Climbing Kilimanjaro (Part I)

Arriving, Day 1, and 2

Mount Kilimanjaro is a large dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level and 4,900 m (16,100 ft) above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere and the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth.

The origin and meaning of the name Kilimanjaro is unknown, but may mean "mountain of greatness" or" White-topped Mountain".

- Mount Kilimanjaro - Wikipedia

I first took notice of Kilimanjaro in 2022 when someone I knew climbed it, though their experience didn’t sound particularly enjoyable. After completing my own difficult trek on the Huayhuash Circuit, I lost interest in high-altitude trekking altogether. That changed late last year when I was invited to join the Everest Base Camp trek. While preparing for EBC, I also started gathering information about Kilimanjaro.

 

Shortly before leaving for Nepal, a friend told that someone had withdrawn from a Kilimanjaro expedition and they were looking for a replacement. I expressed interest but explained that I couldn’t commit until I finished EBC. I needed to see how I felt in Nepal; only if I managed Everest Base Camp at 5,364 meters would I consider attempting Kilimanjaro at 5,895 meters.

 

After completing Nepal’s Three Passes Trek in early May and having a positive experience there, I knew Kilimanjaro was the logical next step—a natural progression. I paid the deposit and booked my trip for mid-August.

 

8/18 – Arriving Tanzania

On August 18, after two long flights and more than 27 hours of travel, I arrived at Moshi Airport at 1:35 am. A representative from Top Climber, our tour company, was there to meet me and two other teammates as we stepped out into the cool, moist night air.

Over the course of the day, more teammates arrived; by afternoon, we had all gathered together. We met at the tour company’s base for introductions and were welcomed with a lively ceremony filled with African dances and songs. The energy was infectious, setting the tone for the days ahead.

Afterwards, the guides conducted a thorough gear check, focusing especially on what we would wear for the summit push. Anyone with fewer than five or six layers on top and three or four on the bottom was advised to rent extra clothing. I rented a sleeping bag, hiking poles, and thick insulated pants for summit night. Once payments were settled, we returned to the hotel to pack and get some rest before starting our trek.

 

8/19 – Day 1: Hiking Through the Rainforest

Route: Machame Gate (1790m) to Machame Camp (3010m)
Distance: 12 km | Time: 5 hrs 18 mins | Ascent: 1220m
Weather: Cloudy

 

Since the route had been chosen long before I joined the group, I decided to go with the flow and didn’t study it closely. As a result, I didn’t register the significant elevation gains in the first three days. We took the popular 7-day Machame Route, also known as the “Whiskey Route” because it involves steeper trails, longer distances, and camping in tents. This contrasts with the Marangu Route, nicknamed the “Coca-Cola Route” due to its more gradual incline and hut accommodations, which often leads people to mistakenly think it’s easier. In reality, Machame has a higher success rate than Marangu, mainly because of the longer distances and more time spent acclimatizing.

 

After a quick breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and gathered in the front yard. Our group included 16 climbers, 7 guides, 2 chefs, and 47 porters who would carry our luggage, camping gear, mess tents, and portable flush toilets. We had send-off songs, dances, and photos. At 8:30 a.m., we boarded a bus. During the hour-long drive to Machame Gate, the guide described the landscape, plants, and the lifestyle of the Chagga people, the local inhabitants who eat starchier bananas as a staple.

At Machame Gate, we ate lunch while the guides secured permits. Because Kilimanjaro National Park bans plastic bottles and bags, our luggage went through a thorough check before we officially started our trek. Everyone was excited, walking and chattering as we set off. Today's hike was mostly a gradual climb, steadily winding through dense rainforest with wet and muddy spots.

After more than five hours of hiking, we reached Machame Camp at 2,835 meters, where our tents had already been set up with our bags inside. The tent we used was quite luxurious by camping standards—large enough for three people but shared by only two, with a spacious vestibule for shoes and hiking poles, and tall enough to stand inside. There was also a divider between the two sleeping areas, giving us some privacy.

 

The 16 of us shared 8 tents, and the 7 guides shared three tents. We also had a big mess tent, a kitchen tent, and four portable toilet tents, not to mention food and other supplies—no wonder we needed so many porters. Of the 47 porters, some had double duties. For example, those who spoke good English also worked as waiters, doing their best to meet all our requests. Porters also rotated as toilet attendants, setting up and maintaining toilet supplies. We usually had four flushable toilets that required hand pumping water—this made life easier, though sometimes it took a lot of work to flush.

 

After settling in, we did some “washy washy” with half a basin of water, then went to the mess tent for dinner. A typical meal consisted of soup, carbohydrates like pasta or rice, and a stew-like sauce with beef, chicken, or fish. Fruits and tea or coffee were served every day.

 

After dinner, we were given an evaluation form to record how we felt, what medicines we were taking, and any symptoms such as headache, difficulty breathing, nausea, or diarrhea. We also measured our blood oxygen levels and recorded the numbers. This had to be done every night until summit night. Depending on the results, guides decided if we were good to go, questionable, or not allowed to continue. For those showing troubling signs, the guides advised on what to do and paid special attention during the day—such as walking alongside them for encouragement or helping carry their bags. Luckily, I showed no concerning signs on the first day.

 

In the morning, we had a wake-up call with welcoming tea or coffee, then washed up with another basin of water. We packed our sleeping bags and other luggage, leaving them in the tents for the porters to carry before breakfast. The morning routine was quite similar to my Inca Trail trekking experience. For breakfast, we usually had pancakes, eggs, sausages, and bacon.

 

8/20 – Day 2: Hakuna Matata?

Route: Machame Camp (3010m) to Shira Camp (3845m)
Weather: Sunny and warm
Distance: 6.2 km | Time: 5.5 hrs | Ascent: 892m
 

Yesterday, we trekked beneath the rainforest canopy under cloudy skies. Today, the sun shines brightly as the trail climbs steeply. After some time, we rose above the forest and caught our first glimpse of Uhuru Peak—the highest point on Kilimanjaro.

Along the way, the guides sang songs and chants to lift our spirits. We learned that “Pole Pole” means “slowly, slowly,” and “Hakuna Matata” means “no worries, no problems.” Music seems to be in the soul of the African people. They often chant to boost our morale and gauge our energy by our responses. Usually one guide would start the chant, and the rest of us would respond. It goes like this:

“One dream,

One team.

To the top,

Nonstop.

More water,

More fire.

Kilimanjaro?

Hakuna Matata!”

Another popular song we often heard on Kilimanjaro expeditions is “Jambo Bwana,” originally released in 1982 by the Kenyan band Them Mushrooms. The title means “Hello, sir” in Swahili and has adapted by nearly all Kilimanjaro expeditions.

Jambo Bwana Song Lyrics (Swahili)

Jambo! Jambo bwana!

Habari gani? Mzuri sana!

Wageni, mwakaribishwa!

Kilimanjaro? Hakuna matata!

Tembea pole pole. Hakuna matata!

Utafika salama. Hakuna matata!

Kunywa maji mengi. Hakuna matata!

Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,

Kilimanjaro, mlima mrefu sana.

Kilimanjaro, hakuna matata!

English Translation

Hello! Hello sir!

How are you? Very well!

Visitors, you are welcome!

Kilimanjaro? No worries!

Walk slowly, slowly. No worries!

You’ll get there safe. No worries!

Drink plenty of water. No worries!

Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro,

Kilimanjaro, such a high mountain.

Kilimanjaro, no worries!

Little did I know that while I was getting used to saying “Pole Pole, Hakuna Matata,” trouble was looming for me. So far, we had been hiking together as a single group, keeping pace with the slower hikers. By lunchtime, some felt this was too slow and wanted to pick up speed, so the guides agreed to split us into two teams. Perhaps a bit overconfident from my recent trek and underestimating the rapid elevation gain, I chose to join the faster group. I kept up well and arrived at camp without any issues, but in hindsight, it may not have been the wisest choice. I should have followed the “Pole Pole” mantra—to let my body acclimatize gradually and conserve energy for the days ahead.

 

That night, I felt bloated and developed diarrhea that kept me awake. This was only the second day of hiking! I’m not sure if I ate something that upset my stomach or if it was my body’s reaction to the rapid ascent—it was probably the latter. I remember that in Nepal, whenever we climbed above 3,000 meters, we stayed two nights if the sleeping altitude gain exceeded 400 meters to allow for proper acclimatization. Here, however, we moved from 1,790 meters to 3,845 meters in just two days. That should have been a clear warning to slow down, but I followed the crowd without thinking carefully. I lay there, sleepless, wondering what might happen next.