3 Reasons to Hike Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilmanjaro stands 5895m (19,341ft) tall, and it is the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
I hiked the Machame Route for 6nights/7days. I thought that amount of time was just-right.
Machame Route
How I Got There
As usual whenever I travel, I either take a United flight or search for the cheapest flight on kayak.com. I wrote an article about how I stick to flying on United as much as possible to cash out big with my miles.
For this trip, I flew to Kilimanjaro airport from Entebbe in Uganda on Kenya Airways (with a connection in Nairobi).
1. The Hiking Tour Guides do a Great Job
There’s a stigma with Mt. Kilimanjaro – “people die”, or “it’s dangerous”.
But in reality, the guides do a wonderful job of making sure you’re okay, you’re well-fed, you’re hydrated.
We had a short briefing the evening before we started our trek. They made sure we had all of the apparel and equipment necessary for the hike. I forgot to bring a headlamp, so I bought it at the store.
For example, I only had a 0.5L water bottle and a few snacks, so they brought us to the store and I got a 1.5L water bottle. I also bought what felt like 10 pounds of chocolate and energy bars. Turns out, all of those were very necessary.
2. Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro Was Not that Hard…
…Until Summit Day.
Previously, I had hiked Patagonia- Chile: W-Trek.
And I thought those routes were harder than the Machete Route for Kilimanjaro… until summit day.
I hiked with two Germans – one of which had a tougher time on Summit day. Each person had a personal guide, so because German Guy Number 2 was struggling during the trek, the guides re-allocated (amongst themselves) to have two guides help German Guy Number 2 – they did a “one person per shoulder” type deal and essentially carried him to the top.
German Guy Number 1 and I, on the other hand, did not struggle quite as much, so between the two of us, we had one guide, Milton.
And the Machete route itself did a wonderful job of naturally monitoring our adjustment to the altitude.
On the 4th day, we hiked up to 4600m (15,092ft) then stayed back down at 3900m (12,795ft) at Baranco Camp.
5th Night - Hit 4600m
We were already somewhat accustomed to the altitude of 4600m (15,092ft).
Then on the 5th night, we hit 4600m (15,092ft) again and this time we stayed there.
I remember at this point, at 4600m (15,092ft), I was completely out of breath just by walking to the bathroom.
At 2am on the 6th day, we woke up and started our ascend to the peak. We reached one of the first “checkpoints” called Stella Point at 5756m (18,885ft).
Stella Point - 6th day (02:00am)
I remember being completely delirious, tired, sore, out of breathe, and taking this picture with my flash, and it was still so dark.
We just missed the sunrise for Uruhu Point – which is where we took that famous picture with the sign at 5,895m (19,341ft).
But we made it!
Uruhu Point
3. I Will Never Forget the Feeling Hiking Back Down from Uhuru Peak
It felt like I literally conquered the world.
I will shamelessly admit that I started crying out of joy at the top because it was such a satisfying feeling. (But also, I was very delirious, sore, tired, and emotional.)
No fake smiles here at 5500m (18,045ft).
Uhuru Peak 5500m (18,045ft)
At the end of the hike, the porters, cooks, and guides all sang a traditional Swahili song, Jambo Bwana, as a thank you for your business and for riding along the journey.
Where I Stayed
Well, it was part of the package deal to stay at the hotel for the tour when we weren’t camping. But I did write a separate article on How I Choose Where I Stay when I Travel.
If I Had More Time, I Would Have…
So I would have bunked a Serengheti safari tour with the hike in Tanzania. That would have been an extra week.
My hiking buddy from Germany did that. I would have also explored more of the Arusha town.
As for the rest of the country, I’ve heard great things about Dar es Salaam. And then I would have hopped over to the mystical island of Zanzibar.
Closing Remarks
I really appreciated the experience and would recommend hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro in a heartbeat.