CLIMBING KILIMANJARO IN A NUTSHELL
Prepared by Kids Aid Tanzania
(Registered Charity No. 1111220)
These notes are for people considering a climb of Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, with web addresses to help you get there, achieve a successful climb and provide you with cost, health, visa and currency information.
Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres. It is a trek rather than a climb and many people complete it each year It requires careful preparation, having the stamina to walk uphill for several miles a day over 7 - 10 succesive days, and the luck to withstand the effects of altitude sickness.
The ascent can be made as part of an organised group travelling from the UK, or as part of a group or private ascent on arrival in Moshi or Arusha, the two towns nearest to the mountain and where several companies offering guides, cooks and porters are based. It is not possible for the ascent to be made without using licensed guides and porters are essential to minimise the amount you carry, particularly at the higher altitudes.
There are no shortage of organisations on the internet offering the ascent to the summit. Think in terms of £600 - £900 to cover air fares from the UK, innoculations and health insurance, depending on the time of year you travel. Think in terms of £1,000 to £1,500 for the ascent itself, depending on the route taken and the duration of the climb. A signifcant part of this cost is due to the expensive Kilimanjaro park fees.
Although cost will be one of your considerations in choosing a company to arrange your ascent there are other important things to consider:
What is their success rate in getting people to the summit?
What level of medical expertise will be available on the ascent?
What arrangements are there for dealing with altitude sickness?
Are there an adequate number of porters and a cook?
Are Park fees included in the price quoted?
If booking an ascent in Moshi or Arusha beware of people who may approach you offering a cut-price trip. They may be licensed but may not provide a sufficient number of porters, may supply food of an inadequate quality and possibly provide poor bed rolls and sleeping bags of insufficient warmth for the increasingly cold conditions as the summit is approached. They may alo be paying their porters at rates below the official wage.
The two main climbing seasons are January to March, and June to October. The earlier period tends to avoid the crowds asociated with the holiday period in the northern hemisphere. The intervening months are the periods of the rains, although Kilimanjaro may still be climbed.
There are several routes to the summit at Uhuru Point. Unless you are a seasoned and regular trekker at high altitudes, an 8 day trek up the Lemosho trail is one of the best for acclimatisation and the avoidance of altitude sickness. Most climbers will suffer some degree of altitude sickness, even those who consider themselves to be fit through regular exercise and training. It tends to occur above 2,400 metres when the air becomes noticeably thinner. Symptoms include tiredness, headache, nausea, unsteadiness and shortness of breath caused by shortage of oxygen within the body. The body will normally adjust to these conditions if given time to acclimatise by not attempting to climb to high altiutudes too quickly. Drinking plenty of liquid is also important. In a few cases it can be very severe and the only solution is to descend the mountain. Should it not pass off at lower altititudes medical help must be sought.
As your trek will start in the tropics, with temperatures of 21 to 28+ degrees C (70 - 82+F), and finish in Arctic conditions of -18 to -26 degrees C (0 to -15F), a range of clothing is required, with layers being added the higher you go. When you start out T shirts and shorts may be OK, but at the top you will need two or more sets of thermal underwear underneath your fleece/s and breathable waterproof jacket and trousers. A fully broken-in pair of waterproof trecking boots is essential. The company you go with will give you their recommended packing list and it may be possible for you to hire clothing or equipment for which you have no regular use.
If you are making your own way to Kilimanjaro you will be heading for the town of Moshi, or possibly the tourist centre of Arusha. The nearest airport reciving international flights is named after the mountain. However, KLM is the only major European airline with regular flights to Kilimanjaro airport. It is also served by Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa and Precision Air from Nairobi. The airport is some 35 miles away from the above towns and transport is not good unless you have arranged for your hotel or tour operator to pick you up at the airport. It can be appreciably cheaper to fly to Nairobi in Kenya and get one of the bus services which will drop you off in the centres of the towns after a 6 - 8 hour journey. British Airways, Kenya Airways and Virgin Atlantic all fly to Nairobi from London and competition keeps fares lower than to Kilimanjaro. KLM, flying via Amsterdam, is often just as cheap, with feeder services from many UK regional airports, which avoids travelling to London. Middle Eastern airlines also offer cheaper fares but this may involve long stopovers in places like Dubai or Qatar. Bus services from Nairobi are provided by Akamba, Scandinavia and Riverside, amongst others.
You will need a tourist visa for entry to Tanzania which can be obtained from the Tanzanian High Commission in London. It can also be obtained on arrival at the Tanzanian airport or border crossing, but there can sometimes be delays in doing this. Users of the bus service from Nairobi will also need a Kenya transit visa which will cover the return journey. Again, this can be obtained from the Kenya High Commission in London or at Nairobi airport.
Some six weeks before leaving the UK you must visit your doctor to check on the innoculations you will need together with the currently recommended anti-malaria tablets. Some are available on the NHS but others will require a private prescription which you will have to pay for. If you are travelling by bus from Nairobi make sure that your doctor knows this as, as far as the Tanzanian authorities are concerned, you will be travelling from a country where Yellow fever is prevalent The website below is intended to give you an idea of what to expect and NOT to replace the expertise of your GP.
The currency in Tanzania is the Tz shilling. It is a soft currency and is not readily available, or exchangeable, outside the country. At the time of writing this website there are around 2,500/= to the £. There may be exchange facilities at your arrival airport - both Kilimanjaro and Nairobi. In Tanzania some banks have exchange counters and ATMs, as do some hotels. VISA cards are more widely used than Mastercard but only the largest organisations tend to accept payments by credit card. A good supply of US dollars - cash, not travellers cheques - is recommended as this currency is more widely accepted than UK pounds.
The following websites will add detail to the summary information provided by this website together with up-to-date information on costs, travel and visas.
Good Luck with your climb!
Visa Information
Tanzania High Commission
Kenya High Commission
Innoculations
This site is not to be used as a subsitite for your GP's advice
Current Exchange rates
Bank of Tanzania
Why not get your friends, relations and work colleagues to sponsor your climb of Kilimanjaro and raise money for Tanzanian children in need supported by
Kids Aid Tanzania?
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries of the world with over 1,000,000 children orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.
Kids Aid Tanzania responds to the needs of orphans, street children, and impoverished children in squatter settlements and elsewhere.
Because we are wholly volunteer run, 100% of the money we receive from donors goes to meet children's needs. Our expenses are met from trustee donations and
Gift Aid.
Find out more about us by using the button above and then create your personal fundraising page for your climb on the website
Just Giving
We can provide you with photographs and video to support your fundraising
if requested.
CLIMBING KILIMANJARO IN A NUTSHELL
Prepared by Kids Aid Tanzania
(Registered Charity No. 1111220)
This is a summary guide for people considering a climb of Kilimanjaro, with web addresses relating to getting there, the climb itself, visa and currencyto TanzaniaAfrica's highest mountain and the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres, located in Tanzania. Those that succeed in this journey of a life time achieve this through careful preparation, having the stamina to walk uphill for several miles a day over 7 - 10 succesive days, and the luck to withstand the effects of altitude sickness.
The ascent can be made as part of an organised group travelling from the UK, or as part of a group or private ascent on arrival in Moshi or Arusha, the two towns nearest to the mountain and where several companies offering guides, cooks and porters are based. It is not possible for the ascent to be made without using licensed guides and porters are essential to minimise the amount you carry, particularly at the higher altitudes.
There are no shortage of organisations on the internet offering the ascent to the summit. Think in terms of £600 - £900 to cover air fares from the UK, innoculations and health insurance, depending on the time of year you travel. Think in terms of £1,000 to £1,500 for the ascent itself, depending on the route taken and the duration of the climb. A signifcant part of this cost is due to the expensive Kilimanjaro park fees.
Although cost will be one of your considerations in choosing a company to arrange your ascent there are other important things to consider:
What is their success rate in getting people to the summit?
What level of medical expertise will be available on the ascent?
What arrangements are there for dealing with altitude sickness?
Are there an adequate number of porters and a cook?
Are Park fees included in the price quoted?
If booking an ascent in Moshi or Arusha beware of people who may approach you offering a cut-price trip. They may be licensed but may not provide a sufficient number of porters, may supply food of an inadequate quality and possibly provide poor bed rolls and sleeping bags of insufficient warmth for the increasingly cold conditions as the summit is approached. They may alo be paying their porters at rates below the official wage.
The two main climbing seasons are January to March, and June to October. The earlier period tends to avoid the crowds asociated with the holiday period in the northern hemisphere. The intervening months are the periods of the rains, although Kilimanjaro may still be climbed.
There are several routes to the summit at Uhuru Point. Unless you are a seasoned and regular trekker at high altitudes, an 8 day trek up the Lemosho trail is one of the best for acclimatisation and the avoidance of altitude sickness. Most climbers will suffer some degree of altitude sickness, even those who consider themselves to be fit through regular exercise and training. It tends to occur above 2,400 metres when the air becomes noticeably thinner. Symptoms include tiredness, headache, nausea, unsteadiness and shortness of breath caused by shortage of oxygen within the body. The body will normally adjust to these conditions if given time to acclimatise by not attempting to climb to high altiutudes too quickly. Drinking plenty of liquid is also important. In a few cases it can be very severe and the only solution is to descend the mountain. Should it not pass off at lower altititudes medical help must be sought.
As your trek will start in the tropics, with temperatures of 21 to 28+ degrees C (70 - 82+F), and finish in Arctic conditions of -18 to -26 degrees C (0 to -15F), a range of clothing is required, with layers being added the higher you go. When you start out T shirts and shorts may be OK, but at the top you will need two or more sets of thermal underwear underneath your fleece/s and breathable waterproof jacket and trousers. A fully broken-in pair of waterproof trecking boots is essential. The company you go with will give you their recommended packing list and it may be possible for you to hire clothing or equipment for which you have no regular use.
If you are making your own way to Kilimanjaro you will be heading for the town of Moshi, or possibly the tourist centre of Arusha. The nearest airport reciving international flights is named after the mountain. However, KLM is the only major European airline with regular flights to Kilimanjaro airport. It is also served by Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa and Precision Air from Nairobi. The airport is some 35 miles away from the above towns and transport is not good unless you have arranged for your hotel or tour operator to pick you up at the airport. It can be appreciably cheaper to fly to Nairobi in Kenya and get one of the bus services which will drop you off in the centres of the towns after a 6 - 8 hour journey. British Airways, Kenya Airways and Virgin Atlantic all fly to Nairobi from London and competition keeps fares lower than to Kilimanjaro. KLM, flying via Amsterdam, is often just as cheap, with feeder services from many UK regional airports, which avoids travelling to London. Middle Eastern airlines also offer cheaper fares but this may involve long stopovers in places like Dubai or Qatar. Bus services from Nairobi are provided by Akamba, Scandinavia and Riverside, amongst others.
You will need a tourist visa for entry to Tanzania which can be obtained from the Tanzanian High Commission in London. It can also be obtained on arrival at the Tanzanian airport or border crossing, but there can sometimes be delays in doing this. Users of the bus service from Nairobi will also need a Kenya transit visa which will cover the return journey. Again, this can be obtained from the Kenya High Commission in London or at Nairobi airport.
Some six weeks before leaving the UK you must visit your doctor to check on the innoculations you will need together with the currently recommended anti-malaria tablets. Some are available on the NHS but others will require a private prescription which you will have to pay for. If you are travelling by bus from Nairobi make sure that your doctor knows this as, as far as the Tanzanian authorities are concerned, you will be travelling from a country where Yellow fever is prevalent The website below is intended to give you an idea of what to expect and NOT to replace the expertise of your GP.
The currency in Tanzania is the Tz shilling. It is a soft currency and is not readily available, or exchangeable, outside the country. At the time of writing this website there are around 2,500/= to the £. There may be exchange facilities at your arrival airport - both Kilimanjaro and Nairobi. In Tanzania some banks have exchange counters and ATMs, as do some hotels. VISA cards are more widely used than Mastercard but only the largest organisations tend to accept payments by credit card. A good supply of US dollars - cash, not travellers cheques - is recommended as this currency is more widely accepted than UK pounds.
The following websites will add detail to the summary information provided by this website together with up-to-date information on costs, travel and visas.
Good Luck with your climb!
Visa Information
Tanzania High Commission
Kenya High Commission
Innoculations
This site is not to be used as a subsitite for your GP's advice
Current Exchange rates
Bank of Tanzania
