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A really brilliant trip. Very well organised and with great people. The summit night was tough but brilliant to have finished it.
Getting to the summit
Makeke was a superb leader. He was fun, looked after our every need but also made sure we were safe.
It is very cold on the summit. There is no substitute for quality equipment
This is one of the longest routes up Kili. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to climb this mountain. The extra days certainly gave us the time needed to acclimatise to ever increasing altitude. The tour was well organised and we were expertly looked after – our safety was paramount at all times and the guides were constantly checking on us to ensure that we were showing no signs of altitude sickness. A wonderful experience and a great trek!
Reaching Stella point after many hours of walking in the dark was exhilarating. Going on from there to the summit was easy.
He was great. We all felt very safe and he was 100% approachable.
Absolutely fantastic trek through different mountainous zones, pushed myself to the limit but it was well worth it to reach that summit!
For me, it was getting to Stella point. I struggled on summit night and was almost spent by that point! I was rather emotional when we arrived, but the leader (Chris) and the rest of the group gave me the push I needed to reach the summit! Other highlights for me were the Barranco Wall - it looks intimidating but it's so much fun and was very different from any other day.
Chris was brilliant. Cool headed, calm, and completely in control. It was very reassuring to have someone like him in control. The assistant guides were also fantastic, our full team of 45 guides and porters (for a group of 11 passengers) could not do enough for us! From bed tea, warm water for washing, delicious and varied meals served to us and our camps set up when we arrived in the afternoon - everything was taken care of.
If you are anything like me, take more than enough layers! I get very cold, and even with the high quality hired sleeping bag, my thermals on at night and a hot water bottle I'd still wake up a little cold! I highly recommend hiring the gear - the down jacket was brilliant, and cumbersome as it is you will be thankful on summit night. Hand/foot warmers were also invaluable to me. You are well catered for so don't need masses of sweets and snacks, but I found it helpful to have something to keep you going that you can put in your pocket (also - the guides LOVED my toffees - if anyone needs any suggestions of gifts to take!) Some of the group had clip devices that they put their cameras in - this is something that would make things a lot easier - getting your camera out of your pocket is difficult at the best of times and it would dissuade me from taking photos. Diamox is an interesting one - we were 50/50 and 9 out of 10 made it to the top. It is very much a personal choice, I didn't take it, and I was glad I hadn't, but for some I think it proved invaluable.
Kilimanjaro is an amazing experience and it’ll be one that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, regardless of whether you’re travelling solo, with a friend or a partner, you’ll be in a group of like minded people, not all from the UK, we was fortunate enough to have members from all over the world sharing their experiences and plans with us.
This trip was far beyond any expectations that I had set myself, I loved every moment of it! The guides have a great sense of humor! you’ll be quickly introduced to phrases such as “Pole Pole” (slowly slowly) as well greeting all the porters that pass you “Jambo!” (hello!).
There were so many inspirational moments, but the top ones for me are: Seeing the stars for the first time at camp, the clear view of Kilimanjaro at night, the moment you realise you are above the clouds and you see a bed of fluffy clouds in the distance. Standing on top of Shira Cathedral and enjoying the magnificent views of Shira Plateau. Sharing the adventure with the people in our group, we became great friends and it was a pleasure to have reached the top and to have shared the journey with them.
We had Mussa and his team for our expedition and he was amazing, very knowledgeable and social, he was like a big brother to us, making sure we had everything we needed and that we were completely safe. He'd give us briefings every day after dinner and answers any questions we put before him. Mussa and his team works extremely hard, his assistant guides leads the walks and Mussa only took lead on Summit night, this was to ensure that he was the last one to leave camp and that everything was organised and on schedule. Mussa's team was amazing, the assistant guides were excellent, experienced and well versed in english, they set great paces and even if the team did split there was more than enough guides on route with us to reform the groups, so each segment never had to slow down for the other. Mussa works extremely hard, on the final day he was the last to leave the camp and he ran to the final check point to ensure everything was organised and ready for our arrival. On our last night in Tanzania, we had the privilege of going into town with Mussa and a few of the guides to party the night, something that often does not happen. We had such a great connection with Mussa and all future adventurers that are guided under him should count themselves very lucky!
Pack light and don't over do it! I know many of you would have read on various sites to pack a lot of gear, have a lot of snacks etc, but let me tell you this, you are extremely well catered for! You will have a hot meal served to you every dinner, packed lunch given when needed and a hot lunch for days when you are expected to arrive at a camp early, snacks and treats are also provided as well. You only need energy snacks for summit day and nothing else, I'd recommend taking energy tablets for the water which helps you drink the required amount of water per day. (You don't need to do water purification, it was treated for us and everyone was fine drinking it). Bring some entertainment, a pack of cards or a book, some days you arrive at camp early and you often have a lot of hours to burn. Bring a pillow case to put your down jacket in for nights when you're not using it, silk liner is recommended as nights can get extremely cold! Bring a good quality camera! on our trip many bought DSLR's, the weight is fine and the pace is slow enough that you'll be taking a lot of photos! Paracetamol or Ibuprofen a must!! Headaches will come and go and this will help significantly. Diamox is a choice, only 3 out of 14 people in our group took it, research it and decide if you need it, the guides do have it but it's always better to have your own for your own convenience. VISA! try to get this before hand if you're close to the embassy in London, if arriving at Kilimanjaro during the peak time you may find the queue quite big!! Bring something to leave behind! They do so much for you, and have very little, leave what you can behind to help them.
12 out of 12 made it – in various states of disrepair – to the roof of Africa and down again. A fine effort, aided and abetted by excellent guides and following the often quoted 5 golden rules for Kilimanjaro. It’s a shame i can only recall 4 of them but something like eat well, drink lots of fluid, go slowly, and have a positive mental attitude. I’d emphasise the latter which requires a lot of staying calm when you feel sick, trusting yourself, and finding the wherewithal to plod slowly all night up a freezing mountain when your subconscious self is telling you to pack it in and do something more sensible but less inspirational
I'd love to say it was triumphing heroically on the summit of the continent, but i had to retreat at top speed in a fit of altitude sickness and vomiting, which looking back on things seems rather more exciting than it was at the time ! What i really loved was getting up slowly each morning from a nippy tent, and seeing the clouds far below us for day after day - truly fantastic
Abraham was a colossus - a big guy, with a big personality, and a capable leader ready with advice for the mountain, an extra supply of diamox, and many a loony tune. And I'd like to apologise to Riccardo, because I kept wanting to call him Rodrigo, which led to other members of the gang wanting to call him Rodriguez.
It was a really top trip, but we did have problems at the airport on the way back. Kili airport is small and chaotic - you absolutely must turn up for your flight as far in advance as possible
If you want a relaxing holiday step away from this review now! Regardless of what anyone or reviews tell you being fit for Kilimanjaro is essential. Altitude sickness is a condition, having strength in your legs is pre trip requirement due to the terrain you will have to cover. However, without a doubt this trip was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I can’t even begin to share the roller coaster emotions of myself and the group. Laughter, tears, singing and support both from the travellers and the guides and porters, it really is something you will never forget. It’s a challenge both physically and mentally but so so worth stepping out of those boundaries and finding out what you are really made of. It is an experience, one to conquer but also one to savour for many years to come.
The people! I lucked in with my fellow travellers, that really is just fate, however the local guides and porters were quite simply outstanding. I am humbled to have met so many kind people who gave so much and have so little. I have learn't so much from them and will not forget conversations, words of encouragement and being sang to in order to get us to the top. Other moments, the Dream Team singing at the top of Shira Cathedral, the Baranko Wall, being above the clouds, sunrise on the way to Stellar Point and the glaciers at Uhuru, forget the pictures these memories won't fade.
Makeke definitely has the local knowledge and gives a very detailed briefing of what each day will bring. The organisation of the support team, 57 in total for 14 clients, runs like a well oiled machine. Whoever picks the team is spot on. The 6 guides are outstanding in both terms of knowledge but also compassion. Makeke and the team really do care about what happens to each individual and feel personally responsible for each person. Breath of fresh air in the art of putting others first.
Right this is where I ramble on BUT anyone who does this trip will have a massive penny dropping experience and refer back to this.... Firstly facilities around camp. You will be amazed. There are toilets, not flushing but they do the trick, not holes in the ground, therefore apart from up the mountain where you "send emails" you won't need 100's of loo rolls. Likewise, each day you get hot water in the morning and evening to wash, therefore you won't need 20 packs of wet whipes. Nights can be cold, heat packs are great for warming up your sleeping bag (feet mainly) while you are eating dinner. Which brings me on to food, it's outstanding, how they do it I'll never know! This also mean't to me that I didn't need again 2lb in weight of snacks! Lunch is a packed lunch or hot meal. I would say store supplies for Summit day as it is a long day but apart from that I probably picked on a Cliff Bar during the day on other walks, or bar of chocolate/jelly babies here and there for a boost. The food is generous. Water is essential, if you can get a 3 litre camel pack do it as so much easier to drink that dragging out a bottle, plus you tend to sip on the way. Find out day temperature. I presumed it would be cold as we went up, wrong, day time I didn't have enough t-shirts and shorts and could have swapped the ratio with cold weather clothes. Your bag up the mountain is 15k so pack wisely. Water tastes ok regardless of reports. Finally the guides and porters. Don't underestimate how little they have. Tipping is controlled BUT there is also a gifting of your items if you wish. In hindsight I would have taken old trainers to wear around the camp to leave to them, same with t-shirts and other clothing, hats, water bottles etc. we have too much, they have so little.
If you have been thinking about climbing Kilimanjaro for a while but have hesitated go ahead and do it. The Lemosho route gives you plenty of time to acclimatise and why go all the way to Tanzania and rush it? The guides make sure no one goes too fast and it was only on the summit climb that we gradually split into small groups according to ability. So don’t worry you will not get left behind and you wont get made to feel you are slowing the group down. EVERYONE goes slowly. It’s compulsory. And don’t worry if you want to go solo. I think most people climbing Kilimanjaro are solo travellers anyway.
It wasn't the summit - the cloud cover was too low and we didn't see much even though it had been a beautiful clear night with a full moon. (What percentage of summit climbs end up with clear dawn views anyway??) There were many individual inspirational moments - a view, managing to make it to a particular point, watching as the porters carried huge bags up the mountain. When you have made it to camp at the end of a long days walking you will have a great sense of achievement whatever your ability and everyone is very supportive of each other.
All the main guides, including the group leader were employed by The African Walking Company for our climb. Without exception they were kind, helpful, informative and good fun. The cooking was outstanding considering the conditions and to see the porters carry your heavy possessions at twice your speed will leave you feeling humble. The guides ensure no one goes to fast and runs out of steam. Other tour companies are not so vigilant.
Prepare for the climb by doing plenty of hill walking. Build up to making the walks as steep and as long as possible. This is the best preparation in addition to perhaps cycling or swimming. Think about paying extra for a single tent. If you haven't camped for a while try doing it again a few of times to get used to it. Being able to get a decent nights sleep under canvas is essential to a good days walking the following day. The mat provided by Exodus is fine. I didn't use my blow up mat at all. Take a pee bottle so you don't have to get up and go outside to the loo in the middle of the night! Take a good sleeping bag and a liner (mine was a fleece liner) Again the more you can ensure you get a good nights sleep the better. Most people in our group took Diamox for altitude sickness and seemed fine with it. And most experienced some form of altitude sickness in the form of the odd headache but it did not last more than a day. The Diamox pill I took gave me a lot of pins and needles all over my body and it made me feel worse do I did not take it again. I did have dull headaches but nothing serious.
This is an AMAZING trip – do your research about altitude, make sure you have the right kit and keep an open mind.
The Barranco Wall. This was the bit I was most worried about because I had spent hours watching it on Youtube BUT it was nothing like I had imagined and I loved it. The guides and porters are so brilliant and they help you up anyway.Having breakfast outside in the sunshine about the clouds with the Summit in the background.
Our group leader Florenc was fantastic. I felt comfortable with him straight away. He was knowledgeable and had lots of experience on the mountain. The African Walking Company are excellent and our assistant guides, Davison, Hans, Adam and Olaf were brilliant too. However, the greatest respect goes to Simon who was the porter who carried my kit bag and set my tent up for me everyday with a smile. The chef, Godlisten is a legend - the food was great.
Build up your training to walk for at least 4 - 5 hours at a time as you will be doing this (and longer) every day! Book a trek with Mick and Elaina from Trek Hire UK - they give really valuable advice, tell you where you are at with your training AND it's a great day out over the Surrey Hills.Even if you are going with your partner - pay the single supplement as there is not much room in the tent (especially if you are tall or need to go to the loo alot which you will if you take diamox). We hired sleeping bags, therma rest, down jackets, rucksack and poles from Trek Hire UK - they were great and it kept the cost down.Take a pillow case to stuff your down jacket in for sleeping at night.Take an aluminium bottle to use as a hot water bottle for bed and fresh water to clean your teeth with in the morning.Take lots of baby wipes!Take time to get to know your guides and porters. They are amazing and you will soon realise that your life is in their hands.
Unlike anything I’ve done before and doubt I’ll do the same again. Wonderful and challenging trip, totally beautiful and guided by a fantastic, funny and experienced group from the African Walking Company.
Overnighting on the Shira Plateau was properly wild, and it froze solid at night. Felt like we could see every star in the sky. The next day the scramble up Shira Cathedral was a lot of fun - view from up there was unexpected and vast and yes - breathtaking (on Kilimanjaro though, most things are)
Our whole guiding group were BRILLIANT - all 45 of them. Our guides in particular were so experienced we trusted them instantly - pretty important when you're in such a wilderness but I always felt I was in the best hands possible, even when altitude started getting to us.
Listen to your guides. Don't underestimate the effects of altitude. Be prepared to get pretty dirty.
If you want to give yourself the best possible chance to reach the summit then the Lemosho Route is for you.
The walk from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak is quite emotional and really promotes self reflection
Abraham was our group leader and was very organised and professional. We had very poor weather with heavy rain every day and Abraham not only managed to keep our spirits up (14 of us) but also of all his support staff (58 staff). His assistant guides were also very good and took excellent care of our group, which splintered into 3 smaller groups. At the end of it all 9 of the 14 made it to the top and nobody was affected by altitude sickness.
I'd never hiked before this trip and learn't a few lessons the hard way:1. Take a medium sized umbrella, all the guides have them but there is no mention of them on any kit list2. Once your kit gets wet there's no way to dry it so pack everything into waterproof bags from day 1. We discovered that gore-tex isn't sufficient. You can't have too many waterproof bags3. You're limited to 15kg that the porters will carry, push this as close to the limit as you can, you'll need as much equipment as you can get away with4. Wear your heavy hiking boots and gaiters from day 15. Immodium, make sure you have plenty of it, everyone had tummy problems6. Take the single supplement option, even if you're with a friend/partner. Having the extra space in the tent is great for drying things and generally being able to sleep comfortably