Kilimanjaro Trek General Informations

There are seven main Kilimanjaro trekking routes

Where Will I Sleep?
Climbers will sleep in state of the art, four-season mountain tents during the trek. Our tents are warm, waterproof and roomy – perfectly suited for your Kilimanjaro adventure. We understand that some climbers are anxious about camping for so many days, so we aim to have them be as dry, warm and comfortable as possible.

Each three-person sized tent will comfortably house two climbers and their gear. The interior floor space is 48 square feet, with a large vestibule, dual doors, and internal mesh pockets. The Trango 3 is a fully waterproof tent with fully taped seams and welded corners.

A 1.5 inch foam sleeping pad is provided to all climbers. These locally sourced sleeping pads are better than any commercially available sleeping pad. They are thick, warm and comfortable, even for those not used to camping..

What is a Typical Day’s Schedule?
On a typical day on the mountain, you will be awaken from your tent around 6:30 AM by your waiter/porter, who will bring you a warm pan of water to wash your face and hands. Breakfast will then be served. Meals are served in a mess tent – complete with chairs, tables, dinnerware and silverware. After you assemble your day pack, you will begin walking around 8:00 AM, while the porters stay behind to clean up the campsite, and pack up the tents and other equipment.

While the hours vary from day to day, your average walking time will be around four to six hours per day. During the walk, your guide will decide the pace and when to take a breaks depending on his assessment of the party’s performance. The porters consistently move ahead of the group in order to prepare food, collect water, and set up tents so that everything is ready when the party arrives. A hot lunch is served part way through your day’s trek though on occasion a boxed lunch may be provided.

Once you arrive at the campsite, snacks are served. Then, before dinner, a pan of water is again provided for clean up. Dinner is served around 6:00 PM. The guide will discuss the next day’s events with the group after dinner. Down time is spent chatting with your fellow climbers, staff and others sharing the campsite, reading, or otherwise relaxing.

Clients commonly express concern that they will be “too slow” and lag behind the guide and the rest of their group. This concern is unwarranted. Being slow is fine, and in fact, recommended. The guides set a very slow hiking pace to give everyone the best chance to acclimatize to the increasing altitude. People who are turned around on the mountain typically do so because they have succumbed to altitude sickness, not because they were physically too tired to keep up or continue.

Summit Day
Summit day is a tough, 11 to 16 hour day. This monumental effort is what makes climbing Kilimanjaro an achievement. It begins very early as guides try to time their trekking party to reach Uhuru point at sunrise. Climbers go to sleep after an early dinner the night before and are awaken around midnight to prepare for the summit attempt. After a light snack, climbers ascend in the darkness, cold and wind. It goes without saying that under these conditions, climbing is difficult, especially on loose rock and up a very steep slope. Once you reach the summit, a short time is spent celebrating and taking photos, before returning to high camp, either Barafu or Kibo Hut. There, you eat lunch and regain your strength, before continuing the descent to a much lower camp. The long descent immediately after summiting is where most people get tired, due to the partial night’s sleep, the expenditure of energy required to reach the top, and the particularly long distance covered that day. This is completely normal.

During the trek, it is common that someone may have to turn around on the mountain due to altitude sickness, exhaustion or a variety of other matters. Each group will have a lead guide, a number of assistant guides depending on the party size, and lead porters – all of whom are able to escort climbers down. Therefore, if a person cannot continue the ascent, one of the staff members will accompany this climber while the lead guide takes the group onward. The remaining party is unaffected and continues their climb as scheduled.

Altitude Acclimatization
How one reacts to high altitude is uncertain. Some people’s bodies adjust well to the decreased oxygen levels; others do not. Being physically fit and in good health, although helpful, is no guarantee of your ability to acclimatize. Therefore the best advice we can give is to take 7 or more days on the mountain.

There is a strong correlation between the amount of time spent on the mountain and the summit success rate. Because the human body adapts to high altitude slowly, the more time it has, the better the chances of acclimatization. A successful summit is usually a question of how well a climber can acclimatize to the high altitude, rather than the climber’s ability to ascend. By trekking standards, most of the day hikes on Kilimanjaro are not very strenuous. The big exception to this is the summit attempt, which requires a tremendous effort and is hard for nearly everyone. Climbers who acclimatize well to the altitude have a great chance of making it to the top.

What are the Trail Conditions?
The trails on Mount Kilimanjaro are well marked and maintained. Technical skills are not required on our routes. There are only a couple spots where scrambling (climbing on hands and feet) is required, such as the Barranco Wall, the Western Breach approach (now closed) and optional Lava Tower climb. The path to and from Uhuru Point is on scree, which can be especially tiring and slippery.

  Bad weather conditions can complicate matters. Climbers should be prepared to trek through all types of weather, such as fog, rain, snow, and all types of earth, whether loose, dusty, muddy, wet, snowy or icy. There are “long drop” public toilets at every campsite. Essentially, they are wooden structures built around a deep hole dug into the ground. There are no commodes in the public toilets. You relieve yourself in a hole cut into the bottom of the shack in a standing or squatting position. Given the crowds on Kilimanjaro, these public toilets see a lot of use and therefore can get rather dirty.

Private toilets are is available so you can request. Private toilets consist of a plastic toilet and a privacy tent. There are no shower facilities on the mountain.

What Food and Water Will be Provided?
You will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day spent on the mountain. The food, specifically selected to help your climb, are high energy carbohydrate foods that are easily digestible. The primary carbohydrate of the meals are rice, potatoes and pasta. Fresh fruit and vegetables accompany every meal. Meat is served on the mountain but not in large quantities because it is not easily digestible at high altitude and nor does it keep well on the mountain. We resupply the team with fresh food throughout the climb.

Water is collected from mountain streams and treated water purification tablets. Water is provided only at the campsites so you need to carry enough water, usually about 3 liters, to stay hydrated while you hike. Below are sample menus for your three meals:

You may want to bring some supplementary “comfort” foods, such as candy, gum, chocolate, health bars or powdered energy drinks.
We can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets. For those with special diets, please contact us to discuss what we can or cannot do. Note that food selection is limited in Tanzania, so although we will try to please all clients, in some cases clients will be asked to bring their specific food items to us, which our cooks will prepare.
What are the Accommodations Before and After the Climb?

we will provide accommodations at comparable hotels in Moshi such as Bristol Cottages, Parkview Inn and Keys Hotel Honey budger, sansaninero. Not all amenities are available at every hotel.