Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing – Be Prepared For The Lifetime Adventure With Kilisa Tours

Many trekkers come to Mount Kilimanjaro hoping for a real wild adventure on the world's tallest freestanding mountain.

Are you thinking about Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing and a trip to Uhuru Peak, the "peak of freedom"? Kilimanjaro is on the bucket list of new and experienced hikers alike.

Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing gives you more than the climb itself. The local crew will welcome you with a song that includes "Hakuna Matata", which means "there is no problem", and you'll meet the porters, often called the "Kili warriors".

Along the way you'll also enjoy the plants and animals of the rainforest zone, and the unusual plants growing among the rocks in the heather and moorland zones.

Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and is famous as the highest freestanding mountain in the world. As you climb, you pass through very different zones, from rainforest and heather all the way up to the arctic summit.

Each year more than 30,000 hikers try for the summit, and only about 59% of them make it. Altitude sickness is the main reason people turn back, so it's worth taking the things that raise your risk of Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness seriously. These include choosing a route that doesn't suit your health and experience, going in the wrong season, not training enough, not taking the right precautions, and not having the right gear.

Kilimanjaro Facts

Before you start Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing, here are some facts about the mountain that are good to know.

Mount Kilimanjaro Location

Mount Kilimanjaro is in northeastern Tanzania, close to the border between Kenya and Tanzania. It is made up of three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. Arusha is the main city nearby, and the closest airport is Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Height of Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro rises 19,341 feet, or 5,895 meters, above sea level. It's the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, which means it isn't part of a mountain range. As Africa's highest peak, it is one of the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent.

Kilimanjaro Climb Cost

Kilisa Tours is a well-known trekking and tour company in Tanzania. Our tailor-made Mt. Kilimanjaro trekking holidays start from $2080 per person for the 7 Days Machame Route. This price includes all camping, trekking and porter service, plus your accommodation and transfers before and after the climb.

The price of your Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing trip depends on the route you pick, the time of year, the level of service and a few other things.

Best Route To Climb Kilimanjaro

If you're a beginner, your chance of reaching the summit depends a lot on the route. So if you're serious about Kilimanjaro, choose your route carefully, looking at its summit success rate and how well it helps you acclimatize. This matters for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro For Beginners most of all.

There are seven Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes: Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Rongai, Northern Circuit, Umbwe and the Western Breach.

For a good summit rate and a better acclimatization profile, the Machame, Lemosho and Northern Circuit routes are the best choices. Of these, the Northern Circuit route is known for a very high summit success rate, and the scenery is excellent.

But we recommend the Lemosho Route, because it gives you a good balance of fewer people, great views and a high summit success rate. The Northern Circuit has a high success rate too, but it's the longest of all the routes.

We like the 8 Days Lemosho Route itinerary best, because it gives you enough time to acclimatize before the summit.

The Machame Route: the most popular route up Kilimanjaro, following the "climb high, sleep low" idea.

The Rongai Route: one of the easier routes, and the only one that starts from the northern side of Kilimanjaro.

The Shira Route: this one takes you to serious altitude on the very first day.

The Lemosho Route: one of the most beautiful and longer routes on Kilimanjaro, but it costs more.

Best Time To Climb Kilimanjaro

There are two main trekking seasons, and they make up the Best Time To Climb Kilimanjaro: January to March and June to October. January to March is usually colder than June to October, and you're more likely to find snow on the summit.

Kilimanjaro lies about 300km south of the equator and has two rainy seasons. The short rains run from November to mid-December, and the long rains from March to May. The trails get wet and muddy then, so Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing in the rainy season is not a good idea. Higher up, above 1800m, there is less rain, and you can also choose the Rongai Route, the driest route to the summit.

The dry months, July to October and January to mid-March, are the Best Time To Climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Training To Climb Mt Kilimanjaro

To cope with altitude sickness and bad weather, you need to be physically fit. Even so, above 2000m most hikers feel some symptoms of altitude sickness.

Training for Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing can only make the effects of altitude sickness milder. Do some training on your own, or join a Kilimanjaro Training Program, to build up your endurance.

Your training should include aerobic exercise, running on a treadmill, strength training, hiking up the nearest hills, walking up and down stairs, and breathing exercises.

Aerobic exercise like walking, swimming, long-distance jogging and cycling makes your heart and lungs stronger.

Strength training builds up your upper body and core. For your joints, legs and knees, practice lunges, squats, step aerobics, and front and reverse leg curls. We suggest you start training at least two months before your trek.

Mount Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness

Most climbers on Kilimanjaro will feel some symptoms of altitude sickness. These include headaches, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, loss of appetite and possibly palpitations.

Do not climb higher if your symptoms don't improve. Go down if your symptoms get worse at the same altitude.

Mild altitude sickness feels a lot like a hangover. The symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) listed here are more serious: blue skin and lips (cyanosis), a grey or pale face, a tight chest, coughing and coughing up blood, confusion, drowsiness and trouble walking.

If you notice any sign of altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness, tell your Kilimanjaro Guides right away and follow their advice.

Your risk of Kilimanjaro Altitude Sickness goes up if you already have a respiratory infection, such as a cold.

Medicines like Diamox can reduce the headache, which can improve your chances of a successful climb. Nifedipine, Dexamethasone or Prednisolone are taken in cases of High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), the serious forms of altitude sickness.

Kilimanjaro Climb Gear List

Temperatures on the mountain range from 20 to -15 degrees Celsius, and the weather changes from one climate zone to the next, so the right gear is very important. Our Kilimanjaro Gear List covers trekking gear, camping gear and clothing.

Trekking gear:

• Gaiters
• Socks and sock liners
• Shoes and hiking boots
• Trekking poles
• Headlamps
• Duffel bags
• Ski goggles and hand warmers
• Hydration pack
• Sleeping bags, fabric bags, etc.

Clothing:

• Hats and caps
• Fleece jacket
• Sunglasses
• Shirts and base layers
• Down jackets
• Hard shell and waterproof jackets
• Gloves
• Ski trousers
• Fleece trousers
• Sport shoes

Camping gear:

• Camping table
• Sleeping bags
• Sleeping tent
• Toilet tent
• Thermarest

Kilimanjaro Safety

Climbing Kilimanjaro is an adventure, so it's important to think about safety. Each year about 1,000 people are evacuated from the mountain, and about 10 deaths are reported. The real number of deaths is thought to be two to three times higher. The main cause of death is altitude sickness.

Make Kilimanjaro Safety your first priority when you prepare for Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Get a medical check-up
• Take your medication if you have a chronic illness
• Climb high, sleep low
• Drink lots of water
• Climb slowly

Important things to carry on the trek

• For sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses and goggles
• Painkillers and headache tablets
• Basic antiseptic and plasters for cuts and blisters
• Anti-nausea tablets, for altitude sickness
• Water purification tablets, so you can drink water from mountain streams
• Eye drops, to protect your eyes from dust and the glare of snow and ice
• Rehydration salts, for cases of dehydration
• Malaria prophylaxis or Malarone, for malaria
• Anti-inflammatory tablets, for aching muscles and joints

What Is Kilimanjaro, and What Makes It So Special?

Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in Africa. It rises to 19,341 feet and stands in the north of Tanzania.

• Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent.
• Of Kilimanjaro's three volcanic cones, Shira is the oldest.
• Climbing Kilimanjaro Solo is not allowed. The rules say you must climb with a registered tour operator.
• Most people can climb Kilimanjaro, which is why it's known as "Everyone's Everest".
• The Shira plateau was formed by magma from the eruptions of the Kibo and Mawenzi volcanoes.
• The Alpine Desert and the summit zone have dramatic, almost alien landscapes.
• The summit is called Uhuru, which means "freedom" in Swahili.
• One explanation of the name is that "Kili" means "white" and "manjaro" means "mountain" in Swahili.

Why Climb Kilimanjaro with Kilisa Tours

Kilisa Tours is a registered and licensed tour company in Tanzania. We offer good trekking services, with comfortable itineraries at a fair price.

With many years of experience behind them, our ground staff really know How To Climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

They are knowledgeable, dedicated, skilled and experienced, and ready to handle whatever comes up. To learn more about our trekking packages, visit our Mount Kilimanjaro climbing page.