I have included pictures for this post. This will show you the beauty of the hike and hopefully give you motivation and inspiration to undertake this challenge. Enjoy!!

We all have our reasons for undertaking this massive feat. Whether it’s the challenge of summiting the highest mountain on the African continent or one of the seven summits that you want to accomplish, you should have a clear goal and reason that will motivate you on the mountain. When I was a child I remember watching a documentary on Kilimanjaro. I was amazed at how beautiful the trek was. I remember clearly when they showed the massive glaciers on the summit. I had had this memory for as long as I could remember. I guess I was destined to climb and conquer Kilimanjaro. I also wanted to undertake this challenge because I am African, and I figured I had to be at the highest point of the continent! Clearly I had a few good reasons to attempt Kilimanjaro. That all changed 2 weeks before I was due to leave for Tanzania. My best friend, John, committed suicide. It was sudden and devastating news. I had prepared a year in advance for the trip and this news struck suddenly. I was in shock, devastated and saddened. I wondered if I could even attempt Kilimanjaro in my current state at the time. I decided at that point, that I would conquer Kilimanjaro for John, and I did. He was my motivation the whole way, especially the summit attempt. When my legs were jelly and I could barely walk, I heard his voice spurring me on. With his help I finally reached the summit, and wept like a baby. I summited Kilimanjaro not only for John, but also for me, for my healing. As I stood on the ‘roof of Africa’ and wept as I held his picture, I finally grieved and felt better for the first time. Having something to motivate you on this challenge is very important. There will be moments that you feel you can’t go on. Having a goal for this challenge could mean the difference in summiting or not.

 

You may ask yourself why I am dedicating a whole blog post to hiking boots. This is extremely important! while preparing for the Kilimanjaro hike, you gladly search around for those brand new pair of hiking boots. You figure that it’s an important hike so gotta get something good and brand new. You fly to Tanzania and prepare with your team before the hike. You put on your brand new pair of boots, ready to go! Two days later your feet are covered in blisters, and every step feels like you’re walking on fire. This in itself can mean the end of your hike literally. While doing my research, I discovered many posts stressing the point of taking worn in hiking boots. Boots that you have used multiple times before the Kilimanjaro trip. We all know how painful blisters on your feet can be. Imagine you’re hiking 10-15 miles a day, altitude sickness is draining you, your head is pounding, and you feel like you’re walking on fire. I was glad that I discovered this advice. I used the boots that I had taken to Macchu Picchu in Peru. They were well worn in and comfortable. I had no issues at all. The less issues and problems that you have on Kilimanjaro, the more likely you are to be successful. even though this is a small detail, it is an extremely important one. Now I’m not telling you not to purchase those brand new hiking boots, just wear them in well and go on multiple hikes before the Kilimanjaro trip, you will thank me later. Oh, and another important item for you to take: extra show laces. What do you think will happen if your laces break and you don’t have another pair? Once again, a small detail but a very important one for sure.

I couldn’t have summited Kilimanjaro without trekking poles, it’s that simple. The physical strain on your legs is just too much without the support of these poles. Imagine, summit morning, you are awoken at 3am. Every inch of your body is screaming in pain. You are on 3 hours sleep. You have just been hiking for 5 days straight for many miles a day. The air is so thin that every movement takes your breath away. You head is pounding. Your legs are like jelly. What is your support? Trekking poles of course. Because of the lack of air I was hallucinating. Ascending slowly like an old man with a walker I was slowly chanting “pole pole” as I attempted to reach the summit. Without the trekking poles, I wouldn’t have made it. The majority of my weight was on my poles and my arms. My legs were barely keeping up. That’s why I stress the importance of good trekking poles. Even more difficult than the ascent is the descent. You get what they call’ shaky legs’ which can be more difficult than ascending. Having these poles for support is vital and helped me tremendously. I couldn’t have conquered this mountain without them. Do your research and purchase good trekking poles. Learn how to use them and go on multiple hikes to break them in. Having broken in trekking poles is far more important than going with brand new ones. I will post a video to teach you the right techniques for using trekking poles. Believe me it’ll make the difference in you summiting successfully or not. Everything you take on your hike will be important, but none so than good trekking poles. They are your support when your legs have failed you on the summit attempt. I couldn’t have summited successfully without them for sure.

Obviously anyone who takes on the challenge of trying to summit Kilimanjaro will be in reasonably good physical shape. Granted there are people who have no hiking experience and are not marathon runners who still manage to conquer this mountain. Even though you may not be a marathon runner or work out 6 days a week, you can still prepare well for the climb. Being physically fit can improve your chances of success. Although I do work out on a regular bases, I did change my training routine to fit the difficult hike up Kilimanjaro. Although I did incorporate strength training, I focused on long cardio workouts that included strength training for my legs. The elliptical machine was great for this as it mimics hiking with trekking poles. Like I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, physical training and ability is very important of course, but preparing yourself mentally is so much more important. What will get you to the summit is 25% physical and 75% mental. A great way to prepare for the lack of air/oxygen is breathing exercises. This I incorporated into my daily workout. Being aware of your breathing and focusing on your breaths can really help you when you’re 19000ft above sea level, the same height that jumbo jets usually fly. At that height every movement can take your breath away. Practicing your breathing before can help you put more oxygen into your body. So when you are training at the gym, spend at least 30 minutes inhaling and exhaling deeply. It takes time and practice, but it will be well worth it. It is suggested that everyone take on a couple hikes with a heavy backpack before the Kilimanjaro trip. This will get you ready physically and put you in the right mindset. It will also give you an opportunity to get familiar with your gear. I trained with these techniques at least a year before my trip and it definitely helped!

Climbing and summiting Kilimanjaro is no easy feat. Spending five to eight days hiking for 10 miles a day can be exhausting. You push your body harder than it’s ever been pushed before. No amount of physical or mental preparation can really prepare you for the most difficult challenge as you ascend Kilimanjaro; altitude sickness. As you slowly ascend this great mountain, the air becomes thinner and you become sicker. It’s bad enough that you are physically exhausted after 8 hours of hiking, now you have to deal with shortness of breath and pounding headaches. Sounds like a deal breaker? Well, it’s not. With the right preparation and medication it can be less painful and easier to deal with. The key however, to dealing successfully with altitude sickness, is psychological. Yes, the mind is more powerful than the body. “If the mind wills it, the body will follow”. This being said, altitude sickness can kill you. Altitude sickness, AKA acute mountain sickness (AMS), can cause high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which are both fatal. Being able to not panic when you suffer from high altitude sickness can be key to you summiting successfully. Luckily, the guides are well trained to recognize if you really are in trouble, and will happily take you on a ride on the “Kilimanjaro express”, a bed with four wheels which they’ll use to get you descending as rapidly as possible. Unfortunately, you being marathon runner makes no difference in how AMS effects you. It’s effects vary from person to person. A person who is not physically fit at all may not suffer too severely from AMS, while that marathon runner may suffer severely. Luckily, there are medications available that help with the symptoms. I took Diamox with definitely helped, I don’t think I could have summited without it. Another very important fact about AMS, the slower you ascent, the better your body adjusts to the altitude. That’s why you’ll hear the constant chant of the guides; “pole pole!!” (slow and steady). The faster you ascend, the more likely you are to suffer from AMS or even die. Many people suffer this fate. doing the right research and preparing yourself for AMS can increase your chances for success and decrease your altitude sickness.