The Documentary
Mountaineer Thomas Lämmle conquered eight-thousanders like Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. However, after a serious accident with a paraglider, which he only just survived, he ended up in a wheelchair. His left leg has been paralyzed ever since. Which is why his doctors suspected that he would never be able to walk again.
However, he could not resign himself to this fate and began to train hard while still in the hospital until he could stand on his healthy leg again and walk with crutches. Then he set himself a goal: to climb his beloved Kilimanjaro once again. „And if that’s only possible with crutches, then so be it,“ he announced.
This is the story of Thomas Lämmle’s 63rd ascent of Africa’s highest mountain.
30 percent with your feed
70 percent with your head
What it was like when Thomas Lämmle
climbed two eight-thousanders in eight days.
From the wheelchair back to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
This is the story of Thomas Lämmle
Thomas was not alone, however.
Thomas was not alone, however.
This is also the story of six new mountaintopers.
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- Michael
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- Hubert
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- Julia
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- Jens
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- Hansi
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- Peter
Eight days of climbing can be boring. And tiring. In both cases, it helps to have a great troop around you to build you up when you’re not feeling well and to reach under your arms when your legs get wobbly.
Our troop – Thomas once left out – consisted of five Swabians and a Swabian and we all climbed not the first time on a mountain, but the first time on such a high one. We were able to prepare the muscles by hiking often and long beforehand. But how you react to thin altitude air, that can hardly be trained.
How to properly adapt to the altitude, what to look out for and what to avoid. All this is explained in the documentary. And also: how we fared in the process and why we all climbed the same mountain, but each had to reach his own summit.
The Filmmaker
I produced the film: Michael Scheyer. Like the others, I also had to acclimatize properly in order to reach the summit. Perhaps I had the greater challenge: to film without breathing loudly. It worked – almost. At the end, where the air became thinner and thinner, it was impossible to avoid hearing a few breaths. After all, that makes the film very authentic. Nothing is staged.
When I reported on Thomas‘ accident for a newspaper, he announced that he wanted to climb Kilimanjaro again soon: „And if that’s only possible with crutches, then so be it.“ And I replied, „Thomas, if you go up there with crutches, then I’ll come with you.“ And that’s how the film came about.
Click here to go to Michael Scheyer’s website.
The Lemosho-Route
Eight days of adventure in a breathtaking landscape
Many routes lead to the summit of Kilimanjaro. The easiest is probably the Lemosho route. It is usually done in seven days. However, Extrek Africa guides usually offer it in eight days. The one extra day helps to acclimatize better. Kilimanjaro, by the way, is not a single mountain, but a massif consisting of three peaks: Shira, Kibo and Mawenzi. Uhuru Peak is located on Kibo and is the highest peak with 5895 meters.
During the eight days the landscape changes almost daily. From savannah to dense jungle to the arid vegetation of steppes to the dusty alpine high desert. And in between: green oases stretching along mountain streams with plants that can only be found on Kilimanjaro. This picture gallery shows the impressive landscape of the protected nature park. And the breathtaking nature of the park is also one of the main characters in the one-and-a-half-hour documentary film.
Follow the Lemosho route once from above via Google Maps
Where does Thomas get this inexhaustible motivation?
The guides on Kilimanjaro always say: You climb the mountain 30 percent with your feet and 70 percent with your head. Perhaps it’s similar with the self-healing powers. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, as the saying goes. And if you don’t want anything, you can’t achieve anything.
Thomas Lämmle set himself the goal of being able to walk again. And he has put all his strength and energy into achieving this goal. But where does Thomas actually get this motivation from? I asked him that on the way up.
See even more pictures and stories on Instagram
Extrek Africa
Mountaineering and do something good at the same time
Extrek Africa is a non-profit organization, started by Thomas and based in Tanzania. Extrek Africa offers tours on Mount Kilimanjaro and the neighboring Mount Meru and employs guides, porters and cooks. The money Extrek Africa generates stays entirely in Tanzania with the people who work there. So if you want to climb Kilimanjaro, you can go with Extrek Africa. Then you are also doing something good.
In order to support Extrek Africa financially – to buy equipment or to expand the farm – a non-profit association was founded in the winter of 2020: „Friends of Extrek Africa e.V.“ based in Waldburg. This association is chaired by Thomas.
For more information about Extrek Africa and the Friends of Extrek Africa association, please visit: http://www.extrek-africa.com
And this is the Extrek Farm, where the money raised by the association goes:
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