Mount Kilimanjaro – My Personal Experience

I planned my travel to Mount Kilimanjaro over the course of six months. I purposely planned a long layover, and plenty of time to become acclimatized to the area.  My layover was in Stockholm, Sweden.  When I arrived in Stockholm, I took the train from the airport to downtown and enjoyed a relaxing lunch before heading to the shopping area.  The train was the best part of my trip!  After 10 hours of sightseeing, I headed back to the airport and boarded my flight to Arusha. Arusha is a city located about 70 miles from Moshi (location of Kilimanjaro).

I prearranged transportation with my hotel, Tulia Hotel and Spa, in Arusha (I highly recommend doing this if you are a solo traveler). My driver, Teli, was very helpful and friendly, offering to take pictures if needed.  We stopped for drinks before making the 1-hour trip to the hotel.  Teli would point out important landmarks and even stopped so I could get a short video of Mount Meru.

The next day, I visited Meserani Snake Park, Materuni Waterfalls, the Cultural Heritage Art Gallery (tourist traps).  Materuni Falls was absolutely breathtaking.  Located in the Mware River, this waterfall is located on the edge of the Kilimanjaro mountain reserve.  Throughout the 45-minute hike, I was consumed with the beautiful tropical rainforest. The waterfall itself is crystal clear and safe for swimming (I wasn’t interested in swimming). After lunch at the gallery, I headed to a few Tanzanite dealers.  I wanted an authentic Tanzanite stone from Tanzania, so I splurged for one (it cost me around $600, and I had it authenticated and appraised when I returned to the states (make sure you get a written authenticity card from your jeweler).

The next day I headed to our host hotel, Panama Garden Resort in Moshi.  I did some shopping around town, visited Lake Chala before heading back to meet our guide and the other ladies that would be hiking in our group.  After dinner, we were briefed on what we needed.  If you didn’t have all the required equipment, you had to rent it.  I had anticipated renting gaiters and a sleeping bag (I HIGHLY recommend bringing your own sleeping bag and liner). We had a glass of wine and anxiously waited for instructions for our climb.  We had another day of rest before a final equipment check and instructions for the BIG DAY.  I was so anxious, and I really didn’t sleep well the last night at the hotel.

 Kilimanjaro Day 1:  Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Degree of Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 11 km (6.8 miles)

Elevation: 5390 ft – 9350 ft

Camp: Machame

Trek time:  5 -7 hours

Habitat:  Rainforest

The day started with a meeting at our hotel with our guides around 7:00a.m.  Our bags were weighed prior to leaving for the gate (I was overweight of course). The 1-hour drive from the hotel to the Machame gate didn’t disappoint with scenic views of Moshi. After stopping for last minute supplies at a convenience store, we passed through the village of Machame.  When we arrived at the gate, we were given a bag lunch and were literally on the trail within 40 minutes of arrival.  I overpacked and my daypack was probably around 20 pounds.  It wasn’t an enjoyable first hike, but I think it truly prepared me for the adventure ahead. The hike was easy, a relatively flat trail.  The beauty of the huge green trees made the hike enjoyable. It didn’t rain as I had anticipated, so I didn’t need rain gear (and I totally left it at the hotel).  I wore my headphones most of the time.  I had a “Kilimanjaro” playlist with inspirational music. This gave me an escape from the challenges around me. Once we were near our camp, some of our porters rescued me from that heavy disaster of a daypack (I hiked 11 miles uphill with a 20-pound backpack).

I requested and paid for solo accommodations, so I was able to relax in my tent before dinner.  We had a private toilet for our group of 5 women.  It was exceptionally clean and even had a deodorizer inside.  My tent was spacious and the air freshener that was used was heaven!  After a dinner, we were prepped for the next day’s route (I had never camped a day of my life, so this was truly an experience).

Note:  Every morning and night, we were given a bowl of warm water for washing your body.  Although most of the research said wet wipes would suffice for cleaning, I made use of the water every single day! It really helped me relax.

 Kilimanjaro Day 2:  Machame Camp – Shira Camp

Degree of Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult

Distance: 5 km (3.1 miles)

Elevation: 9350 ft – 12,500 ft

Trek time: 5 – 6 hours

Habitat: Heath

This hike was a journey through the Moorlands.  It started with a steep, rocky trek that literally, had my guide Peter not tricked me the whole time, I would’ve lost it. I would compare it to climbing stairs for about 4 hours straight!  I wasn’t prepared for such a hike, but I believe my years of weightlifting and my strong legs helped me through this hike.  It’s completely doable, but I found it very challenging. When we stopped for lunch, the views were so beautiful. The heather and open moorlands were just amazing.  I was told, this was the day that most people decide if they are going to continue or head back.  Well I knew I wasn’t going back.  I was the slowest person in my group and I had planned it this way.  Throughout most of my research, the most successful people did the hike at a very slow pace.  As a novice hiker, I used this to my advantage.  Once we reached Shira Camp, I relaxed in my tent until dinner.  I honestly didn’t feel great, but I thought it was because of the challenging day.  Little did I know, I was in the early stages of altitude sickness.

Note: Ladies, high altitude can affect your menstrual cycle, causing it to come early, last longer or become irregular.  This happened to me day before the summit – 16 days early – be prepared!

Kilimanjaro Day 3:

Shira Camp – Lava Tower

Degree of Difficulty:  Moderate – Difficult

Distance: 7 km (4.1 miles)

Elevation: 12,500 ft – 15190 ft

Trek time: 4 – 6 hours

Habitat:  Alpine Desert

Lava Tower – Barranco Camp

Degree of Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult

Distance: 3 km (2 miles)

Elevation: 15190 ft – 13044 ft

Trek time: 2 -3 hours

Habitat:  Alpine Desert

We were warned that if we start to develop signs of altitude sickness to notify a guide immediately.  Once we made it to Lava tower, I asked the guide if I could nap during lunch and he said “NO!”. As we reached Lava tower, I had completely lost my appetite, which is a clear sign of altitude sickness. I explained that I didn’t have an appetite and they decided to force feed me the sweetest mangos EVER! It worked because I literally couldn’t stomach much of anything.   At 15,000 feet, this was the highest elevation we had reached since the hike.  Some members of my group were experiencing symptoms of altitude symptoms.

After lunch we continued to hike through the Semi Desert, home of the Dr. Suess trees, before reaching Baranca camp for the night.

Note: For some reason, my hiking boots (recommended by a hiking apparel representative) didn’t have proper traction.  It caused huge problems for me as they were slippery!

 Kilimanjaro Day 4: Barranco Camp – Karanga Camp 

Degree of Difficulty:  Moderate – Difficult

Distance: 5k (3.11 miles)

Elevation: 13044 ft – 13106 ft

Trek time: 4 – 6 hours

Habitat: Alpine Desert

The anticipated “Barranco Wall” was upon us.  I didn’t know exactly what to expect.  The wall was steep, very steep but it was also safe.  The actual wall itself wasn’t difficult but it seemed like it lasted FOREVER.  And how could I complain with just a daypack when our porters carried our bags, tents and supplies over the wall.  It was an amazing sight to see.  We were told the wall would take 45 minutes, however it took several hours.  I really enjoyed watching the porters navigate the wall with their equipment, never complaining and never in distress.  In fact, most were singing hymns.  The rest of hike was a moderate and enjoyable.  But by time we reached Karanga Camp, I was completely exhausted.  I just wanted to nap.  During the night’s briefing, we were prepped for the next hike as the anticipation of the summit was near.  I honestly started to get a bit nervous, but I remembered what my friend who convinced me to climb told me, “Take it one day at a time.” I still didn’t have an appetite. I had mangos for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Needless to say, I had zero energy.

Later that night, I heard my porter Alfred calling my name.  When I answered he placed his hand into my tent, and told said, “I need to show you something.”  Jesus I thought, I have to put my shoes on (the worst part of this experience was getting my boots off and on!) When I finally made it out, everything was black and all you could see were the stars in the sky! It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.  We stayed outside for about an hour just watching the sky.

 Kilimanjaro Day 5: Karanga Camp – Barafu Camp

Degree of Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

Distance: 4 km ( 2.29 miles)

Elevation: 13106 ft – 15331 ft

Trek time: 4 – 5 hours

Habitat:  Alpine Dessert

This hike was super short. I believe everyone was anxious, excited and nervous about the summit.  I was exhausted, started my cycle, had a sinus infection and altitude sickness. I had completely lost my appetite and I had been given the last of the mangos, so the fact that the summit was less than 12 hours away was making me extremely nervous.  Dinner was carbs, carbs and more carbs.  I force fed myself a few pieces of potatoes and slice of bread.  I was so nervous….. I couldn’t sleep…..  Tomorrow was the day!

Kilimanjaro Day 6 (Summit Day):

Barafu Camp – Stella Point

Degree of Difficulty: VERY difficult

Distance: 5 km ascent (3.1 miles)

Elevation: 15331 ft – 18880 ft

Trek time: 7 – 9 hours ascent

Habitat:  Artic

Stella Point – Mweka Camp

Degree of Difficulty: Hard, but doable

Distance: 12 km (7 miles)

Elevation: 18880 ft – 10065 ft

Trek time: 7 – 9 hours

Habitat: Rainforest

Whew baby! We left campsite around 11:00 p.m. for the summit.  I honestly don’t recall much of the first 4 hours.  I was listening to my music the entire time.  I remember it was cold and the pace was a little fast for me. I kept my head down because looking behind me or at the stars made be nauseous.   I knew if I was going to make it, I needed to slow down.  After a short break, I was given my own personal guide- Peter.  It was around this time, we started to see hikers descending and some in distress.  It was frightening but as we trekked on, I saw the sun starting to rise.  Although I hadn’t reach Stella Point, I was excited.  I could see the flag and I knew victory was upon me.  I didn’t have many issues breathing but the air was thin.  I started to feel a lightheaded (it felt like a good alcohol buzz), but otherwise I was feeling good.  It was cold, very cold but the sun helped a little.  I remember walking up to Stella Point and thinking, YOU DID THAT GIRL! It was so beautiful. I was literally in the clouds. I remember the first thing I did was drop to my knees in prayer.  I was so grateful and thankful for the blessings God has given me.  We took a few photos and Peter asked if I wanted to go to Uhuru, the highest peak, which was another 45 minutes.  I had accomplished what I set out to do and I was DONE.  I had expressed the entire trip that my goal was Stella and I had met that goal! We stayed at Stella for about 30 minutes before heading back.  Now this was the tricky part, it looked like it would take about 45 minutes to get down, however it took me about 3.5 hours.  Peter and I laughed a lot and I remember giving him my food in my daypack and some of the porters coming to assist us as I was the last climber in my group.  As we were descending, I saw medical helicopters landing.  It was staunch reminder of the how dangerous this hike could be and the importance of listening to your body.  When I returned to the camp, I was given about 30 minutes of rest before I was notified we had to start our journey to the last campsite.  I was exhausted, literally exhausted and one of the porters had to help me with my shoes and gear.  Although I started with our group, Peter asked me to slow down so we could trek together at a slower pace.  I had a really great time with Peter.  We laughed a lot, and he would occasionally tap me on the shoulder (my headphones were always in my ear) and point out a beautiful skyline or mountains, or just the beauty of God’s creations.  I remember thinking I could see a campsite.  I was so excited! We stopped for apple juice and popcorn, but this wasn’t OUR camp! I almost died, because for the next several miles we were hiking on a very rocky path.  The feeling was indescribable.  My legs were shot, and my knees were starting to bother me.  We finally reached Mweka Camp.  I was too exhausted to even celebrate. The other hikers in my group were congratulating me but I just wanted to lay down in tent and wash my face.  My porter followed me into my tent and helped with my boots.  He also brought me a bowl of warm water and apple juice.  Dinner was a huge celebration complete with a cake and a glass of wine!  I didn’t stay long after dinner, I was exhausted. I still didn’t have an appetite and I literally fell asleep while it was still daylight.

This was a 19-hour hike!

 

 

Kilimanjaro Day 7: Mweka Camp to Moshi

Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 13 km (8 miles)

Elevation: 10065 ft – 5380 ft

Trek Time: 3 – 5 hours

Habitat: Rain forest

I was excited with my accomplishment, but I wanted to RUN to my hotel.  I couldn’t wait to get to gate. Again, Peter and I made the journey together.  As we made to the last 3 miles of our hike, an ambulance arrived to carry an individual in another group and asked if we wanted a ride to the gate.  I immediately said, “I’ll go”, while some members of our group said, “that’s cheating.” In the end, we all hopped on the ambulance and headed to the gate! I was so excited, but there was more.  Our tour company had arranged for us to have lunch with our porters.  I did some shopping, had my boots cleaned and enjoyed a few glasses of wine before our lunch was ready.  After lunch we headed to the hotel, where we were given our certificate of completion, a t-shirt and a farewell hug.  I ran into the lobby with my equipment and daypack.  The hotel staff was so excited to see us, asking us about our experience.  I remember being polite but all I could think about was a shower.  I was given an upgrade to a “villa” and couldn’t wait to jump in the shower.  I took what felt like a 1- hour shower.  I remember washing my hair and thinking, “Girl, you did the DAMN thang!  I hopped in the bed and took a nap.  I thought I would sleep forever, but we returned to the hotel around noon, and I was awake at 5p.m.  I headed to the pool where my other group members were lounging.  I ordered a nice meal (my appetite had returned enough to eat about half of my dinner) and a bottle of cabernet.  The manager came out and said, “This (wine) is on me! Congratulations!! I was so excited, but I was also somewhere between exhausted and elated!  I wasn’t however in pain at this point.  I lounged by the pool enjoying the night.

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All The Things

Flight:  $780 (one-way to Arusha).  I booked a one-way ticket as I wanted a long layover to break up the flight.  A round trip ticket should cost approximately $1500 – 1800.

Tour/Trek Cost: $2750 this price includes:  3 nights in Moshi, 7-day trek through Kilimanjaro, all meals, drinks, porter assistance, park fees, transportation from the airport to the host hotel. This cost does not include airfare.

Equipment:  $3500.  I wasn’t a hiker, so I had to purchase everything for this trip.  I purchased all of my equipment from outlet stores. I also donated most of my snow gear because I would be traveling to other countries, and I wouldn’t get much use of it in Florida.

Hotels:  $500.  3 nights are usually included in the tour price.  I stayed an extra 4 nights (2 prior and 2 after the trip) to become acclimated to the altitude.

Transportation: $200.  I traveled to Arusha first, then to Moshi – and airport transportation.  This was organized with the tour company.