something much lighter. Alright, the moment of truth. Alright, 22 pounds, 10 kg. This is about the weight of a standard tourist backpack. And it's the last day that I get to carry such little weight. Better enjoy this.
These guys have had to develop seriously impressive strength in order to work here, and I want to learn their secrets. Each porter is responsible for carrying one specific set of gear weighing just over 40 pounds, so my challenge is simple. Each day I'll attempt to do the same. But simple doesn't always mean easy. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Alright, we're gonna let the girls pass. See you at camp.
See you. Oh, it's amazing. They're so, so strong. Not only strong, they're also faster than us. The fact that these women were so speedy was no coincidence.
In order to get hired to work on the mountain, they have to compete with men, who on average, are physically stronger. Oh, here it is! [Grace] Whew! [Eva] We're kind of like in the back of the group struggling a little bit. Meanwhile, the porters and the guides have gone ahead and literally set up the entire camp, including sleeping tents, the mess tent, the toilet tent. They're so much faster. And I signed up to take on their job for a few days.
I have no idea how I'm gonna do this. I don't think I can do it. [Eva] Really? [Grace] Yeah! [Eva] I don't know, you're going to have... you're gonna have teach me. [Grace laughs] [Eva] With the camp already set up, the only thing I had to do was get inside my tent.
Considering everything that's coming up in the next few days, this felt like true luxury. Let me show you around my tent. There's not that much to see. This is the hallway.
Okay, we're in, and this is the main part. This is where I shall sleep and rest. And that's about it. Very roomy, very spacious.
And the sleeping bag is like, it's just like disgustingly warm. I'm so excited to fall asleep. I'm actually a little bit tired today. So let's go have some food and get ready for day two.
As it turned out, I was more than just a little tired. I was actually about to come down with a chest infection. At this point, I still have no idea just how difficult things are about to get.
♪ ♪ The next morning, the camp was bustling with activity. All the staff were busy packing up, making food, and getting ready to hit the road. And so, Rose, one of the porters, handed me the gear that I would be in charge of today in addition to my personal backpack.
Let's see what I'm carrying today. Oh! It's the toilet. [cha-ching] Of course. Step one, pack it all away.
What's next? The tent? ♪ ♪ God, I have a feeling this is gonna be a huge and bulky package. Oh, and the toilet brush, very important. Okay, this is it. Step two, figure out how to carry the thing. Alright, so this is how you carry it. On your shoulders.
Wow, is it heavy? [Eva] No? [Rose] Yes. [Eva] It's not heavy? I don't believe you. [laughs] Okay, let's try this. Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god. Ah! It's on my head.
Ah! Hold it here... and here. Like this? Oh, actually that's not so bad. Alright. Oh! [record scratches] [laughing] Famous last words. Before we headed off, Rose gave me some much-needed advice.
[Eva] Oh, I'm not so sure this is such a great idea honestly. ♪ ♪ I mean, no biggie. We only have to go there.
It's only another 8,000 vertical feet. Oh, yeah! And the challenge was on. Rose's advice came in handy from the get-go, and I did my best just to take it step by step. After an hour or so, though, I started to feel the weight of the load. My shoulders and neck were starting to get sore, and my elbows and biceps were aching because of the new weird angle that I was forcing them into. It also didn't help that what I thought was a mild cold I'd picked up was turning into a hacking cough.
[coughing] The scary thing is that this is day one. We're at the lowest elevation that we will be at, and this is quite likely to be the lightest load that I'll be carrying. [Eva] Am I doing okay? [Eva] Yeah? Like a lioness! Whew! I'm certainly not feeling like a lion; more like a weasel.
Lioness or weasel, I kept slogging on and just trying to keep up with Rose. ♪ ♪ A couple of hours later, we finally arrived at camp. Ha! [laughs] We made it! I made it, oh, my god.
Oh, I'm so happy. But you know what? Of course, all the other porters arrived here way before us and already managed to set up camp again. Not that that diminishes my achievement in any way.
Maybe a little. I'm not allowed to relax just yet. We still have to set up the toilet. I believe Dan really needs to go. [Dan] Fact.
[Eva] Alright, Dan, at your service. [Eva] Well, I guess I'd better hurry. Here we go.
Our main character. Okay. Ah, this is the top? [sniffling] Yeah! The job of a porter isn't just about carrying stuff. It's a lot more than that.
Okay, here we go! Final touches. And it's done! [Eva] High five. Yeah, whoo-hoo-hoo! Day one, done. Rose and the other porters made their job look pretty effortless, but I knew there must be more to the story, so I wanted to ask Rose about some of the challenges she faced at the very start. [Eva] I was so inspired by her story. Despite some really tough beginnings, she persevered and kept going for her children and a better future.
I had so much respect for her strength and resilience, and really hoped that it would rub off on me over the next few days. [Eva] Can you believe we're out here? I kind of still can't really wrap my head around it. It's just so epic. The higher you go in elevation, the higher the altitude, the less oxygen there is, the harder it becomes to breathe, to walk, to carry stuff. Um, so I feel like, you know, with every single new camp, every step of the way, in fact, things just get more and more challenging.
But... I'm just looking at this amazing mountain, I'm like, I just want to be right there on top, right there! Take a look. Isn't it amazing? I didn't have much more time to admire the views, because I had to get ready for another day on my Kili porter's apprentice program. What could I possibly be carrying today? Oh.
Ugh. It's the tents. [cha-ching] This. Are we ready?
[Eva] Okay, let's do it. Uh. Oh, no, oh, no, oh. Ah! [laughs] You're trying to break my neck. Oh, my god, this is so hard.
How do I balance this? Can I carry it on my head? [Eva] Oh! No, I think I'm gonna break my neck if I do this. [Eva] Yeah, let's try the shoulders. [Eva] Perfect. [Sophia] Yes. [Eva] Uh... uh... Ready or not, we had over 1,100 vertical feet of climbing ahead of us today.
It was time to get going. Oh, my glutes! Oh, my glutes. I only made like 30 steps and I'm already out of breath.
[Eva] Slowly, slowly. [Sophia] Slowly, slowly. [Eva] Whew! Being extra out of breath at this point makes a lot of sense. We're at 12,500 feet above sea level. That's twice as high as the summit of Mount Washington.
At this altitude, the air becomes thinner, and oxygen levels drop from 20% to around 13.5%, and your body starts to feel it. You're likely to get headaches, your heart rate goes up, your breathing becomes shallow, and you become susceptible to altitude sickness.
And the fact that my cough was becoming a proper chest infection didn't make things any easier for me up here. [coughing] Sophia, when you did your first trip at Kilimanjaro, how many kilograms were you carrying? How much weight? [Eva] 20 kg? 40 pounds? On your first trip? Oh, my god. Wow, that makes me feel like a real underachiever. Sophia set a pretty high bar, so I just shut my mouth and got on with it. But honestly, the advice I got from her and from Rose seemed to be working. Keep your balance in check and go pole pole, nice and slow.
My body seemed to be getting used to the added weight and the altitude, so aside from the fact that I was the slowest person on the mountain, I was honestly feeling kind of proud of myself. Almost there. That over there, that's our camp. [Eva] We're here.
Yes! Oh! [Eva] Oh, my god! Oh. High five. [laughs] I gotta sit down for a moment. Ah. Oh, can I take a nap? [Sophia] No! [Eva] No naps for us.
Dark clouds started rolling in, so it was time to get the tents set up, stat. Ready? And, oop. Okay. Sheer hard rock, and with absolutely no assistance from anyone else. Thank you, asante sana! Done.
Before I got a chance to crawl into my tent and collapse, Sophia shared some insights about why so many single mothers are keen to work on the mountain. [Eva] It's true, on the mountain they earn in two weeks as much as others earn in a month back in the city, which ultimately allows them to spend more time with their kids. Sophia also wanted to give me some tips for the rest of the climb. You need to be really strong for this. You are really strong. [Eva] When you are walking up the mountain and you have a heavy bag, heavy luggage, how do you stay so strong? [Eva] Sophia's positive mindset is infectious, and it's something that I noticed in the other women, too.
But being out here is still a rocky road for many female porters. Most companies still won't hire women, because they don't believe they can do the job as well as men. There's also been instances of harassment and ongoing discrimination and even disapproval from the women's families.
It's not a job for the faint-hearted. Sophia made me suspect that being a Kilimanjaro porter is not just about brute physical strength. Maybe the secret to being so strong isn't just in the body, but in the mind, too. [Eva] The next morning, I woke up and realized this would be my third and last day of carrying gear up the mountain. That's a huge relief, honestly, but I was curious what the crew had lined up for me. What could I be carrying today? Oh, it's all the food.
[cha-ching] I've got some really precious cargo to take care of today, including a lot of food and these eggs. I don't think I need to tell you that eggs break very easily. So, I feel like today is going to be a lesson in patience and calmness and as they say here in Tanzania, pole pole.
I think the best way to carry all this stuff is gonna be inside my backpack. When you climb a mountain... Put it all in. ...you're really supposed to only bring the bare essentials. Ugh. Something tells me the kitchen staff didn't quite get this memo. Whipped cream? Seriously? I'm carrying whipped cream up the mountain? What is wrong with you guys? Okay, all the food is in, apart from the eggs.
I'm not really sure what to do with these, and I might need some help. Gracie, you want to help me? [Gracie] Yeah. [Eva] Will they go on top? Okay.
I really don't want to break these. This is our breakfast for the coming few days. Okay, let's try it.
[grunts] Thank you. That feels pretty good. How's that? You think they'll stay on if I do this? Today we walk pole pole.
Very slowly. Ready? [Gracie] Yeah. [Eva] Let's do it.
But before we got a chance to get going, the whole camp burst into song and dance. [singing and clapping] [singing and clapping] [Eva] At this point in our journey, we all needed some extra motivation. And in a moment like this, you kind of forget that you are at 13,000 feet carrying a heavy pack, that your body is starting to get weaker because of the altitude. For a moment, you just feel like you're part of something bigger.
[singing and clapping] [Eva] Dance break over, we got on our way. We were entering the so-called Alpine Desert, a vast and barren expanse that makes up the highest section of Kilimanjaro. At this altitude, your body struggles. When you're here it doesn't matter how fast you can run a mile or how much you can bench press at sea level. This is where forward progress becomes a mental game. You have to dig deep, believe that you can make it and just put one foot in front of the other.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [heavy breathing] ♪ ♪ Whew! We made it. [Grace] Yeah. [Eva] We made it. Uh. High five, Grace.
Oh, man. Whew! This pack is heavy AF. I'm so happy to be here. Okay, let's go to the kitchen. Oh, thank god. [groans] [whimpering] Oh, eggs! No! Eggs! Eggs! Wait. [laughs]
Precious cargo there. Whoo. So what do we think? Did they all make it? Did any of them break? I reckon they all made it. Ha! Look at that! I feel like I've entered a whole new level of porter-dom.
[Eva] Right? [Eva] Whoa. Okay, here we go into the kitchen. Hey, guys. This camp sits at nearly 16,000 feet in elevation, and it's the last stop before the summit push. I was really starting to feel the effects of the altitude, but I have to get ready for the big day ahead. Oh. It is so cold in here, you guys.
Tomorrow is the summit push, which means that we're gonna be getting up at some ungodly hour like 2:00 AM and we're gonna start hiking to the top. I'm gonna have to pack all the super warm stuff that I have, which includes mittens, really thick socks, rain pants, all the good stuff. During the course of the night my cough got worse, but I was determined to get to the summit, so I just crawled into my sleeping bag, hoping I'd be able to make it the next day. Okay, I think I'm mostly packed, mostly.
So, I'm just gonna try and get some sleep. I'm not sure how well that's gonna go, because it's the big day, you know, the day that I've been waiting for all this time, and I'm just so excited to be able to make it to the summit. Although I know even now that, you know, the best part of all this was just being able to meet all these incredible women up here in the mountain and spend some time with them, get to know their stories. I think what we're doing tomorrow is just the cherry on top. See you guys in the morning. [Eva] There's good news and bad news today.
The bad news, we're getting started at 3:00 AM and it's going to be a very, very long day. The good news, we're going light. For the summit push, you go up to the top of the mountain then immediately descend to a lower camp, so you don't need to bring much food or the tents, or the toilet, thank goodness. Your backpack only contains the basic essentials. So it's 3:00 AM.
It's completely pitch black and absolutely freezing, and, uh, this is the moment. This is when we start our summit push. In a way I'd love to be in a nice warm bed right now just sleeping and resting, but I guess in other ways there's nothing else I'd rather be doing right now, so, go figure. [Porters] One, two, three. Whoa! Whoo! [Eva] We tried to keep the team morale high, but as soon as we started walking, it became clear that this would be the hardest day yet.
♪ ♪ [Josh] How you doing? [Eva] Cold, very cold. No, I'm just taking it step by little step. The only thing that you can see is your head torch and the feet of the person walking in front of you. Feels a bit surreal. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This here is Gilman's Point, and 18,650 feet, it marks the end of a very challenging and steep section. I should have been relieved, but at this point, I was honestly struggling.
I felt pangs of pain in my chest and abdomen, and I started to question why I was there in the first place. You know, we're almost at the summit, and I really wish... [crying] I really wish I could tell you that I'm feeling really happy about it, but because we had such an amazing week, and, uh, but I think everything is kind of catching up with me now, and this really bad cough that I've had for an entire week is just, it feels like my chest is on fire. I have really bad abdominal pain. I just... Frankly, I just don't want to keep going.
[crying] [crying] And it's really disappointing, because... I was hoping that I could be out here sharing a really... happy day... with Sophia and with Grace and with everyone else.
My body was screaming at me. I just wanted to curl up and stay there. But then I thought back to everything that Grace, Rose, Sophia, and Gracie had shared with me.
[Eva] True strength isn't defined by what your body can do. It's so much more about your mind. [Eva] Like a lioness! [Grace] Yeah! [Eva] Whoo! Do you believe that you can make it? Do you believe that you can keep going no matter how heavy the burden? Ugh. Ah! [laughs] ♪ ♪ Yes, this is hard, but if there's something that these amazing women have taught me, it's that we can do hard things. Whoo! [Grace] You are the Superwoman! [Eva] Oh, my god.
Congrats, Grace. Congrats. Congratulations, Sophia. [sighs] ♪ ♪ This is it! Ha! Whew! [coughs] [Sophia] Wow! [Eva] Oh, my god. Whoo-hoo-hoo! Josh. Josh will take a photo.
[Josh] Ready? Three, two, one. [cheering] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
2025-01-04 23:14
