Mt Kilimanjaro National Park (Tanzania)

Advantages: Great views, satisfying to achive a goal like this
Disadvantages: Altitude sickness, expensive, a bit harder than expected

Summary In the end of September I had the pleasure of going to Tanzania to make an attempt to reach the top of Kilimanjaro at 5895 meters. Our group used the Machame route and we used Marangu hotel as our tour operator. This day by day diary is one of the chapters that I have posted on my homepage www.gardkarlsen.com when it comes to my hike on Kilimanjaro. On the homepage you can read more about the trip, costs, equipment review etc Friday September ...
...I got a ride to the airport by my wife Nikki. It was strange to leave my wife Nikki at home this time. I have become so used to having the pleasure of travelling with her and it felt like something was missing when I was walking around alone at the airport. I was using KLM/Kenya Airways this time and at 5 pm I lifted of from Stavanger Airport and after a short stop at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam I was on my way to Nairobi at about 8 pm. I used ... Read review

Advantages: A holiday of a lifetime
Disadvantages: Really really tough

The very peak of Mount Kilimanjaro is called Uhuru Peak and stands at 5895m above sea level....that's nearly 20,000ft. I stood there 5 months ago gazing across the clear sky with only the peak of Mount Meru visible in the distance above the clouds. Ladies and gentlemen....I cannot express the sense of accomplishment that such a climb brings and believe me when I tell you that the ascent was one of the most physically challenging things I have done ...
...after seemed like a piece of cake in comparison. For those interested in making the amazing climb I would heartily recommend it. Tanzania is a wonderful country and boasts the best game reserves in the world. Ngorogoro crater is close by to the Kilimanjaro, a huge crater within which an entire safari exists. If any of you are close by to an IMax theatre then I heartily recommend watching "Africa" which was entirely filmed within the crater. Anyway...back ... Read review

Advantages: The easiest way up the mountain
Disadvantages: Altitude, altitude, altitude

In January this year we reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route, the easiest way up the 19,344 foot mountain. We took a package trip with Hayes and Jarvis, flying on KLM via Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro International Airport. This is our experience… DAY 1. There was a short briefing session in the hotel, then we quickly packed our kitbag out of which we were to live for the next five days. An hour long journey by Land Rover ...
...registration formalities. We then waited for another hour or so whilst the porters were weighed in and sorted out. And, then we were off. This first day’s walking was fairly easy. It took us up through rain forest from the park gates at 6400 feet to the Mandara Huts at 8850 feet. DAY 2. After a breakfast of hot mashed cornflakes and paraffin-flavoured toast, we were off again. After the first hour we cleared the remaining rain forest and emerged ... Read review

Advantages: Amazing scenery, friendly people
Disadvantages: Harder than expected, expensive park fees, altitude sickness on summit night :(

I attempted to climb Kilimanjaro in February of 2006. I didn't make it to the top due to a combination of altitude sickness and generally feeling bad, but it was the most amazing experience of my life so far. Getting there = I travelled with a UK based company - the Adventure Company who specialise in trekking and walking holidays and booked to go on the Machame route, which supposedly gave a better chance of acclimatisation and hence ...
...Ababa to Kilimanjaro International Airport and they were fine. On the approach to Kilimanjaro airport you pass close to another 5000m+ mountain, Mount Meru and the view was amazing, but the associated thermals can make for an uncomfortable landing if, like me you are not keen on turbulence. The trek After a couple of days at a hotel in Arusha it was time to start the walk. We were driven to the starting point, the Machame gate on a very ... Read review

Advantages: Summit
Disadvantages: Altitude

Kilimanjaro is getting more and more crowded as each year goes by. In fact, for the millennium a massive foot path was built on the Marangu route to make it even easier to get people to the top. This is the highest mountain in Africa, made up of 3 volcanoes, Kibo being the highest. We used the Rongai route from the north, this is a newly reopened route which is very quiet. We were the only group on that side of the mountain. The trip was organised ...
...tents and food were carried by local porters. They were quite friendly and have beautiful singing voices. This is an easy and shortish walk taking just 3.5 days to get to the top and 1.5 down. However the gain is altitude is quick and doesn't give the body time to adjust, so walk slow and don't get out of breath, once you're out of breath there isn't enough oxygen in the air for you to recover! The views continuously get better the higher you climb. ... Read review