{"id":532,"date":"2022-03-07T20:52:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T20:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mountain-level.com\/?p=532"},"modified":"2025-07-20T16:37:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T16:37:43","slug":"climb-kilimanjaro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountain-level.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/07\/climb-kilimanjaro\/","title":{"rendered":"Climb Kilimanjaro – A High-Altitude Adventure in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Climb Kilimanjaro<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A High-Altitude Adventure in Africa<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Dear friends,<\/p>

How often does your inner clock give you a wake-up call? How often do you have an idea so big that it frightens you? And most importantly, how often do you decide to follow your gut?<\/p>

Sometimes, I wonder if I\u2019m a bit crazy or if what\u2019s going through my mind is science fiction. Perhaps some of our thoughts are only fantasies and will remain so, though others, we can make them happen with a bit of drive and heart.<\/p>

In October 2021, the wheels were set into motion, starting when I caught Corona. Like every mountain enthusiast who has lots of free time, I took the opportunity to begin watching mountain movies. This made me realize that even an illness could bring something valuable.<\/p>

Some movies jumped on top of my playlist like an athlete jumping obstacles in the Olympics, and a question started to whisper: could it be possible to hike the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro?<\/p>

Planning such a hike would have been an adventure in normal conditions, but nowadays, while having unpredictable Corona regulations, it sounded like a fantasy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After sleeping on it for a few days, the idea didn\u2019t disappear. One day passed, two days, three days, and it was still there. Not only that\u00a0was it still\u00a0there, but it was getting more powerful and more precise by the day.<\/p>

After a\u00a0few more days passed, I said to myself: OK, let\u2019s do it! After deciding, I noticed that there were only some \u201cminor\u201d things left to do: create the plan, prepare for the hike, and the actual thing: climb the big rock.<\/p>

Being surrounded by a large community of hikers, it was difficult to choose the \u201cpartner in crime.\u201d After thinking a while, I decided to share my intention with one of my best friends \u2013 a very passionate and determined man,\u00a0whom I\u2019ve already been on many adventures\u00a0with.<\/p>

Having such a plan was one thing, but to have success, I had to present it right. After pitching the story in a way where the only possible answers were \u201cyes\u201d or \u201ccan\u2019t wait,\u201d we agreed. It was another step ahead, and the \u201cme\u201d turned into \u201cwe\u201d!<\/p>

We informed ourselves about the optimal\u00a0time of year\u00a0to do the hike, and we found out that there are, unfortunately, two rainy seasons in Tanzania. If you assumed that it was a long one and a short one, you were right! The long one is from early March till early May, and the short one takes up all\u00a0of\u00a0November and the first half of December.<\/p>

At that time, it is raining cats and dogs all day long, and closer to the peak, it\u2019s even snowing. I do not want to mention that there are no views because you will see only clouds.<\/p>

With the rainy season in mind, we checked our calendars and decided to do the hike in the middle of February.\u00a0Therefore,\u00a0we\u00a0planned\u00a0to go\u00a0in the middle of the short dry season! That doesn\u2019t mean that we\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0have rain or snow.\u00a0There could be some, of course, but a maximum of 20% of the time.<\/p>

Choosing the route is also essential because there are many possibilities. Some trails are shorter and faster, while others are longer and have a greater chance of summiting.<\/p>

On almost all routes, you sleep in tents, but you can sleep in small huts on a particular one.<\/p>

Some routes start and end from the same position. Others are more diverse, with a different beginning and ending point to enjoy more of Kilimanjaro\u2019s scenery!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Acclimatization is an important aspect to consider because the overall success rate of summiting is around 50%).<\/p>

When choosing\u00a0a short route (5 days), the body does not have much time to acclimatize, and the overall success rate is around 25%.\u00a0The hikers choosing\u00a0one of these\u00a0Kilimanjaro routes\u00a0must be sure that they know how their body\u00a0will respond\u00a0to higher altitudes.<\/p>

The longer routes (7-8 till 12 days)\u00a0however, have an increased success rate\u00a0because the body has more time to acclimatize. On those routes, the success rate goes up to 90%. I\u00a0would\u00a0find it very sad to come from Germany and not summit because we didn\u2019t take one or two extra days to acclimatize properly.<\/p>

The main idea is that acclimatization plays a decisive role: the\u00a0longer\u00a0you stay on the mountain, the greater your chance of reaching the peak.<\/p>

On the mountain\u00a0there\u00a0are many routes,\u00a0the names\u00a0of these\u00a0derive from Kilimanjaro\u2019s 121 tribes:<\/p>

Southern routes:<\/p>

Lemosho\u00a0\u2013\u00a08-9 days\u00a0\u2013\u00a0sleeping in tents, very good for people who want to enjoy the mountain and are willing to spend more time acclimatizing.<\/p>

Machame (Whiskey route)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0This is the route we choose. It can be done in 6 or 7 days and has a total length of more than 60 kilometers. Huts are not available, so the hikers must sleep in tents.<\/p>

Umbwe\u00a0\u2013\u00a0faster route, sleeping in tents, has a total distance of 37 kilometers. It can be done in 3-5 days.<\/p>

Be aware that Lemosho, Machame, Umbwe are practically the same route with different starting points. After two or three days, the trails join.<\/p>

Mweka route is the descending route for all of these routes.<\/p>

Marangu (Coca Cola Route) is the only route where people sleep in huts, and it is also called the Coca-Cola route because it is considered the cheapest, shortest route to the summit. Also, if you want to discover more from Kilimanjaro, it is impossible on the Marangu because you will go back down the same way you went up.<\/p>

Northern Routes:<\/p>

Rongai\u00a0\u2013\u00a06-7 days\u00a0\u2013\u00a0sleeping in tents\u00a0\u2013\u00a0starts from the northeast; it is one of the most remote and wild routes and merges with the Marangu route.<\/p>

Of course, the prices for each hike are different because the tourists have to pay for each day visiting the Tanzanian national park.<\/p>

We decided to use the Machame route for hiking Kilimanjaro, 7 days \/ 6 nights because we wanted to see and experience something new each day. The trail has a total length of 64 kilometers, and it was an optimal choice.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Unfortunately, we couldn\u2019t make the trip independently,\u00a0because\u00a0in the Tanzanian national parks\u00a0you\u00a0must\u00a0be accompanied by a Tanzanian licensed guide.<\/p>

After deciding\u00a0the route, we started looking for the tour operator. We informed ourselves a lot about the tour operator,\u00a0because cheap and good do not always go together. We could book something from Germany, but local offers were also available. For us, it was essential to choose somebody reliable, focused on the clients\u2019\u00a0experience.<\/p>

A significant part of the price is the fee for entering the park.\u00a0Once this is deducted, the remaining profit is divided between\u00a0the\u00a0company and\u00a0their employees.\u00a0The\u00a0respectable\u00a0companies\u00a0join the porter syndicate and pay standard wages to the porters.\u00a0However, some companies,\u00a0who are not a part of this syndicate,\u00a0do not even respect the fundamental rights of their employees.<\/p>

After reading many reviews, we chose\u00a0Almighty Kilimanjaro<\/a>, a local company from Moshi, Tanzania. In the end, we were more than satisfied with their services, and from our point of view, they are very friendly, punctual and reliable. They also provided flexible dates, and after booking, we had to make a down payment of only 20%. The remaining amount\u00a0would be\u00a0paid after we reached Tanzania.<\/p>

The next step was transportation, so we took another brave step and booked our flight tickets. I say brave because, in November, Omicron just appeared on the stage, and nobody knew the impact this new\u00a0variant\u00a0was going to have.<\/p>

At that point,\u00a0the\u00a0current\u00a0status\u00a0was: we had the mountain, the team, the date, the travel agency, and the\u00a0flights. After more research, we added: equipment, vaccines, medicines, and travel insurance.<\/p>

Months passed, November, December, and we started to be more active from January. What an excellent way to start the new year!<\/p>

After speaking with my medical doctor, we started with vaccines against the specific diseases from Africa: Hepatitis AB, Typhoid, Tetanus, and of course, the Booster: Corona 3rd<\/sup>\u00a0edition.<\/p>

Medicines for headaches, flu, diarrhea, or altitude sickness are also mandatory. A good thing to mention here is a solution for altitude sickness: only bringing a sick person lower with 500m will make that person feel a bit better.<\/p>

Also, to be protected against Malaria, I started one day before the trip to take pills, Malarone. It is not complicated, just one pill at the same hour each day. After the trip, I continued with the same treatment for seven days. The danger of getting Malaria comes when you are in the city, when doing a safari, or in Zanzibar. After 2500 m, people are safe from mosquitoes.<\/p>

Another thing we had to consider was not to use scented shampoos, perfumes, or deodorants because the mosquitoes are attracted to them.<\/p>

On very high altitudes, the ultraviolet light was much stronger, so we had long sleeves and used excellent sunscreen as much as possible.<\/p>

Two weeks before departure, the Corona numbers skyrocketed, and Tanzania started requiring PCR testing on entry. We understood that we had to protect ourselves and get on those planes. How did we do that? Pure isolation. We quit social events, hikes, or even the gym. Actually, in the last three weeks before the trip, we felt like monks with only one thought in mind: Uhuru Peak.<\/p>

Two days before departure, we sprayed the clothes and equipment against insects. Guess it worked because we didn\u2019t see any bugs the whole trip.<\/p>

One day before departure, I woke up at 6 A.M. and went to do the PCR test. Even though I felt completely healthy, I\u00a0was very fearful. I went in, did it, and it was over. Now the only thing left was to wait for the results.<\/p>

The magical day came: the 10th<\/sup>\u00a0of February, the day we should physically start our journey. I said physically because mentally, the whole adventure started many months ago.<\/p>

That day,\u00a0I was\u00a0also\u00a0afraid because it was already 10 A.M. and the PCR\u00a0test\u00a0result\u00a0had not yet\u00a0\u00a0arrived. I\u00a0wrote\u00a0some emails, called a few times, and some very supportive people managed to send me the results in less than two hours. My luck, because without them, I would not be\u00a0allowed\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0plane!<\/p>

We\u00a0planned\u00a0to meet at the airport in the morning, but we\u00a0surprisingly\u00a0met at the train station. Coincidence? No, maybe synchronicity, but this is another story.<\/p>

At\u00a0the\u00a0airport\u00a0boarding desks to our Qatar flight, there\u00a0was a large crowd, the Qatar employees double-checked everything: QR codes, PCR tests, insurance, flight tickets, and passports.<\/p>

We also had some additional questions regarding our suitcases, because we had to change planes and\u00a0airline\u00a0in Nairobi. After a while, we entered the plane and felt relieved.<\/p>

The adventure had\u00a0officially started.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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To enter Tanzania, most people need a visa that costs 100 Dollars for US citizens and 50 Dollars for non-US citizens. If someone wants to move faster, they can apply for an e-visa online.<\/p>

After 23 hours of traveling,\u00a0including\u00a0changing\u00a0one train, three planes, and one bus,\u00a0we\u00a0finally arrived\u00a0in Moshi. We were so close to the start. We had already seen the big rock from the aircraft, so our excitement\u00a0grew\u00a0by the minute.<\/p>

Before the hike, we did an equipment inventory at the hotel. The guides took care of us and went through our equipment,\u00a0to ensure\u00a0the\u00a0proper gear was there. If something was missing or not adequate, they offered us the possibility of renting it for the hike\u2019s duration. Also, I photocopied all travel documents and left them in a different place at the hotel (travel insurance, passport, and flight tickets.)<\/p>

Almighty Kilimanjaro prepared 11 people to ensure we summit: one guide, one assistant guide, one cook, and eight porters. We were surprised that an entire football team supported our hike.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We discovered that our assistant guide Roy was also a nature specialist, and he named most of the flowers and animals on our way up. He also revealed that only 50 % of the typical hikers are there because of Covid, making the trip not so crowded.<\/p>

What do you usually do when you hike many hours each day? Of course, you\u00a0get\u00a0to know people better and learn more about their culture. It is precisely what we did, including\u00a0learning a few words in Swahili, the Tanzanian language.<\/p>

Jambo<\/strong> or Mambo<\/strong> means hello,<\/p>

Asante<\/strong> means thank you,<\/p>

Asante Sana<\/strong>\u00a0means\u00a0\u00a0thank you very much,<\/p>

Karibo<\/strong> means you\u2019re welcome,<\/p>

Lala Salama<\/strong>\u00a0means\u00a0\u00a0sleep well,<\/p>

and the most frequent: Pole, Pole<\/strong>\u00a0means\u00a0\u00a0take it slowly.<\/p>

The summit of the Kilimanjaro massif, Uhuru peak, means freedom in Swahili. Now I know much more clearly,\u00a0what is important for the Tanzanian people.<\/p>

During the day, the guides made sure that we drank enough water because optimal is around 3-4 liters per day. We used many isotonic tablets to improve the water because it tasted different after purification and boiling.<\/p>

On some days of the hike, I encountered a headache. Still, these symptoms were to be expected when going to higher altitudes. I had two choices: one was to take Ibuprofen, another one was to switch to Diamox. I am glad that Ibuprofen worked,\u00a0because many people complained after taking the Diamox pills: they had to go pee more often. Imagine how it would have been to go ten times, in the middle of the night, to \u201csee the stars.\u201d Not so pleasant, but if you want to summit, you do what you have to do.<\/p>

The days went by, and on the way to the summit, we saw bizarre trees that seemed to make the scenery look mystical; we saw almost unnatural plants and animals that you only see on Animal Planet. With that in mind, we understood how vast and diverse the world we live in\u00a0is.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Almost 30,000 people from all over the world come to climb Kilimanjaro\u00a0every year. Of these people, around 40% are American, 40 % from the UK, and 20% from the other parts of the globe. Between all these people, we met some guys from Australia. What was so special about these Australian guys is that they also had a problem with the temperature.\u00a0For them the coldest time in winter\u00a0is\u00a021 degrees! For them to be around zero,\u00a0felt\u00a0freezing. Imagine going for a week in a place,\u00a0where the average temperature is -20 degrees to understand their situation.<\/p>

On the 4th day of the hike, from Barranco Camp to Karanga camp, we had a huge challenge ahead of us: the climb of Barranco-Wall. Imagine that you have to climb up a 250 m wall on a two-meter narrow path.<\/p>

The number of tourists had\u00a0almost tripled because all the south-eastern routes joined after the third day. Imagine more than a thousand people, tourists, guides, and porters climbing the same path. Also, if it happens to rain, the game is taken to the next level.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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It was a special night at Karanga Camp: we were a bit over 4000 m, which meant we had tickets in the first row to see the stars. The moon also gave a show, being the star of the day! Or of the night, in our case. It was glowing so hard, and we needed sunglasses to look at it. Who would have thought of sunglasses to look at the moon?<\/p>

At Barafu Camp, we had a perfect position for the tent on the fifth night, and the mattress was straight with no inclination. After so many nights, it was a blessing. The best arrangement so far.<\/p>

The only thing that worried me was that our tent was on the edge of a cliff. And when I\u00a0say\u00a0the edge, I\u00a0literally\u00a0mean the edge. Two meters\u00a0to our side\u00a0was the vast valley,\u00a0which was more\u00a0than a couple of hundred meters below. We had a fantastic view indeed, but we\u00a0needed to be\u00a0highly cautious if we wanted to \u201csee the stars\u201d in the night.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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That night, we\u00a0planned\u00a0to\u00a0conquer\u00a0the summit. We went to bed around 8 P.M., intending to wake up at 12:30 and start at 1 A.M. The thing is, I didn\u2019t get much sleep being at more than 4700m. However, I could rest my body and mind with some special mind control techniques. Every day I am amazed at what our bodies can do.<\/p>

On the way to the top, I encountered many physical and\u00a0mental\u00a0barriers that could have stopped me: impatience, impulsivity, slow walking, and -10 degrees all the way. To get my point: if you walk too slowly, you freeze, but if you start to hike faster, you run out of energy after a few minutes.<\/p>

The path to the summit zig-zagged\u00a0between the cliffs, and we had to be aware of our body, energy, and breath. We had to do countless breathing exercises only to get to the Stella-Point(5756m) one hour below the summit. After that point, the road is more or less straight, with almost no inclination. With all these challenges, at 7 A.M., we reached at 5895 m the summit of Uhuru Peak.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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With the sun on one side and the glacier on the other side, that perfect African sunrise will stay in our minds and hearts forever.<\/p>

To celebrate that magical moment in a classical German way, we used something local, and so,\u00a0we drank\u00a0the best African Mango juice,\u00a0instead\u00a0of the traditional \u201cGipfel-Bier.\u201d<\/p>

With an enormous smile on our faces, we started to go down.<\/p>

We felt sorry for many hikers because some turned back. They couldn\u2019t breathe or felt very dizzy. For that fact, I understood why the success rate is only 50%.<\/p>

Around 11 A.M., we arrived back at our tent where we had a bite to eat, rested a bit, and at 1 P.M. we set off for the 3000m camp.\u00a0It took us four hours\u00a0to\u00a0arrive at 3000m, and there we got a fantastic surprise: it was warm, and you could stay outside without your jacket.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Before going to bed, we did the day\u2019s review and started imagining the hotel\u2019s hot water, the coffee, and the restaurant\u2019s a-la-carte menu.<\/p>

The guides and team sang and explained the Kilimanjaro song on the way back. We were extremely moved to hear eleven people sharing their culture and singing with a joyful heart that beautiful song.<\/p>

The story is about the snake of Kilimanjaro, and it represents the zig-zag path up the mountain. Each step is very challenging, and only the strongest hikers defeat the snake and reach the top.<\/p>

We thanked Almighty Kilimanjaro\u2019s team again at the hotel for being part of this incredible experience, and we received our climbing Kilimanjaro certificates.<\/p>

After a whole week on the mountain, sleeping in tents, we were overjoyed when we entered the hotel room. After we enjoyed a long shower, we went straight to the restaurant. The celebration of climbing one of the seven summits began: we drank Kilimanjaro beer, ate pizza, ice cream, and drank more beer, of course.<\/p>

On the way home, I changed two planes again and traveled around 28 hours. What can I say, I slept, read, slept again, looked back on some events, drank a lot of good coffee, and ate burgers. By the way\u2026 in Doha, the capital of Qatar, two burgers, fries, and a bottle of water cost 36 Euros. It is a bit pricey, but it is worth it for those who want to mark the conquest of Kilimajaro.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Can such an adventure transform you?<\/p>

Oh, yes, it certainly can. The main goal of every adventure is to grow and transform you into someone more aware than before.<\/p>

This experience helped me understand better the three levels of evolution: having \u2013 doing \u2013 being. After finding that unique combination between courage, hope, dedication, motivation, resilience, and joy you are able to change between them.<\/p>

How do you feel after such a challenge?<\/p>

You are calm, fulfilled, at peace.<\/p>

It was confirmed to me again that pain and discomfort are temporary, and the feeling of accomplishment follows you each step of your life.<\/p>

In the end, I want to reveal some fantastic Tanzanian words shared by Josef, our guide.<\/p>

\u201cOne dream, one team, nonstop, to the top!\u201d<\/i><\/em><\/p>

Thank you so much, my friend!<\/p>

Asante sana!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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