Climb to top of world had unique challenges

BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

A view of Mount Kilimanjaro by the climbers during their journey. EAST BRUNSWICK - In today's world, it often seems life is all about making it to the top.

While the climb is typically associated with the corporate world, or at least financial success, three area men saw it differently.

Brothers Saul and Seth Landa, along with Joe Beer, decided to take on a far more substantial climb - to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa.

"I put it up there with getting married and having kids," Beer, a 54-year-old East Brunswick resident, said of the experience.

Saul Landa, 58, also of East Brunswick, initiated the idea for the climb, recruiting his brother, 45, of Teaneck, and friend to join him. They loved the idea, and were all physically fit enough to make the excursion. Still, starting six weeks before their journey, they were required to do about 180 miles of training, which included trekking, biking, treadmill and Stairmaster training, along with racquet ball. By mid-August, they were ready.

Joe Beer (l-r), Seth Landa and Saul Landa pose for a picture after climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and reaching Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet. "The thing is, you can really be physically fit, and still not make it," Saul said. "It really does test your stamina and your mental capacities."

While Joe was training for the trip, his father, Sam, passed away.

"For me, a big part of doing it was because it was something that would make my father proud," Joe said.

Aside from the physical preparations and numerous vaccinations that were necessary, the three men had other considerations to attend to. As Orthodox Jews, they had to make special accommodations in order to make the trip, including bringing their own kosher foods, using disposable plates because they cannot eat off dishes that have had non-kosher food on them, and resting on the Sabbath.

"It turned out to be a real blessing in disguise," Saul said.

While most people make the trip in five days, they took seven because of their religious requirement to rest on the Sabbath. Saul credited their ability to reach the top of the mountain to that day of rest, saying 25 of the 50 people headed to the top did not make it.

The men went as a private group because of their religious requirements, accompanied by members of the Chagga tribe of Tanzania. The group consisted of a lead guide, two assistant guides, a cook and six porters. Every one of them was essential, Saul said. Only one of them spoke English fluently.

"All 10 of the people who led us never saw a Jew in their lives," said Saul. "When we were praying, they stayed out of there. I don't know if it was out of fear or respect, but I'd say respect, because they were nice people."

None of the men's wives were happy about their decision to embark on the treacherous journey. To alleviate their fears, they purchased a satellite phone to keep in touch with the women during the climb. At times, they would have to hike as far as a mile from their camp in order to get reception for the calls.

"My wife thought I was out of my mind," Joe said.

When the men arrived in Tanzania, they had to stay overnight in a hotel in order to acclimate to the different time zone. Over breakfast the next morning, the owner of the hotel told them a 54-year-old French woman died recently while on the trek.

"At first we were speechless and we tried to laugh it off, but we weren't laughing," Saul said. "We didn't talk about it."

Despite the scare, the men forged on. Their trek would take them through five different climate zones within five days, starting in a tropical zone of 80 degrees and ending in an Arctic zone of 15 degrees.

They got a false sense of security the first day, which was spent trekking through the soft ground of a rain forest. The second day, however, was brutal. The combination of constantly going uphill while climbing over rocks and the onset of altitude sickness was extremely taxing on them.

"We asked [the lead guide], being the Americans that we are, already complaining, is this the hardest day, and he said, 'Yes, this is the hardest day, except when you're ascending the mountain,' " Saul said.

Amani, the lead guide, often lied to the men in order to keep their morale up, said Saul. He would tell them they were almost at their destination when they were not, but it helped to keep them going.

On more than one occasion, the thought of turning back did arise.

"For me, it was, We got this far, I'm not going to stop," Joe said. "None of us wanted to be the first one to say they wanted to go home. You have to persevere."

One of the highlights of the trek was waking up and discovering they were above the clouds, Saul said.

"The sunrise is at your toes," said Saul. "It's incredible, just incredible."

The final portion of the climb is done at midnight, so the descent can be done during the light of day. Comprising the longest and most difficult part of the trek, it takes 14-15 hours to complete. Climbers cannot sleep at the top of the mountain, because the combination of respiratory depression from both the altitude and sleep could prove fatal. All of the separate tour groups meet at the base of the mountain for the last part of the ascent.

"You meet people from all different countries, all asking the same question - why are we doing this?" Joe said. "For us, it was the challenge."

The men got the challenge they were seeking, hiking for hours on unstable, sandy terrain at a 45-degree angle. There was a new moon at the time, which made the light from the headlamps they wore their only aid for visibility. Every six to eight minutes, everyone stopped to rest.

"Nobody talked for seven hours," said Saul. "It was exhausting. We were literally climbing over bodies trying to get to the top."

By morning, they had made it to the top of Uhuru Peak, the highest point of the mountain, at an altitude of 19,340 feet. The men took photographs, prayed and called their wives.

"We were exhausted - overjoyed, but exhausted," Saul said.

The men studied a section of the Talmud in memory of Joe's father. Joe said he cried when he reached the top of the mountain.

"When I got to the top, it was a bittersweet moment because I couldn't tell my father about it, but it was also him that kept me going," Joe said.

As is usually the case, the way down was much easier. When signing forms to verify their safe return upon making it back to the bottom, Saul discovered he was the second-oldest person to have made the journey in previous months.

"Coming down was no party, either," Joe said.

There were three things the men wanted to do as soon as they made it back to the hotel for their last night in Tanzania: shower, use an actual toilet, and get drunk, Joe said.

"We decided to get drunk first," Joe said.