1. I would take my own down jacket instead of renting one. The rented one was warm but huge and very bulky - it's possible I just got the wrong size.
2. I would take a lot more snacks. I packed a few Lara bars and sports gels but ran out. Sometimes there were long gaps between meals or I was hungry on the trail. The guides and porters also very much appreciate being offered some additional nibblies.
3. I would schedule a rest day after returning from the trek. It was good to have an extra day before heading out - to rest but also to have time to retrieve lost luggage (one in seven bags ends up coming in 24 hours later!). We skipped one night's sleep climbing Kili and never made it up. I was very tired on the safari.
4. I would take 2 t-shirts instead of just one. This, I think, was just a packing error on my part - I ran out of space and took some things out packing my trek bag 3-4 times. It is quite hot on days 1, 2 and 7.
5. I would take some hand-warmers/toe-warmers. My rented sleeping bag was good but 3-4 nights, my feet were cold. I tend to feel the cold in my fingers and toes as a rule. They were selling them at the gate and I regretted not buying them. They are hard to find in Toronto in summer!
6. Jury's still out on the need for gaiters. Our guide wore them every day. I had Jim's with me but thought I would only need them for the Saddle portion. By the end of Day 1, I was already filthy so there wasn't any point. If you do take them, wear them right from the beginning.
7. I also have mixed feelings about the duffle bag I chose. I am sure it was easier and more comfortable for the porters to carry but it was a bit of a nuisance every night. I had to dump most of the contents out and then repack everything. Something with pockets would have been more helpful.
8. I would have taken more US dollars in small bills. I think I took $50 in $5 and $1s. (I did take quite a few $50s and $100s but most of them went to the safari) I'll have to check how much we tipped but I did not have enough and had to put TZ schillings in - not sure if that was a problem or not.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
thoughts
Climbing Kilimanjaro was all about reaching the summit. I have to say the scenery was not that interesting. There were some great expansive views but I found it terribly bland compared to the Inca Trail. I knew this going in, having watched the IMAX film Kilimanjaro 3 times (lol). And everything we did was to increase our chances of reaching the summit - the longer route, the acclimitization hike, the pole pole pace.
It felt good to feel a part of a group struggling toward the same end. We each had to get our own selves up there but we cared about how the others were coping. It reminded me of the Bike Rally in some respects.
I made good choices with the route, the length of time on the mountain and with the company - Team Kilimanjaro. I highly recommend people take 7 days rather than 5. Also it was very nice to go up one side and come down the other. It's more expensive to take a longer route but I think it helped my chances of reaching the summit. The time of year was also good.
My biggest problem ended up being the food. It seemed to be fine for everyone else but I have a sensitive tummy unaccustomed to a lot of fried food. For me, it was a struggle to get enough protein.
I am glad I did it. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be (doesn't everyone say this?) but that makes it more satisfying.
It felt good to feel a part of a group struggling toward the same end. We each had to get our own selves up there but we cared about how the others were coping. It reminded me of the Bike Rally in some respects.
I made good choices with the route, the length of time on the mountain and with the company - Team Kilimanjaro. I highly recommend people take 7 days rather than 5. Also it was very nice to go up one side and come down the other. It's more expensive to take a longer route but I think it helped my chances of reaching the summit. The time of year was also good.
My biggest problem ended up being the food. It seemed to be fine for everyone else but I have a sensitive tummy unaccustomed to a lot of fried food. For me, it was a struggle to get enough protein.
I am glad I did it. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be (doesn't everyone say this?) but that makes it more satisfying.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Day 7
(Horombo Huts - 3705m; Marangu Gate - 1905m)
Our last day on the mountain. I felt ready to finish up - I have never been so dirty in my life. We packed up quickly and Lisa and I ended up walking together with Arson, who I think was very interested in Lisa, lol.
It took us about 4.5 hours to reach the gate and my feet had had it. This was another type of hell that no one had really mentioned. I wasn't sure I had any toenails left from the descent. People were passing us all the time, eager to get to the bottom and have a beer.
We met a young man who had a teddy bear sticking out of his knapsack. Lisa asked him what that was about and he told us he had spent time in hospital as a child and someone had given him that bear to comfort him - now he takes the bear with him on all his trips. We also met a 64 year old man who had made the summit - he said that 3 of his group had turned back.
We passed through another camp on the Marangu Route. It felt weird to be covering several days' hiking (going up) in one (going down). The rain forest was nice but I think I was too tired to really appreciate it.
Eventually we caught up to Jim and Jane and walked into the Park Office area together. We knew we were close when we started running into guys selling t-shirts and students heading up for a day-hike. There was a gate to pass through which signified the official end. We were the last to arrive as Marilyn and Michael had been taken down an alternate route and the usual rabbits had been well ahead of us. Jonas had us all sign the book at the park office - that took quite a while. I had a coke; Lisa finally got her beer. We bought Arson one too. The little shop was quite good - t-shirts, coffee, beer, maps, etc. At that point, I had no idea if the prices were inflated and didn't really care.
All the porters and guides were waiting for us for their tips. One by one they came up as Jonas called out their names, received their tip in one of Lisa's mini plastic bags and shook all of our hands. I gave Gibson, Philipo, Antony, Ali and Jonas a little extra.
Then we were off for lunch at a restaurant in Moshi where Jonas presented us with our certificates. It was 4:30 pm by then and I was done. We still had another 2 hours to drive back to the hotel. I was anxious to check my email to see how Cindy's surgery had gone.
Lisa and Marilyn had champagne and graciously asked Camille, Joost and me to join them for a celebratory drink. A quick rather ineffectual shower, my first smoke in 6 days, an agonizingly slow internet sign-in and then I joined them. I had another burger too as I was starving!
Off to bed by 11 as I was leaving for safari the next morning.
Our last day on the mountain. I felt ready to finish up - I have never been so dirty in my life. We packed up quickly and Lisa and I ended up walking together with Arson, who I think was very interested in Lisa, lol.It took us about 4.5 hours to reach the gate and my feet had had it. This was another type of hell that no one had really mentioned. I wasn't sure I had any toenails left from the descent. People were passing us all the time, eager to get to the bottom and have a beer.
We met a young man who had a teddy bear sticking out of his knapsack. Lisa asked him what that was about and he told us he had spent time in hospital as a child and someone had given him that bear to comfort him - now he takes the bear with him on all his trips. We also met a 64 year old man who had made the summit - he said that 3 of his group had turned back.
We passed through another camp on the Marangu Route. It felt weird to be covering several days' hiking (going up) in one (going down). The rain forest was nice but I think I was too tired to really appreciate it.
Eventually we caught up to Jim and Jane and walked into the Park Office area together. We knew we were close when we started running into guys selling t-shirts and students heading up for a day-hike. There was a gate to pass through which signified the official end. We were the last to arrive as Marilyn and Michael had been taken down an alternate route and the usual rabbits had been well ahead of us. Jonas had us all sign the book at the park office - that took quite a while. I had a coke; Lisa finally got her beer. We bought Arson one too. The little shop was quite good - t-shirts, coffee, beer, maps, etc. At that point, I had no idea if the prices were inflated and didn't really care.
All the porters and guides were waiting for us for their tips. One by one they came up as Jonas called out their names, received their tip in one of Lisa's mini plastic bags and shook all of our hands. I gave Gibson, Philipo, Antony, Ali and Jonas a little extra.Then we were off for lunch at a restaurant in Moshi where Jonas presented us with our certificates. It was 4:30 pm by then and I was done. We still had another 2 hours to drive back to the hotel. I was anxious to check my email to see how Cindy's surgery had gone.
Lisa and Marilyn had champagne and graciously asked Camille, Joost and me to join them for a celebratory drink. A quick rather ineffectual shower, my first smoke in 6 days, an agonizingly slow internet sign-in and then I joined them. I had another burger too as I was starving!
Off to bed by 11 as I was leaving for safari the next morning.
Night 5/Day 6
(School Huts - 4700m; Uhuru Peak - 5896m; Kibo Huts - 4700m; Horombo Huts - 3705m)
We were woken at 10:30pm and gathered in the dining tent for coffee, tea and bread and jam. Not many of us ate but I did, even though I was feeling a little nauseous. I figured I would need every scrap of food I could swallow. It was tense and quiet in the tent - I am sure we were all thinking about what lay ahead. Jane was feeling better, thankfully, but Camille was not, still experiencing stomach cramps.
I decided to take my poles so I could lean on them when I needed to rest. I knew if I sat down, that would be it. They proved their worth during the very last stretch.
We snapped on our headlights and then we set off in our usual single file. I was surprised so many people accompanied us. Jonas led the way but coming up beside us were the 3 asst guides and then at least 4 other people.
It was immediately tough going. I had on the largest down jacket imaginable and got very hot fast and my knapsack, containing 3 liters of water and my windproof jacket, felt much heavier than usual. Those two things didn't help.
Jonas and the "crew" sang as they accompanied us through the first hour of switchbacks - it was a helpful distraction as I plodded along. I don't think it wasn't especially steep per se because of the back and forth but I was starting to have trouble with breathing and everything felt very heavy. The terrain was a mixture of scree and rock. I had scheduled my trek around a full moon and think it did make it lighter - at one point my headlight went out and I could still see okay.
After about 2 hours I felt light-headed and dizzy and wanted to quit. Everything in me was screaming "stop!" "sit down". I found it very discouraging to look up and see how far above the other trekkers were - not that they were ahead but that I still had so far to go. I felt like we were climbing straight up the side of a skyscraper. Looking at my watch was also a mistake as I knew it would take us all night to reach the summit. It felt impossible. I didn't give a damm about getting my certificate or making it to the top anymore. I stopped to remove my down jacket and Antony immediately came over to chide me for not asking for help. He took my knapsack. I didn't want to give it up as he was already carrying one but was too weak to argue. That helped quite a bit.
Still, I have to say this was one of the most horrible nights of my life. It felt like I was climbing sand stairs for 6 hours. I was a bit delirious the whole way, in my own little world. There were many people attempting the summit that night (at least 2 routes join up near this point for the final ascent). I would look down the mountain and see streams of headlights coming up behind us. Further up, groups were breaking into smaller clusters. We started passing people who were stopped with their "handlers" - many were puking; everyone was pale as ghosts. I saw one woman sobbing with her arms around a porter who didn't seem sure what to do with this crazy tourist. Another woman was being rushed straight down the scree by 2 "handlers". Jonas and the others pushed us to keep moving - few breaks. Lisa and I protested - we needed to pee. There was no cover for peeing so we made do.
Our group broke up and I lost track of Lisa and Marilyn. Originally I had envisioned reaching the sign with them but my survival instincts kicked in. When the headlamps above me finally seemed to reach the crest and diappear, I went for broke. I just wanted the torture to end. Man, I cursed that mountain. It knocked the stuffing right out of me.
7 hours, I think, it took me to reach Gillman's Point. I came over the crest in the second group. I was exhausted, dehydrated and hungry but managed to snap this photo before retrieving my knapsack from Antony.
Finally, I thought, I could rest and wait for Lisa and Marilyn. Not so. I managed to get my down jacket back on - it was freezing - but no time for a snack before Antony urged me, Jane and Jim, to move a little further along to get out of the wind. Crafty fellow. Before I knew it, we were plodding on to the summit and to the famous sign.
As Henry Stedman says somewhere that I can't find right now... "If you thought [that] took the biscuit, the [next part] will take the entire tin." I found that to be quite accurate. I was panting the whole hour. I had to stop and lean on my poles every minute or so to try to slow down my breathing. Philipo and Gibson stayed with me. They didn't say anything to me, which was probably a good thing. I would likely have snapped their heads right off. If I hadn't had Cindy's rocks in my pocket, I would have given up. I sure didn't care about that damm sign at that point.
Reaching the sign at Uhuru Peak was excruciating. Antony kept telling the three of us that it was just around the corner. There were a helluva lot of corners! We passed many trekkers who were coming down and they sometimes offered encouragement.
Finally I reached the sign. There was a crowd of people around it and a fellow with a safety vest in the middle trying to organize a proper line-up. I took the opportunity to bury Cindy's rocks in a nice spot overlooking the glaciers.
Strangely enough, even though we were at 5895m, I felt fine again after I reached the site. My breathing slowed down. I could feel my heart rate go down too. I was just so relieved it was over. I jostled for photo position and we got this good shot of Gibson, me, Antony and Philipo.
I was at the summit about 15 minutes and then it was time to descend. Now I felt up to taking lots of photos and to admiring the incredible scenery. The glaciers were remarkable - many different hues of white and blue - but also the views down into the volcano crater were also fabulous.
I passed a lot of very pale trekkers on the way down to Gillman's Point. Some were being held up by their "handlers" and had a dazed look about them. I imagine I had looked exactly like that myself. I was happy to see Lisa, Marilyn and then Michael - we all made it to the top!
Back at Gillman's Point, we stopped for a few minutes and then it was time to descend to Kibo Huts. After a few bits of larger rock, it became loose scree. I was completely exhausted so decided to ski straight down as much as possible. This part was fun and saved me some time. But after a while my legs turned to concrete and I couldn't run anymore. I also still had 6 layers on and ski pants and was sweating like crazy. Kibo Huts was visible the whole way but there were times I wondered if I would ever get there. Gibson shadowed me the whole way. I think it was about 3 hours later that I reached Kibo Huts.
Kibo Huts is the last campsite for people on the Marangu Route before they make their summit attempt. We saw several groups starting up as we came down. (Our route bypassed this beginning bit and after seeing it in daylight I was very happy about that - all loose scree)
The crew had set up the dining tent for an early lunch. I was never so happy to just sit down and take off my hiking boots and socks. We all wanted to wait for Michael to come down before eating but it looked like he would be a while so we dug in. Then we greeted him as he came in.
The fun though apparently wasn't over as we were informed we still had another 3 hour hike to go to the next campsite. Lots of groaning, lol. I managed to find the porter who had my yellow bag and changed clothes as it was very hot.
I walked by myself for that portion, alone except for Ali keeping a watchful eye on me from a distance, lol. The route was a clear path, a highway almost, with a steady stream of porters going the other way. It seemed to stretch forever and was incredibly barren. I stopped to take pictures of flowers and then an "ambulance" went running by. I say "running by" as it was indeed the stretcher with the bicycle wheel held up by 4 porters I had read about. I watched it tip over further down as it hit a rock. Later I heard they had airlifted the tourist out - there is a helicopter pad near the next campsite.
The landscape slowly changed as I descended and I was very happy to see greenery after days of rock and dust. These trees are only found in Kilimanjaro National Park.
Eventually I reached the last (for us) campsite. It was a busy place, full of anxious fresh-faced and clean trekkers going the other way. I was surprised how cold it got at night there considering the lower altitude, but maybe it was because I was so tired. I slept very well!
We were woken at 10:30pm and gathered in the dining tent for coffee, tea and bread and jam. Not many of us ate but I did, even though I was feeling a little nauseous. I figured I would need every scrap of food I could swallow. It was tense and quiet in the tent - I am sure we were all thinking about what lay ahead. Jane was feeling better, thankfully, but Camille was not, still experiencing stomach cramps.
I decided to take my poles so I could lean on them when I needed to rest. I knew if I sat down, that would be it. They proved their worth during the very last stretch.
We snapped on our headlights and then we set off in our usual single file. I was surprised so many people accompanied us. Jonas led the way but coming up beside us were the 3 asst guides and then at least 4 other people.
It was immediately tough going. I had on the largest down jacket imaginable and got very hot fast and my knapsack, containing 3 liters of water and my windproof jacket, felt much heavier than usual. Those two things didn't help.
Jonas and the "crew" sang as they accompanied us through the first hour of switchbacks - it was a helpful distraction as I plodded along. I don't think it wasn't especially steep per se because of the back and forth but I was starting to have trouble with breathing and everything felt very heavy. The terrain was a mixture of scree and rock. I had scheduled my trek around a full moon and think it did make it lighter - at one point my headlight went out and I could still see okay.
After about 2 hours I felt light-headed and dizzy and wanted to quit. Everything in me was screaming "stop!" "sit down". I found it very discouraging to look up and see how far above the other trekkers were - not that they were ahead but that I still had so far to go. I felt like we were climbing straight up the side of a skyscraper. Looking at my watch was also a mistake as I knew it would take us all night to reach the summit. It felt impossible. I didn't give a damm about getting my certificate or making it to the top anymore. I stopped to remove my down jacket and Antony immediately came over to chide me for not asking for help. He took my knapsack. I didn't want to give it up as he was already carrying one but was too weak to argue. That helped quite a bit.
Still, I have to say this was one of the most horrible nights of my life. It felt like I was climbing sand stairs for 6 hours. I was a bit delirious the whole way, in my own little world. There were many people attempting the summit that night (at least 2 routes join up near this point for the final ascent). I would look down the mountain and see streams of headlights coming up behind us. Further up, groups were breaking into smaller clusters. We started passing people who were stopped with their "handlers" - many were puking; everyone was pale as ghosts. I saw one woman sobbing with her arms around a porter who didn't seem sure what to do with this crazy tourist. Another woman was being rushed straight down the scree by 2 "handlers". Jonas and the others pushed us to keep moving - few breaks. Lisa and I protested - we needed to pee. There was no cover for peeing so we made do.
Our group broke up and I lost track of Lisa and Marilyn. Originally I had envisioned reaching the sign with them but my survival instincts kicked in. When the headlamps above me finally seemed to reach the crest and diappear, I went for broke. I just wanted the torture to end. Man, I cursed that mountain. It knocked the stuffing right out of me.
7 hours, I think, it took me to reach Gillman's Point. I came over the crest in the second group. I was exhausted, dehydrated and hungry but managed to snap this photo before retrieving my knapsack from Antony. Finally, I thought, I could rest and wait for Lisa and Marilyn. Not so. I managed to get my down jacket back on - it was freezing - but no time for a snack before Antony urged me, Jane and Jim, to move a little further along to get out of the wind. Crafty fellow. Before I knew it, we were plodding on to the summit and to the famous sign.
As Henry Stedman says somewhere that I can't find right now... "If you thought [that] took the biscuit, the [next part] will take the entire tin." I found that to be quite accurate. I was panting the whole hour. I had to stop and lean on my poles every minute or so to try to slow down my breathing. Philipo and Gibson stayed with me. They didn't say anything to me, which was probably a good thing. I would likely have snapped their heads right off. If I hadn't had Cindy's rocks in my pocket, I would have given up. I sure didn't care about that damm sign at that point.
Reaching the sign at Uhuru Peak was excruciating. Antony kept telling the three of us that it was just around the corner. There were a helluva lot of corners! We passed many trekkers who were coming down and they sometimes offered encouragement.
Finally I reached the sign. There was a crowd of people around it and a fellow with a safety vest in the middle trying to organize a proper line-up. I took the opportunity to bury Cindy's rocks in a nice spot overlooking the glaciers.
Strangely enough, even though we were at 5895m, I felt fine again after I reached the site. My breathing slowed down. I could feel my heart rate go down too. I was just so relieved it was over. I jostled for photo position and we got this good shot of Gibson, me, Antony and Philipo.
I was at the summit about 15 minutes and then it was time to descend. Now I felt up to taking lots of photos and to admiring the incredible scenery. The glaciers were remarkable - many different hues of white and blue - but also the views down into the volcano crater were also fabulous.I passed a lot of very pale trekkers on the way down to Gillman's Point. Some were being held up by their "handlers" and had a dazed look about them. I imagine I had looked exactly like that myself. I was happy to see Lisa, Marilyn and then Michael - we all made it to the top!
Back at Gillman's Point, we stopped for a few minutes and then it was time to descend to Kibo Huts. After a few bits of larger rock, it became loose scree. I was completely exhausted so decided to ski straight down as much as possible. This part was fun and saved me some time. But after a while my legs turned to concrete and I couldn't run anymore. I also still had 6 layers on and ski pants and was sweating like crazy. Kibo Huts was visible the whole way but there were times I wondered if I would ever get there. Gibson shadowed me the whole way. I think it was about 3 hours later that I reached Kibo Huts. Kibo Huts is the last campsite for people on the Marangu Route before they make their summit attempt. We saw several groups starting up as we came down. (Our route bypassed this beginning bit and after seeing it in daylight I was very happy about that - all loose scree)
The crew had set up the dining tent for an early lunch. I was never so happy to just sit down and take off my hiking boots and socks. We all wanted to wait for Michael to come down before eating but it looked like he would be a while so we dug in. Then we greeted him as he came in.
The fun though apparently wasn't over as we were informed we still had another 3 hour hike to go to the next campsite. Lots of groaning, lol. I managed to find the porter who had my yellow bag and changed clothes as it was very hot.
I walked by myself for that portion, alone except for Ali keeping a watchful eye on me from a distance, lol. The route was a clear path, a highway almost, with a steady stream of porters going the other way. It seemed to stretch forever and was incredibly barren. I stopped to take pictures of flowers and then an "ambulance" went running by. I say "running by" as it was indeed the stretcher with the bicycle wheel held up by 4 porters I had read about. I watched it tip over further down as it hit a rock. Later I heard they had airlifted the tourist out - there is a helicopter pad near the next campsite.
The landscape slowly changed as I descended and I was very happy to see greenery after days of rock and dust. These trees are only found in Kilimanjaro National Park.Eventually I reached the last (for us) campsite. It was a busy place, full of anxious fresh-faced and clean trekkers going the other way. I was surprised how cold it got at night there considering the lower altitude, but maybe it was because I was so tired. I slept very well!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
photo albums
I've been quite busy since I came back but hope to finish updating this weekend. In the meantime, I've posted three albums on facebook which you should be able to access:
Kilimanjaro
Safari
Amsterdam
Enjoy!
Kilimanjaro
Safari
Amsterdam
Enjoy!
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