Hiking Kilimanjaro with our lead GAL Nicole is an experience in and of itself. No one can attest to the life changing effects of this experience more than her (it’s a beautiful and much longer story for another time)! As a WHOA Group Adventure Leader, she’s summited Kili alongside hundreds of WHOA women! Even if you didn’t climb with her, if you’ve hiked with WHOA since 2016, you’ve been lucky enough to benefit from her wisdom and passion.
The best part about climbing Kilimanjaro with Nicole is that her love for this mountain is contagious - it’s her favorite place in the world and you can feel that on the trail. The second best part is her catch phrases, which are famous in the world of WHOA and best delivered with her wit and in her special Nicole way! So here they are, the top 5 Nicoleisms for success on Kilimanjaro, direct from the source:
1
Eaters are Summiters
Don’t underestimate the amount of calories (especially carbs) that your body needs to function for 7 days of hiking at altitude. Ironically, a lot of people will lose their appetite at altitude, but make the decision to pick up the food and put it in your body, make sure that you set yourself up for success for this once in a lifetime experience. If you are typically a picky eater, or have been known to lose your appetite in the past, make sure you are packing some of your favorite snacks that always sound good (think road trip gas station snacks like candy and pringles), your body won’t want trail mix or protein bars up there.
2
If you aren’t peeing your pants you aren’t drinking enough water
The absolute best medicine to help your body adjust to the altitude is good old fashioned water. Make sure that you are drinking at least 4L of water a day, and if you aren’t getting your electrolytes in with all the food you should be eating, make sure that you are drinking them! I recommend getting those 4L in as early in the day as possible, ideally while you are still on the trail, to make it easier to sleep through the night. Another perk is that the faster you drink your water, the lighter your daypack will be!
3
Better out than in
Tears, vomit, diarrhea, whatever it is, it is better out than in. If you are feeling ill, you will be shocked how quickly you start to feel better if you just ‘let it out.’ It is important to know that feeling crappy often comes with the territory when you are at extremely high elevations, this is not a sign that you won’t make it, this is your body adjusting, and as long as the symptoms aren’t too extreme, you will usually feel so much better after a night of sleep, that is the reason we use the route we do, so that we can hike high and sleep low.
4
Treat your crew how I would want them to be treated
This crew is a team of superheroes, some of whom have done this hundreds (yes, I said HUNDREDS) of times, and they want you to achieve your goal more than even you want to! They are professionals who are working hard from before sun up, until well after you go to sleep each night, so make sure that you appreciate their hard work and show them the respect that they deserve.
5
Always be prepared
Okay, so maybe that was the scout motto first, but the one day you forget to pack your poncho, Kili will know, and that is the day you will get rained on. For many of our hikers, this is the first time they are doing a trip like this, and the great news is that you don’t have to carry the majority of your gear, so as long as the items you want to bring fit within the 15 kg weight limit, you might as well bring it. That extra jacket might just be your favorite piece of gear up there!
Feeling more ready than ever to climb Africa’s tallest mountain?
Join us on an upcoming Kilimanjaro hike ⟶
