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Kilimanjaro Tourist Information
Kilimanjaro - info and routs
Kilimanjaro offers thrilling adventure taking you to the highest point in Africa. It is accessible to all but the mountain demands to be treated with respect. Try to climb with a company that embraces fair trade practices and responsible tourism. Train in the months leading up to your climb and thereby enjoy this experience in the unique setting
Link to the story of Noah a porter on Kilimanjaro a coming of age novel about a young boy working as a Kilimanjaro porter.
Kilimanjaro Info on this page ~ General Information ~ Altitude Sickness ~ Best Times of Year to Climb ~ The different routes of Kilimanjaro
Fair Trade Operators ~ Why Bother the Grisly Facts?
Kilimanjaro Information
Kilimanjaro is remote,alluring and awe inspiring. Starting off on the dusty plains of equatorial Africa and trekking to near arctic conditions at the summit;passing through tropical rain forest,moorland and alpine desert onto snow and ice.
Located in Northern Tanzania and bordering Kenya,Kilimanjaro dominates the landscape. The worlds largest fee-standing mountain is an extinct volcano. This mountain attracts nature enthusiasts as well as mountain climbers with its unique eco-system.
The accent is a non-technical climb whilst giving the full mountaineering experience. You must be in a strong physical condition to attempt the climb which typically takes five days. It is a good idea to coordinate your climb with the light of a full moon.
Because of the non-technical classification of the climb often the fitness level required is underestimated. You should be comfortable in walking four to eight hours per day. The accent to the summit being the most demanding day of all;usually taking eight hours on the steep accent to Uhru Peak and another seven hours on the decent;this requires both strength and endurance. Kilimanjaro stands at an extreme altitude and often this too is underestimated;Uhuru Peak stands at 5,680 meters above sea level.
Best Times of year to climb depend on what you want as Kilimanjaro can be trekked all year,with advantages and disadvantages each month. Mid December to March are the warmest months and fairly free from clouds. April and early May has heavy clouds,rain and even occasional snow blizzards;the mountain has few climbers this time of year. By late June to the end of August it is very cold at night with a clear sky above 3000 meters and fantastic views. September and October the mountain is warmer with October usually having little or no rain and mild temperatures. November to mid-December has the possibility of short rains with the threat of thunderstorms in the afternoons - and occasional heavy snow towards the summit.
Fare Trade Operators on Kilimanjaro
1. Parks Adventure- Tanzania owned with an office in Arusha Town for over 30 years. very professional company- www.parksadventure.com
2.The Marangu Hotel & Kili Climbs - I have personally met the lady who runs this operation at the Marangu Hotel Hotel and quizzed her about their fair trade principles - other companied pay lip service to fair trade whilst never bothering to check to see if their ethos of fair trade is being adhered to. The Marangu Hotel does at it promises and we cannot praise them enough. They say "Our guides,who work only for Marangu Hotel,are specially trained by the hotel to ensure a safe and rewarding climb and are internationally recognized for their efficiency. Most of them come from families that have been providing guides for the hotel for many years,and this traditional partnership is evident in the cheerful,consistent and professional service they provide."
WHY FAIR TRADE?
There is a Partner for Responsible Travel Program in place to recognize tour operators committed to the proper treatment of the porters and guides. Currently a few [but by no means all] of the local climbing companies on Kilimanjaro are participating with the Program. Tourists desire for fair treatment of posters is having a great effect in facilitating social justice on Kilimanjaro. For a list of Current Partner Companies please visit www.kiliporters.org
The Myths about Porters [supplied by Kiliporters.org]
1.There is a minimum wage that operators are required to pay all porters climbing Kili - A typical wage for a poster is us$3.50 per day!
2.Porters eat the same quality meals as climbers- Porters often eat just one meal at the end of each day,primarily a local maze-porridge
3.Porters are employed directly by the operator you have paid to climb the mountain- This is not the norm. A company employs a guide who hires the porters - this is often done on the morning of the climb. Many operators will hold little or no responsibility for the posters.
4.It is easy for a porter to climb mount Kilimanjaro- As the posters will officially be carrying up to 20kg in weight [in reality this is often in access of 25kg [over 55lbs] it is probably much harder climb for them to endure the climb.
5.Your tip will be distributed evenly to the porters if you give it to the guide as advised - many report suggest this is not the case - this is also our experience from talking to many people in Marangu and Machame - porters usually receive a small portion of the tip that was intended for them.
6.Porters are provided with proper sleeping accommodations- porters often sleep in overcrowded huts or tents - sometimes with a blanket and plastic bin-liner for a sleeping bag - sometimes forced to wait in foul weather for climbers to vacate the mess-tent where they will sleep.
Information supplied by www.kiliporters.org/join this organization to ensure fair working conditions for the porters of Kilimanjaro
Mountain Sickness
Every year a number of tourists die climbing Kilimanjaro. What action should one take to avoid altitude sickness?
To be fit and ready to climb is essential. When climbing take your assent slowly,this will be emphasized again and again by your guide in Swahili pole-pole [and English slowly slowly].
Before you climb the mountain,try to avoid an overnight in Moshi town. It is better to stay as close to the Kilimanjaro Park Gate as you can. As you sleep in the mountain village lodge,your body is starting to acclimatize. If you can spend two nights before your climb in your lodge all the better. Acclimatization is the key to reaching the summit. Adding an extra day onto your climbing itinerary is a worthwhile.
If you feel tired,if you are vomiting,if you are passing blood tell your guide. These are all signs of altitude sickness. If you start to suffer then to get to a lower altitude as quickly as possible is the only way to recover. Do not hang on thinking you will be fine,get off the mountain as quickly as possible.
Once you have succeeded in climbing to the top and have taken your pictures then a quick decent is advisable - there is usually only one night spent on the mountain during your decent.
To recap,a pre-night close to the park-gate helps acclimatize. Spend an extra night on the assent to help your body adjust;and most of all do not race up the mountain walk slowly and enjoy your climb.
Routes of Kilimanjaro
There are six routes to reach the foot of the Kibo Peak and then the last day push for the summit and the highest point in Africa.
We will keep it simple here and leave it for the operators to blind you with statistics and non essential facts.
1. Shira Route,is one of the two longer Kilimanjaro climb routes that start on the western side. Crossing the Shira Plateau before joining the Machame Route near the "Lava Tower". Shira is not the cheapest option as it takes longer to clime and the remoteness incurs more expense however you avoid the crowds that plague some of the other routes
2. Lemosho Route- The most scenic Kilimanjaro route,from the first day to the last - on the western side of the mountain. Lemosho is a narrow wilderness trail right from the beginning,passing through pristine and remote rainforest with good chances of seeing wildlife.
3. Machame Route,Probably the most popular trail. Machame is also the regarded by many guides as the most enjoyable. The success rate on the Machame Route is high This route also gives the option of taking the Western Breach / Arrow Glacier Route to the summit.
4. Umbwe Route,Is widely regarded as the hardest trail,a tough vertical slog through the jungle,in places using the tree roots as makeshift rungs on a ladder. Having reached the Southern Circular Route,trekkers can continue north-west to tackle Kibo from the west and the difficult Arrow Glacier Route;or you can follow the Southern Circular Route east round to easier Barafu route and approach the summit from there.
5. Marangu Route- the oldest trail,also the easiest for the tour operator to organize it also has the lowest success rate of all the trails. It is the only trail where camping is not necessary,with trekkers sleeping in dormitory huts along the way. From the Kibo Huts,trekkers climb up to the summit via Gillman's Point.
6. Rongai/Loitokitok Route - This is the only trail to approach Kibo from the north. For the final push to the summit, trekkers on this trail take the Kibo Hut Route. This trek can be completed in five days and four nights, though trekkers usually take a detour to add an extra day to acclimatize
Each of these six routes eventually meet with a path circling the foot of the Kibo- It is possible and very worthwhile to walk right around Kibo, though it is essential to arrange this well in advance your operator as they will need permission from KINAPA - the Kilimanjaro National Parks Authority.
There are three trails leading to Kibo's crater rim - bellow are the three trails and the routs that use them
1. Western Breach Route/ Arrow Glacier Route
2. Barafu Route [Barafu means ice]
3. Kibo Huts/Gillman's Point Route
Shira, Lemosho, Machame and Umbwe routes can use either the hard Arrow Glacier Route or the easier but longer Barafu Route
The Marangu and Rongai trails use the Kibo Huts/Gillman's Point Route
