Kilimanjaro Tips

Adventure – What is stopping you?

In July we saw our latest adventurers board Kenya Airways bound for Kilimanjaro. They were inspired by the adventure after closely following their nephew, Kevin, when he joined us on our Kilimanjaro trek and safari in February.

Our clients were that impressed, they booked their own bespoke trip with me whilst I was sat in the garden bar of the Weru Weru River Lodge, our luxury accommodation whilst we were preparing for the safari!

Their individual, tailor-made trip took them along the Lemosho route to the roof of Africa!

They scaled the mighty Barranco wall after reaching the spectacular Lava Tower at 4200m. The view from the top of the wall is, in my opinion, the best on the mountain (and there are many!). The route then took them to Karanga Camp (aka Peanut Camp) before reaching Barrafu (base) Camp. From here it’s the long summit push before reaching Uhura Peak – 5,895m just after sunrise.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the view from here isn’t too bad either! The curvature of the earth can be spotted over the tops of the glaciers and the clouds far below are amazing.

Then it’s hot-footed descent down the ash slope back to Base Camp and onto the last night’s camp before heading to the Barafu Gate. It’s here that you collect your well-earned certificate.

After one day of rest, it’s time for safari! Our clients chose to follow the wildebeest migration on the mighty Serengeti, which will take them to the far north-west of the reserve. Over four days they will see an abundance of wildlife, staying in an amazing tented camp before concluding the safari with a day in the 8th natural wonder of the world – The Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is 22 km across and was formed when a volcano the size of Kilimanjaro collapsed in on itself thousands of years ago. As a result it created its own ecosystem and is home to lions, elephants, hippos and flamingos, to name but a few.

Our clients returned back to the Weru Weru River Lodge before departing on a two-day excursion to visit relatives in Dar el Salam, the capital of Tanzania.

To conclude their adventure, we arranged for them to visit the island of Zanzibar, just off the Tanzanian coast. Zanzibar was the birthplace of Freddie Mercury. Here they resided for a further four days and as part of their tour they went sightseeing and enjoyed the peaceful relaxation in a beachfront resort!

Photo courtesy of Jane Sherman 2017

What an amazing trip these guys had! Who said you can’t do new things in your 70s!!

Fancy joining us on one of our fantastic and exciting adventures?

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5 Novels about Kilimanjaro

Clare Kilimanjaro Tips #Kilimanjaro #Adventure #Hiking #Trekking

There are plenty of guidebooks out there to buy and read about Kilimanjaro but fancy something different? Looking for a contrast, these novels provide a different genre and an interesting insight!

This short story is praised as one of Hemigway’s greatest books. A film was released in 1952 starring Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck. The book tells the story of a writer who is at the end of his life after he contracts gangrene from a scratch on his leg. The writer sees his life flash before his eyes and how he reflects on the choices he has made in life.

The Amazon summary states this is “a Fast-paced novel relating the adventures of an ex-patriate American trying to con his way through politically explosive Tanzania”

This book tells the story of a Swedish couple who travel to the Great Rift Valley in East Africa in the late 1970’s. It explores the development and evolution of humankind in Africa.

This book is a non-fiction novel and was posthumously published from an unfinished manuscript. It is based on Hemingway’s diaries that he wrote on his last safari.

This is described as a spectacular photographic book. The author takes the reader on a journey into Africa to look for the elusive unicorn living on Kilimanjaro.

How to cope with the altitude on your trek

Clare BLOG, Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro Tips, Nepal #Kilimanjaro #Adventure #Hiking #Trekking, adventure, altitude sickness, Coping with altitude, everest base camp, mount kilimanjaro, trekking

Coping with the altitude can make or break any expedition to a mountainous area at higher altitudes. There is no rhyme nor reason why some people cope better with the altitude than others. One thing for certain is that everyone needs to acclimatise well. Follow the tips below to help you understand the reasoning and to develop your strategy.

At sea level, the air is more dense due to the air pressure. As you ascend you often hear the phrase that the air is ‘thinner’, this is because as you climb up a mountain the air pressure decreases and becomes less dense. The thinner air means that there is less oxygen molecules in the atmosphere to breathe at altitude, although the percentage of oxygen remains static at 21%.

Altitude sickness or AMS (acute mountain sickness) can effect individuals differently and the research indicates there is no particular pattern related to gender, age or fitness as to who will be more susceptible.

Altitude sickness can develop when you travel to a high altitude too quickly. Certain individuals may feel the effect of altitude at around 2500m. However, it’s usually above 3000m when symptoms start to develop. Early on you may feel a little more breathless than normal as you are ascending. As you get higher the signs and symptoms to look out for are a persistent headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, disturbed sleep, weird dreams and fatigue.

That’s why when you are trekking it’s extremely important to acclimatise slowly and properly. Acclimatisation is the process in which your body adjusts to the change in altitude and the thinner air. Generally, on treks you ‘climb high, sleep low’ whereby you climb higher during the day then descend to a lower altitude for the overnight stop, which helps with the acclimatisation. It’s important than you drink plenty of water, little and often, as keeping hydrated helps with acclimatisation.

When trekking, it may feel very slow, sometimes too slow, to begin with but there’s a reason for this as it helps your body to adjust. On treks such as Kilimanjaro or Everest Base Camp, the guides will employ tactics to ensure that you don’t set off too fast. It’s all too easy when you have lots of energy at the beginning of the trek to go like a rocket. Howver, this may lead to failure higher up on the trek. Did you know the demographics for the highest failure rate on Kilimanjaro is men under 30! Push your egos to one side 😉 It’s not a competition!

On Kilimanjaro, we take an extra day of acclimatisation on the trek as this increases the summit rate success. It makes it a more enjoyable experience for yourself as you can stop to take in the panoramic views, and to enjoy the nature and your surroundings.

The guides will monitor your health for the effects of altitude sickness and if your symptoms persist, will ensure that you retreat to a safer altitude.

There are drugs, such as, Acetazolamide or commonly known as Diamox, which can be obtained from your doctor. It can help you adjust and acclimatise quicker, but it will not reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness completely. If you still feel unwell, it’s important that you mention it to the guides so that they can keep you under assessment. The only only way to relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness and the guides will make a decision on whether it would be safer to descend.

Success! 🙂

Goal setting in your training preparation for Kilimanjaro

Clare Kilimanjaro Tips adventure, bucket list, fitness, fun, Goal setting, hiking, kilimanjaro, trekking, walking

So you want to get fitter to climb Mount Kilimanjaro? What are you going to achieve this? How are you going to train?

It’s a common fact that those who set themselves goals are much more successful in life. Why?

Setting targets gives you something to aim for. It’s motivational and provides focus.

When setting yourself goals, you need to set them at the right level to be effective. Too challenging and you won’t complete them so they will have the reverse effect and be demotivational. Research indicates that when setting goals they should be moderately difficult to achieve, thus providing a challenge, but not too easy that you achieve your target quickly without any effort at all.

Goals should focus on the positive such as what you are aiming to achieve rather than focusing on the negative that is what behaviour you want to give up.

If you are unfamiliar and have never set yourselves any training goals previously, you need to ensure that they are SMART.

Specific – your goal shouldn’t be vague. It should target what you want to achieve.
Measureable – the goal should have some measureability in it so you know when you have achieved it.
Achievable – your goal should be challenging but not beyond the realms of reality.
Realistic -it should be real and meaningful. Don’t set yourself up for failure.
Timebound – your goal should indicate when you want to achieve it by.

If you are unfamiliar with trekking and want to set yourself targets to getting fitter, set yourself some SMART goals. These should be progressive and linked to each other. Examples are given below:

1) to walk three days a week for 30 minutes for the first 4 weeks;
2) to walk three days a week for 1 hour and climb a mountain every Saturday for the following month;
3) to walk four days a week for 1.15 hours and to climb two mountains at the weekend for the next month.

This provides you with an action plan and a progressive set of SMART goals to help you achieve your objective of getting fitter to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. These are an example. You can adjust your goals accordingly to increase your own personal levels of fitness.

Routes to the summit of Kilimanjaro

Darren Kilimanjaro Tips

Shira Route

This route is one of the least popular on the mountain and therefore is quieter than others. Like the Lemosho route, it starts from the west and crosses the Shira Plateau. It follows a vehicle track for the first few days and misses out on the forest zone.

Lemosho Route

This route runs from west to east and crosses the Shira Plateau, which is a volcanic crater that has collapsed. This route along with the Shira route has more wildlife although it tends to stay away from the trail and from people so is not easy to spot. There are a number of variations that can be taken with this route. It merges with the Machame route higher up.

Machame Route

This has become the most popular route on the mountain. This route starts on the south-western side of the mountain and takes at least 6 days to reach the summit. This trail is classed as one of the most enjoyable on the mountain for some if the features it passes. It has a higher success rate than the Marangu Route.

Umbwe Route

This route is the shortest and steepest route on the mountain and therefore is classed as the most difficult. Due to this it’s also one of the least popular and quieter routes. It has some of the most dramatic scenery on the mountain as it climbs up a ridge to join up with the Machame route.

Mweka Route

This is the descent route for many of the other ascent routes.

Marangu Route

This was known as the coca-cola route as it was the busiest and most popular although the Mechame route has taken this honour. However, it is also the route which has the least success rate due to it only taking 5 days to reach the summit. This route can be climbed all year round as overnight accommodation is in huts.

The Rongai Route

This trail approaches from the north and is becoming increasingly popular. This route is drier, more parched and barren than the other routes although there is the possibility that you may see some wildlife.

Five climatic zones – facts about Kilimanjaro flora

Darren BLOG, Kilimanjaro Tips adventure, africa, flora, hiking, kilimanjaro, trekking

As you climb up Mount Kilimanjaro you will pass through five distinct and different climatic and vegetation zones, which provide a diverse array of wild flowers, shrubs and trees. On the ascent, you will notice the flora changing. This is not only influenced by the altitude but also the geographical location of Kilimanjaro within close proximity to the equator and the maritime influence from the Indian Ocean.

Cultivation Zone

Coffee production is Tanzanian’s largest export crop and has a significant impact on the country’s economy. The vegetation of the lowlands around Mount Kilimanjaro are dominated by coffee plantations or banana crops. The Kilimanjaro area is one of the largest coffee producing areas within Tanzania and the town of Moshi in Kilimanjaro is the main hub for the coffee trade.

The Rainforest Zone

The zone is situated between 1800m and 2800m in altitude. It provides the widest variety of flowering plants in this zone. Be sure to look out for the mountain gladiolus, violets, begonias and especially the Kilimanjaro Impatiens, a delightful orchid-like flower in a pink-ish red colour with flecks of yellow and an unusual yellow tail (below). This is said to be the semi-official emblem of Kilimanjaro.

Heathland Zone

This zone has heathers and short grasses growing in this area and is reminiscent of being back home.

A British garden favourite, the Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia thomsonii), is a native plant from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and swathes of the plant can be seen in the heathland zone between 2800m and 4000m.

Alpine Desert

The southern and western slopes of Kilimanjaro have more rainfall than the northern and eastern sides. The only route to the summit on the northern slopes is the Rongai route. This has a more sparce, desert-like landscape and lower growing species due to less rainfall.

Kilimanjaro is renowned for rare and unusual species often found almost nowhere else. One of the most unusual and striking of plants that you will spot when ascending Kilimanjaro is the Giant Groundsel. This species Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is only found on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro at around 4000 metres and is quiet a common feature around the Barranco Camp.

Arctic Zone

The arctic zone is from 5000m upwards to the summit. There is no vegetation and the path is made up of scree. The is a large glacier near to the summit. The ground is mostly frozen and can sometimes be covered in snow and ice.

What training do I need to climb Kilimanjaro?

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Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is classified as strenuous trek so you will need a good base level of fitness if you want to be successful in gaining the summit.

Terrain

The terrain on the ascent of Kilimanjaro is varied. On the lower slopes it’s easier trail, good underfoot and reasonably wide paths. It’s all too easy to set off too fast as you have the momentum and are raring to go. However, it’s crucial in order to acclimatise that you don’t over do it and take it very slowly. The guides have a number of tactics to inadvertently make you slow down! A favourite phrase you’ll hear alot is Pole Pole, which means slowly in Swahili.

It’s important that if you’re not familiar with walking on steep, rocky ground that you take a few walks in the UK mountains to familiarise yourself and to feel more confident. The higher you get, the paths become more rugged and technical. Mountains in Mind offers a Kilimanjaro training weekend where you can experience the delight of walking in the mountains and experience the kind of terrain that you can expect on an ascent of Kilimanjaro.

Back-to-back days

The ascent of Kilimanjaro is strenuous, there’s no getting away from that! Our standard trek takes 6 days to reach the summit and a further day for your descent. It is important that you are fit enough to be able walk over consecutive days for up to 5 or 6 hours each day. Although, you will be going slow on the climb, you will need to have built up your stamina to be able to keep going. The summit push day is particularly strenuous and combined with the altitude, lack of sleep and cold weather, you will need to dig deep with sheer grit and determination to get to the summit. You will be rewarded with magnificent views and the exertion will all be worth the effort when the endorphins kick in. You’ve earned bragging rights too!!

Weekends or even better, the longer bank holidays, you should aim to walk for two or three consecutive days on the trot. This will build up your strength and endurance. Your calf muscles will probably be screaming at you on the ascents if you’re unfamiliar with walking up hill. Conversely, on the descents your quads may quiver and your knees may ache. The more training you do, the more conditioned you’ll become and therefore you are increasing your chance of success. Although, you may wake up with stiff legs after undertaking a big walk, getting up and walking for a second day will often help to ease the stiffness and build up your stamina.

Ascent

We’ve mentioned training in the hills above. It is important that you can walk up hill relatively easily without becoming too breathless. As mentioned, you will be going very slowly and there will be plenty of opportunity to stop, take in the views and chatting to your fellow trekkers but as you climb higher it will become increasingly difficult with the lack of oxygen. You will need a certain level of fitness gained from walking up hills that will make it easier for you on the trek. You will also be carrying a day pack on your ascent, with your requirements for the day, such as, extra layers of clothing, food and drink so it’s important that you also familiarise yourself with carrying a small rucksack so that it feels comfortable.

Descent

Once you’ve reached the summit you’ll be so invigorated and elated that you’ll probably forget about the descent. Although, you’ll probably not be out of breath as much as on the ascent, it’s more heavier on your legs. There is also more of a tendency to slip on descents. Therefore, as well as training for your ascent it also important that you train and familiarise yourself with walking downhill so that you feel confident when descending. After all, what goes up…must come down!

Camping

The route that we take to the summit of Kilimanjaro does not have huts so you can expect to camp. If you have not slept under canvas before, please contact us and we can discuss the sleeping arrangements with you. It is important that you have a warm sleeping bag as it can be very cold at night and combined with the altitude this can leave you not able to sleep well. Being able to get a good nights rest is an important part of the recovery process to enable you to keep going the following day.

Eating

That’s right, you need to train to eat so you can familiarise yourself with what your body likes or dislikes whilst on the go! If you live in the UK you won’t have much opportunity to practice eating at altitude when your appetite becomes suppressed, however, on your day walks it’s worthwhile getting to know what you find digestible when moving as you’ll need to eat little and often on the climb. What one person finds good to eat is different for somebody else. I personally like to eat dried fruit, nuts and a little chocolate but nothing overly sweet.

6 reasons for not reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro

Darren Kilimanjaro Tips #Kilimanjaro #Adventure #Hiking #Trekking, africa

Climbing Kilimanjaro is on many people’s bucket list but do you know what it entails before you commit yourself? There are many reasons why people fail and we have provided the six main reasons below:

Not having the correct equipment.

At Mountains in Mind we’ll provide advice and guidance on what gear you will need for the ascent. You’ll be provided with a kit list and we have produced You Tube videos so that you can see for yourself what is required. As you’ll be climbing through 5 climatic zones you will require a range of clothing from shorts and t-shirts on the lower slopes to duvet jackets and thermal underwear for the summit. You’ll also need comfortable boots that you have worn-in prior to the ascent and a descent sleeping bag. The effects of altitude can affect your sleep so the last thing you need is being cold and kept awake as your sleeping bag isn’t warm enough!

Not eating and drinking enough on the trek.

As you increase the altitude on the trek, you may not feel like eating or drinking much. It’s important to sustain your energy levels and that you eat little and often. Altitude sickness is also made worse through dehydration so you need to ensure you take regular sips of your drink to stay effectively hydrated. A camelbak or bladder are recommended for ease. There is plenty to eat and the variety of food is surprisingly good on the trek. You will be provided with high carbohydrate meals on the climb which are normally rice or potato based. Taking some of your own favourite high calorie snacks and haribos are also recommended.

Not having trained properly or having enough fitness.

The underfoot terrain can be technical in places so it is advised that you familiarise yourself with mountainous terrain in the UK beforehand. As the trek to the summit is over 6 days with a further day for descending back to the gate, you’ll need to have a certain level of fitness and endurance to be able to sustain the trek and reach the summit. Multiple day hikes of 6-7 hours on mountainous terrain are advised as good preparation for your ascent. The summit push is particularly strenuous and you are likely to take 14 hours to get to the summit and return to camp. We are happy to provide further guidance on how to prepare and provide you with a training plan.

Going too quick.

You’ll get to hear pole pole alot from your guides, which means slowly slowly in Tanzanian. You may feel good and that the pace is too slow on the lower slopes but there is a genuine reason for going very slow at the beginning so that you acclimatise effectively. The lowest success rate is for males in the 20 to 30 age bracket, who have more of a tendency to go off too fast!

Suffering with altitude.

At Mountains in Mind we have a 100% summit success record. The quicker you take it with a shorter ascent, the less likely you are to reach the summit. On our trips we take 6 days or longer to reach the summit rather than 5 days. This increases the success rate and improves your experience. The adage of climb high, sleep low is certainly true and will help with acclimatisation. We will ensure you are supported on your ascent by a fantastic team of Tanzanian guides and porters who will help and monitor your progress.

Finally, determination.

You’ve got to want to make it to the summit! There will be some low points on the climb where you may be feeling the effects of the altitude but there will also be many highs. The pleasure and excitement, not to mention the kudos, of reaching the summit and the endorphins that you will feel afterwards will be amazing! It’s not the altitude, it’s your attitude!

Mountains in Mind offers support in the lead up to your trek through webinars, blogs, social media and we are happy to respond to any questions you may have. We also offer a Kilimanjaro training weekend in the UK. The aim of the weekend is to discuss your training, familiarise yourself with mountainous terrain (if it’s a new experience), identify kit requirements and to answer any questions you may have about the trek.

8 amazing records set on Kilimanjaro

Darren BLOG, Kilimanjaro Tips

The oldest woman

Anne Lorimer from Pheonix in the USA recently became the oldest person to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro in July 2019 at 89 years of age. See link: https://abc7chicago.com/mount-kilimanjaro-records-world-record-oldest-person-to-climb/5424361/

She took the record from Angela Vorobeva from Russia reached the summit on the 29th October 2015 at the age of 86.

The oldest man

Fred Distelhorst from the USA is the oldest male to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. He got into the Guinness Record book on the 20th July 2017 who was 88 years old. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-man-to-climb-mt-kilimanjaro

The Fastest Unsupported Ascent

Simon Mtuy from Tanzania made the fastest unsupported ascent of Kilimanjaro on the 22nd February 2006 in record time of 9 hours and 21 minutes. He ran up the Umbwe route and descended back down the Mweka route.

The Fastest Supported Ascent

This record is held by Swiss-Ecuadorian, Karl Egloff, who reached the summit and back in a time of 6 hours and 56 minutes in August 2014.

The Youngest British person

Nine year old, Zain Akrim, was the youngest Brit to reach the summit on the 15th August 2015. Keats Boyd from the USA is the youngest child and was 7 on the 21st January 2008, when he reached the summit.

The Fastest Ascent on Crutches

This record was set in October 2009 by John Sandford Hart from the UK, who took four days to reach the summit.

Other interesting records

Other records in the Guinness Book of World Records include the highest cricket match and the highest rugby league game, as well as the highest female football match. The games were all played in the dormant crater of the volcano at 8752m on Kilimanjaro

And Finally…

Probably the craziest of all the records is the highest delivery by Pizza Hut! The incredible attempt was to mark the launch of Pizza Hut in Tanzania. A special pizza box backpack was made for the delivery, which took 4 days from the restaurant to reach the summit in May 2016. Hope they weren’t expecting warm pizza!

What to eat when your appetite is low on Kilimanjaro?

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One of the symptoms of being at a higher altitude is the loss of appetite and sometimes accompanying nausea.

When climbing Kilimanjaro it’s important to ensure that you are hydrated and keep eating at regular intervals even when you don’t feel like it to maintain your energy levels. Dehydration can make altitude sickness worse and can also reduce your appetite further so it’s essential that you keep your fluid intake high and keep taking regular sips of your drink when trekking.

Much research has been undertaken on weight loss from being at altitude and it has been identified that with the increase in altitude and the decrease in oxygen, the appetite is surpressed as the ‘satiety hormone’ leptin rises so this is why you feel less hungry. The research also indicates that your metabolic rate also increases so you burn more calories when at altitude than at sea level.

The best things to eat at altitude are high energy comfort foods. The variety of food is surprisingly varied on the Kilimanjaro trek but it is reliant on the porters carrying the supplies along the trail. You’ll be provided with meals that are of high carbohydrate content such as rice dishes or potatoes. There is always soup available, which is easy to digest. Mashed potatoes and vegetables are a particular favourite higher up. Meat can be limited. Porridge and omelette are usually provided for breakfast. Fruit is also available. It may be useful to supplement your diet with a multivitamin.

It is recommended that you limit your intake of coffee as this can add to dehydration. Tea, coffee and milo (a malty hot chocolate drink) are available but if you usually prefer fruit or herb teas, you are advised to take some of your own with you. Alcohol is not available on the mountain and should be saved for your celebratory drinks when you have summited and are back in the hotel. The Kilimanjaro beer is a favourite!

As you get closer to the summit of Kilimanjaro, the temperature will become increasingly lower. On our last trip, we had particularly cold temperatures where it was identified that on the summit the temperature was -31 degrees with the windchill! Your body requires calories to keep itself warm so it’s essential that you eat little and often. It’s worth taking some of your favourite calorie dense snacks as a real treat for the summit push. You may not fancy them but you never know! Haribos also provide a quick sugar boost.

Ginger will also help if you feel nauseous and we have found ginger biscuits, chocolate coated crystallised ginger or drinking ginger tea to help reduce symptoms.