Kelly and I were accompanied on our climb by our new Danish friend, Helena, our guide, Prosper, our assistant guide, Juma, our chef, Robert, and 10 porters! We chose to climb via the Machame route in 6 days. Machame is known for being the most scenic route but with a steep climb up the mountain. 6 days is the shortest amount of time you can complete the Machame route in due to acclimatization.
Day 1:
Altitude: 1,800m - 3,000m
Time: 5 hours
The first day I was excited, energized and well rested so this was by far the easiest day for me. We started our trek by hiking 5 hours through the rainforest. It typically rains in the afternoons on the lower slopes of the mountain, so for about 1.5-2 hours of our hike we got poured on!! It’s all part of the adventure, right? I sang some songs to lighten the mood and keep things fun :)
Day 2
Altitude: 3,000m - 3,800m
Time: 5 hours
Today was a shorter hike, in terms of distance and elevation climbed, however, it was very difficult and took the same amount of time as Day 1. The climb was extremely steep as we traversed rocks and boulders. This was the first time I started to notice the change in elevation as I got our of breath fairly easily. Before dinner with ascended and then descended an additional 80m for acclimatization. Day 2 was when I noticed the similarity between climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and running a half marathon. There are times when the man twice your age or the woman twice your size is passing you while you are standing with your hands on your knees exhausted. But this isn’t a competition, right?
 |
| Still so far away! |
 |
| Night 2 camp site |
Altitude: ascended 3,800m - 4,600m and then descended from 4,600m - 3,900m
Time: 6 hours
Todays hike was again challenging but not as difficult as day 2. It was a longer hike in terms of distance and time but it was more gradual with less obstacles. The main purpose of todays hike was for acclimatization. We hiked up to 4,600m and then back down to almost the same elevation as night 2. I didn’t have any side effects from the low oxygen level at that elevation which was good (besides being short of breath).
 |
| Lots of tourists on the mountain! |
Day 4:
Altitude: 3,900m - 4,800m
Time: 7.5 - 8 hours
Today’s hike was by far the longest yet. By the end of the day I was exhausted. The first hour and a half was spent scaling the side of the Barranco wall. You literally felt like you were at a climbing gym, minus the carabiners, ropes, and harness. The rest of the hike on day 4 was a combination of gradual winding paths and steep slopes. At this altitude we had our oxygen saturation in our blood (Sa02) and heart rate checked to make sure we were doing ok at the higher elevation. My SaO2 was 76% and HR: 88 bpm. At sea level my SaO2 is normally around 98-99% and my HR is around 62 bpm. But my guide assured me these values were fine for the elevation. We went to bed at 6:30pm in order to wake up and start summiting before midnight!
 |
| Climbing like spider woman! |
 |
| We made it to the top of Barranco wall! |
 |
| Walking in the clouds! |
Altitude: 4,800 m - 5,895 m
Time: 8 hours
We woke up at 10:30pm, after a short cat nap, in order to have a snack, get ready and begin summiting by 11:30pm. We were told there are several reasons for summiting in the middle of the night, the weather is best when you reach the top in the morning, you get an amazing view of the sunrise, and if people could see where they were climbing they wouldn’t do it! We bundled up in as many layers as possible including 3 pairs of socks, 5 pants, 6 tops, a neck warmer and scarf, 2 hats and headlamps. We looked like lemmings as we assembled in a single file line and proceeded at turtle speed winding up the side of the steep mountain. Within an hour I started having side effects of being physically exhausted, hiking on little sleep and little food, and the altitude. I was nauseous, sleepy, and my legs felt like they both weighted 1,000 lbs. Needless to say it was possibly the hardest and most miserable 8 hours of my life. Although it felt amazing to reach the top and it was such an achievement, it was hard to enjoy the moment when I felt so lousy. All negatives aside, Uhuru peak (the very top) was beautiful! We saw an amazing sunrise, there were glaciers everywhere and you could see for miles.
 |
| The famous brown wooden sign blew over late last year supposedly. This green plastic sign is the replacement. Not cool! |
 |
| We match! |
They don’t encourage you to stay at the peak for long due to the lack of oxygen. So we stayed briefly, and then started our way back down the mountain. It’s amazing how it only took us 2.5 hours to get down when it took us 8 to climb up! We were allowed an hour nap and quick lunch before descending for 4 hours to our next camp site at 3,100m. We hiked for a total of 14.5 hours today!!
Day 6:
Today we woke up early and hiked down through the rainforest for 3 hours to the finish!! We were all exhausted, sore beyond belief and ready for a shower and clean clothes. I will be checking climb Mt Kilimanjaro off the bucket list!
 |
| I am computer challenged and could not get this rotated. Sorry! |
~Krista
AMAZING! What an adventure, you are inspiring Deetz.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, Krista. This was much more challenging than I imagined. How did you guys push through that 8 hour summit? I would have been crying for mercy after I got poured on the first day. I'm most amazed at how broadly you're smiling at your "matching sign" at the summit (you're right - I liked the old brown one more). Guess you've learned to smile through adversity more than once in your young life. I couldn't be prouder of you!!Love you to the moon. Mom
ReplyDeleteKrista - what a proud moment in your life! Congratulations on accomplishing an amazing feat - one that most of us won't ever have either the opportunity or ability to complete! This experience will certainly have a permanent affect on the woman you are. You are awesome! Love you! Stay safe and happy! Aunt Sue
ReplyDelete