Tanzania’s snow capped Mount Kilimanjaro stands tall at 19,336 ft and is the highest peak in Africa and is also the tallest mountain in the world which you can climb by walking. The beauty of the visit lies in the fact that you go-through five different climatic-zones while reaching the summit. So get ready for this unique adventure and start with the booking of an affordable cheap flights to Tanzania.
In order to get yourself going you first need to get associated with an organized trek and travel along the established routes but you first need to book well in advance to get you enabled for going in the high-season (from January till May and September till October). It’s highly recommended to visit the Mount Kilimanjaro in high-season as the weather conditions provide a safe climbing experience.
After you are done with all the formalities and boring paper work, you can now prepare yourself for the real adventure. Build stamina by whatever you think is suitable to you varying from walking your dog, climbing up the stairs or hiking some of the hills. Double check your health by a medical check-up to make sure you are absolutely fit to go. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have a travel insurance that includes medical facilities.
You should take with you all the things you may need there while at the same time keeping a check at the overall weight as you definitely will want to be as light as possible. Renting some of the equipments needed locally is also a good idea as you don’t have to take tones of equipment along with. Now you are ready for the adventure but make sure the hike is on minimum 6 to 7 days to improve the chances of success as any shorter may not be acclimatized properly. There are many routes you can take and vary in difficulty, scenic beauty and traffic. Rongai and Marangu are among the least-difficult routes whereas Limosho, Shira and Machame are comparatively more difficult.
During the journey make sure that you are drinking a lot of water (4 to 5 liters per day) to deal with the altitude. You have easy access to water from the mountain-streams after the 1st day and the water is good to drink and is also cooled naturally. It is also highly recommended to walk during the day at higher elevations and when it’s time to sleep, come back-down. You should consult your doctor if you have any signs of altitude-sickness and also make sure your are equipped with medical equipments like oxygen, compression bags etc so you are prepared to deal with altitude sickness in case it happens.
The hardest part of the trek is reaching the Uhuru peak so stay focused and determined. The final ascent is normally timed with the sunrise over the distant plains and crater so enjoy the view and take some lovely photos before getting back-down. It takes a lot of effort and dedication to complete the trip but its worth for what you get in the end so get ready and prepare yourself for an adventure you’ll never forget.
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