MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
March and April are the rainy months at Kilimanjaro so we recommend that you avoid this time period.
Your mobile service may work at one or two points on the mountain but don’t count on it. We have tested mobile internet cards from both Vodacom (Tanzania) and Safaricom (Kenya) and were not able to access the internet. If you have a phone call that needs to be made during the trek please speak with your guide and he may be able to arrange something.
CLIMBING GEAR
Feel free to use this list as a reference as you prepare for your trip.
- Mountain Climbing Gears
- Headlamp
- Walking poles
- Sleeping bag (four seasons)
- Waterproof Hiking boots
- Gaiters
- 1 set of Top and bottom underwear
- Warm sweater
- Warm jacket
- Warm trousers
- Trekking trousers
- Waterproof jacket (with hood)
- Waterproof pants
- 4 pairs of hiking socks
- 3-4 T-shirts
- 1 pair of warm gloves/ waterproof
- 1 pair of inner gloves
- 1 pair of sneakers/ changing shoes
- Sunglasses
- Balaclava
- Sun hut
- Water bottles
- Personal items eg. Sun screen, ID/Passport, Towels, Camera, Snacks, Changing batteries etc.
ACCOMODATION
HEALTH AND SAFETY
You should be in good enough shape to walk continuously throughout the day. Good overall fitness, flexibility, and healthy will ensure you trek safely and comfortably. Those with acute or chronic health conditions impacting their stamina, range of motion, coordination, or balance may have difficulty completing the trek. If you are in doubt about your own physical readiness, consult a physician well in advance of booking your trip! General hiking experience and comfort with the idea of multi-day hiking will also ensure you are 100% ready to trek!
Yes, we ensure the travel safety of all our trekking guests, both male and female. We have longstanding, strong relationships with the lodges we frequent, and know them to be safe and reliable. In addition our guides are consistently mindful of all guests’ whereabouts while trekking. We travel in small groups, all the better to easily maintain continual contact.
MEALS & DRINKS
Breakfast
Kilimanjaro breakfast will involve eggs (boiled or fried), porridge, a sausages (possibly with some tomatoes too), a piece of fruit such as a banana or orange, some bread with jam, honey, and peanut butter, and a mug or two of tea, hot chocolate, and coffee.
Lunch
Kilimanjaro lunch is usually prepared at breakfast and carried by the trekker in his or her daypack. This packed lunch often consists of a boiled egg, some sandwiches, a banana or orange, and some tea or coffee kept warm in a flask and carried by your guide.
Afternoon Tea
Kilimanjaro afternoon tea served at the end of the day’s hike and is usually accompanied by biscuits, peanuts and, best of all, salted popcorn.
Dinner
Kilimanjaro dinner, which is the final and biggest meal of the day, usually begins with soup, followed by a main course including chicken or meat, a vegetable sauce, some cabbage, and rice or pasta; if your porters have brought up some potatoes, these will usually be cooked and eaten on the first night as they are very heavy.
Dietary Requirements
Note: Inform us during the booking confirmation, if you have any special dietary requirements – because both meat and nuts form a substantial part of the food on Kilimanjaro. One of the marvels of a trek on Kilimanjaro is the skill with which the chefs are able to conjure up delicious and nutritious food despite little in the way of equipment and ingredients. They are also able obey almost any dietary restrictions, so that vegans, vegetarians, gluten-intolerant and lactose-intolerant clients can enjoy tasty meals!
Drinks
We do not bring bottled of water on the mountain, as we boil all water which is coming from glacial streams. Plus it is also treated, so each morning we will provide you with a bowl of hot water along with some soap for you to wash your hands. Each morning we will fill all of your water bottles with potable water from the rivers and streams along the trail. Some of this will be boiled for you at the start of the day to carry in your water bottles.
On the lower slopes you can collect water yourself from the many streams, and purify it using a water filter or tablets, as we advise that you carry enough bottles or containers that hold at least two liters of water.
At the camps, coffee and tea is served, and hot chocolate too, all usually made with powdered milk.
After a few days on the mountain, you may be craving some other flavors in your drinks, therefore, we recommend you bring some powdered drink mix such as Gatorade/Powerade, Iced Tea, Fruit Punch, etc.
Drink mixes that provide energy/electrolytes might also help you during the long hike days.
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MOUNTAIN SICKNESS
Mild Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, nausea and dizziness, shortness of breath, Disturbed sleep, and loss of appetite.
Moderate Symptoms: Very bad headaches that is not relieved with medication, feeling very nauseous which often resulting in vomiting, very fatigued and weak, decreased coordination (known as ataxia), and shortness of breath.
Serious or Severe Symptoms: Inability to walk, shortness of breath whilst resting, loss of mental capacities and hallucination, and fluid buildup on the lungs.
This is a condition that is associated with severe Acute Mountain Sickness. It occurs due to swelling of the brain tissue from fluid buildup in the cranium. It is a life threatening condition. On Kilimanjaro, people suffering from HACE should descend immediately and seek medical attention when they get to the lower reaches of the mountain.
HACE Symptoms: Severe headaches which cannot be relieved by medication, hallucination, loss of consciousness, disorientation, loss of coordination (i.e. ataxia), memory loss and coma.
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)
This condition associated with Acute Mountain Sickness and occurs because of fluid buildup in the lungs. Fluid in the lungs prevents the effective exchange of oxygen and thus a decrease of oxygen into the bloodstream. HAPE almost always occurs because of ascending too high, too fast. It is a life threatening condition and therefore every precaution should be taken to avoid it when trekking Mount Kilimanjaro.
HAPE Symptoms: Very short of breath even while resting, very tight chest, the feeling of suffocation, particularly while sleeping, coughing that brings up white, frothy fluid, extreme fatigue and weakness, confusion, hallucination, and irrational behavior.