… followed by a hell of a slog. I promised Zephyr’s Facebook page fans I would give this blog post that name and it does more or less reflect our experiences on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Ten hardy Zephyr alumni joined our first-ever trip to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. We all met in Moshi, Tanzania after a very long flight via Amsterdam on KLM. Tanzania was hot but the Kilimanjaro-brand beers were cold and the view of the mountain from our hotel windows was outstanding.
Our route was the seven-day Lemosho Route, which to me is the best route of six up the mountain. Most people take either the five-day Marangu Route or the six-day Machame route but the Lemosho Route provides days of fantastic trekking with few others around and a more gradual ascent of the mountain.
In fact, I was shocked at how nice the trekking actually was. My most recent mountain climbing experience was on Aconcagua, where I spent 13 days on the mountain with two friends and found most of it a chore. This was different. For one thing, the scenery was very pretty and we all enjoyed our climb through a tropical forest, rugged open moorlands, and finally an alpine desert environment.
It also made a difference that we were pampered on this trip. The Tanzanian government has smartly instituted restrictions on climbers, requiring everyone to get a guide and most to use porters. Our group of 11 had – are you ready for this? – one lead guide, four assistant guides, two cooks, two servers, two camp staff, and 28 porters for a total of 39 Tanzanian support staff!
This might seem excessive but pretty much everyone on the mountain is traveling in a similar style. Our group had a cooking tent and eating tent, tables and chairs, and food for 50 people for a week. Our guides were excellent and the porters, who are heroic, carried 20-kilo (44 pound) packs, often times on their heads!
Our seven days on the mountain can really be broken into three phases: five days of pleasant trekking, one horrendously-long summit day, and the final morning exit. (I believe other, shorter routes up the mountain are harder and less pleasant on the initial days.)
The crux of the whole week was the summit day. Because our group was moving at different speeds, we broke into two groups. We had been going to sleep earlier and earlier all week and the evening before the summit climb most of us dropped off to sleep by 7:00 PM. Group A then woke up at 11:00 PM, grabbed a light breakfast/snack, and started for the mountain at midnight. It was cold but not excessively cold. Worst was the wind, absent all week, but which now decided to make an appearance with continuous blasts.
Group B, which I joined, woke at midnight and started at 1:00 AM. To get an idea of how fast we hiked up the mountain, walk across the room at home or at work. Now, do it again at half pace. One more time, cutting your speed in half again. Because of the high altitude and lack of oxygen reaching our systems, that is the pace we moved. Even then, the summit hike was difficult. The strong wind made things miserable, some in the group felt nauseous, and all of us just wanted to get to the top. Still, there were no technical parts at all and so willpower was really the name of the game.
The plan worked well and our two groups merged together just before the crater rim. The sun rose on our right, a beacon of light convincing us the night was not actually without end, as we had feared. We eventually topped out on the crater rim and none of us considered turning around at that point, with only 45 minutes remaining to reach the high point of the mountain along a gradual ascent on top of the crater rim.
Finally: success at 19,340 feet above sea level! Of course, like most mountains it was freezing on top and most of the group suffered through a quick group photo before heading down. I did stay on top for 15-20 minutes, taking photos of others and making sure our group was okay. In all, 10 of 11 of our group made it to the top, with only one person having to turn around early on the summit climb. (I am convinced this was due to a bout of traveler’s disease earlier in the week, which can sap one’s energy.)
My conclusions? First, the mountain is worth climbing. In addition to some excellent trekking, the opportunity to summit the Roof of Africa is something you should not pass up. Second, this is achievable by many people. Our group of experienced Zephyr alumni aged 17 to 61 was strong but many others can succeed as well. In fact, if we have enough interest, we might change the 2011 itinerary to include eight days on the mountain, which would make the summit day that much easier. Third, you should travel with Zephyr Adventures! I was very impressed how the service provided by Zephyr and our local staff was equivalent to that of other, more expensive operators. In fact, on the plane ride home one of our climb participants favorably compared her experience against that of someone who joined one of the more famous Kili outfitters – this outfitter costs 50% more and doesn’t even provide an American guide on the trip!
We will set our 2011 trip date soon, so let me know by commenting here if you wish to join us next year. Coming soon – a post on part two of the trip, the safari!
When I write blog entries trying to summarize one of our tours, I usually try to focus on one angle that gives readers a good idea of the overall picture. I find myself struggling to do that with our Chile & Argentina Wine Adventure, which I just completed two days ago. I found this trip to be so immense that using just one angle isn’t sufficient. The wine was excellent, the activities fun, the people in our group engaging, and the local cultures enchanting.
Day 2: We had a typical Zephyr Adventures moment. Hiking to the top of 
Mendoza area of Argentina is dry, the people are chic, and the economy is struggling. Compare that to Chile where the economy is rocking, the people are friendly and competent, and everything works as it should. It’s truly hard not to love both countries.
First a little background. The Incas were a small tribe located in what is now Peru before their 9th Emperor, Pachacuti, in the year 1438 began a series of conquests of neighboring peoples. Pachacuti built a network of roads and waystations to connect his growing empire. He also built three royal enclaves in the outskirts of Cusco, one of which was Machu Picchu, essentially a royal resort built in a phenomenal location high above the Urubamba River.
So why don’t people trek along the Original Inca Trail? Certainly the higher trail has a number of benefits but I think, more than anything, it is simply tradition. By contrast, the Original (Royal) Inca Trail also has several advantages.
My impression now that I am back a few weeks: Patagonia is a land of mystery! I’d like to use this post to clear up some of the mystery, at least as far as our trekking trip goes, so those of you have thought about Patagonia as a travel destination will know better if it is right for you.
The average high temperature ranges from 38 degrees in the middle of winter (July) – making it warmer than winters in my home of Boulder, Colorado – to 56 degrees during December when we visited. We had periods of intense rain (none while we hiked), high winds (mostly near the glaciers), sunny skies, and moderate temperatures. The weather was excellent for hiking and better than most of us expected.
This allows trekkers to reach amazing areas of the world burdened only by a small day pack containing lunch, a camera, a rain jacket, and a few other necessities. In Patagonia, we achieved this in a number of ways. First, we limited our gear by staying and eating in backcountry refugios, or mountain hostels. Second, what gear we did need (change of clothes, toiletries, etc) was transported for us either by human porter or Zodiac boat.
Also a surprise was that much of the hiking was quite moderate, with only the occasional foray (always optional) up a glacial-carved canyon requiring serious effort. One can make the hiking quite strenuous or relatively mild as one chooses.
And for you? Is Patagonia the right place for your next vacation?