Mt. Kilimanjaro Recommendations
Some of our top recommendations for everything around the mountain.
Western Breach Opened
It has been a few years since the landside on Mt Kilimanjaro that claimed the lives of a few people on the Western Breach. The breach opened up a few months ago, but I had not heard reports of any companies leading climbs up it - until today.
Apparently a father and daughter team, organized by Mountain Maddness who contracts with a local company (African Environments, I think), climbed the mountain without any problems.
I imagine now that more guiding companies will start climbing the Western Breach again and bring back the most adventurous route on Kilimanjaro. I can’t wait to get …
Date: March 4th, 2008 |
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Climb For A Cause - Kilimanjaro
Over the years, I have seen hundreds of people climb Kilimanjaro for certain causes. Whether it’s to raise awareness for “Aids/HIV awareness, homelessness, leukemia, cancer research, blindness, Darfur, exploited children, multiple sclerosis, orphans, etc,” I probably read of a new cause every other week. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a great thing. People raises money for good causes, the community gets involved, the proceeds go to a good cause, and someone travels half way around the world to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. They hold their sign, t-shirt, at the top of Kilimanjaro, and then begin the journey down. They come …
Date: February 22nd, 2008 |
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Is Kilimanjaro an Ant Trail, like the Inca Trail?
While the Inca Trail in Peru is sending 500 people per day up to Machu Picchu, Mount Kilimanjaro is still relatively relaxed and isn’t necessarily always an Ant Trail, as referenced in this letter: Kilimanjaro Memories: That means, 15,000 people per month - excluding February - hike the classic trail in Peru. This year, 30,000 people will climb Mt Kilimanjaro, making it one of the busiest years ever. However, that is a far cry from the Inca Trail.
Of course, if you go hike the Marangu or Machame Route Trail in July …
Date: February 7th, 2008 |
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Malaria Prescriptions
There are many different schools of thought on malaria prevention, but this is a general idea of the malaria prevention options that most travel doctors prescribed to their patients.
1. Malarone
250 mg. Take one tablet a day with a meal at the same time of the day. You should start this 1 day before, take it each day, and then for one week if you had exposure to malaria.
2. Lariam/Mefloquine
250 mg. Take one tablet a week starting 1 week before possible exposure, every week during, and for four weeks after possible exposure to malaria mosquitoes.
3. Doxycycline
100 mg. Take one …
Date: December 11th, 2007 |
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Join Kilimanjaro Group Climb
I apologize for bringing this post to the front page again, but we have had some updates to these trips.
If you are looking to join a group to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, I will update this webpage each week, adding dates that groups have offered their climb for others to join. Generally most trips to climb Kilimanjaro are private, but from time-to-time, people open them to others. Below are some current public group options - anyone can join:
JUNE:
June 25 - Two Canadian women are looking for a few other travelers to join …
Date: April 19th, 2007 |
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Marangu Route on Kilimanjaro - April & May
95 percent of the people who call me about climbing Kilimanjaro rarely have plans to climb the Marangu route. The reason is, the Marangu route is super easy - a gentle hike, you sleep inside huts with loads of other people, and it “generally” caters to someone who wants to summit the mountain fast. And, it can have loads of traffic. Most climbers, trekkers, adventurers opt for coming up the Lemosho, Rongai, or Machame routes, and these I would highly recommend most of the year.
Recently, however, I have been receiving lots of interest for people climbing Kilimanjaro during the dreaded …
Date: February 27th, 2008 |
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Adventure on Kilimanjaro- Western Breach Combined With Crater Camp
I had a couple young guys call me the other day, and said they wanted to take an “adventurous” route up Kilimanjaro - and avoid all the crowds on the mountain. They were curious of the various options. I told them the most adventurous way would be to do 8 or 9 days on the Lemosho route and plan to spend one night at Crater Camp. Crater Camp is the highest camp on Mt. Kilimanjaro and is probably visited by less than 5 percent of the people climbing Kilimanjaro. Crater Camp sits at 5,790 meters on Kilimanjaro, and you actually …
Date: February 14th, 2008 |
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6 Day Machame Route - Is It Smart?
There are some mountaineering companies on Mt. Kilimanjaro who sell 6 days treks on the Machame route. The idea is to present tourists with more options, creating a cheaper price, and shorter amount of days. In my opinion, you should not attempt this route in 6 Days, as you are dramatically decreasing your chance of making it to the summit and dramatically increasing your change of getting altitude sickness.
The Machame route is best done in 7 days, as typically on the 6 day route, you are trying to compress 2 days into one, skipping Karanga Camp. Don’t get me …
Date: January 15th, 2008 |
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Mt. Kilimanjaro - How dangerous is it, really?
OK, you’ve been warned…
“But when I say that our sport is a hazardous one, I do not mean that when we climb mountains there is a large chance that we shall be killed, but that we are surrounded by dangers which will kill us if we let them.” George Mallory
Mallory’s comments are in reference to the Himalayan “giants”, but the call for personal responsibility; making good decisions and managing your own situation can be taken to any adventure, including Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Recently, I’ve seen some questions on the BootsnAll, Kilimanjaro blog concerning the level of risk involved in climbing to the roof of Africa and how to handle the negativity from people (like parents) that have only heard about some of the tragedies on the mountain. This article is my attempt to put these issues into perspective and promote safe, successful adventures.
It is true that 8 or 9 trekkers per year die on the mountain from 30,000 attempts. A few of these make the headlines and unfortunately, that is what people remember. Heart attacks and Acute Mountain Sickness are the main reasons. But it is also true that if 60% (18,000) make it to the summit then a whopping 40% (12,000) trekkers, every year, have turned themselves around or been told to turn around and walk off the mountain with everything from knowing they did the very best they could, to crushing disappointment, or perhaps a steeled resolve to return and conquer. In addition, a small number of people have needed rescue.
In the following paragraphs, I will discuss all these different issues so that the first-timers can understand the choices and probabilities for success.
What can kill 8 to 9 people per year?
Date: August 7th, 2007 |
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What’s it like up there?
The first attempt at a nap
“I’d been awake most of the night, struggling for breath in the meager air “
Jon Krakauer from “Into Thin Air”
Cheyne-Stokes
No, this isn’t the newest diet fad or a way to stop someone from choking.
This is the name given to the process of running short of oxygen and being jolted awake by the horrible feeling of suffocation while attempting to sleep at significant altitude. Both my son and I experienced this potential altitude effect while cocooned in our minus-20 rated bags during our memorable night at Crater Camp (18,800ft), before our summit of Kilimanjaro the following morning.
“Sleeping is a problem for most high-altitude climbers due to a phenomenon known as Cheyne-Stokes breathing. While dozing, the climber breathes normally for a minute and then stops completely for thirty seconds. Suddenly, breathing resumes at an accelerated rate. One minute you sound out of breath, the next, dead. It is often more disconcerting for the tent mate than the sleeper.”
John Roskelley from “Nanda Devi, the tragic expedition.”
Please understand this missive is for edification not condemnation because I was the flatlander who had chosen to climb the Western Breach and camp just under the summit. I was the flatlander who thought doing an overnight at 18,800 ft. would be the experience of a lifetime. And I’m the one who wouldn’t trade that sleepless night with my son for anything in the world.
Date: April 12th, 2007 |
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