PERHAM, Minn. — An 11-year-old Minnesota boy achieved a remarkable feat this summer by ascending Mount Kilimanjaro alongside his 70-year-old grandfather.
Wyatt Guck of Perham and his grandfather, Stewart Hofland, hiked the mountain in Africa together.
Hofland has been on many adventures through the years, including hiking to the top of the African continent’s highest peak. In December, he told his grandson, should he accept the challenge, he would also be agreeing to a big commitment to physically prepare.
“I thought it would be fun,” Wyatt said, adding that soon after he agreed, the 5 a.m. workouts began, and he built up stamina to hike up to 10 miles in a day while carrying a backpack with about 20 pounds.
Hofland took him to the Perham Area Community Center or CrossFit to use the stair stepper and treadmill. When the weather allowed, the two visited Maplewood State Park to hike its hilly terrain.
The two remained committed and were well prepared when they left for Africa in late June. After 36 hours of traveling, they arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Wyatt Guck enjoyed the vastly different landscapes while hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Hofland)
Before beginning the ascent, Wyatt and Hofland met about a dozen hikers at the base of the mountain, as well as a dozen more guides or porters. Hofland explained the porters carried the bulk of the weight for the hikers, including their tents, food and other supplies.
When the hike began, Hofland gave his grandson some sage advice. During his past experience on the mountain, he learned the person walking directly behind the pace setter had the longest break.
“After I told him that, he was about one foot behind the leader,” Hofland said.
The crew traversed through five biomes. Including the cultivation, rainforest, heather-moorland, alpine desert and the Arctic summit.
“The rainforest was neat, and not a lot of bugs,” Wyatt said, before adding the “moors” looked like a “desert without sand, just rocks and gray dirt. The last two days it’s just rocks.”
Wyatt Guck hiked through five biomes on his way to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Hofland)
Mishaps create memories
There were many memorable moments with the people Wyatt and Hofland met, and things they saw on the trail. However, there are moments that really stick out in most adventures.
For Wyatt, those times often included silly banter and joking with his grandfather, or the time a packet of hot chocolate exploded in his face. In those moments, memories were being built that will likely last his lifetime.
Hofland appreciated those times too, but there was a moment during the ascent when he didn’t know if he could complete the mission.
“Somewhere along the way, I got COVID,” he said. “The night we were ascending my mind and body were telling me I can’t take another step. I’d never experienced that before.”
Because of past experiences climbing various mountains, Hofland knew altitude sickness can impact someone at any given moment. So, he told the lead guide about his dilemma. The guide reached into his backpack and pulled out a packet.
“They called it goo,” he said. “It’s just sugar. But I accused him of giving me illicit drugs because 15 minutes later, I was going up that mountain like it was a hill. It was the dangest thing, and poor Wyatt had to listen to me sing.”
The extra boost came during the final ascent, which was the most challenging day. Hofland explained the final hike lasts several hours and requires waking up at 11 p.m., hiking to the peak, then back down a good portion of the mountain.
Wyatt noted the night hike made him feel like he was in a “snow globe with stars everywhere.”
And at the top, he took in another inspiring view and looked down from the peak to see clouds and a sun that appeared to be poking through them.
As the hike became long and intense, Hofland was able to keep pace with the group, despite not feeling the best. He said his motivation came from his grandson.
“I think I told him there was a rope between his back and my heart,” Hofland recalled.
Wyatt Guck and his grandfather, Stewart Hofland, take in the view as they ascend Mount Kilimanjaro. (Photos courtesy of Stewart Hofland)
On the way down, the hikers were given the option of taking the trail or riding a half-mile scree slope. Wyatt dug his heels into the scree, or loose rocks, and then slid his way to a shortcut and an early break.
“He went down that thing like a squirrel,” Hofland said, adding he also took the shortcut.
After a few more nights camping on the mountain as they descended, they arrived at basecamp where a celebration with singing, dancing and fistbumps awaited them.
Wyatt hopes this is the first of many adventures. He is hoping his next one will take him to the untamed Amazon River for some piranha fishing.
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