Forget summit photos—the real untold story of Kilimanjaro is what happens when nature calls at 15,000 feet. Here’s the raw truth about toilets, pee funnels, and why I’ll never look at cilantro soup the same way again.

Day two was long and grueling: nearly eight hours of hiking, steep ridges, new climates, and plenty of laughs with guides and strangers alike. By the time we reached Shira Camp, my nails were full of dirt, my head was throbbing, and the stars stretched endlessly above.