Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route – Day 4

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route – Day 4

by Kathleen Lisson

I climbed Mt.Kilimanjaro with Serengeti Pride Safari in July 2014. Here are some tips from my hiking experience.

Barranco to Karanga

 

By the time we got to Barranco camp, my nose was sunburnt and my nails were dirty. 

I wore pantyliners and changed them daily and took a baby wipe with me to the restroom. I used the water we were given in the morning and evening to wash my face. I even put my feet in the bowl a few times! I used baby wipes to wash my body. 

I started to feel sensitivity where my sports bra covered the side of my body because I wasn’t used to wearing a sports bra 24 hours a day, but I didn’t have any redness or rash. 

I stored my toothbrush and toothpaste with my pills in my “pharmacy” bag and took it to breakfast and dinner. I used a cup of warm water to brush my teeth after dinner and my fellow hikers quickly followed suit. The other option was to brush our teeth in the cold darkness outside our tent. 

My gaiters did an excellent job of keeping stones out of my boots and keeping the bottoms of my pants clean through multiple wearings.  

I took some napkins from the Zoey’s Double Hex in Manchester, VT and put one in my pocket each day for blowing my nose. The napkins worked well but my nose was getting raw from all the blowing.

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route – Day 3

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route – Day 3

by Kathleen Lisson

I climbed Mt.Kilimanjaro with Serengeti Pride Safari in July 2014. Here are some tips from my hiking experience. 

Shira Camp to Lava Tower and Barranco Camp

It was a windy night at Shira camp. I saw the glaciers glowing in the moonlight.

I tried a new technique for handling peeing at night – I stayed awake for an hour in my tent, then went to the bathroom and was able to sleep through the rest of the night.

Due to the decrease in temperature, I wore an extra layer to bed. I wore a Buff over my ears.

I found peeing to be exhausting. I felt like I had to ‘push’ more to urinate.

Next time, I would pack more pairs of lightweight gloves and an absorbent hand towel. I was using my sleeping gloves during the daytime and would have been more comfortable with separate pairs to keep my sleeping kit clean.

The Pimsleur tapes have really helped with my Swahili. My nickname on the mountain was ‘Swahili Woman’ and my porter's nickname was ‘Pombe Tatu’ after my recurrent joke about wanting three beers.

Our cook ‘Frank the Tank’ is amazing! The food is plentiful, delicious and there are different dishes for those with food allergies. The soup is the best!

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route – Day 2

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route – Day 2

by Kathleen Lisson

I climbed Mt.Kilimanjaro with Serengeti Pride Safari in July 2014. Here are some tips from my hiking experience.

Machame Camp to Shira Camp

The plant life is amazing and the night sky was incredible. I saw the Milky Way!

I discovered my new favorite drink on the mountain – Milo, sugar and hot milk. A porter would come and serve us tea or coffee in our tent shortly after the wake up call.

I had to adjust to drinking plenty of water – I got a slight headache in the afternoon but it went away after I focused on drinking and had lunch.

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route - Day 1

Trail notes from Kilimanjaro Machame Route Day 1

My gear spread out for gear check at the hotel

by Kathleen Lisson

I climbed Mt.Kilimanjaro with Serengeti Pride Safari in July 2014. Here are some tips from my hiking experience.

Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Keep your passport handy at Machame Gate – the officials need to see it and they will place a Kilimanjaro stamp on one of your pages upon request.

The weather stayed cool and the cloud forest kept our packs damp on the outside. It would be a good idea to put a raincover on your backpack if you want to keep it absolutely dry.

The trail was steep in parts, but there was excellent trail work throughout the route. Hiking poles were needed when the trail got slippery and slightly muddy.

The latrines are well spaced. If you have to pee, ask your guide how far away the latrine is – you might be able to make it to the next latrine instead of having to pee in the forest.

Earplugs came in handy on the first night. I didn’t really feel the altitude until I tried blowing up my sleeping pad. I had my porter blow up my sleeping pad on subsequent nights.

The personal toilet was well worth the additional cost.

I bought a money belt to keep my cash and passport. I wore it during the day and even at dinner. I placed it in my sleeping bag at night.

Throw back Thursday - Mount Marshall

Throw back Thursday - Marshall 

by Kathleen Lisson

For Throwback Thursday, I'm sharing a Hiking Mates hike up Mount Marshall from July 19, 2008. I remember being coated in sweat, which made my pink tank top very sheer. Even a sports bra couldn't help this wardrobe malfunction.

TBT - Cycling Across the Golden Gate Bridge

Cycling Across the Golden Gate Bridge

by Kathleen Lisson

Here is a photo taken of Arun and me in 2012 before cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Ca. We rented bicycles from a local shop and rode to Sausalito before taking the ferry back to the City.

Information on how to cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge from Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60713-c134705/San-Francisco:California:Biking.The.Golden.Gate.html

Runners - Where to focus attention while running

What Should Runners Think About While Running?

by Kathleen Lisson

What goes through your mind when these are on your feet?

In Runners World article titled 'Where To Focus Your Attention While Running,' Amby Burfoot shares information on the best way to calm your mind in a race. He shares differences between "associative thinking," "disassociative thinking" and the "constrained action hypothesis." 

The latest research shows that focusing on feelings or thinking of whatever comes to mind uses up less oxygen than thinking about breathing or form.

Read the article here: http://www.runnersworld.com/sports-psychology/where-to-focus-your-attention-while-running

New Hampshire Presidential Range

Hiking Mount Washington and Mount Eisenhower - Presidential Range New Hampshire Hike Report

by Kathleen Lisson

We chose to hike Mount Washington in New Hampshire as our last prep hike before the Kilimanjaro trip. Arun and I stayed at Carlson's Lodge in Twin Mountain, NH because we wouldn't make it to NH until well past quiet time at the local campgrounds. I enjoyed the 'grandma's house' feel of the lodge. They serve cereal, toast, milk juice and coffe for breakfast. 

 Sign along the Mount Washington trail

Sign along the Mount Eisenhower trail

I relied on the AMC White Mountain Guide for trail information for both hikes. The highlight of the Mount Washington hike was eating soup at the AMC Lakes of the Clouds hut in the middle of the hike. We started by hiking the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail from the entrance behind the Cog Railway building off of Base Road. 

We hiked Mount Eisenhower using Edmans Path. Eisenhower was a good second day hike, providing a steady climb and views of Mount Washington at the summit. 

Lessons Learned:

• Mid hike soup tastes amazing.

• Krummholz is a name for the trees that grow near treeline.

• The Mount Washington summit is a zoo, due to a road and a cog railway taking non-hikers to the summit. They do have a gift shop with some hiking-related trinkets. 

• Bring cash for the soup and for any purchases at the summit gift shop. 

Rachel Cushing's Trip up Kilimanjaro

Rachel Cushing's Trip up Kilimanjaro

by Kathleen Lisson

Watching Rachel Cushing's video diary of her ascent up Kilimanjaro makes me feel excited for my upcoming trip to Africa! It is empowering to see other American women taking this journey and enjoying everything that comes with climbing the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.

Part one is here: http://youtu.be/7bksHGHvEYo

Part two is here: http://youtu.be/Z_xFjX5l25Q

Arusha, Tanzania today and British East India a Century Ago

Arusha, Tanzania today and British East India a Century Ago

By Kathleen Lisson

The first day of our trip to Tanzania will be spend discovering Arusha before we pack up to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I wonder what we will find?

Here is a video of the modern day streets of Arusha: http://youtu.be/yDfwmCRmhkE

This video reminds me a lot of my husband’s city in Kerala, India.

Here is mesmerizing video of Theodore Roosevelt's trip to British East India in 1909. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ_QeeHHEZw

Running Tips from Fleet Feet Albany's Charlie Woodruff

Running Tips from Charlie Woodruff

by Kathleen Lisson

Running in Washington DC

Benita Zahn interviewed Charlie Woodruff, owner of Fleet Feet Albany. He gives tips on couch to 5K programs, how to breathe properly and what to eat before a race. I was most surprised by one fact that Zahn shared - 26.5 million people in America run at least 50 days per year. That's a lot of runners!

Benita Zahn's story is here: http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3481350.shtml?cat=12404