Lessons Learned


There is time to read, journal, and reflect, but not a lot unless you get up early.  A small digital recorder would have been a better recording medium, or just supplemental to the journal.

Buying the Camelback hose insulator seemed to keep the water frozen longer  :( rendering the Camelback bladder useless at altitude.

Never go to supper without my headlamp - it's light when you get there, but dark when you leave.

Solar power equipment's weight for charging rechargables compared to having adequate lithium non-rechargables meets at about 15 days.   However, below 16,000 feet, solar would not have worked due to the cloud cover occurring on most days.

Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride batteries work at low temperatures, but charge best in warm temps.  Lithium works from -40 to over 100 degrees F.  Non-rechargeable Lithium was best option.  Alkaline doesn't work well cold.

Take 1/2 as much Gu, and twice as many food bars.   If I didn't eat well at supper, I was hungry in the middle of the night.  Food bars worked well to satisfy.

Take twice as much tip money as anticipated... not because you need to, but because you might want to based on things that happen, and things they do for you along the way. 

Forget shaving.

Take a big enough "tent" bottle.

Beware!!! of the low-cost outfitters.  We saw many of the $800-1,500 ones come to our $3,200 guys for help several times.   The quality of the service, attitudes of the guides and porters, emergency equipment available, medical training, mountain experience, gear quality, and food quality was clearly superior to the other outfitters, and in all cases was appropriately adequate. 

If physical conditioning isn't a personal strength, hire a professional personal trainer.   Many times I was grateful for the conditioning I received as it was essential for that next rock ledge, or to pull myself up to get to the next footing.  Thanks to Rich Gilman for doing an outstanding job of getting me prepared. 

I'm ready physically when I can beat the elevator from the first to the 20th floor using fire-escape stairs taking two steps at a time and not be too winded to carry on a conversation within 30 seconds of getting up there.

Trust the water from the Kili-Warriors (only them, as they boiled everything) - because the inline filter froze.

Leave enough cash to pay the fees to exit the country.   :)  Thanks Mike.

There are no "easy" days.

Increase the pole length for the descent by several inches from the length used for the ascent.   Use the straps from the bottom of the hand rather than over the top.

Gators with Velcro worked better than zippers.

Physically prepare as diligently for the descent as for the ascent.

Hydrate no matter what!  3-4 liters/day minimum.  Be able to reach water bottles without having to take off backpack.

Buy the best first.  Don't skimp on warmth (sleeping bags, gloves, layers)

The fleece-lined Columbia Titanium Jacket's outer layer, fleece liner, and fleece-lined long-johns were perfect up to the day of 18,500.   The down (600 fill) jacket was needed for sitting around camp after dark (instead of fleece liner).  Both together would handle sub-zero weather well.  

The longer you are in cold weather, the less changes of the base layers you need.

The zero-degree rated "Kilimanjaro" brand bag with silk sleeping bag liner worked was warm through the coldest nights (+10 to +20F).  However, the space of the cocoon form did not accommodate those like me who preferred to sleep in more like a fetal position.

You need a head cover for cool temps between the warm rain-forest sun cap and the freezing temps balaclava. 

High quality gortex gloves with liners worked best.

There were as many initial opinions for using altitude compensating Diamox meds as there were people in the room.  There was only one collective opinion once we hit 18,500 ft. 

Regardless of what should be possible,  I was able to reach the 19,340 ft summit starting from 18,500 ft even with blood oxygen saturation level of 60%.  Ya just gotta wannit.  My climber peers' was in the 70- 75% range at that time.  (It got back to 95% at 10,500 ft when it was next checked, and 100% at 5,000ft.)  For reference, I normally live at 700ft.

While contributing substantially to overall weight (extra 1.2 pounds with batteries for 2nd camera),  two digital cameras worked well.  I used a small pocket camera (Olympus 400 digital) quickly accessible for those quickly happening moments, and a better (though  bigger and harder to get to quickly) SLR-style camera (Canon S1IS) for the "nice" shots, panoramas, night exposures, etc. 

If it must go into a backpack instead of a convenient self-obtaining pocket,  put your camera in your buddy's backpack and his/hers in yours.  Then it's easy to get when you need it without having to take off your backpack.

A windscreen microphone (preferably gun mic) was effective at reducing wind noise for my Sony TRV33 camcorder.   Camcorder batteries with the built-in LED charge indicators was definitely worth the added expense.  Numbering all batteries, and color-coding sets in a known order saved a lot of hassle and missed shots due to battery failure.

Not expecting to be able to charge batteries at any point was a good decision, even in the hotel.

If hiking boots are big enough, use extra layers of socks to have a snug fit for the ascent.   Use minimal layer (sock liners) for the descent to eliminate blister causing friction.  However, if minimal layers cause toes jam into front of boot even when tightly tied around the ankle, snug the foot with more sock layers, but expect blisters.  Mike opted for smashed toes. I opted for a blister on the side of one foot.  It's hard to say which was the lesser evil.  For me, it was clearly the blister which was tolerable within a few hours after using moleskin.   I tend to protect the toes due to the unknowns of previous surgery.

Use of hiking poles varied substantially by hiker, but two worked well both up and down for me.  Everyone used at least one pole for the descent.  Most used two.  Porters just ran fast (no poles).  

Someone in my party or adjacent hikers needed several items in my repair kit at some point throughout the trip.  Specifically most active needs were black electrical tape, and precision screw-drivers (Phillips and standard).

Cipro, ImmodiumAD, Sudafed, and Darvocet were the most needed meds by both climbers and porters.

Our outfitter's  "Mountain Hardware" 4-season tents were great.  The dual layer design helped the inside temp remain about 15-20 degrees warmer than the outside temp in cold weather.  The well-placed zippered vents allowed reasonable temps in warm weather.    

Camp and sleeping quality of life relies heavily on the quality of zippers.