Have you decided on a route to the top yet?
In August 2023 the full moon ascents of Kilimanjaro are on the 23, 24, 25 of the month according to this site;
https://www.climbing-kilimanjaro.com/kilimanjaro-climb-dates-2023/
Destinations!
- Thread starter Aiken_Drumn
- Start date
https://www.climbing-kilimanjaro.com/kilimanjaro-climb-dates-2023/
warpus
In pork I trust
I picked out the Lemosho route, but will probably revisit and redo the research to see if it's still the best route for us, as things could have easily changed during the pandemic..
The main reasons I picked this route:
1. It's a slow gradual ascent with a sort of acclimatization day (day 4) along the way. If you do it in 8 days it should prepare you the best for high altitude effects, out of all the routes, according to my research.
2. You pass the most number of biomes on this trail, so every day will offer something new and unique.
3. There are wildlife viewing opportunities along the way, only during the first 2 days though I think
4. It's one of the more scenic routes
5. It doesn't get as packed as the two most popular routes (coca cola & whiskey)
The one downside is cost, as the trailhead is far from where all the operators are set up.. but at the time at least the the pros of this route outweighed that as a consideration.. I will paste in some of my notes and a couple quotes from different companies
Here is a summary of the routes I made, back when I was trying to decide which one to go with. "Succ." refers to historical success rate (i.e. how many hikers who do this route end up @ the summit)
Spoiler :
Coca Cola and Whiskey are out for being too busy. Rongai is out for not being as scenic. Umbwe is the most difficult w/ no upside.. That leaves Shira and Lemosho.. and Lemosho is a superior version of Shira..
Here are my notes for the Lemosho route itself:
Spoiler :
Are full moon hikes more popular for that photo-op at the summit? Is that the only reason? If so, I wonder if it would make sense to avoid those dates, as we would prefer less people on the trail
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My thoughts about the full moon were that if you have a pre dawn start on summit day, it would make the hike easier because you could see the path. but that is just my guess. Checking the link I posted above:
Lemosho path:
Day 7 – Summit and Mweka Camp
Summit day. We will start our ascent to the summit (19,340ft – 5,896m) around 11:00 PM or midnight the night prior. The goal for you – and numerous other climbers – is to reach the peak right at sunrise. In reality, due to differences in hiking speed, energy, and altitude acclimatization, there is a several hour span where most climbers reach the summit.
Using headlamps (bring extra lithium batteries, which last much better in cold dark conditions!) you will ascend 6-7 hours to Stella Point and then another 1-2 hours to Uhuru Peak, the summit. After a summit celebration and photo, descend to Barafu camp for lunch and then to Mweka camp to sleep overnight.
Hiking: Very variable on both the up and the down; 12-17 hours typical
Summit 19,341’
Overnight Altitude: 10,448’
Lemosho path:
Day 7 – Summit and Mweka Camp
Summit day. We will start our ascent to the summit (19,340ft – 5,896m) around 11:00 PM or midnight the night prior. The goal for you – and numerous other climbers – is to reach the peak right at sunrise. In reality, due to differences in hiking speed, energy, and altitude acclimatization, there is a several hour span where most climbers reach the summit.
Using headlamps (bring extra lithium batteries, which last much better in cold dark conditions!) you will ascend 6-7 hours to Stella Point and then another 1-2 hours to Uhuru Peak, the summit. After a summit celebration and photo, descend to Barafu camp for lunch and then to Mweka camp to sleep overnight.
Hiking: Very variable on both the up and the down; 12-17 hours typical
Summit 19,341’
Overnight Altitude: 10,448’
warpus
In pork I trust
Ah yeah the full moon would make hiking easier on that day! good call
I've now finalized my plans for a trip to Maine/Acadia National Park later this summer. Driving up and back to see some cool destinations along the way, too. Most of which will be in New York (both Upstate and Downstate), but also stopping in Pennsylvania on the way out, and maybe half-days in western Massachusetts or Niagara.
On the subject of headlamps, how many lumens is sensible for a night hike? I have one at 300 lumens (with multiple settings, some of which are lower), which seemed to be around the midpoint of what was available, but I think the store had 100-700 lumens as a range. My friend and I may well end up doing a night hike to see the sunrise, so he's in the market for a headlamp. I haven't wound up out hiking at night since I bought mine, only biking at night, so I can't say if it's over or under powered yet. It would be a half moon or slightly more on the day we do the night hike, if that winds up happening.
On the subject of headlamps, how many lumens is sensible for a night hike? I have one at 300 lumens (with multiple settings, some of which are lower), which seemed to be around the midpoint of what was available, but I think the store had 100-700 lumens as a range. My friend and I may well end up doing a night hike to see the sunrise, so he's in the market for a headlamp. I haven't wound up out hiking at night since I bought mine, only biking at night, so I can't say if it's over or under powered yet. It would be a half moon or slightly more on the day we do the night hike, if that winds up happening.
The Maine trip, aka Friend Trip 2022, was a success. I found more carnivorous plants in Maine than anywhere else I've ever traveled. Acadia is pretty cool too, hiking mountains by the ocean, and catching one of the earliest sunrises in the lower 48. Camden Hills State Park in Maine is also worth a stop, the hikes there were on par with the most strenuous ones we did at Acadia (including Cadillac Mountain, the tallest summit in the national park).
Other call-outs from the journey were Niagara Falls (worth it, even from the American side) and New York City (a remarkably fun city to bicycle in, I didn't feel like I was about to be flattened like I would in most medium/large U.S. cities). I also found wild cacti within sight of New York City, something I did not expect at all. Granted, we're talking prickly-pear cacti, not saguaros, but they were quite happy living a few dozen miles outside of New York City. Here's a picture of the cacti with NYC off on the horizon:
Other places I swung by were the area between Syracuse and Oneida (great along the canal!), Erie (a cool state park that juts into Lake Erie), and the area southwest of Youngstown (some really nice outdoors areas and a great waffle restaurant). But Niagara Falls and NYC were arguably the highlights of the trip. Maine was pretty nice too, but it was probably the hottest week of the summer for Maine when we were up there, and I wasn't feeling quite 100%, so overall I think I had more fun on my hiking trips last year. Still, I'd definitely go back to Acadia, it's a huge national park and I only saw a fraction of it.
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Might do one more adventure this year, but already starting to think about possibilities for Friend Trip 2023. This year the question was Colorado or Maine? Next year we might take inspiration from this year's these song and do heads Carolina, tails California. Driving the PCH is something that's been on our radar for awhile, and Carolina (either one) has been on our radar each of the past two years as well. I'm decently familiar with North Carolina, but I'd definitely be curious about recommendations for what to do (especially but not exclusively outdoorsy activities) along the PCH. We'd probably fly into LAX, rent a car, make our way north to the Bay Area, and I'd love to take California HSR back to LA, but if we do the trip this decade it's more likely that we'd just drive back to LA, maybe via the PCH again, maybe via a different route like the Central Valley or swinging by Yosemite?
I'm particularly interested in less-well-known areas; it was hard to miss in Maine that Acadia was super popular (I've never seen more out-of-state license plates in my life, some from much farther afield than Ohio), but equally-impressive-if-smaller Camden Hills was not at all crowded. So, e.g., everyone knows Yosemite is in California, but if there's a state park that's 92% as cool but 9% as crowded, that would be worth knowing about.
Other call-outs from the journey were Niagara Falls (worth it, even from the American side) and New York City (a remarkably fun city to bicycle in, I didn't feel like I was about to be flattened like I would in most medium/large U.S. cities). I also found wild cacti within sight of New York City, something I did not expect at all. Granted, we're talking prickly-pear cacti, not saguaros, but they were quite happy living a few dozen miles outside of New York City. Here's a picture of the cacti with NYC off on the horizon:
Other places I swung by were the area between Syracuse and Oneida (great along the canal!), Erie (a cool state park that juts into Lake Erie), and the area southwest of Youngstown (some really nice outdoors areas and a great waffle restaurant). But Niagara Falls and NYC were arguably the highlights of the trip. Maine was pretty nice too, but it was probably the hottest week of the summer for Maine when we were up there, and I wasn't feeling quite 100%, so overall I think I had more fun on my hiking trips last year. Still, I'd definitely go back to Acadia, it's a huge national park and I only saw a fraction of it.
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Might do one more adventure this year, but already starting to think about possibilities for Friend Trip 2023. This year the question was Colorado or Maine? Next year we might take inspiration from this year's these song and do heads Carolina, tails California. Driving the PCH is something that's been on our radar for awhile, and Carolina (either one) has been on our radar each of the past two years as well. I'm decently familiar with North Carolina, but I'd definitely be curious about recommendations for what to do (especially but not exclusively outdoorsy activities) along the PCH. We'd probably fly into LAX, rent a car, make our way north to the Bay Area, and I'd love to take California HSR back to LA, but if we do the trip this decade it's more likely that we'd just drive back to LA, maybe via the PCH again, maybe via a different route like the Central Valley or swinging by Yosemite?
I'm particularly interested in less-well-known areas; it was hard to miss in Maine that Acadia was super popular (I've never seen more out-of-state license plates in my life, some from much farther afield than Ohio), but equally-impressive-if-smaller Camden Hills was not at all crowded. So, e.g., everyone knows Yosemite is in California, but if there's a state park that's 92% as cool but 9% as crowded, that would be worth knowing about.
thetrooper
Misanthrope
- Joined
- May 24, 2004
- Messages
- 8,759
Need travel advice.
Summer vacation 2023. First two weeks of July. Destination Mare nostrum. Not happy about the heat. Only place I’ve seen so far with record below 40 C is Menorca. Been there twice before and it’s a very nice place. Isolated small island helps wrt the heat I guess. Are there other places with *guaranteed* kinder temperatures? I’m not coughing up 5000-7000 euro for a week in a hotel room.
Thanks in advance good people
Summer vacation 2023. First two weeks of July. Destination Mare nostrum. Not happy about the heat. Only place I’ve seen so far with record below 40 C is Menorca. Been there twice before and it’s a very nice place. Isolated small island helps wrt the heat I guess. Are there other places with *guaranteed* kinder temperatures? I’m not coughing up 5000-7000 euro for a week in a hotel room.
Thanks in advance good people
Mare nostrum is a big space. You have both seashore and interior options in many countries. I would expect beaches to be both warmer and more crowded than non beaches. AirBnB or Vrbo will likely offer less expensive options.
Do you want to stay in one place?
How do you want to spend your time? Party, Museums? City life? Ruins and things long dead? Sun and sand? Explore some other culture?
How you want to spend your time is the most important question. Once you know that, the best paths become clearer.
thetrooper
Misanthrope
- Joined
- May 24, 2004
- Messages
- 8,759
Sun and sand. Kid recently teenager. Not going to torture her with museums and such. Exploration for later (when I’m approaching your age 
).
).
Then look into Morocco, Turkey, less touristy Greek isles. find a place where snorkeling is good or you and your daughter can learn to dive. Corsica might be nice too. I don't know anything about the Adriatic coasts. My sister was in Sicily recently and loved it, but I don't she was there for beaches. If you don't have one, sign up for an AirBnB account and you can easily explore the availability of places. You can rent a whole house often for less than resorts or hotels.
Recent article from the NYT about Morocco:
If it doesn't work, let me know.
36 Hours in Essaouira, Morocco
With camels roaming the beaches, centuries-old city walls and abundant art galleries, Essaouira is coastal Morocco at its most picturesque.
www.nytimes.com
If it doesn't work, let me know.
@thetrooper Here is a link to a house in Essaouira for 11 days in early July as an example.
www.airbnb.com
Here is a place on the Greek isle of Lefkos. Same 11 days.
Home in Essaouira · ★4.65 · 3 bedrooms · 4 beds · 2.5 baths
Home with rooftop in The center of essaouira
www.airbnb.com
Here is a place on the Greek isle of Lefkos. Same 11 days.
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Essaouira is a great place, but it is the Atlantic coast and very different from the Med. You need to look up the wind that time of the year, but I think it will be a strong constant onshore wind, great for kite surfing but quite bitting if you are just sitting on the beach. Not the calm innocuous mediterranean beach that is classic for the med.
My advice on these things is book last minute and look at the weather forecast, but that does require a level of flexibility many are not happy with.
[EDIT] Though thinking about it would the Atlantic solve your problem? Perhaps somewhere like Portugal would feel more "mediterranean", but be on the Atlantic so the sea will be cold, and the sea breeze is likely to be cool. However hot the weather got you would alsways be able to go in the sea to cool off. If you and the kid are used to swimming up north then I am sure it will not be too cold.
My advice on these things is book last minute and look at the weather forecast, but that does require a level of flexibility many are not happy with.
[EDIT] Though thinking about it would the Atlantic solve your problem? Perhaps somewhere like Portugal would feel more "mediterranean", but be on the Atlantic so the sea will be cold, and the sea breeze is likely to be cool. However hot the weather got you would alsways be able to go in the sea to cool off. If you and the kid are used to swimming up north then I am sure it will not be too cold.
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thetrooper
Misanthrope
- Joined
- May 24, 2004
- Messages
- 8,759
Thanks guys.
I’m sceptical about northern Africa. Been to Tunisia during a heatwave. My daughter have a rare skin disorder which inhibits the release of heat out of her body. That’s why I’m concerned. Ideally would be 30-35 C with plenty of opportunities to cool down nearby. Yeah, I know, July and this temperature is almost like a pipedream now.
I’m sceptical about northern Africa. Been to Tunisia during a heatwave. My daughter have a rare skin disorder which inhibits the release of heat out of her body. That’s why I’m concerned. Ideally would be 30-35 C with plenty of opportunities to cool down nearby. Yeah, I know, July and this temperature is almost like a pipedream now.
warpus
In pork I trust
Sometimes you just gotta learn to put up with the heat, I guess. No escaping it in certain parts of the world, during certain parts of the year. But it's true certain places do see slightly different weather patterns due to the geography & other factors, although in this case I can't think of any obvious examples. Wait, does Slovenia count as being a part of the More Nostrum club? Or is that disqualified because Adriatic. Alternatively go skiing near Milan and claim it's close enough to the sea
Either way, I would invest in a set of sunhats for everyone going, that can make a big difference. Researching places that offer plenty of shade and planning stuff around that is also a good idea. You could also invest in a camelback type of water pouch that slides into your backpack and provides a tube you can drink from like Muad'Dib. That sort of tech has been hit/miss for me, I prefer to bring more traditional water bottles, I'll usually have 1L on either side of my pack. It's true though that you could insulate a larger 2-4L bag in your backpack and keep it cooler longer. If you are going on a longer hike and it's hot day, it might not be a bad idea to bring a backup source of water like that, if you know there will be nowhere to buy or refill water on the hike. In most scenarios it's probably overkill though.. but.. maybe not? My problem with these things is that sometimes the tube ends up getting wedged somewhere, or crinkled up, or something else goes wrong, and carefree sipping ends up being not so carefree. But on one hike my friend had a large pack with him and we used it as a backup source of water on long days, and that worked out great (and he didn't mind). Water is also heavy though, so you'll want to balance this out according to your own situation, etc.
I'll stress the sunhats again - the first time I had problems with the sun I did not really know that it could mess you up like that, that fast, without you really realizing that it is affecting you like that at first. On one of my days of hiking in New Zealand's Southern Alps, I was hiking above the treeline for hours and hours.. and did not put my sunhat on. It was a nice sunny day but not really even hot. It was maybe 25C. I was having what I thought was a nice day's hike, but after a couple hours the sun hitting my face like that, with no shade, really started catching up with me. I stopped several time and checked all the maps again. I started questioning the route and where I was walking. For a while I thought that I had walked too far and passed the cabin. I was disoriented and it sort of came out of nowhere, from my pov.. but the sun had been hitting my face and head for hours before that, so it was entirely my fault. I stopped a couple times just so that I could calm down and think the situation through, and in the end decided to continue hiking, and a couple hours later arrived at the hut. My perception of time was way off. It really surprised me how easy it was for the sun to mess me up and mess up so many of my faculties, and so easily confuse me and make me doubt my decisions. It could have really been dangerous, I was in the middle of nowhere, with no other hikers anywhere near me during those hours. Since that day I always bring a sunhat for a hike, even if it's a shorter one. Even if it's supposed to rain. You never know, and the sun can really mess you up. You'll have a much nicer time vacationing in hot & sunny places if you cover your head with the right sort of fabrics that will protect you well
Either way, I would invest in a set of sunhats for everyone going, that can make a big difference. Researching places that offer plenty of shade and planning stuff around that is also a good idea. You could also invest in a camelback type of water pouch that slides into your backpack and provides a tube you can drink from like Muad'Dib. That sort of tech has been hit/miss for me, I prefer to bring more traditional water bottles, I'll usually have 1L on either side of my pack. It's true though that you could insulate a larger 2-4L bag in your backpack and keep it cooler longer. If you are going on a longer hike and it's hot day, it might not be a bad idea to bring a backup source of water like that, if you know there will be nowhere to buy or refill water on the hike. In most scenarios it's probably overkill though.. but.. maybe not? My problem with these things is that sometimes the tube ends up getting wedged somewhere, or crinkled up, or something else goes wrong, and carefree sipping ends up being not so carefree. But on one hike my friend had a large pack with him and we used it as a backup source of water on long days, and that worked out great (and he didn't mind). Water is also heavy though, so you'll want to balance this out according to your own situation, etc.
I'll stress the sunhats again - the first time I had problems with the sun I did not really know that it could mess you up like that, that fast, without you really realizing that it is affecting you like that at first. On one of my days of hiking in New Zealand's Southern Alps, I was hiking above the treeline for hours and hours.. and did not put my sunhat on. It was a nice sunny day but not really even hot. It was maybe 25C. I was having what I thought was a nice day's hike, but after a couple hours the sun hitting my face like that, with no shade, really started catching up with me. I stopped several time and checked all the maps again. I started questioning the route and where I was walking. For a while I thought that I had walked too far and passed the cabin. I was disoriented and it sort of came out of nowhere, from my pov.. but the sun had been hitting my face and head for hours before that, so it was entirely my fault. I stopped a couple times just so that I could calm down and think the situation through, and in the end decided to continue hiking, and a couple hours later arrived at the hut. My perception of time was way off. It really surprised me how easy it was for the sun to mess me up and mess up so many of my faculties, and so easily confuse me and make me doubt my decisions. It could have really been dangerous, I was in the middle of nowhere, with no other hikers anywhere near me during those hours. Since that day I always bring a sunhat for a hike, even if it's a shorter one. Even if it's supposed to rain. You never know, and the sun can really mess you up. You'll have a much nicer time vacationing in hot & sunny places if you cover your head with the right sort of fabrics that will protect you well
The way to have cold water longer is to start with ice. Leave a bottle in the freezer overnight and let it melt over the day.
Islands of note to think about.
tropikaia.com
15 Gorgeous Tropical Islands in Europe (2019) | Tropikaia
Looking for the best tropical islands in Europe? Here's a list of the top 10 tropical islands, you should have on your bucket-list.
I guess it has to be this time because of the kid?
I've lived on the South coast of France last year, and travelled around during July/August. I don't think it hit 40 there.
The area is, depending where you go, full of Roman remains, beautiful villages, and Europe's biggest canyon (lots of hiking opportunities around there).
