Hiking Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro – Tanzania’s ‘hostess with the mostess’. The statistics are staggering alone. It is by far Africa’s highest mountain at 5895 meters high, not to mention its impressive 40 km diameter. However, these bold facts can not match the actual exhilaration of climbing it. You will spend days tramping through the lower level’s forest before ascending to a contrasting summit, blanketed in snow.
The Kilimanjaro trek will allow you to make pauses en-route to take in the beauty of your surroundings; the luscious slopes beneath, the vast arid lands of beyond and the abundance of unique mountain flora dotted around your feet. If the steady climb doesn’t leave you breathless, the wonderment of it all will.
Expect the trip to last anywhere between six and eight days. The evenings will be a time to indulge in the peaceful sounds of the mountain’s habitat, gazing up to the endless sky and it’s panoply of stars amongst your comrades. An extraordinary spirit will develop between you and fellow trekkers, a companionship that will mature with every stride until you reach your ultimate destination, grouped together on the roof of Africa.
As enticing as all this sounds, if you are serious about hiking Kilimanjaro, don’t overlook the hardships and dangers it entails. It is not possible to make the climb without registering with a registered trekking agency. Your guide will be there at all times to motivate you, deal with any adversities and most importantly keep you on the right tracks.
Mount Kilimanjaro will have its way with you if you can’t boast calves of steel and an iron-like determination – its a real test to even the elite mountaineers. You will have to endure many discomforts on the incline, from clothes drenched in sweat in the humid forest, to frozen fingers and wind-burnt faces at the higher gradients. Not to mention the effects of dizzying altitudes, causing headaches, nausea and dehydration.
Now you have heard some of the good and the bad, but the thing that tops all of this is the pleasure of watching the sunrise from the highest point in Africa, with a whole continent fanned out beneath you. An overwhelming sense of achievement will course through your body, so don’t be surprised to see a few tear-filled eyes amongst your team – tears of joy are nothing to be ashamed of!
The best time to undergo a Kilimanjaro trek, is in the drier seasons between January and mid-March and from June through to October. The latter being a more busy period. Attempting any other time has a higher risk of rain and heavy clouds, which not only makes the trek more hazardous, but will give limitations on the beautiful views.
Make sure you are fully equipped with all the essentials before you head out, the agency with whom you booked will give you the necessary details on what will be needed to ensure a safe trip.
Tanzania is on the most part a very cheap place to go on a vacation, but if you want to take the trek up Kili, expect to have around $800 in funds. It sounds expensive doesn’t it? The price will include various fees from rescue fees, entry to Kilimanjaro National Park, camping fees, the cost of having a guide (which is essential), food, transport to name a few. However, the fulfillment of reaching the top, will stay with you for a long time after you depart and say your goodbyes to Mount Kilimanjaro. I would say that you can’t put a price tag on one of the most invigorating trips known to man.