I was just forwarded this great news from Erika at Serengeti Pride Safaris that the guide that took our group up Kilimanjaro was interviewed by About.com. Lema was an excellent guide and if you haven’t noticed by now I would heartily recommend you talk to his company if you’re considering climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Hello, my name is Andy Theimer and you’ve found my blog about Tanzania and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. This blog originated to provide live updates of my trip to family and friends but has since been reorganized to provide a chronological experience of my trip from conception to completion.
I can’t say enough about the trip and especially Erika and Lema of Serengeti Pride Safaris . They provided an amazing trip before the mountain, on the mountain, and on safari after the the mountain. I think it was Erika’s willingness to answer all of my western breach and Kilimanjaro questions via phone that sold me on Serengeti Pride. If you’re interested in climbing the western breach of Kilimanjaro or taking an amazing safari in Africa give her a call or shoot me a call or email and I’d be happy to tell you first hand why they are the best outfitter on the mountain.
Ok, so all good stories start like that but in this case it is the truth. I was at a friends house for a ‘gathering’ involving beer at which I met a cute school teacher who described her plan to climb Kili. At the time (over 2 years ago) I was blown away and severely impressed.
I never saw that girl again, in fact I can’t even recall her name. Several years later her words were remembered at a time when I was coming out of a serious relationship and looking for something adventurous to do. I started research Kilimanjaro and here we are 9 months later about to leave next week.
As a result of this story I enjoy telling people that I’m going to climb Kili in the hope that I can pass the idea along to someone else as it was to me.
Cheers to you mystery school teacher woman, cheers to you!
There are 6-7 well known routes to the summit of Kilimanjaro well all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. I chose the Lemosho route for several reasons:
An 3,089ft. vertical rock scramble up the Western Breach into the crater of the mountain
A chance to camp by the glacier and walk to the ash pit of the volcano
A short 1 hour hike the morning of summit day
Here you can see the various routes; my route being the one in yellow.
Here’s a great video that breaks down the ascent by elevation and camp
Choosing a sleeping bag for the trip was one of the more expensive and challenging items. Because we’re camping in the crater next to the glaciers on summit night I needed a bag that could handle 0 degrees. The next choice was a down or synthetic bag. Synthetic is MUCH cheaper in general but down compresses much better and is lighter. Thinking that this might now be the last mountain I climb I opted for a down 0 degree bag from Marmot, the Never Summer. It typically sells for around $270 but I found a very lightly used bag on Ebay for around $200.
I then picked up a Cocoon CoolMax Liner for the bag to add a bit of extra warmth and keep the inside of the bag clean.
Here is a summary of the gear I am bringing. I am also detailing as much of the product in the gear section of the blog.
Foodwear
Hiking boots – One pair of full leather backpacking-style hiking boots with sturdy ankle support – well broken in and waterproof. Regular hiking boots that have some fabric (not full-leather) may contribute to cold feet or frostnip and are not appropriate for this climb.
Camp footwear – One pair of trail shoes to wear in camp.
Socks – Hiking socks made of synthetic materials or wool blend. Synthetic sock liners are recommended to transport perspiration from the foot to the outer sock. One pair of heavy/warm socks to kept aside to sleep in.
Gaiters – To keep mud, gravel and snow out of your boots.
Chemical toe warmers – Good for keeping warm at night in your sleeping bag and for the summit day when temperatures will be cold and you hike so slowly you don’t create body heat. Bring several pairs
For the body
Long underwear –They should be made of CoolMax, polypropylene, or another synthetic (no cotton blends), medium weight.
Underwear – synthetic (no cotton blends).
<removed the sports bra recommendation>
Shirts – short and long sleeve, knit type.
Soft shell jacket. These are very nice but are an “extra” item.
Fleece jacket –medium weight.
Down or synthetic down Jacket – One warm jacket, down or synthetic down. You will want this, in addition to a fleece layer, at the two highest camps due to cold.
Waterproof/breathable rainjacket and pants – It can rain on Mount Kilimanjaro, even in the dry season; these are also used as a wind layer. The jacket should have a hood and (preferably) armpit zips, and be large enough to layer over a shirt plus fleece/down jacket. The pants must be big enough to fit over long underwear and fleece pants, and full side-zip style is very convenient.
Pants –Synthetic, wool or fleece. No cotton jeans or khakis. Zip-off leg hiking pants are great as they can be worn as shorts or pants, and can have long johns worn
Gloves and mittens – One pair of medium or heavy fleece or down mittens over a pair of light to medium synthetic liner gloves works well. The liner gloves can be worn alone on mild days. Bring a second pair of light liner gloves in case the first ones get wet.
Waterproof mitten shells – One pair to go over your fleece mittens or gloves. These are for use against the winds and cold high on the mountain. They should be waterproof for the rain we might encounter lower down. Often people end up with cold hands when they bring heavy ski type gloves – you are much better off with gloves liners, with warm mittens over top. Mittens allow hand warmers to be near your fingers.
For the Head
Sunglasses –This is a very important piece of equipment. The eye is particularly vulnerable to the brilliance of mountain skies and reflections off of snow and glaciers. Bring one good-quality pair with good UV protection. Attachable side shields are good, or bring “glacier glasses.” An extra pair is helpful in case you lose your good ones. If you wear eyeglasses, you can buy good “fit-over” type polarized sunglasses with good protection.
Bandanna –Tied around your neck, this gives you excellent sun protection in a spot that most people forget about. It can also act as a sweat band or to clean your glasses.
Sunscreen and lip protection – One of each; you should carry these with you during the day. A high SPF rating is absolutely essential. Bring lots of sunscreen and lip balm with SPF – many trekkers get badly burned!
For Sleeping
Sleeping bag – Zero-degree Fahrenheit (or colder rated) down or synthetic mummy style bag. Down will compact better and be lighter but MUST BE KEPT DRY so bring a heavy duty contractors type garbage bag to wrap it in during the day. A sleeping bag liner is very nice for comfort/hygiene and adds warmth. Zero degree rating is fine for those who don’t get cold easily. Those who get cold easily should get a bag that is rated below zero Fahrenheit. Your sleeping bag should have a stuff sack with compression straps so you can cinch it down smaller when in your duffel bag.
Sleeping pad – (Thermarests available to rent for $25 per trip). A self-inflating Thermarest or similar type is best. Make sure your sleeping pad can fit in your duffel bag – larger/ cheaper foam types may not.
Day pack – A daypack that is comfortable when carrying a jacket, two liters/quarts of water, camera, snacks and extra layers. It should have a comfortable, padded waist-belt and be large enough to carry a lot of layers up high. You should not be carrying more than around 15 pounds usually. With advance notice and extra cost, we can hire an extra porter to hike with you and carry your daypack on the trail (a great option for those not used to carrying a pack, or concerned about their reaction to altitude).
Pack cover – For rain. Also bring a garbage bag to line the inside.
Duffel/travel bags – Two large ones to check for your flight. One will be used for the mountain duffel; the other will be left in storage with your travel and safari clothes in it during your climb. Your mountain duffel shouldn’t have wheels or any other metal or plastic parts, i.e. it should be completely soft and lightweight.
Garbage bags or stuff sacks – Heavy duty contractor’s type. To double bag your sleeping bag and clothes on the mountain. It can rain! Bring extra Gallon size ziplocks to keep small items dry. Your duffel bag is packed inside the porter’s carry bag lined with plastic, but best to wrap your sleeping bag especially.
Drugs
Diamox
Ibuprofen
Something strong for travel diarrhea
Benadryl (to be taken with wine on the overnight flight)
With only 5 days until I leave I saw a doctor this morning over some minor pressure on the left side of my head. Turns out I have a sinus infection which probably wouldn’t help me feel good at 20,000 ft.
Since altitude is the most likely cause of problems on Kili I don’t want to take any chances with non-ordinary pressure in my head so I’ll be spending the next few days taking drugs to knock it out. 5 different drugs that is…. gotta love american medicine.
