Thursday, January 30, 2025

Technology saved me

                                                  
 

One of my son's travel goals was overnight backpacking in Denali.  So on our Alaska trip we paid for extra checked luggage to bring all our stuff needed.  Well- not all of our stuff.  I didn't bring my hiking boots.  Found this out when we were going to hike in the snow at Kenai Fjords National park.  I didn't let it stop me which was fine at the lower altitudes.  We ran into snow as we got higher as you would expect considering our goal was glacier and its mother icefield. It was clear we weren't going to make it nearly as far as we planned as I kept losing my shoe is the snow.  Oh well- no frostbite despite a very wet foot.  I was able to go to REI.com and order a new pair of my boots from the Anchorage store when we passed back through going north.  Same shoe- no issues breaking it in and I knew I'd like it.

Anyway, we got to Denali.  To do backcountry backpacking you need to stop at the ranger station the day prior.  You would discuss with them you goals and experience level.  They would help you come up with a plan, and make arrangements for transportation to your site.  The park is divided into 87 sections.  Each day only a handful of people can backpack in each section.  Your permit limits you only that section. 

When we went Deanli had an issue with its road.  There is only one way to the backcountry and about halfway in the road was closed by a landslide.  This requires a multi- year repair that wont be done until 2026. Half of Denali is still pretty good, and we were able to see the mountain at times.  That doesn't happen every day, so it was still good.  

We had seats on an early camper bus.  These have some seats ripped out for gear.  We rode to the end of the line.  Our section was near the end of the road.  We would hike around the base of a hill for a couple miles before descending to a river.  The park system asks people not to reveal too much information to prevent overexposure and over use of any 1 section. There are no trails, and the land takes time to recover.  Once we met up with the river we would hike along and in the river back to the road.  Our plan was to overnight along the river banks- it was up to us to pick our spot.  We would then finish the hike in the morning.  I tend to overload our schedule so my goal was to catch the first bus so we could get to the car.  We were going to drive from Denali to near Wrangell- St. Elias National Park, so the earlier start the better.

The hike was everything it was supposed to be.  Overland hiking off trail without significant signs of previous people.  We created our own path.  When we got to the ridge overlooking the river a trail through the bush down the hill would have been nice- but we made it.  Very far from a straight line, a fair amount of back tracking.  Saw some beavers and their dams.  The river had a wide gravel bed with various channels running through it.  As we started hiking on the river bed it became clear we would be walking in the bed at times, on the banks at times, and crossing the channels pretty frequently.  


Soon after entering the river bed I noticed something.  I wasn't sure but the binoculars confirmed it was a bear.  I'm terrible at distances but maybe 200 yards away.  Not close, but if the bear wanted us dead it could clear that distance in almost no time.  We were required to have bear spray, so we got it out.  The bear didn't show much interested and within 10-15 minutes it crossed to far side of the river bed and into the woods.  We resumed our hike- slowly, and watching for the bear to return.  

Here is where my inevitable screw up comes in. Our backpacks have straps on the outside.  They are mostly used for our sleeping pad, but I put the tentpoles in them as well.  They should have been in the backpack.  At some point I noticed them falling off Will's backpack.  I fixed them and went on.  At some point though they fell off again.  We crossed water channels up to waist deep at times.  We climbed the banks of the river.  We hiked from the bear to the site we decided to make camp which was maybe 5 miles.  It was tough hiking at time- but fun.  We started to make camp- and no poles.  We were in  Alaska in May where the weather can turn in a moment in what would be inadequate shelter with really no communication with the outside world and considering the last bus had passed- no real way out.

So this is where technology saved us.  I had used a GPS tracking app.  It was good.  So good I could walk in our footsteps even when I couldn't see them.  If the poles fell out in the water we were out of luck. I did remember fixing the tentpoles so although there was a lot of trail between where I put them back, it wasn't all the way to the dropoff site.  I left Will and our stuff and armed with my phone I retraced our steps.  I made much quicker time without the backpack and about 2 miles from campsite I found a spot we fought up an embankment through the trees.  It was a site I remembered as being a problem, and there they were.  I got lucky- luckier than I deserved.  But I had them.

We got the tent set up and had a nearly dark free Alaskan night.  We got up early and made our way to the road.  At this point the river was in the shade, so it was mostly snow/ ice on the river.  Plenty of open water though I ended up hiking in my socks and camp sandals as that was marginally more comfortable than my soaked boots.  In the end though we got our bus and got out.  Not completely uneventful as our bus broke down and we had to wait for the next one, but after every thing that was barely a problem.


Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Bad decisions on a cliff


On Maui 2016 I mentioned we had a brush with death.  Unfortunately it wasn't the only one.  I don't think we were that close with this, but it was closer than it should have been.
Maui is made up of a couple mountains.  Somehow there are roads around the outside of these mountains.  On the east side it is the legendary Road to Hana. This is an amazing drive we did early in the trip.  The drive is the destination.  One thing though is a lot of the cliff side roads narrow to one lane.  There are a ton of cars, and you wait your turn if there is oncoming traffic.  As long as you are not in a hurry it works. This was a great day
On our last day we headed to the much less visited north west side.  Not as scenic, but still scenic.  It gave us something to do while we waited for our evening flight out.  The one ways were less formal.  After what seemed like a million of the we were on our way back.  On the stretch of road it meant we were on the outside.  In my infinite wisdom I looked at the road and thought- I bet two cars can fit.  This didn't really affect the other person- they were next to the mountain.  

It turns out there was not enough room for two cars.  As we were going I felt a small portion of the road give under me.  I stopped, and we both hoped out the drivers side.  We were safe, but we only had 3 wheels on the ground.  And we were blocking the only road.  Not a great situation to be in.  Our flight was later that evening.  We were not going any where.  I guess I could have gotten back in and tried to back up- but not something I wanted to do.  I couldn't exactly call AAA.  
Luckily a local showed up.  I didn't ask him if anyone had done this before, but he wasn't exactly surprised.  He was able to tow me off the edge, for the small price of everything I had on me, plus another $100 to be sent from home.  A small price to pay for my stupidity.
Also- Will fell into the water and his phone never worked right again


Tuesday, January 28, 2025

The worst national park


I'll be honest.  The title is a bit unfair.  The park has a goal.  It does that well.  However the goal isn't entertaining tourists.  I have been to 61 National Parks across the world and this was my only experience I would say was unpleasant however.

In 2019 I took my son, one of his friends, and my daughter north to Canada to see the incredible parks of the Canadian Rockies.  Banff and Jasper are among the best national parks in the world.  However looking at the map there is another park on the way.  Elk Island- not too far outside Edmonton. It is not a particularly scenic location.  It does protect the largest collection of ungulates in Canada.  Lots of animals in a small area? Sounds perfect.

Perhaps the fault isn't the parks.  Perhaps the problem was my plan.  Looking back if we had used the time to do a short detour and do a vehicle safari we probably would have been fine.  Perhaps even enjoyed it.  Instead I researched it and found hiking trails we might like.  So off we went.  First- the trails weren't very scenic.  No surprise- its about the animals not the scenery.

Second- we didn't see many animals.  Maybe it was bad luck.  Maybe trails are designed to stay away from the animals.  Probably a smart way to plan it.  Anyway we didn't have any great encounters.


I guess we shouldn't say we didn't have animal encounters- as long as you count mosquitos.  I've lived much of my life in places with mosquitos.  This was something else.  We had bug spray.  If it help I can't imagine what it would be like without it. 

We didn't see many mammals, but our walk took us past the droppings of many of them.  When we weren't slapping bugs away we were walking trying to avoid the piles.  It obviously smelled about what you would expect it to.  Between the bugs and poop, our senses were overwhelmed, and not in a good way.  

On the plus side when we were in the car we did see a few buffalo.  This was the first time my son's friend saw a buffalo.  It was cool seeing the wonder of the experience.  If that's all we had done I think we would have been much happier.  Fortunately this first park of the trip would be mostly quickly forgotten as we saw Jasper next.  The mosquito bites would force us to remember at least for the next few days though.



Monday, January 27, 2025

Death snorkel


When I travel I tend to favor doing things over relaxing.  We sign up for a lot of outings.  Some feel like there is a bit of danger to them.  In reality probably not.  These are professionals with systems worked for keeping people feel safe.  The illusion of danger makes it more fun.  That's not to say things can't happen.  I just didn't expect to encounter death in a combo whale watching/ snorkel cruise.

In 2016 I took Will to Maui.  One of the things we did was sign up for a catamaran trip to Molokini crater to snorkel.  Multiple companies offer trips.  Honestly- there wasn't much difference between the trips.  They took you from the same place to the same place and charged about the same.  I had 2 companies I liked.  Not sure how I ended up choosing. 


Beautiful morning trip.  Cruised by some whales on the way out.  Took about a half hour to the crater.  We got there and I noted the boat from the other company arrived about when we did.  We got in the water and started snorkeling.  Very nice.

I realized soon after there was a bit of a commotion.  The other boat was calling it's snorkelers back on board.  Then I noticed the employees were doing CPR on the deck.  They got everybody back on and started the slow process of getting back to harbor.

I learned this is actually not  uncommon.  People escape to paradise and naturally want to do stuff.  Stuff they don't normally do at home.  To be fair I don't know the gentleman's story. Perhaps he wasn't the stereotypical couch potato who decides to up their activity level.  Get in relatively cool water and exerts themselves.  The body isn't ready.


I don't know for sure he didn't make it.  I do know the boat didn't have meds.  I do know we were a half hour from land and CPR is tiring.  I hope my assumption is wrong.  If so I'm very impressed with the rescue skills of the boat's employees.  

Anyway for those of  us who stayed the snorkeling was beautiful.  We saw more whales.  We made the most of the day we had

Sunday, January 26, 2025

The border


 Taking a break from Kilimanjaro I thought I would talk about other things I've done.  Instead of awesome adventures, I'd rather talk about screw ups, or near screw ups.  This would be a situation that I probably was in over my head.  Ended up ok, but probably dumb luck. New Years Eve 2022 Will and I flew to Belize.  Why Belize? It was a tropical escape in winter.  Instead of an island, this allowed us to have a beach escape along with mainland adventures.  One of which was Tikal.  Tikal was over the border in Guatemala. It is a huge ancient Mayan city in the jungle.  One of my prized books is a Lonely Planet list of the 500 best places to visit in the world.  So it seemed natural to add on to the Belize trip.

Quick background which is probably relevant.  South of the US border, the American mainland was divided between Portugal and Spain.  There are a few exceptions- 3 small countries in northeast South America, and Belize.  Belize wasn't really claimed by the British.  Like the British always seem to have done, they showed up.  It wasn't claimed as a colony. It wasn't considered particularly valuable land, so besides some half hearted efforts they weren't removed from the Spanish land. Eventually it did become a colony.  However, when Guatemala became liberated they never recognized the British claim.  To this day Guatemala considers Belize to be part of Guatemala.


To get to Tikal, we had two choices.  Perhaps the smarter way would be to join an organized tour and take a motorcoach in style.  Let someone else deal with the details.  Obviously this was not my choice.  Instead we would drive a rental car across a contested border into a nation I did not know the language.  

To be fair- I had my reasons.  First- we'd be able to spend the night.  This would giv, it didn't feel righte us more time.  We'd also be able to control what we did, and at our pace. And it would help us gain a better understanding of the country.  I've never done a bus tour- but it just seems like you don't really leave your bubble.

We weren't obviously the first tourists to do this.  First we had to pick a company that allowed this and have them prepare the paperwork needed. First we handled the Belize side.  Stop at 2 booths, pay the fee, stamp our passport and get into the car.  We had to get it sprayed and head into Guatemala.

Once in Guatemala we were adopted by a local who spoke English.  We changed money with us then walked us through the process.  I had read up on things, but no amount of reading really prepares you for the powerless feeling I had going through this. The border officials did not speak English and were not particularly interested in helping us.  We were at the mercy of our new friend.  He walked us through the lines and people to see and translated for us.  So far so good.  Then we needed to pay.  Here's where my suspicions went into overdrive.  He walked us outside and into a hut.  This was absolutely not an official building.  They seemed to be a small kitchen serving food.  I gave them the money I was told to, and given a receipt.  Although I had zero trust in the process- what was I going to do? Say no? Then what?  I would have to crash and burn I guess and start the process anew a little wiser.  I got the receipt and told to drive towards the heavily armed soldiers with the papers.  Again what choice did I have.  I tipped our guide and hoped for the best.  Surprisingly it worked.


Tikal was great.  We had a hotel on site.  The park is really in the jungle- not much around.  It was an excellent experience.  We did do a tour.  Our guide was fascinating.  I think in days past he was an active archeologist.  I think he had been on the wrong side of some revolutionary times.  Wasn't sure it was polite to ask too much.  He definitely had some ideas of how thing could be done better, but also the resignation of one who knows his opinion- even though he is better informed- isn't going to be listened to.  Anyway we saw some ruins, some monkeys, some coatis.  We had limited electricity and wifi.  We learned, and were on our way back the next day.  Heading back to Belize was simpler, but they wanted to look at our luggage.  Normally not a problem, but my suitcase self destructed during the process.  Ended up having to buy tape in Belize and wrapping it in tape.  Somehow it survived the flight home.  Next time I think I will avoid the disputed land border crossings in a rental car if I don't know the language, but we survived with a story to tell.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Day 3 Kilimanjaro

 


Day three started well.  We got sleep.  My worries that Will would bail were mitigated.  He would continue- at least for another day.  With that I could focus on task at hand.  We would initially continue our march upward.  It would be about 6 miles today- first three would be uphill to 15,000 feet, then lunch and down to 13,000.  You might ask- why go down? Actually the original route which is still used is much like that.  3 days up to elevation of 15,000, then at midnight- attack the summit.  Another day down, and you have your 5 days.  The success rate of doing this is approximately a dismal 50%.  So by getting to 15,000, and going down it helps with acclimatization and better success later.

This was a tough day.  Going up about 3000 feet in 3-4 miles is not easy at any elevation, but for us used to sea level it was a slog.  We were walking in line pole pole.  It helped being able to focus on the feet in front of you.  We took reasonable breaks.  I was ready for each of them.  As we were going up we would have our daily stop for tea.  I didn't have tea- just my lukewarm water.  I've never tolerated hot drinks.  Coffee is disgusting to me, and tea is just an excuse to have sugary water.  I always felt bad saying no- but I did like the cookies. Ginger for nausea.  Eventually we made the lava tower which was the high point and our lunch spot.  It was in the clouds, so I didn't really see the tower until we were leaving and it cleared a little.  I'm not sure anybody really ate much lunch.  


We did our health check.  My sat was initially a 73%.  Warming hands, different meter, I was able to get to 83.  My HR since the climb had been in the 110s, so that wasn't worse.  I'll be honest- I wasn't sure I was going to make it.  Looking around I also felt like I wasn't the only one though.  However the guides seemed fine with our numbers.  The rest of the walk today was downhill.  I definitely felt better.  Vegetation came back.  A bit weird, but green is nice.  

This was New Years Day- our company had a bit of a treat.  A cake was brought up- and actually really good.  Decorations were out.  They must have been carried up, as was a Santa suit.  Thankfully there was no lap sitting, but it was definitely a fun moment.  We even had non alcoholic champagne to celebrate the New Year. The next morning was going to start late- the trail was narrow so we were going to leave after most groups to have more room. In theory we could sleep in, but the sun would get me up earlier than necessary.


I was happy with our guides.  Our head guide would meet with us each night to go over the next days plan and do the medical check.  The guides took turns setting the pace.  The others would watch for signs of problems.  We always felt we were in good hands.  They lead us in chants to keep us going.  "Nonstop" "Too the top", and such.  

Our group had about 55 support staff.  This morning they gathered before the hike to sing to us. We didn't share a language with most of them, but it felt like they were happy for us.  If I were in a position where I was doing hard work to facilitate someone foreigners leisure I'm not sure how gracious I would be, but that's just me.  Other than the guides, the ones we conversed with were the waiters and chefs.  We were given the next days menu by the chef who always ended it with a charming- you are welcome.  

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Kilimanjaro Second day


 After the poor night of sleep, doubt had set in. Not as much for me, but my son.  I put too much effort (and money) already to give up, but I felt him wavering. He wasn't giving up yet, but wasn't ready to commit beyond the next night. If he were to decide to drop out it opened a lot of questions.  What would he do while I waited? How much would it cost? Would I be better dropping out as well?  Nothing good would come from this.  We got ready and hoped for the best. The hike was shorter- about 3-4 miles only, but with the 3000 foot elevation gain from about 9300 feet to 12300.  There was a lot of climbing up rocks.  Nothing too difficult, more fun actually.  We still moved very slowly.  We started off in the rainforest, but as we climbed got into moorlands.  The vegetation became hardier and more sparse.  Temperatures definitely cooled.  I run hot, so I was still in short sleeves, but most people were getting out warmer clothes.  We had a bit of a light rain as we had entered the clouds, but by mid afternoon we got into camp and had lunch.  We were on the Shira plateau. 

By the end of the hike I was getting a little bit of a headache.  Nothing bad, but it was a sign to watch.  I did not have any nausea or change in appetite which was good.  And we were at 12,000 feet so some symptoms were expected.  Headache didn't last long.

On Kilimanjaro the are actually 3 peaks.  To the east there is Mawenzi at about 16000 feet. The big one is Kibo which is our goal.  Shira is the third- its more of a plateau extending miles to the west of Kibo.  This is what we had achieved with the hike today. The next few days will be ups and downs on the Shira plateau before approaching Kibo itself. Not a tough day, but after we had some rest we had a short hike to get a little higher.  This is consistent with the advice of hike high, sleep low.  Will seemed to do ok, but the physical challenge wasn't going to be the issue for him.  Sleep would be deciding factor.  




Given the shorter hike we had more time to get to know our group.  We each had our individual tents, but we also had the meal tent.  It was full size so it was a contrast to the tents.  They carried chairs and table up the mountain for us.  There was usually hot water for tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.  In the afternoon when it wasn't meal time popcorn was usually provided.  There was usually someone there to socialize with.  We had 14 in our group.  Altezza had another group, but we never interacted with them, or any other group really. 8 Americans, 2 Canadians, 2 Australians, and one each from China and Italy.  Our group had 4 sets of parent child including Will and I.  There was a group of 3 friends, and 3 individuals.  I think we got along pretty well and had no complaints about anyone else. I tried to be a wildcard with meal time seating allowing me to get to know everybody from the group.  

A couple details- our schedule was typically to be woken by waiters with coffee or tea at 630. Warm water for washing and treated cold water for drinking were always provided. Breakfast was typically the same.  Porridge- with sugar, honey, jam was first.  Pancakes, toast, sausages, with fruit were provided. All meals we were provided more food than we could possibly

We always stopped for tea.  Cookies, sweet bread (cake like- not thymus or pancreas which for reasons unclear are called that too), and peanuts were brought out.  

Lunch and dinner were a variety of things.  We always started with watery soups.  This isn't to say they weren't good- they were- but they helped with hydration.  First couple days they brought me chili to add to it.  After overdoing it, I stopped asking for the chili. Typically there would be a starch, vegetables and protein.  If I have a complaint- I got tired of how many vegetables there were.  I always feel pressured that since they are healthy I should eat my vegetables.  By the end of the trip I was turning them down and eating what I wanted.  It would have been hard to go hungry.  For New Years they brought a cake up.  It was actually the best cake I've had in awhile.  I regret not getting a second slice.  

The one thing I did change with my intake was to limit fluids after we got to camp.  We took diamox in am and at lunch, but I did not want to go out at night to toilent tent any more than I had to.  So I drank a ton in the morning.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

The Start of Kilimanjaro


 We woke up and finished packing. Altezza uses Aishi Machame hotel.  I was happy with the hotel. There is a recommendation to have a rest day before climbing which would have been a great idea.  Unfortunately flying in the days after Christmas affected our prices. It's doable- but I wouldn't recommend it. We had breakfast and went to check in.  

Our meeting time was a reasonable 830.   They went over their list and made sure we had everything, and did weigh in. I was 3 kg over the 15 kg limit. Looking back- too many clothes. I had weighed at home but added some stuff. I assumed Will would have space- but he didn't. I made some cuts, then put what I couldn't cut into my day pack. It felt chaotic. We left what we weren't taking with the hotel. We got water, and met our group. We loaded onto the bus and headed to the gate. We had lunch while the guides signed us in, took some photos, and started. Day one was straightforward- gradual up hill on a path. Not the most scenic day.  Saw a couple blue monkeys. There was some rain and it was a gain of 3400 ft elevation over 7 miles. We started to get to know the members of our group. We hiked in single file behind one of the guides. The leader changed every day, but the pace was the same- pole pole. That means slowly slowly. The slow pace helps reduce the risk of altitude sickness and single file helps prepare for the hiking during pitch black of summit night.



By early evening we arrived in camp. We went first for pictures, and then to sign in. The camp was set up. They had tea and popcorn waiting for us. My problems really began once we got into camp. I could not find my glasses. I was convinced I left them behind in the chaos. I tore through my stuff. I was panicking. Then I remembered I put them in my front pocket of my backpack. You know- the most convenient place if I needed them in a rush. I then used my wet wipes to clean up.  It was going to be an adjustment going with out a shower for a week.  I was worried my own smell would get overpowering- but I am happy to say that was not the case with the wet wipes. We had dinner and chatted with the other hikers. We had our first medical check. Pulse ox, heart rate, and symptoms. I rocked that first check at over 9000 feet.

Night started my problems again. First we were taking the diuretic diamox to prevent altitude sickness. Along with the increased fluids we were taking it led to multiple trips to the bathroom overnight. I brought ear plugs, but before bed I didn't get them out.  It wasn't loud, but if I can't sleep I listen. I also did not have my stuff organized so when I did get up I couldn't find my light or what I needed.  Sleep was hard to come by. It was just as bad for Will.  However lessons were learned.



On the plus side we invested $250 for a portable toilet tent. Months prior I had made the decision to splurge on it. I had paid for it ahead of time. I was a bit nervous when the company seemed to have to no recall of this and tried to rent us another one, but we were able to clear this up thankfully. Most of the cost went to hire a porter to handle the needs of carrying and cleaning it. The public facilities were atrocious. If I had to use the public facilities I don't think I would have made it. It is odd to have someone dedicated to your elimination needs, but almost the whole group had one.  

Kilimanjaro Prep



So once I had a plan, the next step is getting ready. I've done a fair amount of hiking, and the daily plan wasn't excessive- except of course summit night. The big problem was that I only had one shot so I didn't want to fail due to a lack of preparation. Also living at sea level meant I had no way to prepare for altitude. So I worked out most days with a combination of treadmill, stairclimber, and a little bit of weights. I also tried to hike most weekends. Wisconsin doesn't have a lot of ways to hike altitudes, but I got creative. The bluffs of La Crosse and Devils Lake allowed almost step like climbing, but Rib Mountain was my main training. On the backside I could get 600 feet of elevation in about a mile. I did this over and over again. My record was up to 9 times over 9 hours. That was over 5000 feet- exceeding the 4000 feet of summit night- albeit at 1000 feet above sea level instead of 15,000. It helped make me think I could do it.

We had a visit with a travel doctor for diamox to help with altitude. We got malaria preventive meds. We got the yellow fever vaccine because our layover was in Ethiopia. It our 2nd flight were delayed- it might be required by Tanzania.

I had most of the stuff needed for the trip, but I did need to make sure I had all the recommend gear and some snacks for along the way.  Our company had a nice list, plus I did research on what others used.  One area I wish I did better was the hands.  Our company recommended mittens, others recommended gloves.  So I bought one pair of each.  I need hand protection every year.  My son preferred the mittens and it worked great.  I had an older set of mittens I brought.  The company suggested the older down mittens over the gloves.  They worked ok, but I wish I just got two sets of the better mittens. 

Otherwise the stuff I bought worked well.  I tend to sweat more than I like.  So I packed more than I needed.  Only the first day was heat the issue.  I used wet wipes to clean up.  It was not a shower, but it was reasonable. I could have packed one less outfit.  

Our flight from Chicago was through Addis Ababa. The flight was about 14 hours, and it was an older plane. My seat was broken, so I was moved away from Will into an aisle. This was not a great start.  We were flying in the am so by the time we landed it would feel like bedtime.  We then would have a 7 hour layover before the second flight.  I really wanted to sleep on the first plane, but knowing my tendencies I wasn't optimistic especially with the new seat. I almost fell asleep, but I did it too early.  For some reason Ethiopian Airlines promotes its duty free shop during the flight. They also announce it at a volume I would have thought only appropriate for an emergency.  Nearly had a heart attack, but whatever.  I was up all 14 hours.  I watched the third season of Industry.  Not bad.  Due to change in flight schedule, our 2 hour layover became 7. The plus side was that Addis Ababa sat at 8000 feet of elevation, so we were able to spend the day getting our bodies used to the high altitude. Also got to try Ethiopian food which was good.  I was left with the impression it was a relaxed place for a layover.  The return flight would dispel that myth. The second flight was a newer plane and much better. After collecting our stuff we met our driver and headed to the hotel for some pre- climb sleep.


So it tasted better than it looks.  The towel looking things are bread to eat the meat mixture


Turning 50


 At the beginning of 2024 I realized I would be turning 50. It seems like an important milestone- and one I was not looking forward to. As I've gotten older, I have redefined what it means to be old. Old is no longer my current age- but a few years down the line. However 50 would not be ignored. I decided I needed to do something big. Some grand gesture to push back. I guess I could have gone skydiving or something, but that didn't feel right.  As an avid hiker, Kilimanjaro seemed like the answer. Challenging, but not impossible. No new skills, but would require training. Something exotic. Something memorable. The world's largest freestanding mountain.  The highest one can hike with any technical skills.

Now that I had a goal- details needed to be worked out. My frequent adventure travel partner is my son Will. He was not moved by the idea. However, he was motivated by the idea of a safari. So we would see go on safari afte
r the climb in some of Tanzania's national parks after the climb.  We settled on late December 2024 start to take advantage of his college break.

There are widely divergent success rates quoted for Kilimanjaro based on various factors. Traditionally it was thought about half the climbers made it. The big issue preventing success is altitude sickness. The number is surely higher now- but hard to find. Hiring a guide is mandatory. Route, number of days, guide company, etc affect success. These details needed to be worked out. The shortest climbs were 5 days- with comparatively poor success rates. 7 days or more have better success. I also decided I wanted to use a company that followed guidelines set for protection of the porters needed to do the support work of the trek (KPAP approved).  I'm sure this added cost, but I figured any company that treated the porters well would treat us well.  I would rather be part of a group climb rather than private- I'm not the most social person, but I liked the idea of meeting other people. After I found out when I could get reasonable airfare it cut most of the options down to one. Our trip was set for 7 days Machame route with Altezza. The number of companies we could use seemed overwhelming, but by setting a few a criteria the decision was easy.  Their website predicted me to have a 90% chance of summiting.

Our flight from Chicago was through Addis Ababa. The flight was about 14 hours, and it was an older plane. My seat was broken, so I was moved away from Will into an aisle. I was not able to sleep as expected, so I watched the third season of Industry.  Not bad.  Due to change in flight schedule, our 2 hour layover became 7. The plus side was that Addis Ababa sat at 8000 feet of elevation, so we were able to spend the day getting our bodies used to the high altitude. The second flight was a newer plane and much better. After collecting our stuff we met our driver and headed to the hotel for some pre- climb sleep.

Kilimanjaro- the finish

All 14 of us had made it to the top.  Our company predicted about 90-95% success so statistically we had exceeded expectations. I was told t...