Girl Travels World

Machame Gate (1634 m/5,363 ft) to Machame Hut (2834 m/9,300 ft)
Hike time: 7.5 hrs
Elevation change: +1200 m/+3937 ft
Estimated distance: 10km/6.21 miles
Final elevation: 3100 m/10,170 ft

Easy track for the first hour through the dense forest. The path continues to follow the ridge, rising steadily with several steep sections. The gradient eases slightly as the forest merges into heather covered ground we will reach Machame Hut in 10 km (6.2 miles) after a 1,200-meter (3,936′) ascent and 5-7 hours of walking.

Today was tougher than I hoped it would be/not as easy as I expected. After a 45-minute ride to the Machame Gate and an hour wait, we started out ascent. We stayed in a big group for the first hour and a half, through our lunch break. We got a ton of food – chicken, carrots and butter sandwich, egg, muffin, orange biscuits, chocolate br, Marsa candy, a bag of peanuts, an orange drink similar to Fanta and a smooshed banana. Quite a haul! So much for me loosing weight…

The rain started a little after lunch and came down fairly hard on and off for an hour or two. I didn’t pack a poncho so my day pack was pretty damp. I spent the following four hours bringing up the back of the bu. I was thankful to go slow, especially when the Diamox started messing me up. I’m having some crazy side affects from the drug – tingly hands, feeling kinda drunk at some points, etc. Everything is temporary though, so far. I’ve been trying to drink a ton of water, so headaches have only been sneaking in every once and awhile.

Lessons of the day:
When the guides say ’7 hours’, they mean, it will take 7 hours.
The best tents are the smaller ones – there is less room, but they’re warmer
Tent placement is everything – go for flat, near some well-placed rocks or bushes
Earplugs are a godsend

Although most South African’s winter holiday offically ended today, more than a few have decided to extend their vacation to spend more time soaking up the rays, eating, and, well, working out.

Honestly, I can say that I’ve never seen as many cyclists on the road as I have in Cape Town. Every day, the road along the beach is busier than I’ve ever seen Skyline (a popular cycling street in Portland), even on the first nice Saturday in spring.

There are a decent number of rec riders, but most cyclists are preparing for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour in March. Most are fully kitted out, with flashy team uniforms and matching caps instead of helmets (idiots).

There is a pretty good mix of groups and solo riders on the road, but hardly any are female. 45-year-old men with beer bellies seem to make up a larger percentage than expected.

One interesting note – when I commented how there are some people who are so fanatical they’re wearing CSC, Discovery and Gerolsteiner uniforms, it was pointed out that many pros do come down to S. Africa to train in the winter. Hmmm….

(For those that are wondering, no, I have not been able to track down a bike and have instead been forcing myself to run…but I’m alredy bored with that after 4 days!)

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