Nine days on the Mountain: Our Mount Kilimanjaro Adventure

The day-by-day breakdown of this epic adventure.

Making the Decision and Choosing a Guide Company

Three years ago summiting the tallest mountain in Africa was nowhere to be found on my bucket list. Then I met Bob. Bob had the brilliant plan to Summit Kilimanjaro on his 60th birthday under a full moon and had found a tour that offered just that. Like it was meant to be. Covid hit, the climb was canceled and we had to start looking for a new trip.

A SENE climb also includes two nights at Mbahe Farm where you have a chance to acclimate while also experiencing a bit of Tanzanian culture. We chose to spend five nights at the farm because the airfare was better with the earlier departure – it was a good choice as we really enjoyed our time there (I have a whole other post on that experience).

Choosing the Date

We chose September because it is during the dry season and close to both of our birthdays – Both Bob and I also just like traveling in September. Not really part of the plan, but September also gave us all summer to train hiking in the pacific northwest.

Choosing the Route

After watching I don’t know how many YouTube videos we had decided the Lemosho route would be best for us. The Lemosho route has a high success rate because there are more days to acclimate to the high altitude. This route also allows you to hike high and sleep low which is supposed to be good for acclimatization as well. Another option with an even higher success rate is the Northern Circuit going around the other side of the mountain – it’s a gradual climb without the Barranco Wall and we kind of wanted to do the wall.

SENE offers two versions of the Lemosho route – an eight-day hike that includes getting up at midnight for a sunrise summit and a nine-day Lemosho Crater route where you spend a night on the crater (18,800 feet elevation), still, summit at sunrise but don’t have to start out at midnight. Neither Bob or I were interested in climbing in the dark and camping at the crater sounded interesting so we chose the Lemosho Crater Route.

As it turned out we did not follow the planned itinerary (and we were both grateful for that – but more about that later).

How We Prepared for the Climb

We Logged a lot of Steps

The community we live in has a small trail system and there is a state park down the street – those were our “everyday” walks. Bob retired so he could manage 25,000+ steps every day. I work for a tech start-up and have significantly less free time during the week. My goal was to get 10,000+ steps on weekdays and at least 25,000 on Saturdays and Sundays.

We Found a Proxy Hike Close to Home

We live at sea level so had no chance to prepare for the high elevations but what we could do was find a day hike with similar challenges in terms of grade and terrain. For us that hike was Mt. Elinor in the Olympics. Mt. Elinor is about 90 minutes from home and has a good amount of steepness and a rock scramble – as a bonus is it one of the prettiest hikes around. We did this hike every weekend we could up until a couple of weeks before we left.

We Hiked While on other Vacations

Bob and I took a few vacations between the time we booked the climb and hopped on the plane and tried to get in at least one decent hike on every trip and to keep up the step count as best we could.

We went to the Travel Clinic

The guide company recommended a few medications so we headed out to our local travel clinic to be sure we had everything we need. The doctor at the clinic had printed out the CDC’s Traveler Health Notices for Tanzania and walked us through all of the items on that list. She made sure all of our vaccines were current and gave us a yellow international vaccination card and a letter exempting us from the yellow fever vaccine. We also left with a handful of prescriptions.

Finally on the Mountain

After months of preparation, we boarded a plane and headed to Africa on August 30th. We enjoyed our time at the farm relaxing, eating, and hiking. The rest of our climbing party arrived on September 3rd giving us two days to get acquainted before we began our climb on September 5th. There were 10 people in our group. The night before the climb our SENE guides checked our gear to be sure we had everything we needed (check out our Kilimanjaro packing list to see what we brought with us) and weighed our duffle bags to be sure we did not exceed the 15 kg limit for the porters to carry.

The day before the hike our guides started tracking our vital signs: oxygen levels, heart rate, respiration, water intake, and how we felt. Once on the trail, they would also track how much Diamox we had taken. This would happen after breakfast and after dinner in the dining tent and once we were over about 15,000 feet became a bit of a contest to see who had the best oxygen levels.

On September 5th we began our trek to Kilimanjaro’s Lemosho Gate. Hiking started earlier than expected as we had so much gear the driver was concerned the van would not be able to manage the roads. On the walk out to the main road to meet the van we were treated to a nice view of Kibo and Mawenzi (two of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones).

After an hour or so on the road our first stop was at the SENE office in Moshi to drop off our passports, valuables and anything else not going up the mountain. After another hour of driving (with some zebra and giraffe sightings along the way) and we arrived at the gate and ate lunch while the porters and guides checked us in and assembled our gear. It was finally time to head out on the Lemosho Route.

Day 1: Lemosho Gate to Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree Camp)

September 5, 2022 – The hike from the Lemosho gate to Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree Camp) is about 3 miles to 9,140 ft elevation with lots of ups and downs. It took us about 3 hours (including a delay to watch some black-and-white colobus monkeys). This section is in the Montane Forest zone with many interesting plants and good trail conditions (if you don’t mind a little dust). The campground was packed with tents everywhere.

It was exciting to get to our first campsite; somewhat overwhelmed to see so many people; somewhat concerned about how noisy it would be at night (it wasn’t too bad). We met Joyal and Frederick, the porters who would carry our gear up the mountain, set up our tent, and who helped us find our tent every day until they put an orange string on the tent so we could distinguish it from the rest. We were the only ones with this problem, I do not know how the others figured out which tent was which without looking at the gear inside.

Our ATM crew gave us an introduction to the portable toilets (they are called ATMs) – for most of the trip, we had one for the men and one for the women. Ours was a compostable model, other guide companies use chemical toilets. If you have a preference this is something to check with your guide company before you book your trip.

Day 2:  Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree Camp) to Shira I

September 6, 2022 – Breakfast at 6:30 AM, a vital signs check, and we were off to Shira I camp minus one member of our climb team. One person was sick overnight and a guide stayed behind so he could get some rest and hopefully catch up with us. Unfortunately, his illness worsened and he was forced to turn back and head to the hospital. We are now a team of nine.

This 4.7-mile hike also had some steep ups and downs before it leveled off a bit once we reached the Shira Plateau. Shira is the third volcano on Kilimanjaro – it collapsed about 500,000 years ago making it a caldera. After about an hour of hiking we left the montane forest and entered the moorlands vegetation zone.

The moorlands are full of more unusual plants like heather taller than me and protea. Halfway through the hike, we stopped for lunch where our crew had set up the tent, dining table, and ATMs for us. It was a welcome break. Three or four more hours of hiking and we settled into our Shira I campsite. Today’s hike took us to an elevation of 11,420 feet – a net gain of 2,280 feet (although with all the ups and downs it felt like more and I was ready to be done for the day).

Day 3:  Shira I to Shira II

September 7, 2022 – Breakfast started with porridge as it did every day on the trek – I looked forward to it each morning. Our lead guide, Godson, introduced the crew before we headed out. 39 people to get 9 of us up that mountain! In addition to our four guides and our two porters, the crew also included cooks, people to get and filter our water, people to maintain the ATMs, and more people to carry more gear. Oh, and one more to leave early and get us a good spot at the next campground. An amazing operation.

The trek from Shira I to Shira II is a gradual incline to 12,750 feet – still in the moorland zone. 5.3 miles took us about 4 hours – a relatively easy day. As we approached camp we saw our first Senecio plant – a giant groundsel that is somehow related to a sunflower and also a Joshua tree. Senecio is also known as a Dr. Suess tree. I was perhaps a little too excited to see this plant.

Upon arrival at the campsite, we had tea and popcorn (a frequent afternoon snack). Bob and the rest of the climbing team went out on a training hike in the afternoon (check out the photos below for what they found on the trail). I chose to rest as yesterday took a lot out of me and I knew tomorrow would be a rough day up to Lava Tower. Vital signs are all still good.

Day 4:  Shira II to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

September 8, 2022 – The original plan for today was to hike 4 hours to Lava Tower and spend the night at 15,180 feet. At Godson’s recommendation, the hiking team agreed it made sense to hike an additional two hours to Barranco camp (12,750 feet). The additional two hours would be all downhill and would set us up nicely for the Barranco Wall the following day. The hike to Lava Tower was a steep climb made more difficult for me by some minor altitude effects.

Having watched more than a couple of YouTube videos on the mountain I had an idea of the challenges to come and suggested to Godson that I just turn back now before it gets too hard to hike back. He gave me a look, asked Juma to carry my daypack, and told me to keep going. I am grateful for his confidence and Juma’s assistance to get me up that mountain.

Lava Tower is in the alpine desert zone with few plants. When we arrived at Lava Tower the crew had our mess tent, table, chairs, and ATMs set up and had made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Just the break I needed.

The hike to Barranco camp took us back to the moorlands with stunning plant life. While all downhill the trail had several boulders to navigate making it a bit more challenging. As we approached camp we could see tomorrow’s challenge — the great Barranco wall. Oxygen levels dipped into the 80s for both of us but feeling good at the end of the day.

Every day on this trek, the crew would pack up the camp after we headed out yet still manage to get to the next camp before us and have everything set up. Today they did that twice with the lunch stop at Lava Tower. Just amazing.

Day 5:  Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp – aka Barranco Wall Day

September 9, 2022 – The Great Barranco Wall. Last night was cold and we woke up to frost on the tent. French toast for breakfast helped a bit. Today’s hike started right off with the Barranco Wall – an 843-foot ridge that is considered a class 4 scramble. It is a no-trekking pole day because we will need hands and feet to navigate this bit of the trail.

Our guides told us it was not as bad as it looked (“easy peasy”) and reminded us to go “pole pole” (slowly, slowly). With their assistance, showing me where to place my hands and feet at times, we climbed the wall in about two hours. The highlight of the day was reaching the kissing wall – a narrow section where you need to hug the rock to avoid a steep fall. Tradition says you kiss the rock and we all did.

After a short break at the top, we headed through Karanga Valley and up Karanga Ridge to Karanga Camp at 13,235 feet – back to the alpine desert. This section of the trail was down, up, down, and ended with a short but steep hike to the campground. We were done hiking by 2:30 PM and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. Second best day of the trip.

Day 6:  Karanga Camp to Upper Barafu (Kosovo) Camp

At Godson’s recommendation, we made the decision to hike a little further than the planned overnight at Barafu camp. Most climbers summit from Barafu, 700 ft lower in elevation – hiking the extra distance today allowed us to put another rock scramble behind us and not expend that energy tomorrow at the start of summit day.

Today’s hike was a tough one – straight up with an elevation gain of 2,700 feet. The rock scramble was short but steep – we could see happy climbers coming back from summiting but could also see folks being carried down by porters, some in tears – a bit unnerving as we thought about the next day. Hiking pole-pole (slowly-slowly), this 3-mile hike took 5 hours. Kosovo camp is in the alpine desert zone with few if any plants. It is rocky, dusty, and cold, and the air is thin. Everything is difficult with less oxygen.

One member of our climb team was showing symptoms of altitude sickness yesterday that only worsened on this hike. She was short of breath, her lungs rattled and ached and her oxygen levels were low. One of the guides and a porter hiked with her and her boyfriend at a slower pace. They made it to the camp about an hour after us. Later that evening she made the wise decision to not attempt the Summit. I was impressed she made it as far as she did, she is very tough. She had trained on numerous 14ers (peaks over 14,000 feet) which goes to show you never know who is going to be impacted by altitude sickness.

After dinner and a fair amount of discussion, the climbing team decided not to camp at crater camp on Summit day. We were so cold and the air was so thin already. It was a unanimous decision.

Day 7:  Summit Day!

September 11, 2022 – Summit day. Today starts early for us with breakfast at 5:30. It starts much earlier for many others who want to reach the summit at sunrise – those folks leave at midnight and hike up in the dark. The trail is near our campsite so we awoke many times to music, singing, and conversation. It was so, so cold in the tent. Both Bob and I slept with our puffy jackets on and foot warmers in our socks.

Today will be the hardest day – the 3-mile hike will take us first to Stella Point at 18,885 feet and eventually to the highest point, Uhuru peak at 19,341 feet. The trail is steep and we must navigate scree, boulders, and what our guidebook calls a “relentless series of switchbacks.” The pace is very, very slow which is needed due to the high altitude.

We started wearing pretty much all of our clothes – base layers, fleece, puffy jacket, and rain jacket. We shed those layers as we went up the mountain. Both Bob and I had minor altitude issues – I was dizzy and seeing spots, and Bob was seeing things in his peripheral vision that were not there. Our guide, Godson, did not accept my symptoms as a reason to stop and I am once again grateful.

The crew had brought coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and some snacks. Another welcome break before we headed out on the hike to the summit. The gradual hike took about 45 minutes and would have been delightful if only there was a little more oxygen. We summited at 1:53 PM – about 7 hours after we left camp.

After some celebrating and picture taking it was time to head down. .The trip down is an experience – you do not take the trail with the switchbacks – instead, you walk/slide down the scree and hope not to fall. Today I am thankful for the trekking poles and the assistance I received from the crew. After about two hours we were back at Kosovo camp – exhausted, cold, and dusty but with a great sense of accomplishment.

Day 8:  Upper Barafu (Kosovo) Camp to Mweka Camp

September 12, 2022 – We are not done yet. Seven days to the summit, two days to hike down. Last night was very, very cold and we woke up with our water bottles partially frozen. Hand warmers in my socks overnight kept my toes somewhat warm.

Godson let us sleep in today and we started our 6,000-foot descent to Mweka camp at 9:00 AM. The pace was fast and the trail was full of large rocks in places – the downhill trek was hard on my legs and it was tough to keep up. The 4.7-mile trail took us out of the alpine desert, through the moorlands, and back into the montane forest. After about 5 hours we arrived at camp, had lunch and then had some time to relax. It was nice to be in a warmer place with more oxygen to breathe. This will be our last night on the mountain.

Day 9:  Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate and Celebrating our Success

September 13, 2022 – It took four hours to hike the 6.2 miles from Mweka camp at 10,190 feet to Mweka gate at 5,358 feet – we were back in the lush montane forest.

From the park office, we hiked about 20 minutes to Simon’s farm for a post-climb celebration where we had a terrific lunch, received our certificates, and enjoyed some Kilimanjaro beer. The entire climbing party was there and we were treated to some singing and dancing. At the end of the party, we left some of our hiking gear behind for the porters (a bit of a tradition at the end of a Kilimanjaro trip). We piled into the van and headed off to the hotel and back to the real world.