Mountain Kilimanjaro: What all it offers besides a wonderful trekking experience

Trips to Kilimanjaro are something that you would cherish forever! After all, the snow-capped Kilimanjaro calls for an enchanting trip to this highest mountain. There is no doubt that Mt Kilimanjaro is one of the most significant attractions of Africa.

The Kilimanjaro is recorded as the tallest free standing mountain which rises about 19340 ft above sea level and looks absolutely stunning which makes Kilimanjaro Mountain one of the famous mountains across the globe. It rises from the north-eastern region of Tanzania and Kilimanjaro climbs are certainly a visual treat for the tourists.

The mountain lies within seven hundred fifty six square kilometers of Kilimanjaro National Park. It is one of the rarest places on planet which literally encompasses all ecological life zone that include desert to savannah, tropical forests, subalpine forests, timberline and montane forests.

As per a survey, about 25000-35000 people attempt to reach the peak every year. Out of them only two third make it. Kilimanjaro Mountain comprise of 6 significant eco zones including glaciers, rainforest, alpine desert, cultivated land and moorland.

The mountain is a part of the popular Seven Summits and consists of three volcanoes out of which the most popular is Kibo. The other two that you can eye on are Shira and Mawenzi. The mountain has its base in the Kilimanjaro National Park. While hiking Kilimanjaro from here, you need to cross the distinct vegetation zones.

If you are fortunate enough in choosing some good Kilimanjaro guides, then you can learn a lot from your trekking experience. For instance, while trekking from the very base of this mountain, you’ll find farming settlement of the WaChagga tribe. Here you’ll find cultivated regions of bananas, sweet potato, beans, maize and coffee.

The surrounding rainforests are noted for its flora and fauna and is one of the most significant water sources in North Tanzania. Following this, you’ll come by wonderful moorland which carves a niche for its inspiring view and exotic plants such as the giant lobelia and giant groundsel. Next, if you make a move towards the alpine desert you’ll find rare bird species like the Lammergeier vulture and African crowned eagle. The final layer of the summit is the ice cap!

Trekking Kilimanjaro doesn’t need any previous trekking experience. All you need to have is the minimum fitness level required for mountaineering. After all, the treks involve immense physical stamina and labor. So, before you planning for a trekking tour, you need to first find out from your healthcare practitioner that you are fit to take this up or not.

Identifying Mt Kilimanjaro Trekking Routes

Standing at an elevation of about 5895 meters, Mt Kilimanjaro or “Rooftop of Africa” enjoys one among the biggest topographical features in the planet. Kilimanjaro Mountain has been one of the highly accessible peaks in the world and thus has become one of the most popular attractions for adventure seekers across the globe.  

Located close to the Moshi town, the snow clad peak of Kilimanjaro stretches well above the hills of Tanzania and also the northern plateau. The entire area is well-protected and vigilantly regulated for visitors and tourists to enjoy a pleasurable climbing experience.

The environment and flora and fauna all throughout the route are quite diverse but amazingly beautiful. On the lower slopes of this mountain, you will find farmland consisting of maize, cassava, bananas, coffee beans that are widely grown for the livelihood of the local community. Within the lowland boundaries of the national park, there are dense forests breaking into   alpine grasslands.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a convenient and pleasing challenge in a week or two’s holidays.  When it comes to a Kilimanjaro trek, one common thing that we find is that none of the six routes needs any technical expertise to climb. One can easily reach the crater rim. Gillman’s Point or Uhuru Point is considered the main summit.

Kilimanjaro Routes

Trekkers on Kilimanjaro need to climb through one of six formally authorized routes. These routes starting from west to east are Shira, Lemosho, Machame, Umbwe, Marangu, and Rongai. On the other hand, the western routes, (Lemosho, Shira, Machame and Umbwe), are needed by KINAPA for descending through the Umbwe Route. On the other hand, the eastern routes, Marangu and Rongai, descend through the Marangu Route. However, as a trekker you need to keep the park authorities informed about the route you are choosing to use. Moreover, if you have selected a particular route then you won’t be allowed to switch routes in between.

We know that there are six trekking routes on Mt Kilimanjaro. Now, what is intended out here is that you can climb the summit from six different locations. The time for completing a trek usually depends on what route you follow. For instance, if you choose the Rongai route, then it is a preferably a longer one as there are eleven variations involved in this route. In fact, though there are plenty of choices to work on, however; very few of the routes are actually considered to be optimal.

Hence, make sure to choose the best possible route depending on the time available for a successful summit tour.

How to choose Kilimanjaro tour operators

Kilimanjaro is noted as the highest peak in Africa. With above 1000 climbers expected every year, Mount Kilimanjaro is a must visit destination for adventure tourists in Tanzania. To make the most out of your Kilimanjaro tour, you need to look for reliable tour operators in Kilimanjaro. 

Usually, there are six routes through which you can reach this world famous summit. So, you need to choose one of the best Kilimanjaro tour operators to base your final decision on price, climbing route, guides, food, camping, and avail other advanced service. 

It is essential to choose a tour operator in order to climb the Kilimanjaro Mountain. The tour operator you choose should be well trained and knowledgeable enough to guide you through the established routes. There are six established routes that take you up the mountain. These include Lemosho, Machame, Umbwe, Marangu, Rongai and Shira.

Perhaps choosing the route will be the first most crucial part of your trip. It can make or mar the experience. All in all choosing the best route can create a big difference in your trekking experience and your overall success rate. Marangu is the cheapest option and the shortest of them all. By and large, Marangu is the most popular as you ascent the same height in just 5 days.  

Besides, those hiking Mount Kilimanjaro can also opt for the safari and Kili climb option. Reliable tour operators will provide you the best possible price. Additionally, they will also ensure proper safety and service of the trekkers on way. 

Now, with so many tour operators available in Kilimanjaro how will you differentiate between the best and the average? Well, here are some of the reasons that will help you come up with a decision:

For those of you, who love the idea of trekking with partners; can find the group climbs option really awesome. Many tour operators have provision for group climbs available on Rongai, Machame and Marangu routes. 

Reliable tour operators also have provisions for private treks. Here, you can avail a blissful trekking experience of 5 to 8 days. Routes like Lemosho, Rongai, Marangu work wonders for private treks.

Look for tour operators who include the expense of obtaining the climbing permit in the tour price. This implies you don’t have to pay anything extra for you permit; this will be included in your tour package. Besides, their prices are inclusive of meals, porters charge and local guides charge.

Choose tour operators who have their local representatives’ ready at the hotel. They’ll assist you from the hotel to the Kili climb.

The Idea of Hiking Kilimanjaro for Newcomers

Kilimanjaro climbing can be a hectic experience for any newcomer trekker. But if the person is regularly accustomed to numerous small trips, then the experience of climbing this huge mountain will never be a difficult experience. You can get intimidated by simply looking at the Mt Kilimanjaro (5,892 m).

If you reach to the top of this mountain, you may able to view a greater part of Africa. There are 7 routes to this mountain which are Umbwe, Rongai, Shira, Mweka, Lemosho, Machame, and Marangu. 

 For any complete newcomer the best way to climb Kilimanjaro is the Marangu route, which enters from the southeast portion of this mountain and has proved to be the simplest and favorite route. Most of the travelers favor this route for various reasons, as it ensures a slow and safe journey for any newcomer. The route also offers different huts which can accommodate almost sixty people. People may also conveniently spend their night here along with pillows and mattresses. There are various kinds of facilities which you will also get also get along with these such as convenient washrooms, dining rooms and kitchens. Moreover, you will also get some shops around dealing with water, soft drinks and many other amenities. People generally feel the requirements of these things during their hiking Kilimanjaro journey.

People also like the Machame route. The route commences from the south portion of the mountain and afterwards turns towards the east portion of the mountain. It is tougher to travel through this route than Marangu and the journey also gets lingered. But people selecting this route will face a beautiful forest in the way and will also witness sceneries of glaciers on the south portion of the mountain. If you can really be resilient enough to follow a tough route, you should select the Lemosho route. The trips to Kilimanjaro through this route offer you the chance to see the different angles of this mountain, as you will travel through alpine forests and also witness closed volcanoes. The scenery is definitely worth watching.

Many people thinks that the entire journey of Kilimanjaro climbs can be completed in five days as most unsuccessful trekkers return after five days. The guides can play an important factor to ensure success of the journey as they continuously suggest their clients when to halt or slow down. A slow and steady journey to these mountains can be more amusing. A steady trekker has a greater chance of success in this journey, by moving steadily and cherishing the beautiful environment.

  

The newcomer trekkers should carefully follow the advice of Kilimanjaro guides for success in their journey. The routes to the mountain should be carefully followed. The newcomers should be very careful while climbing steep mountains. A slow speed in this journey ensures success in reaching the top of this extremely high mountain. It will be an overwhelming experience for any first time trekker to reach the top of this mountain.

The Method of Selection of a Kilimanjaro guide organization

The idea to climb Kilimanjaro is a rare experience in a human beings life. You have to carefully get ready for this process and should spend your time and money carefully. As it is very essential to select Kilimanjaro guide so that you may climb conveniently climb the mountain, the proper selection of a tour company is very important.

A proper tour operator may ensure success in your journey. You may not know much about Tanzania and you will never find any mountain higher than Kilimanjaro for climbing. You can make sure that you will reach the top of this mountain by selecting a proper guide according to your budget. A proper guide can surely make your trip much more amusing and assure success in your climbing. But most of the tour operators are not that efficient in their responsibilities. An improper tour operator may also become detrimental for your life.

Since there are many local people of Tanzania which becomes a guide, you will find numerous tour operators for this mountain around the area. There are few things which you should always keep in mind before choosing any guide for Kilimanjaro.

Safety is the most essential factor, not necessarily the sole factor. The professional Kilimanjaro tour operators are not only known for their safe and successful journeys, but also for their best quality services. You can only be successful in reaching the top of these mountains if you have an experienced guide company. In fact, it is the most essential factor for your health and safety. They will also guide you to maintain a proper diet before you start climbing. Sickness before climbing is mainly caused by improper preparation before the journey. 

But before you start the journey, just make sure that you want to go through all these hardships. If you try to save money by hiring any inexpensive guide for Kilimanjaro tour, your money will be completely wasted as the selection will actually take you nowhere. Although it is true that there are many inexpensive tour operators who has achieved success in more than half of their journeys, it is better to hire any standard guide company. There are many such standard companies that can ensure your success in climbing these mountains.

The internet is full of such affordable tours operators that don’t ensure complete safety in the journey. If you pay a little bit extra money, then certainly you can expect better services. You should hire the best operators for hiking Mount Kilimanjaro and assurance on convenience, safety and success.

The level of success and safety also vary. You will certainly don’t want to return from your journey with one arm or leg. The attempt to save some amount of money can prove to be the worst decision for your entire life. Therefore you should always hire the most reputed Kilimanjaro tour operators of your area. A proper guide will mention you all the equipments which you should carry to ensure safety and success in your journey.

Feel an adrenaline rush within yourself after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Climbing mountains is a risky game and a dangerous hobby for many people. People love this hobby for its adventure. People who love artistic things tries to find out the creativity of nature by planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It is actually a series of volcanic mountain which has three edges, Mawenzi, Kibo and Shira. 

There are many approved routes to reach this mountain for climbing. The mountains rise from the forest areas but later become perpendicular which makes it difficult to climb. The most awesome feature of these mountains is the way the mountains range side by side which makes it look extremely beautiful. The beauty gets enhanced when it gets wet by rain water or gets covered by snow during winter. There are six different official routes to reach these mountains which go through Lemosho, Umbwe, Marangu, Rongai, Shira, and Machame. Among all these routes, Machame is the most beautiful one but this route is completely of steep mountains and it may take you 6 or 7 days to go through this route. If are looking for the easy way out, Rongai and Marangu are the simplest routes available. Most of the people use these two routes. This is one of the best ways of climbing mount kilimanjaro.   

You should carry the appropriate clothes and also maintain a strong physique to conveniently accomplish climbing mt Kilimanjaro. You should also be technically sound before attempting to climb this mountain. Your preparation should be just as good as it should be in case of trekking Himalayas. But the trekkers do suffer from different kinds of body ailments hypothermia, breathing problems and headaches. The best times for climbing these mountains are August, September, July, February, and January. You may also get guides at reasonable price for these tours.

The idea of Kilimanjaro trek doesn’t include any specific instruments or neither needs you to be a technical expert. But you should take this trip seriously. You will always feel anxiousness within you throughout the tour.  You need to have couple of months of rigorous physical training to get ready for the trip. You should practice climbing different places for four to six hours regularly. You should get yourself ready for climbing Kilimanjaro from all aspects. You can’t imagine the satisfaction that you will get after reaching the top of this mountain. You should definitely have a sound physique when you climb this mountain. You can also select the route you want to take to reach this mountain. You should also look for a nice lodging place around these mountains. It is very essential to make proper utilization of time to make your trekking more memorable.