After reading countless logs, reports, operator websites and blogs on kili trek, I thought I should put them down somewhere so that it is all in one spot. Hopefully, it benefits everyone who’s is planning on doing the trek. With AMS against us, I guess we need to be most prepared with all the helpful tips so as to increase the rate of success to reach the summit.
I have left out the ones that have been repeated once too many times.
I’ll continue to add to this list whenever I chance upon more good advice from people who have climbed the mountain (not necessarily reach the summit).
1. Drink. Most people say 3 to 4 litres a day and a few say 5 litres. This should include about 2-3 litres on the trek plus the tea, milo, etc in camp. Add some flavouring (cordial, Tang powder, etc) if you are someone who doesn’t drink much plain water on a normal day, it helps.
2. Eat as much (if the food served doesn’t appeal to you – take granola bars, cream crackers, etc)
3. Sleep as much as you can and if not take sleeping pills. Your muscles are building up due to the exercise and they need rest. I read somewhere that eating nuts before sleep helps. Play cards and read only if you are really up to it. Sleeping mat and bag plays a big part. A few of those who went on the trek said they wished they had a warmer 3 season sleeping bag, inner liner or thicker mat. Other alternatives include wearing the balaclava to bed to keep their head warm, keeping the hot water bottle or activated hand warmers within socks in the sleeping bag. You need to distract yourself and not worry so much about the Barranco Wall or Summit, I’m told. Every evening, try to go to bed early (shortly after 9pm) to benefit from maximum daylight hours between 6am and 6.30pm. Get into this habit for the final ascent on the summit when you leave camp to walk for hours in the early morning.
4. Diamox. Option one – just take it but try it out before the trip to see what are the effects on you. Option 2 – wait till AMS is affecting you in a big way then take it. Option 3 – take alternatives like aspirin, gingko, chocolate, etc.
5. Trekking poles – most people say it helps on the ascent and everyone agrees it helps for the descent after summit. Options are to rent or buy. I debated on this myself and got the BD spire elliptical for USD100. Less costly ones will do.
6. Stay warm throughout the trek. It is cold in the morning but do warm up by the afternoon and suddenly turn cold when the sun sets. From all the morning photos for days right after they reach Shira Camp - I can see that most would wear either a long sleeve shirt, light fleece or trail jacket over a T-shirt. When it gets warmer, some would take it off and wrap round their waist. Others just keep the extra layer on. Most people would be in their thick fleece or jacket with hat on when they show up in the mess tent for dinner.
7. Wear a thin pair of gloves if you have one and that you are comfortable in them. Apply sun cream on hands, face and neck if they are not shaded well. Sun is much more intense at higher altitude (similar increased effect as snow skiing).
8. Shoes and socks. Try wearing 2 pairs of socks to find the right fit. Tighten the laces sufficiently for those notches above the angle (assume high boots) else you will get lots of abrasions and then blisters. It also prevents your toes from hitting the toe cap especially on the descent. I found that to be true. Other trekkers recommend vaseline on the heel, powder between 1st and 2nd layer of socks, and taping big toe to heel. Apply elasticated adhesive bandage as soon as you feel irritation. Good link here for chaffing and blisters. http://www.thewalkingsite.com/blisters.html
9. Training. The consistent message I found from everyone is, subject yourself to consecutive days of walking at as high an altitude you can access to. This is to condition the body for physical and mental endurance and let the body be exposed to higher altitudes. No period of training is indicated as it is all subjective to your current fitness level. I find that gym training is limited but if you have no choice (like I did), here’s how you can make the most out of hit. Have the treadmill be set to the highest 15 degrees elevation. Start with slower speed about 4.0 then progressively up it to at most 5.0 over the period of your training. Do not set any faster because it goes against the Pole Pole concept. It should still give your heart and legs a good workout if you go on it for an hour (600 calories and 3-4km). Concentrate on taking big strides yourself and not let the treadmill move your legs for you. Combine this with the exercise bike to build up strength in the legs. Pick the mountainous-type of program. Do repetitions on the universal machines for the knees, thigh muscles and back calf. I find that trekking up mountains takes a big toll on the lower back muscles and shoulders (if your daypack is heavy). Working on the abs, lower back and shoulder muscles helps a great deal for the coming trek. I got this link for crossfit training from Todd’s website. Thanks – makes sense – you can try it for this trek too. http://www.crossfit.com/cf-download/CFJ-trial.pdf
10. Walk slowly and allow days for acclimatisation. Too much said about this but I read that our physical body may be adapting well but the head and stomach does reacts differently to the high altitude.
11. Pillow. A good night sleep can make the difference on your condition for the next day. If you are not used to folder clothes for a makeshift pillow, there are inflatable or foam ones. Actually try them out for one night before the trek.
12. Freezing of water on the summit climb. For platypus-type hydration packs, do get the insulated tube. After drinking each time, blow the water back down the tube. For water bottles, You can use the Outdoor Research Parka or wrap them up in clothes. Keep them close to your body to prevent them from freezing. Do the same for batteries and camera. I read one where he slept with the batteries every night.
13. Leave your passport, credit cards and travellers cheque in the hotel.
14. Better off scrambling up Barranco Wall without trekking poles.
15. Check whether your operator is going to have the porters carry your stuff in waterproof duffel bags. That way you don’t have to buy one yourself or spend too much time putting them in smaller waterproof bags (although it is a precaution and its good to organise things in your bag).
16. Money. The easiest foreign currency to exchange for Tanzanian Shillings is the $US, however the British Pound and Euro are also widely exchanged as well. Large denomination notes attract the best exchange rates ($US 50, $100). $US notes that are older than year 2000 are not accepted everywhere and can be very difficult to change. Debit cards are very useful for cash advances, but you must remember to bring your PIN number (be aware that many ATM machines only accept 4-digit PINs.). The Visa/Plus system cards are the most widely accepted debit cards; it is harder to find machines that accept Cirrus cards. You should be aware that to purchase products or services on a credit card a fee of 5%-10% usually applies. Have access to at least an additional USD200 (or equivalent) as an ‘emergency’ fund.
17. Malaria. These mosquitos are found at altitudes of under 1,800m, and thus can be found in the base of the mountain. Bring insect repellent.
18. Glasses or contact lenses. Glasses preferred. All contact lens wearers should take care to remove the lenses at night, as the eye needs to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere. The reduced oxygen levels at high altitude can in rare occasions cause Corneal Oedema to develop.
19. I found the following advice on hypothermia which is rarely spoken about for the kili trek. Yet I read of many trekkers getting colds and pneumonia resulting in having to fight it on top of AMS or turn back and it is such a pity. “Hypothermia is a condition where the body becomes dangerously cold. It can be caused by brief exposure to extreme cold, or by prolonged exposure to mild cold. Hypothermia occurs when a person’s deep-core body temperature drops below 35 degrees celsius (95 degrees farenheit). It is the lowered temperature of the organs inside the body that is important – an ordinary thermometer cannot measure this. The person may not actually feel cold but if they stay in a cold environment and do little or nothing to keep warm, then they may run the risk of becoming hypothermic or becoming ill with bronchitis or pneumonia. Both are cold-related illnesses. Danger signs to watch out for: Drowsiness, very cold skin on parts of the body normally covered, for example, stomach or armpits, Slurred speech, absence of complaint about feeling cold, even in a bitterly cold environment.”
20. Even though you are walking slowly, you still sweat and lose important electrolytes. Carry with you some salty snacks or add gatorade powder to your water to replace those lost electrolytes.
21. Alcohol based hand rub – don’t go without it and keep it in your pocket at all times. Diarrhoea on the mountain is no fun. I read of another suggesting such fuss-free hand wash from a tube – Antibac.
22. Cut your nails and keep your hair short for the trek. On one of the days, save some water from that given to you in the morning to wash your hair (without shampoo).
23. Share everything from day one. At some point someone will have something that you don’t have but that you desperately need!
24. Read this log for the summit climb. It is one of the rare ones that describes vividly a determined successful summit attempt followed by an actual trip down in the wheel-barrow stretcher.
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