Kilimanjaro

It has always been a dream of mine to summit Kilimanjaro. Standing at 19,341 ft it was a beast I was ready to take on. This past April I got the opportunity to hike the Machame route. The trail was much more beautiful than I had imagined. Taking 6 days we made it to the summit and back to the bottom for a much needed shower. 

Day 1

The first day we arrived at the Machame gate to get our permits. This process took about 2 hours before we could begin our hike. We hit the trail and headed up into the rainforest. We happened to go during rainy season so it poured the entire first day. Four hours later, by the time we reached camp I was soaking (Make sure to have good rain gear. I had Patagonia rain coat and pants and was completely soaked). However, that didn't keep us down we were thrilled to be on our way to the summit. At camp we got our first glimpse of the peak of Kilimanjaro . 

Day 2

We woke up early and headed out to Shira Cave camp. It took us about 5 hours to reach the next camp. Today was a shorter distance but a much steeper incline and elevation gain. We were lucky and reached camp just as it began to rain. We stayed in our tents for a few hours and rested until it cleared. Stepping out of the tent I was blown away. This was the first very clear view of the top and it was beautiful. I couldn't believe I would be up there in 3 days.

Day 3

We were off to Barranco camp in about 5 hours. Today was our big acclimatization day. Instead of going straight to camp we hiked through a mars looking landscape to Lava Tower (15,318 ft). We sat and had lunch here until it started to rain and we rushed down to camp. The purpose of increasing our elevation then camping at a lower elevation was to help us adjust to the high altitude to prevent us from getting altitude sick. We made it down to camp cold and wet but got to see the most beautiful plant life. We were ready to hit our tents to change and get a warm cup of tea. This was probably my favorite camp because of the views and the amazing sunrise we had. 

Day 4

Off to Barafu base camp we go! It was crazy that, that night we would be starting our summit. This was a very long day we lots of excitement for the night to come. It took about 6-7 hours to reach camp. We hiked to Karanga camp where we stopped to have lunch before hiking the rest. This day moved at a very slow incline that seemed harder than the previous days. We finally arrived at base camp and had an early dinner before heading to bed around 7. We had 4 hours of sleep before being waken up at 11 pm to start our ascent at 12 am. 

Day 5

The longest and hardest day of the climb. We camped at 15,331 ft and climbed to 19,341 ft in 7 hours. Four layers on top, three on bottom, gloves, gaiters, hat and I was ready to go! It was pitch black with only small dots of headlights. It was straight up with very few breaks, probably the hardest thing I have done. When we reached Stella Point the sun began to rise. Exhausted we continued to treak through the snow to Uhuru Peak. WE REACHED THE SUMMIT!! We were so tired but it was so worth it. The most beautiful sunrise I will ever see, it celebrated us making it to the top. It was all downhill from here. We didn't stay on top for more than 30 minutes before heading back to Barafu. Once we reached Barafu we had lunch and rested for a few hours. Then we packed up and headed even lower to our final camp: Mweka Hut camp. This was by far the longest day and by the time we reached this camp we were ready to just head to the bottom. We enjoyed our last night with the crew and got a much needed rest. 

 Day 6

We packed up early and headed to Mweka Gate. It only took us about 3 hours to get to the bottom. Once we arrived we received our certificates and headed back to the hotel for a much needed shower and bed. 

Typical Day Routine

6:30 - wake up call. Hot tea and hot water (for washing) brought to our tent before breakfast. 

7:00 - breakfast. Head to the food tent for warm eggs, pancakes, hot dogs, beignets, toast, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

8:00 - start hiking for the day

12:30 - lunch. Either packed or at the next camp. Hard boiled egg, biscuits, plantain fries, biscuits, soup, fruit, chicken, etc. 

2:00 - arrive at camp. Settle into tent and change into warm clothes for the rest of the afternoon.

3:00 - afternoon snack. Hot tea or hot chocolate with popcorn or nuts. 

6:30 - dinner. 3 course meals. Start with soup, then either pasta, rice, vegetables for main then fruit for dessert. 

9:00 - head to bed to prepare for the next day. 

Experience

I loved my time spent on Kilimanjaro. I definitely gained a deeper appreciation for the mountain and the people who work there. We went through Green Paw adventures and they were amazing. They definitely exceeding our expectation. We did not expect to get such great service and accommodations on the mountain. We were especially thankful for our wonderful porters who packed up and carried all our gear (we only had to carry a day pack). I can honestly say, we would have not made it up the mountain without them. The hike was challenging and I'm ready for the next adventure!