How Hard Is It to Climb Kilimanjaro?

17 February 2018 by Raul 18 Comments

A few years ago I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa by virtue of being the tallest mountain there. I have written about how I prepared, what I wore for the climb, and how each day was from day 1 to reaching Uhuru Peak (Kili’s summit) to coming down the mountain. However, one of the things I have not written about directly is one of the questions I commonly get asked: “how hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro?”

I get the question directly but I also it in a different way: when people look at me like I did an almost impossible feat. I get that it is not something most people do hence why it is a feat of a kind. But to me there are crazier and/or harder things (it is all relative, isn’t it??). So I wanted to share a little of my perspective on how hard it is to climb Kili.

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The first time I saw Kili outside of the Honey Badger Lodge – such an amazing mountain!

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A photo shared in my earlier post showing what I took with me (for the climb and subsequent safari)

A bucket list item that never was: Kilimanjaro

I never planned or thought of climbing Kilimanjaro. It had never occurred to me even as a fleeting thought. Nowhere in the radar. I had barely heard or read of people who had done it. Nor was I a big hiker to begin with (I had never slept in a tent until my first night on Kili!). My first multi-day hike ever had been the year before I climbed Kili when I hiked four days in the Transylvanian Alps in Romania with Trekking for Kids (TFK). This all changed one night at a fundraiser for TFK a few months later.

At this event, folks started egging me on to join them in a few months later on the climb Kilimanjaro with TFK. I considered the whole idea preposterous. I felt tremendously ill-suited for something so physically demanding. “Climbing Kilimanjaro is too hard,” I thought. While I exercise regularly and consider myself to be generally fit, I was not running half marathons (had done it once a dozen years before) nor doing bootcamps a few days a week nor anything of the like.

Climbing Kilimanjaro was for the super athletes of the world. I was far from being that though I knew I was in slightly better shape than the average person. But, a lot of cajoling, elbowing, and a couple (or 4) glasses of wine later, I succumbed to friendly group pressure and banter. I said yes. In a way, I was feeling excited that I would attempt something so ‘crazy’ and out of my comfort zone (always a good thing to do every now and then).

The next morning I woke up and incredulously remembered the prior night’s events. I was asking myself why I had agreed to undertake this ludicrous effort instead of politely saying I’d think about it. Well, I am not one to disappoint so I decided I was going to give it a shot after all. I decided that not because I thought that I had what it took. In fact, I thought it would take a LOT of training time I did not have. Training at altitude I also did not have easy access to. And requiring plenty more hiking experience at altitude or not that I did not possess…

Ready to start the climb – clean, well-prepared, and eager!

Getting ready for climbing Kilimanjaro

A million questions started swirling in my head once I accepted I was indeed going to stick to this. SO many question! How do I best prepare? What do I need to bring with me? What do I need to wear to deal with the cold? Can I do anything to improve my chances at the doing well under exertion? Can I do anything to help me be ready for the high altitude? What did I need to know in terms of my personal safety? How much was it going to cost me when it was all said and done? And on and on.

I was fortunate to have been doing the expedition to Kili with an outfit like TFK. They provided a good bit of info to help us prepare ourselves, and gladly answered all my questions as I researched things and acquired the things I needed. I even remember being at REI looking at stuff. I called TFK’s Director of Operations, an all-around hiking guru. And started asking many questions to understand the options, look at items, see if the items’ features were really needed, and all that sort of good stuff. It was not easy but having access to expert knowledge helped make these key decisions, Especially when spending is required and one has to be careful what one spends the hard-earned money on!!

I won’t repeat here all the things I decided to do in terms of preparation or to pack in terms of the best clothing options and non-clothing items to bring; I will provide links to those posts below. But now I will address here the “how hard” question…

So how hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro then?

Hiking to the summit of a 19,340 foot mountain is not something to be undertaken lightly. OK, perhaps if you are a superstar athlete or have the right genes you can… but most of us do not fit that category. Actually, I take that back: even being a superstar athlete does not guarantee you will make it to the top of the mountain or even to the rim of the volcano (Stella Point for our route up).

Physical conditioning is only part of what is needed to make it to Uhuru Peak, the summit. It will most CERTAINLY help you tons. I experienced difficulties after the intimidating Barranco Wall and, of course, summit night for not being in the best possible shape. However, the other key factor affecting your chances of success is, well, simply how your body deals with the high altitude and lower oxygen levels.

The good news: you can do a couple of things that help a tad. Nevertheless, you have to have an OK fitness level. You WILL be exerting your body through a few hours a day of walking and gradual climbs, mixed with some steeper climbs at certain points!

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Leaving the Lava Tower looks harder than it was (Day 3)

Training at altitude would help but, from what I understand, the body’s adjustment to altitude dissipates within a few days/a week so that may not be logistically possible for most (if money and time were no object, of course, one would train at high altitude in another continent for a week or two and head straight to climb Kili without wasting days in between – not a likely approach for most). I did not do any high altitude / long climbs as part of my training due to many constraints but certainly they can only help so if you are able to do some of that in the weeks before, then your fitness level will be better.

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Heading to Barafu Camp from where we would launch to the summit (Day 5)

Part of my training as I share elsewhere was walking on a treadmill on a high incline with a backpack loaded with twice the weight I would carry on the mountain. It was an odd sight at the gym for sure but it helped physically if not just mentally… That and the fact that I am in general good shape through routine exercise were in my favor but I still struggled summit night (who doesn’t?) and after the Barranco Wall.

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Climbing along (not up) the Barranco Wall had its challenging spots (me in orange!) (Day 4)

A little while after the Barranco Wall (OK, an hour or so), we got hit by a little rain

Kilimanjaro was far from easy (each day I would end completely drained and able to move but barely). But I feel it is a reasonable, attainable goal for people with a fair degree of training/fitness. And with the drive to push themselves beyond what they think they can do. Yet, with all that, it will still all depend on how the high altitude hits each particular individual. And that reaction cannot be predicted.

I have to say that MOST CERTAINLY going with a great organization (in my case, a non-profit like Trekking for Kids) and having a one-of-a-kind extremely seasoned lead guide as we had (Luis Benitez – read about him here) were key success factors in helping ME complete the journey from planning to trekking to summitting. And making it down in one piece!

What was the hardest part about climbing Kilimanjaro?

It is a hard question to answer. We are all so different. My answer may not be yours. Things I can think of include:

the cold, especially at summit night,
the longing for a nice glass o’ wine or a beer (OK, I threw that in for comic relief),
the badly needing to get up to pee in the middle of the night (if taking Diamox – or not),
the constant packing and unpacking, inflating and deflating,
the not showering,
the bathroom situation at camp and on the trail,
the rocks to climb requiring longer legs than I have,
the having a sick tent-mate and wondering for days if you will catch it and not be able to summit,
etc.

(NOTE: Observe that food is not on this list of possible “hard” things. I ate great stuff thanks to our great porters and crew!)

But, frankly, all these things are overcomeable. For instance, while I used wipies every day to sort of clean up after a day of hiking, I had no such thing for the hair. Yet not even ONCE on the mountain did I think that it had been days since I had washed my hair last. Those who know me will know how incredible THAT sounds.

Kilimanjaro: Hard climb but special

That’s what makes going up Kili something special.

YES, it is hard in many ways. Indeed, physically, no matter how well trained you are (with those rare exceptions). But the hardest part is the mental part. When you wonder if you really can make it all the way. And when you wonder whether you want to – on one of those rare moments when you are too tired to think straight.

The hardest part is keeping going, putting one foot in front of the other when you think you can step no more. But you can. And you will. Pole, pole. Slowly, slowly – our internal Swahili chant. And you will be so amazed when it is all done that you actually did it. That you had it in you. I never knew I did. But I did. And I found out through this amazing experience… I am eternally grateful for those folks at that fundraiser who egged me on. Because the sense of achievement and the self-discovery was truly a gift received – or earned, actually 🙂

And this is the face of happiness at 19,340 ft above sea level at the summit, with my family close to me.

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At Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro!! (with the short-lived too-reflective sign; it’s gone now)

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Some key links to other posts I have written here based on my experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:

Gear for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Clothing

Preparing to Hike Kili: More than Training and Gear

Top 14 Items to Bring on a Climb of Kilimanjaro

And if you want to read a day-by-day walkthrough of what it is to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, start with Day 1.

And if you just like hiking in general, check out some of my posts about hiking in different places around the world!

Hiking in the state of Georgia: Blood Mountain

Hiking in the Transylvanian Alps in Romania

Trekking the W Circuit in Patagonia

Doing the Camino de Santiago in Spain

A Hike around Fitz Roy in Argentina

Would love to hear from you about places you hope to hike or favorites past hikes – always good to get ideas from others for future hikes!!

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: adventure, Africa, climb, climbing, hiking, how hard Kilimanjaro, Kili, Kilimanjaro, mountain, Seven Summits, Tanzania, trekking, Uhuru

Barranco Wall – A Great Challenge | Kilimanjaro Day 4

27 January 2018 by Raul 39 Comments

The Barranco Wall is one of the most dreaded – if not feared- segments of the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro on the Machame Route. People often ask how hard is it to do the Barranco Wall. I was blissfully oblivious to the question before I went on this adventure. Blessed ignorance! While I had researched my trek and prepared for it, I had mostly focused on the training, clothing, gear, and altitude sickness more than on the intricacies of the climb or route itself.

Looking back, I am glad I did not know about the Barranco Wall before I met it that morning… How hard was it to climb the Barranco Wall? Was it like wall climbing or walking along a steep edge? How wide was the path along the Barranco Wall? How high was the Barranco Wall? What would I feel? I am sure the questions would have been endless. And, if you are reading this, perhaps you are asking yourself those questions and seeking answers. I will get to my answers to those questions, but let me take a step back in the narrative here…

Starting day 4 on the Machame route

There is a morning routine to camp life in Mount Kilimanjaro – at least I concocted one all of my own. This routine started with getting my “person” ready (dressing, brushing teeth, etc..). Then it moved to those activities that were about packing up (rolling up the pad, etc.). And the routine ended with getting ready to go (putting on the layers, filling water bottle, etc.).

While I was a little more leisurely about the first set of tasks (I woke up early enough), I usually felt rushed on the latter. I worried every day that I would slow down the group’s departure. Sure enough, I was often the last or second to last person to be ready. Not really sure why, I got up early enough! But I didn’t get voted off the mountain so I guess it was all A-OK!

Day 4 on the Machame Route up Kilimanjaro began like every other day: get out of the zipped-up sleeping bag, figure out where the full pee bottle was to not accidentally crush it, find the camp shoes, put on some warm clothes, have some water, take any of the daily meds required, etc. I executed the full morning routine as if nothing special was about to happen…

Hiker, Trekker in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania wearing Arcteryx

Once the morning routine was completed, this trekker looks like a pro!

Meet the Barranco Wall: A mental and physical wall?

But on day 4 I did wake up with something else on my mind beyond my routine: the Barranco Wall. I had on purpose not read every detail about the Machame Route before I left for the trip as I mentioned earlier because I figured leaving some element of surprise would be good. I did not want to be anticipating what came next but, instead, enjoy each moment in the present (and not dread the next moment…).

Then, the night before we went on the Barranco Wall, I was told about this well-known feature of the trail we were taking. I was not sure what what was shared really meant but I had seen the wall on our way in from a distance and I got a little worried about what it would take to get through it for this amateur. Clearly it was going to be a narrow path with the wall on one side and the “fast” way down on the other… I tried to not think about it because there was no sense in over-processing it. But I was hoping it was not wall climbing with a cliff’s edge right by my feet…

It should be called the Barranco Wait, not the Barranco Wall

Of all the things to have worried about, wall climbing was not it. No mental or physical wall there (that does not mean there were not a couple of tricky moments!). The real “wall” was the wait to cross the Barranco Wall! See, normally trails are wide enough to walk two people side-by-side which allows for letting porters pass you without you having to stop or get out of the way. We appreciated porters because they make the trek possible for the hikers (more on the porters here). So we always let them pass if we were walking side by side at any point.

However, the trail on the Barranco Wall narrowed to single file for most of it. The wall did require some times pulling yourself over rocks but always with the trail on either side of it (that is, never floating over empty space below). So porters would be trapped waiting for hikers to work their way through these points.

Our group stayed off to the side right before the Barranco Wall started to let as many porters pass but it became rather tedious as we ended up sort of waiting for like a good 30 minutes or so. Other than that the wall should take an hour or two depending on your fitness level and the traffic ahead.

The Barranco Wall on the Machame Route climbing Mt Kilimanjaro

Long line of climbers and porters entering the Barranco Wall. Me? In the waiting room to enter the Wall, I suppose!

Barranco Wall, here we come! OK, in 2 minutes. No, in 10. No in 20…

Finally, the wall

Wondering what lay ahead of me in the trail for this day, I was quite eager to initiate the hike (instead of pondering what lay ahead). I sensed others around me were ready to go for whatever reasons of their own.

We finally got started and I found the wall was actually quite doable. Yes, the trail narrowed at certain points to widths not comfortable for everyone but this actually did not bother me – but I still made sure I was closer to the wall than to the trail’s edge 🙂 The Barranco Wall is between 200-300 m high and, while not trivial, it didn’t hit me as scary from an altitude standpoint though people are very different when it comes to altitudes and ledges so keep that in mind.

Climbing on the Barranco Wall in Kilimanjaro

At the beginning of the Barranco Wall, finally! (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

Given we had to go very slowly, I had the time to look back at the direction of the Barranco Camp and the entrance to the Barranco Wall… And the ever-important photos…

View towards Barranco Camp from the Barranco Wall

Camp was in the direction of the green-roofed hut on the top left. Note that trail of trekkers and porters.

Entrance to the Barranco Wall on the Machame Route

Closeup towards the almost-dry stream we had to cross to enter the Barranco Wall’s “waiting room”

In the end, there were a couple of “tight” spots. One was a little jump, where help was necessary and useful (from a physical and mental block standpoint). It was better to have one’s hands free along the path to be able to hold on to things. So the hiking poles helped me most by being packed away versus in my hands. The physical exertion was a non-issue for me along the wall and I was glad for that – but there was more ahead, post wall… The Barranco Wall, for someone not afraid of heights, was not a hard thing to do. I suspect it is a different story for someone afraid of heights.

The trail after the Barranco Wall: a trail of doubt for me

With the wall behind us, I felt relief that now we were going to be back on a more “normal” trail – I had this! Well, we were not quite back to one of those normal trails. The trail after the Barranco Wall required climbing over a lot of rocks (without a cliff around) and the exertion of climbing over large rocks actually left me quite winded. I could see myself lagging the group a bit more with every passing section of the trail and I was not happy. Frustration and doubt started to creep in…

Our Trekking for Kids lead reassured me that the extra exertion of the legs would definitely have this impact (picture, if you will, the difference between walking uphill vs. walking up the same incline using stairs: it is harder on the latter). Still I was disappointed, I wondered if my fitness level was not up to par (I should have hiked more…) and – furthermore- what did this presage about summit night??

Our lead hiking guide, checking in on me at the next break, told me that an accelerated heart rate is also caused by altitude and may not be necessarily a statement about my fitness level. I appreciated the support of the TFK lead and our lead guide. It helped me muster enough strength to get me past this stage of the trail – but just barely…

Onwards and upward on Kilimanjaro!

Mercifully, after that stage, the trail become more the normal up and down hills so I was OK on those. Occasional rocks along the way were further apart from each other so the issue did not re-surface. I once again believed I could do this! My first moment of doubt since entering the mountain had lasted maybe less than an hour. But, mentally, it had been huge. So this is what people mean when they say climbing Kili is both a physical AND a mental challenge…

Along the way, the weather was seemingly taking a turn for the worse. So, we made a quick stop to put on our rain gear but it really did not rain much or for long at all – whew! While it would not have been terrible, it is just not fun…

Rain hits while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

Hikers walking into the cloud…

We arrived at the Karanga Camp (13,800 ft; 4,200 m) after a 4 mile (7 km) hike that took us around 5 hours. We were very pleased that it was another nice camp on a sloping hillside with great views. The tents were on a little bit of a slope. But after one slightly uncomfortable night on Day 2, I learned the trick to make the sleeping bag as horizontal as possible. Just put stuff under the sleeping pad to even it out – simple solution!

Karanga Camp at Kilimanjaro's Machame Route

Yet another beautiful camp! (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

Getting the best sleep in Kilimanjaro – sleeping pad

It is worth explaining that we used sleeping pads under the sleeping bags for two reasons:

Further insulate you from the cold ground, and
A little more comfort in sleep with the extra padding.

For me, though, it was more about the comfort question as my zero-rated sleeping bag did a great job with the temperature.

My sleeping pad was an inflatable one (but not self-inflatable). I had not brought a pump with me to avoid the extra weight (the pump and then all the batteries). Given the altitude and diminished oxygen levels, I was worried this would be an issue. But it actually was no trouble at all. I just inflated the pad sometime before dinner so it was ready for bedtime. Plus it helped me practice my pressure breathing – good exercise for my lungs at altitude!

Folding the sleeping pad in the morning after deflating it to slip back into its tight packing sleeve was actually THE worst moment of my morning routine… EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I should have traded sterilizing someone’s water every morning for folding up and packing my sleeping pad…

It’s all in the views…

Like many moments on this climb, neat views delight when they appear. After the Barranco Wall waiting room, the post-wall stage which slowed me down and brought doubt, and the slight rain we experienced, it was the nice views that really motivated me to continue with every day and every step. Such motivation was, for me, this view on Day 4…

Mt. Kilimanjaro's summit beckons climbers

The summit beckons! We are closer!

Back to Day 3…

… or on to Day 5!!

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Pin this image of the Barranco Wall to your board – you will make it OK through it – even if you have to wait!

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Other posts about my Mount Kilimanjaro trek experience:

– Preparing for the hike is more than training and gear

– Clothing required for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

– The Machame Route: our way up

– 7 things you will not see me without as I climb Kili

– Day 1 of the hike: and away we go!

– Day 2 of the hike

– Interview with fellow Kili climber and Ultimate Global Explorer Len Stanmore

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: Barranco Camp, Barranco Wall, climb, hiking, Karanga Camp, Mount Kilimanjaro, sleeping pad, Trekking for Kids

The Real Heroes of Kilimanjaro

6 June 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

Kilimanjaro, while not a technical hike, is still a very challenging climb. Anyone who has climbed it should be quite proud of the accomplishment. I am privileged to have had the chance to attempt it and lucky to have succeeded! And so for the other 15 trekkers in our group who also climbed it.

The 16 trekkers and our lead guide, Luis

The average age of our group of 16 was 42 (with the median at 46, in case that tells you something!). And we all made it thanks to many factors: our training, our willpower, our support of each other, the collegiality of the group, etc. But just as important were the leadership and support our guides provided. Minding our safety first, they also bonded well with us at different times and in different ways.

With Said, who helped me during summit night and then sped me down the scree field!

With Buga, one of the liveliest of our guides – always smiling, singing and taking care of us

The trekkers and the guides can certainly call their efforts heroic or near-heroic. We had a trekker climb with a broken hand for 3 days unknown to anyone but herself. Another had bronchitis. And another had severe nausea during the ascent. They ALL made it. They -Liz, Laura, and Olivia- are definitely heroes to me. The guides worked SO hard on behalf of us. Not only minding our safety but also helping us during summit night ANY way they could. And, for a couple of us, also on the descent through the scree. They certainly are heroes to those of us whom they helped achieve this fantastic feat!!

The local guides

However, all that said, the real heroes of Kilimanjaro are the folks who make everything happen seamlessly in the background so that trekkers like myself can have a wonderful trek, a comfortable camp experience, and good food and water to sustain us. The real heroes of Kilimanjaro are the porters.

Many of those porters, we never got to meet. They worked behind the scenes. They didn’t hike along us. They carried our main luggage, tents, and everything else needed at camp. They brought water to camp. They cooked our meals. They set up and took down tents. They set up and cleaned the portable toilets. They hauled trash away so we would leave the mountain as unscathed as we found it.

As we walked up the mountain, porters from our group or other groups passed us along the paths carrying their loads. They moved fast and many did not have the right gear. These men work hard and do hard work to earn a living. Many of them are just picked up at the start of the route by the local lead guide to be hired for the trek right before we get going. Some become part regulars. And some eventually become guides.

As porters passed us along the path, we always cleared the way so they could pass us and not be bogged down by us. Partly this was, admittedly, self-serving as the earlier they got to camp, the more ready the camp would be when we arrived. But when we started doing this, that was not what we were thinking about. We were strictly thinking about making things easier for them in appreciation for all they do.

Porter carrying a load up Kili

The evening after we came off the mountain, after we all cleaned up, we all met at our hotel to celebrate and thank our guides and porters for their great work. The video clip below is of very amateurish quality but I think the joy these guys live with is self-evident. We loved their singing during the hike and we enjoyed celebrating!

The porters of Kili are the real heroes for me. To this anonymous group (we knew some of them but not most), I say ASANTE SANA! Our Kili experience would not have been possible without you. If you climb Kili, be sure to clear the way as they try to pass you!!

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Hike to Kilimanjaro Summit Base Camp | Kilimanjaro Day 5

4 April 2013 by Raul 18 Comments

Ah, the final day before summit, day 5. Very important, the day that would take us to the promised land: Kilimanjaro summit base camp on the Machame Route. And, not a day too soon. Sure, one more day of acclimatization would have only helped. But, after four spectacular days, now I was beginning to crave reaching the summit.

Day 5 begins at Karanga Camp

As usual, the day began as every day with the morning routines that set us up for the day’s hike. I took care of all the tedious, the necessary, and the helpful. Sidebar. Did I mention that after all these days of sleeping bags, tents, daypack, large backpack, jackets, zippable hiking pants, rain gear, etc. one gets REALLY tired of zippers? Velcro all the way, bay-bee!!! (Thanks, Sarah, for your help fixing zippers!)

Then, I was ready to leave Karanga Camp at 13,800 ft (4,200 m) with the group. The distance we were going to cover seemed to be just a short 3.7 miles (6 km) hike up to the Barafu Camp at 15,100 ft (4,600 m). But, remember, at that altitude, short walks are challenging.

Rocky terrain on the Machame Route headed to Barafu Camp on Day 5 of the Kilimanjaro climb

Me helpfully pointing the way, like a modern Columbus. Rock on trekkers, so to speak (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

Day 5 Headed to Barafu Camp on the Machame Route over rocky terrain in Mt. Kilimanjaro

Happy that I showed them the way (lol!), I trail with the stylish plastic bag over my daypack. Not sure why. Not a cloud on the sky. (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

On the Machame Route from Karanga Camp

Finally, on our way. At this altitude, the route was devoid of vegetation. Rocks everywhere. Small rocks though. Like debris almost. Like that helps, huh? However, there were some really neat views, as usual, on this mountain.

Great view of Mt. Meru, close to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania

Great view of Mt. Meru as the group treks on. (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

Mt. Mawenzi, one of the 3 peaks on Kilimanjaro; it peaks at over 16,000 ft.

Our time at the Barafu Camp

The Barafu Camp was a camp of sorts for us. OK, it is officially a camp. Though we were setting up as usual, we were NOT going to spend the full night at this camp. You see, at night, midnight specifically, we would be leaving this camp to head to summit. But that, my friends, is the story of day 6. And, guess what? Day 6 in Kili is out of scope for this post!

Approach to Barafu Camp in Mt. Kilimanjaro

Our final approach to Barafu Camp (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

At the camp hut to sign in. The stylish looking guy with a plastic bag, an orange jacket, a buff sipping water through a hose… That’s not me…

A painful camp

I so did not like this camp. You see, this camp was VERY rocky. I had to mind almost every single step to not trip or step on a rock that would give way from under me. To walk around our tent to reach the vestibule on the back (vestibule is a generous term; it was a place to put our bags zipped away and protected from any rain), we had to be extremely careful.

Believe me, no distance was too short for an accident. And, at this stage of the game, I was NOT going to twist my ankle. I walked very carefully even if it seemed like overdoing it to be so careful.

Me trying to make my way around all the darned rocks! (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

The latter part of the stay at Barafu Camp

Once it was dark, I woke up in the middle of one of my afternoon naps to go to the toilet-tent. It was a beautiful night. Though there was a full moon, while minding the rocks, I missed noticing the cable holding another tent down. Consequently, my face almost met a rock that would have likely broken my nose or jaw. And that would have ended my attempt of reaching the summit. Luckily, as I started falling, I caught my balance and didn’t hit the ground. BIG whew. And, added respect for the camp… A few hours were left before departed Kilimanjaro summit base camp and I was hoping I’d survive…

In any case, this camp was a little bit surreal because of the landscape. We were also on a steeper slope than we had been at any other camp (which also meant the tent’s “floor” was not flat (not that it was flat at most of the camps). However, and always looking for the bright side, some of us concluded that at least we were towards the “exit” of the camp on the way to the summit so we would save, oh, about 4 minutes once we started heading up to the summit… Gotta find happiness somehow!

Barafu Camp in Mt. Kilimanjaro's Machame Route

Barafu Camp – see what I mean about the slope??!!

Though we were not staying overnight, this camp was very important. We were to have a nice late lunch and then do two very important things:

1. Pack/Prepare for departing for the summit at midnight.

2. Resting/Sleeping whatever we could to have more energy for the climb that night and to also allow our bodies to get as used as possible to the higher altitude.

Three very happy -if tired- trekkers at Barafu. Myself with the awesome Laura and Kristin!

Spending time at Kilimanjaro summit base camp

While exercising at altitude helped get acclimatized to altitude, being active after getting to this camp was not the best thing to do. The reason? The body would not get to recover and it would be energy we would need in a few hours for summit night. So, our leads suggested that, whether we actually napped or not, that at least we lay down for as long as possible to conserve energy and rest. Not being one to ignore advice from experts, after lunch I did all I could do to prep for that night’s departure (we were stopping at this camp after coming down from the summit) and then proceeded to get comfy (or as comfy as I could) and lay down.

I was VERY pleased that I napped. Frankly, I can’t recall how long a nap but it was long. Not once, but twice. Fortunately, the final nap took me all the way to waking time around 10:30 PM – which was great. I was able to say bye to the first group of four from our group to depart. That is because they were leaving an hour early to be sure they had ample time to make it to the summit by sunrise. Afterwards, I took care of a few things before sitting back down at the same mess tent where I had just said goodbye to our first group, an hour before to wait for our own departure around midnight.

To be honest, I was beginning to get a little anxious. I couldn’t wait to get going and leave Kilimanjaro summit base camp. But, wait, that’s midnight so that story is part of day 6!

The summit beckons…

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If you enjoyed reading about what it was to be in Kilimanjaro summit base camp, you can go back or forward in my narrative of this wonderful experience!

Back to Day 4…

… on to Day 6 – summit night !

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Other posts about the Kilimanjaro trek:

– Preparing for the hike is more than training and gear

– The Machame Route: our way up

– 7 things you will not see me without as I climb Kili

– Day 1 of the hike

– Day 2 of the hike

– Day 3 of the hike

– Interview with fellow Kili climber and Ultimate Global Explorer

Pin this image to your board for your future climb and to remember Kilimanjaro summit base camp!

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: Barafu Camp, climb, hike, hiking, Karanga, Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro summit base camp, Machame Route, summit

On the Machame Route | Kilimanjaro Day 1

12 March 2013 by Raul 20 Comments

Writing about my hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro along the Machame Route is no easy task. What to share? Clearly the “facts” of the route, camps, durations, altitude, acclimatization, weather, gear, the day-to-day routine, etc. are all important elements of the story. But the more I thought about how to write about this experience, the more I realized I wanted to share how it felt first and foremost. And also covering some of the elements listed earlier as they fit into the overall story, instead of making those the focus of each story, making this more a log of the climb. As I mentioned in another post, preparing for Kili is more than training and gear. I hope that you will see, over the series of writeups, that an emotional element also applies to actually doing the climb. Let’s get going with day 1!

The Machame Route and the climb

One second… before getting into the hike itself, a quick word about the route that we took for this climb. Our group went up the Machame Route, known for its vistas and for not being as crowded as other routes. Also, the Machame Route is a route with a higher likelihood of success than the so-called “Coca-Cola Route” (the Marangu Route). That is because it offers better altitude adjustment or acclimatization to the ever higher elevations the trek would face (climb high, sleep low; 6 days of ascent; etc.).

The climb itself is to Uhuru Peak. Mt. Kilimanjaro actually refers to the entire mountain, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Uhuru Peak is the highest point on the mountain and, therefore, in Africa! Whereas Uhuru Peak is the goal, the entry point to the goal on the Machame Route is called Stella Point. Once you get to Stella Point, there is about one more hour before reaching the actual summit. Making to Stella Point, though, is no guarantee that one will reach Uhuru Peak though… More on summit night in another post. Let’s go back to day 1 itself.

Starting day 1: waiting at the Machame Gate

Day 1 starts full of anticipation. The trekkers finish prepping the daypack they will carry on their backs. And packing the other piece of luggage that will be taken from camp to camp by the porters accompanying our group.

Backpacks ready to go up Mt. Kilimanjaro

Daypacks waiting for their trekkers!

We got up at the crack of dawn to head from our hotel (the awesome Honey Badger Lodge) to the hotel from which the mountain trek would leave, the Springlands Hotel, home base of Zara Tours who Trekking for Kids had hired to do our trek. So add 20-30 minutes to the lead time… (I would have rather stayed at Springlands the night before but I imagine it was booked since there were a few buses loading that morning to go to the mountain.)

The ride to the Machame Gate, entry point to the Machame Route, could not start quickly enough. As with many things, one gets ready and then one waits. After we finished leaving some of our non-trek stuff in storage at the Springlands, our bus arrived and the process of loading up our trek bags began. Finally -and not soon enough- we were on our way to the Machame Gate. It seemed to take forever but it couldn’t have been more than 1 hour or hour-and-a-half. We were just so ready to get the climb going!

At the Machame Gate

Once we arrived at the Machame Gate, we proceeded to, you guessed it perhaps, sit and wait for about an hour. The reason, though, was quite simple: the permits had to be purchased by the lead guides. This process takes time as we were not the only ones there (fancy that!). This would be a reality throughout the trek: others are there with you. Not that we expected to be alone, mind you. Just that one never stops to consider that fact until one gets to this departure gate. While it could have been chaotic, it really was not; everything was fairly orderly. We proceeded to eat our boxed lunches while we waited and took a few pictures to commemorate the start of our climb.

ilivetotravel doing the obligatory photo at the Machame Gate, looking ready and clean!

Another thing you can do while you wait is read the few signs posted with instructions and warnings for those starting to climb Kili. Good reading.

We cheered when we saw our guide come over with paperwork – it meant we were ready to go. The funny thing is that we saw other guides come out around the same moment with their papers. You would think the first-come, first-serve approach would have led to guides coming out gradually and sequentially. Nope. It seems all permits were issued almost at the same time for all the groups waiting! That meant, everyone got going at the same time creating a little bottleneck at the entrance gate. We got to pass quickly through without waiting long so we were FINALLY on our way!!

The hike on day 1

Day 1 was mainly going through a forest habitat starting at 6,000 ft (1,830 m) and ending at the Machame Camp at 10,200 ft (3,100 m).

Day 1 of the Machame Route of Kilimanjaro

Typical of the day 1 Machame Route. Notice the porters on the trail.

It may have been the built-up anticipation but, for the most part, I didn’t feel the altitude wear on me as the day went on. We were fortunate it did not rain that day. So, the gaiters were not really needed (those green things I am wearing on my legs in the earlier photo to help prevent mud or pebbles from getting into our boots). This part of the trail is about the nicest one with some work done to create a good trail for part of the way.

Arrival at the Machame Camp

Our arrival at camp was about 4:30 PM, five hours after we started that day. We were thrilled at having completed our first day of 6 to get to the summit. While we knew we still had a lot of challenges ahead, it felt SO good to have one day under our belt! At this point we did our first book signing to show we were there. This is a key requirement if we wanted to be issued an official completion certificate at the end of the hike.

The Machame Camp sits in an area with plenty of vegetation. This means we had more smaller animal life than we would have higher up; read, mice. Key here is to keep the tent zipped up when not coming and going! The Machame Camp has a toilet building that is pretty new. I heard it had both Western toilets and Turkish toilets, if those are the proper names for the fixture types. We also had a pair of portable toilets-tents and I preferred those… (less smelly).

In any case, getting to camp means setting up the sleeping tents and the mess hall tent. Normally the porters who carry these items and set them up get there ahead of the trekkers and the guides but on day 1 we got there at the same time. So this day we got to watch them at work.

Setting up camp

Wrapping up our first day on the mountain

Once the tents were set up and before dinner was ready, I, like some of the other trekkers, got organized by washing up, taking out the items needed for the night (headlamp, etc.), and preparing the daypack for the next day. Oh, and the getting drinking water and treating it (Steripen worked wonderfully!) – a staple of the every day life on the mountain!

Yours truly getting ready for my first night camping ever!

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset that night before heading to the mess hall tent for dinner. I took advantage of an early bedtime so I could be well-rested for day 2 – NICE! Dinner included a hot soup, potatoes, fried fish, vegetables, and small bananas along with tea and hot chocolate. On to my first night camping ever and day 2!

Tents at Machame Camp during sunset in Kilimanjaro

Our tents with a beautiful backdrop courtesy of the African sunset

On to Day 2 on the Machame Route…

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Other posts about the Kilimanjaro trek:

– Preparing for the hike is more than training and gear

– The Machame Route: our way up

– Day 3 of the hike

– Day 4 of the hike

– Day 5 of the hike

– Day 6 of the hike (summit night)

– 7 things you will not see me without as I climb Kili

– Interview with fellow Kili climber and Ultimate Global Explorer

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: climb, hiking, Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro route, Machame gate, starting machame route, Tanzania, Uhuru

Getting Up High in Sydney- The Amazing Bridge Climb

7 December 2012 by Raul 14 Comments

When I got to Sydney, Australia to visit friends and finally explore that land down under, one of the first thing my friends told me was I HAD TO do the bridge climb. The Sydney Harbor Bridge climb. I was immediately mesmerized at the thought. Normally, I try to go up any structure that allows me birds eye view of a city. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Christ Redeemer in Rio, the medieval towers in la rossa Bologna, St. Paul‘s in London, Sacre Coeur also in Paris, the Peachtree Westin in my hometown, … you get the point. Nothing like being high up and looking down at man’s urban creation. I had crossed the bridge on foot and snapped a photo I really liked looking at the Sydney Opera House (and you are already high from the bridge level) but a higher vantage point… THAT would be awesome.

So the Sydney Bridge climb was right up my alley. Of course, I had to be OK parting with a good amount of dough, well north of US $100 (truth be told, around $200…). But WHEN would I return to Sydney to do this? I am not scared of heights when I feel secure and being on a walkway was good enough for me (vs. walking out on some diving board-like piece of something hanging of a needle or other such skyscraper structure).

A friend of mine who is also a travel blogger (Erin, from The World Wanderer) was telling me she wanted to do the climb. I encouraged her to do it and she encouraged me to write about my experience (it was on the long to-write-about list). The bridge climb is a fairly recent offering having been started in the mid 1990s or so. They claim over 3 million participants so far – become one, like Erin will some day, and help them get to 4 million!

The prep

So I made my way to the place where they brief you on the entire process and suit you up on this very not glamorous attire. The important thing, though, is that you part ways with ANYTHING that could POSSIBLY fall off you during the climb. It is not only that you would lose the whatever-it-is. It is that there are likely cars right under you that could be hit by anything falling off! If it is not covered completely by the suit – it comes off. Your sunglasses, mercifully, are given a contraption so you can keep them and they won’t fall off – whew. They go through some instructions and -voilà- off you go!

Modeling the jumpsuit used in the Sydney Harbor Bridge climb

Notice all the gear on the model

The hike

Once you are ready to go, the first step is to hook yourself up to the “cord”. This cord thing runs the ENTIRE route you will walk and you will be hooked to that cord the ENTIRE time you are out there either UNDER the bridge or climbing up. Yes, that is why you should not fear doing the hike. You are tethered to the bridge. The only way you are falling to your death is if the bridge falls into the harbor hundreds of feet below. And then it does not matter if you are climbing the bridge, on a bus crossing the bridge, or a pedestrian on the sidewalk on the bridge. So no fear!

ilivetotravel climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia

Notice how I am strapped to the bridge

Once you start climbing, yes, the effort could be significant for some. I exercise frequently so the physical effort was not extraordinary. But I think you don’t have to be in great shape to go up. Just don’t have serious heart issues or other serious illnesses. Oh, and don’t be intoxicated. They check and won’t let you go up!

The guide will make stops along the way but she/he is explaining things along the way. The headphones you get are AWESOME. They don’t go in your ear but over the rear of your cheek close to your ear – the sound vibrations emitted by the thing get to your eardrum and you hear perfectly fine – how cool is that?! Our guide was phenomenal – great explanations, great humor (I am sure the same jokes he and his peers say every tour but nevertheless funny), and great Aussie attitude and friendliness.

Say cheese!

As you hike the bridge, they will be taking photographs. Remember the bit about not being able to bring a camera? (You leave your stuff in a locker.) Well, they know you want a picture or two. And they know we will buy them so they won’t be cheap. But since you already dished out a couple hundred buckaroos, what’s another limb, right? The photos will be great – admire mine but do not laugh at the suit cause you will be wearing one too!

Climb of the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia with Opera House in the background

One of the worst smiles I’ve given in a photo but, overall, I can’t complain! And it’s windy up there if you can’t tell!

“Closing arguments”

If I ever return to Sydney, I am likely to splurge again – but this time to do the night climb which I hear is also phenomenal (and cheaper!). Hopefully, I’ve had enough time by then to save up for the cost of another climb. But one thing I know, it will be WELL worth it!

I give this a completely certain thumbs up even if it feels gimmicky. Gimmicks like this, though, have to be gone for (here is where English teachers cringe). They pay you back with an incredible view of this great city by the water! Did I convince you to do it??