Mt. Kilimanjaro Opinion
Candid opinions about anything that deals with climbing on Kilimanjaro
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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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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Women Porters on Kilimanjaro
You don’t see or hear of many women porters on Mt. Kilimanjaro. It’s generally a man’s world on the mountain, as most of the women are at home, working on the farm, taking care of all the children, and going to the market, and to fetch water. But this woman, Esther Crispin, has managed to break into the porters business and works on the mountain fairly regularly, hoping to one day be a guide.
This quote of Esther’s is pretty indicative of msot porters dreams too, except for the part of being a …
Date: February 22nd, 2007 |
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Shira Camp Rescue
I received another phone call today from two clients on Shira Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro. Apparently the 15 year old boy, with his father, is having trouble on the mountain. He is tired, has a headache, and they have been trekking through the rain for eight hours. They will probably will not continue, but I will find out tomorrow morning.
The benefit this group has is there is an emergency descent route located nearby. Just a few hours from Shira Camp is an emergency road where rescue vehicles can transfer people down the mountain and back to their hotel. If …
Date: January 31st, 2007 |
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Waking Up on Mount Kilimanjaro
There is nothing harder to starting your day of trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro than a good old fashion rain storm. It happens on Kilimanjaro quite often and can make your day much more difficult than you expected - it’s cold, raining, windy, and the breakfast is late. It’s not going to be every morning that you will wake up and watch the sunrise over Africa. Fortunately, it the dry season on Kilimanjaro the rains storms are short and quick, so later in the day, the temperatures can be soarings, and you might be …
Date: January 22nd, 2007 |
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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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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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Would Jesus Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro?
I have to admit, I am not religious and personally don’t approve of missionary work in Africa. Sure, they build orphanages and hospitals in the community, which are wonderful and do great things, but they are also responsible for decimating many indigenous religions that survived for thousands of years, probably long before Christianity.
I stumbled across this interesting link today. It’s a Climb For Christ event where people climb Kilimanjaro, and then talk about how God could better serve the people of the Kilimanjaro region.
You have to be kidding me, …
Date: February 14th, 2007 |
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Forget Satellite Phones: Text Message from Kilimanjaro Mountain
Not only have I text messaged my wife on Kilimanjaro, I also have been receiving regular updates from one of my Israeli clients who is currently climbing the mountain with his 15 year old son. Yori, an airline pilot, has been planning to climb the Kilimanjaro with his son for the last year, and we at BootsnAll have been working to plan his trip. They have been training on some some small hills in Israel and doing regular hikes on the weekends. Yori is a good guy - taking his soon …
Date: January 30th, 2007 |
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Kilimanjaro Bathroom Picture: A Room With A View
Ah, there is nothing like going to the bathroom and having a great view of Mawenzi peak, Kilimanjaro’s little sister, while you are around 15,000 ft, 4600 meters on Kili. This picture was at, I believe, Barafu Camp bathroom and provides a nice refreshing view. It’s a shame, you can’t see this window while squatting on the ground, trying to position your legs to the sides of a four inch hole - and then realizing you forgot the toilet paper.
Date: January 17th, 2007 |
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