Gear for Climbing Kilimanjaro | Clothing

19 May 2018 by Raul 24 Comments

Planning my hike of Mount Kilimanjaro and the subsequent safari (check out my visit to Serengeti) in Tanzania was not an easy task. From every angle, it felt daunting. How to train, what clothing I would need, what items I needed to bring, what constraints we had with bag weight, and on and on. It is not easy to sift through all the considerations on the gear for climbing Kilimanjaro, especially the clothing. Some good work is required!

Research is key in planning your gear for climbing Kilimanjaro

Good research was key and I figured that would be the case from the get-go. That research took many forms. Talking to people who have hiked Kili. Reading blogs or websites about hiking it. Talking to the great folks at REI. And working through the list and advice given to me by the trek organizer (Trekking for Kids) – which was outstanding. In the end, I still had many decisions to make on what felt could be important things to add to my packing list for hiking Kilimanjaro and the subsequent safari. Fortunately, I was well armed with information and advice.

This post is geared to those contemplating climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Or perhaps those just interested in reading about what people wear when they climb Kilimanjaro! In any case, reaching Kilimanjaro’s peak, Uhuru Peak, is an adventure that requires both cold and hot weather gear. This is so because the mountain has just about every climate zone possible in its 19,340 ft.

I will attempt, as an amateur, to share over a couple of posts what made it to my packing list and how it helped. This post will focus on clothing (I share in a separate post the key non-clothing items to bring – and why!). If you are reading this and planning a similar trek, please feel free to leave any questions as comments and I will reply and try to help. In addition, should you have other suggested items or even better suggestions than mine, please share! There are more ways to skin a cat than one!

Some details about my gear recommendations

Before I move on to my recommendations for the clothing packing list, a few key items to note:

I went on safari after the hike concluded (I highly recommend this! You are ALREADY there!) so I also include in my packing list things needed for the safari which is mostly regular stuff but just for warm weather.
Kili has multiple climate zones ranging from hot to extreme cold – this requires understanding how much of what to bring and your own preferences.
I am not laying out all the options possible, especially in clothing, as this post would be five times long and no one would read it, but will share what all the advice led me to choose – happy to answer any questions you may have.
I did write about my 7 top items to take on this hike. It was a high-level view of the question and written before I went on the trip (whereas this one was written with the first-hand knowledge of having completed the trip). This post will get into more details.

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Clothing – Lower Body

Let’s take it from the bottom of the body upwards.

Hiking boots – Get good hiking boots AND do your practice hikes using them so you break them in well. Otherwise you may suffer more during the hike, including dreadful blisters. Some folks opted for shoes that were more like hiking shoes. However, I prefer the safety of the ankle support since I am bound to get sloppy when tired. Sloppiness raises the risk of twisting my ankle and ruining the rest of the hike. The following are a couple of boots that read well from the product descriptions. Mine were REI waterproof hiking boots from a long-time ago so no image at Amazon for them. Study these and their features, and keep in mind that waterproof and comfort reign supreme in terms of choosing boots. Regardless of where you purchase them, make sure you know whether you can try them out and return them if you, once you have tried them out, decide they are not for you. That’s a great way to be sure to have the right footwear. Your footwear will be your key ally those days of being on your feet. (The two shown here represent two different price points to contrast the options.)

Sample 1 – Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot

Sample 2 – Columbia Men’s North Plains Ii Waterproof Mid Hiking Boot

Gaiters – These items help keep mud and scree from doing a number on you by getting into your footwear and becoming a major nuisance. You will need gaiters during the summit night climb for sure and, more than likely, on the first day if it has rained recently (it had not when we got started, so I did not need them that day). You do not really need knee-high ones in my opinion; something to cover the possible gap between the bottom of your pants and the top of your boots is sufficient for the one or two times you will use them. I would say not the most critical of the items but nice to have.

Socks – The socks needed for the hike and the ones needed for the safari were of very different kinds. For the latter, you may not need to be told what to get (anything that helps keep the foot dry is always better than plain cotton but you won’t die if you wear cotton ones; just be more sweaty). But for the hike, I highly recommend you use a liner to wick moisture away from your feet and then woolen socks over them. Wetness is a contributing factor (not the main one perhaps) to blisters. For summit night or other colder days, you will be well advised to have a pair of VERY thick woolen socks. I was still a little cold in my feet even with the sturdiest of these on summit night – the part of it that I had any awareness… I understand that our summit night was not the coldest night possible by a bit so, if it can be colder and I was cold with very thick woolen socks, I hate to know how bad it can feel on my feet!

Pants
- A rainproof outer shell was a must to avoid getting soaked if it rained. However, this outer layer does not need to keep you warm (I used under-layers to handle the cold). The outer shell is about rain and, also, wind. I got a hard shell (you can get a soft shell instead if you want). A key feature I found most helpful are the side long zippers (ankle to hip) that enable you to very quickly put them on (as in, when rain starts all of a sudden…) – a breeze! Bottom line on these: windproof and waterproof.
- When I was not using the outer shell (which was most of the time), I just used my hiking pants as the exterior layer. I would highly recommend zip-off (convertible) hiking pants for quick adaptability: if it gets too hot during the day, you don’t have the “do-I-want-to-go-through-the-hassle-of-taking-off-my-boots-to-change-into-shorts?”-type of dilemma… But it also saved packing both long pants and shorts 🙂 Read through all the details of these and others you may find (all sorts of price points!). The convertible hiking pants shown don’t need to be anything fancy: comfortable and with the amount of pockets you feel you want in the right places (and with buttons, Velcro or zippers on them per your preferences). Basic worked fine for me!

Sample Hiking Pants – Columbia Boy’s Silver Ridge III Convertible Pants

Sample Outer Shell – Marmot Men’s PreCip Full Zip Pant Shell

Base layer for the legs – Base layers (long leggings) made from merino wool (the best) are important to stay warm. This layer, given the material, will also keep odors from building up. This characteristic makes them re-usable for more than one day. Added benefit: cut down on what needs to be carried on the flights to/from Africa and by the porters. You can use polypropylene for this layer but I heard merino wool just performs better. On summit day, you may need two layers of base layer. I wore two under the hiking pants and then the hard shell on the outside. Before the trip, I was consistently told that silk is about the best material to help retain warmth next to the skin. I was surprised when I heard that. I just happened to have this pair of silk leggings but, once on Tanzania, our lead guide told me to use the two merino layers I had instead of the silk pair and one merino pair. It worked well enough for me on summit night!
Shorts for safari – I wore shorts during the safari (the zip-off hiking pants and an extra pair) but I also did wear my full hiking pants to better protect me from the sun (and bugs, I suppose). Of course, shorts will also be things you wear in the evening or when exploring towns.

Clothing – Upper Body

Base layer– The upper body layering approach is much like the lower body’s. I used base layers for the colder days – again merino wool. (Usually one, but two on summit night!) For lower altitudes, a regular long sleeve CoolMax type of shirt. As I went up and things got colder, a wool “close-to-the-skin” layer under the CoolMax worked well. Wool is ideal for skin-contact as it wicks moisture from your skin preventing many things (one of them: smells!). I show one example below but there are tons from many brands that fit the needs – and varying budgets 😉 Bottom line: no cotton!

Sample – tasc Performance Men’s Elevation Ultrafine Soft Merino Lightweight Long Sleeve Shirt

Mid layer – I got a merino wool mid-layer to have for the evenings at camps lower than base camp. On summit night, this layer would separate the skin-hugging base layers and the outer layers I will mention next. Tasc‘s Elevation line (of which I show a base layer item above) also has a 1/4 zip hoodie jacket that also combines merino wool with their signature bamboo fiber which may be a great item. I didn’t have one with a hoodie so I had to wear the regular ski hat if I was cold enough at camp at night. By the way, I am a fan of Tasc‘s regular bamboo fabric t-shirts so I am curious how this one would work. The Icebreaker item I show below, has the power of one of the best-known and valued brands in terms of quality of merino wool. Normally that means a higher price point. But this one seems quite reasonable. Search around when you click through below as they have other versions of the same type of item with some range in price point. The SmartWool brand, in my short years of serious hiking, has proven to be a good and reliable one. So theirs is worth reading more about when selecting a mid layer top. Be wary of items that will themselves as having wool. A few years ago I clicked on one and it was mostly polyester and only 11% wool. Always read the product details!! Note: An alternative could be a fleece jacket. There are pros and cons to wool vs. fleece. One of the main difference is how each performs in keeping you warm when wet (wool is better) and how quickly they dry (fleece is better). Since I knew I would have the right layers to keep rain off me, then wool was a no-brainer for me.

Sample Mid Layer 1 – Icebreaker Merino Descender Long Sleeve 1/2 Zip

Sample Mid Layer 2 – Smartwool Men’s NTS Mid 250 Full Zip T

- Outer layers – On the trek, I had an outer hard shell for rain and wind. I also carried a synthetic down jacket which was great because it was very compact when packed. I used the latter in the evenings while at camp on cold nights, And, of course, on summit night. My outer shell was an Arcteryx jacket very much like the one below. Arcteryx is not a cheap brand (I hunted the jacket until I found it on a great sale!) but reading through the item I show below will give you an idea of the features to look for. Best I can tell, this one is pretty similar from top to bottom to the one I had (except mine was orange). To keep in mind for summit night: I used two merino wool base layers, the merino wool light jacket, the hard shell (for wind, not rain), and the synthetic down jacket – which I was not wearing at the beginning of the ascent but which I wore during breaks and once it got too cold even while moving. It important to plan these well because summit night will be COLD.

Sample Outer Shell – Arcteryx Alpha SL Jacket

Shirts for safari – I had quick-dry short sleeve shirts that also had side vents – very comfortable in warm weather and preventing odors from building up…

Head- and neck- gear – I used different items to cover my head from the cold and from the sun – both very important. A typical sun hat to protect against the sun (with a rim) was a very good idea. A skull cap was one of the items I used in cold weather. In very windy or in rainy conditions, the hood from the hard shell helped a good deal. I also had a buff which I used when the skull cap seemed like a little much. In fact, the buff served many purposes, like loosely hanging around my neck to avoid burning up when in the sun. I also used it to cover my mouth and nose when it got dusty on the trail or in the safari. Finally, I brought a balaclava for summit night. It would offer lots of protection with only a small space open to look out. I could also just use it around my neck (would keep it warmer than the buff would). So quite a few options!

Outer gloves – You are going to want some extreme gloves! The gloves should be waterproof because you don’t want gloves getting wet where it is cold. And some good heavy duty insulation (e.g., PrimaLoft). You will still need liners underneath (you would think an extreme glove would be enough…). My fingertips were still a little cold on summit night even with the liners. But that eventually passed as I entered “the zone” (read how summit night unfolded) You also need to decide on the type: mitt or separate-fingers. For that outer layer of gloves, I chose mitt. Plus: less “surface” exposed to the outside, so keeps more warmth around your fingers. Minus: Lower usability of your fingers since they cannot move independently. However, the rationale for mitts was that most of the time, I would be holding hiking poles in my hands during the ascent. For that, the mitt grip worked. Once I wanted to reach for tissues or take a photo, yes, I would have to take the mitts off but that was not a big deal. Even fingered style gloves may have been too thick for some of these motions.

Liners – I only used the extreme gloves summit night but the liners I used a lot on the days and evenings prior to summit night. Maybe bring two pairs of liners of different thicknesses, or one pair of liners and one pair of lighter gloves. The Grabber hand warmer thingies that generate some heat can be helpful though they do not always seem to generate the same level of heat at high altitude. Nevertheless, any heat helps so you may want to bring some.

Clothing – sleep time

OK, do I really think you need help with this? No and yes. No, because sleep wear is such a personal comfort thing. But yes because part of it is slightly counter-intuitive.

When you are sleeping in the super-cold weather sleeping bag at night at the higher altitudes and on colder nights, the less you wear, THE BETTER. No, no, nothing kinky about that statement. Simply the interior of the super-cold weather sleeping bag will make you feel your own body heat warming you as it leaves your body. So the more clothing you wear, the less your body heat will work with the sleeping bag to keep you warm.

Other than that, keep the jackets, pants, etc. close to the sleeping bag. Because when you wake up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself (and, trust me, you WILL if you are taking Diamox), you will need to put those on because you will not be able to go outside in your “sleepwear”!

ilivetotravel Shira Camp with Mt. Kilimanjaro Olympus camera

A happy if tired hiker by his tent and the roof of Africa! Wearing the merino wool mid layer and the synthetic down jacket.

Can I help you any more with planning your packing list?

So, this is the run-down of the clothing items I’d include in any packing list for a hike of Kilimanjaro. The items shared here are the things I obtained and used on the hike (and on the subsequent safari). I have to say my planning paid off. These items served me very well. Others may have different additional suggestions on what to add to the list of things to bring to hike Kili. I hope they will share those here!

Finally, I hope if you were not considering hiking Kili or were uncertain, check out my other posts on the topic (see below) and know that it is fairly attainable with good training and preparation!

Disclosure: I am not being paid or in any way compensated by the brands whose wares I discuss in this post. While I would love to sample their products and review them, that is not the case in this post. I just want to show good samples of the types of items I’d consider.

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Other related posts that you may want to check out!

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Travel Stories Tagged With: balaclava, boots, clothing, gear, hard shell, hiking, Kilimanjaro, kilimanjaro dress, kilimanjaro gear, merino wool, Mount Kilimanjaro, packing, trekking, what to wear

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

Top 14 Items for a Kilimanjaro Packing List

24 January 2017 by Raul 14 Comments

I assume that, if you are on this post you must be thinking of your Mount Kilimanjaro packing list. Well, you came to the right spot! How to prepare for climbing Kilimanjaro is a crucial step in your planning efforts.

Via this blog, I share my preparation and packing tips for what to bring on this amazing endeavor (in this post and others; see bottom of post for more inclusive posts). As I was helped with my planning, I’d like to help others. In a separate post I cover clothing. In this post I cover my 14 top items to bring to Kili. Hopefully, my list and accompanying explanations will be helpful!

A Kilimanjaro packing list is no small thing!

gear, Kilimanjaro, clothing, Olympus, hiking, climbing, Kilimanjaro Packing List

Climbing Kilimanjaro is quite the experience – an achievable one for most people with some training and mental readiness for the effort. But climbing to the “roof of Africa” is also an operational endeavor! Lots of planning for the clothing and other items that are needed. This while balancing needs, cost, and weight. The following picture sort of gives you a visual of the amount of stuff that my Kilimanjaro packing list included.

I have written in another post about what to bring as far as clothing if you are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. That post can help you build the clothing part of your Kilimanjaro packing list. In no particular order and without further ado, here are the top 14 non-clothing items that were most helpful for me in my hike.

My top 14 items for your Kilimanjaro packing list

1. Sleeping bag

Get a good one. One that keeps you warm. Remember that some of them work best when you wear the least amount of clothing. I know. It seems counter-intuitive. But it is true. Zero (Fahrenheit) -rated is recommended. If not, get a liner with extra warmth. But the best is just a good sleeping bag as the liner would be just one-more-thing to get into and out of… The mummy style works best. You want that tapered shape instead of a rectangular one – the rectangular one has more space for air inside that will need to be warmed and that heat comes from you body. The tapered one is better in that regard.

Amazon.com Widgets

2. Wipies

Oh, wipies, thou art so versatile! Whether it is cleaning yourself after a day of hiking or cleaning yourself after nature calls – or just to wipe your hands after eating, these little suckers are quite helpful. Take some. Take a good amount.

3. Pee bottle

“Huh??,” you may say. That’s what I said too. But, stay open-minded…

Picture this: middle of the night, you zipped into your zero/sub-zero rated sleeping bag, in a tent, with two pairs of zippers in your way to go outside, you with little clothing on, outside freezing cold, you needing to put on clothes, shoes too, stumbling to find the headlamp so you don’t stumble outside OR, middle of the night, you zipped into your zero/sub-zero rated sleeping bag, stumbling to find the bottle (i.e., the pee bottle), then trying to carefully point/aim. Done. Yea, I thought so. Pee bottle.

A tip: Get a wide mouth bottle (improves the odds of filling it not your tent).

Another tip: Make sure it seals tight so, when it tips over as you move in your sleep, it will not fill your tent.

Final tip: Make it big enough. Do not underestimate how much pee comes out in one “go” plus you may go more than once per night. Any questions?

4. Headlamp (with plenty of batteries)

The headlamp will be key on summit night as you start the hike up to the summit at midnight. You will need to watch your step even if you go with a full moon. Additionally, at camp at night and in your tent, you will make use of the headlamp. Make sure you bring extra batteries and save those for summit night. An extra little light bulb may be good but if the one you have is new, you may not need it (I didn’t).

Amazon.com Widgets

5. Pain killer

While my personal preference is to deal with the pain without the need of meds, this approach is suspended when I am trying to climb a 19,340 ft mountain, you know? I was not sure how my knees would perform nor what other pains may arise during this week long adventure. I only used them on the descent (not at the start while going down the scree field but after leaving base camp). It is EXTREMELY rocky in this part of the mountain and I could feel my knees were going to have issues. I took 2 preventive Advils and repeated once later during the descent and then with dinner that night. Whether because of my preventive measures or not, I had only very slight soreness on my knees.

6. Ambien

I was leery of using Ambien at altitude not knowing what effects, if any, it could have on me (other than making me fall asleep). I had them more for the flight and my first night in-country not for the hike. But our lead guide said it was OK and maybe even a good idea to take half an Ambien to take the edge off and be able to fall asleep in the evenings since rest was so important during the hike. So I did and it all worked great.

7. Hiking poles (two of them!)

Yes, this hike will be a lot easier with two, not one, poles. Poles give you impulse as you climb over a big step and also you can push off with them as you move forward. However, they shine in the descent: my knees would have been pulp (more than they were) if I had not had these poles to soften the impact when stepping down over rocks. Can’t recommend using them enough (even if you are “tough” – everyone has them) – and if you can score the ones with shock absorbers, even better!

Do try them out somewhere as the grip will be important. I liked the foam grip and cork handle as it would feel better if my hands got sweaty either way I held it. I could unscrew the handle to use it as a camera mount (though I did not use that feature during this hike). Also, make sure they are adjustable: when you go up, you may want them shorter than when you are going down when you may want them longer! There are hiking poles at every price point so just check them out in person, ask questions, and then pick! Or even better, borrow them from someone you know 🙂

Amazon.com Widgets

8. Duct tape

You never know what you will need this for and therein the beauty of duct tape: it fixes anything. OK, I exaggerate. Most anything. I roll it on a pencil as taking the roll itself is bulky. You can use it to fix a broken backpack or to nip a budding blister before it becomes a nightmare. You choose the color!

9. A camera!

OK, this may be obvious. I was trying to keep the weight down in my “carry-on” during the hike but I clearly needed a camera. How would I otherwise take magnificent pictures?? I did make a good decision to get a high quality pocket camera instead of my regular bulky camera. Good call – I got plenty of great photos but without too much bulk/weight. The views and the moments are worth the camera weight!

10. Quick dry towel

While you are not showering for the duration of the hike, you will be brushing your teeth and, likely, your porters will have warm water ready for you when arrive at camp to wash your hands, face, etc. The quick dry part is likely self-explanatory (when you leave a camp, you don’t return to not a lot of time for the towel to dry out).

11. Pad for the sleeping bag

The ground you will be sleeping on is often hard and cold. In fact, at a couple of places it was even rocky. The little pad the hike organizers provide for you to lay your sleeping bag on is rather thin and will not do a good enough job to add cushion or protection from the soil. I took with me an inflatable pad that made my sleep more comfortable – and that is priceless. A fellow hiker was going to let me use her pump but I ended up having no problem blowing up the pad even at higher altitudes (good job, my lungs). I got to practice my forced breathing by blowing up the pad so it was good all-around! (I did HATE every morning deflating it and folding it up…)

12. Notepad

You may want to bring something to write on as you will have a lot of time at camp after a day’s hike and you may have things from the day to jot down so you don’t forget. I wrote down start/end times, hours walked, and even what I ate. I also took notes on funny things or things I experienced – not quite a diary, just quick notes. On the topic of a lot of time at night, you may want to bring anything else that may amuse you (cards, Sudoku sheets, etc.) but don’t add too much weight to your bag!

13. Water purification method

Water is boiled at camp but that is only for cooking. It takes too long to boil water at altitude. And your porters will not be able to boil water for you to drink. You will need to bring your own purification solution of which there are several options (purification tablets, ultraviolet radiation, etc.). The tablets, such as iodine tablets, are lighter to carry. However, you have to wait for the water to be ready to drink and the iodine causes an odd taste.

SteriPENs are a portable ultraviolet radiation option that is quick and easy. I had brought the tablets but others had SteriPENs in the group and I quickly realized how much better the SteriPEN approach was. They all offered the rest of the group their SteriPENs so I traded using one of the hiker’s SteriPEN for sterilizing her water bottles in return – a win win! Just know they can be temperamental and be sure to bring enough batteries!

Amazon.com Widgets

14. But the most important item…

Hopefully, this list has been helpful so far – if you have any questions on the above items or any other, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you. While the list is not all-inclusive, it is the list of the items I most appreciated having with me. However, the most important item I brought along was… a photo of my family. This photo went with me to the summit which meant they went up Kilimanjaro too, with me…

Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, hiking, climbing, Kilimanjaro Packing List

Want to read how the hike went? Start on Day 1

Descending from Kilimanjaro’s Summit | Kilimanjaro Day 6 and 7

23 April 2013 by Raul 34 Comments

Descending from Kilimanjaro’s summit, Uhuru Peak – the roof of Africa, began around 20-30 minutes after we had arrived at the summit. Such is the story of ascending Kilimanjaro for many. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could picnic up there or, at least, at Stella Point and soak in the achievement taking it all in??

Yes, it sure would be nice. Except the thin air would begin doing a number (a deadly number, potentially) on most people so it is not recommended. Being well-led, we began the descent from the summit of Kilimanjaro as soon as all the picture-taking at the summit was completed. All sorts of photos with the famous sign (since replaced from the one in my pics): individual photos, group photos, and best friends/couples photos. Our group and everyone else who had shown up at the summit at that time competed for the real estate in front of the sign but, it was orderly and people were considerate of those waiting. And those waiting were happy to have made it there so they were patient. All-around feel good moment for everyone on top of this massive rock!

Outline of the descent of Kilimanjaro

As I wrote this post, I struggled with what to name the post as I had been using “day X” in every post leading up to this moment in the hike. How should I count the days to properly cover the descent? I chose day 6 and 7 based on how things took place for the final push to the summit and the ensuing descent:

On day 5, we arrived at base camp in the early afternoon.
At midnight, or the very start of day 6, we left base camp to start the ascent towards the summit, Uhuru Peak.
In the early morning, we arrived at the summit.
Then, we started the descent from Kilimanjaro’s summit – still day 6.
The descent went on until we got to the final camp where we would stay at during this climb, Mweka Camp.
On day 7, we left Mweka Camp for the final stage of the entire adventure to get off the mountain.

So, this post covers the full descent – from leaving the summit until leaving the mountain, hence “Day 6 and 7” on the title.

How long does it take to come down Kilimanjaro?

In total, coming down from the summit was a process that would take us about eight hours that day 6. YES, that SAME day we had just walked up 8 hours without a full night’s sleep to each the summit.

Plus, add 3 to 4 hours the next day (day 7).

Think about it: 5 days and 8 hours to ascend to the summit but about 12 hours to come back down all the way.

In reality, altitude issue aside, Kilimanjaro can be climbed within a day or two if you are fit enough (like, you had been at the summit the day before!). But altitude acclimatization (and common sense to combat a Darwin award nomination) requires time if one wants not just to make it to the top, but to survive the experience to be able to tell (or blog!) about it.

Descending from Kilimanjaro’s summit is a bit like skiing

We passed Stella Point again on the way down but, this time, without much fanfare – or picture-taking; a case of been there, done that. We were now on a mission to lose altitude quickly and stop the brain cells from dying. And our guides REALLY meant “quickly”!! I had not been prepared for what came next (I probably missed the explanation during the prep talk the night before, a nightly thing with our guide to ready us for the following day).

We supposedly had crossed a field of scree (small pebbles) on the ascent (I mentioned not remembering that part; or perhaps there was another path up without scree? I doubt we walked on scree on the way up). Well, it was time to come DOWN the field of scree whether we had gone on it before or not. I was very unprepared on what technique was required here to succeed without injury. All I knew is that it was like skiing except you had to watch out to not pop out a knee (a terrifying thought, really).

So I began to walk down the scree, putting one foot down, using my hiking pole to stop its slide (as you step on the scree it shifts down, taking your footing with it), then moving the other foot and repeating the process. Well, this was taking quite a bit of time and other trekkers were passing me fast. After maybe five minutes of this, the same guide who had carried my daypack on summit night locked arms with me and proceeded to take me down the scree. Drive me down maybe is more like it. It was an exhilarating and scary ride!! We were going very fast and we were mainly sliding downhill, much as you would do when skiing.

At any given moment, either of us would lose his balance but Said, the guide, would ensure neither one of us fell. That continued to be true pretty much for the next 3 hours. With the exception of certain patches where there were rocks and the sliding paused for a stretch. The only people moving faster down that field was a trio consisting of a guide and two trekkers (husband and wife). One of them had begun to have severe nausea. So the other two were on either side of the trekker taking her down the mountain STAT in case it was a symptom of something worse. Thankfully, it was not and she was fine by the time we got to base camp for our lunch stop. They flew past us and continued the high-speed scree-field crossing at that very fast pace.

I have never experienced this mix of thrill and almost-panic at the same time. Looking back, it was rather fun and there was no risk to my knees – unless I had suffered a spectacular fall. If I were to do it again, I think I would see it as something fun and highly recommend you go with that perspective.

Our approach to Barafu Camp

Read more what about preceded descending from Kilimanjaro’s summit!

Want to start on day 1 of this hike? Start the series here.
Back to the night we climbed the summit? Click here.
Read about what to wear during this trek here.
And, check out the top 14 items to take on this hike here.

Coming down Kilimanjaro: a break at Barafu Camp, just a break

Soon enough we sighted Barafu Camp from where we had departed not quite 12 hours before. A break was coming! This was where we were going to have lunch, change out of the warm clothes we had worn for the ascent, replenish water bottles, etc. There was a little delay in the lunch being prepared so the stop was about an hour longer than expected. No complaints from me…

On my way down the scree, based on the drama of the descent, I failed to pay attention to my feet and two-thirds of the way down, I realized I had a blister and was at risk of acquiring two more. I stopped, got some duct tape, and took care of the potential blisters-to-be, as I learned from the Trekking for Kids lead when I hiked in Romania last summer. Duct tape over a burning sensation anywhere on the feet helps prevent further development of a blister – if caught on time.

Once I was at camp, a fellow trekker had some magical thing she had bought at REI and she SO kindly took care of fixing the blister I had developed. Whatever it is she had gotten at REI worked like magic (I have never had to use moleskin before but she said this was better). The remainder of the hike after lunch, I did not even feel my blister!! I felt awful a fellow trekker had to deal with my dirty feet but she said she sees worse every day at her job: she is a dental hygienist! Plus my feet don’t smell… 🙂

Taking care of a blister earned while climbing Kilimanjaro

Thanks, Melanie!!

Should I stay or should I go?

Though we were tired, we had to keep going to reach our camp for the evening: Mweka Camp. Mweka Camp is named for being the first camp on the same-named route for those who enter the Kilimanjaro through the Mweka Gate. Some were asking why we could not stay in Barafu that night and get some well-deserved rest. I was quite happy not staying for several reasons. Here are the reasons that I was OK not staying in the Barafu Camp:

We had arrived before noon. Staying would represent a loss of an entire afternoon of moving and getting closer to exit the mountain. While I needed rest, I figured we could knock out some distance.
Getting to a lower camp than Barafu meant that day 7, the last day on the mountain, would be a short one. A downhill hike of 3 or 4 hours and – bam! – off to the hotel, a great lunch, and most important: the first shower in a week!
But my most important reason not to want to stay at Barafu Camp was that I hated its inhospitable environment, being so rocky and so dusty. The latter bothered most of us the most. I was done with the dust. And didn’t want to have a fall like I almost had suffered the day before when I tripped on a tent cable while minding the uneven rock terrain I was trying to navigate.

So I was quite happy with moving on. If I had only known what was coming our way, I may have held a different opinion…

From Barafu Camp to Mweka Camp: a rocky road…

Pretty quickly after leaving Barafu Camp the second part of our descent from Kilimanjaro’s summit on day 6 became a nightmare of sorts. Though the views were great most of the time, the terrain was so rocky that you had to navigate carefully (at least for those of us not super experienced) and you could not really enjoy the vistas. Some of us started feeling that our knees were being hit hard (read: pummeled) and had to slow down some. My legs were extremely tired at this point. And my knees, though not hurting yet, were wearing out with every step.

The rocky way down that never seemed to end

A glimmer of hope!

After a couple of hours or more, we saw in the distance a colorful array of tents. Yessssss! We weren’t terribly far! As we cheered our good luck, our guide quickly (all too quickly…) replied: “That’s not our camp, that is base camp for the Mweka Route ascent and we are not allowed to stay there since we are no longer on the ascent. You see that piece of metal over there (he pointed to a structure far, far away)? That’s where we are going.” Our collective jaws dropped (and almost hit the rocks, I am sure). NO WAY, José! (OK, his name was Luis, not José.) That was a massive bummer.

Not quite a trail of tears but it may have been close at that moment

We continued our descent and, at times, it felt that that piece of metal was actually getting further away (I swear that it did look that way). A couple of times our path became a smooth dirt trail which would thrill us tremendously only to turn a corner and resume the very rocky terrain. It was an exhausting, frustrating, and demanding-on-the-knees 4.5 hours walk down.

I almost wished I were back in the Barafu Camp, resting and breathing dusty thin air at 15,000 ft+ altitude. But not quite. Remembering that helped me push forward knowing that what we were doing was the best approach and the camp we were going to was much better than Barafu.

Trekker in Kilimanjaro after 6 days of no shaving

Though exhausted, I trekked on. Or was I just considering jumping off the nearest cliff?? (This is what 6 days in the mountain look like!)

The most difficult part of MY climb – the descent from Uhuru Peak

Most of these 4.5 hours actually were the most mentally and physically difficult part for me of the entire 7 days. For sure, the accelerated heart rate on day 4 slowed me down and made me worry. Yes, on ascent night, I wondered if I would make it when I surrendered my backpack to my guide.

Yes, we were getting more and more oxygen on the descent as we went. To the point where, somewhere along these 4.5 hours, we must have reached an altitude to which our body had acclimatized to already. I am sure were not adjusted to 15,000 ft though we had spent part of the day on day 5 there so it was possible.

But, I just didn’t see an end to the rocky path on day 6 and the Mweka Camp kept looking very far away any time we spotted it. It was a true test of will power for me to finish that path. At this point, the group was not together. It had splintered some but always in small groups with one or two guides along them so never not-taken-care-of. I walked with a fellow trekker most of these last few hours and one or two guides (it varied). I took some Advils (ibuprofen) along the way to lower my knee pain and prevent it from getting worse. That helped with the physical part but I was mentally running out of gas.

Finally, camp!

But, all good things (ha!) come to an end, and we reached our destination for the day: Mweka Camp. It is certainly not the most amazing camp in the mountain. But, at that precise moment, it was heaven. The customary “signing of the guestbook to prove we had been there” done, we approached our tents for a final night of camping. Hot water was brought to us and I happily washed off my face and did what I could to clean myself before having dinner. One final night of dirty Raul. LOL…

Our mess tent was a palace that night!

That meal may not have been spectacular by most standards but we were exhausted and we loved sitting around that mess tent one last time on the mountain, eating and reflecting on what we had just done. The amazing feat and experience that was reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, of getting to the roof of Africa. I didn’t linger though, I was tired and wanted to get everything ready and go to bed.

Happiness in a tent

Getting off the mountain

On day 7, we woke up all ready to go: This was our freedom day! Don’t get me wrong, I was eager to climb Kilimanjaro and enjoy the mountain. But once we had reached the summit, we were ALL about getting to the hotel and a nice shower.

We trekked down for maybe about 3 hrs from an altitude of 10,000 ft or so to the Mweka Gate at an elevation of 6,000 ft (3,800 m). The climate zone went to full forest again, as we had experienced on day 1 and the moorlands were done. The clothing was lighter and so was our mood. Someone even rode the emergency stretcher that was laying about during one of our breaks…

I found my happy place: the Mweka Gate hut!

Finally, the sight we wanted and were ready to see. The Mweka Gate hut where we would sign in one last time. That signature proving we made it to that gate. The gate also being the place where we would sit around for an hour+ to wait for the certificates that would prove we HAD climbed Kilimanjaro (though there was no book to sign at Uhuru Peak…). We were not getting those certificates just yet as that took time. Our local outfitter, Zara Tours, would also be issuing us a certificate since their guides knew we did make it. We would receive both certificates that evening at the celebration with our guides and porters.

Exiting the Mweka Route trail to hiti Mweka Gate in Kilimanjaro

About to leave the trail!!! I found a happy place!

While waiting to leave the mountain, folks would come by selling us stuff but we knew we could get all that cheaper elsewhere.

At Mweka Gate waiting for our certificates for our climb of Kilimanjaro

Waiting leaning against the wall and sitting in the shade. With a beer in hand. Heavenly. (I am sitting to the right with the red t-shirt)

Trekkers from Utah wishing that the park was using a computerized system…

However, one of my fellow trekkers eyed a beer seller. He looked at me and, of course, I wouldn’t leave a buddy drinking on his own. Especially after a week of no alcohol and a hike of 3 hours… That’s when the first beer was bought. Others in the group looked at us like “really?” Fast forward 20 minutes and most everyone had a beer in their hand! And off we went to the bus, to get to the Springlands Hotel and back to being clean!!!

Trekkers leaving Mweka Gate after climbing Kilimanjaro

On the way to the hotel! (Photo courtesy of K. Shuman)

The descent, as you can see, was a mixed set of emotions and terrains. It is amazing how little time it takes to descend. The feeling of accomplishment once you get to the Mweka Gate is incredible. And so is the entire experience of spending seven days on this incredible mountain, home to the roof of Africa: Kilimanjaro!

If you are planning your own climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, I would appreciate letting me know via the comments if the info here (or in my other posts about Kili) has been helpful or what else may help you dream of or plan for the hike! I have described what descending from Kilimanjaro’s summit felt like to me. Would really enjoy reading how that went and felt for others. I am sure there are different experiences!

One final look up at Kilimanjaro from the final stretch of the Mweka Route… I was up THERE!!!!

Looking down after the scree field crossing towards our former basecamp (Barafu Camp) where we would stop for lunch. Pin this image and stay focused on this as your goal after reaching the summit!

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: ascent, climb, climbing, Descending from Kilimanjaro's Summit, descent, hike, hiking, Kilimanjaro, Mweka, summit, trekker, Uhuru Peak

Reaching Kilimanjaro’s Summit | Kilimanjaro Day 6

11 April 2013 by Raul 29 Comments

Here we go, the BIG day. Day 6 of the Mount Kilimanjaro climb! The day we hope to reach and pass Stella Point on the rim of Mount Kilimanjaro to get to Uhuru Peak, the highest point of the mountain – the highest point in Africa!!! Or, I should say, the day we attempt to reach and pass Stella Point to get to Uhuru Peak. I will do my best to convey how reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit climb feels like on day 6 but the physical and mental efforts are hard to put into words that do it justice and help anyone comprehend the experience well. But I will do my best as it is worth reading about it whether you are planning to do summit Kili or are just curious about it…

Why there are not a lot of photos from the summit attempt

You will notice how the middle of this post is devoid of photos. First, do not worry, there are pictures towards the last third of the post! Secondly, that matches what happened for me in the ascent. Much of what happened in the middle of summit night was not captured by a camera because I was too focused on going up and, for part of it, even my mind did not capture any images.

The goal: Uhuru Peak

Breaking down summit night

I will break down this most important of days during our climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to -hopefully- make it easier for me to organize myself and make sense. Day 6 consisted of four parts – it was to be one LONG day in chronological time and mental time. The four key parts are:

Going from Barafu Camp (base camp) to Stella Point (at the rim of the volcano that is Mount Kilimanjaro) – expected to be about 7 hours of trekking
Going from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak (the actual summit point of Kilimanjaro) – expected to be a short 45 mins to one hour fairly “flattish” walk
Coming down from Uhuru Peak back to our base camp (Barafu) for a brief rest, removing inner layers, and having lunch – about 3 hours
Arriving to Mweka Camp where we were to spend our last night on the mountain – about 4.5 hours of a downhill, easy walk.

I will cover in this post only the ascent on day 6 (#1 and 2 above) and not the descent that happened later that day. I will cover the descent on day 6 (#3 and 4) with the final descent of day 7…

Leaving Barafu Camp to reach Stella Point

Barafu Camp at 15,100 ft (4,600 m) was a hard camp to like. I write about it in my narrative for day 5. Yet, I could have stayed there a few more hours sleeping that night… Four of our group left at 11 PM to have an extra hour to reach the summit. The rest of us saw them leave camp, and then we finished prepping and ate a snack prior to heading out for our attempt at the summit. At midnight, we left the relative comfort of this camp to do what we came here to do: tame Uhuru Peak!

I was pumped even while wondering (and perhaps feeling a little nervous about) what would happen, how it would end 8 hours later. Ah, the fool… I was to learn the end was NOT reaching the summit, but reaching our camp for the night. More on that later…

What did I wear on the way to Kili’s summit?

I wrote about the particular items to wear for this climb here but a quick recap here. Though it was very cold at base camp given the altitude and the time of day we were leaving the camp, we were instructed to dress such that we were slightly cold upon setting out since we would warm up as we exercised during the climb – great tip as I would not have thought of it in that state of sleep-deprivation…

So, I wore my two tight woolen tops, then my merino wool light jacket, and my hard shell jacket (which protected me against wind and water though, mercifully, we did not have precipitation). The synthetic down jacket would wait until we took breaks (when, since you are at rest, you do not want to lose the heat your body has generated) or until it finally got too cold even while walking (which it did at some point). In terms of my legs, I wore my long wool underwear (all the wool layers by the skin helped wick moisture away from the skin) under my convertible hiking pants and then my hard shell pants.

Still, it was VERY cold on summit night in Kili!

The only place on my body where I felt really, really cold was my toes though I was wearing sock liners and the thickest wool socks I could find. It is amazing to think that it actually can be much colder than I experienced. We had milder temperatures than normal up there per what our guide told us. Ahead of the trek, I had been told I would be exceedingly cold and it did not quite feel that way (feet aside). Boy, am I glad that was the case on this particular night!

Time is a funny thing

During the climb up to Stella Point, it is amazing how time flowed – or how I felt it flowed… The hourly five to ten minute breaks we took (a lot shorter than the breaks we got to take on prior days) provided a little bit of rest from the effort and allowed for drinking some water, eating a little something, and handling nature calls. During one of those breaks, probably as we were beginning to zone out and wear out, they surprised us with hot tea – one of the happiest moments in those seven hours!

Handling nature calls was a little more of a pain than it had been other days of the climb because it was dark. But when nature calls, it calls. And no pee bottle here. In any case, I worked my way up by focusing on each hour’s walk, not on the totality of what was ahead of me. I was not looking at my watch at all but when the break came, I knew an hour had passed and that was an hour off the seven-hour count… Keep the focus on the next sixty minutes…

And who said it would be a piece of cake? No one. They were right.

After the first hour of the climb, my heart rate starting racing and I was out of breath a lot like on day 4 after we had passed the Barranco Wall. We had been climbing bigger rocks (requiring big steps) which was exactly what had caused my troubles on day 4 – except now I was four or five thousand feet higher…

That issue was going to slow me down and, tonight, falling behind could mean being turned around. The guides had been clear with the first subgroup that if we got to Stella Point at the same time as them, they would have to turn back at Stella Point and head back to basecamp. It meant they would take a lot more than an hour reaching Uhuru and, having already been at that altitude an extra hour than us, it would have been too much time up there. So, I knew that if I fell behind too much in my own group, that I could miss getting to Uhuru. That realization really hit me hard.

Guide wisdom. Trust it. Don’t fight it.

One of guides, Said, told me to give him my daypack. My heart sank. Was that an early indicator that I would not make it to the top? As soon as the path became less “pronouncedly” rocky, I told Said I could take my daypack back because I was back to “normal.” He shook his head and said he would keep it. At first, with pride stepping in, I said no, I could take it. And then I realized that it may be the worst thing I could do. I needed to save every last drop of my energy for the big rocks ahead. I resumed my climb, “daypackless.” Boy, am I glad I did…

I believe I was the second or third person to lose their daypack in our group. I felt this would take away from the feat should I reach the summit. I had nothing to fear. Within a few hours, more than half (including the four guys in this subgroup) had lost their daypacks too, including our star athlete who had run across deserts and had been carrying a daypack every day of this climb loaded at 30-40 lbs. I have to digress and mention that this guy, a dentist from northwestern Canada, would carry all sorts of candy in his daypack and, all throughout the week’s hike, would pull out a DIFFERENT bag of candy (gummy bears, sour patches, etc.) to pass around at breaks. Needless to say, he became everyone’s friend fast!

It is worth pointing out how carefully our guides were watching each one of us even after we surrendered our daypacks. Clearly, ensuring no one exhibited dangerous signs of altitude sickness (the ones that represent life-threatening danger like cerebral edema). But they REALLY wanted us to make it to Uhuru Peak as long as we were not exhibiting any serious symptoms and did everything they could to assist us in reaching our objective. I felt very safe among these great men.

The lights are not always at the end of the tunnel…

Though we had a full moon, we still needed to illuminate the path ahead by wearing headlamps. I remember that I would look up ahead on the trail and see what was becoming a downer for me: a long trail of headlamps ahead of us zigzagging the slope of the mountain. And then you didn’t see any. That point would get closer and closer, and it felt good to know we were reaching a “milestone” of sorts. But once we reached the milestone, I would look up and see, yet again, another LONG trail of headlamps going all the way up to a point far up the mountain. After this, I decided not to look up anymore… It was disheartening!

Sleep and memory loss – all in a Kili climber’s night!

Maybe halfway up to Stella Point, I was dozing off. No, not during breaks. This was as I moved my feet up that mountain and as my arms moved the hiking poles. The lack of oxygen and being tired had everything to do with that. (Through chats post-facto, I learned others were also dozing off as they walked up.) It was insane.

I decided that I needed to occupy my mind but I was too tired to alphabetize countries or come up with some other mental activity. I was that exhausted and my brain was likely not able to function well. I want to say that the thought that I was reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit was very clearly driving me. I was so tired, I may have half forgotten why I was there.

Keeping my mind occupied

Looking at the Southern Cross, which someone pointed out, gave me something think about (or try to look at without tripping). Some folks had music in their portable devices but I had not brought mine. That was on purpose. I actually wanted to listen to the folks stepping on the mountain, focus on the quietness of the surroundings, not being cluttered with noise. I like not feeling “trapped” within myself when it comes to sounds and that felt more important to me that night.

Give it up, baby give it up

Towards the end of the third hour, our lead guide, Luis, told us that we needed to be sure we were not spending our every last drop of energy in the remaining part of the climb. I thought to myself “huh?”. He said that coming down would be very hard too. Therefore, it was crucial we managed our exertion level. I was not sure how we would do that. But then I started thinking maybe he was trying to subtly tell some people to give up their daypack…

A “happy” place. Say what?

Then, he said, “guys, the next few hours are going to be very hard; find your happy place because you are going to need it”. I remember thinking, in my tiredness, “my happy place? my happy place? what IS that?? a beach? no. wine? no, wine is not a place.” I had no energy to conjure a happy spot I didn’t have previously. And then, all of a sudden, the faces of my sister’s, cousins’ and friends’ kids came to mind. Their smiley, happy faces. So I started calling roster on all of them seeing those smiley faces. I had found my happy place. And it kept me distracted easily for another hour. I say “easily” because I think it is after an hour of that that my memory goes blank…

Yes, what happened in the last 2-3 hours prior to Stella Point are a big blank. I have no idea what happened, when we stopped, what was I thinking, nothing, nada, nil. Comparing notes with others later, I am not the only one to whom that happened. We had been told the last bit before reaching Stella Point would be scree (small pebbles). So for every step forward, there would be a step back. I have no recollection of scree, of steps forward, or steps back.

And then it happened… Steeeeeeeellllllaaaaa!

So I was in some zone when all of a sudden, to my right, I see a glimmer of light on the horizon. Sunrise is beginning! It was like an injection of adrenaline straight to my heart – and mind. Watching the sun rise and trying to take good pictures became the priority as we continued walking up. I was awake!

Sunrise from Kilimanjaro as we neared Stella Point

Glorious!

The sun finally broke through the horizon and we could see that Stella Point was just like 20 minutes away. It was one of THE most incredible moments in my life. You see, at that moment, I had no doubt I would make it. Though, how could I really tell how the higher altitude and serious lack of oxygen would hit me 20 mins later? It didn’t matter, I just knew I was A-OK!

We hit Stella Point and I couldn’t believe how quickly it came upon us. I don’t think I could see it from the final approach. This was unbelievable. I was at over 18,000 ft and would only have one more hour up to Uhuru Peak after a short break at Stella Point. We laughed, hugged, and even teared up some.

Some of the trekkers and guides at Stella Point on Kilimanjaro

Some of the trekkers and guides at Stella Point (I am on the far left)

The view around Kilimanjaro’s crater

My eyes couldn’t believe the view outside of the mountain and INTO the mountain. Remember the top of Mount Kilimanjaro is a crater from a long-extinct volcano.

Looking around the top of Kili

Immediately the picture-taking began in front of the brand-spanking-new green sign with yellow letters. TERRIBLE design… you had to be RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT for the letters to show well in a photo. Thankfully, they changed the sign since I summitted per the photos I see now.

In any case, pictures were taken and then we proceeded to get to Uhuru Peak… Time was of the essence. At that altitude, you do not want to linger despite the fact that we noticed tents in the crater. In any case, we had to mosey to the peak and we couldn’t dilly daddle. We had to move.

Reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit: Uhuru Peak

Mt. Kilimanjaro used to be covered in glaciers. Today, the glaciers are there but they are not as dominant as they must have been. Sadly, they are expected to disappear completely in a few decades. Still, seeing them from a distance was impressive with the African horizon behind them. Yes, a glacier in Africa. So mind-boggling. We knew we were close to meeting our objective of reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit !

The hour walk (or maybe 45 mins?) up to Uhuru was much easier and less steep than the prior few hours though we still went up 660 feet (200 m) or so to reach it.

Trekker and guide walking up to Uhuru Peak in Kilimanjaro

Said and I headed to Uhuru Peak

Everyone was in great spirits as we attempted reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit. And then, we saw it, the big green sign marking Uhuru Peak!!! WE WERE THERE! Laughter, smiles, even some jumping-for-joy all around. We caught up with the first group. It was so awesome to see all of us together at the peak. The probabilities were that they would be already on their way down when we got to Uhuru or that they wouldn’t reach it. Consequently, the fact that we all were there together, this group that had been together for about 10 days, was truly priceless.

One of the many celebratory photos taken: here with Liz and Len Stanmore

Immediately we got close to the sign to wait our turn to stand in front of it and capture the moment in a photo. Phenomenal moment of joy for all of us. And just as happy as we were, our guides were beaming that we had all make it – asante sana, guys!

And so reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro comes to an end

The story of the descent is for another post – and the descent was painful. However, I will share one reflection here about having reached the summit.

Even if I had surrendered my daypack no one moved my legs forward and upward for me, as Luis our lead guide told us once at base camp. Every step I took on that blessed mountain was my own. That is the real achievement here for each trekker: the strength of will and of body to push forward and upward. The strength when you think you don’t have it all together. When you feel the next big rock may be the one that tips the climb over for you and sends you back to camp. When you don’t know what is your “happy place”. I will treasure what I learned that early morning the rest of my life.

At Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro

A very happy trekker at Uhuru Peak!

Back to Day 5…

… On to the descent

Pin this image of us reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit to your own Pinterest board!

Kilimanjaro summit, climbing, Uhuru Peak

View from the top of Kilimanjaro on the way from Stella Pt. to Uhuru Peak

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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 (starting the climb!)

– Day 2 of the hike (getting to Shira Camp)

– Day 3 of the hike (the Lava Tower and hail)

– Day 4 of the hike (Barranco Wall)

– Interview with fellow Kili climber and Ultimate Global Explorer

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: camp, climb Mount Kilimanjaro, hike, hiking, Kilimanjaro, Machame Route, reaching Kilimanjaro's summit, Stella Point, summit, sunrise, Uhuru Peak

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

Reaching the Lava Tower | Kilimanjaro Day 3

20 March 2013 by Raul 12 Comments

Day 3 would take us pretty high, to the Lava Tower of Kilimanjaro, and leave us at the base of the infamous Barranco Wall. We were greeted by the day at Shira Camp where we had arrived on day 2 of our climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. The day’s hike began around 8:45 AM to the famous. The climax of the day would be arriving at the famous (though, admittedly, I had not heard of it before I signed up to do this trek) Lava Tower. There, we would stop for lunch before continuing on to descend to the Barranco Camp. Barranco Camp would be out stop for the night before attempting the Barranco Wall on day 4…

Lava Tower, here we come

Excitement combined with anxiety that morning as I got ready to depart the awesome Shira Camp (my favorite of the entire climb). I was wondering how I would perform at the higher altitude we would get to that day. Prior to this trek, I had never climbed higher than 12,000+ ft.

Our hike on day 3 started at 12,600 ft (3,840 m) and would peak at the Lava Tower at 15,200 ft (4,630 m). I had not been that high before (airplanes aside!). The highest place I had ever gone to (whether climbing or by ski lift) was Pawnee Pass in the Colorado Rockies when I was in college, over twenty years earlier, and that was 50 ft shy of the starting altitude on day 3 on this trek… Day 3 would not bring the longest climb up to that point (that was on day 1 of the Machame Route) but given the altitude we would reach at the Lava Tower, I expected a challenge.

Climb high – and then come back down? Seriously?

So, the plan for the day was to go up to 15,200 ft. I remember reading the itinerary and thinking “wow, only 4,000 ft more to go to the summit!”. And then I read we would end the day at 12,700 ft, barely above our starting point, once we arrived at the Barranco Camp. “Say WHAT??!!!,” I asked myself. I quickly learned how smart this approach was to acclimatizing to the higher altitudes of Kilimanjaro.

The “climb high, sleep low” approach allows for the body to exert itself at higher altitudes where the air is “lighter” while allowing sleep at a lower altitude where more oxygen in the air would help the body recover from the day’s exertion. As I mentioned, this would help the body acclimatize to altitude better. I am not sure one fully adjusts to the altitude in the mountain but you are closer to that with this approach. That is, perhaps one reduces a little bit the probability that altitude will cause problems later on, especially summit night when one really does not want to suffer any serious condition (e.g., edema) from the body’s reaction to low oxygen levels…

Mt. Kilimanjaro with a beautiful blue sky and clouds

This view early on Day 3 certainly motivated us to tackle Day 3’s challenge

The way to the Lava Tower

So off we went, walking in semi-desert terrain, along an inclined or sloped trail that did not present any serious challenges, increasing altitude aside which did require a little slowing down (nothing extreme).

It is amazing how the terrain is so different every day of this climb. It keeps it interesting and me distracted! I had heard the Machame Route is the best in terms of seeing a diversity of landscapes and views and, as far as I could tell, it was definitely true of the route (though I cannot personally attest to the other routes). (I had also heard the initial part of this route would be a little less crowded than other options.)

Alpine desert in Mt. Kilimanjaro near the Lava Tower

Some little vegetation…

… gives way to no vegetation in no time!

Reaching the tower – and lunch!

As the day went on, the skies darkened and, at different times, fog or clouds passed us, like right after we arrived at the Lava Tower (around 1 PM). The Lava Tower, one can safely assume, is made from the rocks that the mountain spewed during its volcanic heyday. But for me, what was more important when we got there was the fact I had managed things OK to get to this altitude. “OK” does not mean piece of cake. But it does not mean “barely made it” either. I felt victorious enough to not mind the fog or the darkness it brought with it.

Clouds coming in to the Lava Tower camp area

Celebrating arriving at the Lava Tower with my hiking buddy for the day, Melanie

Making it to 15,200 ft is a celebration-worthy moment. For us, that meant a warm lunch in our dining tent. Just one word: awesome.

DIning tent while hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro

Our dining room on the mountain

Every day, our porters would set up the tent at camp and serve our dinners there. However, normally, lunch was taken on the trail during a break so seeing our dining tent set up for lunch at the Lava Tower was a nice tough and a welcome one to stay warm. I don’t know if the food was as good as I thought it was or if we were just starving from the exertion?? I think it was a little bit of both – and that’s OK by me!

Descending from the Lava Tower to the Barranco Camp – piece of cake

After having succeeded in climbing to over 15,000 ft and surviving the thinner air during the one-hour lunch break, it was time to go down to our camp for the night (and more oxygen density!). We felt at this point we had this covered. Everyone was in great spirits: talking and laughing as we left the Lava Tower. We exited the Lava Tower Camp area by going between two very large rock formations and proceeded to descend.

Exiting the Lava Tower Camp area

Well, Mother Nature had a new experience in store for these hikers. Just after we cleared the rock formations and had proceeded down the rocky terrain some, the weather turned. A little rain began to come down and we all got geared up (covering our daypacks, putting on the hard shell pants, etc.). I guess it was a good thing we had all these things handy. My stuff was the easy-put-on kind which did not require me taking my boots off, for example, to put the rain pants on (more on what I wore and why here).

The umbrella person was not one of ours, for the record. They may have just been blown away by the winds after this photo was taken…

Hail, not lava rained down

And then it started to hail. At first, we actually kind of liked it. Cool was the word. Until it started hailing harder.

Our collective recollection days later was that the average hail was the size of a small motorized vehicle. That day, if you had asked us, we would have said they were the size of mansions. Upon closer examination of the pictures taken, the hail was the size of small pellets. However, this group of trekkers had been spoiled -er, blessed- with awesome weather up to that point. So we can be forgiven for talking about this hailstorm for a day or two as if it had been a preamble to the Apocalypse. The Apocalypse in the slopes of Kilimanjaro. Toto just watched the rains down in Africa. We watched the Hail-calypse down in Africa.

See the MONSTROUS pieces of hail?? The humanity!

Camp. Finally. And a truth revealed.

We got to camp (still raining some) around 4:45 PM. Quite a few folks had to make a run for number one or number two since we had not made any stops during the hail/rain to get past it and to camp quickly. No one will forget our guide’s impression of one of our trekkers who was suffering more from an urgent number two run… As we discussed the day over dinner, we all kept talking about the storm. Until our guide, Luis, proceeded to tell us that the storm had lasted exactly 1 hr 47 mins. He then added that, on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of bad weather in the mountain, this ranked as a 0.5. We pondered his point for a brief moment (surely self-pegging ourselves as wimps). Then, I believe, someone asked for the mango plate to be passed and the topic was nicely changed…

E.T., phone home

The Barranco Camp, where we were going to spend the night, was my second favorite camp after the Shira Camp. I think it was the sense of proximity to the summit combined with a nice setting (though not the expansive vistas of the Shira Camp).

One of our trekkers managed to get mobile network signal at this camp. She generously offered the phone for quick calls home for anyone interested. Having a Cuban mother, I decided I had to take advantage of the opportunity to tell her I was eating well and alive. I think those are her priorities for me, in that order! She was ECSTATIC to hear my voice, that I was eating food, and that I was alive. Thanks, Annie!!

The Barranco Wall the following day was in a lot of people’s minds for sure. The wall was expected by many to be super scary, super dangerous. But I think I speak for all or most in our group that just sitting there and soaking in the views of the summit reigned supreme in our minds that late afternoon / early evening until off to our sleeping bags we went to “sleep low” and give our bodies a good night’s sleep.

More of the scenery

Barring the summit, my favorite vistas were coming to a close. That does not mean there were not going to be other great views. But the best views for me had been day 2 and day 3, in that order. Before you close this browser window, a couple more pictures of the scenery of day 3. Day 4 will be bringing the Barranco Wall – that story comes next (see below for the link forward!).

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Back to Day 2…

On to Day 4…

Pin one of these beautiful images from day 3!

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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

– Interview with fellow Kili climber and Ultimate Global Explorer

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: Barranco Camp, climb high sleep low, Kilimanjaro, kilimanjaro altitude acclimatizing, lava tower altitude, Shira Camp

The Moorlands and Shira Camp | Kilimanjaro Day 2

16 March 2013 by Raul 20 Comments

While the excitement of getting going on the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro made day 1 a great day, day 2 was no less exciting thanks to the moorlands and Shira Camp. For many of us in the Trekking for Kids group, that was mainly due to the change in the landscape we were to experience (and maybe having one day under our belt?). Day 1 on the Machame Route had us hike through the forest zone at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro; nice but not terribly interesting (at least to me). We had heard day 1 could be tough if it were raining or had just rained with the mud, etc. But we had good luck on the weather front.

In any case, on day 2, we moved into what is called the moorlands. It was a landscape I really liked, offering interesting plants and great views as well. But before we got going on day 2, I took a look around when I got out of my tent at the Machame Camp (at 10,200 ft / 3,100 m) and this is what was waiting for me!

The summit of Kilimanjaro from Machame Camp — The top of Kili!

A moorland? What is that? Where at the moors?

I had no idea what moorlands were prior to the hike. So I looked the term up. It said it was a climate zone at elevation with low-growing vegetation and fog. In the end, the descriptions I had found didn’t really help me conjure a good mental picture though the Wikipedia article actually had a picture of Kili’s moorlands. No worries, I was about to spend a whole day hiking the moorlands of Kili. So I stopped trying to get that mental picture. And these are some of the sights of the moorlands! (Hope they give you a better sense of the moorlands than Wikipedia gave me.)

Plant in the moorlands terrain of Kilimanjaro with fog behind it — One of the most interesting plants we saw on the climb

Plant in the moorlands terrain of Kilimanjaro — Another interesting plant of the moorlands zone

Moorland terrain in Mt. Kilimanjaro — Great example of the terrain and sky that day! Here a guide walks in front of me

Great vistas were part of our reward on day 2!

After the morning routine was done (eating breakfast, filling up with water, packing up our bedding and other stuff, etc.), we left the Machame Camp. We departed early in the morning around 7:45 AM under a great and beautiful blue sky. As we left, we could see neighboring Mount Meru in the distance which served as a great backdrop to our photos of the scenery around us.

View of Mt. Meru from Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania — Mt. Meru in the distance

View of Mt. Meru from Mt. Kilimanjaro — I told you it was a photo opp spot!

The trail that day was pretty rocky but not in an intense way as other days; not terribly hard, I’d say. “I can do this!,” I thought often, with a lot of relief. Some more unique-looking larger rocks set there by nature along the way also made for photo opps that the group did not let go to waste. (This group let NO photo opp go to waste!!)

Hikers on Mt. Kilimanjaro — Everyone trying to get their photo taken on this scenic spot

A beautiful place to spend the night: Shira Camp

We had had a great day but it was to get better after the 5.5 mile (9 km) hike: Shira Camp at 12,600 ft (3,840 m) (a gain of 2,400 ft in the day), where we were going to stay that night, was one of the most beautiful spots I saw on the entire climb. The Shira Camp overlooked a ridge (the Shira Ridge) and, if you turned 180 degrees around from admiring the ridge, you would find yourself facing the summit of Kilimanjaro.

The summit was breathtaking, especially at sunset. Three of us huddled together to take in that view, fully aware of how blessed we were to have the chance to enjoy it… We were also fortunate because we arrived to the camp (around 2 PM) about six hours after we started off which allowed us ample time to not only soak in the views but also to get good rest before the challenge of day 3.

Approaching Shira Camp on Mt. Kilimanjaro — When we first spotted the camp – notice the fog

Shira Camp in Mt. Kilimanjaro — We entered the camp and looked for the green tents of Zara Tours

Shira Camp in Mt. Kilimanjaro - Zara Tours tents — Found our tents and everyone proceeded to settle in. We had THE BEST location in camp!

One of our trekkers had brought, of all things, a couple of small kites, and it was neat to watch her and others fly them. I am not sure I know what made her think to bring some but I was so happy she did. I did not get to fly them but I think I enjoyed more watching the scene unfold in front of me than actually flying one of the kites… Myself? I joined fellow trekkers Olivia and Austin in doing some stretches after the long day of hiking – but enjoying the great views while stretching.

Flying kites in Mt. Kilimanjaro! — Kites on Kili

Cell phone signal on Kilimanjaro

One of the spots with the best view of the Shira Ridge was not only a great spot for a photo opp but it also seemed to be the best spot for a cellphone signal as a few guides would sit on the nearby rocks and text away for a while. This spot also happened to be like within 10 ft (3m) from the toilet-tent nearest to my sleeping tent; the toilet-tent being a place I would visit a couple of times during the night as Diamox (the med you take to help prevent altitude sickness) is a very effective diuretic…

The toilet situation on Kilimanjaro

One of the best pieces of advice we got pre-trip was to bring a so-called “pee bottle.” With this, one could relieve oneself within “the comfort” of one’s own tent… Easier for guys than gals, I am sure. However, I hear women have a tool called a “pee funnel.” This simple tool assists in the proper channeling of the liquid into the bottle. I never saw one or heard of anyone in our group using it. Of course, if the bottle runneth over or a case of bad aiming struck, neither would not be a good situation (not alluding to ANYONE in the group…) so care must be taken in the use of said bottle…

Sometimes, though, the bottle did not have enough capacity for a given night’s “production.” So one still had to go outside to the toilet-tent (“going” somewhere else in camp is a no-no). Going out in the middle of the night was a slight to moderate pain as one had to put on the shoes, maybe a jacket and long pants, find the headlamp, undo a few zippers, etc. But I never failed to fall asleep easily upon returning from these small nighttime outings, mercifully…

I am not sure how this post took such a turn, so I will bring myself back to the more pleasant topic of the hike… Since I have already brought the topic up, allow me to share a gratuitous photo. The portable toilet in the toilet-tent. (I know some of my friends and family are DYING to see a pic of one of these.) Are you glad I went “there”?

Toilet in a tent in Mt. Kilimanjaro — At least I made the picture smaller than the rest…

I will add that this tent and toilet combo was super clean. Our porters carried our toilet-tents from camp to camp. Additionally, they took great care to clean it and disinfect it very well. For this, we made sure to properly thank not only during the hike but at the end with a great tip!

Lunch during the day’s hike

So, quickly switching topic… On day 2 we had one of our many favorite lunches of the whole climb: grilled tomato, cheese and cucumber sandwiches! The picture below will not do these sandwiches justice. They were a real treat and we gobbled up all these babies up happily! We also likely were served a soup (we typically were in every meal). However, the type changed every time they served it and I did not jot down what accompanied these beauties below.

Grilled sandwiches during our Kilimanjaro trek — Grilled sandwich goodness!

When it is all said and done…

So the moorlands and Shira Camp, along with the great lunch, make for great memories. But below are the images that really capture the awesomeness of day 2 for me. I would happily head back to Kili simply to stay in this camp – and stay there a couple of days.

Sunset at Shira Camp with clouds going by hikers

Shira Camp with Mt. Kilimanjaro as its backdrop — A happy if tired hiker by his tent and the roof of Africa!

Back to Day 1…

On to Day 3…

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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 4 of the hike: the dreaded Barranco Wall

– Interview with fellow Kili climber and Ultimate Global Explorer

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: flora Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro, moorlands, Mt. Meru, peeing on kilimanjaro, Trekking for Kids, vegetation, view Shira Camp

On the Machame Route | Kilimanjaro Day 1

12 March 2013 by Raul 21 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

The Machame Route: Our Route to the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

9 February 2013 by Raul 21 Comments

(At the end of this post, see the series of posts written post-climb about this route!)

I am a few days away from leaving for Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the rooftop of Africa. Eager anticipation and a modest level of anxiety are my constant companions these last few days before the trek… How fun will it be to finally see the mountain? Did I have the right pieces to deal with the extreme cold? Will my body cooperate? Will I summit? etc.

As I do a final review of the gear list, I am checking against the hike itinerary to be sure I am accounting for the right number of pieces given the varying climate zones we will encounter. Let me share with you what the climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro looks like. Mind you, this itinerary is based on going up the Machame Route (one of several routes available). The Machame Route is known to afford better altitude adjustment, offer better views, and typically have much less trekker traffic. All of these make it -ding, ding- a winner for me. Especially the better altitude adjustment since it increases the odds of summitting, something that is not assured even with a good fitness level since the lack of oxygen at high altitude can hit every person very differently.

Here is a view of the routes to climb Kilimanjaro to which you can refer as you read the day-by-day breakdown below.

Source: apartmentinlakeview.com

Itinerary to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route

Day 1 – Adrenaline day!! Start at the Machame Gate at 1,800m/6,000ft. Head up to Machame Camp at 3,100m/10,200ft. It should take anywhere between 5-7 hrs depending on the number and duration of stops along the way. We should be covering around 18km/11miles. The habitat will mainly be forest. I am praying that adrenaline will carry me through the mud or whatever we encounter on this part of the hike!

Day 2 – “I can’t believe I am here” day. Continuing the climb, we go to the Shira Camp at 3,840m/12,600ft. This day we go for 4-6 hrs covering about 9km/5.5miles. The habitat here is moorland. You may ask what “moorland” looks like (like I did). So here you go, courtesy of http://www.africaimagelibrary.com. The landscape looks surreal, doesn’t it?

Day 3– Reality check day!! We leave the Shira Camp and move into semi-desert habitat. We head to the Lava Tower at 4,630m/15,200ft but descend to 3.860m/12,700ft to camp overnight at the Barranco Camp at 3,860m/12,700ft. As you may notice and wonder (like I did), why if we go up do we go through the effort of going BACK DOWN??!!! Seems counter-intuitive but after hearing the explanation, it makes perfectly good sense: you want to climb high to force the body to exert itself at altitude but then climb down so you can sleep at lower altitude (which means more oxygen) to help the body adjust better. OK, maybe also just the lay of the route contributes to this approach. This is the type of factor that helps improve the odds of making it to the summit. This hike will take 5-7 hrs and cover about 15km/9miles.

Lava Tower (Source: scottkress.com)

Day 4 – “OK, how much worse can it be compared to yesterday” day. This day we cross Alpine desert to go up to the Karanga Camp at 4,200m/13,800ft. This day we go up, and stay up. But we are not camping at the maximum height reached the day before so we are still sleeping lower than our maximum exertion the day before. Total time climbing should be around 4-5 hrs covering about 7km/4miles.

Day 5 – The “are we there yet?” day. Continuing to climb without descending, this day we move to 4,600m/15,100ft going for 4-6 hrs and covering 6km/3.7miles which seems a cake walk compared to the prior days given the shorter climb and duration but I am sure it will be anything but (you will see why as you read day 6)! We will stay at the Barafu Camp this night.

Day 6 – The big day!! This day we actually wake up at midnight (midnight between day 5 and day 6 – which means little sleep which will make ilivetotravel a little cranky – if he can muster the energy for that!). Why do we barely sleep this night? So we can see sunrise at the summit!!! It will be a long hard night for most of us as you can imagine. My headlamp will absolutely be my second best friend after all the layers of clothing that will keep me warm. Uhuru Peak (the tallest peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro) sits pretty at 5,896m/19,340ft. It will take us 7-8 hrs to go 7km/4miles. Yes, twice longer than the same distance on Day 4. Why? Well, it will be slower going due to the altitude. Pole, pole (slowly, slowly in Swahili) will rule this day. There will be ice/snow towards the summit and I hope to see the glacier that, it is said, will be gone in 30 years or so at the current rate. Stone scree will also be present so our gaiters will play an important role in keeping stuff out of our boots.

On this same day, of course, we have to get off the summit. So on to 7-8 more hrs. of descent to the Mweka Camp at 3,100m/10,200ft to what it will feel like drowning in oxygen!

Day 7 – The happy day!!! OK, Day 6 will be a VERY HAPPY DAY for those of us who summit. But Day 7 is happy in other ways – we get to celebrate our climb and we get to shower!!! We climb down to the Mweka Gate which sits at 1,830m/6,000ft, walking down for 4 hrs and covering 10km/6miles through a forest habitat. A beer will never taste as good as the one I am planning to have that night at dinner!

Again, another view of the route (there were a few good ones so I couldn’t just use one…).

Source: apartmentinlakeview.com

Climbing Kilimanjaro is not without risks

The key to a safe and successful climb is to be aware of what is ahead of you (literally and figuratively). Going slowly, staying hydrated all the way, minding where you are walking, and very important: listen to the lead guide and his aides. We are lucky to have a veteran of Everest, Kili and the rest of the Seven Summits (tallest peaks in every continent) which makes me feel much better. Able to detect altitude sickness early, knowing the landscape well, supportive leadership, etc. are very important traits in a lead guide and we have that in our lead guide, Luis Benitez, one of the leading high altitude mountaineers in the world. In addition, I have been on a prior trek with Trekking for Kids and everything is well thought through and planned. So Luis and TFK are what make me feel confident that I will have a safe and successful climb regardless of the highest point of my climb: at the summit or somewhere on the way there!

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I have added to this post the writeups for each day AFTER the climb so you can read more about each day! Also here is a post about the actual clothing I took to climb Kilimanjaro item by item with the corresponding explanations in case it helps you plan your own hike!

Day 1 – Getting Going

Day 2 – The Moorlands and Reaching the Shira Camp

Day 3 – A Lava Tower and then All Hail Broke Loose!

Day 4 – The Barranco Wall and Its Challenges

Day 5 – Rocks Everywhere!

Day 6 – Reaching Kilimanjaro’s Summit: Uhuru Peak

The descent from Uhuru Peak

Filed Under: Africa, Hiking, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Tagged With: Africa, Kilimanjaro, Machame Route, Tanzania, trek, Trekking for Kids, Uhuru Peak

Preparing to Hike Kilimanjaro: More than Training & Gear

2 February 2013 by Raul 33 Comments

I sit here, two weeks before my departure for Tanzania, asking myself “Oh my, what did I get into??”. As you may have read, I am headed to Tanzania to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, something that 5 months I would have told you was the furthest thing from my bucket list. Seriously. As I contemplate the process so far, I have learned a few things and I wanted to share those with folks who may be thinking of hiking Kilimanjaro. Conditioning and gear are two important elements, But there is a less immediately obvious element in being prepared…

How did I decide to climb Kilimanjaro?

I already knew I wanted to do more treks with Trekking for Kids (with whom I trekked the Transylvanian Alps) because of the great work they do with orphanages but I was not expecting Kili would be the trek for me. I attended a TFK event last September where I heard Len Stanmore speak about his incredible journey of extreme outdoor adventure. His story is quite inspirational and others started talking about TFK’s upcoming trek to Kilimanjaro in February 2013 at the reception afterwards. I was hooked. Somehow. Not really sure what had just happened but I was in. ALL IN.

Besides the orphanage work (fundraising for it and actually spending a few days there), there are three key aspects for me about the hike itself: training, gear/packing preparations, and a third that I have yet to name at this point in this writing…

The kids at the Kili Centre orphanage sporting the new uniforms paid by funds raised by this trek

Training for climbing Kilimanjaro

Fortunately, when I decided to go on this trek, I was still relatively fresh from my Romania hike and had continued exercising in general. It makes for a good starting point!

I started more serious training by getting on the treadmill and increasing the incline over a few weeks to 15%, ending up doing this for a couple of hours. I also used a backpack whose weight I kept increasing beyond the expected weight we would carry on the hike (about 15 lbs for our day needs; porters would be carrying the rest) . I was doing great with this and was planning to mix in real hikes by going to small but still helpful Kennesaw Mountain near Marietta, Georgia, where I trained for the hike in Romania. And that is when a mini disaster struck: I over-stretched my Achilles tendons (both legs!) likely due to the imperfect simulation of a 15% incline on a treadmill. It all seems obvious now but I had not contemplated that I could hurt myself that way – you just don’t know what you don’t know!

That set me back about 6 weeks at a point when the intensity of my training was really beginning to pay off. (I am almost back to normal and training again at this point.) Not only that but I gained weight due to the double whammy of Thanksgiving and Christmas falling squarely in that 6-week period… So now I will carry even more weight uphill 🙂

Advice: If you embark on something like this without that type of starting point – don’t fret! Just be sure to start gradually. Aggressive training from cold is more than likely counterproductive if not outright a risk! That’s the easiest way to get injured. And also, stretch even of days you are not training. Stretching is your best ally in physical readiness.

Getting in gear. The gear to climb Kilimanjaro!

After being in good conditioning for the hike, the next item on the list is all the stuff that I will need on the hike. That short word “stuff” covers a wide range of things that I will need to make this a successful trip. After getting the packing list from TFK (VERY thorough!), I did an inventory of what I had and what I needed to research/acquire. I started staging all my items in a spare bedroom. It looks like a mess but it does two things for me: 1. allow me to start gathering in one place all that I will need to pack making packing later a lot easier and 2. allow me to start enjoying the upcoming trek by seeing it shape up!

The “mess” in the spare bedroom!

Advice:

Get a good packing list for the type of hike
Go talk to your local outfitter before you acquire things to learn about what they recommend, what materials are out there, criteria for choosing items, etc.
Then proceed with sourcing the items (borrow or buy).

Let me share some more specifics about gear and packing here (for a more detailed description of the clothing I took, go here)… But do check out this post on what I considered my 7 key items for this hike (written BEFORE the hike) and then the top 14 things I took (written AFTER the hike)!

I am happy to email you a copy of my packing list!

Clothing for your packing list

Mt. Kilimanjaro covers multiple climate zones ranging from forest where one may be trudging through mud to extreme cold and windy terrain towards the top. Guess what? That means carrying gear to deal with all the climate zones but, most importantly, to deal with the extreme cold and wind which is far more dangerous to a hiker. The key to all this is layers. Not rocket science, I know. I hear the cold towards the top is brutal!

The list I was provided by TFK was very clear on what was needed. I went (a few times!) to my favorite outfitter and explores the options available for each category of item needed. I have learned WAY more than I thought I’d ever learn about gear. And spent way more than I ever thought I’d spend. But two things help: one, I have bought thinking of re-use especially at ski time or in future treks and, second, I have tried to borrow some items (though it has not been as much as I would have hoped for).

Advice: My advice to you is to borrow, or buy used if possible, and think of re-use as you make choices on what to get. For example, instead of buying the absolute best gloves for the extreme temperature, think of using liners, etc. so the gloves themselves can work for you in less extreme weather back at home.

Accessories for the Kili climb

This covers a whole range of items like the hiking poles (with shock absorbers! see here for more on them), headlamp (not only to read at night or go potty in the middle of the night but also for the night hiking we will do on summit day!), sleeping bag liner (to make it warm enough for the coldest nights), sleeping bag pad (for comfort and further insulation from the very cold ground), cameras (yes, plural: the big one is not summiting with me – too heavy), even duct tape!

Advice: Borrow, or buy used if possible. Buy new if that suits you better. However, another possibility is renting some of the items on-site. This helps you in two ways: not buying stuff if you are not going to be hiking/camping more than this trip and also reducing the amount of stuff you have to lug half way around the world! However, some potential downsides of this: you don’t know the condition of the item you will rent (dirty, torn up, etc.) and you may not find the right type for the item you are looking for. For example, you need to be sure that sleeping bag will be warm enough.

Health/”Medical” items for your Kili climb

For this destination, one does have to be ready with anti-malarial and other items as recommended by the CDC. I have all the hepatitis stuff from prior travels so the anti-malarial (which is taken for every trip) and the typhoid (which I needed) were on the must-have list. But the medical category is not just the innoculations/vaccines. Things like ibuprofen, Cipro (for the potential digestive maladies that could affect a traveler…), and maybe even something to help you sleep get on the list. Other items, such like the iodine tablets, sunblock with DEET, high-SPF chapstick, etc. are more preventive in nature but just as important. This list is very important and is sometimes less obvious than the gear and clothing lists.

Advice: Do your research, ask people who have gone before (feel free to ask here!), and don’t try to save money by skimping on these items!

Finally – Emotional Preparedness

I will have to get back to you on this after the trip for a full report. However, I had heard that a lot about hiking Kili is the mental strength to power through tough conditions like mud and rain, tiredness, perhaps pain, and other discomforts. So I am thinking this would fall under emotional preparedness. I have heard from people who have hiked it before that, in the end, this is the most important elements in preparing for Kili. You may be fit, you may not. Altitude sickness could keep you from summiting and that is independent of your fitness level (amazing!). But if you don’t have some toughness in this realm, you may fall short of your goals.

We are lucky that our lead guide is one of the foremost mountain expedition leaders in the world, Luis Benitez. He is also a Board Member of TFK! In an email he sent the trekkers last week, he told us that the best thing to do in this category is to expect discomfort, understand it will happen, understand it starts and it ends. All that so that when it hits at any point in the trip, you remember it will pass and you don’t let it bring you down (figuratively speaking!). I think this is a great piece of advice that will serve ME well in these 2 weeks before I leave for this hike.

Advice: Listen to Luis’ advice!

Final thoughts on climbing Kilimanjaro

I am almost done doing all the things that I need to do to be ready but, in the end, it is the emotional preparedness that I am not sure how to measure. I cannot check it off a list, like I can do with the other items on my packing list. Yet it is likely one of the most important success factors in this trek. I don’t know if altitude sickness will beat me to the summit. I can’t control that. But I sure hope I am ready enough to control my willpower and discomforts to summit or get very close to it! Kili, I shall meet you very soon!

P.S. – Thanks for all the words of support, advice, and orphanage donations via Trekking for Kids!

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A month after this post went up, I had completed climbing Kilimanjaro and started writing about every day in the trek (7 total days) and about the route we were to take. Check it out!

– The Machame Route

– Gear for climbing Kili: clothing

– Day 1 (and links to the subsequent days)