Kilimanjaro 2012

gnaremoob

Ok, so I've finally booked to go.....by myself & am getting a bit nervous...what have I set myself up for???? Can any of you guys who have done the Machame route give me tips on what to bring...gear etc.

I have booked with a reputable UK company but the flights are not included so any tips on who to fly with would be great. So far I've looked at a flight (inclusive) Dublin-Frankfurt (Lufthansa)- Frankfurt-Addis Abbaba (Ethiopian Airlines)- Addis Abbaba- Kilimanjaro for €900. I know it seems alot but Amsterdam to Kili (KLM) is nearly 800 & you have to get to Holland so that might cost as much.....any tips/advice from anyone who's been would be greatly appreciated. Particularly solo travelliers.

Will have to start stocking up on climbing gear over the next few months so what is needed?

I have a good level of fitness, mostly from running & weight training. Have done some climbs......The Irish peaks, not that they're comparable altitude wise....any tips on how to prepare some more?

Any advice greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!!

jamfer

I climbed it last September. I followed the Lemosho Route and this allows ample time to acclimatise. You walk 75klms over 8 days on this route, taking in stunning scenery and getting fantastic exposure to the mountain and the micro climates. You also have a much higher chance of summiting as there is ample time to acclimatise to the altitude on this route. The toughest day I found was the first and obviously the second last, when we were climbing from Barafu Hut at 4,600 meters to Uhuru Peak.

My expectations were set by looking at the Climb for kids programme on RTE1 and also from reading blogs and other posts on d'internet. Dangerous, but you do find yourself researching and reading.

So...

Training:

I am not a jogger, nor am I a gym goer. In fact I could characterise my training as "from couch to 5895 meters in 6 months". I made sure to spend as much time hill walking as I could, and to this end I walked the hills of Wicklow most weekends. I averaged about 3 to 4 hours per visit. Glendalough, Mullaclevaun and Djouce were regular haunts, as indeed was Croagh Patrick, Slieve Foy, Sliabh Sneachta and The Galtees. To my shame I didn't climb Carrantuohill before I set off for Africa (although I have fixed that since then).

Of the 5 others in my group I'd have been the least "fit" although I was the best prepared for the task, what with all the hill walking. There appears to be a huge difference between running fit and hill walking fit. I did many walks with a friend who runs and he'd be stiff and sore after our hill walks whereas I'd feel nothing.

My main tip is get comfortable walking on loose rock and scree - Croagh Patrick is invaluable here.

Prep work:

I spent 2 nights in a tent out my back garden just to re-familiarise myself with life outdoors. It was a worthwhile task as it brought home the need for earplugs and also just how cold it can be to sleep under canvas.

I took Diamox (anti altitude med) for a few days to ensure I wouldn't have any reactions to it on the mountain. I took it on the mountain with no ill effects even though my experience of it in Ireland wasn't great. Diamox is a huge area of conjecture in the will I won't I lead up to the climb.

Gear:

You could go crazy looking at gear lists of what you need or don't need. I navigated this quite successfully I feel as I used pretty much everything on the mountain. I'll not bore you now, but if you do want go ahead and climb drop me a line and I'll tell you what I used.

On the mountain:

Embrace dirt: give yourself over to the mountain, forget about home, email and life outside and you will fare well. Yes there is coverage in some places, but it is patchy and not reliable. Embrace dirt, for it will be the bane of your life otherwise. I adopted the clean hands, balls and feet approach to life and it kept me in good spirits, that is new socks and jocks each morning along with litres of hand sanitising gel. Our tour operator provided a bowl of hot water each morning and evening for washing. The climbing season coincides with the dry season so the mountain is bone dry, and so you get dust, lots and lots of fine dust which gets everywhere. Trying to stay clean, or being concerned about not being clean seemed to be the biggest issue facing many of my fellow team mates. You are limited to 18kgs of luggage on the mountain so packing light is a virtue - I had 12 kgs and a medium sized bag which allowed me enough changes of clothes to get through the trek comfortably and allowing me be fastidious about cleanliness where it matters.

Forget about time: take each day, and the changing landscapes as you find them. Bring a camera and take lots of photos. It takes as long as it takes for you to get from one camp site to the next. Most days will see long treks, your guides are a huge resource on these walks and you we had great fun with our Masai Warrior guide with his two wives and love of uisce beatha! where you can of course - sometimes the terrain is so steep that you'd do well to keep your breath just stood still.

Take in the scenery: I spent much of my time on the mountain standing looking out over the views, it really is a stunning place. I regret not taking more photographs.

Look after yourself: pole pole (poley poley they pronounce it) means slowly slowly, and it is the key to succeeding. You need to acclimatise and ensure that you keep yourself in as good a shape as you can. At altitude you will not eat right, you won't sleep well and you end up in trouble as a result. I took my time each day and made sure to drink the 5 litres of water and ate as much food as possible at every meal. Some on the team lost appetite, or didn't drink enough and struggled as a result. I aimed to have my fluids on board early in the day so that I didn't end up needing to pee at night. Tents and sleeping bags not being conducive to such activities. Oh and the pitch black and freezing temperatures.

Coeus

Hey, I'm just back from Tanzania having hiked up Kilimanjaro last week. I did the Macheme route over 7 days. How many days is your trek?

I got there by flying to Nairobi which is much cheaper to fly in and getting a bus down to Moshi which was the base for my trek. The bus takes about 7-8 hours, costs $35 one-way and is a great way to see the countryside. You can check the website of the bus company here http://www.riverside-shuttle.com/ . If you get the bus you will need to get a Kenyan transit visa which costs $20 and can be got on arrival.

As for training, I didn't do anything extra really other than the usual fitness stuff I do to keep myself in shape. I hadn't been hiking on a hill or a mountain since I was in Nepal in 2010 but I think that any hillwalking you have the time to get in can only help.

Since I had been above 5000m before and had no issues before other than a few headaches I didn't take diamox. My own opinion is that is its probably not needed if you acclimatise properly by taking it easy on the walking (even if you think you can go faster) and drinking plenty of water (min 4 litres a day). You can only fill up in camp so its best to get a camelbak so you can drink on the go. I had a 3 litre one for my bag and a 1 litre bottle I clipped to my bag. For keeping clean bring some babywipes. The rest of the kit list should be pretty straight forward.

For me the toughest day was definately the summit night with that last 100m upto Stella Point a killer. You'll see what I mean when you get there. All the other days were OK and pretty much what I expected.

By the way they have also changed the signs up there. Gone is the old mahogany sign at Uhuru peak and in its place is a more modern version with too much information.

gnaremoob

Thanks guys!!
I hadnt thought of doing a sleep-out at home first Jamfer, good plan! ....will think about the Diamox issue nearer the time.

Coeus, I've booked my flights since I was last on. Decided to go with KLM for a finish. Some of the flights on the cost comparison websites were up to 36 hours long!! No thanks, getting over in 12 hours & home in 15, via Amsterdam. Ended up paying a little over €900 :eek: but, that was to be expected! Only thing is, my flight is arriving at 11pm the night before I'm due to meet the climb organisers so I hope there are some places to stay nearby Kilimanjaro airport......

Next thing to start organising is gear....I'm way in over my head when I start googling what to bring!! Firstly, I think I'll hire a sleeping bag because it's a big lump of a thing to be hauling around in the airport. Did ye rent or bring yer own?
Gonna stock up over the next few months. I was skiing a couple of years ago......can I recycle any of that gear? the pants etc? Jamfer, was there any thing in particular that you wouldnt do without? Or that you thought you could have done with?

Thanks again for your stories guys, getting very excited!!!!

Oh, shots...what shots did you get?

gnaremoob

oh, it's 7 days, the Macheme route!

Coeus

gnaremoob wrote: »

oh, it's 7 days, the Macheme route!

Yea, thats what I would recommend for Macheme as I think 6 days is a tough ask. On the 6 day trek, 2 days are combined into 1 the day of the summit attempt so there isn't as much time to rest up before you set off that night...

Kilimanjaro airport is about 20kms west of Moshi. Has your company included any hotels nights? I think the airlines run transfers into the town and you can work from there. That is a good price for the KLM flight by the way, it was €1400 for my itinerary hence my opting for Nairobi which cost me less than €600...

I had most of the gear already from previous treks. For this one I just bought a lightweight daypack and a camelbak. From your skigear, I would bring the outer jacket and pants for the summit night if they are offer good protection from the wind. Bring the gloves aswell. The only thing I rented was a set of walking sticks which you'll need for the summit descent. The trail back down is steep and very gravelly in parts.

For Shots I had most (Hep A, Tetanus and Yellow Fever) from before. Needed to get Typhoid again and got Cholera and a prescription for antimalarials. I passed on Hep B...

jamfer

Best item I bought was a down jacket from Tog24 in Kildare - it has a zip off hood and it was invaluable in camp at night and to augment my sleeping bag - i found the mummy style I rented too constrictive - and it also was great for summit night too as it kept me snug on the ascent. It was €91 and I see they have them there again for that price.

Baselayer wise - I wore synthetics and nabbed them off mandmdirect mostly for €10 odd for Asics or Trekmates.

Kecks - M&S do a wicking sport 3 pack for €18. I had a clean pair for each day + 2 spairs.

Socks - 1 pair per day and 2 spair too - Bridgedale comfort trekker most days. I had 2 pairs of Teko summit series merino wool socks. I pair I slept in and one for summit night. Bridgedale liner sock for summit night also.

Tops - I brought 4 mid weight fleece. I had 1 goretex jacket - I made sure it fitted over the down jacket just in case.

Bottoms - I had 4 hiking trousers, 1 pair of thermal leg ins, 1 pair of fleece bottoms and one pair of of waterproof over trousers. Craghoppers Kiwi from TK Maxx for €19.99 are great.

I had a balaclava, 6 buffs (tk maxx 3 for €9) which I found great for keeping sweat and dust at bay. I got a wide brimmed hat, 2 fleece beanies and gloves and mitts too for summit night.

The waterproof duffle bag I got I had to pay full price for.

I rented a sleeping bag and walking poles from the company I climbed with.

Tog24 & The North Face in Kildare village are good, as is Mountain Warehouse now in Blanchardstown. The main mountaineering shops in town have huge prices on most items, just nab items as they go on sale. One of my companions went to Capel Camping and got sorted with most gear for a fraction of the bigger names and brands from more well known shops.

Oh, finally, good boots that you have worn in. I had a pair of Scarpa ZG65's that worked well.