Climbing Kilimanjaro: A Day-by-Day Adventure Tale

Picture Credit: Dale Partridge

This is my first blog post, and you might wonder what inspired me to write it? Because it's an adventure that's still unfinished for me. I almost made it to the top, almost tasted victory, but fell short. So why was it so tough, and what stopped me from reaching that summit? Stick around, and I'll tell you all about the journey the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Hopefully it can help you plan and prepare as well.

So, What's Next? (T-30 days)

In the midst of a lively dinner discussion, Amit posed a question: "So, what's next?" This wasn't just any casual chat. You see, we have a tradition where each year, both Amit and I try an expedition that pushes us to our limits, be it braving the icy expanses of Antarctica or pedaling through multi-day bike rides. This time, however, we craved something different.

"Why not tackle a multi-day hike somewhere we have never been before?" Neither of us had hiked before or been deep in Africa, but that's exactly where the appeal lay.

With our destination decided, January became a month of intense preparation. Our regimen was designed to prepare our bodies for the altitude and the physical demands of the climb. But of course, there has to be a twist in the story—this time it was a sports injury. With my fractured finger and an injured elbow, cancellation loomed large. With our flight only two days away, we scrambled to consult with the expedition company about possibly canceling. After overnight planning and a makeshift cast from the doctor our dream were kept alive. And just like that, we were off!

An Early Arrival and Safari Detours

Arriving in Tanzania ahead of schedule allowed our bodies to adjust to the new time zone and offered an unexpected bonus—a safari adventure. Details of this experience, is a story for another day but feel free to watch our capture of hippo charging on lion in this video.

Our pre-climb stay was at the Aishi Machame Hotel, in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This is where we first met our fellow adventurers, Dale and Sarah from the UK. Their hiking stories and enthusiasm added to our growing anticipation.

Equipment check

The evening before our hike, we were greeted by Noel, the "Briefing Manager". Noel offered a thorough equipment check to ensure we only carry what's needed and weight is below 15Kgs. This extensive process took almost three hours and you can see the glimpse of the details in the video.

Here's the list of all the packing items.(List)

Day 1: The Journey Commences

Our adventure kicked off with a bus ride to where the real action starts. This is when we got our first taste of that infectious "Hakuna Matata" and "Jambo" song. Mr. Rashidi, our lead guide, started it off and to our surprise the porters and the other guides joined in from the back. It was like we had our own surround sound chorus, pumping us up!!

Team Buffalo: Meme and Martin (Germany), Adam and Iris (US), Sarah and Dale (UK), Fredrik and Cristina (Sweden), Jackie, Amit and Ravi (US)

This excitement opened the door for us to introduce ourselves to the entire team and start some happy discussions. We were geared up for the adventure with our slogan, "Team Buffalo: Amaaazzingg."

After a pit stop for baggage weight check at the Londorossi gate, we were offered lunch. Most of the meals are carb rich like stew with potatoes and plantains, plenty of rice, soup and salad.

After a hearty meal, the bus ride continued till we reached our hiking start point.

This is when Mount Kilimanjaro decided to greet us with heavy downpour that tested our readiness. The spirits remained unshaken!

Day 1 to Shira 1 Camp - A Test of preparation...