White Christmas in Africa - the great escape

It wasn't even on my top 10 list of travel destinations, but my friend's experience of climbing the Kilimanjaro in Tanzania was so tempting that I decided to challenge myself as well. It was definitely worth all the money and even the little suffering. If you're looking for an adventure and challenging your mind and body, this is for you!

Without much of researching, I decided to take the 7-day Machame route that seemed to have the highest success rate in reaching the top of the mountain. It was a beautiful route, and, in fact, I was afterwards a bit surprised how the whole Kilimanjaro business is so much focused on just reaching the summit, rather than on enjoying the gorgeous nature in the Kilimanjaro National Park and the lovely - when you're not suffering from the altitude sickness - path.

I booked the trek from Ahsante Tours according to my friend's recommendation and I was super happy with our guides (and the rest of the 18 people in the staff) as well as with my fellow trekkers, 2 Americans and 3 Australians. The experience wouldn't have been the same without this amazingly supportive and motivating group that never failed to keep up the positive spirit and confidence in ourselves: "We can make it! - We were born to make it!"

It's not really a technically demanding hike. The path is in good condition and at most times not even very steep. However, the altitude is something that you can't really prepare yourself for. It's quite unexpected how it will affect you; being fit doesn't mean that you will have easier time on the mountain. 

So if 65 km in 7 days does not seem like a big challenge, it might be that when you go through it with a constant headache, stomach problems, and general weakness and dizziness. It is the altitude and the emotional and psychological stress that comes with it that makes the climb such an interesting and difficult endeavor. I was curious to see how I will react to it and what I will learn about myself on the way.

The first day we passed through a rainforest and on the second day we entered to a more alpine like vegetation zone.

The first two days of the hike were pretty easy as we climbed from the Machame gate (1800 m) to the Machame hut (3000 m) and then to Shira hut (3800 m). Obviously we immediately gained quite of a lot of altitude, but we did it "pole pole", meaning very slowly. And I mean very slowly, as grandmothers strolling forward in a sleepy village. But this was the trick to not to get exhausted or lose breath, and it worked perfectly for me.  

We had great views of the second highest mountain of Tanzania, Mt. Meru (4600 m).

The sky wasn't always blue during the hike. On the first day we actually had a heavy rain around noon at which point I was feeling a bit desperate going through in my mind whether I have enough clothes for such weather conditions and whether I am able to dry my clothes during the rest of the hike. 

Somehow my hiking boots were leaking so I was already imagining how my wet feet will freeze at the top of the mountain. Luckily, on the second day it only rained for a short while and for the rest of the hike we were spared of rain. Good rain gear is however a must on the mountain as it is quite impossible to dry wet clothes in the cold conditions and the weather is unpredictable. 

Every day I had more and more wet and sweaty socks drying around in the tent (luckily I wasn't sharing), but it was quite desperate.

For me the third day of the hike was the most difficult one. The day started as a sunny one and we had great views of Kilimanjaro from the camp. Already at night, the moonlit snowcapped Kilimanjaro and the starry sky had amazed me. The most beautiful night sky I've ever seen. Purely magnificent! I don't know if it was already the altitude messing up with my brains or what, but this view made me want to cry and I could just feel deep gratitude of the opportunity of climbing this mountain. Even after the challenge of the third day, this was how I felt.

The challenge of the third day was to climb from 3800 m to 4600 m to Lava Tower and then descend back to 3950 m of Barranco camp. The first half of the day's hike I was feeling ok, just having a little headache. However, after 4000 m I was suffering of nausea and weakness; I just wanted to lie down and have a nap - and cry. 

It was a pretty silent hike in general, my fellow-hikers were also feeling tired and the joyful chatter had broken off, all of us concentrating hard on the path. Finally at the cold and windy Lava Tower I bursted into tears out of exhaustion and desperation. "I will never make it to the top if I already feel so bad now", I was thinking. I had lost my appetite, which didn't make it any easier to continue and descend to the camp. Half-asleep, in some automatic walking mood I made it to the Barranco camp and felt better immediately after throwing up (oh, pineapple for breakfast)...  

After the experience of the third day, I resorted to doping, that is, using Diamox, a drug that can reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. I didn't have it with me, but luckily my Australian friends had, and it did the trick (or I just got acclimatized - who knows) as I wasn't suffering from nausea during the rest of the hike. We only took a half of a tablet in the evening as recommend by our guide. The only side-effect was the need to go to the toilet at night, which was a bit annoying with all the carefully prepared sleeping arrangements in the freezing tent. But waking up three times a night was still better than going through Day 3 again (and hey, gorgeous night sky!).

Rush hour at Barranco wall. We weren't alone in conquering Kilimanjaro. Around 70-80 other tourists were doing it with us, and probably around 200-300 staff members. I didn't mind the crowd, actually the atmosphere on the mountain was great; we were similar-minded people having the same objective. Something you rarely experience in "real life".

Day 4 consisted of climbing the Barranco wall, and for the first time there was a bit of technical challenge in the hike, but in a nice way. Our group was again full of energy and up we went singing and joking. On the top of Barranco wall with amazing views of the clouds below, we had a great photo session, and compared to the previous day, the feeling was fantastic. However, we had thought that the climb up to Barranco wall would be the challenge of the day, but afterwards we still had to hike down and up again, which really sucked the energy out of us - no singing during the rest of the hike. But the day's hike was beautiful and my favorite of the Machame route.

Porters carrying our stuff, food, tents, etc. were doing an amazing job. They carried the heavy loads on top of their heads and usually run in front of us to set the camp ready before our arrival. Something we all were highly grateful for every day.

The fifth day was a short hike from Karanga camp (3960 m) to the base camp, Barafu hut at 4600 m. The scenery changed and we were now up in the gravel zone with occasional mountain flowers. The hike took us only around 3 hours, and this is why some groups combine the hikes of the 4th and 5th day to make the Machame route in 6 days. However, making the route in 7 days gives more time for acclimatization and also helps you gather enough energy at Barafu hut before the hike to the summit. Suddenly, here we were at the base camp on the fifth day and the following night was our final trial, the hike to Uhuru Peak of Kilimanjaro, the highest point in the continent.

At Barafu hut we first had lunch and a couple of hours apart, already the dinner before trying to sleep at around 19h. The atmosphere at the camp was expectant and we got the last instructions from our guides. Enough clothes, Diamox, more clothes, trust in yourself, pole pole, and off we go. Hakuna matata! Shit! Why not beach holidays?

At 23h30 we set off to climb, a bit terrified. The starry sky and the full moon were shedding light on our way and we hardly needed to use our headlamps. The mountain looked massive ahead of us. It was massive. The wind was blowing like hell and the gusts were so strong I needed to stop to breath. 

The first hour was a steep climb up, but at this point we still had energy. The worst part was the cold, my fingers were freezing for holding the walking poles and my nose was running constantly. We were among the first ones to leave the camp - I guess our guides had noticed that we take "pole pole" seriously... Some groups overtook us, but reaching the top is not a competition, so I was mainly focused on putting one foot ahead of the other. Walking slowly forward and up without even understanding what I'm doing, again in the sleep-walking mood. The hike to the summit was not about the path, it was about reaching the destination.

After reaching 5000 m, our silent group got weaker and each step became more difficult. We were walking like drunk, stumbling and hitting our toes on the stones. Leaning to our guides and trying to find refuge from the wind. Even those who hadn't felt the altitude sickness before were now suffering from headache and dizziness. We saw a few people descending before reaching the top. The privilege of going through the suffering voluntarily... 

Our guides were pointing us the lights ahead of us: "Look, that's already the Stella Point, only a few more steps, you can do it!" The lights at Stella Point (5765 m) looked so far away and we reached many fake peaks before getting there. Desperate and tired at each fake peak. 

The few last hundred meters I was clinging to Musa, one of our guides, more for emotional support than physical. I was thinking that it would be ok to stop at Stella Point, that I wouldn't need to continue to Uhuru Peak, a further 10o m up. This was the only time I was considering of giving up.

Once at Stella Point, after around 6.5 hours of walking, the sun started rising and the wind became weaker. A little bit of hot tea and a few bites of a Snicker bar (thank you multinational chocolate companies...) and walking up to Uhuru Peak (5895 m) seemed again feasible. Hand in hand with Musa, we walked the last 20 minutes to the ultimate peak. Surprisingly, I didn't cry, although I feel like crying just now when thinking of that moment. It was Christmas Day and we were on the roof of Africa. This was the best Christmas present ever (perhaps because I never got a dog).

The views from the summit were stunning (well, everything was stunning then!). Unfortunately, according to some predictions, the glaciers will have melted by 2030, so these are the last moments to witness the snow of Kilimanjaro.

The way down was easy, we were almost running in the soft gravel back to the base camp where we had a nap and a lunch (and many high-fives) before continuing for a few hours to the Millenium camp (3800 m) for the last night of relaxation and going through our personal experiences. Relief, celebration, exhilaration. We did it - and we did it together!

The last day was a long walk down to Mweka gate, being tough for the front thighs and knees, but it was liberating to walk fast and easily, and little by little removing layers of clothes. More importantly, no stress about reaching or not reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. And ah, thinking of a shower waiting for us in the hotel.

Absolute musts for a comfortable trip:
-enough warm clothes, most of the time it is very cold (only on the first day I was wearing shorts)
-a real winter gear for the summit night (it can be -10°C and with the wind it feels much colder)
-another pair of shoes for the camps
-sun lotion and sun glasses (my lips were badly burnt, with the cold air, it's even worse)
-camel bag for water (I didn't have one, which meant that I wasn't drinking enough water as we didn't make many pauses during the hike)
-good rain gear (you don't dry anything on the mountain)
-enough warm socks (you want to have a fresh pair for each day)
-thermal underwear (this trip is not about looking good on the way)
-wet swipes for a little cleaning (you get a handful of hot water in the camp)
-Diamox for altitude sickness and painkillers 
-diary to write down the day's adventure or what you feel grateful for that day
-head lamp and extra batteries
-enough money for good tips to the staff
-protein bars and snacks
-GoPro camera (I don't have one, but seemed like a great idea)
-positive energy, self-confidence, and team spirit

Hiking and haikus in Jotunheimen

After reading Johanna Sinisalo's novel Birdbrain (could be added to my list of eco-lit), I've been dreaming of leaving the civilization behind for a while and go hiking with one week's food packed in my backpack. Be at the mercy of the nature and/or admire its wonders. Well, I didn't quite shake the civilization's dust off my feet, but I had a wonderful 6-day hike in the Jotunheimen National Park in Norway with a friend of mine.

On Leirvassbu-Gjendebu route.

I have to say that I didn't quite understand that there are such amazing mountains so close to Finland (unfortunately Lapland now feels pretty lame). No need to fly all the way to the Alps. Yet alone to the Himalayas that my friend was recalling at the sight of the Norwegian mountains and valleys. Though flying would be easier than our night in the boat to Stockholm, 6-hour train to Oslo (almost 90 EUR), 3 hours bus ride to Fagernes (around 40 EUR) and hitchhiking for the last 1.5 hours until Gjendesheim (although we were lucky to get a ride in around 5 minutes straight to our final destination). However, this slightly cumbersome trip only put me into a real travelling mood.

For good information on the hiking routes, I used the website Tilltops. It has short descriptions of the routes shown in the map below. We did the following route: Gjendesheim-Glitterheim (1), Glitterheim-Spiterstulen (27: because the route 2 via Glittertind was unrecommended due to bad weather), Spiterstulen-Galhøpiggen (4), Spiterstulen-Leirvassbu (29), Leirvassbu-Gjendebu (28) and finally Memurubu-Gjendesheim (3).

And on this blog, I have written my own description of our 6-day hike in Jotunheimen and illustrated it with some photos taken with a digital pocket camera (everything you pack, you need to carry all the way...). When Tilltops wrote something like "a slight climb" it usually meant something more like "a hell of a climb up if you're not a native Norwegian huntsman", and when it said "a bit stoney", it was more like "what the fuck is wrong with this country", and when it described the path as "unexciting" for us it was spectacular views.

By the Lake Gjende.

After the first - and extremely windy - night in our ultralight tent by the Lake Gjende we were full of energy to start our hike. My friend opted for a heavy breakfast in the Gjendesheim guesthouse (140 kr, or almost 18 EUR), but I was impatient to try out our cooking equipment and lighten my backpack with some grams (the weight of your bag becomes very important after a long way in the mountains). Breakfast included 2 dl of porridge with some goji berries (just pour in the boiling water) and green tea. I had exactly measured this for 6 mornings. The sun was shining and I enjoyed the lovely landscape of the mountains and the green lake. Holidays!

Day 1: Gjendesheim-Glitterheim.

Our first hike was estimated to be 7 hours long, but with our breaks it took around 10 hours. It was our longest, and also the hardest, day trek during our trip. At 8h53 we set off and immediately tested the strength of our thighs on the steep path towards the mountains in the North. The views were spectacular from the beginning. We walked by the Lake Bessvatnet (altitude 1370m) and had a longer break by the Lake Russvatnet listening to the rapids nearby, admiring the snowcapped mountains and writing our first haiku poems. Beautiful everywhere you looked!

"Hennosti kasvaa

Vieressä virtauksen

Runosuonikin."

After lunch I already encountered the first slightly scary moment when we had to cross rapids where a bridge had been destroyed. Adrenaline floating, I surpassed my own fear, and continued with a stronger self-confidence. Wonderful!

After three o'clock I started feeling the hike and the gentle slopes in my muscles. But this was only when the climb really started. The rest of the hike was uncomfortable stony way but the surrounding views were great. Just when I thought we must already be close to our camp site, there was still one steep hill and crossing of snow. This was a moment of slight disheartenment. The last hour was quite painful - gladly, this was the only time during our 6-day hike that I was feeling a loss of energy. 

We put up our tent and measured that it wouldn't be too close to the Glitterheim guesthouse. There was always an official camping ground around the guesthouses, so we had to make sure that we were 1 km away from the house or somehow hidden behind rocks or trees (in order not to pay the around 10 EUR camp fee per person). This meant that we weren't official customers so we had to pay for the shower and weren't really allowed to use the toilets. In Glitterheim the shower was 5 kr, or less than 1 EUR, for three minutes of hot water. Ah, a relief (and the last hot shower during our trek).

Day 2: Glitterheim-Spiterstulen.

We woke up with a very heavy wind and some grey clouds in the sky. After some reflection, we decided (wisely) not to climb Glittertind (2466m) on the way to Spiterstulen but opt for an easier (but "unexciting" said the guide) route. The (not so unexciting) path started with some duckboards, and there were also some spots were there could have been duckboards. I needed to use my friend's hiking sticks to make it safely over these spots. However, in general, the sticks are not needed on the trekking routes we took.

The heavy wind continued and after one hour of hiking it also started raining. Some reindeers (basically the only animals we saw during the entire hike) were watching our smooth journey between the mountains. Before we were half-way through there were some exciting moments when we had to cross steep snow patches. A slip could have ended up in a half-frozen mountain lake.

After a long stoney path (see below this annoying and ankle-twisting path), the last leg of the hike was downhill. The route was estimated to be 5 hours long but again we exceeded this by almost 3 hours.

In Spiterstulen, we had to look for a camping place quite far from the guesthouse, but found a nice and calm spot along the river. After the cold and rainy day, when at moments I had been dreaming of a glass of red wine, we ate pizza at the guesthouse's cafeteria. It was expensive as everything in Norway, 150 kr, almost 20 EUR, but the leftovers served as a great lunch the next day.

The harsh conditions in the mountains don't discourage pretty little flowers from living there.

Day 3: Galdhøpiggen.

From Spiterstulen it is possible to reach many of Norway's highest peaks. We of course chose the highest of them all, Galdhøpiggen (2470m), the highest mountain in the whole Northern Europe.

 The way down was fantastic fun sliding down in the snow.

After an early morning haiku, we started our climb already at 7h20 as the weather forecast had promised sunny weather until noon only (but it was sunny the whole day).

"Aurinko noussut

Kasteisella nurmella

Kaasu pihisee."

That early, it was extremely cold, I was wearing my leggings, hiking trousers and my rain trousers. But the sky was cloudless and we had wonderful hiking weather.

The climb up was hard and steep but already after 2 hours we could see the peak. However, I wasn't fully convinced, the climb up was supposed to last for 4 hours (for a hardcore Norwegian hiker). Indeed, it turned out, this was only the first peak over 2000m on the way to Galdhøpiggen and we had to conquer yet another one to see our final destination. It took us the full 4 hours to reach the café at the top of the mountain. We were among the first ones there at 11 o'clock.

The views were gorgeous 360 degrees around us. Snowcapped mountains and glaciers everywhere. The sky was still cloudless but it was cold and windy at the top. We dried our sweaty clothes for a while in the café sipping overprized tea (40 kr or around 5 EUR). The young man in charge of the place told me that he skies down to another tourist hut 1.5 hours away once a week for a day off and to stock up.

The place started to get full after an hour so we headed down towards Spiterstulen. We took it easy; the rocks had begun to heat up in the sun, so we sunbathed and relaxed in the unwindy spots. Who would have thought that we get a marvelous tan in Norway... 

Although the way up was challenging, it didn't feel that bad as we only had light day bags with us. On our way down it was still nice to look at all the people sweating as they climbed  towards the peak. Ah, thank god, we did it already!

Down in Spiterstulen, we have deserved beers (75 kr, or 10 EUR). Ah!

"Pohje kasvanut

Vuoret valloitettu on

Eräretkellä."

Day 4: Spiterstulen-Leirvassbu.

This was a bit less exciting route. It was again a quite sunny and warm day, so we didn't rush and made the 5-hour distance in around 8 hours. The path followed a river for a long time and only had a gentle slope towards the end of the trek. The views were slighlty more spectacular closer to Leirvassbu when we passed a few mountain lakes.

We set up our tent by the Lake Leirvassbu across the guesthouse. This time we decided to eat at the gueshouse as well, and I finally got some red wine. The guesthouses in Jotunheimen serve full 3-course menus (340 kr, or almost 50 EUR) but it was also possible to choose only a 1st or 2nd course. I had a mushroom soup for 100 kr. Like the other guesthouses, this one as well was very cozy and atmospheric. The dinner service was almost fully booked (the prices are not an obstacle for the local tourists) and there was a real ambience of a trekkers get-together.

On the way back to the tent, my friend dared to have a dip into the lake while I was admiring the beautiful sunset.

Day 5: Leirvassbu-Gjendebu.

My idea of surviving with the food I brought didn't hold the whole time. On the fifth day, we decided to enjoy the breakfast buffet at the guesthouse. It was a very good deal. For 100 kr you can eat as much as you can (fresh stuff, yam!) and also pack some sandwiches to go.

"Muilutettuna

Muna aamupalalta

Lounaaksi syödään."

We had a superb hike in a sunny and warm weather (shorts!). Lakes, fine rapids, mountain chains. As the weather was perfect, we sunbathed half naked next to piles of snow. There were couple of nasty rapids on the way, but at this point my self-confidence started to be pretty high, so nothing that I couldn't have survived even though these were exactly the spots I was most afraid of before our trip.

The route wasn't difficult but it was quite long and we only reached Gjendebu at the other end of the Lake Gjende around six o'clock. My friend swam in the lake once again but, even after a hot day, I only had the courage to dip my feet.

The lovely Gjendebu guesthouse.

Day 6: Besseggen ridge (Memurubu-Gjendesheim).

On the last day of our hike, we took a boat to Memurubu and left our bags to be taken until Gjendesheim (120 kr + 60 kr for the bag). This was maybe the most famous, or at least  the most popular, part of our entire trek. It was the part shown in all photos and book covers and it was also the one that I had been afraid of. In the photos, the ridge looks amazingly thin and those afraid of heights had been writing in blogs that it is reaaaally scary.

Maybe it was because of my greater trust in my hiking capacity but I was almost disappointed. It wasn't scary at all. The part where you walk on a sort of an isthmus between the blue Lake Bessawatnet on the other side and the green Lake Gjende on the other is not thin at all. You could do somersaults and yoga there without any danger. Ex ante stress for no reason.

A bit later, when you need to climb up using both your hands and legs, it's potentially a bit more freightening but above all, fun and physically challening. (There were little dogs doing the route. That's amazing!)

The place is beautiful, there's no question. So if you decide not to go there because you feel you couldn't do it, it's a shame. I guess it is much more challening if you do the route with your heavy backpack and you're coming from the other direction (from Gjendesheim). But with our strategy it was not a problem. This was actually the only time we made the route faster than estimated in the guide. We were in Gjendesheim in 5 hours (in comparison to the estimated 6-8 hours) and made it easily to the bus to Oslo.

Summa summarum, it was definitely a magnificent trek and truly recommendable to everybody with a slightest interest in challening your own body in the most beautiful surroundings. My own favourites were the climb to Galdhøpiggen from Spiterstulen and the hike from Leirvasbu to Gjendebu. We were also extremely lucky with the weather as just before our trip the temperature had been much lower and it had rained almost continuously. I'm already looking forward to my next hike - perhaps in Scotland. For sure, this is the way I want to travel and get to know places in the future.

Some little things that are good to know if you're planning a trek in Jotunheimen:

-Water is available in the countless mountain streams, so no need to carry a lot of water with you. Makes it easy and light!

-No need for a flash light if you go in early July. This was the only unnecessary item with me.

-Pack light. A bit lighter is even better.

-There's breakfast and dinner available in the guesthouses if you have the money. Credit cards can be used. You can make yourself a brown-bag lunch during the breakfast buffet.

-There's no real shops on the route, but you can buy some snacks in the guesthouses.

-The routes are very well marked, but a map is handy for a curious mind (and if you somehow happen to get lost). You can buy the map at the Gjendesheim guesthouse (150 kr).

-There are some direct buses to get to Gjendesheim from Oslo (by Nor-Way Bussekspress). It takes around 4 hours. The timetables are a bit hard to read as they contain many exceptions ("only the third Thursday of the month...").

-Gjendesheim was a great place to start the hike. Other possible routes are available.

-There is a boat circulating in the Lake Gjende. You can get between Gjendesheim, Memurubu and Gjendebu. You can also just send your bag to your destination with the boat. Several boats per day during the high season.

-It is possible to leave some stuff in Gjendesheim for the duration of your hike. The ski hut where you leave the stuff is unwatched and unlocked though.

-You might get hooked on hiking!