General Information

Typical Day

This is an outline of a typical day trekking or walking, but in reality all of our trips follow the same sort of daily routines.  It differs very slightly if we use mountain huts, but it is basically the same typical day.

Trekking or walking, we wake around 6.30am to a morning call from one of the staff, closely followed by tea or coffee and around 7am a bowl of hot water for you to wash with is brought to your tent.  This sounds early, but people are normally in bed by about 10 -10.30 in the evenings.  When camping you tend to get up when it's light, and go to bed when it's dark!  It is also really nice to be up at this time and savour the often clear and crisp views.  Breakfast is usually 7.30 (with the tables set up outside, weather allowing), after having re-packed our bags for the porters, enabling the crew to start taking the tents down.

We collect our packed lunches after breakfast, fill water bottles etc, and leave camp around 8.30 - 9am.  We are then walking to the next camp site, which can take from 3 hours to as much as 9-10 hours, depending on our route and where we are on it.

The walking is 'pole pole' (Swahili for 'slowly slowly') giving us plenty of time to take in our surroundings, ensuring we do not ascend too quickly or get too tired.  The pace really is relaxed and we can stop for as many photos as we like and ask the guides about any of the views, plants etc.  We stop for a drink whenever anyone wishes, and the guides normally find a good spot for lunch.

We arrive in camp to find the tents already up, our luggage bags waiting for us, and snacks, tea and coffee in the mess tent.  We have some time to sort our things out in our tents; it's a good idea to get therm-a-rest style mattresses out and leave them to inflate themselves - much easier!  The toilets on trek are very basic: they are private long-drop toilets, which can take some getting used too at first but aren't that bad.  A member of staff will bring a bowl of hot water round to the tents for washing with again (this is normally the main wash of the day if it is cold in the mornings!).

From reaching camp until dinner the time is your own - there is hot water in the mess tent for teas and coffees, lots of people read, some keep diaries, and some have a sleep!  The sun goes down around 6.30pm and people normally start to drift into the mess tent to chat about the day as they wait for dinner at about 7.30.  Dinner is served by selected crew members that you get to know well by the end of the trip, it is a three course meal and is often a fun, cosy affair.  Comfort and warmth dictate what to wear at dinner - no tiaras for the ladies (though you may need a hat), and gents - the only dj's are down jackets!