After six month of active training and four months of research and reading about other people Kilimanjaro climbing experience , I was positive that I am totally ready for my climb. And I was ready, but I wish I was “more” ready. Here is a list of things I wish I knew before my climb and lessons learned during my Kilimanjaro climb.
Arrive to Moshi one day in advance.
Trust me this one day can improve your overall experience and protect you trip in case of flight cancellations, delays, etc. Moshi is a beautiful town with plenty of things to do.
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Day in Moshi, Tanzania
Pack one day worth of clothes in your carry on.
On the way to Kilimanjaro, my luggage got lost. Luckily, there were able to locate it and deliver it a day later just in time for the climb.
Take Diamox starting from day one.
Test it at home prior to the trip.
Do not take malaria medication during the climb.
Yes, I know all travel companies strongly recommend it and I did take it during my climb, but I won’t do it if I climb Kilimanjaro again. Malaria medication is not required in areas higher than 5,500-6,000 ft, so you do not need it during the climb. If you are going on safari, start taking it right after the climb. Malaria medication and Diomax have side effects similar to altitude sickness symptoms. If you decide to take both, test it at home.
Bring good ear plugs.
Test them at home. I did not have earplugs, fellow climber had extra and lent me a set, but those were very uncomfortable. Year plugs will improve the quality of your sleep, especially those last two nights on high elevation.
Test all gear at home.
Sleep in your sleeping bag on sleeping pad in the tent in your backyard or on the floor at home. No jokes, do it! My inflatable pillow arrived a day prior to my trip and I did not have a chance to test it. I tried to sleep on it on first night and found it very uncomfortable.
Try all snacks at home.
I love Soy Joy bars, so I decided to bring 10 strawberry flavor bars and 10 mango flavor bars. Mango Soy Joy were my favorite bars, so I didn’t bother to try them. On the mountain I opened one mango bar and took a bite, it had strange very sweet aftertaste. Glad I didn’t go with all mango bars.
Climb Mount Meru prior to Kilimanjaro climb.
Do not underestimate Kilimanjaro climb. This climb is hard. I have been training for it for 4 months and expected it to be much easier, given my winter camping/climbing experience in Adirondacks, but it was tough.
Go to Zanzibar
Go to Zanzibar for couple of days after the climb, it is a very short and relatively cheap flight from Arusha. I regret not doing this awesome couple of days retreat after the climb.
Plan for gear cost.
Even though, I had been hiking in Adirondack for 4 months prior to the climb, I still had to invest about 300$ in a good quality warm down jacket and new hiking boots (mine fell apart during my last trip to Adirondacks before Kilimanjaro trip) . Other fellow climbers, who did not have winter hiking experience and could not borrow gear from friend spent on average 800$-1200$.
