KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOOT ON KILIMANJARO

MOUNT MERU Mt. Meru is one of Africa's highest and most beautiful volcanoes, standing at 4566 m. It is located within Arusha National Park. The route to the summit passes through parkland, montane forest, a giant heather zone and moorland. Finally, the summit is reached by a narrow, barren ridge which provides stunning views of the Ash Cone lying several thousand feet below in the crater and Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background. Because the mountain lies within a National Park, it is common to encounter some of the area's birds, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, and black and white Colobus monkeys on the first day of your journey to the summit. For this reason, you will climb with a Park Ranger who takes your safety very seriously. Many will say that Mt. Meru is not a difficult climb compared with Mt. Kilimanjaro, because of its lower elevation, shorter distance, and comfortable sleeping arrangements, but this is not a mountain to be taken lightly. The ...

Insurance for climbing Kilimanjaro When buying insurance for climbing Kilimanjaro you must make clear to the insurer that you will be trekking on a very big mountain. If you are going to be mountaineering and using ropes then you need to tell them that too. This will probably increase your premium (it usually doubles it) and may even exclude you from being covered altogether. But if you don’t make this clear from the start and pay the lower premium you may find, should you have to make a claim, that you weren’t actually covered at all. Do note, however, that it pays to bear in mind that  you are not actually doing any climbing, you are just walking.  In other words, you won’t be using any ropes, crampons or other climbing gear . The insurance company should know this – but many of the staff they employ don’t!  So do make this clear or they’ll be charging you a higher premium unnecessarily. Remember,in surance policy varies slightly from company to company. ensure you read the s...

Malaria and malarial prophylaxis for Kilimanjaro You are highly unlikely to contract malaria on Kilimanjaro, which is too high and cold for the anopheles mosquito (the species that carries malaria). Nevertheless, Malaria is a problem in Tanzania, which is considered one of the highest risk countries in the world. Malaria is particularly rife in coastal areas and on Zanzibar. There’s even some cases just south of Moshi. When beginning a course of anti-malarials for Tanzania, it is very important to begin taking them before you go; that way the drug is established in your system by the time you set foot on Tanzanian soil and it will give you a chance to see if the drug is going to cause a reaction or allergy. Once started, complete the full course, which usually runs for several weeks after you return home. Which anti-malarial you need depends on which parts of Africa you are visiting and your previous medical history. Your doctor will be able to advise you on what dr...

Inoculations for Tanzania Sort out your vaccinations a few months before you’re due to fly. According to the latest bulletin, it is no longer compulsory to have the  yellow fever vaccination  to enter Tanzania. Nevertheless, this rule seems to change every few months so it may still be wise to have an inoculation against it, which in the UK can cost anywhere from £25-45 (US$45-80). Remember to collect a health card or some other written evidence from your doctor to prove you’ve had the jab. Other recommended inoculations for Kilimanjaro and Tanzania include: Typhoid  This disease is caught from contaminated food and water. A single injection lasts for three years. Polio  The polio vaccine used to be administered by sugar-lump, making it one of the more pleasant inoculations, though these days it’s more commonly injected. Lasts for ten years. Hepatitis A  This debilitating disease of the liver is spread by contaminated water, or even...

Ethical Policy Our policy with porters Our policies towards the fair treatment of our staff are as follows: Making sure each porter is properly equipped with decent footwear and warm clothing before agreeing to hire them. An inspection of each porter and his clothing is done on the morning of the climb/. Making sure the porters are given three meals a day for the duration of the trek Ensuring that each porter is issued with no more than the maximum 20kg (plus 5kg of personal items) Paying the crew a fair wage of Ts20,000 per day. Making sure sick or injured porters are evacuated from the mountain immediately, and given the same level of care as trekkers. Making sure that the number of porters you start with is the same as the number at the end (except where illness or injury necessitates that a porter return to Arusha for medical treatment), ie no porters are sent down early. This is done so that no other porters end up being overloaded with that porter’s baggage, and so ...

Climbing Kili is good for you – fact! According to reports in last week’s British media, a study has concluded that walking for an hour or two a day cuts the risk of having a stroke by a third in the over 60s. Even better, those over-65s who manage to fit in three hours a day of walking will find their chances of having a stroke cut by two thirds Some 3,435 healthy men aged 60 to 80 were questioned about their lifestyle and exercise routines and the conclusion was, perhaps, not surprising. As Barbara Jefferis, researcher at University College, London, explained, “‘If you took 1,000 men who usually walk eight to 14 hours per week and followed them for ten years, on average they would have 55 strokes, compared with 80 for the group who only walk zero to three hours a week.” What’s more, the study found that the actual walking needn’t be strenuous, and what counted was how long you walked for rather than how fast. Those who’ve already experienced the joys of scaling Kili will know...

Fitness preparation for climbing Kilimanjaro How fit do you need to be to climb Kilimanjaro? While it is always good to get fit, there’s no need to go overboard with fitness preparations for climbing Kilimanjaro. Some guidebooks and websites go into extraordinary detail about fitness regimes. I, however, along with most of the guides and, indeed, the majority of trekkers who have climbed Kili all think that most of  these regimes are unnecessary. Why? Simply because the main reason why people fail to reach the summit is due to altitude sickness rather than lack of necessary strength or stamina. That said, the fitter you are, the more enjoyable your trek up Kilimanjaro. And It’s true that some do, indeed, fail through sheer lack of fitness, strength and stamina. After all, on the final push to the summit you will be walking at very high altitude for about 16 hours! So a certain degree of fitness is necessary.  So anything you can do...

What to look for in your Kilimanjaro trek package So, having done all the necessary research,, you’ve found a suitable agency offering the trek you want for the required duration at an acceptable price. Before you sign on any metaphorical dotted lines, however, you need to be absolutely sure that you know what you’re paying for. In other words,  you need to sort out  exactly  what is and isn’t included in the price of the trek . Don’t just ask what you are getting for your money: ask what you  aren’t  getting too – ie what you yourself will need to pay out of your own pocket. Once you have this information you’ll get a good idea of exactly how much extra you need to pay in addition to the basic cost of the trek. The following is a brief check list of  items that should be included : All park fees  and any accompanying taxes for both your self and the porters and guides. Hire of porters, assistant guides and guides, their wages and food. Fo...

How to book your trek with Foot On Kili Adventure Whether you are booking a place on a prearranged trek or on new dates, the procedure for booking through us is the same. The first step is to send us an email or give us a call saying you are interested in a trek and ask us any questions about any   aspect of your trek or our service. We will then ask you to fill out a trek booking form. This should not take more than a couple of minutes of your time. Simply send it off – and you have taken the next step on a journey that could eventually lead you to the top of Africa’s Highest Mountain! To find out more about our treks or to be  climb with the Kilimanjaro Climb Updates, please email the following address: footonkiliadventure@gmail.com Or you can call us:  WhatsApp Live Chat +255767691910        +255655691910 Once we receive this, we’ll book your trek – and your place is guaranteed...

WELCOME TO CLIMB MOUNT KILIMANJARO! BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE, YOU’LL BE READY TO CLIMB AFRICA’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN! Welcome to our blog that for more than a decade the most complete and trustworthy guide to climbing Africa’s Highest Mountain. By visiting this blog, you have taken the first step on your journey to the Roof of Africa. A journey that will take you from your favourite armchair all the way to  Uhuru Peak  – at 5895m (19,341ft) above sea level, it’s the very highest point on the entire African continent. As you may know,  Africa’s Highest Mountain is also a ‘walkable’ mountain . That is to say, no technical climbing skills are required to reach the summit. But that’s not to say it’s easy. An iron will and calves of steel are just two of the attributes you’ll need to make it to the top – for this is a mountain that truly tests your mettle. If you’re in a hurry, you’ll find all th...