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!