We’re officially in the thick of it: logistics, planning, spreadsheets, maps, and a healthy dose of nerves.
Last week we submitted our visa applications (just under the wire, naturally), and now we wait for approval. It’s getting real.
Over the long weekend, we locked in our proposed route for the FKT attempt. What’s wild about the Northern Route is that – if completed in its entirety – it would be a first. No one has claimed an FKT here before. It’s remote, rugged, and complex to coordinate. The full route clocks in at ~ 53 miles: around 33 miles to the summit of Uhuru Peak ( at 19, 341 ft.) and 20 miles back down to base.
We spent hours hunched over GPS files and topo maps, finalizing what we think will be the official route- but that could shift once we’re on the ground. Here’s the current plan:
We’ll spend 5 days / 4 nights scouting the full route on foot with our guide and crew. Along the way, we’ll mark food, water, and gear drop zones and evaluate our two summit options:
- The traditional route for Marangu and Machame trails
- A more fun route from Crater Camp up the back side of Uhuru Peak
Every step of this recon will be recorded on our GPS tracker (Garmin GPSMap64st for ya gear nerds) to make navigation on the actual FKT attempt as efficient as possible. Once we return to base camp (still within the park), we’ll have two full days to rest, repack, and mentally gear up. Then, it’s go time, just us, the mountain, and the clock.
Quick Stats:
- ~ 33 miles from base to summit
- ~ 20 miles from summit back to base
- 2 (maybe 3) planned gear/food/water drops
- Route begins in tropical rainforest and climbs into high-altitude alpine terrain
And in case you were wondering- yes, training is in full swing. More on that later, but let’s just say I’m getting really good at running uphill.