fbpx

A Resolve: Climb Kilimanjaro this Year

Make the commitment and climb Kilimanjaro. It's good for your resolve.

Category

Adventure, Health & Safety, Kilimanjaro, Walking
Crater Rim

Data journalist Kathrina Bucholz says that the top 3 New Year resolutions for 2023 were exercise more, eat healthier, and lose weight. That made sense to me. New Year’s or not, I always struggle with those same resolutions. And of course all three goals are essential to anyone planning to climb Kilimanjaro.

Then for a buzzkill, Forbes Magazine just declared that 80% of us will abandon our resolutions in February—this very month.

I for one will not join the 80% of resolution failures. Because, I am going to climb Kilimanjaro again this year. Once you resolve to climb Kilimanjaro, the Mountain itself will motivate you. There is nothing like a big mountain on your horizon to motivate more exercise and to restrain those ice cream cravings. As to any lingering pounds that might defy our best efforts, expect to burn from 5,000 to 7,000 calories a day when you stroll up Kilimanjaro.

What fitness program will best propel you up to 19,340 feet?  It is any routine that suits you, as long as it combines cardiovascular, endurance, and strength training.

Personally, I find hiking with a weighted daypack and trekking poles to be the best of all training. It is simple, it is doable, and it is the very same activity that gets you to the top. Hike on varied terrain: trails, rocky pathways, muddy pathways, sidewalks, gravel, asphalt, up hills (or stairs) and down hills (or stairs). Fifteen pounds in the pack is enough. Do this for at least two months (three or more is better) at least every other day for at least three miles. Stretch it on weekends to 5 miles or more—the more distance the better. Add intensity intervals: fast until you are almost out of breath, then slow back to normal pace until you catch your breath. Try it—it works!

If you prefer a more structured and varied program, contact us and we will send you our professionally prepared training program and some alpine climbing tips.

Of course, you don’t climb Kilimanjaro just to get fit, you get fit to climb Kilimanjaro because it’s a peak experience. The trek, despite its challenges, always strengthens body, mind, and spirit. The clean air and epic scenery, the crisp nights and blazing starlight, the friends you meet along the way, and overcoming an epic challenge, these are elements of a great and lasting experience.

If this is your year, we have two wonderful climbing groups for you to join. And there is still enough time to get in shape. We have the full moon Independence Day climb starting June 28th and the dark-of-moon starlight climb starting on August 8th. Contact us to get started and take the first step.

 

Links:

Top New Year Resolutions

https://www.statista.com/chart/29019/most-common-new-years-resolutions-us/

Resolutions fail in February:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisabodell/2022/12/19/new-years-resolutions-fail-do-this-instead/?sh=2ba21e3c7c8b

More on Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro: Why You Should Take the Northern Route

And During the Full Moon

Wil Smith, co-founder of Deeper Africa and Director of Deeper Adventures.

Look at a route map of Kilimanjaro and you see that most routes shoot up and around the South face.  That puts a lot of people on one side of the mountain and very few on the other.   I strongly recommend you take the Northern Circuit Route. Kilimanjaro takes time,  money and phenomenal amounts of energy.  Summiting Kilimanjaro is not easy. Every year  many try to climb it and fail.  At the same time, most people will have but one chance to make it with no second chance. So if you are taking the trouble , why not take the road less traveled and give yourself the best odds and the best experience.

[caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Kilimanjaro N. Route[/caption]

 

When people hear that Kilimanjaro’s Northern Approach is the least traveled, they might assume it is somehow inferior or harder. Ironically, the least traveled route is by far the best path up the mountain. There are three reasons why the best route is the less traveled route: It is less well known, it takes more time, and it is not the cheapest way. Having trekked Kilimanjaro on all the major routes, and in all seasons, I am here to testify that the Northern approach is worth the extra time and money. Here’s why:

The Best Landscapes

[caption id="attachment_2478" align="alignright" width="300"] Ammy Nnko - N. Circuit Success Story[/caption]

The view matters. That's especially true on a multiday trek. A good view keeps your spirits up. On the North Side vistas are unimpeded. Below your trail are vast plains stretching out across Kenya, including Amboseli National park where those iconic photos are taken of elephants with snow-capped Kili in the background. Uphill and to your right, the sun blazes off the ice towers of the northern glaciers. This is the Southern Hemisphere, so the north side is the sunny side, making for warmer, cheerier, hiking days. That's not to say the North Side isn't beautiful too,  but it's more crowded.   In some seasons the South is more wet and foggy.

Less Crowded

Some people are fine with crowds and others not. But regardless of your score on the introversion-extroversion scale, with fewer people the Northern Route, a more  natural wilderness feel and is quieter. Quiet matters when you need adequate sleep to keep your energy up.   On the North Side, there tends to be plenty of room in the camps and if you want some privacy you can find it.

 Easier to Do a Safari

It's a long way from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti and the majority of Kilimanjaro trekkers never get to see a lion, elephant, or giraffe. But the Northern Route starts near the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area, a great place for a quick safari to see some of the biggest tuskers in Africa.  Or you can go big with Amboseli National just across the border in Kenya.  Amboseli has those clear views of snowy Kilimanjaro w often published as photos of elephants with Kilimanjaro in the background. The Northern Route is easily accessible from Amboseli. You simply cross the border at Oloitokitok and drive a short distance west toward the trailhead at Londorossi gate.

More Conscientious

The continued growth of travel and tourism has many good outcomes. Increased visitation to natural areas puts money in the pockets of local populations, it lends dollars to support conservation efforts, and the more wild spaces are appreciated the more likely they will be preserved. There are communities that benefit from the less traveled Northern Route, so going this route supports jobs and businesses in an area where it is needed most.

More Enjoyable and Safe

On the northern route you climb patiently and take more time.  The route is such that your uphill pushes are alternated with  downhill breathers. With less intense exertion and better acclimatization, you feel better, you are stronger, and the experience is memorable and enjoyable.

You do not need to be super  fit to trek Kilimanjaro. If you are fit enough to go on an all day hike, you are already fit enough to climb Kilimanjaro. There is no need for running, marathoning, weightlifting, etc. Although these activities may help, and probably won’t hurt. Walking is the way to top Kilimanjaro and likewise vigorous and regular walking is a great way to train. As is often the case, when climbing Kilimanjaro, your mind is your strongest muscle.

This year and next

The final push to the summit from School hut, starts just after midnight.  Next July we have the full moon aloft on July 4th Independence day--so we are celebrating with a special Independence Day Summit.  Then in August we have climb timed to the dark of the moon when the skies are ablaze with stars.  For the 2024 season we are scheduling full moon ascents during the peak weather seasons: January and February plus June through October.
Credit Wiki Digital Commons

Something New On Kilimanjaro: Penitentes

Penitentes Photo Credit: Wikipedia Digital Commons

Aminiel Nnko and I summited Kilimanjaro on November 9, 2020 at 8:26 a.m. This was Aminiel's first summit and my fifth.  Before the summit, we leisurely hiked and camped around the North side of Kilimanjaro. Those days were warm, the nights frosty, with just a little rain now and again.  We saw no other people on the Northern side which was a new and pleasant way to experience the mountain.  But for a rougher than normal summit, it was a great hike.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="476"] Aminiel Nnko -Uhuru Peak-November 9, 2020. Photo: Wil Smith[/caption]

Summit Day

Summit day was harsh. We left School Hut Camp (15,748 ft.) at midnight. At first, conditions looked good: clear skies, no wind, relatively warm. But as we climbed higher up the scree, the wind kicked up, a dreadful fog overtook us and the cold was sub-zero. We got to Gilman's Point on the crater rim at dawn (18, 885 ft.) By then, the cold wind was howling. We were dressed warm enough, except Ammy wore only a porous wool hat with no hood for a windbreak.  A hypothermic brain didn't seem like a good idea, so we improvised a cranial windbreak out his nylon sun hat. Not ideal, but suitable for survival purposes.

On a fairer day, the summit of Uhuru Peak (19,341 ft.) would be just an hour or so uphill from Gilman's Point. But, this day it seemed more like eternity. About half way up we  met a bleary eyed exhausted group of twenty-somethings on their way down.  These were the first other climbers we'd seen all week, but there were no greetings. A porter was holding up one of the women, her arm slung over his shoulder. She was staggering and looked about to faint.  The wind was freezing faces. Nobody said anything. We just huffed, puffed and miserably glanced at each other as we passed.

The Penitentes

Visibility was  near nothing when we were halted by at  field 0f of vertical ice blades poking up like punji sticks in a pit trap. I hadn't seen this on Kilimanjaro before, nor anywhere else. Thoughtlessly, I followed our young guide in trying to maneuver through this medieval looking mess. The wind was blowing harder, the fog was getting thicker, and it was...well...scary.  We were soon stranded in the midst of these razor looking ice spikes.

Wangaeli Saves the Day

Fortunately one of our most seasoned porters Wangaeli Kitomary had decided to follow us on this venture.  Wangaeli is in his fifties and tough as a rock from carrying 20 kilo loads up Kilimanjaro for decades. He explained to Aminiel in Swahili that he'd seen these ice things once before and while you can't climb  through them, there is a way to circumvent them by cutting close to the crater's edge. Wangaeli got the guide and me out of the trap, got all of us reorganized, and led us all around the blades so we could find our way to the summit. With Wangaeli at the helm, we finally heaved up to the summit, took some hasty photos, and beat tracks out of there.

The Northern Route is Best

We made it back with no harm done. The good news is that the 10-day Northern route around Kilimanjaro is the best way to get pole pole (slowly slowly) acclimatized to Kilimanjaro's gnarly altitude.  After spending several days in the 12, 13, 14 and 15,000 foot altitudes, neither Aminiel or I felt any  appreciable ill effects from the altitude when popping up the 19,000 feet.  On my past climbs, I had always suffered from nausea, headache, trouble sleeping and a general sick feeling, not unlike a days long hangover.  This time, other than a loss of appetite for the camp food, I felt great--wind, rain fog and snow notwithstanding.

Another interesting aspect of this trip is the only training Aminiel and I did was daily walking.  For four weeks before the climb we walked from 10-15 kilometers around Usa River everyday. Toward the end we started adding weight to our backpacks. Before past climbs I had trained a lot harder, 10 kilometer runs, hiking fast uphill and lifting weights.  I actually felt more fit this time around. It makes sense in a way. You don't run up Kilimanjaro--you walk--very slowly. Perhaps the best way to train for a walk is to walk.

Back to the Lowlands

After a quick bit of Google research, I'm able to add a name to those creepy ice spikes: pententes.  Sometime in the past, they reminded someone of praying people doing penance.  It's strange  what too much altitude can do for the imagination. The Penitentes are exclusive to dry areas at very high altitudes. First described by Charles Darwin in 1839, they are more common in  the Andes of South American.  The points are directed toward the sun. Apparently they are rarely found on Kilimanjaro.  I guess it was our lucky day.