Kilimanjaro seemed like a dream trip that I could never afford. Between flights, the climb and safari, it was estimating over $10k and I’ve never spent that much money on a vacation before. Luckily, my friend Margeaux (who I met on my Machu Picchu trek) heard about a company with outstanding reviews minus the astronomical cost. Thanks to Popote African Adventures, I was able to make one of my dreams come true (without dropping $10 G’s).
Margeaux and I had several reasons for booking in late September. One, we wanted to line up our summit date with a “New Moon” so we could have unreal views of the stars. Looking back I think this is silly because the stars were outstanding every night and I don’t recall looking up at them during summit…No one is looking at the stars on summit night because your mind is elsewhere 🙂 Second, it’s still considered dry season but the tail end of it so… number three, less tourists. Finally number four, it gave us several months to save money.
As I’ve mentioned before, I use my Southwest points to get me to larger International hubs with the hopes of finding cheaper flights. For this trip, Chicago Midway seemed to have the best deal. I found roundtrip flights for $953 which saved me roughly $550 opposed to leaving from Austin. Keep in mind this also meant two unnecessary layovers that really took a toll on my body coming home. Margeuax paid around $1500 to leave from LAX and her layovers were much more reasonable.
The Kilimanjaro International Airport is very small and located just outside of Moshi. This is not the same as Arusha airport. Tanzania does require a Visa for foreign travelers and it costs $100 for Americans. This can be purchased online or at the airport. Completing this online could help you avoid long wait times at the airport. I stood in line for over an hour to get mine. Popote had transportation lined up for us so there was no additional cost for a taxi. I arrived before Margeuax so I spent some time relaxing until her arrival. Before our trek, we spent a day exploring the Materuni Waterfall within the Chagga tribe region. Later that evening, Popote sent a guide to inspect our gear and insure we were packing the appropriate clothing for the trek. There is a packing list at the bottom of this post 🙂
We chose the 7-day Lomosho Route for our Kilimanjaro climb. It has a 90% success rate and really helps with acclimating before summit night. We booked a group tour but luckily for us it ended up being a private trip! We had two guides, one chef/porter and nine other porters assisting us. With no one else joining our trek, the tip money ran higher than we expected but I can assure you these individuals that help you climb Kilimanjaro are worth it and will take amazing care of you. Tip money is given to the team on the last day so take your money with you. US dollars or Tanzania Shillings are acceptable. Crisp, non-damaged bills with a print date greater than 2010 are preferred. Unfortunately, currency exchange will give them a hard time and a smaller rate otherwise. Expect to pay $8-10/daily per porter, $12-15/ daily per chef and $20-25/daily per guide. These estimates are per day for the entire group- not per climber but with ten porters you can see how this adds up quickly. To really grasp the cost, we ended up tipping $965 total.
The first day began with a short two hour hike and 450 meter climb to Mkubwa Camp (where we stayed for the night). Nico AKA: Beto AKA: Jimmy (pictured above) was a character from the get-go. He was our “waiter” throughout the trek and took amazing care of us. He brought us our meals and warm wash water, forced us to eat when the altitude stole our appetite and kept us laughing 24/7. Yes, you heard me correctly- wash water! There is no shower for 7 days and receiving a bowl of warm wash water was a pleasant surprise! We brought body wipes assuming that would be our only cleaning mechanism.
Day two was very long with stops at Shira Camp 1 and Shira Camp 2. We started at 7:15 AM and did not reach Shira 2 until 5:15 PM going at a decent pace. We gained a lot of altitude and witnessed the change from lush vegetation to chilly desert. We saw several unique flowers that can only be found on Kilimanjaro (pictured above). It’s smart to carry multiple layers in your daypack because the weather on Kilimanjaro is unpredictable. You have no idea when it will be hot, when it will rain or snow or just be utterly cold.
Beto and Sadicky 
DJ MJ 
Another surprise (THANK YOU POPOTE) was having a portable toilet. We expected all bathroom breaks to be squat style along the trail. I couldn’t believe that our porters were able to carry this toilet for us and set it up at every campsite. This was one of Pierre’s many duties while on the mountain. Cannot thank him enough. PIERRE! PIERRE!
Shira Camp 2 sits at 3,850 meters (12,631 ft) above sea level which was our campsite for night two. We established a nightly routine of cleaning up with our wash water, drinking tea or coffee to warm up and indulging in dinner so we could fall asleep with full bellies. Our chef, Sadicky, made delicious meal combinations that consisted of a lot of carbs, protein and fruit. They can accommodate for certain dietary restrictions if you may have any. We had our medical checks at night to check our oxygen saturation levels and pulse. On night two my oxygen was 92% and I felt great with no signs of altitude sickness.
Day three was a long journey to Lava Tower and Baranco Camp but we could finally see Mother Kili in front of us.
It is also where the Machame and Lemosho route adjoin. If you look closely at the photos below you can see the tiny ant-like people that are hiking the Machame route towards Lava Tower.
We finally made it to Lava Tower (4600 meters, 15,091 ft) for our lunch break which sits higher than the tallest portion of the Inca Trail (Dead Woman’s Pass) that we had both conquered just two years ago. Until this point, that was the highest altitude I’d ever experienced. The weather started to take a turn and became very cloudy with some mist. It was also frustrating that we gained all of that altitude just to take a drastic descent down to Baranco Camp at 3900 meters (12,795 ft).
Do not forget to look at the stars at night. It’s hard to spend time outside of the tent because you’re cold and tired but do yourself a favor and spare a few minutes. They really are breathtaking. I saw the Milky Way every single night!
Day four was probably my favorite. The weather had cleared up and we had a beautiful view of Kili from our campsite. The guys decided it was time to start the day with some encouraging tunes. JAMBO.. JAMBO BWANA!
Also, the crew taught us a lot of Swahili while we were on the mountain! “Poa kichizi Kama ndizi ndani ya friji” means “cool like a banana in the fridge” which is my favorite. By the end of our trip we could carry on a conversation and count to ten, haha. Margeaux could even get to twenty.
Day 4 started with scaling the Barranco Wall (my favorite part of our journey). It varied from the rest of the trail because it required actual rock climbing with your hands. Don’t forget to smooch “The Kissing Rock” as you hug your way past it. Do not look down and choose your steps wisely. This seems like an appropriate time to applaud the porters for carrying 20kg worth of gear on their backs while taking the same difficult trail. I am so thankful for their help.
Another bonus of using Popote… MJ’s DJ skills. DJ MJ on Kilimanjaro bringing the fire! FIRE BABY!
The day finished early with our campsite at Karanga Camp (3995 meters, 13,106 ft). The guys had mentioned we might take a second hike later in the day for something to do and help with acclimating but the weather was too bad for us to do so. It never really stopped raining that day. We both brought books for the journey and I suggest you do as well. With no cell service for seven days; you can only look at your photos so many times, haha. There were a couple occurrences where the guys got service but this was only with their local companies such as Vodacom. SIM cards can be purchased in town prior to the trek.
The next morning we woke up above the clouds. Just a floor of marshmallow fluff right outside our tent. That’s not something you’ll experience everyday! Day five was an easy hike to Barafu Camp at 4673 meters (15,331 ft) above sea level. In my opinion, day five had the best views. You could even see the top of Mt. Meru, a stratovolcano (the most dangerous kind of volcano) just 60 kilometers from Kilimanjaro. It is ranked the fifth tallest mountain in Africa. We were told that Mt Meru is also very hard to summit despite it being shorter than Mother Kili.
Barafu Camp is considered “base camp” for Kilimanjaro. This is your last chance to rest before starting your summit journey. Sleeping during the day was difficult so I suggest bringing a sleeping mask. Dixon and MJ (our guides) suggested we wear 5-6 top layers and 4-5 bottom layers. Staying warm is crucial, especially your fingers and toes. I put hand warmers in my gloves and boots which seemed to really help.
Reality 
Insta worthy
Climbing Kilimanjaro to the roof of Africa at 5895 meters (19,341 feet) is my greatest achievement thus far in life. I’m not going to give you the deets on how hard it is. As our guide Dixon explained, “Kilimanjaro is a tough game. Let your friends play next.” It’s an emotional experience that requires a positive mind. NEVER let your mind decide that you cannot do something. If you remember any Swahili from your trip it’ll be “pole pole” meaning “slow, slow.” Climbing Kilimanjaro is not a race. You can take as much time as you need.
PEARL JAM
Unlike Machu Picchu, there is no bus picking you up to take you back down the mountain. BUMMER. You must descend the ole’ fashion way. We were so exhausted when we finally reached camp that the guys helped us remove our gear. They were in high spirits, congratulating us for conquering the ultimate challenge. We were given time to eat and take a nap before moving on to high camp where we slept for our final night.
The next morning we made our descent to civilization. Before you know it the birds are chirping and you’re making your way through the forest of colorful flowers and overgrown greenery. We were moving at a fast pace fueled by excitement and superhero strength at normal oxygen levels.
MJ, Margeaux, Myself and Dixon.
WE MADE IT! The boys cracked open some brews as soon as we signed the guest book. There is no way I would have made it without this spectacular crew provided by Popote African Adventures. We were given unlimited motivation, laughs, safety and support from that group of men and I will forever be grateful to conquer a dream with their help.
Download my Kilimanjaro Packing List to help you prepare for your next adventure! These are items I either swear by or wish I had with me.