by Mollie Millington | May 8, 2018 | Kilimanjaro, outdoors, product review
Packing for Kilimanjaro was a process that took months. I did tons of research, checking packing lists by various trekking company’s suggestions, reading books, and talking to other people who have experienced Kilimanjaro. Of course, there was about one million things I needed to back into a 90L duffle bag so I thought I would let you know the things that I found useful to have. The girls on my trip also had a few tips on what they found useful.
If you think you will only use an item for this trip, your tour operator should be able to arrange hiring (renting) certain things. Be sure to ask the price before you get the item and keep in mind that what you hire may not be to your Western standard. It will probably be something that a toursit left or sold after their trip.
Essentials to pack
I used Osprey Eja 38*, a lightweight rucksack designed for a woman’s body. It was a little big for day-to-day climbing but perfect as a carry on as I needed to have all my essentials in case my bags got lost on the plane (two of the six in my group had luggage problems). The essential features were water pouch compatible, pockets on lid flap for storing things, hip and chest straps, and it only weight 1.13kg. It also had straps on outside to hold my walking sticks while climbing Baronco Wall. I also got an Osprey rain cover* kept my stuff dry. The only pockets were in the lid, which meant that I needed Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes* to keep organised. I had one for my electronics, one for snacks, and another for toiletries. I t would have been helpful if each cube was a different color to make it easier to pull out of the Eja in a hurry. As an alternative, I tied a piece of colored ribbon on the zipper, which helped a bit.
My Camelpack pouch was essential. Having the tube and mouthpiece made it so much easier to drink on the go. I would say the thermal control kit is important too (although my tube froze on summit night anyways), along with a cap that keeps dirt out of the bite valve.
Hiking boots were a big concern for me. With Achilles tendinitis, I am very picky about what I wear on my feet. Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX hiking boots* were something I knew I would need to keep my feet warm and dry. With heel lifts and loose laces, I was able to manage minimal Achilles pain. I only wore the Quest boots on summit day. The rest of the time, I wore my Salomon Womens Escambia GTX trail shoes which are a few seasons old. At times they were a little slippery but they kept my feet dry. Before I left, I treated them with Nikwax waterproofing to ensure my feet would stay dry.
Water purifying tablets were something I didn’t bring, but luckily someone else did. Although Eco-Climbing Africa’s team boil the water, my stomach was still funny. I have a pretty sensitive stomach no matter where in the world I am and some people experience problems at altitude too. Purifying tablets are light and inexpensive, so I say have them on hand just in case you or someone else needs them.
Gaitors and hiking poles were the two things that were on every list. The ones I used were Decathlon’s Forclaz 50*. I worn them every day and never got snow or rocks in my low top shoes. You can wear with shorts or long pants. And they were really helpful at keeping my long pants clean for inside tent too.
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| Wearing my gaitors to keep the snow out of my shoes. I am also trying not to fall too. The snow was very slippery. |
As I just mentioned, adjustable hiking poles were the other key item to pack. A friend lent me their old Leki poles, similar to the Sherpa XL V. The adjustable heights are key as many days there is a gradient to manage, both up and down. By adjusting the height of the sticks, it makes ascending and descending much easier. Our guides were really good at setting the poles to the correct height.
Head torch is probably number three on my list. When we got back to camp, my head torch went straight into my pocket. Climbing in March meant early nights. After dinner, it would be pitch black.out and therefore hard to get back to our tents. The camp sites are uneven, full of rocks, and have tent poles and ropes everywhere. It would be a shame to get injured walking from one tent to another rather than make it to the top. Unilite sent me a Sport H1 head torch* to try. It offers 175 lumens, with 70m beam distance, red light, and various flashing patterns. We put fresh batteries in all of our head toches just before we started climbing to the summit and it lasted the rest of the trip.
I went to Kilimanjaro in March, which is close to the start of rainy season. My 25 liter dry bag was a bit of an overkill but a 5-10 liter bag for electronics and socks is a good idea. My duffel bag was a 90 liter dry bag too but the porters put it in another bag when they carried it. Their exterior bag was a bit worn through but this may depend on the company you travel with. Wet clean clothes and damp sleeping bags would really damper the trip, so try to find something that can resist some rain.
Hand sanitizer is a no brainer. There isn’t any water to wash your hands 95% of the time. Be prepared.
In addition to your Camelback, bring a water bottle that doesn’t leak to act as a hot water bottle. I mistakenly brought my Hydroflask, which is so well insulated that it didn’t keep me or my sleeping bag warm overnight. My tentmate was a godsend and lent me a plastic bottle to use at night. I owe her big time.
Every day, no matter how cloudy it was outside my tent, I put on sunscreen as we were very close to the equator. Don’t forget to apply it to your ears (I burned mine).
Pack several pairs of gloves in several different thicknesses. They will get wet so it is good to have a few alternatives. Although porters may not have gloves, I would suggest keeping your’s until the end of the trip. At the end of the trip, you can give any unwanted kit to the Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project. I picked up a few inexpensive pairs of gloves at Decathlon in the snow sports section that were great.
No matter what time of year, I would say a raincoat is an absolute must. Climbing to the top of Kili takes you through several exosystems. The weather on the mountain changes rapidly and you would hate to be caught out in a storm. I found a raincoat more helpful than the poncho got off Amazon because my poncho was long and I kept tripping on it while I was climbing. Look for a jacket with pit zips to help regulate your body temperature. I have needed a new raincoat for a while, so bought a Forclaz 400 from Decathlon. I bought a size bigger to allow for layering on the mountain.
Wet wipes are handy for a quick “shower” in the tent. Just be sure to get biodegradable ones and remember to pack some spare bags for your rubbish. Everything you carry into the parks, you have to carry out.. I didn’t use wipes much (other than armpits every morning) but my camp mates said they are a must.
Quick dry towel is really handy washing your face and hands at camp. You don’t have much time to leave it out to dry so a small size is the way to go. I packed my Life Adventure towel, which is also treated with Polygiene to reduce the smell between washes.
Your phone won’t be able to charge as there isn’t any electricity on the mountain, nor can it capture the beauty of the surrounding landscape. I brought my G-Eye900* active camera from Decathlon and meant to pack a small point and shoot but forgot it in the rush to get to the airport. You will need to consider the size and weight of the camera you pack. If you have a choice, invest in a camera that is drop proof and water proof. Or if you borrow one, learn how to use it before the trip.
I wore a scarf around my neck the while trip to help wipe sweat and snot away. Alice, from Alice’s Adventures on Earth, made us all of us some really cool ones with the trip logo on them. I also slept in my lighter Buff polar balaclava because I was so cold. My friend, Victoria, borrowed one of my balaclavas on summit day to stay warm. I started off with the Cross Tech buff but quickly took it off because I got warm.
This wasn’t on my essentials list, but everyone else in my group said handwarmers! I packed small ones that you can use while skiing while the girls brought body warmers. Mine didn’t keep me very warm but the others stuck them to their shirts during the day.
Optional
It rained so much that I couldn’t wear my Nabaiji pool clogs* at camp for fear of my feet getting wet. In addition, because I didn’t wear proper hiking boots on a daily basis, my feet weren’t too sore, tired, or heavy. The others in my group had camp shoes they wore in the evenings so you might want to pack a pair.
As long as your head is covered to protect you from the sun, you should be ok a proper hat. I didn’t wear my baseball hat too often while others wore a scarf, visor or brimmed hat.
My memory for details isn’t the best so I wanted to make sure I wrote down what we did each day, aside from walk, in a journal before going to bed. Proof is in the pudding as I went to bed rather than journal the night before summit day and I couldn’t remember anything about what we did. Carrying a small pad of weatherproof paper might be a good way to remember the crazy phrases you come up with on the trail.
My tentmate brought a small spiky ball. When she showed it to me, I wish I has thought of that. It is such a good idea to foam roll sore or achy muscles. We didn’t have much room to use it though as the tent was the only dry place we had to lay down.
If you have a camera or will be listening to music along the way, definitely bring one a solar charger. There are not any plugs on the mountain. Get one with a power bank if you can in chase it is cloudy for a few days.
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| Massai women with the solar charger I donated to them. |
This will probably be controversial, but a pillow is something I would say is optional. My tentmate had an inflatable one while I brought a £1 travel neck pillow which wasn’t the best for actual sleeping. Sleep is key so if you are a light sleeper, think about what you will sleep on. Another option would be a pillowcase filled with clothes.
I spent £20 at my local Poundshop for various toiletries and supplies pictured below. Most were things my tour company recomended that I never would have though off (baby powder which I never used, dry shampoo (never used), throat losanges (never used), antiseptic creme (never used), ultra lite pads (as an option for not changing underwear on a daily basis), and ear plugs (never used)).
Skip
We made a quick stop at a convenience store before we started the drive to the gate. I was in the back corner of the van so didn’t go in. In the lead up to the climb, I had been mentally preparing myself not to have any Diet Coke for seven days. But when the other came back with Red Bull, I changed my mind. The lead guide was pretty upset when he found out we had Red Bull as caffiene can increase your heartrate which you don’t want to happen at altitude. We didn’t drink it on summit day but we did have it on the way down the mountain. I felt bad making the porters carry it the entire way and not drink it so we split it amongst the ladies.
If you have something to add to this list for buying, borrowing or leaving at home, please leave a comment below. Knowledge is power.
Before you go
I am fundraising for a Moshi local primary school and a Maasai tribe. Scroll to the bottom of my Kili summary post for more info on how to donate.
Items marked with a * were gifted to me to review. All opinions are honest and my own. Thanks to Osprey, Buff, Salomon, Decathlon, Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports, and Unilite for their generous support of my crazy adventure.
by Mollie Millington | Sep 20, 2017 | outdoors, running, sponsored post, technology
Some people love running on trails, and others in the mountains. Unfortunately, if you live in a big city, such as London, there typically aren’t many of either to explore. Runners just need to think outside the box and see where their feet take them. Who needs the same old boring route when there are so many places to explore?
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| Suunto Spartan Trainer wrist heart rate monitor watch in Ocean |
For example, if you prefer to run in the mountains, check out Box Hill in Surrey. Normally, I only think of using this hill for cycling but I took part in the Salomon Sunset Series over the summer here and it was one of the toughest races I have ever done. Everybody walked during this race at some point. The views were spectacular each time you reached a crest and the unpredictable tree roots along the paths kept us on our toes. For hill reps a little bit closer to London, Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, and the stairs near the Duke of York Column (off of The Mall) are all places to work your body to the max. For those who don’t know, hill reps are just like they sound- you run up a hill several times. These are great for building speed and/or strength depending on how long each repetition is. Hills force your form to change (get those knees up!) and the intensity is affected by the gradient. If you are a beginner and want to give hill reps a try, start with a comfortable 20 minute warm up run to the bottom of a hill. Run up the hill for one minute and remember where you stop. Walk back down the hill to your starting point as a recovery. Run back up to your finish point five more times with a walking recovery back to the start. Finish with a five minute cool down run to help bring the heart rate down.
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| Headed to the track in Victoria Park |
If you prefer something flat and fast but outdoors, there is an outdoor track in Victoria Park that is free. You can also try The Mall when the roads are closed (to avoid tourists on the pavement) or the north side of the Thames along Victoria Embankment. These will give you the chance to work on your speed without having to dodge too many traffic lights. If you prefer a traditional track, here is a list of London’s Athletics tracks.
London is a concrete city, meaning proper trails are hard to come by. If you hit the outskirts of town, such as Epping Forest or Richmond Park, you might find something with trees and dirt paths to satiate you for a while. I would also suggest the Regent’s Canal tow path as a substitute for trails because the surface often changes and you will forever have to be dodging others along the way. It can get quite crowded when the weather is nice or during commuting time.
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| Note that Ocean matches OPI polish in ‘This cost me a mint’ |
How are you going to track of all of these expeditions? The new Suunto Spartan Trainer watch is the perfect tool for heart rate monitoring, and not just while running. There are 80 different sport modes pre-installed and will last for 10 hours of continuous activity on one battery charge. It has GPS too, which will measure your speed, pace, distance, and altitude in real time while running, cycling and swimming. The coolest thing is a ‘breadcrumb view’ which makes it easy to discover new routes but also find your way home again. A new software upgrade that is now available will also monitor your sleep patterns to ensure you are getting your recovery right.
Monitoring your heart rate and logging training sessions on Strava will help you push your training in the right direction to succeed at your goals. You can see your abilities improve over time with an increase in pace and reduction of heart rate over similar routes. The GPS data can be used to create a heat map on Strava to see where you run the most and how much space you have left to explore in London. Greater London encompasses 1572 square kilmeters (607 square miles). I bet there are a few streets and alleyways left for you to discover so get out there and push the city limits. If you find an amazing hidden gem, leave a comment below.
This post was sponsored by Suunto.
by thinkmarsh | Sep 20, 2017 | outdoors, running, sponsored post, technology
Some people love running on trails, and others in the mountains. Unfortunately, if you live in a big city, such as London, there typically aren’t many of either to explore. Runners just need to think outside the box and see where their feet take them. Who needs the same old boring route when there are so many places to explore?
|
| Suunto Spartan Trainer wrist heart rate monitor watch in Ocean |
For example, if you prefer to run in the mountains, check out Box Hill in Surrey. Normally, I only think of using this hill for cycling but I took part in the Salomon Sunset Series over the summer here and it was one of the toughest races I have ever done. Everybody walked during this race at some point. The views were spectacular each time you reached a crest and the unpredictable tree roots along the paths kept us on our toes. For hill reps a little bit closer to London, Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, and the stairs near the Duke of York Column (off of The Mall) are all places to work your body to the max. For those who don’t know, hill reps are just like they sound- you run up a hill several times. These are great for building speed and/or strength depending on how long each repetition is. Hills force your form to change (get those knees up!) and the intensity is affected by the gradient. If you are a beginner and want to give hill reps a try, start with a comfortable 20 minute warm up run to the bottom of a hill. Run up the hill for one minute and remember where you stop. Walk back down the hill to your starting point as a recovery. Run back up to your finish point five more times with a walking recovery back to the start. Finish with a five minute cool down run to help bring the heart rate down.
|
| Headed to the track in Victoria Park |
If you prefer something flat and fast but outdoors, there is an outdoor track in Victoria Park that is free. You can also try The Mall when the roads are closed (to avoid tourists on the pavement) or the north side of the Thames along Victoria Embankment. These will give you the chance to work on your speed without having to dodge too many traffic lights. If you prefer a traditional track, here is a list of London’s Athletics tracks.
London is a concrete city, meaning proper trails are hard to come by. If you hit the outskirts of town, such as Epping Forest or Richmond Park, you might find something with trees and dirt paths to satiate you for a while. I would also suggest the Regent’s Canal tow path as a substitute for trails because the surface often changes and you will forever have to be dodging others along the way. It can get quite crowded when the weather is nice or during commuting time.
|
| Note that Ocean matches OPI polish in ‘This cost me a mint’ |
How are you going to track of all of these expeditions? The new Suunto Spartan Trainer watch is the perfect tool for heart rate monitoring, and not just while running. There are 80 different sport modes pre-installed and will last for 10 hours of continuous activity on one battery charge. It has GPS too, which will measure your speed, pace, distance, and altitude in real time while running, cycling and swimming. The coolest thing is a ‘breadcrumb view’ which makes it easy to discover new routes but also find your way home again. A new software upgrade that is now available will also monitor your sleep patterns to ensure you are getting your recovery right.
Monitoring your heart rate and logging training sessions on Strava will help you push your training in the right direction to succeed at your goals. You can see your abilities improve over time with an increase in pace and reduction of heart rate over similar routes. The GPS data can be used to create a heat map on Strava to see where you run the most and how much space you have left to explore in London. Greater London encompasses 1572 square kilmeters (607 square miles). I bet there are a few streets and alleyways left for you to discover so get out there and push the city limits. If you find an amazing hidden gem, leave a comment below.
This post was sponsored by Suunto.
by thinkmarsh | Sep 13, 2017 | eating, exercise, family, outdoors, relax, running, self care
Of course, different strokes for different folks but I had an awesome weekend and think you should too. Here are my tips. Let me know which ones you try and how it goes.
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| Burgess Park fishing late |
- Be a parkrun tourist- Due to my next tip, I needed to be in Elephant and Castle mid-Saturday morning. I started looking at different parkruns and found Burgess Park run would be closest to where I needed to be. After a quick shout on Facebook, I had a few friends meeting me there. The bonus was that a few other friends from track happened to be there and it was perfect running weather (sunny, cool, with a slight breeze). The course is flat and pretty with a fishing lake, open lawns, and wildflower gardens. They even had orange pieces at the finish. I was #224 and pleased with my sub-30 time. After saying goodbye to everyone, I put my Osprey rucksack on and ran another 5K towards my marathon training.
- Attend an instructional weight lifting session- I was lucky enough to be invited by Vlique to attend a Girls Who Lift session at One2One fitness studio near Elephant and Castle. Although I am a certified personal trainer, I don’t have any clients right now nor do I belong to a gym. It was great to have Anna review proper technique of cleans, squats, dead lifts, and pull ups. An added bonus was that Sabine from My Life My Challenges was there too. I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was great to catch up.
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| Working on my clean but I am fatigued from running 10K |
- Hit up an activewear sale- Lululemon leggings are my gold standard in terms of quality and fit. However, they are also a big investment. Sabine knew about a sample sale, which we spent a lot of time and money at.
- Have a delicious milkshake with a good friend- Maple syrup, Jack Daniel’s and vanilla ice cream. Need I say more?
- Go on a date with your partner- Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary. We went to Luppolo in Wanstead as it is one of our favorites. We always order the same thing.
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| Goat’s cheese, red onions, olives pizza |
- Sleep in and then go for a run- Don’t set your alarm. When I woke up, I had a rough idea that I wanted to run another 10K. I added in a stop at Rinkoff Bakery for some crodoughs, I mean to add in a mile, too.
- Eat an outdoor brunch in Victoria Park- Yes, more eating. Are you seeing a theme yet? I met James and Oldland at a cafe for yummy food in the brisk air. The sun went behind the clouds but that didn’t matter as I ate a big plate of veg, egg, and halloumi while James had banana praline pancakes.
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| More eating! |
- Make your dog a cake- Not only was it our anniversary, it was also Oldand’s 3rd adoptiversary on Monday. I found a dog-friendly cake recipe online. After Oldland licked all the Greek yogurt icing off of the cake, he swallowed the cake in two bites.
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| Liking the plate |
- Watch Outlander- The 3rd series (“season” in America) started and I cannot wait to see how they adapted Voyager.
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| I was lucky to see Outlander on Thursday night as a sneak preview 🙂 |
If you have any suggestions on what I sure try this weekend, leave a comment below and let me know.
Thanks to Vlique for the complimentary experience. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Sep 13, 2017 | eating, exercise, family, outdoors, relax, running, self care
Of course, different strokes for different folks but I had an awesome weekend and think you should too. Here are my tips. Let me know which ones you try and how it goes.
|
| Burgess Park fishing late |
- Be a parkrun tourist- Due to my next tip, I needed to be in Elephant and Castle mid-Saturday morning. I started looking at different parkruns and found Burgess Park run would be closest to where I needed to be. After a quick shout on Facebook, I had a few friends meeting me there. The bonus was that a few other friends from track happened to be there and it was perfect running weather (sunny, cool, with a slight breeze). The course is flat and pretty with a fishing lake, open lawns, and wildflower gardens. They even had orange pieces at the finish. I was #224 and pleased with my sub-30 time. After saying goodbye to everyone, I put my Osprey rucksack on and ran another 5K towards my marathon training.
- Attend an instructional weight lifting session- I was lucky enough to be invited by Vlique to attend a Girls Who Lift session at One2One fitness studio near Elephant and Castle. Although I am a certified personal trainer, I don’t have any clients right now nor do I belong to a gym. It was great to have Anna review proper technique of cleans, squats, dead lifts, and pull ups. An added bonus was that Sabine from My Life My Challenges was there too. I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was great to catch up.
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| Working on my clean but I am fatigued from running 10K |
- Hit up an activewear sale- Lululemon leggings are my gold standard in terms of quality and fit. However, they are also a big investment. Sabine knew about a sample sale, which we spent a lot of time and money at.
- Have a delicious milkshake with a good friend- Maple syrup, Jack Daniel’s and vanilla ice cream. Need I say more?
- Go on a date with your partner- Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary. We went to Luppolo in Wanstead as it is one of our favorites. We always order the same thing.
|
| Goat’s cheese, red onions, olives pizza |
- Sleep in and then go for a run- Don’t set your alarm. When I woke up, I had a rough idea that I wanted to run another 10K. I added in a stop at Rinkoff Bakery for some crodoughs, I mean to add in a mile, too.
- Eat an outdoor brunch in Victoria Park- Yes, more eating. Are you seeing a theme yet? I met James and Oldland at a cafe for yummy food in the brisk air. The sun went behind the clouds but that didn’t matter as I ate a big plate of veg, egg, and halloumi while James had banana praline pancakes.
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| More eating! |
- Make your dog a cake- Not only was it our anniversary, it was also Oldand’s 3rd adoptiversary on Monday. I found a dog-friendly cake recipe online. After Oldland licked all the Greek yogurt icing off of the cake, he swallowed the cake in two bites.
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| Liking the plate |
- Watch Outlander- The 3rd series (“season” in America) started and I cannot wait to see how they adapted Voyager.
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| I was lucky to see Outlander on Thursday night as a sneak preview 🙂 |
If you have any suggestions on what I sure try this weekend, leave a comment below and let me know.
Thanks to Vlique for the complimentary experience. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | May 22, 2017 | cycling, exercise, outdoors, running, travel, water sports
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| Our bikes from iRide South Africa |
On my recent trip to South Africa, I wanted to take advantage of the good weather and be outdoors and active as much as possible. My running and cycling kit were the first things to go in my suitcase, followed by my swimsuit and sunscreen. I knew it was going to be warm and sunny, but I didn’t know the water was going to be so cold. My hotel was a lovely walk along the promenade to the V&A Waterfront and I saw many other outdoor activities going on- paragliding, sea kayaking, scuba diving, speed boats, sail boats and surfing. I also heard there was horseback riding in one of the nearby towns. Although Cape Town wasn’t expensive, doing all these extra curricular activities would had added up so I only chose a few. I need to go back to try the rest!
Cycling
Part of the fun of traveling for me is seeing new places by foot or wheels. My husband is more of a cyclist than I am but we were both keen to cycle while in Cape Town. Last year, he hired a bike through iRide South Africa so we did the same for this trip. The service was great as they dropped off and picked up the bikes at the flat where we were staying. You could also hire helmets and shoes which leaves more room for other things. One water bottle per bike was provided and we brought extras. This was important as it was 26 degrees Celsius and more while we were in Cape Town.
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| We made it. |
We are both comfortable cycling in a city (James more so than me because he cycle commutes every day) which was important as Cape Town doesn’t have many bike lanes. It took about 20 minutes to get into the fancier suburbs and passed everyone headed to work. South Africa for the most part has wide shoulders on their roads for passing traffic which many of the cyclists we saw used. We were headed south to Chapman’s Peak, which included an 850 m climb in bright sunshine with HUGE winds. I, of course, was nervous of needing the toilet along the way but made it through without incident. It was great to get back on the bike (it had been since Fitbit Fifty) but I did feel bad for my husband as I am a very slow cyclist. He is fantastic at climbing hills! Slow and steady is how I aim to do it. I get there in the end.
We had plenty of fuel and water with us because it was so hot in Cape Town. I used additional saline drops in my water bottles to ensure I was hydrated, plus nuun and Powerade. I had heat exhaustion once in Texas and it was not fun!
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| What a view! |
When we did make it to the top, the view was amazing. There were other cyclists there too and several cars pulled over. Everyone was taking photos and looking out over the water. We were told that over and down the peak there was a cafe, but I didn’t want to climb up the hill twice. We headed back down the way we came and stopped for a 2nd breakfast near the beach. It was really lovely to be outside, in the sunshine, and see the ocean just across the road. We made it back to the flat without any problems and relaxed the rest of the day. James climbed to the top of Chapman’s Peak again the next day and found a cafe on the other side of the hill. I was due to run 13 miles for my marathon training and did that instead.
Running
I found there were plenty of opportunities to run in Cape Town. Although many books and websites said not to go out by yourself in Cape Town, I felt safe running along the Sea Point Promenade, as well as running from my hotel to the promenade. There wasn’t much shade along the path but the ocean breeze helped keep me cool. You will definitely need sunscreen!
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| Adidas Runners Cape Town |
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| Representing London |
With marathon training in full swing, I ran most days but had to run very early in the morning or late in the evening because of the heat. I managed to join Adidas Runners Cape Town for a run along the Promenade and through Greenpoint Park were we crossed paths with Park Run which had a large amount of people taking park (FYI- parkrun starts at 8am in Cape Town!).
The other running I was able to due was a trail run in Stellenbosch. I was lucky enough to take part in a Dirtopia race on Valentine’s Day. A more detailed review will be up soon. It was hard to find a comprehensive race calendar, but I think this was due to it being such a hot time of the year. If you know of one for Cape Town or South Africa, please let me know!
Sea kayaking
I went out on two trips with Kaskazi Kayaks in Cape Town. The only other time I have been sea kayaking was a on-off in Seward, Alaska, USA when I lived there for a summer. For those that don’t know, kayaking is a sport where you sit in a small boat close to the surface of the water and use a double-sided paddle to propel yourself. Here are a few things I learned on my trip that you might find useful for your first sea kayaking trip.
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| All the gear ready for us |
Do you need to be fit to sea kayak? Not necessarily, but you do need to be willing to dig in and paddle against the current and waves. We were put into kayaks with others, so you can share the burden a bit. Double kayaks are more stable too. You will wear a life jacket during your trip but you may have to go a ways offshore to go around reefs or rocks under the water. If you are afraid of the water or are not a confident swimmer, this might be unnerving. Speak to your instructor before getting into your kayak to discuss your fears and what the trip will be like. I love being on the water but a few people in my group were either scared to be on the water or didn’t realize how much physical activity was involved.
If you want to see local wildlife, ask the company which time is the best to go out. I was told the early morning trips are when animals local to Cape Town are most active and picked the second trip of the day so I could sleep a bit. We saw a fur seal and some dolphins during my second trip, which was pretty neat!
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| Everyone is ready to go. Photo by Kaskazi Kayaks |
There were a few things I brought with me that were important for this kind of activity- sunscreen (my legs got very burned), bottle of water, sunglasses, hat, swimsuit bottoms (no matter what they say, you will get wet), and shoes for water sports (I wore my Keens sandals). A towel and change of clothes will not go amiss either. Basically, it is sunny in Cape Town and even brighter on the water. You don’t want to waste any days of your holiday with a sunburn, so protect your skin.
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| Just look at that view. Photo by Kaskazi Kayaks. |
I hope to one day return to Cape Town. What would you recommend we put on our activity list for the next time? We managed to squeeze in a short safari and cage diving, which I will post about soon. But I know there is so much more to do and see.
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