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.