Historic Kilimanjaro

There probably are not that many military history enthusiasts likely to read this, but for those among you who would make the pilgrimage to Gettysburg, to the beaches of Normandy or the islands of the South Pacific, then Kilimanjaro is about as interesting a battle site as you could hope to find anywhere…

World War One only probably has a handful of years left before its slips completely beyond the realm of living memory. Among those like me who have gleaned the story through History Channel or snippets of information that I have picked up in my travels, it might come as a surprise to know that some of the most iconic battles of the War were fought in the area immediately surrounding Kilimanjaro.

As one example, Ndarakwai Camp in Western Kilimanjaro, a popular apre climb safari destination, has a number of old trench systems that served both the British and the Germans in the campaign for control of the country during the difficult years of 1914 – 1918.

The nation of Tanzania began life as an outpost of the German colonial empire. It was known then as German East Africa, or Tanganyika, and was a close neighbor to Kenya, or British East Africa, which at that time also included Uganda. When war broke out between Britain and Germany in 1914, it was not long before war broke out between German and British East Africa. The railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi and beyond became the focus of German attacks, and later the railway line from Moshi to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga became the German line of retreat once the colony had been invaded.

The Kilimanjaro district, with its coffee farms, pleasant climate and clean altitude had long been the main focus of white settlement in German East Africa. Besides this the geography of flat plains interspersed with low and isolated hills was the perfect defensive landscape for both sides. A number of important battles were fought east and west of Kilimanjaro, and the towns of Moshi and Arusha the headquarters of the German High Command.

Another interesting aspect of the War in East Africa was that it was fought by British and Commonwealth forces. This by definition meant fighting men drawn from every colony or former colony (except America) in the Empire. Much of the heavy fighting was done in the early stages by men of Indian origin, and in later stages by local black levies and various native colonial regiments from all over the continent.

You would definitely draw blank looks from your climb or safari guides in Tanzania if you brought up the subject of World War One around the campfire or in the mess tent. The subject is not widely taught and the old battle sites are neither preserved nor marked in any particular way. However a little bit of background reading, and a keen sense of geography, will help you pick out some of the more notable sites on Google Maps which in turn will lead you to them. A good place to start is at Ndarakwai Camp where their chief game scout Thomas is surprisingly knowledgeable about the colonial coming and goings in the region.

In a land where the last vestiges of colonial history have been scrubbed off the landscape, it is sometimes interesting to imagine a place like Tanzania as a pawn in the global/strategic games of a by-gone era. Scratching around the battle sites of the period is definitely something worth doing if you get a chance…

If you are interested in the battlefields of East Africa, and you would like some pointers drop me a line…

By Peter Baxter | Permalink | 6 comments | January 1st, 2010
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Kilimanjaro Flights - Find Cheap Flights to Kilimanjaro

Cheap Kilimanjaro flights are not easy to come by.

Kilimanjaro has it's own international airport, Kilimanjaro Airport, but it's tiny and not many airlines fly to it.

The major airlines offering flights to Kilimanjaro airport are the African Air Tanzania, Air Kenya, Ethiopian Airways and the European KLM.

But Kilimanjaro airport is not the only international airport in Tanzania...

If you want to relax on the beaches in Zanzibar after your climb, like most travellers do, or if you want to combine your Kilimanjaro climb with a safari in Tanzania or Kenya, then consider flying to or from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar in Tanzania, or even in Kenya. Those flights will work out cheaper.

Budget travellers and backpackers with more time and money should definitely check out all those options carefully. A bus trip is not the most comfortable way to get around Tanzania, but it's an adventure in itself and a cheap one as well.

You can use Kayak.com to compare prices for different airlines, and find cheap flights from 100+ sites with one click.

If time is at a premium, or if you are flying to Tanzania solely to climb Kilimanjaro, then a flight to Kilimanjaro airport is the best option.

Kilimanjaro airport is located half way between Arusha and Moshi, about 50 km from each. It doesn't get much more convenient than that!

Kilimanjaro flights from Europe are the most convenient of all. KLM fly the route Amsterdam - Kilimanjaro -Dar es Salaam daily.

Any Kilimanjaro flights from other continents involve a change of airlines once in Africa.

Ehtiopian Airways offer Kilimanjaro flights at good prices from Addis Ababa via Nairobi. (They also fly to Europe and a handful of other international destinations.)

Kenya Airways offer flights to Kilimanjaro from Nairobi three times a day. The flights are operated by Precision Air, a young and dynamic Tanzanian airline with competitive prices. I can recommend them. Precision Air also operate flights from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro.

The other local carrier is Air Tanzania who operate Kilimanjaro flights from Johannesburg in South Africa and also connecting flights from Kilimanjaro to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

If you are booking your Kilimanjaro climb through an overseas agency they can usually also arrange your flights for you. But do check the prices and options yourself as well.

In my experience it works out cheaper if I do it myself, and not only because agencies charge commissions.

An online broker specialising in cheap flights can usually come up with a better offer. One handy website that scours all of those booking engines for you is Kayak:

At Kayak you can find cheap flights from 100+ sites with one click. It searches over 100 travel sites for flights and consistently brings back the lowest prices.

Good luck with your search for a cheap Kilimanjaro flight!

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Kilimanjaro Wildlife - The Animals Of Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro wildlife is elusive...

Yes, wildlife does live on Mount Kilimanjaro, especially in the forests that cover the lower slopes.

But spotting animals on Kilimanjaro is not as easy as you might think.

If you want one of those classic pictures with elephant or giraffe in front of Kibo peak, then you better book a safari in Amboseli National Park in Kenya, not a Kilimanjaro climb in Tanzania...

Mind you, Amboseli lies at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, towards the north. If you climb Kilimanjaro on the Rongai route you may get lucky, as on rare occasions some of the wildlife does venture up Kilimanjaro...

But if you want to climb a mountain and see lots of wildlife, go and climb Mt. Meru in Arusha National Park (not far from Kilimanjaro National Park).

On the slopes of Mt. Meru you are guaranteed to see giraffe, warthog and water buffalo, colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, bush buck and dik dik, many, many birds... With a bit of luck even elephants or hyaenas. You are accompanied by an armed ranger, because even though leopards are notoriously hard to see, on Mt. Meru there is the very real possibility to meet one!

And wildlife on Kilimanjaro? Well, eland and African hunting dogs are amongst the most exciting creature that have been spotted. Once or twice... A frozen leopard was found in 1926 and there have been two more sightings since. I guess it is not toally impossible that one day someone might see one again, but don't hold your breath...

Kilimanjaro is totally overrun with people, and as a rule animals like to hang out where people don't.

Let's be realistic and look at some pictures of the Kilimanjaro wildlife that you CAN expect to see:

Just look at that tail... Black and white colobus monkeys are really good looking monkeys, spectacular even. They are comparatively shy companions, but you do have a very good chance of spotting them in the forest above the Mandara Huts (Marangu route) and at the start of the Lemosho/Shira and the Rongai route.

Getting close enough to them to get a good photo, especially in the challenging light of the dense rainforest, that's a different issue. (It seems easy when looking at the photo on the left, but that picture was taken in a wildlife park. The photo on the right is from Kilimanjaro.)

As you can see, blue monkeys are by no means blue... These fellows are fairly common and not worried about people at all. A big number of them hang out around the Mandara Huts on the Marangu route. That's why they call the patch of forest above the Mandara Huts the monkey forest...

Well, and that is probably the most conspicuous Kilimanjaro wildlife you will come across. Unless you get excited by the mice that live at the Horombo Huts... (They are four-striped grass mice and don't mind sharing their living space with humans.)

Beyond that there are small lizards (of which I currently don't have any photos) and then there are the birds...

Malachite sunbird on a protea, Animals of Kikimanjaro, photo by Stig Nygaard.

This is a male malachite sunbird. The plainer female is shown in the photo below.

Get a guide to point out their voice to you, and you will often hear them before you see them. Sunbirds are plentiful on Kilimanjaro, in all areas where lobelias and proteas grow, which is the heath and moorland.

A particular good place to see them is the Karanga Valley, which you will cross if you climb on the Lemosho, Shira or Machame Route.

The plainer female sunbird, also on a protea flower, Kilimanjaro wildlife photo by Stig Nygaard.

The photo below shows a variable sunbird. You may spot those on Mt. Meru or maybe on safari in Tanzania, but unfortunately not on Kilimanjaro...

The Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Kilimanjaro animals, photo by Stig Nygaard.

The silvery-cheeked hornbill is a rather large bird that lives in the forest, but also around houses and plantations. It likes to eat fruit...

You may see them on Kilimanjaro, but you may also see them on the grounds of your hotel like we did.

White-necked Raven, Kilimanjaro wildlife photo by MBoy68.

White-necked ravens are big birds with large, strong, scary looking beaks. They hang around the campsites and huts on Kilimanjaro (and Mt. Meru), scavenging and hoping for scraps.

Just so I can also post some photos of more typical African animals, here are some wildlife pictures from Mt. Meru...

If you climb Mt. Meru (which by the way is a great warm up and acclimatization trek before climbing Kilimanjaro) then you will walk across a plain known as "the little Serengeti". Both that plain as well as the forest above it are very, very rich in wildlife, and the vegetation on the slopes is spectacular, too.

Little Serengeti was named for the similarity of the vegetation on the plains and also for the abundance of wildlife. This photo shows a group of water buffaloes, but as you walk across the plain you will also see big numbers of warthog and giraffe.

Giraffe prefer their vegetation a bit taller so they don't get sore necks when feeding. And you will walk right between them.

Water buffalo and ranger on Mt. Meru

At the top of the page I mentioned that on Mt. Meru you need to be protected by an armed ranger. Here you can see why. The biggest danger on Mt. Meru are not the leopards but the water buffaloes.

A charging leopard can usually be discouraged with a shot into the air. It's not so easy to stop a charging buffalo. The rangers do not want to kill any animals, but with buffaloes they sometimes have no choice.

By the way, that buffalo was grazing happily and didn't care about us at all. The ranger is just showing off again. Geez, did he love his gun...

Ranger with buffalo skull on Mt. Meru

(Pictures of Kilimanjaro vegetation zones and flora coming soon.)

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About Altitude Sickness

If you are planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro you will sooner or later hear about altitude sickness.

For those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of altitude illness, here are answers to the most common questions regarding mountain sickness.

High Altitude: 1500 - 3500 m (5000 - 11500 ft)Very High Altitude: 3500 - 5500 m (11500 - 18000 ft)Extreme Altitude: above 5500 m (18000 ft)

Altitude sickness is a range of symptoms that can occur when someone ascends to a high altitude too rapidly, without sufficient acclimatization.

The body can adjust to the reduced air pressure at higher altitude, but only at a rate of about 300 m (1000 ft) altitude gain per day. If you ascend faster, and everybody climbing Kilimanjaro will, then you may develop altitude sickness.

There are three main forms of altitude sickness:

AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) is very common when climbing Kilimanjaro.

HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) is a fluid build up in the lungs.
HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) is fluid build up in the brain.
Both HAPE and HACE are potentially fatal but are thankfully extremely rare during a well planned Kilimanjaro climb.

What exactly causes the individual symptoms of altitude sickness is still not fully understood. If you want to know more details, there is a link to an excellent tutorial at the bottom of this page.

There is also a range of other symptoms you are likely to experience during a Kilimanjaro climb due to the altitude. They are considered normal and shouldn't worry you:

You breathe faster,you are out of breath sooner,you may experience periodic breathing at night (where you stop breathing for up to 15 seconds, and then breathe very fast to make up for it, scary but harmless),you may wake up frequently at night,you need to urinate a lot more often.

None of those symptoms are altitude sickness.

The symtpoms of AMS are headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, sleeplessness, fatigue, dizzyness. Everybody can expect to experience at least some of these symptoms in a mild form.

The most obvious symptoms for HAPE are extreme breathlessness, even at rest; rattling breath, coughing with pink froth and blue lips or finger nails.

HACE becomes apparent as a lack of coordination, inability to walk in a straight line, confusion and irrational behaviour (to the point of not acknowledging the symptoms).

The symptoms of acute mountain sickness as described above are self limiting and not dangerous. In fact, your guides may tell you during the briefing not to worry, that it is totally normal to be throwing up repeatedly during that last final push top the summit. Nice...

However, if you do experience symptoms, your guides should also keep monitoring you, because AMS can progress to one of the more severe forms of altitude sickness.

HAPE and HACE are potentially fatal! Make sure that you always remain in contact with your guides and let them know exactly how you are feeling. Also keep an eye on your climbing partners, since people suffering from these severe conditions may not be able to correctly assess their own condition.

Anybody experiencing symptoms that could indicate HAPE or HACE needs to descend IMMEDIATELY or they will die.

But please don't panic now. As I said above, these conditions are extremely rare, provided you act sensibly when on the mountain. What I mean by sensibly is explained on the page about preventing altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro.

Anybody can get altitude sickness. There is no way to predict how your body will react if exposed to high altitude without proper acclimatization.

Susceptibility to altitude sickness is random. Fitness is no protection. People who are extremely fit and exercise a lot get it just a easily as couch potatoes. There are many stories that indicate they may be even more susceptible! (Maybe because the fitness gives a false sense of security.)

Men appear to be more susceptible than women, especially young and fit men. (Competitiveness and the desire to show off plays a part in this. Men will often ascend faster. Too fast.)

Older people seem to be less susceptible. (Older people will ascend more slowly, and nothing protects you better from altitude sickness than ascending slowly.)

Highly susceptible people can experience symptoms from 2500 m (7000 ft) onwards, in rare cases even below that. The chance of developing AMS increases with the height but the rate of altitude gain is even more important.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is 5895 m (19340 ft) high. Pretty much everybody on a Kilimanjaro climb will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness during that last push to the summit.

There are other factors that increase the likelihood of altitude sickness, apart from the absolute height itself:

Rate at which a height is achieved (the faster you ascend the bigger the risk of developing symptoms, this factor is more important than the absolute height itself!)Time spent at height (symptoms start appearing within 6-10 hours though they can be delayed)Physical exertionDehydration

Symptoms of acute mountain sickness typically take one or two days to disappear. If you keep ascending they may not go away. For most people the symptoms come and go during the day, disappear over night, only to come back the next day as the climb continues.

AMS can be very unpleasant, but with the right preparation and at a sensible pace, most people can climb to at least the last camp below the crater rim (around 4700m). It's that last push to the summit where AMS becomes the make it or break it issue.

How to prevent altitude sickness when climbing Kilimanjaro

Highly recommended further reading:
Altitude Illness Explained: a tutorial for non-physicians.

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Photos of Kilimanjaro: the Rongai Route

These Photos of Mount Kilimanjaro take you along the Rongai route.

You can follow the Rongai trail, from the Nale Moru village via the Mawenzi Tarn to Kili's summit, Uhuru peak.

This trek usually takes six day and has a very high success rate.

Some operators also offer a five day version, but if you want to see Uhuru Peak, I don't recommend it.

(Read in detail about climbing Kilimanjaro on the Rongai route.)

The trail head of the Rongai Route.

The trail head of the Rongai Route is in the Nale Moru village, a two to three hour drive from Marangu.

Initially you wander through somewhat bleak plantation forest, but it soon gives way to montane forest and moorland.

Day one is only a very short day. The camp (First Cave Campsite) is usually busy, and so is the lunch stop the next day, at the Second Cave Camp...

Mess tents of several groups are set up for a hot lunch at Second Cave Camp.

Luckily, after lunch most groups will go in different directions. There are several variations to the Rongai route, from 5 to 7 days.

On this six day trek you turn south east and start hiking towards Mawenzi. For most of the day you will have beautiful views of Kibo and its eastern icefields...

Porter on the Rongai Route, looking at the eastern icefields of Kilimanjaro, photo by Calumr.

...and of course of the jagged spires of Mawenzi...

Approaching Kikelewa Caves Camp with Mawenzi in the background.

The first people will start to feel the altitude. This has been a long day and you may be very glad to see that campsite.

Clear views in the early morning at Kikelwa Caves Camp.

On day three you awake to beautiful views of Kibo, but even though Kibo is your final destination, you will leave it behind for a while as you make your way to the Mawenzi Tarn Camp.

Charred senecios are slowly coming back to life.

This area used to be full of the giant senecios, but a fire has destroyed many of them on this side of the mountain. Only a few are resprouting at the top.

As you continue on your way towards Mawenzi the landscape is becoming harsher and rockier...

Approaching Mawenzi.

Soon the vegetation disappears altogether.

The Mawenzi Tarn Camp, viewed from above.

The Mawenzi Tarn Camp is in a stunning location, in a protected hollow right underneath the main tower of Mawenzi. You'll be reaching it in time for lunch.

In the afternoon you can go on an acclimatization walk, up the ridges and spires of Mawenzi (which is where this photo was taken from).

The Mawenzi Tarn Camp is at 4330 m (14210 ft) and it's bitter cold at night. Even the little tarn freezes over. But as soon as the sun comes up the temperatures are bearable again, warm enough to have breakfast in the open...

The table is set for breakfast beneath Mawenzi peak.

After breakfast you will finally change directions again. Well acclimatized you head towards the Kibo Huts, which are only 370 m (1215 ft) higher than last nights camp.

Heading towards Kibo Huts.

The day is spent crossing the beautifully barren and windswept plain of alpine desert between Mawenzi and Kibo, called "the saddle".

As usual, the early morning views are clear. But that often changes all too quickly. Here the clouds are rolling in, in front of the climbers...

Kilimanjaro climbers making their way across the saddle.

...and behind them...

Clouds rolling across the saddle.

A last break before reaching the Kibo Huts.

From the last rest point amongst the boulders it's not too far until the little Rongai trail will meet the wide beaten main path of the Marangu route. And then you're there, the Kibo Huts...

Kibo Huts, Mt. Kilimanjaro, photo by Calumr.

You are now at 4700 m/15320 ft and you'll be feeling the altitude.

The Kibo Huts are made from stone. And they are cold!!! Your tents are much warmer. True. It's easier to heat a little tent with your body than it is to heat a big stone hut with many bodies.

The view from the Kibo Huts Camp

The Kibo Huts are not the most picturesque camp on the mountain, but you camp below them. And if you turn your back to them, the view across the saddle is beautiful. On top of that you avoid staring at the challenge that lies ahead in only a few hours...

(Center stage in this Kilimanjaro photo is taken by the toilet tent. The good Kilimanjaro tour companies will spare you the experience of the Kilimanjaro toilets...)

You will be setting out on your trek to the summit some time around midnight. The way to the rim is an endless succession of switchbacks on a steep scree slope, but you won't be seeing any of it. You'll just see the little circle of light from your head torch, your feet, and the feet of the person in front of you. Until the break of dawn, that is...

Climbers and guides on the last metres to the Kilimanjaro crater rim.

Some people manage to make it to Uhuru Peak in time for the sunrise, but you can see the sunrise from any point on the crater rim or even on the way up. No need to rush...

The sunrise viewed from Gilman's Point, with Mawenzi in the distance.

This is what a sunrise on Kilimanjaro looks like if you view it from Gilman's Point, the point where you will be reaching the crater rim.

And this is what two happy climbers at Gilman's Point look like, squinting into the rising sun...

Gilman's Point, Kilimanjaro, 5681 m/18640 ft

If you make it to Gilman's Point the park authorities will reward you with a certificate for climbing Kilimanjaro. And for many people the temptation to turn around now is too big...

Kibo Huts from Gilman's Point

This is the way back down to the Kibo Huts, seen from Gilman's Point. The summit path is so steep, you can't even see it any more...

But I hope you won't think about turning back now!

To continue to Uhuru Peak from here allow another one and a half to two hours, three hours for the round trip.

For many people the walk along the Kilimanjaro crater rim is the best part of the whole experience, and this is the part where you will be passing what's left of Kilimanjaro's glaciers.

(Kilimanjaro glacier and crater rim page coming soon.)

Next: Kilimanjaro Wildlife Photos

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Mount Kilimanjaro Pictures: Photos of the Marangu Route

These Mount Kilimanjaro Pictures take you along the Marangu route.

You can follow the Marangu trail, from the Marangu gate to Kili's summit, Uhuru peak.

This trek takes at least five days, but if you want to actually make it to the summit, take the offer of an additional acclimatization day, and make it six!

(Read in detail about climbing Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route.)

Kilasiya Falls, Marangu, Kilimanjaro Foot Hills.

The small village of Marangu is located on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The fertile fields are irrigated by streams that are fed by Mt. Kilimanjaro's glaciers.

One of those streams tumbles over a cliff face into a deep, narrow gorge: the spectacular Kilasiya Falls.

The Kilasiya Falls are located in Marangu Village, and you will only get a chance to visit them if you arrive a day or two early, or spend another day here after your climb.

But most people who climb Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route arrive in the evening, and start climbing the next morning...

After entering Mount Kilimanjaro National Park at Marangu Gate you will complete the registration formalities at the park headquarters. Once that is done you are on your way...

The rainforest on Mount Kilimanjaro.

The first day of the climb on the Marangu route leads through dense rainforest.

Your first overnight stop will be at the Mandara Huts. You are now at 2700 m/8860 ft and tomorrow the vegetation will start to open up.

Once you leave the Mandara Huts there is a last patch of forest, called the "monkey forest"...

But these are the last trees, and you now enter the Moorland zone where giant heather rules:

The Moorland, the second vegetation zone on Mount Kilimanjaro, photo by El Toñio.

Horombo Huts, Mt. Kilimanjaro, photo by El Toñio.

Day two ends at the Horombo Huts at 3700 m/12140 ft. And the giant heather is not so giant anymore. Oxygen is getting less and life is getting harder, for the plants as well as for the climbers.

If you are taking the extra acclimatization day, you'll be staying here for two nights.

The peak behind the huts is Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro's second peak. The acclimatization walk leads towards it. Then you turn around to sleep at Horombo Huts again.

When you wake up you'll continue your walk towards Kibo...

The Saddle of Kilimanjaro, photo by El Toñio.

After climbing through a bit more heather you reach the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo. And the alpine desert. Rocks and dust, and dust and rocks, that's all that is left.

Kibo Huts Camp, Mt. Kilimanjaro, photo by Calumr.

The Kibo Huts are made from stone. And they are cold!!! If you wonder what the tents are doing there, that are the tents of the climbers from the Rongai route. They also use the Kibo Huts as their last camp.

The Kibo Huts are not the most picturesque camp on the mountain. But at this point picturesqe is not what you're after... You are now at 4700 m/15320 ft and you'll be feeling the altitude. On top of that you'll have a very good view of the challenge that lies ahead in only a few hours...

The Kilimanjaro summit path behind Kibo Huts.

You looked at it all day while walking towards the Kibo Huts (which you can spot on the left edge of the photo): Kibo, the main peak of Kilimanjaro. And you will start dragging your weary bones up that path that you see in the middle, sooner than you might like...

You will be setting out on your trek to the summit some time around midnight. The way to the rim is an endless succession of switchbacks on a steep scree slope, but you won't be seeing any of it. You'll just see the little circle of light from your head torch, your feet, and the feet of the person in front of you. Until the break of dawn, that is...

Climbers and guides on the last metres to the Kilimanjaro crater rim.

Some people manage to make it to Uhuru Peak in time for the sunrise, but you can see the sunrise from any point on the crater rim or even on the way up. No need to rush...

The sunrise viewed from Gilman's Point, with Mawenzi in the distance.

This is what a sunrise on Kilimanjaro looks like if you view it from Gilman's Point, the point where you will be reaching the crater rim.

And this is what two happy climbers at Gilman's Point look like, squinting into the rising sun...

Gilman's Point, Kilimanjaro, 5681 m/18640 ft

If you make it to Gilman's Point the park authorities will reward you with a certificate for climbing Kilimanjaro. And for many people the temptation to turn around now is too big...

Kibo Huts from Gilman's Point

This is the way back down to the Kibo Huts, seen from Gilman's Point. The summit path is so steep, you can't even see it any more...

But I hope you won't think about turning back now!

To continue to Uhuru Peak from here allow another one and a half to two hours, three hours for the round trip.

For many people the walk along the Kilimanjaro crater rim is the best part of the whole experience, and this is the part where you will be passing what's left of Kilimanjaro's glaciers.

(Kilimanjaro glacier and crater rim page coming soon.)

Next: Machame Route Pictures

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Climbing Kilimanjaro on the Marangu Route

The oldest route on Mount Kilimanjaro, the Marangu route, is also known as the "Tourist Route" or "Coca Cola Route"

And just about every tour operator will tell you:

"Of all routes up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Marangu route is the easiest, cheapest and by far the most popular."

Only one of the statements is true: climbing Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route is the cheapest option.

The Marangu route is not the most popular route any more. It has been surpassed by the Machame route.

And I disagree with the statement that the Marangu Route is the easiest. Because that is misleading. It maybe the easiest trip to organise, have the widest, most comfortable path to walk on and offer hut accommodation, but that does NOT make it easier to reach the summit.

Of all climbing routes on Kilimanjaro, the Marangu route has the lowest success rate!

Keep that in mind. Don't fall for the promise of "easy"!

(If you think your fitness leaves to be desired and are looking for easy, I recommend you tackle Kilimanjaro on the Rongai route.)

Having said that, as long as you are aware of the aspects that lead to the high failure rate, you can avoid them to some degree.

This page tells you all about climbing Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route.

Sign at start of the Marangu Route

Marangu Route Itinerary | Marangu Route Detailed Description
Compare Route Difficulty | Marangu Route Pictures

(Note: altitudes and distances are approximations. Different sources will give you different numbers.)

Starting Point: Marangu Gate (1860 m/6100 ft)

Duration: 5 days (acclimatization day can be added at Horombo)

Day 1 - Marangu Gate (1860 m/6100 ft) - Mandara Huts (2700m/8860 ft)
Walking distance: 8 km/5 miles
Walking time: 3-4 hours
Altitude gain: 840 m/2760 ft

Day 2 - Mandara Huts - Horombo Huts (3700 m/12140 ft)
Walking distance: 12 km/7.2 miles
Walking time: 5-7 hours
Altitude gain: 1000 m/3280 ft

Day 3 - Horombo Huts - Kibo Huts (4700 m/15420 ft)
Walking distance: 9.5 km/5.7 miles
Walking time: 5-7 hours
Altitude gain: 1000 m/3280 ft

Day 4 - Summit attempt via Gilman's Point (5700 m/18700 ft) to Uhuru Peak (5895 m/19340 ft) and descent to Horombo Huts (3700 m/12200 ft)
Walking distance: 5.5 km/3.5 miles ascent + 15 km/9.5 miles descent
Walking time: 5-6 hrs + 1-2 hours up, 5-6 hours down (the overall walking time may vary from 10 - 16 hours)
Altitude gain: 1000 m/ 3280 ft (Gilman's Point) or 1195 m/3920 ft (Uhuru Peak)
Descent: 2195 m/7200 ft

Day 5 - Horombo Huts - Marangu Gate
Walking distance: 20 km/12.5 miles
Walking time: 5 hours
Descent: 1840 m/6040 ft

Day 1 of the Marangu Route - Rainforest

Your first day on Kilimanjaro starts with the transfer from your hotel to Marangu gate, the registration formalities, an introduction to your guides, the packing of all equipment and distributing it among the porters... Expect to linger at the gate for an hour or two before you get going.

The first day on the Marangu Route leads through rain forest. (You know why it's called rain forest, right? ALWAYS carry your rain gear in your day pack!)

Actually, montane forest is the correct name for this climate zone and vegetation. The wide and well formed gravel path is fairly steep and leads steadily uphill, but the forest is so pretty that you don't mind.

For a while the path follows a little stream and it passes a couple of picturesque little waterfalls. You'll probably have lunch at the Kisamboni picnic area, which marks half way. It should take about an hour and a half to get here.

And it is about another hour and a half from here to the Mandara Huts. As you near the huts you will notice the vegetation change. You are about to enter the next climate and vegetation zone—the alpine heath and moorland. The first heathers appear, but most noticeable is the lichen dangling from all the trees and shrubs, leading to the name "bearded forest" that you may have seen under some Kilimanjaro pictures.

Soon you'll arrive at the Mandara Huts, a group of wooden huts in a forest clearing. If you do have time and energy left you can take a little side trip to the Maundi Crater. It takes about 15 minutes and, weather permitting, you will be rewarded with good views to Mawenzi.

You may also spot blue monkeys (they have become very used to people), and with a bit of luck even black and white colobus monkeys.

Day 2 of the Marangu Route - Horombo Huts

First thing in the morning you will walk through a patch of forest. If you did not make the detour to Maundi Crater yesterday you now have another chance of spotting colobus monkeys. However, soon you will leave the last trees behind. You are now walking through moorland and the dominating plant is heather.

That means that, weather permitting, you should get good views of Kibo and Mawenzi. Some people describe the vegetation as bleak or boring as compared to the forest, but I actually prefer the more open views.

The most noticeable features, apart from the Kilimanjaro peaks of course, are the first giant senecios and loblelias that you can see growing among the ubiquitous heather.

The path meanders through the hills with some ups and downs and across a few dry creeks.

This is a long day. You will be covering quite some distance and altitude and you may start to feel the latter. Remember to drink plenty, and try to eat well, even if you don't feel like it.

From your lunch stop it is about another hour and a half to the Horombo Huts. (But don't feel pressured into making it in that time. It takes as long as it takes!)

You are quite high now and it will be bitter cold at night!

The Horombo Huts are in a scenic location with good views to Mawenzi. On clear days you may even be able to see Moshi way below you, as well as the Pare mountain range.

The Horombo Huts are by far the busiest place on Kilimanjaro, not just on the Marangu Route but on the whole mountain.

People who climb Kilimanjaro via the Marangu route stay here on the way up, on the way down, and if they take an extra acclimatization day they will spend another night at Horombo.

And as if that wasn't enough, climbers ascending via the Rongai route also descend via Marangu and will also spend a night at Horombo. (At least they have their own camping equipment and won't eat or sleep in the village of huts.)

If you choose to climb Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route, please do add this optional acclimatization day to your schedule. Remember, Marangu is the route with the lowest success rate. The acclimatization day will increase your chances to reach the summit.

Today you can walk to an altitude of about 4500 m/14760 ft (or less), and then back to Horombo. Don't worry, you won't be doing the same trek twice. This hike is on an alternate path to the one you'll be taking tomorrow, and it is a more attractive one as well!

Day 3 of the Marangu Route - The Saddle

Whether you took the acclimatization day or not, hopefully you wake up without any symptoms of altitude sickness and feeling refreshed. Because another big day lies ahead of you.

As you keep trudging uphill the vegetation is gradually thinning out. You will be passing several water streams and they do not necessarily look inviting. Nevertheless, soon you'll reach the signposted "Last Water Point" at 4200 m/13780 ft. It is indeed the last chance to collect water, and your porters will. (You might sit down at the picnic tables here and have a break.)

Eventually—after having crossed a ridge and another ridge and another ridge to get here—the path leads uphill onto the "saddle". This is the barren plain of alpine desert between the two main peaks of Kilimanjaro: Mawenzi and Kibo. The only living things left are some hardy grasses and the occasional everlasting flower. (How DO they do it? Blooming in this environment...)

After lunch it's an easy two hour stroll for some, for others it's a longer trudge across this bolder strewn plain, on a path that gets steeper and steeper, to the Kibo Huts, which do not seem to come any closer...

If you feel the altitude you will be surprised at how hard this is. The path doesn't LOOK steep, and it isn't (except maybe for the very last section), but the lack of oxygen turns the hike into a major effort.

The landscape can be quite dramatic, open and windswept, with big clouds rolling across it... Many people really enjoy this part. But it all depends how well acclimatized you are.

You will be looking at Kibo the whole time, and you will be having a good view of the challenge that lies ahead for you tonight...

The Kibo Huts at the foot of Kibo (huts are on the left, summit trail in the middle)

Read on about summitting Kilimanjaro when climbing the Marangu Route...

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Mount Kilimanjaro picture gallery: Marangu route

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I Love Europe

I love Europe. I often think I probably should have been born a European rather than an American. It is not that I don’t love the United States but just that I seem to fit better into the European style of living and thinking.

I am in my hotel room in Ponte San Giovanni, Italy, on my final night of a one-month European trip before I fly home tomorrow. It has been an excellent trip, in which I ran three fun biking tours (two in Provence and one in Umbria) but it is time to go home. I miss sleeping in my own bed, having a beer with my friends, and watching a movie while snuggling with my girlfriend Devon. But missing home doesn’t detract from the joy I have had in spending another month in Europe.

Let me explain to you why I love Europe by describing my final evening here in Italy. I walked across the street from my hotel into a residential neighborhood, full of high-rise apartment and condo buildings that seemed, at first glance, to have zero appeal. However, at 8:00 in the evening on a Sunday night the place was alive with people. Young boys were playing basketball in a school courtyard, teenagers were flirting with each other in the park, and families were sitting down to gelato or a pizza. There was a distinct sense of community.

I was aiming for dinner and sat at an outdoor table at the local Regina Margherita pizzeria, whose owners proudly proclaimed they were from Naples. Using my pidgeon Italian, I found out that the menu was pizza and only pizza. However, when I asked about the pasta I was craving, the owner suggested “pasta arrabiata”, which has a spicy tomato sauce with garlic, red chile flakes, and Italian spices. When I asked about a salad, the very nice man had to ask the cook, his wife, what she could create – it was not normally on the menu.

Ultimately, I had one of the best pastas I have ever eaten. The pasta itself was soft, delicate, almost luxurious. The sauce was delicious, full of garlic and spices. I made the error of asking for Parmesan cheese before even trying the pasta but the Signora explained to me pasta with arrabiata sauce didn’t need cheese. She was right.

Coupled with a basic salad and the house red wine, this was one of the best meals I had in my month in Europe. It is exactly why European, and especially Italian, life appeals to me: it is simple and yet meets all one’s needs, plain vanilla and yet as delectable as one can get. I’ll be back.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 9th, 2010 at 1:29 pm and is filed under Food, Italy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Mount Kilimanjaro Tours - How To Choose A Kili Tour Operator

A Kilimanjaro tour is a once in a lifetime trip.

It is a trip on which you spend a heck of a lot of money.

It is a trip into a part of the world that you are likely not familiar with.

And it is a trip that, if organised by irresponsible or incompetent Kilimanjaro tour operators, can quickly become dangerous and even life threatening.

Now, you may think that Kilimanjaro trekking companies would all be responsible and competent.

After all, they have to get approved by the park authorities, right? And all the mountain guides have to be licensed, right? So that would ensure that no matter who you go with, at least you would be safe, right?

Think again!

There are several hundred operators who offer Kilimanjaro tours. I would trust only a small fraction of them with my life and money.

Tanzania is a typical African country and regulation exists only on paper. There are a million loopholes and evasion strategies. The people supposed to enforce the regulations are poor. A budget Kili tour operator can bribe his way out of any requirements that would cost him too much money to keep his rock bottom prices.

Safety may be the most dramatic issue, but it's not the only one.

The best Kilimanjaro climb operators not only have the best safety record, they also have the best client success rates.

Your chances to reach the summit depend on your operator more than on anything else. Yes, your operator is more important than your fitness level!

I talked to long time Kili mountain guides about success rates, to investigate how the "official" numbers compare to their real life experience. They would not give me a number or estimate, because in their experience the success rate totally depends on the tour operator.

And last but not least, there is the issue of the Kilimanjaro porters. How they are treated does not necessarily affect your safety or success rate. But is that a reason to support the blatant exploitation of the people who make it possible for you to climb Kilimanjaro in the first place?

If you haven't done so already, you may want to read the pages about the cost of climbing Kilimanjaro and the page about the Kilimanjaro porters.

Reading them will help you make a better decision about who is the best Mount Kilimanjaro tour operator for you.

So now that you know that you want a quality operator with a good safety record, with good client success rates, who treats their staff fairly, how on earth do you find such a Kili tour?

There are two ways to book a Kilimanjaro trip. You can do it from overseas, or you can do it when you get there. Most people book from overseas, so I will talk mostly about how to do that. Further down the page I'll tell you how to find the best tour operator in Tanzania when you get there.

First of all, stay away from the bottom level budget Kili climbs. Yes, your friends may have had a great experience with a budget operator. Some people also win lotto.

But a lotto ticket costs a few bucks, a Mt. Kilimanjaro tour costs a few thousand (with flights and all). If the trip sucks and you don't even make it to the summit, is that really money saved? It's wasted!

If all the stars align correctly a budget operator may well guide you to the summit successfully, but you want a good chance in any weather! And you want to know that you will live, no matter what happens on that mountain.

It's difficult to give you price guidelines (I gave some suggestions on the costs page), because there are so many variables. Starting point, route, number of days on the mountain, booking through an agent or directly... as you start looking around you will get a feel for the prices soon enough.

Dig through the websites of the operators you consider. How much information do they share? Contact them and ask for more info. Are they open and transparent about how they run things? If not, ask yourself why not.

Someone who has lots of experience and knowledge, excellent equipment, an exceptional saftey record and great success rates would not hide that, would they? And I find there is no better way than to personally contact tour operators to get a feel for how much they really care about their clients.

Unfortunately many highly professional Kilimanjaro trekking agencies that treat their clients extremely well, still keep their prices competitive at the expense of the porters.

To make sure a Kilimanjaro tour operator not only genuinely cares about you but also about their staff, check the partner program of the International Mountain Explorers Connection.

The IMEC is behind the porters assistance project in Kathmandu, Nepal, and also the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) in Moshi.

The companies listed as partners not only agreed to treat their porters as recommended by the project and to pay them a fair wage. They also agreed to be audited and inspected by the KPAP on a regular basis.

Checking whether your chosen Kilimanjaro tour operator or agency is listed on that page is one important thing you can do to improve the situation of the Kilimanjaro porters.

(An international agency may not be listed on that page, yet the Tanzanian operator they use on the ground is. So if booking internationally, find out what the name of the company is that will actually be guiding you on Kilimanjaro.)

There is an added benefit to choosing a responsible partner. Do you think that an operator who sets an example when it comes to looking after even the lowest staff members, would then neglect the safety and welfare of their clients? I don't think so.

In fact, many agencies listed on that page are definitely in the top end of the price range, but there are also some that are reasonably affordable.

Still, if you want a good Kilimanjaro tour, you can only go so low in the price...

Your Kilimanjaro tour will be cheaper if you book directly with a Tanzanian agency when you get there. Not only do you cut out the middle man, you may also be able to negotiate something like a "last minute" deal. The operator may prefer to sell you a spot for a cheaper price than to not sell it at all.

There are of course risks. The good operators may be booked out. There may not be any climbs on your preferred route or preferred date. You may have to do a lot of waiting and running around.

And there is only so much running around you can do, only so many companies you can personally check out...

Most Kilimanjaro tour companies are located in Arusha or Moshi, some are directly in Marangu. To save yourself some time and research there, read up on the local Kilimanjaro tour agencies beforehand. You can.

Henry Stedman reviews a huge number of them in his excellent Kilimanjaro trekking guide. He also gives many tips what to look out for and what questions to ask before you sign that contract.

If you plan to book your Kilimanjaro trip locally, this guide is invaluable. It is also a great guide book to Arusha, Moshi and Marangu, covering all the accommodation, restaurants, public transport, other attractions and more.

Even if your Kili climb is prearranged, if you are travelling in northern Tanzania independently, Henry Stedman's Kilimanjaro guide is a must have.

In fact, even if your whole trip is arranged, you should still get it for the excellent background information. It's a fantastic and entertaining read and I can't recommend it enough.

I remember first discovering Henry Stedman's guide, AFTER I had booked my first Kilimanjaro tour. To my great relief Henry considered the Kilimanjaro tour company I had booked with as "one of the best on the mountain".

And you will be relieved to hear that they certainly were not in the luxury price range :). (Luxury is neither my style nor my budget...)

Take the time to do your research as outlined above, ask questions and trust your instincts.

What seemed to be an overwhelming choice of Mount Kilimanjaro tours, will soon be whittled down to a surprisingly easy decision.

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Mount Kilimanjaro Facts - About Kilimanjaro National Park

This page of Kilimanjaro facts is an overview and summary.

You will find Mt. Kilimanjaro facts regarding altitude and size, location and population, the volcano and the shrinking glaciers, climate, vegetation and animals and facts about Kilimanjaro National Park.

You can find more detailed information on all topics on the respective pages which are linked from here (or will be linked soon).

The height of Kilimanjaro is usually given as 5895 m or 19,340 ft.The most accurate altitude of Kilimanjaro as measured in 2008 is 5891.8 m or 19,330 ft.Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. It rises 4877 m above the surrounding plains.It measures up to 40 km across.The base covers an area of about 388,500 ha.Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania in east Africa, in the north of the country, near the border between Tanzania and Kenya. (Tanzania map and Kilimanjaro map)The whole area lies between 2? 45' to 3? 25'S and 37? 00' to 37? 43'E (not far south of the equator).

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The area surrounding kilimanjaro is heavily populated.The local tribe living in the foothills is the Chagga.The Chagga arrived about 300 years ago as nomads and settled as farmers, terracing Kilimanjaro's slopes.There are 18 larger "forest villages" in the forest reserve that surrounds Kilimanjaro National Park.Villagers use the forest (illegally) for firewood, farming, beekeeping, hunting, charcoal production and logging.

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Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano.Kilimanjaro is classified as dormant, not extinct.It is the largest of an east-west belt of volcanoes across northern Tanzania.Kilimanjaro started forming about 750,000 years ago.Kili has three main volcanic peaks (Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo) and a number of smaller parasitic cones.Shira is the oldest peak, Kibo the youngest.Kibo's last major eruption occured about 360,000 years ago.The last volcanic activity was recorded just over 200 years ago and resulted in today's ash pit.Kibo has two concentric craters, 1.9 x 2.7 km and 1.3 km in diameter, respectively.The central ash pit is 350 m deep.Uhuru Peak on the southern rim of the outer crater is the highest point on the mountain.Since 1912 Kilimanjaro has lost 82% of its ice cap.Since 1962 Kilimanjaro has lost 55% of the remaining glaciers.This may be local evidence of climate warming but may also be due to the loss of humidity caused by deforestation and clearing for farms.

A big tree planting project is trying to alleviate some of this. Read more about the environmental and cultural background and about the project here.
(Thank you, Siggi from Kenya Travel Ideas, for sending me the link.)

Today, the total glacier area is about 2.5 km2.The latest forecasts predict that Kilimanjaro may lose the plateau ice within the next 30-40 years, but the slope glaciers may remain much longer.

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There are two wet seasons, November to December and March to May.The driest months are August to October.Rainfall decreases rapidly with altitude.96% of all rain on Kilimanjaro falls below 3000 m.The average yearly rainfall at Marangu Gate (start of Marangu route) is 2300 mm.Above 4500 m the conditions are desert like.The average yearly rainfall at Kibo Huts (highest hut on Marangu route) is less than 200 mm.The northern side of the mountain is a lot drier than the southern side.January to March are the warmest months.More about the climate and weather on Kilimanjaro.

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The mountain has five main vegetation zones:Savanna bushland (700-1000 m on southern side and 1400-1600 m on northern side),Sub-montane agro-forest (the densely populated farmlands to the south and south east)Montane forest belt (the rainforest, from 1300 m to 2800 m on southern side, above 1600 m on drier northern side)Sub-alpine moorland and alpine bogs (the heath and moorland, 2800-4000 m)Above this is the alpine desert.

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140 species of mammals (87 forest species) live on Kilimanjaro. Species include 7 primates, 25 carnivores, 25antelopes and 24 species of bat.At least seven larger mammal species have been recorded above the tree line: Kilimanjaro tree hyrax, grey duiker, red duiker, eland, bushbuck, buffalo and elephants.Three primate species live in the montane forests: blue monkey, black and white colobus Colobus and bushbaby.179 species of birds have been recorded.

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Size of the national park: 75, 353 haSize of the surrounding forest reserve: 107,828 haMt Kilimanjaro and its forests were declared a game reserve in 1910 by the German colonial government.In 1921 the area was gazetted as a Forest Reserve and in 1973 the mountain above the tree line (2700m) was reclassified as a national park.The national park also protects some of the montane forest, and six access corridors through the forest belt below.Kilimanjaro National Park was opened for public access in 1977In 1987 the park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site for its natural valueThe park is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority

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The beginning of the end of Crater Camp

The current buzz in Kilimanjaro is the imminent closure of Crater Camp. I discovered this on my most recent trip when a few mates and I summited via the Western Breach and spent a long and ugly night at Crater Camp.

Crater Camp is touted as the last word in isolation on the slightly over-trammeled Kilimanjaro circuit. There is no doubt that getting up there, particularly via the famous Western Breach, is a large undertaking, and spending the night at over 5500m is not for lightweights, but isolated Crater Camp is not!

We made the trip up from Arrow Glacier Camp in about 7-hours of fairly solid slogging up the middle of the Western Breach. Scrambling over the edge of the crater the first sight that greets one is the rather diminutive – not much more than a huge ice-cube – Furtwangler Glacier. After the obligatory photograph against the ice mass – ‘say Fartwanker!’ – we trudged over the ash colored sand that lines the crater floor towards camp situated about 500 meters distant. As usual the porters had arrived before us and were setting up camp, and besides them we were alone on this beautiful and desolate spot.

However it was difficult to ignore a carpet of detritus littering the extremities of the camp, a collection of oddments including discarded tampons, teabags, hand-warmers and the usual debris associated with the human condition. I took my camera and set off to photograph the hidden piles of kitchen waste and portable toilet dumps that were the most obvious signs, but pretty soon I was reeling at the sheer volume of crap – literally – that littered the camp surrounds.

Behind every rock, and even some way up the trail towards the summit, hundred and hundreds of human turds lay un-decomposed as might be expected under these conditions of temperature and altitude. It was the most revolting sight imaginable in an otherwise pristinely beautiful natural space.

Basically the problem is this: It is ecologically unsound to dig pit latrines at this altitude thanks to the fact that no degeneration will take place and what is deposited will remain effectively forever. The use of portable toilets is the alternative, but few porters care to portage filled units down so they simply dump the contents onto the sand. Moreover the porters themselves have no facilities so have no choice but to defecate out in the open and it is this that accounts for the colossal amount of human waste in evidence everywhere.

As soon as I was back in Moshi I was on the phone to the local head of KINAPA who told me that the situation at Crater Camp had been of concern to the parks authority for some time, and that in fact the decision had recently been taken to shut the facility down altogether. This effectively means that any Western Breach Summit will end at Barafu Camp and that only by special license can anyone in future make use of the crater floor.

As far as current obligations are concerned, pre-existing bookings will be honored, but within a year the facility will be cleaned up and left to nature. It is a very sad fact that the state of human commerce on the mountain is so reckless and indifferent, but the fact remains. Although very sad it is probably for the best. So for those of you booked to climb via Crater Camp, hold your nose, watch your step and make the most of being the last of any of us to make the journey.

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