All our Kilimanjaro Climbs are private departures and depart
daily on all routes for a minimum of one person. We may have several departures
on the same route the same day and you are most likely to all set off together.
As you are all independent groups, with your own guide and cook your bid to get
to the summit will not be influenced by the weakness of
others.
Welcome To kilimanjaro!
For
full trip details follow this link to our main website
Kilimanjaro truly stands alone among the mountains of the world.
The huge, solitary volcano is unaccompanied by any mountain chain. People who are
in good shape can make the ascent to its summit in a matter of days,
passing through five distinct ecological zones along the way. The lower slopes of
the mountain are defined by coffee and banana fields that rise up and end where
the mountains forest begins. An average of 80 inches of rainfall a year make
the forest home to some botanical treats. Tree ferns in this region are known to
grow up to 20 feet, and giant lobelia often reach 30 feet. At an altitude of
about 9,000 feet, the forest gives way to grasslands and shrubbery, and elephant
can sometimes be spotted roaming the high slopes. At about 13,000 feet life
begins to recede, a result of extreme weather conditions inhospitable to
anything more than small mosses and lichens.
Kilimanjaro trekking and climbing tops the list as Africas
most famous -- and highest -- mountain, Tanzania boasts many other mountain
ranges and attractive peaks. Most of the countrys mountains and volcanoes are
located in the north and east of the country. They vary from the dramatic crater
of Mt. Meru and the active volcano of Ol Donyo Lengai to tamer options like the
Usambara Mountains and comparatively gentle slopes of the Crater Highlands.
Hiking trips and mountain climbing in Tanzania is becoming a popular option for
visitors not content to observe the country from the back of a game viewing
vehicle. Instead, adventurous types are taking advantage of the many trails and
peaks Tanzania has to offer.
Most fit individuals with some
mountain walking experience can make it to the top of Africa. You do not need to
be super fit - just take it slowly (pole-pole the guide will say) and be
determined. We are one of the top Kilimanjaro operators with an excellent
reputation and a very high success rate. But success depends mainly on you - it
is up to you to make some important choices; in particular which route you
ascend and for how many days. If you have little previous mountain walking and
camping experience and are not sure of your fitness go for
the Marangu
Route (entirely hut based) and make
sure you have at least one acclimatisation day at Horombo Hut or that you
have acclimatised on Mt Meru, Mt
Kenya or elsewhere previously.
Please read the route descriptions carefully and if necessary discuss your
choice with
us.
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in
clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of
Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, dont even have a
name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy
peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the summit of
Africa.
Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for
the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is
this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the
tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from
the surrounding coastal scrubland, elevation around 900 metres to an imperious 5,895 metres
(19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is one of the worlds most accessible high
summits, a beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the
crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and
determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or Gillmans
Point on the lip of the crater, will have earned their climbing certificates.
And their memories.
But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The
ascent of the slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the
Arctic. Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m
contour), the cultivated footslopes give way to lush montane forest, inhabited
by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbots duiker, and other
small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a cover
of giant heather is studded with otherworldly giant lobelias.
Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little
life other than a few hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last
vestigial vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow and the
magnificent beauty of the roof of the continent.
NOTE: Climb slowly to increase your acclimatisation time and maximise your chances of reaching the summit. To avoid altitude sickness, allow a minimum of five nights, preferably even more for the climb. Take your time and enjoy the beauty of the mountain.