As I share my upcoming adventure with friends & family, several recurring questions arise.  To the best of my “pre-climb” knowledge, I will answer some of those questions now:

How much weight do you carry?   I will only carry what I need during that day’s hike.  I carry my lunch, 2L water, camera, extra layers of clothing, hat, sunscreen, etc.  It will likely be about 15 lbs.

What happens to all of your other gear?   Porters will carry the majority of our gear up the mountain.  I am allowed to bring 25 lbs of gear (including sleeping mats and sleeping bag) in a duffel bag.

What about the bathroom?  There are public washrooms along the climb to the summit.  I have been warned that they are less than pleasurable.  Chagga Tours will provide our own, private latrine, which will be set up at each camp, inside a narrow little shelter.

How do you avoid altitude sickness?  It is advised that I take Diamox starting a day before our climb, and every day we are climbing.  The Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) is the world authority on high altitude trekking and they state, “Trials with thousands of trekkers show that Diamox benefits most climbers adjusting to the increased altitude.  A small minority of climbers experience no benefit.”  It is also advised to drink 4L of fluids each day (and we circle back to the last question).  Most importantly, we will be climbing very slowly, to allow our bodies time to adapt to the elevation.

What happens at Summit?  It has been explained to me that every day on the mountain is leading up to Summit.  We try to go to bed very early after Day 5.  Day 6 will begin at midnight.  We will hike, slowly, in the dark & cold with a goal to summit by 8:00 am.  I cannot tell you the emotions that I feel – thinking about being at the top of Africa watching the sunrise!!!!!