Kilimanjaro and family Safari

Amsterdam & Tanzania 

Kilimanjaro – 8 day Lemosho Route 

Firstly, lets introduce the squad:  

• Ryan – a member of the Canadian military stationed in Kuwait. Also had one of the most impressive beards I’ve ever seen. 
• Zach – an incoming freshman at the University of Rhode Island, also the state’s independent candidate for governor. Became like a little brother on the trip.  
• Megan & John – honeymooning couple from DC. Megan is a nurse who had all the meds and medical advice for the trip & John who was a former military member and now working at Raytheon  
• August & Ludwig – grade school friends from Germany, both just finished up their masters with August going to BCG and Ludwig continuing his studies.

The seven of us met up in the morning and along with our porters took the nearly four-hour bus ride to get to the starting point. We had lunch, checked our blood oxygen, prepped the gear one last time, and it was go time!  

I’m not going to bore y’all with all the details of every hike (or myself having to remember exactly what we did every single day) instead I’m going to focus on what I remember, my thoughts about the trek, and random other things.  

If you want to see the itinerary, you can here:  https://www.climbing-kilimanjaro.com/lemosho-route-8-days/

And if you want to see the Strava you can do that here:  https://www.strava.com/activities/7653834077

The Flow of the Days:  

Our days went as follows: Wake up at 6:00 Am with a knock on the tent, accompanied by tea. Oh, thank God for that tea every morning. Then get prepped for the day, pack up all the belongings, bring them outside, and get our waters refilled for the hike (liquid IV every morning helped a ton).

After prep, it was time for breakfast ft. porridge, some eggs/toast, and more tea and coffee and a morning health check – which became a competition between Zack and me. (I now love porridge)

Hiking took up the rest of the mornings, usually lasting until around 1pm and was followed almost immediately by a lunch of soup & a random delicious main course.

Then it was down time until around 4pm, we would nap, play cards, chat, relax, and in general just recover and try to hide from the sun! The porters would also bring water for “washy washy” during this time as well.

After that it was tea time. So much tea. But the real highlight of teatime was the popcorn. I would go to town on that popcorn every afternoon. The group would then either split up and rest more or play some games of President until dinner. Dinner was soup and another main course along with another health check. Then sunset, getting ready for bed, and a good night sleep. 

The Positives:  

The group at Climbing Kilimanjaro. What an amazing, incredible, wonderful… there are not enough words for how fantastic the crew of porters, chefs, and guides were. There were 27 people helping us 7 get up the mountain. (Yes, almost 4 porters per person)  
 
They made this trip what it was. 100%. Whether it was how our campsites were always set up by the time we arrived after every hike, how we had a toilet to use, or the fact that we always had enough water, food, and everything else we needed without asking. And they did it all while carrying some of our gear, cheering us on, and having the most upbeat attitudes. They even brought a honeymoon cake to our day 5 camp for John and Megan!!! 
 
The food and our chef. All I can say is this guy was a wizard. Cooking three meals (plus our daily popcorn) every day while also trekking up the mountain is already spectacular. But he managed to make each meal delicious.  Soups, salad, chicken, fish, beef, porridge, pancakes. I really don’t know how he did it, but I am so grateful he did.  

The beautiful terrain. On Kilimanjaro you go through 4 zones: Rainforest, Moorland, Alpine Desert, and Arctic. Getting to experience each of these zones over the trip was a great way to make a long multi-day hike feel unique and every day to feel special. We also were treated to multiple amazing sunrises and sunsets, incredible plants and wildlife, and changing view of Kilimanjaro throughout the entire trek. A great backdrop makes any trek better.  

Our group. When you randomly sign up for an 8-day tour alone, you are praying that the rest of the people joining are fun. And those prayers were answered. Between the meals shared, the games played, and the conversations had, we went from strangers to friends over those eight days. And even at the hotel after the trip, when we all could’ve gone elsewhere, we still all came together for one final dinner. That’s the sign of a great squad. 

The Negatives/Lows:  

The approach hiking was so slow. Like I’d argue too slow at points. We were going below a mile per hour often. I understand a slow pace is needed for elevation, but it was at the point where you couldn’t take a full stride or develop any rhythm and if you were at the back of the line, you were constantly starting and stopping. If there was one thing I’d have changed, it would’ve been having us walk slightly faster to get a comfortable walking pace. 

The heat during the breaks. The range of temperatures we experienced on Kilimanjaro were without a doubt one of the toughest parts of the trek, from below freezing in the mornings and during the summit to miserably hot as the sun beat down on us during the trek. The worst of all was the hours after the hike. We had a choice of tents exceeding the outdoor temperatures but at least providing shade, or the brutal sun for hours, but at least the occasional breeze. No matter what I felt like chose wrong, unless I found a brief area of shade outside to relax at.    

Almost passing out on summit day. Now the true low point. I’ll be honest, I was doing great with the elevation pretty much the entire hike. I never felt super tired, had a slight headache at worst but between the elevation pills and staying hydrated I was doing surprisingly well. Until 18,500 feet. All of a sudden, nausea, dizziness, and I could barely stand. I’m not going to lie, I panicked. I stopped the group, sat down and tried to recover. The guides tried to take my backpack, but I slowed down, had some sugar, and in 5 minutes I was fine. It was one of the craziest bonks I’d ever had, and I am so grateful it was calories and not elevation.  

Sprained Thumb. This one is stupid and just sucks. I sprained my thumb packing my bag after the summit trying to cram everything in. It just went backwards. Fucking stupid injury and my own damn fault.  (It hurt for 6 months after)

The Random Stories 

The final push to the summit was honestly easy. After almost passing out I felt amazing at 19,000’ and Zack and I went ahead of the group to make sure we caught the sunrise, booking it along the final ridge to Uhuru peak. The joy of seeing that sign, the sun starting to break through the clouds along the horizon and realizing that we had made it was fucking incredible. I couldn’t stop smiling, laughing, and crying.  

A second round of joy was when I listened to a voice message Madison had recorded for me at the top; 8 days without hearing her voice just made the moment all the more special.  

One of my first memories was how much trouble I had remembering everyone’s names. Ryan I finally remembered after someone made a Saving Private Ryan joke, Megan was vegan, and that fake rhyme helped a ton. John took a couple of days and seeing it on the daily health sheets. I heard Zack called Isaac multiple times and had no idea which was his real name until the third day when he said it himself. Ludwig and August were easy.  

Our second night was cold. Like waking up with frost on the ground cold. We got up and August, who had been cracking jokes and giving everyone shit (mainly Ludwig) the entire trip was silent for the first time. He was frozen. Like comically frozen. Him being cold itself wouldn’t have been that funny if it weren’t for the fact that he willingly didn’t use his sleeping bag liner thinking it wouldn’t help. His face when he realized this was priceless. For the rest of the adventures, we could tell the temperature by how boisterous August was.    

On our fourth day, we had all gotten into our tents and ready for bed. Suddenly among all the campsites we heard a wave of yells. Initially concerned, I got out of the tent to ask what was going on; only to learn that it was the Community Shield soccer match between two of Tanzania’s top teams: Simba and Yanga. For the next 90 minutes you could tell what was going on by the cheers heard from all the porters listening on their small radios to the game.  

Now let’s talk about the sunrises, sunsets, and the stars. They were spectacular. Although due to clouds we weren’t always able to see them, we were fortunate to have a few incredible light shows throughout our trip. The most memorable to me was the third day where a bird joined me for a few minutes as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon. 

On our first day we noticed a group that all had matching puffy jackets. They were taking the same route as us and of course became known as the puffy jacket crew to our squad. We would constantly pass each other on the trail, and it was fun seeing another group. That in itself wouldn’t be a story. On the flight out of Tanzania, I sat next to one of the crew and apparently, they were filming a documentary! So hopefully if/when it comes out I’ll be in the background. 

One of the main group activities other than hiking and meals were games of President (and Asshole) we would sit down and play these card games for a couple hours, chatting and shooting the shit. While most of us would be chatting, John was relatively quiet during these times… until he randomly broke out a “that’s what she said joke” The stunned silence followed by laughter was one of the purest moments of the trip, and his well-timed jokes were always a treat for the rest of the adventure. 

And of course getting everyone in on the joy that is Shot Bloks and Mamma Mia Chia Squeezes (my two favorite hiking snacks) !

Family Safari Time! 

It was time for the family trip! Our first real family trip in almost 10 years and I’ll just say it from the start. It was perfect. I got to see my mom smile almost the entire time, my sister laugh maniacally as we floored it through the plains, my dad in awe of what we were seeing. Memories I will cherish forever. Anyways, I digress.  

After my flight from Tanzania, I got to the hotel and met up with my family who had arrived the day before to give them some extra time to adjust to the time zone. While at the hotel I had some good food, caught up with my parents and sister, and most importantly got a load of laundry done (although it was free at the camps and cost like $50 at the hotel…. So, I should’ve waited)   

Soon enough it was time to start the actual safari and we headed to the airport to get to our first destination: Masai Mara.  

Masai Mara North Conservatory 

Our first stop. We stayed at the Kicheche camp here and it was incredible, two safaris a day with a picnic breakfast, and then amazing lunches and dinners with a German family and the camp manager. An absolutely perfect start to the trip.  
 
Here’s a list of all the animals we saw: Becca’s list for Masai Mara North Animals 

The highlights:  
 
We were extremely fortunate with all the animals we’d seen during our first two days, but we were still missing cheetahs and leopards. As our second day was winding down, our guide got a radio call that a leopard was seen on the opposite edge of the camp. We booked it. Picture the scene: Us flying by down dirt “roads” passing other jeeps, my sister laughing uncontrollably, me standing through the open roof, beer in hand, cheering us on, and my parents switching between bewildered, scared, and excited. We arrive at the area, drive over a boulder and through a bush and manage to catch a sighting of the leopard!

On the second morning, I woke up and felt these random pinprick pains as I got into our jeep to start the tour. At first it was just something I assumed was the result of a random hair getting caught… it was not. I literally had ants in my pants. After a quick panic I managed to slap, shake them out and was good, albeit a little shaken up!

We had gotten our first leopard sighting, and the next day was our chance to see cheetahs. A cheetah mother and her two cubs playing and jumping around! We watched them for almost an hour before they finally strode into the plains. That alone would’ve been incredible; but things got crazy. First a radio call that the leopard (a predator of the cheetah) was nearby. We went over to take some photos and all of a sudden, we saw the cheetah running at full speed right at the leopard, prey chasing predator!! The leopard immediately fled into a tree and the cheetah mother returned to her cubs… who were now being hunted by hyenas. It was four on one and the hyena’s were rapidly closing in… until the guides joined the defense. Our jeep along with two others each took one hyena, scaring it away and allowing the cheetah and her cubs to escape.  

Finally, our camp had a resident hippo named Humphrey. On our last night I still hadn’t seen him and walking back from the camp, I decided to say what’s up Humphrey into the pitch blackness. Our guide who was walking us back proceeded to shine his flashlight ahead and sure enough, there was Humphrey 20 feet away from us. My sister was not pleased.

Also want to shout out the absolute hospitality of the Kicheche camps. We had incredible group dinners with everyone else in the camps every night with terrific food and amazing company.    

Ngorongoro Crater 

After a flight to Kilimanjaro and one night at a wonderful hotel back in Arusha we were back on the safari grind to the Ngorongoro crater, our least favorite spot of the trip. Whether it was the lack of interest from the guide, the high concentration of vehicles backing up the roads, or the vibe of the camp. It just was nowhere near Kicheche. I’d say it was worth it for a day but wouldn’t want to spend any longer there.  
 
That being said we still had some amazing animal sightings: Becca’s List for Ngorongoro Crater 

The biggest memory of the crater was getting to see our only Rhino sightings…  and more importantly some ostriches mating. It was wild, the male ostrich was dancing around trying to woo his girl. He finally impressed her enough, did the deed, and immediately after he just walked away.  

Also dinner here was a little bit off, it definitely felt less community based and the vibes of all the other people there were the most pretentious of the trip. It was still a good time and we had fun, but it wouldn’t be somewhere we would go back to in the future.

Serengeti 

After Ngorongoro crater, we had a few small plane rides to make it to the Serengeti. We were all a little scared as the Serengeti camp was run by the same group as Ngorongoro. We were wrong. The Serengeti was the best part of the trip and between our guide Emmanuel, the staff, and the location it was the perfect culmination of our 10-day adventure.  

We saw another diverse group of animals, but by far more quantity than either of our other two stops: Becca’s List for the Serengeti

Our first day was filled with more of our favorite animals: leopards, cheetahs, and elephants but on the second day we had our eyes set on something bigger: a river crossing. The famed wildebeest, running in large groups trying to make it across a river fighting the current and dodging predators in a journey for more grass to feed on. We pulled up to a spot where they were congregating, staying far back from the edge to prevent spooking them. Warned by Emmanuel of false starts and long waits, it was a huge surprise when 15 minutes later the crossing began. Us, along with quite a few other jeeps floored it to the viewpoint as thousands of wildebeest sprinted across the river, kicking up dust, water, and everything else while we sat in awe. And if that wasn’t enough, we got to see a second one an hour later!!   

On our final day, Emmanuel had something special for us. (I’ll take a brief aside here to talk about Emmanuel. What an incredible guide. His passion for the animals shined through every second and he was constantly able to put is in the best position to see the animals and sights we wanted to see. He made our Serengeti safari what it was)  

Anyways he took us to the Kenya and Tanzania border stones! Erected to prevent safari crews from “unknowingly” cross the border in search of better animals, we had some amazing coffee here while taking fun family photos standing in two countries at once! 

How do you end a trip as epic as this one? In the pouring rain, we were getting absolutely soaked and refusing to put the windows down. We were yelling, laughing, cheering, and enjoying every soaking second of our final drive as thunderstorms rolled into the Serengeti. 

After a few more skip, jump plane rides we began the long journey back from Kenya to the United States, flying through Qatar. I took my longest flight ever (15ish hours) and somehow managed to stay up long enough to adapt to the time zone to enjoy my two weeks back in Seattle.  Also shoutout to my sister who watched all 7 Harry Potter movies on the flight.

More from the Masai Mara:

More from the Ngorongoro Crater:

More from the Serengeti: