Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa is special to me as I was lucky to share the climb to the summit with my son Ben for my 60th birthday.
It was fantastic hearing the enthusiasm of Nathan from https://adventureoutloud.me/ when he presented at https://www.meetup.com/Your-Boots-are-made-for-Hiking-Meetup/ on hiking
Mt Kilimanjaro for a cause, outlining the great work that School of St Jude do for educating disadvantaged children and details of Safari tours.
Nathan (Nate) started https://adventureoutloud.me/ in late 2015 as he wanted to help travellers give back while they explore in disadvantaged communities.
Nate was very informative and below are some of the questions that were answered throughout the presentation
- How high is Mt Kilimanjaro (5895m above sea level)
- How many people a year climb Kilimanjaro (over 30,000)
- What are the oxygen levels at the summit (appx half the oxygen we currently have)
- Is it technically hard (no, the Baranco wall has some rock scrambling and the trail to Summit is loose scree)
- Is it cold (could get 4 seasons in 1 day - mornings and evenings can be cold and could get to -25 degrees at the summit)
- What is the scenery – (hike through 5 different types of vegetation – farmland, rainforest, heather & moorland, alpine desert, arctic),
- What is altitude sickness:
- AMS - Acute Mountain Sickness – mild altitude sickness - headache, nausea, and fatigue
- HAPE – High Altitude Pulmonary Edema - excess fluid on the lungs, and causes breathlessness
- HACE – High Altitude Cerebral Edema - fluid on the brain. It causes confusion, clumsiness, and stumbling
- How many different routes are there up Mt Kilimanjaro (7 main ones – Marangu, Machame , Lemosho , Shira, Northern Circuit, Rongai, Umbwe)
- How long does it take to climb to the summit, )(depending on route you choose – between 5 to 9 days)
- What clothing should I wear (layer up with merino and fleece and good waterproof jacket and trousers, balaclava, well worn in boots),
- What are the toilets like (basic - porter will carry toilet)
If you would like to visit Tanzania in Africa and climb this mountain at the same time for a cause to help disadvantaged children contact Nate who will be keen to chat and answer all your questions
Have you climbed Mt Kilimanjaro? - would love to hear about your experience