Category Archives: storytelling

Thursday, July 6, 2023; Day 7 It’s been noisy throughout the night as teams of hikers from Barafu pass through after midnight. They seem to make no effort toward keeping quiet, and there’s singing and shouts as they pass. Our 3am wakeup call arrives quickly, and most of us are up at 2:45am, eager toContinue reading “Kilimanjaro – To Summit”

Wednesday, July 5, 2023; Day 6 I slept okay last night with long periods awake, turning a story over in my mind, the details of which I’ve since forgotten. At 5:50am I sat up when I heard the coffee crew preparing their hot water, and Jason broke the night’s silence with a joke: “You’re likeContinue reading “Kilimanjaro –  To Kosovo/Respicius Camp”

Tuesday, July 4, 2023; Day 5 I slept okay last night, with no real nasal congestion unlike the night before, and the camp quieted down eventually. I had a few 1+ hour stretches of sleep. I jotted in my journal while enjoying my 5am coffee and wondering just how freezing my post-coffee bathroom trip willContinue reading “Kilimanjaro – Up Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp”

Monday, July 3, 2023; Day 4 I didn’t feel quite as cold last night, and I got a solid amount of sleep. I had two mild-but-elaborate nightmares though, both featuring my ex. Ugh. I was a little congested, which is worrisome, but there’s so much dust in the air that blowing my nose leads toContinue reading “Kilimanjaro – To Lava Tower and Barranco Camp”

Sunday, July 2, 2023; Day 3 I slept somewhat more comfortably in the night — my sleeping pad, inflated by our porters before we got to Shira 1, was not overfilled and provided a bit more comfort than it had before. I also learned the trick of zipping my puffy coat down into a smallContinue reading “Kilimanjaro – To Shira 2 Camp”

Friday, June 30, 2023; Day 1 Ndarakwai provided the best night’s sleep of the trip yet, with the combination of the cool breeze through the hut pairing beautifully with the cozy blanket on the comfy bunk. After sleeping at 9p, I woke at 11:30p, already feeling rested. I laid awake comfortably for an hour orContinue reading “Kilimanjaro – Trailhead to Forest Camp”

Thursday, June 29, 2023; Day 0 Another night of rough sleep, but I got two solid blocks from 10:30p-1a and 4a-7:45a. I took a quick shower before heading to our last breakfast at the hotel. There was no omelette chef or hot buffet today, instead we were seated with some of our trekmates at aContinue reading “Kilimanjaro – Meet the Team; To Ndarakwai Lodge”