Tips for Climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is not one of the world’s highest peak but it is the world’s highest walk able mountain. Measuring 19,389 feet Mt. Kilimanjaro is the Africa’s highest peak and thousands of tourists head to Tanzania for just climbing this gorgeous mountain. What makes Kilimanjaro this special is the fact that you don’t really need to be a professional climber to reach its summit although it can be physically quite demanding. Another thing that you need to keep mind is that climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is a costly affair, an average climb can cost around $2000 to $2400. Let us give you some tips which can make climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro that much easier for you.

Find a Good Tour Operator

You can just take a flight to Dar es Salam and then strap your rucksack on your back and head to Kilimanjaro to start the climb. According to the regulations you will only be allowed to climb to the summit if you have contacted a tour operator. There are plenty of tour operators in the city of Dar es Salam and the quality of their services vary from excellent to outright pathetic, we will not recommend that you go with a cheaper option when choosing a tour operator. Try searching on the net or ask your friends or contacts who have visited Tanzania for a good tour operator.

Book in Advance

Why this is important? The high season that lasts January to march and September to October is the perfect time for climbing the mountain because of the mild climate but its always hard to find quality tour operators and hotels in this season if you have not already made a booking with them.

Get Fit and Pack Well

Climbing a more than 19,000 feet high mountain is not an easy task. It will require a lot of physical effort and you need to be in a good physical shape to attain this. Although Kilimanjaro is a walk able mountain but it will be helpful if you start preparing your body for the hardship that it will endure during the climb. Jogging, running and swimming are the best exercises for increasing your stamina and if you start getting fit a few months before reaching the mountain then the real climb will be as daunting task.

Also when you pack your bag make sure that you have all the things that you will require to nullify or reduce of high altitude and the changing temperature. The porters in Kilimanjaro can carry up to 15 Kg so you don’t have to worry about carrying it all the way to the summit.

Choose Your Route

There are a plenty of routes that can take you to the summit of the mountain but not all of them are perfect. The perfect route should take you to the peak in 6-7 days, there are routes that can take you to the summit in much lesser time but then you will not get yourself properly acclimatize with the weather and that can get you in so trouble after reaching the summit.